Chapter 4
Chapter four
My stroll back to the VIP table at the front of the stage is a blur; I move on autopilot, my head floating in the clouds while tunneling through the crowds of people who swarm the venue.
Roxy said it was a sold-out show. I scan the other VIP tables, flitting over groups of friends, couples, and empty chairs.
“Vi!” Roxy shouts, waving her arm in the air so I can find her.
Weaving around, the atmosphere buzzes with excitement. I wonder how long I was gone. It’s practically packed in the non-VIP area. I’m thankful when I finally reach our table.
“Babe! Is everything okay?” Roxy demands as I slide into my chair.
“Yeah, the bathroom’s by the bar. It’s super busy, and then I got a little turned around, but I’m right as rain. I swear.” I hope my face is giving all the “I’m fine” vibes possible.
On the table, there’s an unopened can of flavored seltzer water waiting. Roxy studies me suspiciously, and I decide not to tell her about the Jackson story or the guy from the hallway. It seems better suited for another time when I’m not trying to convince both of us I’m fine.
“Okay, just checking. Are you ready to be amazed by my man?” Roxy purrs, more upbeat than moments before.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Roxy was a member of the Cas Wilder fan club.
My bestie is obsessed, and it’s only gotten worse since the tour was announced.
I’m fairly certain she has every piece of merch ever produced.
Her worry has subsided and is replaced with a giant smile.
That’s what I love about Roxy. We’re practically sisters at this point.
We’ve been friends for so long, she knows when to press and when to let things slide.
I’m thankful she dropped this particular topic.
I doubt she believes that I’m fine, but I know she also sees my willingness to manifest a good time.
“You keep telling me he’s like the hottest man alive,” I shout over the hum of voices.
I think back to the shirtless guy I encountered in the hallway.
I’m pretty sure he’s the hottest man I’ve ever seen, so I’ll be hard-pressed to believe Cas Wilder is going to pop out on stage somehow hotter than him.
His tattoos nearly had me drooling like a pathetic, horny, middle-aged woman—am I middle-aged?
Who cares? I identify as middle-aged now.
Whether I am or not, it doesn’t matter. I’m fully ready to embrace my cougar era.
I wonder what the hallway guy does exactly. He obviously is some type of crew member. Given his outfit and the mask, I wonder if he’s part of the show. Like an MC or a backup singer, maybe a musician from the band…something.
Roxy slams her hands on the table. “Vi!” she shouts. “I need you to take this seriously. He’s fucking delicious.”
Crap, I was zoning out. I’ll give her what she wants to hear, and from here on out, no thoughts about my little encounter. Not like I’ll actually ever see him again, anyways.
“Fine. Fine. Fine,” I tease. “I take you seriously. Show me a picture of him.”
Her eyes twinkle at my request, and she hurriedly whips out her phone, fingers dancing across the screen in a frenzy of taps.
When she can’t get a signal because of how many people are crashing the Wi-Fi, she puts her phone down in defeat, then narrows her eyes at me.
“Hear me out,” Roxy starts. “He’s twenty-five.
I know, he’s younger than us. But it’s not that bad, and besides, dating younger men is all the rage these days.
They claim to like older women, so my delusions are perfectly justified. ”
I lift up my arms in surrender. “Who am I to judge, bestie? We don’t judge. If you want a younger man, I say get yourself a younger man.”
Roxy cackles. “I love when you encourage me and validate my insanity.”
I laugh with her. When I catch my breath, I shout, “Oh my gosh! I totally just remembered—when I went to the bathroom, the bartender’s a younger guy.”
“I’m listening.” Roxy leans forward on her elbows.
“He couldn’t have been a day over twenty-two. Tall, baby-faced, and pretty cute.”
“Just the way I like them,” Roxy purrs.
“He definitely hit on me, and I shot him down. I just need a man with facial hair. What can I say? I love the way it feels,” I snicker.
The lighting changes, interrupting our laughter, and a deep booming voice comes over the loudspeakers.
“Check.”
Roxy and about half of the crowd squeal. The sound check continues, our conversation lost in the building excitement. The venue is full. I glance around, and there’s truly not an empty space. I’m glad Roxy splurged on the entire experience. This is nice.
