What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 5)

by Cathryn Fox

  A few minutes later the crowd began to cheer.

  That’s when Amy saw the band coming from a hallway.

  She counted five guys and when she saw Luke, her heart jumped a little. When she first met him outside he’d been wearing long sleeves and had been trying to keep himself bundled from the cold air. Now inside, Luke had a black t-shirt on that revealed defined arms. No wonder nobody could take their eyes off him.

  The fans flocked to a long table, all wanting their shot at meeting the band. Amy wasn’t sure what to do so she went to the end of the line. People talked, laughed, some even cried. Fallen Tuesday took pictures with every fan. They signed everything asked to be signed. They got together and let fans take pictures of them as a band.

  Luke was the first one for Amy to meet. She could not believe how nervous she was as she shuffled down the table to see Luke. This was an arena Luke was going to perform in. All those people outside, working their way into the arena, they all paid to see Luke and Fallen Tuesday play.

  “Amy,” Luke said. He stood up. “You came.”

  “Free concert ticket,” Amy said. “How could I not.”

  Luke reached across the table for a hug and Amy opened her arms before realizing what she was doing. They hugged and Amy let out a sigh. Luke’s strong arms around her lasted all of a few seconds, but the effect to Amy’s body would linger for some time.

  “Do you have your shirt?” Luke asked.

  Amy showed it to him. It was an off-white colored shirt. Luke took it from her and signed it. He then slid it down the table and said, “Here, Gray, sign this. For Amy.”

  “Amy?”

  Amy looked at the man now holding her shirt. He wore a mile wide smile. Amy felt the color rush to her face, again. It meant that Luke had been talking about Amy to his band.

  How was any of this possible?

  “Hey, how did everything go last night?” Luke asked. “After you left?”

  Amy watched her shirt get passed down the table. Each band member looked at Amy and smiled. They must have known something she didn’t. Amy wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

  “Everything is fine,” Amy said. “Thank you for doing all this. You didn’t have to though.”

  “I was worried,” Luke said.

  “You have better things to worry about,” Amy said. “You have to play a concert for all these people.”

  “That’s nothing to worry about,” Luke said. “That’s my job. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of. Well, almost…”

  Luke’s words lingered as he stared at Amy. With each second that ticked by, Amy realized she was sinking deeper and deeper. She wasn’t sure if the night was going to be a good experience or a bad experience, but it was definitely going to be an experience.

  Someone appeared and knocked on the wall.

  “Gentlemen,” the voice said. “Time.”

  The rest of the band stood and left the table. Amy looked at Luke. They had the table between them, which for some reason felt metaphoric. It also probably saved the two of them from doing something crazy like kissing. Amy couldn’t believe how bad she wanted to kiss Luke. Then again, there were thousands of women in the crowd who wanted to kiss Luke too.

  “I have to get going,” Luke said. “Need to run through the setlist and do a warmup. Opening band hits the stage in fifteen minutes.”

  “Okay,” Amy said. “I can’t believe I’m here.”

  “Neither can I,” Luke said. He reached out and touched Amy’s face with the back of his hand. “I’m really happy you’re here tonight. Are you going to your restaurant after the show?”

  “I took care of that,” Amy said.

  “Good. I’ll make sure my manager takes care of the bill tonight,” Luke said.

  “You don’t have to…”

  “Better get your seat,” Luke said with a grin as he hurried away.

  Amy found her seat just as the first band took the stage. They were a local four piece band that sounded pretty good. The singer tended to scream more than sing, and Amy struggled to hear the words. They were very young too, and had a look of awe on their faces each time they looked out to the growing crowd. They were well aware that everyone there wanted to see Fallen Tuesday, but they enjoyed themselves. Their set lasted a little over thirty minutes. They finished up and asked the crowd if they were excited for Fallen Tuesday. Screams erupted. The band waved and left the stage. Then in a systematic routine of long hair, ripped jeans, and t-shirts, a group of guys took to the stage and began to take apart the opening band’s equipment. The opening band quickly joined and in less than a minute, the stage was clear. Then they started to set up everything for the Fallen Tuesday show. Amy found herself on the edge of her seat, watching.

