“Hi, Gen,” the bassist rasped as he stood beside him. “Marc.” He outstretched his hand to her.
“I know who you are.” She smiled.
“Yeah, right.” He showed her that signature panty-dropping grin of his.
“How are you? Did you have a hard time finding us?” Chris asked, already feeling excited about this interaction.
“Not really. You were very specific about the crooked tree.” She giggled. “And since this isn’t my first Burn to Rise festival, I’m familiar with every characteristic spot.”
“Good.” Chris smiled. “Want anything to drink?” He moved to the bags they had resting against the trunk of the tree behind them.
“What do you have?” the blonde asked as she followed.
“Beer, rum… and some Jägermeister.”
Chris mentally snorted. None of them drank that. Well, they sometimes did shots. They mostly carried it around like idiots because Erik had once baptized Leah with it and they found it hilarious to ask Jäger to pour them some of her juice every chance they got. It also became her username on Instagram a little after that. Yeah, yeah, personal jokes that weren’t funny for anyone else but them.Whatever.
“A beer.”
“Right away.”
“Thanks”
“So, you were saying this is not your first Burn to Rise festival?” Marc asked her.
“Yeah. My fourth, actually.” She took a swig of her beer when Chris handed it to her. “I work at this bar downtown that collaborates with the festival’s committee, selling tickets and so on. And I like to mingle with the throngs and the music.” She lifted a shoulder. “It just felt natural for me to come and help here as well.”
“What would you say is your favorite thing about all this craziness ‘cause I bet it’s gotta be tiring for you, too?” Marc continued with the small talk as the three of them sat down.
“Other than the amazing and friendly atmosphere, I’d say meeting some of the artists. You guys are super interesting and have traveled the world so much that you always have the best stories.”
“Is the atmosphere always like this?” He gestured to the crowd several meters in front of them. There were no empty spots left already.
“It’s always kind of crazy, but headliners raise hell like no one else. Especially them.”
“Yeah, these guys are something else.” Marc nodded.
“You know them, right? Like on a personal level.”
“That we do,” Chris answered.
“Are they as humble as they look on their socials? They’re so imposing when you’re around them, I’m not even sure anymore.”
“I’d say they’re pretty down to earth,” Marc told her. “You’ve never talked to them in all these years of attending the festival?”
“Just a couple of hellos and thank yous here and there when I was assisting in the meet and greet tents four years ago, but that was about it. They were working, I was working…” She took another sip of her drink.
“But you talked more to me,” Chris blurted. “Actually mocked me for not knowing how to read that unreadable scribble on the bag with the markers.”
“First, it wasn’t unreadable. And second, you aren’t as…overwhelming.”
“Okay, now I’m offended,” Chris said with a palm on his chest.
She laughed, shaking her head at the obvious fakeness of his response. “I mean it in the best way.”
“What does that even mean?” He chuckled.
“I feel comfortable in your presence.” She offered a cute smile, but the slow batting of lashes that accompanied it promised something else.
