“No pressure, then.”
“Never any pressure, Ells.” Josh hugs me tight. “Just enjoy the ride.”
“I will.” I grin at him, smoothing down his tie.
He’s with a regular duo tonight. A couple who like sharing him in a filthy sandwich. He likes them. His eyes have the mischievous look he gets when he’s excited.
“You have a good one, too.” I laugh. “Though that’s a given.”
“Have faith, baby. I can’t wait to see your grin when you get home.”
Despite my nerves, I’m already buzzing at the prospect of this kind of unknown. It doesn’t matter that this proposal puts the game cards in my hand, I’m a bundle of excitement in the cab as I head over to the destination, my freshly painted scarlet nails tapping a beat against my thighs. I’m heading to a mega manor on the outskirts of the city, over in Hertfordshire. No surprise that User 2813 is paying a hundred fucking grand for this. He must be absolutely loaded.
Maybe I should have brought some nettles and needle and thread? I should get myself an emergency entertainer kit. A toy for every occasion. I laugh to myself. That damn suitcase would be far too big to carry.
Oh my fucking God, his manor is beyond my wildest expectations. It looks Georgian, with big white pillars at the front and huge windows across both wings. But that isn’t what knocks me senseless. I’m used to grand places, but not where the pillars are lit up in neon. It looks like the main stage at a festival.
The pillars are glowing with huge purple lights, beaming up from the bases, and as I walk up the drive towards the huge, black doored entrance, I see the array of sculptures. Huge stone masterpieces in the grounds. One of them is lit up in bright green, a guitar made of stone. Another is lit up in red, a roaring lion ready to pounce, mouth open wide.
So is mine as I look at it.
You could fit two people on the back of that, riding rodeo style.
These statues alone must have cost thousands, and there are more. I see the lights in the distance, a circle of huge shapes that I wish I had more time to check out before my proposal, but the clock is ticking.
ArrivedI click on the app.
Come on in. Let’s get the party started.
I wonder for a moment if I read the proposal wrong, and it’s the kind of gig where I’ll be a performer for the masses, but his proposal was one on one.
I’m overthinking, so I take a moment to chill, breathing in the cold night air before I climb the stone steps. I give a token knock with the brass lion head knocker before turning the handle.
The foyer inside is less neon than the grounds. It has a sparkling gold chandelier that hangs low, and a staircase with oak bannisters that ascends to a massive balcony. There are mirrors on every wall, gold framed and baroque, and twisting ivy shaped lamps between them, only heightening the effect.
It’s a house of mirrors. A masterpiece of interior décor.
I can see myself from every angle as my stilettos click against the black tiled floor. I start as a figure appears in one of the mirrors, spinning as I try to navigate myself and work out where he is coming from.
My mouth drops open for real when the guy appears in full view, leaning against a door frame. He’s wearing leather trousers fitted tight to a looming physique, and he’s already shirtless, his sleeve tattoos dark and striking against his pale skin. He runs his fingers through his messy dark hair, wet and tousled, and takes a swig of whisky straight from the bottle.
He’s got a grin that I recognise in a heartbeat.
Fuck me.
The guitar and lion make perfect sense now.
This is Vinnie Hampton. The lead singer of Red Roar. For real. It’s the lead singer of Red Roar, one of the biggest metal bands in the world.
I love their music! Their hit Roar to the Rage is one of my absolute favourites, and I even had a poster of him on the wall at my parents’ place. He was an icon to me in my teenage years.
My legs turn to jelly, but I manage to keep myself in position. Just about.
He takes another swig of whisky before letting out a laugh.
“Guess from the look on your pretty face that you recognise me.”
My mouth flaps in schoolgirl crush mode until I laugh in return, shaking my head in pure disbelief. I never thought I’d hear his American drawl in the flesh. I’ve heard interviews as well as his screaming, beat heavy tracks.