Suddenly, the lights come up on stage, and an announcer introduces the opening act. I’ve never heard of the band, but then again, I don’t know who Cas is either. I guess I can give them a chance.
I lean over the table. “I’ve never heard of this singer before.”
“Me either,” she replies. “Introduce me to that bartender.”
I roll my eyes. “Not happening. Have you seen how crazy busy it is here? We’ll never make it back to our seats in time, and I refuse to listen to you complain about missing your man.” She opens her mouth to protest, but I stop her. “Nope. You can be mad all you want.”
“I was going to say you’re right. So what now?”
We laugh, then do our best to try and vibe with the music. The atmosphere is contagious. Soon, I’m dancing and squealing with my bestie as the opening act plays song after song after song.
When the opening act finishes their last song, they announce Cas Wilder will be taking the stage next. A few minutes later, the lights go out and the announcer booms through the speaker. He gives a fabulous intro, and then the stage lights come up and chaos erupts.
When the man I can only assume to be Cas appears in the spotlight, the crowd goes wild.
These people are full-on feral for him. My jaw drops open as the stage lights wash over a shirtless man in dark jeans and a metallic skull mask that matches the one the man in the hallway was wearing earlier. It can’t be—
My eyes squint, trying to see the drummer and guitarists on stage with him, but they’re all wearing the same mask.
Fuck. I can’t think straight. The rockstar is saying something, and everyone’s screaming in response.
Moments later, when the crowd calms, he strums a chord on his guitar and starts to play.
From the time the first word leaves his mouth until the music stops, I hang on the entire performance. He’s good. Like, really fucking good.
“Wow!” I shout to Roxy, who smiles knowingly. “He’s good.”
“I know,” she replies. “I tried to tell you.”
I nod in defeat, and he begins the next song.
I swear it feels like he’s looking right at our table as he sings, but with the mask, it could just be an illusion.
Roxy is in heaven, singing and vibing along.
I must admit, this is one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.
I kinda wish I’d listened to the songs Roxy sent me before now.
I feel out of place not singing along with the crowd.
Mesmerized, I watch him sing, only tearing my eyes away anytime there’s an opportunity for a good look at one of the other masked guys on stage. I lose track of all sense of time, immersed in the experience and energy of the crowd. Suddenly, the lights come up brighter, capturing our attention.
When the crowd falls silent, Cas croons into the microphone, “This is going to be the last song of the night. It’s been amazing, Denver.
Thanks so much for selling out my first show of the tour.
I want to dedicate this song to this city and a very special someone in the crowd tonight. Bae, I’m so glad you could be here.”
He starts to play, and all I can think about is how much I want to be that special someone.
What I’d give to fall asleep listening to this man sing to me.
Roxy looks like she might cry, knowing our night is so close to ending.
I squeeze her hand in solidarity, a silent admission that this night has been fantastic, and it’s only getting started.
The bar is open until last call for the concert guests only.
“I can’t wait for the meet-and-greet,” Roxy squeals, breaking my thought and poking holes in my plans for finding a suitable one-night stand.
That’s right, how could I forget? Her VIP tickets came with an aftershow meet-and-greet and tons of extra swag. My one-night stand quest will have to wait a little longer. I can’t believe I forgot. What if I run into that guy again?
Shit.
Cas says goodbye for what feels like forever.
Once he walks off the stage, the buzz returns around us as the announcer comes over the speaker and says, “Attention all VIP ticket holders, please make your way to the Aspen meeting room for the event. Have all tickets ready to be digitally scanned. If you do not have a VIP ticket, please make your way to the bar and clear the concert space. Swag can be purchased at the back of the bar. They accept all forms of payment. Stick around, and Cas might even join us later for a celebratory toast. Thank you for a great show. Have a safe night.”
To our left, security is motioning for the VIP ticket holders to exit through a velvet-roped corridor. There are several event employees scanning tickets. Roxy and I start walking slowly to get in line. It’s now or never—I should probably come clean about my encounter with the guy earlier tonight.
I clear my throat. “Hey, Rox, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Her eyes widen with concern. “What is it? Do not tell me it requires leaving before we get into the VIP meet and greet,” she laughs nervously.
“No. It’s nothing like that. It’s just…” My voice trails off, and I regain my composure before continuing. “When I got lost on my way back from the bathroom, I bumped into a masked guy like the ones on stage.”