Page 5 of Mason Wilder
This guy needed to get on board and keep up to date with media news. The entire Immortal Angel family attended the show in L.A. a few weeks ago, which necessitated an entourage of security, bodyguards, and private limos.
Tessa continued to answer a series of questions with the appropriate responses, making sure to plug the band’s album on several occasions. After a brief explanation of what it was like to work so closely with her brother for so many years and assuring him there was no sibling rivalry, she turned toward the corner of the room to check on Mason, but he was gone. It sent a flutter of unease through her belly, and she wrapped up the interview.
Quickly moving through the crowd, she wondered where the hell Mason went. She caught sight of Sindy when she stopped to deposit her empty champagne glass on a tray and weaved toward her best friend. “Have you seen Mason?”
“Just look for a huddled group of fans,” Sindy replied. “You know how the world gravitates toward him wherever he goes.”
“Have you seen Mason?” Tessa repeated the question, this time to her brother.
“Yeah. He just left with some chick.”
Mason left with Big Boobs. Tessa felt as if the floor opened underneath her and it took all of her willpower not to react, something she had perfected over the years. Overtly outspoken and brutally honest with strong opinions, no one would have ever suspected that she’d been holding back her feelings for Mason all these years. She’d known him since the day she was born. He was almost a decade older than her and her brother’s best friend.
A childhood memory flashed inside her head, as vivid as a movie on a TV screen. They were on tour with Immortal Angel and she was listening to Mason and Lucas playing their instruments in the playroom. The playroom was an extra bedroom in one of the grand suites her parents stayed in when they weren’t on the massive double-decker tour bus. It housed all of their toys, including Mason’s drum kit. Tessa had felt the beat of the drum in her chest when she walked past the playroom and it ignited her soul. She had recognized the Metallica cover since that’s all Lucas ever wanted to play when he was a kid, and she bounced on the heels of her feet. She bobbed her head to the beat, but wasn’t content to listen through the door and turned the knob. They didn’t see her at first, and she stood in the doorway watching.
She had idolized her big brother, but it was Mason who left her spellbound. He looked like a king behind a throne, calling his followers with the gong of the drum. When her excitement bubbled over and bopping to the music didn’t suffice, she sang the lyrics toMaster of Puppetsat the top of her lungs. Granted, she missed some of the words, but she’d heard the song often enough to have memorized a good portion of the lyrics, and on that day her voice took on a new trajectory. It wasn’t just a toddler’s loud babbling, and she recognized the pitch and power of her voice.
Lucas and Mason had snapped their heads in her direction as soon as she started singing, surprise and awe plastered across their faces. When the song was over, Lucas patted her on the shoulder. “That was awesome, Tessa! You sang really, really good! Almost all the words!” She had been enamored at the praise from her big brother, but it was Mason’s reaction that had the most effect on her. Mason jumped off his stool, ran to her and picked her up. He kissed her cheek and flashed one of his killer smiles. “That was wicked cool! You’re gonna be our new lead singer and you’re gonna make us famous.” That’s all it took for her three-year-old heart to fall for Mason Wilder. Her cheeks had flushed and she hid her face in her hands and giggled. By the time she was 14 she vowed to marry him. She had wondered if it was just a teenage crush back then, but as the years went by they’d grown closer and formed a deeper connection. Now, at 22, she was ready to stake her claim. Tonight was the night. The time was finally right. Until Big Boobs showed up and interrupted her plans.
“What’s wrong?” Sindy asked.
Obviously, Tessa’s poker face wasn’t working too well right now. She opened her mouth, but didn’t know what to say so snapped it shut. Without answering, she whirled around and darted through the room. Several people tried to talk to her – another journalist; some guy who offered to get her a drink; a girl who tried to strike up a conversation about fashion – but sheignored them all. She was hell-bent on finding Mason because she wasn’t going to let him fall into bed with that girl.
She burst through the doors to the ballroom. Fans screamed from behind a barricade as soon as she stepped into the open area, causing her to stop abruptly. Security moved to her side ready to escort her through the lobby, but she didn’t know where she was headed. “Have you seen Mason Wilder?”
The guard pinched his brows together. “Who?”
“The band’s drummer.” She didn’t try to hide the annoyance in her voice. This guy didn’t even know who he was supposed to be protecting. She huffed with impatience. “Did you see him or not?”
He shook his head. “I just got here a few minutes ago.”
She ran to the row of fans at the barricade, knowing that they wouldn’t have missed Mason leaving the ballroom. They waved CD’s and ticket stubs and asked her to sign them. She grabbed a marker and started scribbling while phones snapped photos at all angles. She remained calm and smiled, even though her heart was beating so hard it felt as if she was about to break a rib. “Did you happen to see Mason leave the ballroom?”
“Yeah,” a guy answered. “He just left with some chick with double D’s.”
Oh God. She was too late. She dropped the marker in her hand and bolted in the other direction. Running down the carpeted hallway, her heels pulled at the Berber carpet as she headed toward the bank of elevators. She dodged security guards and hotel staff milling around the corridor, moving as quickly as she could. She had to catch him. She couldn’t let him take that girl to his room. Her lungs burned from the sudden sprint, even though she was a seasoned runner. At last, the row of elevators came into view and she spotted Mason waiting with a group of security guards, Big Boobs still hanging on his arm. By the time Tessa got to him, she was so winded she needed to pause in order to catch her breath.
“Tessa,” Mason said, surprised to see her so out of sorts. “What’s going on?”
The girl’s eyes widened. “Tessa Blade Garcia. Oh my God. I can’t believe this. First Mason Wilder. Now you. This is incredible. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Big Boobs was nice, not at all what Tessa expected. She held up her index finger while she panted and swallowed air. “It’s nice to meet you, too,” she finally said, then quickly turned toward Mason. “Can we talk for a minute?”
“Yeah. Sure.” He took her by the elbow and glanced back at the girl. “Give us a second.”
Once they were a few feet away, Mason stopped, still holding her arm, and searched Tessa’s face with concern. “What happened?”
“You can’t take her back to your room.”
He relaxed and flashed his signature smile. “Sure, I can. She’s young, but she’s over 21.”
Tessa shook her head vehemently. “That’s not it.” She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out. They were stuck in her throat. For the first time in her life, she was mute. She didn’t want to tell him she loved him in the hallway. That’s not how she envisioned this moment, and she stood there with her mouth gaping open. Hot tears slowly burned her eyes as fear gripped her. She realized that she was going to lose him, even though she never had him.
Mason placed his hands gently on her shoulders. “I don’t understand why you’re upset.” He paused and glanced back at the girl. “Did she do something to you?”
“No. It’s . . .” Tessa’s chin dropped into her chest and she squeezed her eyes shut while she battled with the thoughts pulling her head in two different directions.
“Just tell me what’s wrong.”
