Chasing Melody

by Erin Cristofoli

  “Your parents seem really nice,” Elle said quietly.

  Nodding, I replied, “I could not agree more.”

  I heard the clicking of heels approaching. “Good morning!” Claire greeted us cheerily. “Chase, are you ready for practice? Wait, where’s Ivy?”

  “Mom has been by already. She couldn’t wait to sneak Ivy away.”

  “Aw, I’m sorry that I missed them,” Claire said frowning.

  “I don’t know what our schedule looks like off the top of my head, Claire, but I kind of promised my mom I would go tomorrow for lunch. Does that fuck everything up?”

  Claire tapped her temple and winked. “I already took that possibility into account. There is no rush to head out.”

  I draped an arm around her shoulder and placed a big kiss to the side of her head. “You are the best. Do you know that?”

  She laughed and punched me playfully in the ribs. “Yeah, and don’t you forget it, mister.” She turned to Elle suddenly, her eyes widening. “Do you know what this means? With no Ivy, you have the night off! What are you going to do? Oh, I know! You should come to the show tonight.”

  Elle glanced over to me briefly, unsure. “I don’t know…”

  “Oh come on. You can watch it from backstage with me. I won’t let you say no.”

  Laughing lightly, Elle replied, “I know. Okay, I guess that sounds like fun.”

  Claire clapped me on the back. “Now that that’s settled, it’s time to get moving, Mr. Superstar. We need make sure Elle’s first Chase Brighton concert is an amazing one.”

  Elle

  Chase came and went from the bus for the rest of the afternoon, but about an hour or so before the show, he left to begin his pre-show preparations, leaving me alone in the empty bus so I could get ready.

  I stared at my pile of clothes and frowned. I had no idea what to wear. The problem was that most of the clothes that I brought with me on this trip said ‘nanny’ and not ‘ready to party’.

  There was a knock on the door and seconds later Claire’s head popped around the corner.

  “Hey, Elle, are you… nope I can see you aren’t anywhere near ready. What’s the matter?”

  I had slipped a skirt over my yoga pants and had pulled on a tank top over a long-sleeved shirt. “Do I dress up or go casual? I’ve never been to a concert before.”

  Clare leaned against the kitchen counter, watching me. “Well, I’m going to suggest not going with that ensemble,” she laughed, waving her hand around at my clothes.

  “I’m beginning to think that this is a bad idea,” I muttered, chewing on my bottom lip.

  “Oh no you don’t,” she protested. “Normally, I would say go casual, but tonight I definitely vote for sexy. There are going to be a ton more people there after the show. You never know, maybe you’ll meet someone who lights your fire.”

  “Oh God,” I laughed. “I doubt that.” Chase, in fact, lit that fire just fine, but I wasn’t about to admit that. Besides, he was off limits.

  “Sexy, huh? What about you? I can’t be the only one dressed up.” I eyed her planet-decorated tights and oversized sweater. If she was going to make me dress up, then I was going to make her do the same.

  Crouching down, I pulled out a dress that I had picked up on a whim many years ago, before my life had changed. I’d forgotten that I had stuffed it into my suitcase at the last second, all the while thinking I was ridiculous because there would never be any reason to wear it.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  I hurried to the bathroom and striped out of my layers of clothes and slipped into the dress. It was the most risqué item I owned. I shivered at the thought of being seen out in public like this, butterflies fluttering in my stomach. The halter dress was a shimmering dark blue, the front dipping so low you could almost see my belly button, the back nearly exposing the crack of my ass. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped out.

  Claire’s eyes widened when she saw me. “Holy shit.”

  “Are you sure this isn’t too much?”

  “Elle, you are smokin’ hot. You have to wear it. What’s your shoe size? I have the perfect shoes to go with it.”

  “Seven.”

  “Perfect. I’m going to go fancy myself up now, but we have to hurry. The show starts soon.”

  I really liked the positive vibe that Claire exuded all the time. I was glad that I could call her a friend.

