“Levi and Drew, is it?” A man sitting at a table in front of the stage calls out. It’s an entire row with at least eight people sitting before us.
Drew speaks first. “That’s us. Nice to meet you, Brandon. We’re beyond thankful to be here.”
I nod in response to whatever Drew says. He’s the talker between us and always has been. Even in our high school band.
Drew answers a few more questions about what we’re playing, yet I don’t listen. I’m too busy scanning the crowd for a certain someone.
The blood rushes louder through my ears the longer it takes me to find her.
I don’t know what it is.
But suddenly, I want to know every damn thing about her.
Get inside her and figure out what makes her tick.
How?
I’ve seen her for five fucking minutes.
Is it the fact that she kissed me randomly without a thought? She legit looked at me for two seconds before she dived in.
A second later, I find her, and my body instantly relaxes. She smiles, and my world shifts as pieces I didn’t know needed to click into place. I return her smile just as the first drum note hits, Drew’s cue it’s showtime.
Everything around me falls away as I focus on her and the music.
She’s all I see in the sea of heads, a beacon of light I wasn’t looking for.
I play the fuck out of my guitar and belt the lyrics, just as I’ve practiced so many times before. The beat of the drums shakes through my core as the song pours out between us.
The love rock ballad I wrote years ago as a dumb fifteen-year-old with a broken heart.
Sweat pours down my face as we burn through the bridge, finishing off into rounds of the chorus. People in the audience cheer.
Raina jumps up and down next to Mable, and my heart skips a beat.
She likes it.
When the song ends, the crowd erupts into a cheer. A huge grin spreads across my face.
One only meant for her.
The girl I played my fucking heart out to.
“Fuck yeah, man! That fucking rocked!” Drew shouts next to me, his hand landing on my shoulder. I break eye contact with Raina for the first time since we stepped on stage, not that I want to.
“Hell yeah, we did! We slayed that shit.” I strum my guitar for one last good measure, and the audience cheers again.
“Okay, okay, quiet down.” Brandon stands at the center of the table, gesturing with his hands. Once it goes quiet, he sits down. “Well, I must say…” He pauses before he continues.
I gulp for air as my heart pounds, and a hot trickle of sweat slides down my back. The flask burns a hole in my pocket. Fuck, do I want a sip.
Drew shuffles next to me, and I’d bet he’s shitting his pants right along with me.
“That was…” Brandon pauses again, and each time feels like a million years before he speaks again. “Fucking amazing.”
People whistle and cheer, but I only grip my guitar tighter.
“I want you two back. You’ve made it to the next round.”
The words don’t hit me until Drew jumps around next to me. The audience continues to cheer, and I find her eyes again.
Fuck yeah, we made it.
Our hard work has paid off.
Or was it her?
There’s no way I’m not finding her tonight.
“I thought we were done chasing girls?” Drew asks as we pack up our gear behind the stage.
“Says the guy who met someone the night we arrived, oh and who looked pretty friendly with Mable earlier.” I smirk. He has no room to talk.
“I might be engaging in friendly conversation, but I fully intend to keep my distance, or at least my dick in my pants.”
“Yeah, we’ll see how long that lasts.” I toss him a look, one he knows all too well. Drew tries to act like I don’t know him, but the guy’s obsessed with pussy. And not just one at a time, might I add.
Making our way out front, people congratulate us as we pass. The attention feels good. I forgot how great it feels to be recognized, to have fans who love your art. It’s a feeling like no other.
Out in the lobby, a few people are scattered around, but most of the crowd is gone with everyone inside the theater by now. There’s at least another two hours before this ends.
I hope she didn’t leave.
Will she want to even go before this is over?
I don’t know, but the urge to find her is strong.
“Wait here, I’ll see if they’re around.” I set down my guitar and backpack next to Drew.
“Alright, these girls better be worth it,” he mutters, but I ignore it. He can wait a second.
With every step I take, my stomach twists tighter. I pull open the door and out stumble two girls, both giggling and not paying a lick of attention to where they’re going.
“Hey.” I don’t move out of the way, letting Raina crash back into me like she did earlier. But this time, I’m ready for it. I catch her by her waist, and she squeals, the sound sending a shiver down my back.
Fuck, this girl.
“So we meet again.” I chuckle and steady her on her feet.
“So we do. We’re good at bumping into each other.” Raina grins. Goddamn, she’s cute. Did I happen to mention that yet?
“I’ve heard enough corny lines for the night.” Mable pops between us. “Drinks?”
“Yes, let’s celebrate!” Raina cheers, and my breathing picks up speed. She sways side to side, and my guess is she didn’t sober up much. If at all.
But she wants to celebrate my success?
“You fucking rocked,” Mable exclaims as I lead them over to where Drew waits. “How long have you been playing?”
“Since I was young. I learned to play when I was six.”
“Oh, wow. I’ve probably been drawing that long now that I think about it. Raina’s been—”
“Have you always sang, too?” Raina interrupts, and I look at her as she walks next to me. Her pink cheeks make me wonder what she’s hiding. “You were so good,” she gushes, and I want to tell her it’s because of her.
She’s why I did so well.
I can’t explain how I know. I just do. I feel it in my bones. I haven’t felt this good about music since before my mother’s death. “Not at first. It sort of came later.”
She looks like she wants to say more, but Mable rushes over to Drew, her excitement pulling us from the conversation.
“You guys were so good!” Mable practically shouts and runs into his arms. I watch in amusement; the uncomfortable look on Drew’s face easy to read. He hugs her and then gently pushes her off all while giving me a stink eye.
With a shrug, I pick up my guitar. “Ready?” I ask, more toward Raina.
She’s who I want to spend my time with. I can’t let her go yet.
“What’s the plan?” she asks, glancing at Mable. She’s unsure, and more than anything, I want to put her mind at ease.
“Drew and I have a place right up the street. We just need to drop our stuff off, and then we can hit the bar a couple of blocks over.” One great thing about this city is everything is close together. “Is that cool?”
Raina nods at the same time Mable does. “We go to NYU, so our dorm isn’t far either.”