29. Hayden
HAYDEN
Jenna, Nese, Nina, and even Marni make me feel comfortable in the audience. I’m surrounded by big-name actors who I’ve admired my whole life. This is like an out-of-body experience. All possible because of Río.
When Quinn wins for best producer of Untamed Coaster Unleashed the room goes wild.
UC jumps up and down and high-fives her and her husband before she takes to the stage to accept her award.
Her speech is wonderful, mentioning Darren and how the band had to rebuild following his devastating death.
How she was honored to capture their struggles, their determination, and her hope to have cast them in the right light.
I truly believe everyone in attendance was thrilled she won.
During the commercial break when UC leaves to change for their performance, Nina steps into the aisle and points directly at me. “I haven’t forgotten about you, Hayden. I’m planning on letting the label think it’s gotten his piece of flesh, and then hiring you back.”
“Oh, Nina, I can’t rock the boat.” That’s what ended my career with UC in the first place, isn’t it?
“The band loves you, Luke relied on you, and I love your work. Hiring the person we want isn’t rocking anything.”
I guess now is as good a time as any to discuss BTM. “Please don’t worry about me. I might have a job with Behind the Memories, capturing behind-the-scenes photos of bands. Not at this moment, but hopefully soon they’ll be in a position to sponsor a band.”
“BTM. I’ve never heard of them,” my old boss taps her bottom lip.
I describe the company, which gets Nina’s interest. We talk until a voice over the loudspeaker announces the show is returning. Before leaving, Nina grasps my hand. “This will work out.”
I hope so, on every front. My last paycheck is coming up soon, then UC is going on its third leg of the tour in Australia. At least they have a month off starting tomorrow. The thought of having Río all to myself for thirty days straight makes me almost giddy.
The room settles as the announcer introduces the final song up for an Oscar is “Refocused Destiny,” the theme song to the movie Untamed Coaster Unleashed.
The lights spotlight the boys filing into their spots—my eyes riveted on the UC pendant around the shirtless drummer.
I shake my head. The fact that he’s performing at the Academy Awards doesn’t matter, he still refused to wear a shirt.
Then my gaze dips to the bass drum, which usually sports the Untamed Coaster logo. Now, in addition to the familiar, it has something new. Something unexpected. Something amazing.
A triangle.
My palm flies in front of my mouth. Only he, Mila, and I know what this symbolizes.
“Oh, Río.” My whisper is drowned out by the audience’s clapping.
As I watch, Río hits his drumsticks together and the band begins playing the Oscar-nominated song. An electricity is in this performance that I’ve never heard before at any of their gigs. Guess that’s what the Academy Award stage does.
Bennett prowls, his black leather pants highlighting his every asset. I nudge Nese. “Bennett’s sex on a stick.”
“All Jenna’s.”
We turn our heads to the physical therapist dancing in her seat next to me, enraptured by her husband. As she should be.
My attention returns to Río, who’s wailing away on the drum set. From time to time, he hits a triangle attached to his kit, enhancing the beat.
I allow all the goodness from the stage to seep into my body, and accept the fact that I’m totally in love with him. As unbelievable as it might seem, the entitled drummer has morphed into a sensitive man with a heart of gold. Who sees me deeper than anyone else ever has. And he loves my sister.
Jenna leans forward. “I’m going to meet Bennett backstage. Something tells me you need to join me, Hayden.”
Without hesitation, I nod. Leaving Nese, we exit our row and I follow Jenna backstage, thankful for our All-Access lanyards. We stop near Luke, with a perfect view of the stage.
“Thought I would see you back here, Jenna. Hayden, you’re a very happy surprise. Guess Río worked things out with you, huh?”
“He sure did.”
“I have faith in you two.”
The manager is pulled away by someone on the Oscars crew, so Jenna and I take his place to watch the end of the performance.
She says, “I’ll be thrilled to have another bandmate’s partner with me.
Don’t get me wrong. I love everyone on the crew, but there’s somethings only another woman in love with a UC band member understands. ”
I don’t correct her that I won’t be joining the tour. Instead, I say, “Like how sexy and gross, at the same time, it is to have their stage sweat rubbed all over you?”
Jenna giggles. “Exactly.”
“Río’s pretty amazing.”
“I’m so happy he found you. You know, what you did for my business was beyond anything I could’ve hoped for, but how you calmed our drummer down takes the cake.”
My eyebrow quirks. “You think I calmed him down?”
