2. The Concert
2
The Concert
TGIF. It was finally Friday, and it had been a long, fulfilling week at work. I killed it and had three closings today to show for my effort. The elevator dinged, and I stepped into my downtown Denver high-rise condo. First things first, I did what I always did: grabbed my coffee and walked to the balcony to enjoy the view. Downtown Denver with the Rocky Mountains in the background always produced the most spectacular sunsets, but it was a little early for a sunset right now. I’d most likely be enjoying said sunset from Red Rocks, the amazing venue of natural rock located in Morrison Colorado, later tonight. For the first time in a long time, I was super excited for this weekend. Something fun was on the agenda, instead of work, work, work. Tonight was the Oxygen concert with my girls.
After five minutes with my coffee and my view, I removed my blazer as I entered the bathroom for a quick shower. Later, after browsing through my closet, I decided on a light flowy sundress paired with Vans. It was going to be a warm June night, and something sexy and comfortable would be nice.
Nikki and Bella would kill me if I made them late, so I hustled to finish my hair and makeup. The Uber driver was going to be here in fifteen minutes to pick me up, then I would pick up the girls on the way to Morrison, a small mountain town and location of the concert. “Uber is the only way to do Red Rocks because they can drop you off at the top instead of walking a mile up the red rocks and burning a million calories before the concert even starts,” Nikki said at lunch. According to Nikki, you don’t want to waste burning those precious calories too soon, because you’ll need to save those little bits of energy for during—and especially after—the concert. She added, “If you know what I mean.” It wasn’t hard to know what she meant; she usually had a one-track mind.
In the month since our girls’ night, I listened to Oxygen a ton more than normal and even googled some Theo Beckham interviews and watched Oxygen concerts on YouTube. It turns out not only is Theo hot as hell, but he sings about—and is a passionate activist for—a cause close to my heart: depression. The last six months, I had experienced depression for the first time in my life, for obvious reasons, but still. I saw a therapist regularly to help me get over the loss of Mike.
The Uber driver pulled up to the girls’ house and looked back at me. “You can honk,” I encouraged. I glanced at the door as it opened. A huge white poster board folded back as it exited the doorway and headed toward the car, two sets of bare legs and high heels following behind.
“Excuse me,” Nikki said as she tried to squeeze the giant poster board between me and Bella. “Make room.” I giggled at her audaciousness. I hit my head on the back seat when I saw what the sign said.
“Is that from our girl’s night?” I asked.
“Of course,” Nikki replied like it was no big deal to propose marriage to someone you didn’t know.
Bella shrugged her shoulders at me, defeat in her eyes. “I tried to stop this nonsense, but you never know. Maybe he’ll say yes, and then I can be best friends with Theo Beckham’s wife.” She pursed her lips with a bit of a teasing smile. “It might be a little awkward at first, considering all of my inappropriate fantasies about him. Mine and every other girls’.” She shrugged. “But I’m thinking we could make it work.” All I could do was giggle at my two besties. Tonight was going to be epic. I could feel it in the air.
“Shut up,” Nikki said after finally finding a spot for the poster board that wasn’t too in our faces. “I know you two are just jealous of my sign. Too bad you didn’t think of it yourself.” Nikki’s eyebrows raised as the Uber driver gave us a weird look and drove toward Morrison.
“No, I love it. Optimistic as always,” I agreed. “Send the universe your message. You know, the law of attraction and all that.” I grinned.
“Speaking of attraction… God, Theo is so hot.” Bella sighed. “I can’t wait to see him tonight. I hope he isn’t wearing a shirt.” We all swooned at the thought of the lead singer of Oxygen shirtless.
During the drive, we caught up, excitement in the air. But when we pulled into the beautiful venue, I remembered what Nikki was talking about. This venue was very unique with a metal walkway built into the ginormous red rocks, leading from the dirt parking lots below up the mountain to the amphitheater.
“Good thing we got an Uber because I would have never made it up there in these shoes,” Bella explained.
“Why did you even wear those heels?” I asked. “How do you expect to dance in those?”
“Oh, I’ve got skills!” she claimed. I was happy I wore my very practical pair of new pink Vans, perfect for a night of dancing.
