Lick: Stage Dive 1(66)

The sensation of spiraling that had started when David walked away from me became stronger. Beside me, Martha waited patiently, not saying a word, for which I was grateful. She’d said more than enough already. Only the clutter of red stones hung from her other ear. Paranoia wasn’t pretty. Could this be the mate to the diamond earring David wore? No. That made no sense.

Lots of people wore tiny diamond solitaire earrings. Even millionaires.

I pushed my water aside, forcing a smile. “Shall we go?”

*

Watching the show was amazing. Martha took me to a spot to the side of the stage, behind the curtains, but it still felt like I was right in the thick of things. And things were loud and thrilling. Music thrummed through my chest, making my heart race. The music was a great distraction from my worries about the earring. David and I needed to talk. I’d been all for waiting until he felt comfortable enough to tell me things, but my questions were getting out of hand. I didn’t want to be second-guessing him in this way. We needed honesty.

With a guitar in his hands, David was a god. Little wonder people worshiped him. His hands moved over the strings of his electric guitar with absolute precision, his concentration total. The muscles flexing in his forearms made his tattoos come to life. I stood in awe of him, mouth agape. There were other people on stage too, but David held me spellbound. I’d only seen the private side of him, who he was when he was with me. This seemed to be almost another entity. A stranger. My husband had taken a back seat to the performer. The rock star. It was actually a little daunting. But in that moment, his passion made perfect sense to me. His talent was such a gift.

They played five songs, then it was announced another big-name artist would take to the stage. All four of the band members exited by the other side. Martha had disappeared on me. Hard to be upset about that, despite backstage being a maze of hallways and dressing rooms. The woman was a monster. I was better off alone.

I made my way back on my own, taking tiny, delicate steps because my stupid shoes were killing me. Blisters lined my toes where the strap cut across, rubbing away at my skin. Didn’t matter, my joy would not be dimmed. The memory of the music stayed with me. The way David had looked all caught up in the performance, both exciting and unknown. Talk about a rush.

I smiled and swore, quietly, ignoring my poor feet and winding my way through the mix of roadies, sound technicians, make-up artists and general hangers-on.

“Child bride.” Mal smacked a noisy kiss on my cheek. “I’m heading to a club. You guys coming or taking off back to your love nest?”

“I don’t know. Just let me find David. That was amazing by the way. You guys were brilliant.”

“Glad you liked it. Don’t tell David I carried the show, though. He’s so precious about that sort of thing.”

“My lips are sealed.”

He laughed. “He’s better with you, you know? Artistic types have a bad habit of disappearing up their own asses. He’s smiled more in the last few days with you than I’ve seen him do in the last five years put together. You’re good for him.”

“Really?”

Mal grinned. “Really. You tell him I’m going to Charlotte’s. See you there later, maybe.”

“Okay.”

Mal took off and I made my way toward the band’s dressing room through the even bigger and better crush of people assembled. Inside the dressing room, however, things were quiet. Jimmy and Adrian had stood huddled out in the hallway, deep in conversation as I passed on by. Definitely not stopping. Sam and a second security person nodded to me as I passed.

The door to the back room where Jimmy had been busy earlier stood partly open. David’s voice carried to me, clear as day, despite the noise outside. It was like I was becoming tuned in to him on some cosmic level. Scary but exhilarating at the same time. I couldn’t wait to get out of here with him and do whatever. Go meet Mal or take off on our own. I didn’t mind, so long as we were together.

I just wanted to be with him.

The sound of Martha’s raised voice from within the same room decreased my happy.

“Don’t,” someone said from behind me, halting me at the door.

I turned to face the fourth member of the band: Ben. I remembered him now from some show Lauren had made me sit through years ago. He played bass and he made Sam the bodyguard look like a cute, fluffy kitten. Short dark hair and the neck of a bull. Attractive in a strange, serial-killer kind of way. Though it might have just been the way he looked at me, blue eyes dead serious and jaw rigid. Another one on drugs, perhaps. To me, he felt nothing but bad.

“Let them sort it out,” he said, voice low. His gaze darted to the partially open doorway. “You don’t know what they were like when they were together.”