Incidental Happenstance (21 page)

            “You’re kidding, right? You can’t possibly mean that. This is way too good to keep under wraps!”

            “No Lex,” Tia said forcefully. “I do mean it.” Lexi pouted out her lower lip, and Tia continued. “First of all, it’s my story to tell.” Lexi nodded in deference, dropping her eyes. “Second, look at how you reacted. I don’t want everyone and their mothers asking me to get them autographs, tickets, backstage passes, meet and greets for sick kids they know…”

            Lexi looked at her with chagrin. “How can you possibly expect something like this to be a secret? He just dedicated the show to you in front of 50,000 people! You don’t think there’s anyone here who knows you? Probably half the students you’ve ever had are here tonight.”

            “That isn’t the point. I’m sure I’m not the only Tia in the audience.” She raked her fingers through her hair in frustration. “Hell, there is no point, really. I just know that I probably only have tonight with him, and maybe tomorrow at best. If he walks off and I know I’ll never see him again, then it’ll be different. I’m not even daring to hope for anything more. Once he’s gone,” she choked on the words, “I’ll tell people, and so can you. Until that time, though, it’s my secret; one that I’ve shared with you because you’re my best friend. Plus, I’m letting you come out with us tonight and you get to meet the whole band. But,” she added sternly, “I just want the little bit of time we have together to be just the two of us. And you, for the party.”

            “Aaww, Tia…”

            “You have to swear to me, Lexi Marie.” Tia looked intently into her eyes. “I mean it.”

            “I can’t even tell Ryan?”

            “Not unless you want me to tell him that you tried to force your gimme and not if you want to remain my best friend.” Lexi looked stricken. “Swear to me. Swear it right now.”

            Lexi looked down at the ground and shook her head in defeat. “Damn it, alright. But how am I not going to tell people what I did tonight? This is already so incredibly awesome, and it’s still going to get better.”

            “You’d better think of a way, or it’s not
going
to get any better. I mean it, Lex. Swear it.”

            Lexi extended her pinkie to Tia and exhaled sharply. “OK, fine. I swear it. But I can tell people on Monday, right?”

            “Probably, but you say nothing to anyone until I give you the OK. That’s the deal.”

            “This is going to be so freaking hard!” She dropped her head and surrendered. “But OK. I swear.”

            They shook pinkies in the old grade school way, and Tia knew that her word was good. She could trust Lexi with her life; in fact had over the past year.

            “Oh, I can’t wait for you to meet him! He’s just so awesome, Lex—he’s not just incredibly sexy and a great performer—he’s a really great guy.”

            “I can’t believe you were just screwing with me this whole time,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

            “Yep, pretty much. And it was so worth it to see the look on your face.”

            “You can be a real bitch, Tia.”

            “I know. But you love me.”

            “God help me, I do.” She pulled Tia into a hug. “Welcome back, girlfriend.”

            “It’s good to be back.”

            Being at a good rock concert is almost like a spiritual experience—there’s something hypnotic about being part of a huge crowd gathered by the common bond of music. The pounding of the bass, the beat of the drums, and the soulful and passionate singing of talented performers brought people from all walks of life; all ages and colors; into one mass of humanity united for a single purpose—to have fun. InHap was known for its consistent, incredible performances and the loyalty of its fans, and Tia had never gone away from one of their shows without having been blown away. Tonight, however, was different than anything she’d ever experienced before. She was still part of the crowd; screaming, dancing, and singing along to the familiar tunes, but she was part of Dylan, too, and he was part of her. He was in fine form and he was in complete control of the audience—he owned the stage and he knew it, strutting around with his guitar, saying all the right things between songs, varying the set with the right mix of popular songs, standards, ballads, and rousing numbers that had the crowd roaring when he broke into a little shuffle step. He crooned, he growled, he was serious and funny, and the fifty-some thousand fans who had gathered were completely at his mercy.

