Because if I mess up?
Then I might actually give them a reason to fire me.
***
I’m riding a high.
The crowd’s thinned out, the music has faded into a low, almost ambient instrumental, and I’m finishing up the pack-down with the rest of the crew. The girls are off with Luke, holed up in the Red Rocks Music Hall of Fame for a VIP meet and greet with a handful of ticket winners.
Tonight was a win.
No doubt about it.
The audience ate it up—every beat, every lyric, every moment. But how could they not? The girls radiate confidence on stage. They own every second, demand your attention, and then hold it in the palm of their hand. It’s magnetic.
My skin still tingles with the aftershocks of it all. The electricity of the show, the raw power of the crowd, the open sky above us, it’s not something I’ll forget anytime soon. First time I’ve ever worked a concert literally carved into a mountain range. And damn if I’m not glad I got to witness it.
Suddenly, a chorus of whistles and cheers breaks the stillness. I turn to see the girls and Luke striding toward us, beaming with post-show adrenaline.
“Whoa, you girls were on fire tonight! This Colorado air agrees with you,” Jay calls out, stepping up and delivering a hard slap to Kristy’s ass. The echo of it pops into the night air.
“Why, thank you, Jay,” Kristy purrs, leaning in close like she’s going to kiss him. “You’re looking mighty hot yourself.”
He closes his eyes, puckers up…
And she dodges at the last second, leaving him hanging and stumbling forward.
Laughter erupts around us.
“Soon, Kristy… soon, my love,” he says dramatically, clutching his chest.
Kristy turns, flashes him a cheeky smile, and throws up a heart sign with her hands before walking off. Jay blows her a kiss, and she catches it with a grin and keeps moving.
“He’s gonna end up being one of those guys who mysteriously appears naked in your bed one day,” Casey mutters.
Tank nods, deadpan. “Yeah, don’t give him ideas. He would.”
Effa walks up to me while the others begin to scatter. My gaze lands on her immediately. She’s radiant and still glowing from the performance.
“Hey,” I say, reaching for her hands and curling them into mine.
She smiles, and warmth shoots from her palms straight into my chest like a shot of whiskey. “Hey, you. The lighting was stunning tonight, absolutely perfect.”
“You made it easy. I had the best view in the house.”
She giggles and nudges me. “Smooth talker. Now come with me, I need to wind down.”
Before I can ask, she tugs my hand and starts pulling me toward the giant rock formation just behind the stage area.
“Effa, I’m all for hanging out,” I say, slowing my steps. “But I need to help the guys finish up—”
Instant regret.
She stops, spinning to face me with raised brows. “Mercs, I love that you’re dedicated. It’s sexy… really. But Tank can handle one night without you. Right?”
I sigh, already caving. “Yeah, he knows what he’s doing.”
She bounces on her toes. “Great! Because it’s late, the stars are out, there’s not a cloud in the sky, and I want to climb some rocks.”
