One Kiss from the King of Rock (The One 2)

She sat upright. “It’s not who you know.”

He could sidle over, but maybe giving her space was a more considerate way of getting her lips. “I saw you on the stage down there from the array line.”

“Amateur hour to get into a fight with your dad in front of people who are supposed to help us look and sound good.”

He twisted to face her. “Okay, I didn’t see that bit.”

“He wasn’t going to throw me off the stage, the dirtbag.”

“What?”

“Isaac. He’s excited bordering on terrified. We all are. A stadium show is a big deal for Lost Property.”

“I didn’t see that bit either.” He circled a finger. Rewind. “Go back to the fight part.” In their own way, the Tice boys worshiped Evie. It was unfortunate that part of their own way was never to let on about that, but a fight with Errol was something to be concerned about.

“Tell me what you did see first,” she said.

“You, looking like you were measuring the place up to see how it’d fit you.”

She snorted. “Imagine that.”

He didn’t buy the brush-off. “Did you?”

Evie grinned. A private smile that wasn’t for him, like she’d slipped back to that moment and was reliving it, enjoying it. Her eyes were down on her lap, but whatever she was seeing was far more interesting than her blacked-out phone screen with the little Tice Social logo and a massive message count glowing on it.

“Want to slide over here and tell me about it?” he said, patting the seat beside him. Desperado.

“What, sorry? Oh, that.” There was no sidling. “It’s so different to the theater and festival venues my bands play. It’s wild how much confidence you need to stand there and know you’re responsible for thousands and thousands of people enjoying themselves and do it every night for weeks.” Her eyes met his. “You are something else, Jay.”

If he sidled now, it could look like he was asking for more compliments. “It’s a skill you learn. I had to. Start small, work up to it.” Evie could do that if she wanted it badly enough.

“That’s what Errol said.” She gave him side-eye. “I stood on a blank stage and faced an empty stadium and I could feel the immensity of it.” She put her hand to her chest. “Fear and power. It’s a potent combo.”

There was nothing like it. Superhero-level adrenaline high for hours afterwards. It still scared him. Wasn’t unheard of for him to vomit before going on stage and again when he came off. Once he’d blanked out up there, forgot lyrics, forgot what city he was in. It was funny and a heart attack at the same time. It was only a momentary lapse that he’d recovered from, but it’d felt like he was outside his body looking at himself on stage and thinking how absurd the whole thing was. Remembering that made his stomach lurch.

While the site inspection was a laid-back affair, tech rehearsals and sound checks over the next two days would test his calm. He had a knack for looking like he was unaffected by the stress of his life most of the time, but he’d barely sleep, have trouble eating and retreat to a moody silence until after that first show. He needed to tell Evie so he didn’t spook her.

She was looking at the stage. “For a few seconds, I pretended I could handle the sound and fury of that kind of fame.” She turned a pensive look his way. “It’d be terrifying.” She shook her head and patted the seat beside her. “I’d probably love it.”

The world would probably love her, but not as much as Jay did. He moved into the seat beside her, trying not to grimace at the fact they now sat in N and O.

She leaned into his side. “I told Errol he and I are not good with each other because of what he did to you and me.”

“How did he take that?” He smoothed her hair behind her ear, so he could get to her piercing.

“Did a good imitation of all the variants of gray in a Dulux paint chart. He thought you told me what he did. I’m guessing you already had it out with him.”

Oh shit. “I promised I wouldn’t tell you. I hoped he’d talk to you himself.”

She shifted, bending forward to rest her elbows on her thighs. “I don’t know how that makes me feel. Conspired against. Again.”

He put his fingertips to her back, hoping she wouldn’t flinch away. “I’d never conspire against you, least of all with Errol. It wasn’t for me to tell you what he did.”

“I should be furious with you about that, but I get the point.” Evie’s weight against his hand was a relief. “There’s no way I’d have listened to you if you’d led with blaming my dad.” She threw her leg over his and hell, that was promising. “I was going to lead with something else now that we’re up here in the clouds,” she said.

He put his lips to the shell of her ear. “I’m your most devoted follower.”

She shivered and shifted, sliding into his lap and laying her head against his shoulder. “I like the sound of that.”