Connected. Yeah, I could go for that. Except I could guaran-fucking-tee it that her vision of “connecting” and mine were on opposite sides of the spectrum.
“I’ll be back in just a bit.” She bent over to slide her feet into her boots and tug the zippers all the way up her thighs. Then she rose to her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to the scruff on my cheek. “Thanks, Hendrix.”
I forced the heat from my veins by imagining myself standing in an ice-cold bucket of water. Even then, my cheek still tingled from the barely there kiss. I watched her go until she disappeared through the doorway at the other end of the arena. Maybe, just maybe, my luck was starting to change.
2
DAISY
Tripping all over myself and pawning my precious pup off to a tattooed, muscled, bearded man wasn’t how things were supposed to go today. When I found out Soul Obsession was getting back together, I absolutely had to make time to see them in person one more time. Especially since one of my fan club bestie’s big sisters was actually working on the tour. I’d wanted to see them in Houston, but one of my cousins was getting married that weekend. Then I bought a ticket to see them in Austin, but my mom guilted me into helping her with one of her charity galas. Now the tour was almost over, and I hadn’t had the chance to meet up with my besties and relive the old days.
This was my last chance to have fun on my own terms. I hadn’t told the girls yet, but my parents were getting tired of me not living according to their plan. Come Sunday morning, they expected me to show up to brunch at their country club to meet the man they’d picked out for me to marry. It seemed medieval, but they had their reasons. It didn’t seem to matter that I didn’t agree with them. We’d gone round and round and round aboutit until I couldn’t take it anymore, and I jumped in my car and drove up to Dallas.
I was living on borrowed time, but I was going to make the best of it. For the next two days, I’d promised myself I wouldn’t even think about what was waiting for me at the end of this trip.
Giddiness bubbled up inside my chest as I practically skipped across the arena floor toward the doors Hendrix had pointed out. The guilt of leaving my furbaby with a stranger almost made me turn around and head back. But then the door in front of me opened and I caught a glimpse of a table stacked high with concert gear.
Growler would be okay for a little while. Hendrix didn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d run off with a woman’s dog. Besides, I had a tag on Growler’s collar that would let me track him down. My furbaby might be a little upset that I’d left him, but I’d order him a steak from room service tonight to make it up to him.
Feeling a little better about leaving him behind, I pushed through the doors and stepped into the outer ring of the arena.
Merchants had already started setting up booths with tour merchandise. I recognized some of the same graphics from sweatshirts and t-shirts I’d bought all those years ago along with tons of new designs. My platinum Amex was definitely going to get a workout while I was here.
“Daisy?” A voice I’d recognize anywhere came from behind me.
“Shelby!” I flung myself into her outstretched arms. “It’s so good to see you. I can’t believe you get to work behind the scenes on Soul Obsession’s reunion tour. What a dream job!”
She pulled back first and gave me a quick once over. “You haven’t changed a bit. Seriously. You still look the same as you did the last time I saw you.”
“The last time you saw me was on a video chat only a couple of months ago.” The same video chat when she spilled the beansthat Soul Obsession was going on tour. Laughing, I drew her in for another hug. “You sure have changed. I can’t believe you’re expecting. How’s it been going? Where are the rest of the girls?”
“I can barely keep track of the band, much less the girls. This tour’s been a wild time so far. I’m sure you’ve heard about all the excitement.”
“If by excitement, you mean most of my friends falling in love with hotties on the tour, then yes, I think I’m all caught up.” I wished nothing but the best for my besties, though a small part of me was the teeniest bit envious. I’d been mentally prepared to meet my soulmate for years, but he hadn’t shown up yet. In just a few days, it would be too late. There was no way a man my parents picked out for me would line up with what I wanted in a lifelong partner.
“Good, because I don’t have time to fill you in.” Shelby linked her arm with mine and headed away from the doors. “I’ve got a VIP group here that’s doing a tour of the venue. You’re more than welcome to join in. The guys won’t be here until tomorrow, but plan on meeting them before they go onstage and then you’re welcome to join us for a late dinner after the show tomorrow night.”
I tried to keep the excitement bubbling up in my chest from leeching into my voice. “A late dinner with the band?”
Shelby nodded. “And the girls. Though I heard rumors about them trying to get together for lunch while the guys are doing sound checks and stuff tomorrow.”
I couldn’t believe I was going to meet the members of Soul Obsession. Each one of them held a special place in my heart and had been the object of my teenage crush at one point or another over the years.
“Thank you so much for setting everything up.”
“You’re so welcome.” Shelby let go of my arm and pulled a lanyard from her bag. A laminated VIP pass dangled from theend. “Here are your credentials. I’d keep it hidden until you need it to get backstage tomorrow. You don’t want anyone to rip it off your neck, girl.”
My hand shook as I took it from her. I’d met some super famous people in my life thanks to my dad’s partnership in a high-profile law firm and my mom’s social connections. But getting to breathe the same air as the members of Soul Obsession meant more to me than all my other celebrity meet and greets combined.
“There’s the VIP tour. I told them you’d be joining in. I’ve got to get back to work, but I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” Shelby drew me in for another quick hug.
“Thanks so much. I owe you big time.” I stuffed the pass into my pocket and made my way toward the edge of the group, ready to find out if the woman leading the tour knew as much as I did about my favorite band.
Three hours later,I dragged myself back to the spot where I’d left Growler. There had been a dozen guys setting up the stage before, but they were all gone. Cold fear spread through my belly. I didn't see Hendrix right away and immediately worried that something bad had happened.
“There you are.” Hendrix stepped out from the side of the stage with Growler’s leash in his hand. My little fur baby wagged his entire behind when he saw me. “I was just taking him out to do a doodle.”
The icy grip around my heart relaxed its hold. I ran as fast as I could in my ridiculous boots to meet him at the edge of the stage.
