3. Backstage
3
Backstage
Nikki let out a little squeal. “Drinks are on the house.” She grinned from ear to ear.
“What the hell?” I said as I ordered another double pina colada. What’s that make—four shots? Who’s counting? “That’s why we have Lyft or Uber or whatever,” I muttered mostly to myself.
The boys disappeared for a minute, so Nikki, Bella, and I sat at the bar together. We turned to gaze at the room behind us when we heard an uproar from the crowd. Oxygen joined the party; the buzz was crackled through the air.
There were high fives all around, the band had huge smiles, and they were covered in sweat from the performance. Two women were the first to give the drummer, Quinn, and the guitarist, Gage, a hug. Probably girlfriends. My eyebrows knit together as I paid close attention. No immediate hug from a girl to Theo. Interesting. The band seemed to be talking to important people, and important people congratulated them on an amazing evening of great music. I wondered how many of us in the room were just fans versus family, friends, or colleagues. It was hard to tell, but it seemed like most people were already familiar with the members.
Bill and Ted returned smiling wide. I probably should have learned their real names since they seemed to be sticking around. They had been getting their T-shirts signed and Bella and Nikki were checking out the shirts. It seriously seemed like the girls were either trying to hijack those tees or trying to get Bill and Ted naked again. One or the other. I was pretty sure I knew their evil plan. Suddenly, my body tingled, and an unknown sensation caught me off guard. I looked to my right as Theo walked up and stood next to me. I gulped and grinned shyly.
“Hi,” he said like we had known each other our whole lives. “I saw your sign.” He smirked.
Nikki stopped making out with Billy Bob long enough to peek and see what was going on. Surprise registered on her face. “Oh, that was my sign.” She smiled sweetly at Theo, eyeing his sweaty half-naked body.
“Yeah,” I replied, embarrassed. “I was just holding it for her while she got a quickie in the bathroom.” Nikki looked like she might be offended by my comment for a second, then shrugged her shoulders, winked at Theo, and promptly went back to playing kissy-face with John Doe. After all, it was true. I was surprised by my boldness and worried what Theo might think. Luckily, Theo laughed. He just nodded and pursed his gorgeous lips, like “Good for Nikki.”
“Darn,” he said after he chuckled. He faked sadness about the sign not being mine. “Too bad,” he exclaimed. I laughed awkwardly. Was he hitting on me? He literally just came over and started flirting. I was so shocked. And a little stunned by his beautiful, smoking hot body hovering right beside me. I finally came to my senses and introduced myself .
I quickly tried to think of something witty to say, but I failed. “I’m Jane. Ah…” I stuttered, finally remembering my last name. “Anderson.” I stuck my hand out. Is that what you do when you meet a rock star? Shake hands? I didn’t know.
He shook my hand enthusiastically with an entertained grin. “I’m Theo…” He copied my stutter, then added with a wink, “Beckham. Nice to meet you, Jane.”
I felt a little shy but also a bit buzzed, which was helpful considering I was talking to the guy who had me completely turned on for the last two hours. My current situation would be equivalent to having a raging boner. Stumbling with my words, I was desperate for something cool to say. But the only thing I could think of was, “Great concert.”
“What was your favorite song?” he asked.
“Oh my gosh, you want me to pick one song? Impossible!” I complained. “I could maybe give you a list of the top ten. That might be doable.” I sighed heavily. “Actually, it may have to be a top twenty list. I seriously love them all.” I couldn’t stop rambling. He smiled sweetly like he understood me. I felt safe with him, comfortable, and I opened my heart and told him how much his music and his fight for depression spoke to my soul.
Theo’s well-formed muscles were still silky with a sheen of sweat from his two-hour full-body workout slash concert. My heart beat faster as he stood near me, and we spoke quietly to one another.
Time and the world disappeared, and it was just the two of us, totally engaged in each other. It was surreal. Occasionally, my friends or one of the band members would sneak a word into our conversation, but it was mostly him and I being drawn to one another by an inexplicable source. His charm and proximity drove me wild as I hung on every word that came out of his mouth. All the while, I wondered why he was still chatting with me. Could he know how badly I wanted him? It was an instant connection on my side at least. It felt like the feeling was mutual, but maybe that was just the rum. It always seemed to give me a little extra confidence. By the way Theo gazed into my eyes, though, I had to believe my feelings weren’t too far off in La-la land. There was a bond, a force, and it was strong. “Do you feel that?” Theo asked as if reading my mind.
