Chapter 4
The crowd groaned and a couple people booed in response.
The guy with the messy black hair only smiled in response, his white teeth gleaming under the black light.
“I get it, you’re all having a good time, but you didn’t come here to dance the night away to some pre-played tunes.
You came here to get the music live and in action.
” The crowd cheered, changing the mood. “Well, since we all know what we came here for, I won’t keep you with any long-winded speech, but it is time for me to bring up the most awesome band out there on the face of the planet… Maldado!”
A moment later, the crowd’s emotion shifted to cheering and they surged forward surrounding the stage.
The girls stood in their booth to get a better view above the standing crowd as Maldado emerged from the back onto the stage to a deafening roar.
Esmie’s heart soared as the notes from one of her favorite songs started to play.
She lost herself in the music, dancing, yelling “Wepa!” every so often, and singing along with the crowd as she felt her worries and anxiety of disobeying her mother, floating away with the beat of the music.
It seemed as if the band had just started when the final notes played, and they walked off.
Esmie joined the crowd in murmuring their disappointment.
The guy, who Esmie assumed must work for the club, jumped back on stage, pushing his dark hair out of his eyes.
“Maldado is going to take a fifteen-minute break so hang tight. DJ, take it away.”
The girls sat, faces flushed and sweaty with excitement.
They smiled at each other in pure bliss.
Esmie glanced around at the crowd whose faces mirrored their own, except for one.
She noticed toward the back, by the DJ booth, a young man around her age, almost a full head and shoulders above the crowd, with wavy black hair parted to the side and grazing his ears.
His handsome light brown face, although obviously young, held a strong presence that had nothing to do with his muscular frame.
Then she noticed he was staring at her, his dark eyes boring into her.
Her face flushed and she glanced around to see if it was her whom he was staring at.
When she looked back, the corner of his full lips tipped up.
She lowered her eyes and smiled but when she raised them up again, the man who had been on stage was now at the edge of their table smirking at them.
Glancing behind him, she attempted to hide her disappointment at finding the handsome stranger had vanished.
Esmie returned the messy haired jerk’s smirk with a scowl.
“You ladies decided to come in after all. Enjoying the show?” His eyes roved over Mindy’s revealing dress as she batted her fake eyelashes at him.
“We are having an amazing time!” she gushed purposely leaning forward. Esmie snorted and Mindy shot her a nasty look.
“I’m so glad to hear that. Apologies for not introducing myself sooner.
My name is Chad and I’m the manager here.
” Chad slid into the booth next to Mindy, and to Esmie’s chagrin, pressed himself against Mindy.
Esmie didn’t trust this smooth talker from the moment they met outside.
Unfortunately, Mindy didn’t notice, or ignored, Esmie’s eye signals to make Chad get lost, and instead took his outstretched hand and shook it.
“I’m Mindy, and these are my friends Tessa and Esmie,” she motioned to them without taking her eyes off Chad.
Chad stared at Esmie, an unreadable expression on his face. “I didn’t think you were going to come in. You don’t seem like the type to be in a place like this,” he snickered.
“Oh, don’t mind Esmie. She’s just having an off night that’s all.” Mindy threw Esmie a pointed look when Esmie sniffed at Chad’s remark. Chad’s blue eyes bounced between Mindy to Esmie, his face filled with mock concern.
“I’m so sorry to hear that, Ezzmee. Is there anything I can do to help?
” Chad spoke in a child-like voice, then flashed his row of pearly white straight teeth—probably fake—at her, which may have been endearing to other women, but Esmie noted the malicious glint in his eyes.
She was about to retort that he could get out of their booth but thought better.
“Yeah, there is something you can do. We would like to meet Maldado.”
Chad choked on the drink he grabbed from the waitress as she passed. He cleaned himself off, his eyes locked onto hers. She raised her chin. “I may have been wrong about you. You’re a lot braver than I suspected.”
Esmie gave him her most innocent expression.
“What’s wrong? Aren’t you the manager? I’m guessing it’s just a title, so I completely understand if you can’t.
” Esmie imitated Mindy’s best eye batting routine, her natural long lashes pulling off the effect better.
Mindy and Tessa gaped at her. Chad chuckled.
“Sweetie, you want to meet Maldado? I’ll give you Maldado,” he grinned then bounced out of the chair and pushed his way through the crowd.
“You coming?” he called over his shoulder.
The girls scrambled out of the booth. Chad led them to the back of the stage where a black curtain hung.
“Wait right here,” he commanded without looking at them and pushed the curtain aside, disappearing behind it.
“I can’t stand that guy,” Esmie mumbled.
Tessa bounced up and down. “Do you think he will really bring them?”
“If he does you better wipe that goofy grin off your face and act cool,” Mindy said to Tessa, while eyeing Esmie with almost a look of admiration on her face.
After a few minutes Chad returned with the group Maldado in tow. Esmie’s stomach flipped. Mindy snatched her phone out of her clutch and took a selfie. Tessa shook on the spot.
“Guys, these are the beautiful girls I was telling you about who are your biggest fans.” Chad stepped aside to let the group talk to them.
While Mindy’s over confidence could be annoying, in this instance Esmie was grateful as Mindy took over the spotlight and started snapping pictures with the group and chatted away as Maldado signed posters for them.
Esmie could only smile and nod when addressed.
She picked at her tulle dress when she caught Chad watching her out of the corner of her eye.
What was his problem? She stiffened ready to snap at him when one of the group members became agitated, pulling on his fellow band members.
The percussionist excused himself from his conversation with Mindy and pulled the others aside, speaking in low, anxious voices. He glanced around. The lead singer turned away from the group, an angry expression on his face as he addressed Chad.
“Hey man, what’s this about?” he lashed out.
Esmie and her friends froze. Chad’s furrowed brow answered the lead singer’s accusation. The percussionist pointed to the opposite side of the club. They all swiveled around to look. Chad’s face blanched.
“I’ll radio the back and make sure you can get out without being stopped.
I didn’t know anything about this.” Chad pulled a small radio from his pocket and spoke in fast, low tones.
The band members immediately dispersed, not even bothering to say goodbye to the girls.
Mindy grabbed Chad’s arm before he could walk away.
“What’s going on?”
Chad’s eyes flashed. “You need to get out of here now. Go backstage where the band members went and make sure you’re not seen.
Don’t let anyone stop you.” He shoved Tessa through the black curtain when chaos broke out.
Esmie glanced over her shoulder, spotting a raid of police entering the front of the club.
They grabbed people, slamming them against walls and onto the floor.
Her heart plummeted into her vans. She could not get arrested.
Esmie grabbed Mindy’s arms and pushed her through the curtain finding Tessa standing in the doorway directly behind the thick fabric.
She forced them both through the open doorway.
“What’s your problem, Esmie?” Mindy whined, glaring at her.
“Cops!” Esmie shouted. Both her friend’s faces drained of color.