Especially not Nate.
He dodges the girls and smiles wide when he approaches. I’m not sure what his game is right now as Danger watches on, but he is slightly distracted by Luke talking to him.
Nate steps up beside me, an air of arrogance about him. “It’s cool when fans greet us, hey?”
I shrug. “I wouldn’t say this was a massive reception, Nate.”
“True. We’ve had much bigger in the past. And as the tour starts, our popularity will grow even more. Just know that I’m here if it gets hectic and Danger isn’t around, but you need someone to lean on. I’m a good listener.”
Furrowing my brows, I angle my head slightly. “Um… okay, thanks?” I say more like a question than a statement.
He smiles, dipping his chin before returning to Ryan, who gestures for me to follow them. The band struts through Melbourne Airport without the little fangirls following.And as I walk behind them, Nate’s words replay, and I can’t help but think,fuck him.Maybe he was offering an olive branch, but somehow, I doubt it.
If he thinks he can intimidate me, he’d better think again.
***
We arrive at the hotel in Melbourne, and Luke tells us the opening band for the tour is also staying here, and that we’re going to meet them before the press conference starts. The guys are excited about who they will be jamming with on tour, but Luke isn’t giving any information about the other band.
“Can you at least tell us the band’s name, Luke?” Danger asks while we walk to the conference room.
He smirks and takes a deep breath. “Luminous.”
Danger curls his lip and furrows his brows. “Luminous? That’s a strange name for a bunch of rock and roll guys?”
Luke swallows hard and nods before he opens the door to the conference room, and we step in. The room is small, and standing inside are mainly women, along with a couple of people dressed like camera operators, runners, or reporters.
Five women, wearing an interesting choice of clothing and lightning painted on their faces, are the obvious strangeness in the room. Instantly, I gaze over at Luke, who stares at me. I pull my lips in by my teeth and try to hide my laugh.
The guys are not going to like this.
“Okay, so where is this band? I see their groupies are here, but if they can’t be here on time, we need to set some ground rules before the tour kicks off,” Danger calls out.
The shortest of the women, with her long, flowing, straight blonde hair and tiny frame, steps forward. She doesn’t even reach his shoulders, she’s so small, but what she lacks in height, she makes up for in sass. The glare in her eyes as she stares Danger down causes him to furrow his brows and take a slight step backward. The scene makes me giggle softly.
She shoves her finger into his chest, pointing it hard. “First of all, we’ve been here for over fifteen minutes waiting foryouto arrive. Soyou’rethe late ones. And… we’re not the groupies, you cocky, arrogant son of a bitch. We’re Luminous.” Her hands fly up when she says the last word, and she waggles her fingers around like she’s a fairy or something.
Danger slowly shakes his head.
Ryan smirks. “Fuck yes!”
“Fuckno… a bitch band?” Danger snaps, glaring at Luke, and he shrugs.
“We arenota damn bitch band. We’re rockers, and I’ll have you know we rock harder than any rock you can rock… you cock.” The blonde girl struggles with her comeback while theother girls all fist-pump the air and praise her for her not-so-witty comeback.
“Seriously, Luke? You think the fans will take our shows as a legitimate rock and roll extravaganza withLuminousand… what’s your name?” He looks at the blonde.
“Effervescent.” Her hands do the spirit finger thing again, and my hand shifts to my mouth to cover my laugh.
“Oh, you havegotto be kidding me? Luke!” Danger groans, glaring at Luke while Effervescent and her girls smile and sway from side to side like they might very well be high.
“Okay, so yes, the opening band is a girl group. But they’re not a pop band. They’re a rock group, Danger, and they’re good, real fucking good,” Luke defends.
Effervescent nods with a satisfied smile.
“Good? They’re good?” His words are spoken with incredulity. “She looks like a fucking pixie, Luke. And don’t get me started on the freaking lightning on their faces. What are they? In the seventies? Are they Kiss wannabes?”
“Hey, we’re right here, like in your presence. I can read your aura, and it’s very dark right now. It’s not pleasing to my senses.” Effervescent waves her hands in front of Danger’s face while closing her eyes like she’s trying to feel his energy or something. He scoffs, standing back from her, and walks over to me. She continues waving her hands through the air as if Danger is still in front of her.
