Chapter 29 - Gwendolyn
Gwendolyn
The usual three hour drive turned into almost four after hitting traffic due to construction on the way. The unplanned change of the timetable would have usually sent me into a bit of a tizzy, but getting the extra time with Logan in the car was well worth the slight shift in schedule.
I saved our playlist discreetly to my streaming app to listen to over and over again. Prepared to personally dissect every song he loves to get to know him better.
The opener is finishing up their set by the time we make it inside the venue. The vibe is electric as people fill the space wall to wall, even standing outside where the windows are partially opened to allow the music to flow out.
Logan removes his phone from his pocket, scanning the text thread between himself and Frederick’s manager. His eyes scan the side of the stage quickly before catching sight of someone and shooting a quick wave over the sea of people in front of us.
Reaching over to me, he grabs my hand tightly and guides us to a door hidden off to the side of the stage.
Three quick knocks and it’s opened to reveal a stunning woman.
Her dark skin is absolutely flawless, even under all the stage lights reflecting off the side.
She’s almost as tall as Logan in her leather stiletto boots that I would absolutely break my neck in if I ever even thought of putting them on my body.
The red leather bustier top has me thinking I’m not better than a man as I try not to get caught looking at her impressive cleavage on display.
The woman smiles wide, her pearl white teeth still perfect even with the small gap between the first two. Actually, they were perfect because of that gap. She was effortlessly gorgeous, and I immediately felt like an imitation woman standing in front of her.
“You must be Logan and Gwendolyn. I’m Dottie, Freddie’s tour manager and all around fairy godmother.”
I clear my throat, my hand gripping on to Logan tightly as I speak up. “It’s just Gwen.”
She turns her smile completely over to me with a wink. “Okay, just Gwen. It’s good to finally put a face to the name. This one has been raving about the event you’re putting together all week through his texts.”
I glance at Logan out the corner of my eye to find his cheeks turning red with a one sided tilt of his lips. He gives me a small shrug as if to say “who me?”
“It’s just a small town fall festival,” I say, though immediately regretting that my first instinct is to minimize my efforts.
“There’s that ‘just’ again,” Dottie huffs. “I think you need to remove that from your vocabulary. Because there’s nothing ‘just’ about you and what you’re doing, baby girl. Come on,” she turns and waves us to follow. “We have you set up in a private viewing area set up for tonight.”
We pass by members of Frederick’s band I recognize from album covers and music videos, my eyes popping out of my face when one of them smirks and tosses me a wink. We followDottie and her stilettos toward the back corner where a hidden staircase leads us up to a plush VIP area.
“Uh, are you sure it’s okay we are up here?”
“Frederick wants nothing but the best for Margot’s son.
” Dottie whirls on us when we come to a velvet couch overlooking the entire venue.
From the couch, you can see the entire stage perfectly through the plexiglass barrier.
I glance around and notice there’s a few more sections down the catwalk area that are probably identical to our spot, sectioned off with curtains to give some privacy.
“If you have any details on what went down back in the day between them, please give a girl the tea. For a man without many secrets, he’s being awfully cheeky with information on what happened there.”
Logan chuckles. “Personally, I don’t want to know. I’m just glad that they are on good enough terms that he would help Gwen out.” His arm goes around my shoulders, pulling me toward him and placing a kiss on the top of my head.
“Fair enough.” A random beat picks up from below as we all glance down to see the drummer sound checking his equipment.
“Alright, kids. If you need anything, there’s a team of waitresses specifically for this level.
Don’t hesitate to ask for what you want.
It’s going on Freddy’s tab.” Her smirk is playful, and I can’t help but reciprocate.
“Stick around after the show and we can meet up to grab all the gear for your event.”
With a flick of her fingers, she’s gone as quickly as she arrived. The only sign that she was even here being the clacking of her heels that fade with each step.
“This is…” I spin around, taking in the accommodations.
“A lot?” Logan offers.
“That’s one way to put it.”