“He’s now a two-drink-and-done type of guy. When you weren’t in Europe, he went on and on about how he doesn’t want to get wasted anymore so he can be the man you deserve. That qualifies as ‘calming down’ in my book.”
Hearing this from Jenna warms my soul. Río did tell me he was cutting back on his drinking so he would always be available to help with Mila, if need be. “Yeah. He even was my babysitter when I got drunk in Lisbon.”
She takes a step backward. “You got drunk?”
“Believe it or not.”
“Río definitely is a fun influence on you. I like seeing this lighter side of you. When we worked on the spiders popping up at At Your Service, you always were all business. I suppose that’s what my mess needed. I’m happy for you. The drummer seems to bring it out.”
I smile. “He sure does.”
She pulls me in for a hug.
Onstage, the band hits the final note of the song. Río does a riff on the triangle then tosses his sticks high into the rafters, catching them to the applause of the audience. Were there any other songs nominated? Tonight belongs to UC.
The guys take their bows and return backstage. Bennett sees Jenna and runs straight to her. Tris, 007, and Coop share high fives.
Río walks to my side and doesn’t say a word, simply pulls me into an alcove. “You guys were fire out there,” I gush, admiring his pumped pecs.
“I played for you.”
“I liked the addition of the percussion instrument. And your bass drum head.” I make a triangle with my fingers.
“I had it made special for you. Hayden, I love you and I’m fully committed to you. Let me take Mila’s tuition off your shoulders and come with me on tour. We’ll figure everything out in time.”
“Río, I don’t know. First Mom and Dad were responsible for paying for her, and now that obligation falls on me. I want her to have the best, even if I can’t afford to pay it right now.”
“But I can. It’s not a big deal to me.”
At this moment, I receive a text from Mila. I read it and then show it to Río.
I just saw Mr. River on television playing his song. Did you see he added a triangle! He’s the bestest!
Her use of the word she usually reserves for me—bestest—makes me want to cry.
Río covers my hands with his. “She got it right. I did add the triangle for her.” He stares into my eyes. “And you. Because I love her big sister with my entire heart. A very smart person told me once that when you love someone, you take on their burdens. Let me take on yours.”
He remembered. Still… “I don’t want to be a mooch.”
He tosses his head backward, his longer sweat-slicked blond hair sticking to his cheeks. “Babysitter, you may be many things, but a freeloader is not one of them.”
“We will figure out how I can pay you back, right?”
A wolfish grin takes over his face. “I can think of a few ways you can repay me. For one, orgasms—”
My hand crosses his lips. “Shhhh. Stop it. I’m being serious here.”
“I am too.” He kisses the inside of my palm. “I love every part of you, Hayden Vaughn.”
My eyelids slam shut. In the background, the announcer lists the nominees for best song, but I can’t move. The unexpected man of my dreams holds my palm and says he loves me.
The words burst from me without restraint. “I love you too, River Sullivan.”
I open my eyes to see his brown ones gleaming. “You do?”
I nod. “Yes, I really do. I’m taking the leap of faith that the money situation will work out.”
“At last!” He whoops and twirls me around, stopping only to let me slide down his front until my feet reach the floor. Our lips meet in an uncontrollable kiss.
The presenter states, “The winner is … Untamed Coaster for ‘Refocused Destiny’!”
I’m caught up in the vortex that is Río. It doesn’t register when the various members of UC call out to him.
It doesn’t register when someone yells “Refocused Destiny” won.
It doesn’t register when the manager tells him to accept his award.
I’m wrapped in my man’s arms, lips locked, exactly where I need to be.
Sounds from the stage creep into my happiness. Bennett’s tenor thanks the Academy, and that’s when I pull away. “I think you won,” I play with the hair at his shoulders.
“I sure did!” Río looks toward the stage and grins at me. “I’ll be right back!”
He races onto the stage and wrestles the microphone from the lead singer. In all of his half-naked glory, Río smirks at the audience of A-listers. He takes a deep breath. “This one means more than you’ll ever know. Thank you!”
The exit music plays UC off. Unable to process the moment, I stand watching the man I love, surrounded by his brothers of choice, carrying a gold statue.
As soon as he’s backstage, Río veers away from them and wraps me in his strong arms. “That thank you was for the public. You—this—is just for us.”
He didn’t need the world to see it. He only needed me to know.
He seals his declaration with a blistering kiss.