Once we were dropped off at the top, we walked halfway down the stairs around the edge of the amphitheater and moved to the middle of the venue. I glanced at the huge red rocks reaching to the sky on both sides of us. No matter how many times I visited, I was still in awe of the natural beauty of the amphitheater. The contrast of the rocks against the bright blue Colorado sky intoxicated me.
“First things first: better get us a drink,” Nikki said, she was always thinking ahead; she was the planner of our little group. “Great idea,” I agreed. “Drinks first, and then we can find our seats.”
“And we’re front and center. Pretty sweet tickets, if I do say so myself.” Bella gave me a hug. “You’re the best. Thanks for buying these, Jane.”
“Aw, you’re welcome.” I hugged both girls. “I love you guys. Thanks for getting me out of the house. I don’t know what I would do without you.” I was getting a little mushy, but I was also excited for the possibilities of the night. How could I not? These two were my life right now, plus after our little girl’s night party I may have developed a small crush on Oxygen’s lead singer, Theo. Along with every other woman on the planet. But that was my little secret. My stomach clinched at the thought of him. He was hot as sin…and his voice, his lyrics… My thighs tingled just thinking about everything.
Speaking of possibilities, as we stood in the beverage line, Nikki and Bella had already found two cute, and distinctly Colorado guys to flirt with. The night was warm, and people swarmed with energy in anticipation for the concert. Bella and Nikki ordered first, then I followed suit and purchased a double rum pina colada. I approached the group and smiled shyly at our new friends. Turns out they were sitting near our seats. What luck.
“This is our friend Jane,” Bella said, starting to introduce us. But we got distracted before I learned the guys’ names. It was okay, though. I was comfortable being the third wheel. I had plenty of confidence, at least at this moment after some rum. Although Bella and Nikki started out super sensitive to my situation with Mike, over the last few months, they became more themselves and started bringing guys around again. I didn’t want them to change their behavior because of me. I knew everything would work out in the end. If nothing else, I knew life was full of changes. I was working with a counselor and getting better every day. Today, I was living in the moment and enjoying being present as I followed behind the group of four with a giddy smile.
We reached our seats in time to take a selfie with the iconic red rocks in the background, the sun setting over the mountainside. We posted an epic picture of the three of us on Instagram right before the drums began to play.
Energy filled the air and the mood of the crowd lit up as the music started. I took a deep breath and filled my lungs as the band appeared seemingly out of nowhere from below the stage, rising on some mechanical lift surrounded by mist. The silhouettes of the bandmembers stood out as they pounded the drums with a rhythmic beat.
Instantly, I could tell which dark figure was Theo Beckham. His shadow transformed and there he was. He moved effortlessly, hammering the drums, the sound giving off a forbidden vibe. Added bonus: he was shirtless. I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Bella turned to me and screamed, “I knew it! He’s not wearing a shirt tonight.” She held her hand up for a high five. It would be rude to leave her hanging, so I slapped her hand joyfully. I had hoped for that—well, we had all hoped for that. I bit my lip.
It was impossible to take my eyes off him. Theo played the drums with a liveliness that took my breath away, and the euphoria was contagious. Even though Theo was the lead singer, I learned from watching YouTube over the past month that he also liked to play the drums and piano occasionally during the concerts. His talent was limitless. My heart beat faster, following along with the beat. He was like a work of art, like Michelangelo’s David .
After six months of not feeling anything, this music—his music—had me feeling all the feels again, and I was flying high. Not a Colorado high, but a natural one. The music engulfed my body, and I felt sexy as I moved, letting go of all inhibitions.
“Oh my God, this is amazing!” Nikki screamed. The three of us, plus the two extra tagalongs, sang at the top of our lungs. I was carefree, and I didn’t care if my voice sucked. Together, we sang every word of every song. I danced with Nikki and Bella, rocking out, not letting Theo out of my sight. But the two boy toys were cutting in too much, and they were starting to get on my nerves.
Before I knew it, Bella handed me her sign. She yelled over the loud music. “Hold this. I’m going to the bathroom.” Nikki glanced at me too, asking for permission with her eyes. After she got it, she followed along, the two fan boys in tow.
