Page 35 of Rock Strong

“Of course he did!” Rosemary cried, throwing a pillow at me. “Oh, my God, I AM SO JEALOUS!” She screamed until the people next door knocked on our wall to shut us up.

Our second Seattle show was on fire! As Liam would say.

It was a brilliant, clear night for a rock concert. The crowd ate up all of Liam’s antics, which seemed to include more energy, more wildness, more of everything. They sang along to all the songs, which fed his enthusiasm even more. And I got a wonderful response from the audience at the end of my solo for Save Me Tonight. Liam had faced me onstage, bowed to me, and blown me a kiss with a wink right in front of everyone. Rosemary even turned in her seat to give me an all-knowing look.

Had us being together last night brought something out in me? I felt like I’d woken up from a long, dark sleep, as if all was right with the world, and Liam was the reason. My mind knew better than to attribute all success and happiness to one person, but I really did feel on top of my game tonight, like everything had changed for the better. Whereas before I was here just for a paycheck, now I was here because I wanted to be—the song was starting to mean a lot more to me. Had I “saved” Liam last night, after he told me he had some darkness in his past? Had he written that song while desperately longing for someone to save his soul?

I loved to think I was that person, but all dreams must come to an end.

After the second set, before the encore, Rosemary felt the need to warn me backstage. “You know, we’re going to Vancouver next,” she said, arching an eyebrow.

“And?”

“And that’s where his ex-girlfriend is—Giselle Vici, the model.”

The name stopped me. Sure, I’d heard it before, but this time, it sent lead into the pit of my stomach. Vici was part of his tattoo. Was she the reason it was there?

Rosemary prattled on. “I’ve heard people talking about it. They’re wondering if he’s going to go see her or if she’ll show up. Basically, they’re placing bets to see if they’ll hook up again.”

Her words were like little daggers to my heart. I wanted to foolishly believe that being with me had changed all that, that Liam wouldn’t be interested in anybody but me at this point, that I’d at least keep him from seeing his ex-girlfriend tomorrow, but I wasn’t so sure.

And while he’d said he wanted to make promises to me, he hadn’t made any.

“Although…” Rosemary shrugged. “I’m sure it’s not going to happen. I mean, now that he has you.” She smiled and rubbed at a smudge on her violin case.

Yeah, not very reassuring, I could tell you that much. I had to face it. I was now in direct competition with a world-class supermodel, not to mention women more sexually experienced than I in every city. Well, I’d done my best. I’d been open and natural and myself, and hopefully, he appreciated that last night. It was the best I could do. If I wasn’t good enough for him—so be it.

After the show, it was time to wrap things up and get ready to leave for Vancouver. But Liam and I had agreed to meet backstage, so I should at least show up. He’d warned me about backstage activities during our car ride through Seattle. Beyond that, I’d already seen some of it. I knew to take whatever I saw with a grain of salt. If we were ever going to be together, I would have to learn to trust him. If we were going to be together.

Rosemary and I hovered closer to the backstage private rooms where some of the male members of our string section were invited in. Outside the door, girls in skimpy clothes waited. Some of them looked barely old enough to drive, though they were all ID’d by the security guard manning the door.

What would make them clamor to be let into this VIP room? The chance to say, “I gave Tucker Benning oral sex?” Why was that worth bragging rights? How would one brag about it in the first place, by putting a plaque on their wall that read: “Best Blow Job – Point Break – Feel the Burn Tour”? I didn’t understand it and never would.

“If he invites you into the room, are you gonna go?” Rosemary asked, nervously scanning our increasingly party-atmosphere surroundings.

People flitted every which way. I felt like a frog trying to cross the street. I scooted back to let a dark, brunette exotic dancer by. Her gold bangles shook as she walked.

“I don’t know. Not sure I want to see what’s in there,” I admitted.

“I get that. But it would be a tremendous honor, don’t you think? Him letting you into his private circle.” Rosemary’s eyebrows did that Spock thing.

“I suppose so.”

Just then, Liam’s friend Helen strolled by with a few other girls, all wearing Feel the Burn concert T-shirts. She spotted me hovering near the center of the action and gave a gentle scoff, elbowing her friends, who all looked over as well. Great, high school all over again. “Hey,” she said. “What’s up? Waiting for Liam?”

“Not really,” I answered, not caring to tell her what was up. Though the way she asked the question made me think that Liam had already told her what was up. Besides, why else would I be standing here like a fish out of water? An uncool, nerdy fish. With Rosemary, the Taylor Swift of giraffes off the prairie.

“Oh.” She laughed with her friends. “He’s probably inside already.” Then she mumbled something I couldn’t hear, though it didn’t take a neurobiologist to understand what she probably said, considering that was the room where free blow jobs were being handed out like water bottles. She gestured toward the VIP room, though I hadn’t seen him enter, and I’d been standing here since the last set finished.

She pulled out her phone and fiddled with it. Was she texting him?

At that very moment, Wes and Corbin strolled by in their ripped jeans, tattoo-covered arms, and open shirts showing off smooth, tanned chests. Then, I spotted him. Liam and Tucker came running up behind them, bouncing up off the floor, and using Wes’s and Corbin’s shoulders as springboards. “Yeeeaaahhhhhh!” Liam cried, landing and sliding along the floor. Tucker tumbled, and Liam helped him up with a strong hand.

I looked at Helen. He was inside already, huh? If I didn’t know better, someone was trying to thwart my presence backstage. As expected, she looked away.

The four of them were having a moment of brotherhood bonding, while Rosemary and I talked about music and pretended not to be privy. But I could clearly hear what Tucker was saying to Liam. “What do you mean, you’re not gonna hang out with us?”

“I’m just tired, dude.”

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