  “I’m just going to touch up my make-up and I’ll be over in a minute.”

  The other bus was completely different than Chase’s. Claire waved an arm around. “I know it doesn’t have the same feel, but it’s home… for now. But hey, that’s what you get when you travel with three rockers.”

  She lifted one of the cushions on the couch to reveal a secret compartment. Reaching in she pulled out a pair of black gladiator stilettos and handed them to me.

  “I’m going to break an ankle, Claire.” I took them and examined them dubiously.

  She laughed and pulled her shirt over her head, replacing it with a sexy red dress that hugged her curves perfectly. I sat down on their couch and slipped my feet into the shoes.

  “I must say we both look pretty friggin’ amazing. You know, aside from Stixx, the rest of the band is single,” she said wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

  “No, that’s not a good idea.” I shook my head.

  She placed her hands on her hips and pouted. “Why not? They are good guys. Besides, some good, harmless fun would do you good. Don’t any of them interest you?”

  I fidgeted, wringing my hands. Claire nudged me gently. “There is one, isn’t there? Come on, spill. Which one?”

  My silence was met with her exasperated sigh. I felt my cheeks heat under her gaze. Claire’s eyes went wide with excitement “Oh my god! It’s Chase, isn’t it?”

  I scrunched up my nose. “No.” I dismissed her assumption. Liar, liar, pants on fire.

  “Oh yes, it is. I can see he’s got a thing for you too.”

  “I’m his nanny. We’re good now. I wouldn’t want to ruin that.”

  “So? The way he looks at you has nothing to do with business.” She glanced down at her phone. “Ah shit, the show is about to start, we have to get going. But you had better believe that we are going to continue this conversation later.”

  I took my time getting downstairs on the bus and tried my best to hurry along behind Claire in the ankle-wrecking heels, but I found that just as we reached the back of the building I was getting the hang of walking normally.

  Claire greeted the two security guards standing outside warmly. “Looking good, fellas. Keep up the good work. This here is Elle, in case you haven’t met yet. She looks after Ivy. She can come and go as she pleases, okay?”

  They both nodded in unison, the bigger of the two guys flashing me a smile. Backstage was insanely busy, people pushing their way past others with barely more than a mumbled ‘excuse me’. Claire had to pull me once off to the side so that I didn’t get knocked over by one of the crew.

  “Wow, I’ve never seen anything like this before.” I stated, awed as I tried to take all of the lights, sounds, and bustle of activity going on around me – and that was just backstage.

  Claire nodded. “Yeah. You do get used to it. Come on, the side of the stage is just up this way.”

  The opening band was onstage, putting on a good show by the looks of it. They were younger, but they were definitely talented.

  “That’s Plaid Pirates,” Claire said. “Pretty good.”

  When they were finished, they cleared off the stage in a flurry of activity. Chase’s stage crew was a machine, and it showed. They only took a few moments to tweak things for Chase and the guys.

  “Let’s get you a little closer,” Claire said, motioning me to move up until I was right in the wings, hidden from the crowd by the curtains that hung there.

  The lights went out and music began to boom. It was a strange feeling to lose all sense of your location just like tha
t.

  “That’s the beginning of Chase’s intro.”

  As I became more adjusted to the dark, I caught a glimpse of the stage, cheers from the fans could be heard over the music. The only lights were a couple of spotlights shooting their brightness around the arena as well as some flickers of flashes from cell phones.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come…” The crowd roared. “…to welcome back home our very own…”

  How was it possible for the fans to get louder? Claire laughed as she caught sight of the surprise on my face.

  “CHASE BRIGHTON!!!”

  Stage lights flashed on as the band took the stage from the opposite side of us. Stixx smacked his drum sticks together above his head counting them into the first notes of one of their first hits. Then I saw him. Everything else around me stood still as I watched him saunter on stage, his guitar over his shoulder, a sexy smile to greet the crowd. He wore a pair of worn and faded jeans and an untucked and unbuttoned dark blue dress shirt that covered his white tank top. Chase plugged his guitar into what I guessed was an amp and focused back on the crowd.