“Yes,” I squeaked out.
He continued, “The force is strong with you.” We both laughed at the reference before I had to break the gaze. I looked at the floor, noticing our matching footwear.
“Nice shoes,” I mused, bringing his attention to our matching choice of sneakers.
“Oh, I like the pink.” He raised his eyebrows, but my attempt to avert our attention from our intense attraction was useless. I had never felt such an powerful spark before. Was it because of the music? Was it because he was a rock star, and this was just a one-sided fantasy?
My back was against the wall, and Theo was tall enough that he leaned next to me with his muscular body inches away from my face. His naked abs gently—probably accidentally—rubbed against my sundress-covered body, sending prickles all the way down. My stomach clenched instinctively.
“I have to say, I’ve never been proposed to via white poster board before.” We joked about the sign again. He laughed it off saying “It, and the woman holding it, caught my attention.” He winked. “I’ve seen some great signs at my concerts, but never anything like that.”
I gulped, blood rushing to my face at his confession. “Really? ”
He was flirting. I was floored. I gazed at the floor with a shy smile. He lifted my chin with his large fingers and gave me the most devious of smiles. That’s it. My thighs were jelly.
Theo was so passionate, so alive, that it made me come alive. It was like we were on the same wavelength. There was an unspeakable connection from the very beginning. I was in a daze, I was hot, and I was a bit drunk. Now I knew there was no doubt he had seen me while he was singing; it wasn’t just my imagination. This mega rock star had sent the guards out to find me—little old me. How could that be? Luck hadn’t exactly been my friend the last six months. Now it seemed I was the luckiest girl in the room.
The band’s music started playing in the background, turned up just loud enough so everyone could dance. Oxygen’s top hit from this month came on. The song had an edgy new sound that was sexual but could also have so many other meanings.
Bella, Nikki, and the Colorado guys gave us raised eyebrows as they happily swayed away from us and onto the dance floor. We got the hint. Theo didn’t even ask. He just grabbed my hand and pulled me to dance. We blended in with the crowd, or at least we tried. I’m not sure Theo could blend in anywhere since his six-foot-four, perfect model body was impossible to miss. His dark blond hair was perfectly punk but still respectable. His face was sculpted with a sexy jawline and baby blue eyes. Drunk me wanted to lick his jaw, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that probably wasn’t appropriate. God, I needed a distraction.
I searched the room for Nikki and Bella. They were dancing—well, more like grinding—with Simon and Garfunkel. Bella saw me checking on them and gave our universal sign of a thumbs-up, meaning we felt safe and were having fun. And not ready to go home yet. Nikki did the same. I smiled and returned the gesture.
My heart beat to the sound of the music. My breath came up short of oxygen as I tried to be brave and hold eye contact. Just having him so close was making me slightly lightheaded. Theo pulled me closer, and I leaned my head on his shoulder. Theo’s sexy voice vibrated in my ear as he sang along to the music. The effect sent my blood pressure high enough that I worried I might have a small stroke. It was like my own personal round two of the concert.
Then one of the band’s love songs played. I’ll make love to you, every night . Again, Theo grabbed my waist and pulled me closer, if that was even possible. He didn’t need to ask. That feeling was in the air. We needed each other in that moment. There were no questions, just a need, and we both felt it. His soft husky voice whispered the sexual lyrics in my ear. His body deceived him, and I knew he wanted the same thing I did. I bit my lip in hope and anticipation. My legs melted and heat rushed through my weak body. I wondered if he would just kiss me right there in front of the whole party. Finally, I got the nerve to gaze up at him. He looked back with the same urgency. We were practically making love with our clothes on. It was just me and him, the hundred other people in the room a big haze. Just as I was about to give into my need and make love to him right there on the dance floor, he beat me to the punch. “Want to get out of here?”
“Yes.” I gulped. In my mind, I was doing the happy dance.
“Thank god.” Theo’s voice was brisk, and he swung open a door on the wall behind us. As he did, we practically fell through it. He shut and locked the door.
