Page 16 of Too Little Too Soon
“We need to celebrate,” Holly said. “We have champagne backstage, since it’s New Year’s Eve and all. Let’s go open a bottle, just the three of us.”
Ava pointed at the stage. “Don’t you have to go on?”
She shook her head, bright blue and midnight-black hair swaying. “We’re the lead act. Demigoddess Revival is opening the show.” She pulled out her phone. “They’ll be hitting the stage any minute now. We have probably an hour before I have to be ready. Or do you want to stay and watch Oz?” she asked Maria.
“I’m torn,” Maria admitted, “because this is Oz’s first time playing a venue this size.” Then she shook her head. “You two go ahead. I got to spend quality time with Ava earlier, and I see you all the time now. So you two go reconnect, and the three of us will ring in the new year together after the shows.”
“Excellent idea,” Holly proclaimed, guiding Ava deeper backstage. “Let’s go hide out in my dressing room.”
They made a stop at a room that, Holly explained, was for meet and greets with the bands. Members of their fan clubs paid big bucks for the opportunity to be back here.
There was a broad-shouldered bodyguard blocking the entrance, but as soon as he spotted Holly, he pulled open the door and stepped to the side.
Inside were a few clusters of people, most of whom rushed up to them as soon as they entered. Holly smiled and chatted and signed passes, tickets, notebooks, T-shirts, even one girl’s arm, while Ava stood to the side, clutching her hands behind her back, resting bitch face securely in place.
She’d always acted aloof, especially when she was with her family. It had been a defense mechanism. If she pretended like she didn’t care, maybe someday she wouldn’t.
So far, it hadn’t worked.
Now all she could do was watch her youngest sister in all her glory, and think,I wish I had half this much happiness in life.
Finally, when no one else thrust something at her to be signed, Holly headed over to the bar in the corner, where the bartender produced a bottle of champagne and two flutes. She winked, accepted the gifts, and hurried back to Ava.
“See you all after the show,” she called out before they slipped out the door again.
They hurried down the hall, Holly keeping her gaze straight ahead as person after person realized who she was and called out to her.
“Thanks for ignoring all your fans to hang out with me,” Ava said once they were ensconced in Holly’s dressing room with another massive bodyguard blocking the door.
“The fans were in the meet and greet room. Most of those people in the hall are either reporters or bloggers or they work here or for one of the bands.”
Ava darted her gaze around, searching for Travis. He was here, somewhere. Hopefully, she simply hadn’t passed him, instead of him dodging her because he’d lost interest.
God, how disappointing that would be.
“Okay,” Holly said as the cork exploded from the bottle, “let’s celebrate!”
ChapterSix
What the fuck happened?How had that woman, who was supposed to be banned from their shows, not only gotten in but managed front row tickets?
Those tickets were for the band to give to whomever they wanted—family, friends, girlfriends, the chick the drummer had spent the afternoon with and hoped to get to know even better.
Those were the tickets Travis had left at will call with only the name Ava on them because he didn’t know her last name. How had his stalker ended up with those tickets?
And where was Ava?
Had she not come? Had his stalker somehow tricked the box office into giving her the tickets instead?
Shit. Had Ava really not come?
Despite all that fucking stress rolling through his mind, when Oz opened the show by shredding his guitar to “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”—a homage to playing in New York for the first time—Travis slammed his sticks against the drums and pushed everything else out of his mind.
Turned out, it was easy to do. Yeah, sure, he’d played large venues when he was with Dog Daze, so theoretically he should be used to the thrill.
But the truth was, you never got used to this thrill. It was a high without ingesting a damn thing. It was the greatest feeling in the world.
Well, almost. Sex with Ava rated pretty damn high too.