  “It’s great to be back, Edmonton! It’s been too long. How is everyone doing tonight?”

  More screams. God, everyone was going to lose their voices at this rate.

  “All right, we’re going to start things off with the song that started us on this kickass journey – Wild Nights.”

  Claire’s hand on my shoulder pulled me from the trance I had been in.

  “Would you like me to get you a chair? A glass of wine maybe?”

  “I’d love a glass of red wine, thanks.”

  She returned after only a couple of minutes with two large glasses. “Are you trying to get me drunk?” I joked.

  She giggled. “Maybe just a little bit tipsy. Enjoying the show?”

  I nodded enthusiastically and took a sip of my wine. “This is incredible.”

  Song after song, Chase’s voice reached into my soul, taking hold, making my heart race and making my knees go weak. The guys took a break to chug down bottles on water before they began the next song, and I watched Stixx look over to Claire and blow her a kiss.

  “So what do you think, everyone, should we sing another one?” Chase shouted out.

  I peeked out and could see the women in the front rows, practically drooling; a couple of them looked like they were near tears.

  “This song is off our latest album. It’s called A Whiskey Kind of Night.”

  I hadn’t heard the song before, but with each song, I became a bigger fan of his music - and of the way his jeans fit him just right. As he was hitting the chorus, Chase finally looked over and did a double take, the lyrics dying on his tongue for a fraction of a second. But being the professional that he was, he recovered quickly and grabbed the microphone, pointing it out at the audience. Butterflies soared within me. Twice more he looked over to me, a strange look on his face before I was in desperate need of some air.

  “I’ll be back,” I told Claire, shouting over the din of music and screaming fans.

  “But it’s almost over,” she protested.

  I nodded and walked quickly away, taking a slow, deep breath as I burst through the back door. I could feel the effects of the wine swirling through my body. There was a chill in the air and it cooled down my flushed skin. Every word Chase had sung had sent a thrill through my body, turning me on and igniting desire within me that made me want to forget the rules for one night. I knew I had to go back in there and face Chase no matter how much I wanted to run. With one last steadying breath, I went back inside and found my way back to Claire, who was in the middle of an after party, chatting with the members of the opening act for the night. Food was being passed around the room, with plenty of alcohol.

  “Hey, where did you go?” she asked, her eyebrows pulling together in concern.

  “I’m okay, I just got a little overheated and needed a break from the noise.”

  She handed me a glass from the makeshift bar behind her. “Have you met the guys from the Plaid Pirates yet?”

  I shook my head.

  “Guys,” she called, lifting up on the balls of her feet and waving them over. This is my friend, Elle.”

  One of the band members, Jake, took the lead and struck up a conversation with me, the rest of the band and Claire eventually drifting off. He was a nice guy with a dream and a cute dimpled smile. I’d been enjoying listening to him talk about some of the cool places he had been able to visit, my nerves relaxing… that is, until I noticed Chase stalking over to me, a scowl on his face.

  “Shit,” I muttered.

  “Is everything okay?” Jake asked.

  “I need to speak to you,” Chase practically barked, grabbing my arm and giving it a tug.

  “It was nice meeting you, Jake,” I managed to say before I was pulled through the crowd and out the back door. I tried to free my arm but couldn’t get enough leverage in these heels.

  “Chase!” I snapped, finally getting his attention. He stopped and I was able to free my arm from his grasp. “What have I done now? I was having a nice time in there.”

  “A nice time? With him?”

  Was that jealousy in his voice?

  I rolled my eyes. “He was just being nice to me, Chase, which is more than I can say about you right now!”

  He looked around then muttered, “We’re too out in the open here, let’s go back to the bus.”

  “I think I’ll go back to the party, thanks.”

