Mia bites back a laugh. “Explains so much.”
I clap my hands once. “Okay, boys. We’re here to support Sloane.”
“And accidentally embarrass her,” Mason adds.
I point at him. “Say that again and you’re sitting in the car.”
He holds up both hands. “Kidding. Fully kidding.”
Empty containers get tossed. Lids snap shut. Someone argues about who stole the last garlic knot. A few guys pitch in without being asked, stacking boxes, wiping the table with napkins, making it a quick team effort before we head out.
Mia bounces on her toes beside Eli. “I can’t believe she’s playing a full set tonight. We saw her when she was doing open mics for free drinks.”
“She was terrified,” Eli says fondly. “Hands shaking the whole time.”
“And still incredible,” Mia adds. “I’m going to cry.”
I glance at my phone as it buzzes. “Rides are here. Let’s go.”
Then we pile into the rideshare bus because that’s how we roll.
Dex insists on aux privileges and is immediately vetoed.
***
By the time we reach the venue, I’m grinning like an idiot, already amped for a night out, and getting to see Sloane in her element.
The place is alive.
Neon lights spill onto the sidewalk. Music pulses through the walls. A line wraps around the building, full of people dressed cooler than us.
We stick out instantly.
We’re huge.
We block half the sidewalk.
Someone asks if we’re security.
Dex nods. “Yes.”
I text Sloane that we’re outside in line. A minute later, someone from the venue appears and waves us forward like we actually belong here. I grab Dex by the back of his jacket and drag him inside before he can cause an incident.
The theater is small and intimate, the kind of place where every sound feels close and personal.
Mia grips Eli’s arm. “This is exactly like the first place we saw her.”
Eli smiles. “Except now she’s headlining.”
And then I see her.
Sloane stands near the sound booth, headset on, papers in hand, talking quickly to someone who immediately nods and rushes off.
Focused.
Confident.
In control.
