Chapter Twenty-One
LUNAR
March
The Tour Begins
Danger and Effa are still fine-tuning their duet, so they’ll continue working on it during the tour. The buzz around them is growing, and they’ve been busy with numerous television and radio interviews to build anticipation.
Tonight is the first show at AAMI Park in Melbourne, which is situated between the Yarra River and the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. The arena is massive, and we’re all backstage in the green room, getting ready for the performance.
Glancing over at Danger, I notice his knee bouncing rapidly, a sign he’s nervous, as he hastily downs a beer.
Sighing, I walk over to him and sit. I should be out at the merch stand, but for the opening night, I wanted to be here with him for support.
And now, seeing his unease, I am grateful I made that choice.
“Should you be drinking before a show?” I ask, then settle beside him, the couch dipping slightly under my weight. The sounds of Luminous as they wrap up their set flood the room.
“Lunar, I’ve done this before. I think I know what I can and can’t handle.”
I purse my lips at his blunt reply. “Okay… geez, I’m just trying to help. You don’t have to be a prick about it.”
“I know. Sorry. This is my first headline. I’ve always been the opening band act. This is Recoil’s night to shine, and I don’t want to fuck it up in front of a twenty-one thousand capacity crowd…” he trails off, his voice filled with apprehension.
Reaching forward, I gently take the beer from his hand. “Then lay off the booze and breathe. You know your songs, you know the order, and you know you can do this. For you and Recoil. Danger, this is only the beginning—”
He pulls me in for an unexpected hug, effectively cutting me off.
I smile and embrace him, offering him all the comfort he seeks. “You got this.”
“I’m glad I have you.”
“You’ll always have me. Now go and ‘rock out with your cock out’ like you know you can.”
He draws back, releasing a hearty laugh, before leaning in for a brief but intense kiss. Danger rises and strides over to Ryan and the rest of the band, who appear pumped and ready to rock.
I couldn’t be prouder of my man.
Standing, I walk behind the band, which is laughing. Danger seems noticeably more relaxed now after our pep talk. Going on stage in a bundle of nerves would’ve been a recipe for disaster.
We walk to the backstage area, and the hum of the crowd’s chatter is almost deafening.
I can’t wait to hear them cheering for my boys.
I’ve seen them perform in bars, larger clubs, and smaller arenas, but nothing compares to a packed stadium.
I have a feeling the roar of this crowd is going to knock me off my feet.
I can’t wait.
Luminous is here, and they are buzzing with excitement.
This is the largest crowd they’ve ever played for, and I’m so happy for these girls.
They’re fantastic at what they do, even if Effa is a little too friendly and spiritually connected to my guy.
Danger glances over at me, and I wave before he takes a deep breath and returns my smile.
He mouths, ‘It’s showtime,’ and I give him two thumbs up and call out, “Good luck.”
Ryan, Matt, and Nate rush up the stairs.
The stage is shrouded in darkness, and the crowd erupts with ecstatic screaming.
The floor beneath me vibrates with the energy of the audience, and I smile so wide it brings tears to my eyes.
I turn back to Danger, and he’s grinning the widest smile I’ve seen since I told him I was leaving the club.
His chest heaves in pure adrenaline-fueled excitement, and witnessing him in his element fills me with immense joy.
I stand on my toes in excitement. The neon lights flash brilliantly and strobe down onto Ryan and Matt as Nate kicks in with the drumbeat.
The powerful rhythm flows through the stadium, sending shivers down my spine.
The deep bass vibrates and penetrates my soul.
With one last look at Danger, who cracks his neck to the side and jumps on the spot a couple of times, I catch his wink before he turns and dashes onto the stage.
The crowd’s shockwave makes me stagger, my hands instinctively covering my ears against the deafening screams and cheers.
Danger’s deep, sensual voice washes over the stadium, sending shivers down my spine.
I clench my thighs together while I stand in awe as he rocks the stage, wondering how I got so lucky to score him.
With each rhythmic thrust of his hips, I’m reminded that every girl wishes they were with him, and every guy dreams of being him.
I catch myself singing along to the hook of the first song, joining the crowd. They’re only halfway into their first song, yet I can already sense that this concert is going to be a smashing success.
Bouncing along in my own little world, a sudden, eerie feeling washes over me, a sensation of being watched. I turn my head sharply, and my heart skips a beat when I find someone appearing out of nowhere.
