The Bad Boy Wants Me

She seems to burst a gut at this statement. ‘Really, Cash! I have enough on my plate without this bullshit. You know the rules. No one other than the artists, make-up team, and management are allowed in the dressing rooms one hour before the show starts.’

She is talking to Cash but her eyes are focused on me and clearly the irritation on her face is all for me.

Cash looks like a thundercloud and I sense she has pricked his pride a little too much and he is about to let rip.

‘I’m off,’ Gavin says to no one, and hastily leaves the room.

‘Come on, Brit. Let’s go get comfortable in our front row seats,’ I say, hoping to defuse the explosive situation by making a quick exit. After everything Cash has done for us, the last thing I want to do is cause a scene just before he goes on stage.

‘Have Sean come and show the girls to their seats,’ Cash tells Octavia coldly.

She speaks on her walkie-talkie and no sooner has she finished speaking when there is a knock on the door. It is a young man who must have been in the corridor. As he takes us out, I hear Cash say, ‘Not so fast, Octavia. I want a word with you.’

Chapter Thirty-two

Cash

‘I’ve got a million things to do. So this better be good.’ Octavia gives me a ferocious look, but that’s not going to fucking wash with me. Not when my blood is boiling.

‘I think you may have misinterpreted the job of band manager, so let me spell it out for you. You get to organize, arrange, and book everything that involves this band. Recording, publicity interviews, live tours, parties, and hotels. What you don’t get to do is talk to me in that bullshit condescending way you just did. I can tell you now, the next time you do it will be the fucking last time. You’re out on your ear,’ I tell her.

She licks her lips and looks at the makeup girl who pretends to be very busy cleaning her brushes. ‘Look, Cash. I’m just trying to do what’s best for the band, OK? Sometimes I’m a little rough around the edges, but it’s my high standards that have brought this band to where it is today.’

I fold my arms across my chest and stare at her with raised eyebrows.

‘I’m sorry I spoke to you in that way,’ she says with a forced smile.

‘Apology accepted.’

She widens her smile. ‘The most important thing now is that you guys go out there and slay them.’

‘We’re on the same page there.’

‘OK, great. I’ve got a couple of things to sort out, I’ll see all of you before you go on.’ She puts her hand on the handle and turns it.

‘Oh, one more thing. Don’t take that bitchy tone with Tori again or you’ll be looking for a new band to manage.’

She is not quick enough to conceal the hatred that crosses her face at the mention of Tori’s name. Why she should hate her so much is a mystery to me. She’s never hated any of the other girls I’ve been with. She nods once tightly and walks out of the door.

After she is gone, the makeup girl moves forward with her container of foundation. I stare at my reflection in the mirror and think of Tori. Fuck, she knocked me for six when she came through the door in that dress. Hell, I wanted to slam her against the wall and take her there and then. Just thinking about it makes me hard.

The only problem is, I was not the only one lusting after her.

I saw something in Gav’s eyes that made my blood boil. I’ve already warned him off once so I hope it’s not what I think it is. He fucking knows better than to try it on with Tori. Challenge me and fuck with what’s mine and you’re on a collision course, dude. Sooner or later I’ll meet you head on and it ain’t going to be pretty.

‘Look down please,’ the girl instructs.

I drop my eyes and she starts painting black eyeliner on my eyelids.

I divert my attention to the only thing that matters right now. Pleasure. I’m going to give that tight, sweet, eager, little pussy all it can handle.

Chapter Thirty-three

Tori

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgFyi74DVjc

Written In The Stars

‘Shit. I’ve never seen Octavia act that way. What a witch. She had no right to make us leave. The cheek of it. I’m his sister for God’s sake,’ Britney grumbles furiously as we make our way to our seats. ‘Bloody hell, she wouldn’t even have a job if not for my brother.’

‘Look,’ I say, ‘I wanted to slap her too, but Cash has taken so much trouble to organize everything for us that the last thing I wanted to do was cause a scene just before he went on stage.’

‘But Cash wanted us to stay,’ she insists.

