by Sky Corgan
“Is that why you challenged her on firing me?” I asked, curious.
He laughed, “No. You are just such a serious person, I wanted to see what would happen throwing you into the rock scene. You need to lighten up. Music is about freedom of expression, feeling alive, escaping the realities that tug you down. You're less focused on expressing yourself than on obtaining the contract.”
I winced. He caught me.
“If I wanted a generic rock site, I would have hired the stiff she wanted. Instead, I want free-thinkers, something new, innovative, something unique.”
Well…scrap all of my work from this past week.
“So instead of focusing on getting the job, have fun, loosen up. Don’t show me something like last time. That was…crap. Show me something original.”
I nodded. I could do that.
Before we could continue our conversation, Kia walked up. “Good, you are attracting attention. Here.” She handed me fliers. “If someone approaches, hand them one of these, so they will know who he is and look him up.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
We moved to board the plane, and several others joined us. A female, dressed fairly conservatively, jeans and a t-shirt, like me. Kia introduced her as the keyboard player. Then there was the bass player, a bigger built guy who had the cheesiest grin. Finally the drummer, a slender guy with a powerful voice, very loud. He wore a mohawk, while the bass player had dreads. Interesting combination. They each had their own style, but color-wise, they all meshed well. Kia was clearly good at her job.
“A pleasure,” I said to them.
Kia and I sat next to each other in coach, her on her laptop, me on mine. By the time we arrived at our destination, everyone was exhausted. Kia ordered a car to the hotel, and we made our way. I was put in a room with Kia and the keyboard player. Seems like the men shared a room, too. I liked that they weren’t extravagant about their lifestyle.
Staring out the window, I could see the festival below.
“Okay, we are up in two hours. I need to get there and set up. Abigail, you are with me. Our band is opening for Imagine Dragons. We need to be ready, or they will far overshadow us. We don’t want people to forget us when followed by such a big name.”
The guys nodded, heading towards their rooms, and Felicia, the keyboard player, went to the bathroom to prepare.
Kia and I headed out, barely stepping outside the hotel before finding ourselves in the throngs of people. I winced, not much for crowds. Everyone was chatting and rushing around with food and glow sticks and just enjoying everything. With Kia’s fast-tracking guidance, we got to the stage with minimal problems, and she was dictating set up. She had a show planned to set The Flaming Arrow apart from other opening acts.
By the time the band arrived all decked out, everything was ready. I even got to meet Imagine Dragons. They were very friendly, and much more down to earth than I had expected.
Gabriel and the band had changed. Dressed entirely in white, they contrasted the black wardrobe of the main band. Even their makeup consisted of white tones and neutrals. The only real color was the streaks of blue in everyone’s hair. Wouldn’t red or orange be more appropriate for the band name? I guess not.
“Warm up. You're on in 30,” Kia ordered, and they moved to their instruments. “You can go wander. You are released for the day,” she told me.
I nodded, slipping out. I felt more like an assistant to Kia than a web developer, but it was interesting to see the behind the scenes with the bands. It sparked an idea. For their blog, they could do prep time, a vlog showing them all getting ready and laughing as friends. People these days were into seeing their idols as people, living life and having fun. After all, that was half of reality TV, right? I smiled faintly, wanting to go back to the room and work on their website, but this was the only day they were playing. It would be smarter to watch them—to see how I could incorporate their passion into the site.
I wandered the crowd, surprised at the number of people who looked normal. I always pictured rock fans as hardcore, but there were happy middle-aged couples, a few older couples, and the mega fans. A wide spectrum.
I ordered some popcorn and stood towards the back, watching the people slowly quiet down as the lights changed. Everything went dark, then a strobe light danced over the crown, and with each flash, you saw the band making their way on stage. Gabriel stood up front, arms held high. Once they were all in place, the stage went dark for a moment, and below each band member, a light flared. In their white outfits, it gave each band member an essence of color. Red for Gabriel. Green for the keyboarder. Orange for the drummer. And for the bass player, pink. The bass player looked so happy, glowing as he pulled out his black guitar and slammed his hand down on the strings. As soon as he did, the colors boomed brightly. Gabriel’s voice, accompanied by his band's instruments, swam across the crowd.
I could feel the rhythm in my core, the beating. They had so much passion. The crowd started dancing and screaming, clearly enjoying the music. I could see the love of the music on everyone’s faces, band members included. But The Flaming Arrow only performed a handful of songs before Gabriel stood back and fireworks shot out, signaling the end of their set.
“Please welcome the stars of the show, Imagine Dragons!” an announcer said moments later.
A flurry happened as the bands swapped places and instruments, and everyone was cheering and screaming. It was overwhelmingly loud. I slipped out the back, exploring the different booths.
A small kid waited impatiently at one of the game booths, but no one approached to play against him. I rolled my eyes, settling next to him. It was a simple water shooter game. Too easy. His face lit up at my challenge, and he prepared as I paid my fee. Of course, I let him win, barely, and he danced off with his prize.
