“I’ll do my best,” he says. Tad is an integral part of my plan. I need someone behind the scenes to manage things while I’m out onstage with Cam, performing a new song. Cam and I have decided to keep the new tune—which I wrote—a secret. Reluctantly, Jenn agreed. After the success of “This Girl” I guess she figures a duet between the two of us can’t go wrong. Boy, is she going to be surprised.
Step Five: Expose Dakota Gray
At 6:30, just as the guys are taking the stage for their set, I fire off the message I promised.
CANONSBURG PARK @ 9:00. BRING FRIENDS! SEE YOU THERE.
The band’s new song is called “Dakota,” and it’s a rock ballad about falling in love with a girl before you even know her. It’s loud, a little punky, and the audience loves it. I couldn’t have planned the song choice better myself. The crowd is loud and rowdy as the guys rearrange for our final song of the night. Cam is already perched on his stool, making adjustments on his acoustic. Usually I just walk out on the stage and Cam introduces me, but tonight, thanks to Tad’s friend (and lighting tech) Becca, we’re changing it up. And because we’re on TV, and deadair is a major no-no, we’ve got to make this quick. The curtains close across the stage and I walk behind them, almost running as I bring my own stool alongside Cam’s. Behind me, a gaffer has a can light, and angles it behind my stool. I give her a smile and a nod.
Cam whispers in my ear. “What’s with the wig tonight?”
“All part of the master plan.” I lean over, whispering my instructions in his ear.
He’s surprised; I knew he would be. “Really?” I smile and nod, urging him on.
“When it’s time.”
Less than a minute has passed, and already Jenn is pacing stage left. The curtains are still closed and she’s taking a step onto the stage when the lights go out, covering us all in darkness.
And it begins.
I take a deep breath as I hear the curtains peel back with a creak. I’ve gone over this at least ten times with the crew. When the curtains are parted enough to reveal us, I start picking the first few notes of the song to cue Cam. He’s close enough that I can see him, even in the darkness, and I nod, letting him know it’s time.
“We have a new song for you tonight. Please welcome back Vee Miller.” The backstage lights come on, sending a soft glow over the purple backdrop that hangs behind us. I take one final breath and turn to face Cam as the spotlight comes on behind me. It’s bright, and hot on the side of my face, and I know exactly what the audience sees now. My silhouette.
The microphone is pressed against my lips. “Dakota Gray,” I say, and behind Cam, Jenn takes a step toward the stage.
Tad grabs her by the wrist, and she jerks as he holds on.
Shit.
She pulls her arm from his grip and I can see her mouthing, “Who the hell is Dakota Gray?” The audience has eruptedand she’s just standing there, stunned. Her head is down as her fingers fly across her phone and when she sees it—when she knows—I can’t help but smile at her. I give her a wink, because that’s what Dakota Gray would do.
Dakota Gray is a sassy bitch. Dakota Gray is fearless. Dakota Gray is an internetsensation. There’s nothing people love more than a mystery. And in the year since her videos started posting online, no one has known her real name. They’ve never seen her face. She’s never played in public. She’s never been found, because she didn’t want to be.
Until now.
I continue to play the intro, and when I start to sing the first verse Cam joins me, just like we practiced. I’m lucky Cam isnotone of Dakota Gray’s 1.5 million fans, because we’re singing one of my first songs. My best-known song. I had to modify it to make it a duet—and a little less angry. It’s an homage to love and heartbreak. The lights come up slowly and the darkened crowd explodes with bursts of light as cameras go off.
I’m exposed.
***
My hand is in Cam’s as we exit the stage and he pulls me to a stop when we reach the darkness of stage left. “I can’t believe you just did that,” he says. It’s hard to hear him over the roar of applause.
I laugh. “Jenn’s pissed.” I throw my arms around Cam and squeeze him like I’m trying to crush him. It feels like I’m going to explode with adrenaline right now, like I could put on an entire concert by myself. And then I remember that’s exactly what I have to do. This was just part one of my master plan.
“That’s not what I mean. I can’t believe you just didthat,” Cam points to the stage.
I don’t know why he’s surprised, because Dakota Gray fearsnothing. Not even getting her heart broken. She crushes her lips into Cam’s, keeping them there as he lifts her up off the ground.
We’re startled out of our embrace by Jenn’s angry voice. “What the hell was that? I didn’t approve any of that.” She holds up her clipboard, and points to the show logo. “This isn’t the Virginia Miller hour!”
“Dakota Gray,” I correct. “And we have an encore concert to put on now.” The band is all around us and I pull Cam’s hand, leading us all toward the exit. Jenn is following behind us, still yelling as we make our way out to the parking lot.
“I don’t give a shit about your little concert,” she says, as we walk along the side of the building. “You had two days. Don’t get your hopes up,” she says snottily.
Dakota Gray tosses her hair over her shoulder and pins Jenn with a smirk that says,We’ll see about that.Dakota Gray is confident. She’s been listening to the constant buzz of notifications all day, until she finally had to turn the phone off. She had to send her final location message to her fans using Tad’s phone. But I, Virginia Miller, am less confident. I think about crossing the road and seeing an empty park. I think about failing Cam, because an auditorium full of people isn’t enough to create the kind of buzz we need. There’s no time for my insecurities right now, because up ahead, Tad is coming around the corner with two more camera guys. They walk ahead, filming us from every angle like usual. But when we finally reach the edge of the building, and turn toward the park, we all stop. Things are anything but usual.