He walks over to the open ice chest, producing a chilled bottle of champagne. “I thought for sure it would be a general admission ticket. But this is even better. Although, I was sort of expecting craft beer, not champagne.”
Taking a seat on the overstuffed couch, I cross one leg over the other and lean my arm along the back. “Remind me to ask your mother what happened for us to get this kind of treatment.”
Logan grimaces, taking the open spot beside me. “Remind me to not be anywhere near when you do. I’m going to just pretend that my mother and this rock star were only good friends. That’s all.”
I giggle, knowing that wasn’t all but understanding not wanting to know the sordid details of your mother’s past. Some things are better left unsaid to your children.
The crowd below cheers loudly, the floor vibrating with the energy coursing through the venue, as Frederick and his band take the stage.
Electricity soars through the air as he dons his signature neon green electric guitar and grins like a madman into the microphone, taking in the crowd around him for a moment.
“How are you doing tonight, Asheville?”
Caught up in the moment along with everyone else in the building, I hoot and holler while Logan chuckles to my right. I toss him a playful glare until he starts making noise right along with me.
Freddy pulses his hands in the air, signaling for the crowd to quiet down. His drummer starts out a beat while he continues to speak.
“We don’t usually play such intimate concerts anymore, which is a shame because nothing will ever come close to this feeling right here.
Being so close to every one of you. Stadiums are nice and all, but this right here,” he points out into the crowd, which erupts one more time in the silence.
“This is what it is all about. So, before we embark on our upcoming stadium tour, we wanted to bring it back home. Back to the heart and soul of rock ‘n’ roll. Back to the people that keep us going. How about we spend a little one-on-one time together tonight, yeah?”
The crowd roars one more time, bleeding directly into the beat Freddy and his band dive right into after his speech. My toes tap on the ground, and I see Logan’s fingers twitching to the music on his thigh.
Moved by the sound floating through the building, I jump to my feet, turning to Logan.
His eyes travel from my feet, up my legs, catching momentarily on my hips, which are swaying with the music.
Overtaken by the energy buzzing in the air, my hands trail from my hips and up my body slowly to the upbeat yet sensual sound around me.
Logan’s eyes follow my hands up and up until they swirl in the air above me.
His brow quirks with one side of his lips, fighting against a full-blown grin.
The one that lights me on fire. And I’m determined to make it release.
Twirling on my toes in front of him, I kick my feet and continue to move my hips, dancing like no one is watching.
Because, up here in this section of the venue, only Logan can.
I’m realizing the more time I’m with him, the more I love his gaze on me.
But I especially love it when those irises swirl like molten lava, which they are right now.
Feeling bold when I see his hand reach out for my waist, I take a quick step back. In the heart of the music, words are impossible. So while I watch his lips move, I can’t hear what he has to say.
I shake my head and tap my ear before doing another spin that brings me even further away when he reaches out one more time.
I crook my finger in his direction, beckoning him to me.
His eyes are so full of lust, they feel heavy on my skin while he stares me down.
Tired of waiting for him to join me, I roll my eyes and shoot him a sassy grin as I turn to face the stage.
Frederick is crooning into the microphone so sensually, I feel like I shouldn’t be watching.
But at the same time, I can’t look away as he sings about loving a woman he was destined to never have except for one night of bliss.
I’ve heard the song on the radio many times in my life, as it was a number one single over a decade ago, but I had never heard it like this.
This was a whole new level of sensuality that has me questioning if I would ever feel that way about someone.
You already do, my inner voice reminds me.
It’s true. Because the man behind me, with his caressing stare I can physically feel tracing my body, was making me realize any sexual feeling or experience from my past has never felt like this song. Like I travel to new planes from their touch, and I might die if I don’t have it again.
Not until Logan Spencer came back into town.
The song fades out, and they blend it into the next. The crowd sways in sync as everyone moves to the change of tempo. Freddy’s back-up singer slides up next to him as he continues to croon. This time they share a story about returning home after missing a longtime love for many years.