  The crew grabbed guitars, a bass, and made sure the drums were set. The mic stands were set up. Setlists were then taped down on the stage. Monitors were placed all around the front of the stage. The backdrop was then released, a long and wide banner with Fallen Tuesday’s name and logo. That gained a reaction from the crowd.

  When the crew left the stage Amy’s heart raced. She played with her nails and waited for something to happen.

  The lights were cut a minute later and the arena exploded with cheers and screams. A scratchy, prerecorded song began to play through every speaker in the arena. The emotions in the arena grew by the second. The sound of drums hit. Live drums. The band was on stage. In the darkness, Amy could make out three figures on stage and the drummer behind his kit.

  Guitars kicked in, followed by the thick sound of the bass.

  Then came the voice…

  “Are you ready?” Luke asked, his voice carrying through the arena.

  The crowd erupted again. Amy even started to clap.

  “I can’t hear you,” Luke said. “I said… ARE… YOU… READY…”

  The crowd was so loud that it started to overpower the music.

  “Okay then,” Luke said. “Let’s do it.”

  The sound of drumsticks hit four times and the show officially began. The lights came on and the band broke into a song. The middle of the stage was empty though. Luke wasn’t there yet.

  Amy wanted to see him. She needed to see him.

  She felt something touch her shoulder and she looked up only to see Luke standing next to her. He looked down at her and smiled. Amy gasped when a spotlight hit Luke and he began to sing. The place went crazy and Luke jumped over a barrier and was then in the mix of the crowd. Amy had never seen anything like it. For the entire first song, Luke walked through the crowd, covering as much ground as he could. And he didn’t miss a note or lyric.

  The song ended with Luke climbing on stage, putting the mic on the stand, and throwing his arms open, pointing to the band. The cheers were so loud that Luke looked at the guitarist to his left and nodded. Another song began to play. Luke stayed on the stage but he didn’t stay still. He ran corner to corner, pointing to fans, waving, smiling, calling to them in between singing. One thing was clear, Luke wanted every person in the arena to feel like they were part of the show, and he did a hell of a job at it.

  The show continued and after an hour of playing, Luke took a quick break and left the stage. The band didn’t seem to know why he left. They hurried to collect themselves, everyone returning with acoustic guitars. The band then slowed things down with a few acoustic songs. Luke looked even hotter as he sat on a stool with one leg bent, one foot flat on the stage, holding a mic. Surrounded by the other four members of the band, everyone playing guitar, it was unbelievable. On the last acoustic song, Luke made everyone stand up. Every person in the crowd, including Amy, listened. Luke put a hand up. Everyone raised a hand. The connection between Luke and the crowd was so intense and deep.

  After the acoustic set, the band took their original spots and began to play more songs. The concert continued for another half hour. Then the band stood at the front of the stage, arms around each other, smiling, bowing, basking in the applause.

  Amy sto
od and clapped. She watched the band leave the stage. The lights came on in the arena and the fans started to pour out. Amy was unsure what her next move was supposed to be. The same men that setup Fallen Tuesday’s equipment were now on stage taking everything apart. The floor and seats were almost all cleared out. Was she supposed to leave? Meet the band at the restaurant? She didn’t like that idea at all. She wanted to see Luke, especially after the show.

  A security guard came walking from the side of the stage. He pulled and opened the gate that kept the fans from getting to the stage and sound equipment. He pointed to Amy. He motioned for her and she looked at the small barrier that kept her off the floor. The security guard nodded and Amy climbed over it.

  “Amy?” the man asked in a deep voice.

  “Yes,” Amy said.

  “Follow me. Luke is expecting you.”

