Page 43 of Half Notes and Highlights
Tyler and Ethan stopped a few feet in front of Wolf, and neither said anything. Wolf was here to say something, so let him do the talking. With his arms folded across his chest, Tyler tapped his foot and lifted his chin as he stared at Wolf and waited to hear this apology he was so intent on giving.
“Look,” Wolf began on an exhale. “I want to apologize. I was drunk, and I was out of line. I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Tylers stared back, his nostrils flaring. He wanted to accept the apology. He wanted to be mature. But jealousy was a hard pill to swallow. Finally, he spoke. “Thank you for apologizing. I’m sure you know we’re never going to be friends, for obvious reasons, but I can be civil if you can.”
Wolf’s facial expression didn’t change. He only nodded. Neither offered a handshake to declare a truce or to indicate that everything was OK between them, because it wasn’t. As long as they shared Ethan, they would be at war with one another. That’s just the way it would be.
Wolf left without another word, and the day went on as if nothing happened. It was another elephant in the room no one was talking about.
They all left for the venue together around noon, and between soundcheck and band meetings and a small get together in the green room, it was easy to avoid Wolf, and the previous night’s drama got pushed to the back burner.
The band was getting ready to take the stage and Tyler was amped. He followed along, again marveling at the activity behind the scenes. It made him feel important and special to be in the middle of the hustle and bustle of production. He couldn’t imagine what it felt like for Ethan to know this was all for him and his band. The rush of energy and the high it brought must be incomparable.
As they moved deeper down the corridor and closer to the stage, the chant of the audience permeated the air. It grew louder and more frantic. They couldn’t wait for Wolf Pack to take the stage, and neither could Tyler.
When the band finally made it to the edge of the curtain, they did a little pre-show huddle, Ethan grabbed Tyler’s face for a quick kiss, then Wolf Pack ran on stage. The crowd roared, and the floor shook. The noise was deafening, and the energy was contagious. Tyler tried to look at some of the faces in the crowd, but it was too dark to see much. From what he did see, it seemed wild and uninhibited in the audience, and he wanted to experience front row instead of the side stage one day. Maybe. It was a little out of control, even for him.
A burst of flames suddenly shot across the back wall of the stage, and Tyler’s heart almost stopped. Then he realized it was all a computer-generated image, but it was so lifelike.
He watched Ethan interact with his bandmates, paying extra attention when Ethan sang directly to his bass player. Wolf smiled at Ethan and punctuated a few deep notes from his bass with hip thrusts, which the fans loved, then Wolf darted away. Tyler wasn’t enthused by it, but it was harmless fun.
The 90-minute set flew by, and before Tyler knew it, Ethan ran off the stage, hair clinging to his forehead, and wrapped Tyler in his arms. The scent, musky and manly, filled Tyler’s nostrils and sent his hormones spiraling. The entire concert was an aphrodisiac, and he understood the playfulness on stage. Hecould have done without it, but he wasn’t necessarily mad about it.
“I love it when you’re here watching me perform from the side of the stage,” Ethan said before giving Tyler a penetrating kiss that he felt down to his toes.
“I love being at the side of the stage,” Tyler replied.
With Ethan’s arm slung across Tyler’s shoulder, they headed back to the dressing room. There was no afterparty, and Ethan barely had time to take a shower, but they did squeeze in a blow job because that performance was hot as fuck. The bus had to leave for Springfield right away since the band had a private morning performance at an invite-only event. Tyler was looking forward to experiencing a more intimate concert, this one acoustic, then he would leave tomorrow afternoon for LA, and the band would go on to another city to continue their tour.
Paul, the band’s manager, along with the usual entourage of security, wrangled everyone through the corridor toward the exit. “Keep close and keep walking,” Paul instructed. “There’s a mob outside. Don’t stop for any reason. We don’t want anyone breaking through the barricade.”
Security stepped outside first, causing an eruption of screams and shouts from the fans because they knew Wolf Pack would follow. It was louder than anything Tyler witnessed before, and he imagined an enormous crowd was waiting for Wolf Pack.
Ethan hesitated a few feet before they reached the exit and stopped to grab Tyler’s hand. “Are you OK with going out there?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because. You’ve read the headlines and the bullshit on social media. There’s a massive crowd out there. I don’t know how they’re gonna react to seeing us together for the first time. Maybe I should go out ahead. With the guys.”
“You want me to hide in the shadows?” Tyler shook his head emphatically. “Not happening. I don’t blend in the background.I take center stage.” The corners of his mouth curled, unable to hide his smile. “Even when you’re in the room.”
Ethan chuckled in that husky tone that always drove Tyler crazy, and his eyes sparkled as he said, “You outshine me every day of the week.” Then Ethan’s expression turned serious. “But let’s be realistic. The fans might not be ready to see us together. It’s still fresh, and I’m worried about how they’re going to react.”
Tyler’s eyes shifted to one of the gargantuan bodyguards standing a few feet away who was pretending not to listen to their conversation. “That’s why security is here.” Tyler ran his hands down either side of his torso and jutted his hips to one side. “To guard my body.”
“I thought he was here to guardmybody,” Ethan teased.
Tyler held up his index finger and waved it back and forth. “You can just wipe that smile right off your face, because the only one who’s guarding your body is me.”
Ethan didn’t laugh the way Tyler expected him to and only displayed a forced smile before letting out a breath. “Seriously. It’s going to be insane when we step outside. There’s going to be hundreds of fans, so you might want to hang back a few feet while we head to the bus. Sometimes fans are out of control. We’ve had some crazies over the years. Nothing to worry about, but . . .” Ethan cupped Tyler’s cheek and brushed his thumb back and forth against Tyler’s jaw. “I don’t want you to be on the receiving end of anyone’s vendetta.”
“Vendetta? Are they dangerous?”
“No. I didn’t mean it like that. Some fans are rabid detectives. Your name was mentioned. People know who you are. I don’t want anyone harassing you on social media or finding out where your salon is and causing any trouble for you.”
“Oh, please,” Tyler scoffed, waving his hand, sure Ethan was overreacting. “I live for scandal. Bring it on, sista.”
In the background, he heard Wolf mutter, “Drama queen.”
