RG groaned.
“Sorry kiddo, gotta have an early start, as we’ve got a lot to do before you head out to Nevada,” Nigel said.
“Anyway, as I was saying, I'll brief you in more detail tomorrow. In the meantime, have some fun tonight, get to know the other bands. I know the Bad Boys have been dying to meet you. I've also arranged for the guys from Sikorsky to be here as well, so it should be a good night. Any questions before we go on up?”
There weren't any questions, so they all piled in when the next lift arrived. As the elevator zipped up to the twenty-first floor, Rafe caught a glimpse of Parker's face. The poor guy looked petrified, skin pale, eyes wide, and his bottom lip caught between his teeth again.
“Hey,” Rafe whispered, glad they were pushed together in the back corner of the elevator. “Are you okay?”What a stupid question; it’s obvious Parker is anything but okay.
Parker's gaze flicked to him, green eyes full of worry. “I'll be okay. I'm just not a fan of massive crowds.”
“You were okay at the party back in Sydney.” Parker had been shy and maybe a little nervous at times, but he still looked as if he was having a good time.
Parker kept his voice low. “It was different. Back then I wasn’t anybody's focus. I wasn’t expected to meet and greet people and didn’t have to worry about what they thought of me.”
“Hey, should I be offended? Weren't you trying to make a good impression on me?” Rafe tried to lighten the mood.
Parker gave a half-smile. “I most definitely wasn't trying to make a good impression on you. I wasn't trying to make an impression onanybody,and that's why I wasn't stressed. No expectations.”
“Well, there are no expectations here tonight either, so there's no need for you to be anxious. There are no formalities at this party from what I can tell. We just meet with people casually, have a drink and maybe a dance, and hopefully have a good time. Me and the guys, we'll all be here with you, so you won't be alone. And you never know, you might meet some interesting people. It's cool that Sikorsky will be here.” Sikorsky was one of the latest bands to hit the scene and was currently basking in number one success.
Rafe reached across and gave Parker's hand a quick squeeze just as the lift dinged and the doors opened. Music blared instantly, and there was no time for further conversation as they left the elevator en masse.
Rafe and the rest of the band followed Sheila and Nigel through the crowd to an elevated section of the nightclub towards the rear. A security guard lifted a twisted velvet rope and gestured for them to move through into what was obviously the VIP area. A bar was off to one side, while the other side consisted of a number of semicircular seating niches with velvet banquettes. Glass-topped tables and chairs took up the centre of the room. They were ushered through the crowd, receiving quite a few intrigued looks.
“Here we go, boys, this section’s been reserved for you. Someone will be over shortly to get you set up with some drinks," Sheila said. “I'll be back soon with some people for you to meet.”
Rafe shrugged off his jacket and hung it across the back of the chair before sitting in one of the velvet-covered seats, pulling Parker down next to him, and soon he had a whisky in hand. “You okay?”
Parker took a big swig from his bottle of beer. “You gotta stop asking me that.”
“But I want to make sure you're okay. I worry about you.”
“Yeah, but asking me all the time just makes me focus on what's got me worried. I'm gonna put on my big boy panties—”
Rafe couldn't help the explosion of laughter. “I'd like to see that,” he said through his chuckling, but suddenly grew serious at the thought of Parker in a skimpy pair of lacy knickers. He tilted his head and studied Parker. “You have panties?”
Parker rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. I'm going to enjoy this beer, and like you said, I will meet a few people, have a bit of a chat. No pressure.”
“That's the attitude.” Rafe grinned.
The club was dimly lit, with candlelight flickering on the tables and wall sconces providing low light around the edges. Beautiful people in gorgeous clothes—no doubt the latest designer outfits—mingled in the VIP area, champagne flutes and crystal tumblers in hand. Once again, Rafe found himself thinking how this type of party was nothing like the kind of party he wouldreallyenjoy. Give him a backyard barbecue or a casual gathering in someone's living room any day. Or even just a simple night out at the pub. Maybe Parker would be more comfortable in that sort of environment too—all this glitz and glamour was totally over the top and unnecessary in Rafe's book. But he understood the importance of schmoozing with industry representatives, especially if they were going to get themselves noticed here in the States, and the execs and the press liked the royal treatment along with the free booze.
A few whiskies down, and Rafe was feeling no pain. Parker looked a lot more relaxed too, although he’d only had the one beer. He had a smile on his face as he nodded and leaned in to chat with Gibbo across the table, obviously commenting on a group nearby. It appeared that people watching was the order of the evening, and Rafe had to admit there were quite a number of people for them to observe, although he himself only had eyes for Parker. Parker scrubbed up a sexy treat. He wore the plain black slim-fit suit they’d purchased together. There hadn’t been time for tailoring, but luckily it fitted well off the rack. They’d paired the suit with an open-neck royal blue silk shirt. The blue played off Parker’s pale skin and rich auburn hair beautifully. They’d chosen well.
He tore his eyes from Parker as Nigel came back to the table and took a seat beside him. “Sheila's gonna bring a couple of the guys from the Bad Boys over to meet you lot soon.”
"Cool." Rafe was looking forward to meeting the band he'd been following for a few years now. He loved their music, but it’d also been hard to avoid hearing about them due to the amount of press they'd got, firstly due to some issues with some of their shows, Rafe assumed from too much partying, but also because one of their members had gotten in trouble with the law. It had then been discovered that the guy had been sick.
“Ah, here she comes now.” Nigel stood, and Rafe followed, getting to his feet as Sheila approached.
“Darlings, I'd like you to meet Rush and Colin from the Bad Boys,” Sheila said, gesturing to the two guys she'd brought over with her.
Rafe thrust out his hand. “Great to meet you. I'm Rafe.”
“I'm Rush, it's awesome to meet you too.”
“And I’m Colin.”