Wandering around further, I noticed a gaggle of rock girls. Curious what they were staring at, I walked over, recognizing Gabriel’s towering form. I laughed. He didn’t seem like the confident, amused man I talked with at his apartment and in the airport. He looked panicked as the girls grabbed at him, giggling.
There was no Kia or band members in sight. The girls didn’t notice me, so I slipped in easily, handing Gabriel a piece of paper and a pen. He wrote down his autograph, not even aware it was me, and I folded it, tossing it in the air. Every girl screamed and scrambled for it. I tugged Gabriel's arm, pulling him around a tent before anyone had a chance to notice he was missing. “Hey!”
He burst into laughter, “Abby?”
I smirked. “You looked like a frightened kitten surrounded by all of those girls.” Adrenaline was still pumping through me. That was fun.
“Gah, you saved me. I was stuck. I didn’t see them cornering me.” Before I could protest, he pulled me close, kissing me. I gasped, startled, and he deepened the kiss. His lips were soft and overwhelming. I closed my eyes, caught up in his touch. He broke away much too quickly, pulling back and grinning. “That was my thank you. Now, let’s go explore.”
I blinked, shocked, and before I even had a chance to recover, he was tugging me along behind him.
Gabriel may do things like that casually, but that totally caught me off guard. Rock stars, they were crazy. Making no mention of the kiss, he lead me around the festival, smiling and talking about the greats, mentioning their best songs, which ones inspired him, and which ones I had to try. It was a whirlwind of information. I became more relaxed as he chatted. His personality was just a random rock star thing. I would have to get used to strange things like that if I wanted to break into the industry.
“Have you eaten?” he asked.
“No.”
“Good. There are tons of booths with good food.” Gabriel took me to a vendor selling hot dogs and fries. He ordered and paid, and we sat down. I didn’t realize I was hungry until I took the first bite. “So, if you aren’t a music person, what do you do besides web design?” Gabriel inquired around his hotdog.
“I do a lot of reading and play video
games. I actually was one of the finalists in the League of Legends competition.”
“The what?”
“So you know how there are battle of the bands type things?”
“Yes.”
“Well, for gamers, we come together and cream the heck out of each other.” I laughed. “I don’t usually play multiplayer, but I enjoy that one.”
“So… are you the quiet gamer or the enthusiastic one?” he teased, and I arched an eyebrow.
“I'm a classy gamer, thank you.”
“I’ve never played video games outside of arcades.”
I blinked at him. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“Wow, you need to try it.”
“Says the one who never listens to rock.” He snorted back.
“Doesn’t count. Everyone has a different taste in music.”
“Well then, what's yours? Country?”
I rolled my eyes. “I enjoy classical and covers. Have you ever heard of Lindsey Stirling?”
“The violinist?”
“She sings, too.”
“I’ve heard of her, I’ve never listened,” he replied.
“Well, give her a try. You would be surprised. She's incredible.”
“I’ll look her up if you look up some rock artists.”
I appreciated the challenge in his tone. “Fine.”
“So, has anything inspired you for the site?” he changed the topic suddenly.
“Yes, actually. I thought we could add in a vlog for your pre-concerts, showing you and the band goofing off and just being regular people, excited for the show.”
“Huh, that would be interesting, but what if we do something that doesn’t encourage support, like fight or something?”
“Well, it will obviously be slightly edited, but it will show you guys as people, not some far off idol. I think it will help people relate, and grow your support base.”
“Humm. Interesting. I like it.” Gabriel polished off his hot dog, diving into the fries.
“You eat like you haven’t eaten anything all day,” I commented snatching a fry before he ate them all.
“I haven’t.”
“Why?”
“I get nervous before performances, so I don’t eat.”
“You, Mr. Confident, get nervous?” I was shocked.
His eyebrow arched high. “I’m still human, Abby.”
I held up my hands in pacification. “As you say, boss.”
Laughing, he finished the fries. “Come on!”
The nice break over, I sighed. Off we went again, him tugging me along. I rolled my eyes. “You are like a child.”
He turned and winked. “I sure hope you don’t respond to a child’s kisses like that.”
That shut me up.
“If you are such a good gamer, let's see you beat me!” he said as he led me into a small arcade.
We started at the basketball game, totally unfair with his height advantage. Not surprisingly, he won. Next, I challenged him to a shooting game, something much more my speed. I smoked him, and he grumbled like a sore loser. When he claimed to have made a mistake, we went for round two. He proved not to be any better and finally had to admit defeat. After that, Gabriel became dedicated to finding a game he could win. We walked the whole area, and though my feet were starting to kill me, I didn’t complain. He looked more relaxed and like he was having fun. No need to ruin that.
After many defeats at just about everything that involved a screen and a joystick, Gabriel finally gave up, and we went to get some shaved ice. It was dark now, and he pointed at the sky asking if I had ever seen the constellations shine so brightly. There was more to the rock star than I had thought, as he dove into the history of constellations and how to use them to find your way.
“Do you sail?” I asked curiously. It seemed the only reason to know that.
He turned, grin widening. “I did with my parents when I was a kid.”
“Ahh. I’ve been on a cruise. That's about it,” I admitted.
“You should try it, being in a small boat on the sea, man against nature. It's fun.”