“Oh, I see what’s going on here,” I mumbled to no one in particular. I was almost jealous, but in a good way. My friends were about to get some. Damn, I desperately needed action . My body ached with need as I returned my attention to the concert, holding Bella’s poster at my waist and not knowing where to put it. I glimpsed at the stage only five feet away to find Theo Beckham, leaning over, watching me as he sang. His gaze burned directly into my eyes, and then the burn slowly moved down my body. His husky voice sounded like heaven as our eyes met. Gulp. I almost combusted. In that brief moment, he pointed at me, then smiled and winked. Was I dreaming ? I pinched myself to be sure. Ouch . Nope, I’m still conscious.
When Nikki and Bella returned with boy number one and boy number two, they found me speechless, my mouth hung open like a puppy dog, still in awe. I felt a zing shoot through me. Theo and I had a moment. There was no denying it.
The foursome returned just in time for a new song to start. Theo jumped off the stage and ran in front of it, from one side of the venue to the other, sending the fans near him into a fury. The first few rows of fans hastily reached their hands toward him, hoping for a touch. The security rope was the only thing between him and the audience. Nikki, Bella, and I reached like everyone else, eager for a brush, a feel. Theo’s beautiful half-naked body ran toward us and everything slowed. The crowd was a blur, and they faded away as I focused on Theo. He ran my way, and he seemed to recognize me. I instinctively licked my lips. Our eyes met again in another intense moment. It only lasted a second, but our hands touched, and there was an electric spark. We were surrounded by one thousand others, but he touched my hand on purpose. I just knew it.
Then he was gone, sprinting up the amphitheater stairs like those crazy people who come here to exercise. And oh boy, did he have the body to show for it. Watching his bare shoulder blades as he ran up the stairs was dang fine. His bodyguards couldn’t keep up with him; it was hilarious watching them try. His touch still burned on my skin.
Theo sang as he ran, somehow not missing a beat, then finally stopping to jump on a large boulder beside the steps. The fans surrounded him. He smiled at them while his security guards watched his every move. Everyone joined in singing. But again, even though he was twenty yards above me, I swear he looked down and stared right at me. A huge grin came to his lips right before he raised his arms and sang to the heavens. My heart melted.
I’m not sure how he did it—how they did it—but the whole concert was intense. Every word of Oxygen’s songs spoke to me, and I felt a connection to my new favorite band. I was drawn into the songs with such emotion. I couldn’t help but wonder if every other woman there felt the same bond to the lead singer as I did.
Later, I started getting antsy. I knew the bliss of the moment couldn’t last forever. The concert would end soon. I considered what songs had been sung, and there were only two left. All I could do was enjoy the precious time left. It reminded me of Aspen. My heart ached. My body ached. The euphoria disappeared.
Still high on adrenaline, our threesome of girls hugged it out, already reminiscing on how amazing the show was. “Best show ever,” said Nikki.
“OMG, I’m dead, so good,” Bella said. Billy and Bob were gathering phone numbers. I wondered for a moment what their real names were. I wondered if they would even stick around long enough for me to find out. I was sure I would hear all about them and the bathroom shenanigans tomorrow, or later that night. I smiled, amused at the naughty, diary-worthy confessions and adventures of my BFFs. Seemed like the boys were interested in a round two, as they stuck around, reluctant to say goodbye. Bella and Nikki didn’t seem averse to the idea either.
“Let’s drive into Morrison. I know a great little bar.” Colorado kid number one said as he seemed to be the pack leader. There was chatter about going to a restaurant down the road so the night wouldn’t have to end yet. I was down with that.
As the hyped sold-out crowd wound down and dispersed, two security guards casually walked up to our group of five. One asked, “Would you guys like to join the band backstage for the after-party?” Everyone in our little makeshift group glanced over our shoulders to see if they were inviting us or some other group of lucky-ass people. Nope. Apparently, we were the lucky ones. I felt lightheaded.
“Um…yeah,” Nikki finally said, astonished.
“Sure,” Bella agreed, wide-eyed as she grabbed my hand and pulled me stumbling behind her. The two boys followed like puppy dogs, tongues wagging eagerly and all.