  There it was, Amy’s next move. She followed the tall, wide security guard alongside the stage to a place nobody else would be going. She watched the techs carrying equipment down a small set of steps and down a hall. The backstage area was bustling with all the work that needed to be done to pack up the equipment and get it to the next city. Amy felt out of place backstage, but it’s where she was wanted. When she heard the sound of Luke’s voice a warm feeling came over her. The security guard stopped and pointed to an open door. Amy looked inside and saw the band. As soon as Luke saw her, he rushed to her.

  He was covered in sweat, his hair still wet. He looked like a dream.

  “That was amazing,” Amy said. “I swear, I’m not just saying that.”

  “Thanks,” Luke said. “I’m glad you were here for it.”

  Luke smiled and then touched his throat. He stretched his neck.

  “Are you okay?” Amy asked.

  “Fine. Just post show stuff, that’s all. Let’s get a drink real quick.”

  Amy nodded.

  The rest of Fallen Tuesday was suddenly there. They stood around Luke, smiling, looking sweaty and tired.

  “Who is this?” someone asked. He had a scruffy beard and looked ready for a fight.

  “Cut it, Mack,” Luke said. “You know who it is. But she may not know who you are. Amy… this is Mack, Jack, Trent, and the guy behind me is Gray.”

  “Your name is Gray?” Amy asked.

  They all laughed.

  “There’s a story behind it,” Gray said and winked.

  “Hey, we’re going to hit the bus,” Mack said. “Celebrate. Relax.”

  “Okay,” Luke said. “I’m going to show Amy around. We’re going to her restaurant in a few minutes.”

  “Restaurant,” Gray said. “A businesswoman hanging around a bunch of rockstars.”

  Amy opened her mouth to say it wasn’t technically her restaurant but she stopped herself. What was the use? She had five rockstars staring at her. She stood backstage at a Fallen Tuesday concert. By tomorrow morning it would all be a ghostly memory. Amy would wake in her bed and Fallen Tuesday would wake in their tour bus.

  The band left the room and Luke took Amy’s hand. “Come on, let’s get a drink.”

  Amy wasn’t sure what get a drink actually meant, and to her surprise, it was a bottle of water.

  “You seem disappointed,” Luke said as they stood at the end of a hall.

  “No, not at all. Just wasn’t sure what to expect backstage at a concert.”

  “Well, it’s not a crazy party,” Luke said. “Not right now. If you want something stronger to drink, we can go to the bus.”

  “I’m good with water.”

  “Good. Listen, I need to wash up a little. Can you hang for a few minutes alone?”

  “Sure thing,” Amy said.

  Luke stepped toward her. The way he looked at her, Amy wasn’t sure what to feel or what to do. Luke’s eyes seemed to imply something much different than a one night kind of thing.

  Amy trailed Luke until he went into a bathroom to shower. She stood outside the door, watching as the crew for Fallen Tuesday still worked. She had never realized so much went into one concert. The stages, the lighting, all the pieces of the fixtures, speakers… it was amazing. It would all be taken apart, packed up, and driven to the next venue.

  When Amy heard the water running, she felt her toes curl in her shoes. The thought of Luke standing there half naked, splashing water on himself, it was a thought she enjoyed. She shook the thought from her mind when she heard Luke cough. It was a deep cough, followed by another and another. The coughing fit grew worse and Amy stepped forward to the door. She touched it but hesitated.

  “Luke?” she asked.

  Luke didn’t reply. He coughed again and then came the sound of him coughing something up. Amy couldn’t help herself as she opened the door to the bathroom. Luke was hunched over the sink, his hands gripping the edges.

  “Luke, are you okay?” she asked.

  Luke popped up and turned around. He reached back and turned on the water. He smiled.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a tickle in my throat. Ever get one that won’t go away?”

  “Yeah…”

  Amy stepped toward Luke. She slowly reached for his face. With the tip of her finger she touched his lip. In her mind she screamed I’m touching the lips of the hot lead singer for Fallen Tuesday! but her heart stayed within the realms of reality.

  Amy wiped a speck of blood from Luke’s lip and showed it to him.

  “Are you coughing up blood?” she asked.

  “It’s nothing,” Luke said.

