‘As if that’s ever stopped you before,’ Cash says, and beckons her with his hand. She goes to him and formally presses her lips against his cheek.
‘What’s come over you? Have you finally grown up?’ he asks, surprised and amused by the restraint she is showing.
‘Stop embarrassing me,’ she hisses.
Cash flashes me a wickedly sexy smile and I suddenly feel very awkward with both Britany and Gavin around. I don’t want either of them to sense anything, but every primal instinct screams to me to run to him and jump into his arms.
‘Want a beer, Tori?’ he offers, his eyes alive with sexual lust.
‘No thanks. We drank the champagne that was in the suite. It said compliments of the house,’ I say.
He laughs.
Gavin turns towards Britney. ‘How was your trip and hotel?’ he asks conversationally.
‘Everything was perfect,’ she says.
‘That’s great.’
‘And for you, Tori?’ Cash asks softly.
‘I’ve never been so spoilt in my life,’ I reply truthfully.
‘Yeah?’
I look deep into his eyes. Sexual chemistry throbs between us. ‘Yeah.’
‘Where are the rest of the band?’ Britney asks.
‘In their dressing rooms further along,’ Gavin replies.
‘And when do you go on stage?’
Cash drops his eyes to his watch and shrugs his shoulder. ‘Less than forty-five minutes.’
He fixes his green eyes on me again and comes across the room, and with his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, leans his muscular frame against the wall. What a gorgeous hunk he is. He is so close I smell his skin. ‘First time you’ll be seeing me perform live, eh? Are you excited?’
I feel my face blush at the lie I am living. I will tell him the truth. Soon. ‘Very,’ I reply as coolly as possible.
‘How are you feeling?’ I ask, shifting the focus.
He grins and leans a little forward. ‘Fantastic. Bring on the bright lights.’
‘No nerves?’ I ask, my skin tingling with his nearness.
‘We drank those away earlier,’ Gavin says.
My eyes move to the empty bottles. He doesn’t seem drunk, but there is a kind of tension in him.
‘Anyhow, you girls have a great front row seat with your own balcony right above the stage. Sean, my roadie, will take you there just before we come on,’ he says as he walks back to his chair.
There is a rap on the door and then Octavia walks in. She takes in the scene in a glance and her mouth tightens. Cash casually reaches for his guitar and strums some chords.
‘Let’s move it guys. It’s time for your make-up and wardrobe check. You’re on in thirty minutes.’ She turns to Gavin. ‘Gav, isn’t it time you were back in your own dressing room?’ Her stern voice turns the chilled, sexually charged atmosphere, into one of turbulence and activity. A girl carrying two black make-up cases walks quickly into the room and starts opening them.
Octavia turns to me with a fake smile plastered on her face. I realize she is enjoying her position of power. ‘What’s your name again, honey?’
‘Tori,’ Britney innocently supplies not realizing that Octavia knows exactly who I am.
‘Right. Sorry Britney and Tori, but I can’t have my stars distracted so close to the gig, so I’m going to have to ask both of you to leave now,’ she says, as a crackly voice comes through on her walkie-talkie.
‘For fuck’s sake. I’m fucking coming,’ she snaps into it.
‘Leave them alone, Octavia. They’re just getting a bit of behind the scenes. Not doing any harm at all,’ Cash says as he repositions his chair so he is facing the mirror.
She seems to burst a gut at this statement. ‘Really, Cash! I have enough on my plate without this bullshit. You know the rules. No one other than the artists, make-up team, and management are allowed in the dressing rooms one hour before the show starts.’
She is talking to Cash but her eyes are focused on me and clearly the irritation on her face is all for me.
Cash looks like a thundercloud and I sense she has pricked his pride a little too much and he is about to let rip.
‘I’m off,’ Gavin says to no one, and hastily leaves the room.
‘Come on, Brit. Let’s go get comfortable in our front row seats,’ I say, hoping to defuse the explosive situation by making a quick exit. After everything Cash has done for us, the last thing I want to do is cause a scene just before he goes on stage.
‘Have Sean come and show the girls to their seats,’ Cash tells Octavia coldly.
She speaks on her walkie-talkie and no sooner has she finished speaking when there is a knock on the door. It is a young man who must have been in the corridor. As he takes us out, I hear Cash say, ‘Not so fast, Octavia. I want a word with you.’