‘I know he did, but does it really matter in the bigger scheme of things? You’ve had an amazing time so far and it can only get better. Remember the twin with dung?’

She grins. ‘You’re right. We’ll have a wonderful time.’

Cash was spot on, we have one of the best vantage points in this arena reserved entirely for us, and Sean has arranged for drinks and snacks to be brought to us as well. The excitement is mounting in the stadium and everyone is full of expectancy and energy as the time moves closer to the band’s appearance. Eventually the entire audience of more than 15,000 people is chanting for the band.

The chanting stops and the crowd erupts into a loud roar of excitement as five figures, more shadow than real, saunter out on to the darkened stage. Flashbombs explode around them as the driving beat of the band starts and stage lights bathe the band in a breathtaking kaleidoscope of fast moving color. Huge screens surrounding the arena catch every move they make.

‘Bonasera Milano,’ Cash shouts, his hand lifted high above his head.

The fans scream the greeting back to him, and the air literally vibrates.

‘Are you ready to get down and dirty?’ he asks.

The applause and shouts of si is instant and deafening.

Gavin says something to the audience too, but I don’t hear it because Cash is looking directly at me. My heart stops beating. I can’t move. I just stand there transfixed and staring until he winks and turns away from me. I watch him energetically run to the other end of the stage as the intro to the first number, Let’s Hang Out, starts playing. The crowd goes crazy. Cash’s deep rich voice sparks more wild screaming.

Britney, like most of the fans, has jumped to her feet clapping, cheering, and dancing to the beat. The atmosphere is so electric with the throbbing of the powerful beat and the grinding of all the people below that it is infectious and I find my body reacting to the vibe too.

I remember that first time in Atlanta being there right in the heart of the energy and how good I felt, seeing Cash up on that stage, so close but so unobtainable. Now here I am with a VIP seat right at the front of the stage and he’s just as gorgeous as ever, but this time around he’s mine.

At least for tonight.

I look around at the sea of young girls swaying to the beat and filled with wild excitement at the sight of these handsome, virile young men and for the first time I understand what it must be like for these performers. Out on that stage they are larger than life. Heroes. Buzzed up with alcohol and out of control hormones, they look out across the arena at the adoring fans and see prey.

Although the band members are all handsome and have good voices, Cash has that something extra. He exudes confidence, presence and raw sex appeal. He’s also the most gorgeous. Hearing Cash’s name being screamed by so many beautiful girls makes me slightly insecure and I have to remind myself it’s me he has chosen to be with him tonight.

For one hour the band struts and performs dance moves with seemingly unlimited energy, lapping up all the love coming from their fans, as hit song after song reverberates across the packed arena. Britney is still boogieing next to me, trying to encourage me to join in using various facial expressions, but the heat all around is so intense I have to sit to cool down a little.

Then it is time for the finale and Tinie Tempah dressed all in black with a red jacket joins the band on stage. To Britney’s

delight Tinie wishes her a happy birthday. I look at her with a grin and she is red with exertion, pleasure and excitement.

A girl brings some boxes to the stage. The band members take the boxes and sit with their backs turned away from the audience. When they turn around they are all wearing red shoes that match Tinie’s red jacket. Together they sing Written in the Stars and I feel the song in my bones. Like the lyrics of the song seasons come and go but I will never change. My love for Cash is written in the stars.

Afterwards they all do Dizzee Rascal’s famous jump routine and the crowd becomes an enormous heaving mass of people jumping up and down while they scream, ‘Jump, jump, jump.’

Panting, the band announces how much they love their audience and thanks them all. ‘Grazie a tutti. See you all next year,’ the guys say before the notes for their biggest hit ring out. The Girl Who Can’t Say No. For the chorus the band lets the audience sing the words.

Two encores later, the crowd is clapping persistently, begging for more, but the guys say their final farewell. ‘Buona notte Milan.’ They bow in formation and run off the stage.

Even as they disappear from view Sean is already there to fetch us back to the dressing room. The cool air along the dressing room corridor hits my face and I welcome it after the steamy atmosphere in the arena. Britney is still buzzing and smiling happily when a boy with red hair and freckles comes up to us.