Page 28 of Not My Fault

“This is for you, just a little good luck present for tonight.” Gus smiles, handing me the flowers and the bag. I breathe in the smell of the flowers; I think they’re some kind of daisy. I peek inside the bag and see a box of my favorite chocolates. They’re chocolate-covered pomegranates, something I’m always snacking on.

“Thank you so much!” I wrap my arms around Gus. It’s a little awkward with so many people around us; I keep trying to remember we have eyes on us.

“It’s nothing. My friends are excited for the show tonight.”

“You aren’t?” I tease.

“Of course, I am. I get to show off my girl and make everyone jealous.” They wink.

Georgie shoots me a look, one of those subtle ones that best friends can exchange without even moving their heads. Her look is asking me if I’m seeing this, the fact that Gus is blatantly flirting with me. While mine is telling her to knock it off, because it’s all clearly for show. But I didn’t ask Gus to show up here with flowers and candy before my show. Is that how they would treat a partner?

“Are you hanging with me backstage tonight, or will you be in the VIP section?” Georgie asks Gus.

“I think the VIP with my friends.”

“G, you should join them in the VIP tonight. Their friends are great, and you can actually see the show for once,” I say.

“Your friends won’t mind?” Georgie looks at Gus.

“Nah, we’re always happy to add to our group of misfits. Just be warned, we’re all big fans, and some of them are a bit of a LULY groupie. So they might be all over you if they know you’re her best friend.” Gus chuckles.

“Got it; maybe I’ll be a secret double agent tonight,” Georgie jokes.

“Lu! Do you have a minute?” my costume designer calls from the side of the stage.

“One second!” I call back. “Can you keep Gus company? I don’t know how long I’ll be.” I look a Georgie.

“Of course, I can tell them all about that time we hitchhiked and saw a psychic,” Georgie says with a mischievous smile. I roll my eyes, knowing Georgie won’t say a bad word about me. She might tease, but she’s harmless. She’s probably the only one I trust with my life.

“I’ll be back.” Without overthinking it, I lean in and kiss Gus’s cheek. A brief kiss that leaves behind a small shadow of my pink lip gloss.

I walk over to Ellie, who works for me part time. They run their own fashion line and in their spare time, they create looks for me. They mostly do fashion for plus-size people, but I hired her with the promise that she could recreate my looks for people of any size. She’s so talented that I was willing to do anything to hire her. She ties up her long pink curls into a tight, messy bun and leads me to the dressing room. I’ve seen hints of what she’s been creating, and have tried on certain items, but I haven’t seen the final things yet.

“Tell me what you hate, and it’s gone,” Ellie tells me.

“I’m sure none of it will be.” I pull out each outfit on the hangers and look at them in awe.

She’s perfectly captured my sex appeal, femininity, and boldness into a line. There was an abundance of pink, crop tops, low-cut tops, sparkles, and lace. Of course, I’d have to try everything on, but I can’t imagine not looking hot as fuck in everything.

“I had to adjust some of them to be comfortable to dance in, and I was sent an early look of the choreography, so you don’t flash anyone… Well,accidentally,” she adds with a laugh.

“This is so fucking amazing! I’m literally, like, wow. My fans are going to go wild here.” I touch everything and smile.

“I know you wanted comfortable yet sexy. The materials are all stretchy and mostly cotton, so you’ll be able to breathe,” she explains.

“It’s actually perfect. Please don’t worry, because I don’t have a single negative note. Except how the fuck do I choose what to wear tonight?”

“Don’t ask me. I saw your girlfriend? Partner? Out there and hot damn. You clearly don’t have trouble picking good looking things.” Ellie fans herself.

“It’s partner, and yes, Gus is hot but that was all by accident. I didn’t choose them on purpose, sometimes it’s just fate,” I say with a shrug. I’m not even lying this time, it was fate. If River hadn’t called out sick, she would’ve done my tattoo, and I’d still be in major trouble with the label.

“Well, then I got nothing. Speaking of hot partners, I need to go. My girlfriend is waiting for me; I think it’s our anniversary,” Ellie says, checking her phone.

“Go ahead! And don’t forget to celebrate, if you know what I mean.” I wink at her, and she laughs on her way out.

I glance at all the outfits; there were enough to get me through my commitment to this venue. After the six weeks of shows, I’ll be back in the studio to write and record as much of album two as I can. Then the label will be planning my firstworld tour to celebrate the release of the album. I’m nervous, but this is what I’ve been working for. So everything with Gus and these shows needs to go perfectly—down to the right outfits for the very first night. I look through the outfits again and realize the perfect one is staring me down. I need something to get the crowd’s attention but not show off too much. I needed access to flash everyone—it’s my signature move, and I’m not stopping now. Once it’s decided, I call the group of fashion assistants to bring the other outfits to holding. Then my hair and makeup team can decide which look will go best with this outfit. I head back to Gus before Georgie asks them if they have a real crush on me.

FOURTEEN

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