Page 55 of Something to Believe In
"It is easy. This is what we've been working our asses off for."
She turned to stare once more at the enormous stadium. "Yeah."
He parked, and they got out of the SUV and walked to the back entrance. A man in uniform stood outside the door and asked to see their IDs. Axel had a huge grin on his face as he pulled his ID card up to show the man.
She pulled hers up, too, and the man opened the door. "Head to the right inside the door. Follow the hall to the lounge. Break a leg."
She chuckled. Did they still say that?
Axel took her hand as they followed the hallway. She could hear Jami's voice as they neared the lounge area. When they stepped inside, Jami turned. The smile on his face was incredible. He was a happy man right now.
Tony and Livia were already there. Livia ran up to her and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay?"
"I am. Thank you for chatting with me today."
"Oh, Mads. I'm here for you anytime. Us girls have to stick together."
She smiled and hugged Livia tightly. They parted as Tony said, "We have water, throat lozenges, honey, and snacks over here." He pointed to a table. "If you need to freshen up, there are two bathrooms in here, both at the end of the room." He pointed toward the bathrooms. "And in about five minutes, we'll go backstage and check our equipment and the setup. Zeke did a great job setting everything up. Once that's finished, we'll meet Shona and the Rebels. We're just waiting for Sean."
Livia was just as nervous as she was. They joked about it to make it seem less nerve-wracking. Getting herself ready included her taking deep breaths. The ibuprofen she'd taken just before they left the house seemed to be doing its job. That made her less nervous. She didn't need to make any mistakes tonight.
Sean entered the room, and the excitement level increased.
Jami nodded, "Let's go meet our partners in crime for this show."
Tony led the way farther down the long hallway to another lounge area. He knocked, and a man opened the door a crack. "May I help you?"
Jami grinned. "Yes. I'm Jami Hart with Hart & The Hurricanes. We're here to meet Shona and the Rebels."
The man nodded and opened the door wider to allow them inside. Her stomach rolled slightly; she was about to meet her peers. Peers who had more success than they did currently. But their star was rising.
Shona stepped forward. She was tall and thin. Her hair was so black it almost looked blue under the lights. Her dark brown eyes were pretty and round and friendly. Her smile was genuine and contagious.
"I'm Shona."
Jami and Shona shook hands. Shona looked each of them in the eye. "We're happy you could open for us tonight, though I'll admit we're a bit intimidated. You guys are kicking ass and taking names lately. You won't be an opening band for more than tonight. So, I will be honored to say, 'you opened for us and then hit it big'."
Jami chuckled. "I hope you're right. Let me introduce you to the Hurricanes."
One by one, they shook Shona's hand. Her friendly eyes looked directly into Maddyn's as Jami introduced them.
Shona grinned. "You're beautiful. When the press is around, don't stand next to me. Either of you." She pointed between herself and Livia.
They both laughed, and Maddyn responded. "I was just about to say the same to you."
Shona laughed. "I like this one, she has sass."
Axel stood next to her and shook Shona's hand. Shona playfully said, "I have been hearing things about you two." She waved her finger between them.
Axel nodded. "We've had quite a week."
Shona nodded. "Yes. It happens sometimes. I had a stalker a while back. It was scary and I'll admit, a little exciting as I felt like maybe I'd finally arrived."
Axel grinned. "I could use less scary and more exciting."
Shona's half-grin was cute and playful. "You'll get there."
Axel put his arm around her shoulders. Shona went on down the line, meeting everyone. Once the introductions were complete, Shona said, "Let me introduce you to the Rebels."