  “Come back to the bus, please.” He huffed a breath, his hand clenched, but there was a soft sincerity in his eyes.

  I was a sucker for punishment because I began walking again – toward the bus. Turning down the passageway between the buses, I was a few steps from the door when I heard Chase mumble, “I can’t resist anymore.”

  His fingers slid around my wrist and, spinning me around, he pressed me up against the cool metal.

  “What the hell are you –”

  His lips crashed against mine, fierce and determined. His fingers held me in place, digging into my shoulder and hip.

  When his hips rolled, he pressed his erection into me; I couldn’t help the whimper that escaped me.

  “You make me fucking crazy, you know that?” he whispered against my mouth when he finally pulled away. His lips grazed against mine as he spoke.

  “I haven’t fucked up lyrics ever in all of the years I’ve been doing this.”

  “You’re blaming me?” I asked incredulously.

  “You’re fucking right I am. I’ve been keeping my distance, trying to avoid temptation. But each time I see you in your short –shorts, I nearly lose my mind. Then tonight you go and wear this!” He traced the seam along my shoulder.

  “What is wrong with how I look?” I asked, his accusation stinging. I thought I’d looked pretty good.

  “Nothing! You are fucking perfection, that’s the problem. I hadn’t expected to see you looking like a fucking temptress. I nearly punched Jake in the face with the way he was looking at you.”

  His words sent a surge through me, but I was no longer angry by his ridiculous behaviour.

  “So you like the dress?” I asked hopefully.

  He laughed. “Were you actually worried?”

  Chase’s fingers traced down the edge from my shoulder all the way down between my breasts.

  “It dips dangerously low. I wonder what would happen if my fingers were to accidentally slip this fabric a little bit to the side?”

  My skin tingled, heating the path his fingers were on.

  “Chase, please.” I breathed.

  He leaned closer. I could feel his breath against my neck. And then his tongue ran from my collarbone to my earlobe.

  “Get on the bus…” he murmured.

  He took a step back and I could see his chest heaving. It matched my own heart that was racing. I pulled open the door of the bus and hurried inside with Chase close behind. I stopped with my back to him, bending to remove my shoes
.

  “Fuck, Elle, the back is just as dangerous as the front.”

  He grasped me by the arms, standing close. I could feel his arousal pressing against me. I couldn’t stop myself from arching my back, pushing my ass further against him. His groan sent a shiver through me.

  “Are we really doing this?” he asked.

  There was so much pent up tension between us, I needed him. I need to know what it felt like to let go with Chase, even if it was one time. Fuck the consequences.

  “Yes.”

  That one word was all he needed. His hands reached to the front of my dress. He squeezed my breasts through my dress before pulling the fabric aside, my nipples pebbling when the air hit me.

  “I’ve been fantasizing about stripping all the clothes off of you since you stepped on this bus.”

  One of his hands reached between my legs and I cried out, my head falling back against his chest.

  He pushed me forward toward the dining table, turning and lifting me on top of it.

  Chase slowed his pace, hesitating just a moment before he kissed me, slow and deeply.

  His lips were soft but determined. He broke the kiss, moving back to my neck. His hands were a contrast, calloused from the years of playing guitar, but each touch sent me further down the rabbit hole of need. He reached up under my dress and pulled at the strings of my thong; I lifted my ass so he could pull it from my legs while still managing to hide the ultimate prize from him.

  Chase had straightened so I leaned forward, tugging on the bottom of his t-shirt, lifting it higher until I could see his abs. He needed to be naked.

  “Damn,” I muttered before I could stop myself.

  My comment earned me a sexy grin. “You like what you see?”

  “Take off your shirt,” I ordered.

  As the shirt came over his head, my hands, and mouth, were on him. He hissed as I played with his nipples – with my teeth.

  He grabbed my ass and pulled me against him, lifting me up into his arms. We were down the length of the bus and through his bedroom door in three seconds. He dropped me to the bed and began grabbing at my dress. I swatted his hands away.