Page 54 of Extended Bridge

Why are you demanding more of him than you require of yourself?

I flip over and stare into the undersideof the bed above me.

I don’t know.

Let me tell you what I think. I think you’re falling for him, big time, and you’re scared. He’s not someone you can control. Sure he has responsibilities, like you do, but have you ever considered the pressure he’s under? Maybe he sees you as the one person on earth that can help him cope.

Well, he does have pressure. Bennett’s not only accountable for his own actions, but the band pays the salaries of all the crew and roadies. That’s a lot. Like me magnified by a million.

Maybe not a million! Your shoulders carry a lot of weight too. All I’m suggesting is this isn’t the reason you’re not giving him a fair shake.

How do you know me so well?

You can thank me when I’m standing up for you at your wedding.

I cough.

Now who’s getting ahead of herself?!

All I’m saying is don’t run away from something good. Where is he now?

At a VIP thing.

And why are you texting me?

All he did was ask me to go out with the band tonight.Like the past few nights, which I’ve always declined.

Even though he doesn’t need me to survive tonight’s VIP event, he asked me to join him. Court’s right—the least I could do is give him the little bit of help he requested.

Tossing my conscience aside, I slink out of my bed and change into the dress she gave me before the tour—seems appropriate. When I return to the green room, only the venue’s cleaning crew remain. I enter the area designated for the band’s exit, where a group of people are standing. I spot Kieron first.

“Hey,” I say to the tall and lanky guitar tech. “Are you all waiting to go to the VIP event?”

“Sure are. The bus should be here any moment. I thought you rode over with the band?”

I shake my head. “Nah, had to change.” I point at my less-than comfortable shoes. “Figured they’d look better at a club.”

He nods. “Gotcha.” A bus enters the parking lot. “Good timing. I’m ready to relax after the show. Not saying it’s hard work, but it’s frickin’ good to be able to not be on.” He winks as he gets in line behind me to enter the bus.

It must be good to be able to kick back without worry. Bennett and the rest of the band members don’t have this luxury. The very reason I decided to attend tonight. I climb the stairs.

We arrive at the club soon and I follow Kieron to the VIP area. Given his height and long blond hair, he’s an easy mark to guide me. After showing my all-access pass to the bouncer, I enter the VIP area and hug the wall.

Fans surround the band members. A camera crew wearing radio station garb circles the crowd. I identify a few guys, plus one woman, who look like they could be DJs for the station. Everyone has drinks and seems to be having a great time.

Especially the fans. They’re hanging on everything coming out of Bennett’s mouth. To be fair, they’re that way with the rest of UC too, but the largest contingent surrounds the lead singer.

My gaze travels to him. His smile is painted on, not allowing for even a small glimpse into his real self. One woman in a tight black dress runs her hands over his arms, and I want to scratch her eyes out. Bennett, however, does no such thing. Rather, he removes her hand from his forearm, pats it, and drops it by her side.

Another woman with long, jet black hair, sidles in front of him. If he glanced downward, I’m sure he’d get an unfettered view of her cleavage. To my amazement, his eyes don’t budge from her face. He does, however, step to the side and grab a passed hors d’oeuvre from the server. When he returns to the group, he chooses a different entry point.

He’s learned how to deal with these types of gatherings like the professional he is. My heart wants to reach out to his, but I don’t want to interrupt the fans as they get their UC fix. The DJs rearrange the groupings, so Bennett’s now with the group that was surrounding Tristan. They seem much more mellow.

“You came?”

Nese holds up her drink to me, only I’m still empty. Shrugging, I raise an imaginary glass to her, causing her to giggle. “Changed my mind. Couldn’t let you have all the fun.”

“Let’s get you a drink so we can do a proper toast.” We weave through the throngs of people, finally ending at the bar. Ten minutes later, I hold up my glass of pinot noir and we toast to another great concert.

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