One of the security guards that had been leaning on the edge of the stage for most of the break, nodded to the others around him and cracked his neck, before crossing his arms over his chest. I assumed that made him the head bouncer of the evening, but I didn’t care. I didn’t plan on giving anyone trouble so they were the least of my concern.
Above me the lights began to dim until the ballroom was plunged into darkness, the crowd letting out a collective roar of excitement as I turned my eyes toward the door that led to the stage. They’d come through there; I knew it because that’s where I watched the rest of the bands walk through and then the lights would come on and I would do my best to get his attention.
This was the fourth show in three months that I had followed them to, and four had always been my lucky number.
I instantly perked up when the door opened. In the dim light from the hallway, I could see the members of the band making their way onto the stage as some random Journey song blared over the sound system.
First was Mick, the drummer, who made his way up to his set and got comfortable, smiling at a crowd that couldn’t see him just yet. Alex the bassist followed, tossing his ball cap into the crowd after he secured his instrument around his body. Next was Roman the guitar player who was shirtless, lean, and from what I understood, mean as the days are long. But even he managed a smirk for the row of teenage girls in the front row next to me.
And then it was him.
The entire reason I had spent a month’s rent to chase this fucker around to begin with.
He walked to the center of the stage, a bottle of water t
ilted to his lips, which he capped and placed in front of the drum set. He raked a hand back through his dark, obsidian colored hair as he walked up to the microphone, sunglasses still on his face as he gripped the stand, looked down assumingly at the set list taped onto the floor beneath him then back up at the crowd.
Alex began to strum the chords on his bass guitar, Mick began to move his feet quickly and his hands just as fast on his drums tying in to the beat that Alex had set forward. Roman walked over to the center of the stage, they nodded to each other, and as soon as the lights flashed on brightly, Knox Whitaker opened his mouth and commanded the attention of the room with the guttural growl that made him as famous as he is.
Chapter 2
“Alright! We’ve got one song left for you guys, then we’re out of here!” Knox announced to the crowd. The statement was met with obvious disappointment, and he pouted at the crowd before putting his hands to his mouth and blowing them a kiss. That was met by a bra flying over my head and hitting him in the chest.
He laughed into the microphone but anyone that was in the front row with me caught the obvious disdain on his face when he rolled his eyes. I couldn’t help but smile up at him because I remembered when he used to look at me like that sometimes. He’d give me a smile for the sake of being kind but his eyes never lied to me.
Knox used the tip of his sneaker to push the bra out of the way, turned around and nodded at Mick who brought in a fast and furious beat. It was the song that made them famous, Lies on Magnolia Lane, and it was my honest to God favorite because I knew the meaning behind the words he sang. His fans ate up the imagery, but I lived it with him and felt his pain each time I heard him screaming the lyrics for the world to hear.
When the song had come to it’s end, when the crowd was much louder than it had been before, Knox held his hands up to the sky. The smile on his face, wide and fake, but the crowd ate it up like he was praising them when in reality I knew that he wanted nothing more for than the entire room to disappear; himself included.
But I wouldn’t let him get away this time without noticing me—I couldn’t. the moment the lights went down and the crowd started to chant for one more song, I did the only thing I knew I could do. I cupped my hands over my mouth, took a deep breath, and screamed his real name.
“LENNOX!”
I wasn’t sure he heard me until he whipped his head around and walked toward the edge of the stage, searching the crowd. He walked back to where he had dropped the microphone onto the stage, scooped it up, and gave the light technician a simple command.
“Turn those fucking lights back on.”
Once his direction was followed, he let the microphone fall from his hand again as he scanned the crowd through narrowed eyes. He blew out his breath and just about gave up looking for the sound of the voice that called his name. I could tell that he was ready to walk away from the stage, so I did it again.
“LENNOX! OVER HERE!”
His eyes immediately darted in my direction and when he saw me, a small smile curved the edge of his lips. He hopped down between the stage and barricade and made his way over to me.
“Jules?” he asked with an unsure smile. I nodded immediately and he moved forward to embrace me. That was enough to piss of the head of security who’s team had to start pushing back the teenage girls that were trying to get his attention away from me.
“Back up!” the head guard shouted, giving me a rough shove back into the crowd.
“That’s my fucking brother, man!” Knox barked at him as he hoisted himself onto the barricade and held a hand out toward me. One of the guards reached up and held onto Knox’s shirt so that he wouldn’t fall into the crowd that suddenly noticed him back in the spotlight again, but as soon as I placed my hand in his, he used all of his strength to pull me over the railing.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” he asked scuffing my hair playfully.
“Because I haven’t had your phone number in years,” I replied with a sheepish shrug.
“Touche,” he chuckled. “Come on.”
Knox pulled himself up onto the stage, then me after him. As the crowd continued their chant for another song, my brother draped an arm around my shoulder and walked me off into the backstage area making me feel like I meant something to someone again.
I knew it wouldn’t last forever, but for that moment, there was hope.