Page 49 of Shade

Willa, Shade’s PR rep hands me two tickets for tonight’s Red Bull X-Fighters show at CenturyLink Field when she checks him in.

I stare at the tickets, a knot of tension in my chest. “Holy. Shit.”

She laughs, tucking her brown waves behind her ear with one hand, the other on her swollen belly. “Mila said to give these to you?”

“Um, yes?” Crap. Play it cool. “Yep. She did.” Bitch didn’t mention anything to me before she left town with Caleb on their romantic weekend. I tuck the tickets in my purse under the counter, ready to guard them with my life and blood. “Does Shade have any special requests this time?”

Her concern seems to be on her ringing phone. She clicks the side, dismissing the call and smiles tenderly at me. “No, not this time. Hopefully it’s a quiet weekend. The boys have to leave in the morning so it’s a quick trip.”

I nod, still trying to play it cool when really, you can totally tell I’m doing a happy dance inside. One with kicks and screams and cheers. It’s like a pep rally in my head waiting for the big game tonight.

Willa leaves, and I dig out my phone from my purse intending to thank Mila for this heavenly gift.

Me: Did you seriously talk him into giving me tickets for tonight?

Mila: I didn’t have to talk him into anything. If you remember correctly, dude destroyed the penthouse last time he was at the hotel. He OWED me them. Go. Have fun.

Me: Thanks! Any chance you can drug his security?

Mila: Already taken care of. They won’t be there tonight. A card key to the room is in my office in an envelope with your name on it.

I’m shaking with excitement and nerves.

Me: I LOVE YOU!!!

Mila: I know you do. Now leave me alone. I’m kinda busy.

It’s three in the afternoon already, the show starts at eight tonight so that leaves me what, three hours to get ready after work? Running outside while there’s a break in checking in guests, I snatch Tom by the arm while he does absolutely nothing in the valet booth.

“Hey, plans tonight. Come to the X-Fighters event with me.”

Tom’s eyes jet around the valet drive, then to me. “What’s X-Fighters?”

I slap his shoulder. “No time to explain. I’ll meet you right here at seven tonight.”

He shrugs. Tom’s usually down for whatever. “Okay.”

DO YOU SEE those two people in line to get beer? Focus on the girl. She’s the one wearing skin-tight jeans, heels, and a tight black top that shows off her nonexistent boobs.

Do you notice how nervous and fidgety she seems?

It’s because she’s out of her element.

I’m used to rock concerts, dive bars and lately, my couch doing absolutely nothing.

This, the world of freestyle motocross, is unlike anything I’ve experienced and it hasn’t even started yet.

Tom and I arrived at CenturyLink Field in downtown Seattle shortly after seven. The sun’s just starting to set to the west of the stadium, pink and purple splashes of color in the sky.

While I look presentable and tasteful if you ask me, and Tom looks like he just stepped out of a Pearl Jam video, most of the women strutting around the stadium appear to be strippers. Or attempting to be them. They remind me of the Doublemint twins who were in the elevator with Shade the last time I saw him.

Tom’s enjoying it, his wandering eyes checking them and their half-dressed bodies as they smile at him. I bet he could take any number of them home with him by simply winking at them.

I nudge his ribs with my elbow as we move forward in line. “Buy me a beer. I’m nervous.”

“I’m a struggling musician.Youshould buymeone for coming with you.” With an eye roll, he digs out what looks to be twenty dollars in ones.

I toss him a look like he’s lost his goddamn mind. He gets these looks from me all the time. “What the fuck?

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