Page 3 of Aria

"Hey, sweet cheeks!"

I hated even more that nobody bothered to read said nametag.

Pushing through the maze of sweaty bodies, I trudged over to a pot-bellied man standing against the wall.

"What can I get for you, sir?" I asked, my voice barely penetrating Devon Sawyer's guitar solo.

"A kiss," he slurred, then puckered his lips.

Gross.I visibly cringed before storming away. Just another reason why I hated my job.

When I reached the kitchen, I set down my empty tray and leaned against the counter with an embittered sigh.

"It's nuts out there, huh?"

I looked up at my friend and co-worker, Lisa, forcing a smile."It's brutal. Can I go home yet?"

"Fat chance. Freeze Frame is only on their third song.And why would you want to? You're making bank in tips, and these guys are amazing."

"Yeah, they're super. What is it with this band, anyway?” My nose crinkled with disdain.“We’ve never had anyone this famous play here before."

Lisa pulled her scarlet curls back into a loose ponytail."Jerry is friends with the band’s manager. He did him a solid. We’re just fortunate we were put on the schedule tonight."

"Ah, yes. I'm so privileged to be a part of this history in the making," I said with a theatrical eyeroll, piling my tray high with beer and cheese fries.

Lisa whisked her trays through the double doors with a laugh."You'll see. You’ll be telling your grandkids all about this one day."

I couldn’t help the snort from breaking through.Okay, so, these guys had a fanbase.Any decent-looking guy with a TikTok had a fanbase these days. Huffing out a sigh, I picked up my tray of orders and followed Lisa out the door.

Before I could exit, Jerry made a beeline in my direction.

Great.What did I do wrong this time? I smoothed out my pencil skirt and checked to make sure my blouse was tucked in.

"Get those kids some more water, will you?" Jerry ordered.

My heart galloped. "Huh?Me?" I glanced at the stage, then back to my boss. I was certain the phrase “deer in headlights” did not begin to accurately convey the stunned look on my face. "The band?"

"Yes, you. Yes, the band. Get them water.Did I stutter?" Jerry snapped.

Gulping, I shook my head. "No, sir. Just making sure."

I took a deep breath and spun back around toward the kitchen, collecting four water bottles from the refrigerator and tucking them under both arms.

"Lucky bitch!”

The familiar voice prompted a glance over my shoulder, and I discovered my other co-worker, Julia, sticking out her tongue. "It is what it is," I breezed with mock importance. "I'm just that cool."

"I would kill to get that close to those gorgeous boys," Julia sighed. "Every girl here would."

"Oh, please. It's just water.And you know I don't care."

Julia yanked her ponytail tighter and peered down at her ticket order. "Duh, that's why Scary Jerry chose you.You're not some swoony fangirl who's going to faint at the sight of them.”

I chuckled at the thought. "God, could you picture that?Me—actually showing interest in a man."

"You know you have to jump back into the dating pool eventually, Chels. Not every guy out there is like—”

"Chelsie!"

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