  He grabbed a piece of paper towel and wiped Amy’s finger.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m fine,” Luke said. “When you sing for two hours like that, your body gets tired. Add months of touring on top… let’s go get our ride to restaurant.”

  Amy nodded and Luke put his arm around her. He led the way, and while Amy felt protected, she felt just as uneasy. She wasn’t sure what bothered her more… seeing Luke cough up blood or the fact that she cared so much about him already.

  Chapter Eight

  Luke wanted to curse and punch a wall. Of course he’d have a coughing fit in front of Amy like that. Of course she’d find blood on his lip after he hurried to turn on the water and wash the rest of the blood down the drain. Of course he didn’t get a chance to inspect the blood to see if it was worse than before.

  Either way, Luke had done his best to play it off. This wasn’t Amy’s problem. With his arm around Amy, he made sure to pull her tight. He was enjoying her body against his. He walked her from the building to the waiting black car. When he let her go and watched her climb into the car he couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking of the night.

  What did the night actually mean?

  Was it just some one night stand in the works? Was it something more?

  But how could it be more than tonight?

  The obvious questions were sometimes the hardest to face. They were also the hardest to ignore, but when Luke saw the happy yet nervous look on Amy’s face, everything slipped away. He got into the car and sat next to her. There was a bag on the floor and Luke looked at Amy and smiled.

  “I have to get changed real quick,” he said. “Just my shirt and clean myself up.”

  “Uh… yeah…”

  Luke laughed and grabbed the bag. He pulled out a fresh shirt and a bottle of cologne. He could have showered in the arena or on the tour bus but he wanted to spend all his time with Amy. He tore his shirt off and balled it up, dropping it in his bag. He looked at Amy, catching her staring at him.

  “Do you always stare when someone takes their shirt off?”

  Amy gasped and turned her head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean…”

  “Amy, I’m joking. Look at me.”

  Luke watched Amy hesitate. He gently touched her shoulder and pulled. She turned and in the dim light of the backseat he could see her cheeks were red.

  “I didn’t mean…”

  “You think that bothers me?” Luke whispered. “A beautiful woman staring at me as I t
ake off my shirt?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Luke stared at Amy. She was trouble. The good kind of trouble, but potentially bad for the heart. She was also the trouble worth risking stuff for. So that’s what Luke did. He risked rejection as he leaned over and pressed his lips to Amy’s.

  Maybe it wasn’t the hottest kiss in the world. Maybe it wasn’t the best first kiss, sitting in the backseat of a black car as it left the arena. For Luke though, it was delicious and perfect. Amy’s lips were tender. He couldn’t have just one kiss. He needed a second, and a third. His hands slowly worked their way to touching Amy’s face. After the fifth kiss he couldn’t believe when he felt Amy’s hand touch his chest. He thought for a second that she was going to push him away. And that would be fine. He would back right away and apologize, but that didn’t happen. Amy curled her fingers, her nails cutting at his chest. It was delicate yet passionate.

  Luke parted his lips so he could taste Amy’s mouth. She did the same and they kissed for a little while. Luke felt the urge to move his hands elsewhere. He wanted to touch Amy. He wanted to caress her, hold her, explore her.

  But not in the back of a car.

  She didn’t deserve that. Luke didn’t want to be the typical rockstar. At least not with Amy. He broke the kiss and put his forehead to hers. They both let out deep breaths and stared at each other.

  “I suddenly feel like skipping the restaurant,” Luke said.

  Amy smiled. “If you do that, you’ll break my uncle’s heart. You don’t want to be on his bad side.”

  Luke moved away from Amy. He grabbed his fresh shirt and put it on. He smiled the entire time. Being with Amy made his mind relax. He didn’t think about the show, his throat, the tour, the upcoming album. They arrived at the restaurant a short time later.

  The second they got out of the car, someone recognized Luke. An eager fan charged up to him and hugged him. He signed an autograph and then allowed Amy to escort him into the restaurant. The rest of the band was already there and a tall man came running toward Luke with his hand out.