Grinning, he handed it over to me.
I held it in front of my jeans and turned back to the audience.
“Thank you everyone!” I hollered, waving my hand and trying to avoid the human who’d gotten me so worked up. “Have a great night!” Then I walked off the back of the stage while security rushed to keep the fans from mauling me.
Chapter Nine
Chelsey
“Wow, that was awesome,” said Susan as we walked back over to the bar. “I still can’t believe you wanted to fight your way over to the stage.”
After he’d started to sing, I hadn’t been able to stop myself. Like a moth to a flame, I’d been drawn to Slade’s voice, wanting to get as near to it as I could. He’d swept me away with the lyrics, and the emotion in his words had made me quiver. I was totally crushing on him now and could see why he had so many fans.
“Did you see the way he looked at you?” remarked Susan. “The guy looked like he wanted to jump your bones!”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
“He was hot for you. Even his eyes looked like they were on fire.” Her forehead wrinkled. “Actually, it was kind of weird how they glowed. I’m sure it was some kind of stage act with contact lenses or whatever.”
“Yeah,” I replied, noticing the same thing. Ethan’s eyes had glowed the same way, and again, I blamed it on the lighting.
“Anyway, now I bet you can’t wait to meet him. I’ll bet he can’t wait to meet you. I mean, wow… the way he looked at you. I thought he was going to leap off of the stage, throw you over his shoulder, and carry you to his man-cave.”
My stomach grew warm with that idea. “Shut up. He did not.”
“You’re such a virgin,” she giggled.
“How do you know?”
“Because you’d have told me all the gritty details by now.”
I blushed.
She pointed. “And you wouldn’t be blushing.”
“Whatever,” I said as we stopped back by the bar.
“Hey,” said Brian, handing Susan her martini. “You forgot this. I saved it for you.”
“Thanks,” she replied.
“We should go up to the V.I.P. now,” I said. “Before it gets too late. I really don’t want to stay here too long. I have a lot of studying to do tomorrow.”
“Sure, but let me finish this first,” she said, stirring the martini.
“I bet. So, I take it those Cosmopolitans are pretty strong,” I said, noticing how shiny her eyes were getting.
Susan giggled. “I know.” She held out the glass. “Try some? Just a sip?”
Not wanting her totally wasted by the time we met the band, I extended my hand. “Sure, I’ll help you.”
She handed the glass to me. “They are so… yummy,” she said. Susan lowered her voice and gave me a lopsided grin. “Kind of like the bartender.”
Chuckling, I gulped down most of the drink and then shivered. It was really strong.
“Hey,” she pouted as I handed her the glass. “You hardly left me any.”
“Sorry,” I replied, feeling my stomach get warm. I smiled as the heat spread to my cheeks. “I see what you mean. Those are damn good.”
“Would either of you like another one?” asked Brian, handing an older guy next to us a bottle of beer.
“No,” I said, grabbing my purse from the bar. “I think we’re going upstairs.”
“But, we’ll be back,” said Susan, smiling at him flirtatiously.
“Hey,” I asked leaning towards Brian. “Just curious… you mentioned that you were working last night?”
“Sure was. In fact, I’m here most nights until close.”
Feeling more comfortable with him, especially now that the booze had loosened my tongue, I lowered my voice. “Did you see a blonde around my age here, last night? About as tall as Susan with long hair and big blue eyes?”
“Yeah and even bigger boobs,” said Susan.
Brian burst out laughing. “Sounds like half the girls that were here last night.”
And tonight, I thought.
“What’s her name?” he asked, wiping the top of the black-marbled bar with a towel. “Maybe it will ring a bell.”
“Melody Williams,” I said.
His forehead wrinkled. “Hmm… Melody…. blonde hair and stacked, huh? Can’t say that I recognize the name, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t here. Last night was jam-packed.”
“She was definitely here,” I replied. “Her friends, Veronica and Taylor, verified that.”
He swung the towel over his shoulder and gave me a curious look. “So, why exactly are you looking for this chick?”