“I’ll pass. I imagine I’d get seasick.”
“Where is your sense of adventure?”
“I go on plenty of adventures,” I said defensively.
“Video game adventures and book adventures don’t count.” He snorted, ruffling my hair.
I glared, fixing it.
“It looks a lot prettier down. You look less like a suit.”
“Thank you?” I wasn’t sure that was a compliment.
“What do you usually wear, when not trying to impress rock stars?” His tone turned flirtatious, and I blinked, struggling to keep up with his flow.
“I’m more of a jeans and blouse girl. How about you, hotshot? You seemed more comfortable in the rocker clothes than jeans.”
“I prefer nothing.” He purred, and a blush crawled up my neck. “But if I had to pick, I like sweatpants.”
I laughed, picturing him with makeup and his hair done, chilling in sweatpants. The image had me doubled over.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.” I snorted, covering my mouth.
“Seems your feet are hurting you, shall we head back?” He pecked my cheek, smirking at me.
“I’m fine.” I shrugged it off, and he leaned over, arm wrapping around my shoulder. I jumped, staring at him.
“I would just love to see you in something…more comfortable.” He blew a warm breath against my ear, and I shivered.
“I doubt Kia would appreciate you flirting with me.” I stepped out of his grasp, crossing my arms in annoyance.
“Kia? Why would she care who I flirt with?”
“You two seem a bit closer than just friends. Plus, isn’t it unprofessional to flirt with someone you might hire?”
Yes, he was hot, and his kiss, while fast, had been heated. I could only imagine what sleeping with him would be like. If I weren’t trying to get his business, I might consider it. But I was trying to get his business, and I wanted to land the job with my skill, not with what was between my legs.
“Kia handles the hiring and all the business side. I just give my two cents. So flirting with me neither hurts nor helps you.” He laughed. “Also, she and I are borderline siblings. I am currently happily single.”
“Oh.”
“Are you? Little gamer?” he teased, a glint in his eyes. That look had me nervous.
“Yes.”
“Then, I see no problem with us flirting. If it leads from one thing to another, no one gets hurt, yes?”
Well, when he put it like that...
“Come on.” He grabbed my hand before I could protest further, and we made our way back through the thinning crowds.
I saw them long before he did, another group of fangirls. I quickly tugged him toward another booth to avoid them.
“Really? You're hungry again?” He arched a brow.
“Look over there to your left. Carefully.”
He did and burst into a fit of what could only be called giggles. “You spot them faster than Kia. Well, looks like we are trapped eating…” he glanced at the menu, “funnel cakes and churros.”
“Could be worse.”
“True.” He snorted, ordering two funnel cakes.
I found us a seat in the far corner.
“You don’t like crowds, do you?” he asked
“Not particularly.”
“Why?”
“I’m all of five foot nothing. Crowds swallow me up, unlike you.”
“Then you just need to stick by me, and you’ll be fine,” he said with all the confidence of a tall male.
“I don’t need to stick by anyone. I can take care of myself. I mean, how many times have I saved you today?” I pointed out.
“Fine. You guard me from fangirls and a few fanboys, and I’ll guard you from crowds.”
“Deal.” We shook powdered hands, laughing.
“You eat with gusto I don
’t often see in girls.”
“You know that is a first date foux pas, right?”
“What is? Did this turn into a first date?” He winked.
“Never comment on a girl’s eating or weight.”
“Uh huh. I didn’t say it was bad. Though I could still eat you under the table.”
“Sure you could.” I scoffed, and we locked gazes, diving into our funnel cakes. Powder flew everywhere, but soon enough, both were gone.
“Damn, you're fast,” I muttered, licking powder off my fingers.
“Mmm… Sometimes I like to take it a bit slower.” The double innuendo was clear, as was the interest in his eyes as I licked my fingers.
“Come on, I was just eating.” I hid the growing blush with my hand.
“You are temptation on a stick,” he commented, sitting back. “You blush at everything.”
“Well, most people don’t come on to me so blatantly.” I snorted.
“How do they come onto you, then? Through video games?”
I glared at that.
“I’m kidding, just kidding.” Gabriel held up his hands defensively. “You have a little powder…” He reached over, brushing my cheek with his thumb. I felt a zing go through me at his touch. and a brief image of him touching other parts of me flashed through my mind. I shook my head to get rid of it.
I slowly pulled back, dusting off my own cheek. “Come on. I’m sure they've left by now.”
I had to try my best to ignore that spark.
CHAPTER FOUR
As we walked out, Gabriel wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against him. He deftly maneuvered us through the crowd, dodging the people.
I gasped when he took the opportunity to slide his hand down my body, shivering as he whispered into my ear, “I could eat you up. I love your reactions.”
I turned to glare at him, shocked when he leaned down and captured my lips in a gentle yet demanding kiss. I opened my mouth to protest, and he darted in, rubbing his tongue against mine. I moaned. It had been too long since a man kissed me like that. I melted, and he pulled me against him. Heat pulsed through me as he ran his hands up my sides, gripping me close. I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck, loving the feel of his hard body.