He pushed me to the wall with his half-naked body. I grabbed his hair with need as he lifted my little sundress that was barely there between us. Our mouths flew together with a passion we couldn’t resist. He boosted me and pressed me hard against the wall. I automatically wrapped my legs around his waist, trying desperately to bring our bodies closer. It had been six months since the accident, or since my last time. I was ready for this. We grasped for each other, and his hard length pressed against me in all the right places. We kissed wildly, our hands exploring.
“Shit! I can’t!” He growled in frustration and gently lowered me back to the floor. The frown on his face was undeniable.
“What?” I asked in a raspy voice.
“My divorce isn’t final yet!” he explained breathlessly.
He glanced down and then right back up at me. “I’m so sorry, Jane. I totally want to, it’s just…” He gently moved my messed-up auburn hair out of my eyes. “I’m going through this divorce, and it wouldn’t be right. I don’t do one-night stands…” His words faded as he thought about it, and then added, “at least I haven’t before.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I was married before I became famous. We were in love.” He was rambling an explanation, then flung his fist into the wall. “Dammit.”
I heard Quinn the drummer’s voice through the door. “Everything okay, Theo?”
“Yeah, no worries, Quinn. Thanks,” Theo replied.
Wow, that was close. I was still breathing hoarsely. “It’s okay,” I exclaimed as I pulled him in for an innocent hug. We just held each other, catching our breath.
“No, it’s not. I’m a disgrace to rock stars everywhere,” he said, half joking half serious.
I laughed, taking a deep breath. “No, really, I understand. Let me tell you why.” I tried to speak as the heat of the moment cooled. “See, my boyfriend died six months ago. This would have been my first time with someone new. I don’t really do one-night stands either, but it just felt… right.” Was I justifying that I almost got lost in the moment with a stranger?
“Oh, Jane, I’m so sorry about your boyfriend,” Theo said gently, touching my lips like he was considering kissing them again. I smiled a small thank you smile back. “I know,” he continued. “It was just like I saw you from the stage and boom…” I understood what he meant. Even with Mike, the connection hadn’t been that strong. He sighed. “Maybe we could go for a walk and cool down?” he suggested as he adjusted his pants.
“Sure. Of course.”
The after-party was calming down. People were starting to pair off and go their own ways. I got a text from Bella.
Bella: Are you ready to head home?
Me: I will catch my own Uber later.
Bella: Remember who you are. JK. I hope you get laid by Theo fucking Beckham tonight. I will be expecting every single detail, so take notes.
I giggled to myself and blushed. Theo’s eyes questioned me. I gave him the short answer. “Just my friends.”
It was a warm summer night, but it was finally cooling a bit. I couldn’t believe the concert of my lifetime had just been held at this epic outdoor venue. As we walked hand in hand, I thought of the memories I was making right now, and I didn’t want it to end. “I hope this is okay?” Theo said as he led me outside along a windy little road.
While we were talking, sometimes Theo would sing little snippets of a song or part of what he was saying. It was adorable, like the music in his brain never turned off. Each time he did that, it sent butterflies to my stomach .
Theo’s thumb rubbed my hand as we walked, the red rocks in the background. Before long, we reached four ginormous tour buses, one for each of the band members. “Want to watch a movie?” Theo asked. It was weird thinking how normal it was to watch a movie on a date, but not when a mega rock star was holding my hand and inviting me into his tour bus to watch a movie. It felt surreal.
“Sure,” I agreed, trying to be as cool as possible and just live in the moment.
The inside of the bus was incredible, with more bells and whistles then you would think could fit on a bus. He led me to the couch then walked to the little fridge and brought back two bottled waters. He sat next to me. “Sorry to be so anti-rock star tonight. It’s probably not what you expected when the lead singer of a band hits on you. ‘Oh Sorry, I Can’t Commit Adultery With You’ is probably not going to be my next big hit.” I laughed a bit too loud at his self-deprecating humor.
We talked for two hours before we even remembered we were supposed to be watching a movie. By that time, he had given me a tour of the bus, and we had made it to the bedroom and the king-size bed. I lay beside him, and he pulled me into his arms. I fit perfectly in the crook of his still half-naked body, nestled comfortably in his underarm. The movie ran for ten minutes before we both fell asleep.