“Excuse me, are you Annalise or Lunar?” she asks loudly over the music.
My hand snaps to my chest, trying to slow my rapid heartbeat as I stare at this random woman. Glancing around, I try to figure out where the hell she came from, but I can’t see anyone else back here while she continues to stare at me like she’s wondering why I’m not replying to her question.
I glance back out to the stage where Danger’s in his element, so I spin back to the woman who’s materialized out of thin air. “Um… both,” I answer.
She’s dressed in a suit, looking like she should be working in an office as a PA or some other corporate role.
She seems so utterly out of place here.
She grins like she is happy with my answer before she takes a step closer to me. “Can I ask you a few questions about your relationship to the band?”
Furrowing my brow, I shrug. “Sure… I guess,” I reply, though I have no idea who she is. But I figure answering a few questions won’t hurt.
Right?
“How did you meet the band?” she asks, sporting a slight smile that suggests she’s excited to be talking to me.
Tensing, I opt for the truth, albeit a limited version. “Danger came into where I worked, and we became friends.”
She nods, adjusting her black-rimmed glasses. “Mm-hmm… and where did you work?”
“At a bar,” I answer, not entirely dishonestly. Strapless is a bar. Even though I worked there as a dancer or stripper, whatever you want to call it, I didn’t serve drinks like I’ve implied.
“And you sell the band’s merchandise, is that correct?”
“Yes,” I confirm, wondering why she is asking all these questions. “They also helped me establish a foundation they support to raise awareness for autism.”
“That’s very noble of you,” she remarks, raising her brow.
“Well, it’s not noble, just something I want to do.”
“And, Annalise, what’s your full name?”
Tilting my head, I furrow my brows. “Annalise Sheffield.”
“And do you prefer Annalise or Lunar?”
“Either is fine.”
“Thank you. You’ve given me plenty,” she states, smiles almost mockingly, then turns abruptly and walks off in a hurry.
Furrowing my brows, I scratch my temple as an uneasy feeling settles in the pit of my stomach.
Given her plenty.
Plenty of what?
I brush the strangeness of the last three minutes off and turn my attention back to the stage, where Recoil is absolutely killing it in their first official headline act.
They’re on fire, and the crowd is loving them.
I get swept away in the music and excitement, and before I know it, what feels like two minutes has actually been over two hours.
The encore wraps up, and the crowd erupts again.
The lights dim, and Danger runs off the stage.
I hang back but position myself so he can see me as soon as he rushes down the stairs.
I half expected him to make a beeline straight for the table with refreshments, but instead, he spots me and charges over, scooping me up in his arms and twirling me around.
I can’t help but squeal from the sudden motion, laughter bubbling up before he slides me down his body and presses his lips to mine hungrily. His hard, toned body feels like heaven against me before he brings his sweaty forehead against mine.
I pull back and playfully scrunch up my face. “Urgh… you’re all sticky.”
He laughs, shaking his head, and I am showered with droplets of sweat flying from his loose hair. I groan, stepping back and playfully slapping his bicep. He chuckles at my reaction.
“So… what did you think?”
“I think you’re truly a voice to be reckoned with, Danger. You guys are so fucking ready. I know you’re going to make it big.”
“Yeah, we are. We’re not the bridesmaids anymore, baby!”
Opening my eyes wide, I smirk. “Baby?”
He shrugs. “Just roll with it. After-party?” he asks.
I nod in agreement before Danger takes my hand, and together, we head back toward the green room with the crowd still chanting “Recoil” in the distance.
Though the hall is dimly lit, Danger’s smile could easily light up the entire space.
He’s buzzing with excitement from finally headlining, and seeing him like this floods me with joy.
As we round the corner and enter the room, Matt, Nate, and Ryan are all packing up. We have one more show here tomorrow night before moving on to Queensland.
Ryan spots me first. “I thought you were supposed to be selling our shirts, not wearing them. Were you even on the merch stand tonight, little Miss Lazy Bones?” Ryan quips, and I look at Danger, who smirks and shrugs.
I have no comeback, so I grab the hem of my shirt and lift it, flashing him. He cracks up laughing, but Danger groans and shakes his head while Matt chuckles and Nate stares at me a little too much.
For fuck’s sake!
“If I can’t wear your shirts, I’ll just take them off then,” I jest.
Ryan throws his hands in the air in approval, letting out a loud “whoop” as Danger tugs at my shirt.