Mia and listen to her squeal with delight again.
Mia and I enter the room behind Jake and stumble slightly. Right inside the door are about a dozen girls. Not girls, really. Probably more like groupies. Half-dressed groupies who are already drinking and dancing to music playing. Beyond them, are a small clusters of reporters holding their notebooks and cameras. They arch their necks slightly as we come in, and go back to minding their own business once they realize we’re completely insignificant. The rest of the people in the room look as awed as Mia and I do, probably fans just like we are, anxious to meet their favorite musician. It’s overwhelming, slightly, to be in a room with so many people who have come to see the guy I spent so many hours with last night. The guy who seems so normal when he’s not on stage.
“Is it like this every night?” I ask Jake in awe. Several women instantly notice him and begin walking our way like they have finally found their prize for the night.
He laughs softly and runs his fingers through his long hair. “Yeah…sometimes. Some nights there’s a lot more people.”
I grab a bottled water from the bar and turn to Mia. She smiles - that same mischievous smile from the previous night.
“What?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.
“Seriously? I’m only going to say this one more time. Zack Walters totally wants you. I’m just…in awe. Truly.”
“Whatever.” I look out at the room towards all the women and men who are standing around anxiously waiting to see Zack. I wonder if their palms are sweating and their hearts are beating as badly as mine currently are.
“Listen, I know you’re totally out of touch with dating, and anything to do with flirting, and I know it’s been like years since you’ve even had to think about that kind of stuff. But he could barely keep his eyes off of you when he was on stage tonight.”
The squeals from the groupies increase ten-fold. I don’t have to turn towards the door to know Zack has entered. But I look anyway, and as I watch women clamoring for his attention, I wish I hadn’t. Something twists in my stomach as I watch the scene unfold. Jealousy? Surely not. I shake the thought away.
To my amazement, he is watching me. He glances at a few women who are in between us and I can tell from the way his mouth moves he’s thanking them for coming. But for the most part, he politely pushes them off while still moving towards us, and stops only to sign some autographs and answer a few questions from the reporters. It takes him ten minutes to reach us through the crowd in the small room. I watch him the entire time.
He reaches us and frowns at Jake standing behind me. “Don’t be a douche, man,” he says to him.
I look at Jake who throws his hands up in an innocent gesture. “Find a new line,” he says with a wink and starts laughing.
Zack shakes his head. “No. It’s a good line,” he says and then smiles that grin that I’m really starting to like…a lot. I wish I knew what they were talking about.
“So?” He asks as he turns to Mia and me. “What’d you think?”
“I had an absolute blast.” I smile at him and take a sip of water .
Zack rubs his hand through his hair looking almost embarrassed, but replaces it quickly with a smile a little bit wicked. “I knew you would.”
“Cocky, much?” I ask.
“Just confident.”
I laugh. Of course he’s cocky, or confident, or whatever you want to call it. He commands attention when he’s on the stage and his musical ability is amazing. "It was awesome, really. We've had a great night."
“Want to go sit down?” I follow him over to a leather couch in the corner. Jake and Garrett are also there, sitting on another couch. I look around and notice Mia and Chase sitting in a quiet corner talking close together.
We’re in the middle of talking about one of my favorite songs when I’m introduced to Zack’s manager, Aaron.
After introductions, Aaron turns to Zack. “There’s a local politican’s daughter here for your autograph. I want to make sure you didn’t forget her before she leaves.”
My hands grip my bottled water so severely I think I might break it. I look down and see that they’re also completely white, and shaking severely. She can’t be here…she can’t be