            Tia was lost in the music, and in the fact that he was doing this show for her. Every one of her selections was on the set lis, and Dylan’s mike was right in front of her, so that whenever he was singing, he was singing right to her, meeting her eyes and smiling at her constantly.

            The band visibly enjoyed playing together, and all of them had several solos throughout the set designed to highlight everyone’s musical talents. Each received rousing ovations, but Dylan, as the front man and voice of the band, was the one they’d all really come to see. She felt her heart swell with pride hearing the cheers for him, and watching him humbly accepting the adulation of his fans. Then he’d return to his mike, throw her a smile, and belt out the lyrics. “I hope you’re havin’ a good time tonight, Chicago,” he’d say between numbers. “Tia, I hope you’re havin’ a good time—this one’s for you.”

            Every time his eyes met hers and he sang down at her, she felt the crowd melt away and she was back at
Paddy’s
, in his arms, his voice next to her ear. Tonight was for her—Dylan had said so more than once in front of the 50,000 that had gathered. But more than that—knowing it—was a feeling she had never even dreamed. She was flooded with so much emotion that she was caught up in the music, and the crowd, and the enormity of it all. She hadn’t felt so good in what seemed forever, and she tried to forget that it was just for one night and live in the moment—this incredible, amazing moment. She checked her emotions and turned to Lexi and they danced; part of the crowd, but separate from it by her connection to the man on the stage.

            It was over two hours later when InHap left the stage for the requisite break before the encore. Two hours of dancing, connecting, and feeling a part of something that Tia sadly thought she’d never feel again. When the band left the stage, Lexi immediately asked, “So do we go back there now?”

            “Not yet. They’re coming back for the encore. Dylan’s going to give me a signal when they’re almost done with the last number. Then we go back to meet them.”

            Lexi was positively giddy. “Then I get to meet them all?”

            Tia nodded. “And Outcast, too. They’re also pretty nice guys.”

            “You met them too? What the hell?”

            “Of course. We all had dinner together.” She smiled at Lexi’s jealous smirk. “And, I saw them play, or at least part of it. I was watching you from backstage when I called you. I have to say, you were positively shameless.”

            Lexi laughed. “I was, wasn’t I?” she smirked. “Wait a minute—so you were watching me, from backstage, while I was panicking that you weren’t going to show? You were here the whole day?”

            “Yep,” Tia replied. “I hung out back stage, and even helped with the sound checks. I actually stood on that stage and sang into those mikes!”

            “I’ll say it again. You can be a real bitch.”

            “And I’ll say it again. You love me anyway.”

            “Sometimes I wonder why, but I do,” she teased, and InHap retook the stage and they continued dancing to the incredible music that surrounded them like a soft blanket.

            When Dylan gave her the nod, she tapped Lexi and they hopped the fence that blocked the front row from the security tunnel. Lexi kept shoving her pass in the guards’ faces as they passed. “All access!” she exclaimed. “Coming through!”

            When they reached the backstage door, Lexi grabbed Tia’s arm and spun her around. “I really can’t believe this! We’re actually going backstage and seriously meeting the band?”

            “I’ve already met them,” Tia reminded her, “and they’re all very cool. Watch out for Bo, though, he’s kind of a flirt.” The guard opened the door for them and they slipped inside. “Come on,” Tia told her. “Maybe you can have a tour later; even though there’s not much to see. We’re going to meet them in the common room since the stage hands will be all over the place at the end of the show checking sound equipment and swapping out instruments for tomorrow.”

            Lexi’s eyes swept from one side to the other, taking it all in. She was still trying to get over the fact that her unassuming friend, the schoolteacher, had gotten her here; backstage at an InHap show not only about to meet the band, but to attend Bo Collins’s birthday party at some swanky downtown club. Suddenly she wished that she’d dressed nicer, but when she’d come, she’d been sure that she wouldn’t be going with Tia to hang out with her new boyfriend. She should have had more faith in Tia, she thought. It wouldn’t be like her to hook up with a loser. Tia chose her friends carefully, and Lexi was proud to be among the best. But Dylan Miller? She still couldn’t wrap her mind around that one.

            From the common room they heard the last of the notes fade from the air, and the final, “Thank you! Goodnight Chicago, we’ll be seeing you again tomorrow!” in Dylan’s husky, sexy voice. Lexi was positively giddy, and couldn’t contain her excitement.

            The guys burst into the room, high-fiving each other and mopping their faces with towels. As soon as Tia saw Dylan, she rushed over to him and opened her arms. He put out his hand, palm out, and started, “I’m pretty disgusting right now, you might want to…” But she didn’t care, and wrapped her arms around him, feeling the heat radiating from his body and inhaling the musky scent of his work. “Oh, Dylan,” she whispered. “I don’t know what to say…you are so amazing.”

            He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her up for a kiss. “You liked, it then?” he teased. “I’m so glad.” He lifted her off the ground and found her lips, kissing her slow and deep while Lexi stared, her mouth once again hanging open. 

            Bo walked in last after handing off his drum sticks to excited fans, and nearly ran into them. “Damn that’s hot,” he said taking them in. “I think I might need a cold shower after seeing that!”

            Dylan set Tia down and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Bo noticed Lexi then, and his famous grin lit up his face. “Speakin’ of hot,” he mused, taking Lexi’s hand and turning it over to kiss the back of it. “You must be my birthday present.”

            Lexi giggled like a schoolgirl and Tia introduced them. “Oh my God,” she said. “Oh my God. You guys were so awesome! I’m such a big fan; I just love your music! I’m coming to your party,” then she realized she was blathering like an idiot and visibly checked herself.

           
Star struck
, Tia thought. It was the only way to describe the look on Lexi’s face. The look in her wide eyes was giddy, doe-like, and confused all at once; the antithesis of her usual calm control. Her gaze darted around as she tried to take everything in at once, but she was having a hard time believing what she was seeing. It was the look Dylan talked about, the one that often made him feel uncomfortable. She felt confident that Lexi would get over it quickly, but just seeing it confirmed that she wouldn’t be telling anyone about Dylan. Not yet. Not until he was gone, and they couldn’t ask anything of her.

            “I can’t wait to see what you got me,” Bo winked, and slipped out the door toward the dressing rooms. Lexi giggled again, and seemed to have a hard time controlling her own body. She shook visibly, and then put her hands to her face to feel the heat rising there as she blushed uncontrollably before regaining her composure and looking back at the couple who remained.

            Then Lexi’s eyes were locked on Dylan and her best friend, still wrapped up in each other. She’d seen the kiss too, and was still having a hard time believing what she’d seen with her own eyes. Tia had said that things were hot between them, but that was an understatement. She could feel the sexual tension in the air when they kissed; could almost reach out and touch it. Her brain was having a hard time seeing them as a couple, even when they were just a few feet away. She was staring, speechless, and that didn’t happen to her very often.

            Tia stepped forward. “Lex, this is Dylan,” she said, even though introductions were not at all necessary. Lexi felt her knees go weak and struggled to move toward Dylan’s outstretched hand. “Oh my God, oh my God,” she said again. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I keep saying that, but, oh my God!”

            Dylan laughed. “Nice to meet you too, Lexi. Tia’s told me a lot about you.”

            That comment broke her trance, and Lexi found her voice again. “Really? Well she certainly didn’t tell me anything about you!” She glared at Tia with exaggerated anger.

            “That’s what I figured,” Dylan smirked, “when I saw you shove her back three rows. I have to say, the look on your face was…indescribable.”

            “Shock! It was shock! She told me she met someone at that dump she went to last night, so of course I assumed he was some sort of loser cowboy and that she was making a huge mistake, but I never dreamed it was you, but then when I saw you look at her and you dedicated that song…” she was blathering again, and had to stop and reign in the wide range of emotions flooding through her.