she’s got her friend with her, but I can’t pinpoint her location. And I can’t really take off to go look for her, but you can.”
“Okay. Her friend’s name is Julie, right?” Jake asked. He reluctantly stepped back, getting himself under control. He wasn’t helping Duncan with his freak-out.
“I think so.”
“It is so weird that we know that. All right, I’ll go see if I can find them.” Jake winced as he heard the opening notes of Mizar. It was incredibly loud back there near the side monitor speakers, and he had forgotten to put in his earplugs.
“Here,” Duncan said, grabbing Jake’s arm as the other man turned away. He held out a pair of small plastic cones. “You left these in the dressing room.”
Jake smiled at his friend, sudden affection overwhelming him. “Thanks, man.”
“Anytime. I have to go do my warm-ups now.”
“Okay.” Jake watched Duncan walk off toward the dressing room, the stiffness of his shoulders betraying his anxiety. Jake frowned, knowing that Duncan wished he could go look for Emma, too. Dammit. He wished Duncan could come with him, but there was nothing he could do about it. Duncan needed to run through his vocal warm-up or he wouldn’t be able to sing. Jake ran his hands through his hair one more time then put in the earplugs, sighing with relief as the ear-bursting music faded to a dull throb. He walked to the edge of the stage, stealthily peeking out into the audience. It was difficult to see because of the lighting, but he thought he could make out the first row. Was that Emma? He squinted but still couldn’t tell. He was going to have to go down there. He sighed, frustrated as he fingered the two backstage passes he’d arranged to have made earlier. He didn’t want to go into the crowd because he was afraid he’d be recognized. Maybe if he put on a hat? He wandered backstage, intent on finding Amanda, Duncan’s makeup artist, costume designer, and all around fixer-upper. She would be able to help.
* * * *
Emma tapped her foot to the beat and watched Julie dancing. She didn’t expect to enjoy the opening act, but they were good. She looked at the stage, wondering what all the stuff covered with black fabric was going to turn into when Duncan began performing. She knew that the headliner usually put on a much more elaborate show, but she hadn’t been to enough concerts to truly anticipate what was going to happen. She tried to relax, reminding herself that there was nothing to fear. She knew from her dreams and her newfound mental landscape that both Jake and Duncan were really nice guys. She could also feel their anxiety in the back of her head, tickling at her emotions. That should have made her calmer, knowing that these two incredibly successful men were nervous about meeting her, but it only made her apprehension more vivid. What if they didn’t like her in person? What if she looked completely stupid and frumpy next to rock star Duncan? She shook her head, catching Julie’s concerned frown. Emma smiled at her friend, and then the music stopped. The deafening cheers of the crowd swamped them for a few minutes before the lights came back on and people started filtering out towards the refreshment stands during the intermission. Emma sat down, enjoying a brief respite from the craziness that was a rock concert.
“Wow, Mizar was really good.” Julie smiled at Emma.
Emma nodded as she removed her earplugs. “I didn’t expect to like them.”
“Well, wait until you hear Duncan sing live.” Julie sat down and took a sip of her water. “His voice is amazing. I have never heard a guy hit the kinds of notes he does. And you know what’s even more incredible?” Emma shook her head, bemused by her friend’s enthusiasm. “He not only sings really high notes, his lower register is ridiculously good. It’s incredibly sexy,” Julie said. She put her drink down carefully so that the open bottle wouldn’t spill.
“I looked him up on the web
“Okay. Her friend’s name is Julie, right?” Jake asked. He reluctantly stepped back, getting himself under control. He wasn’t helping Duncan with his freak-out.
“I think so.”
“It is so weird that we know that. All right, I’ll go see if I can find them.” Jake winced as he heard the opening notes of Mizar. It was incredibly loud back there near the side monitor speakers, and he had forgotten to put in his earplugs.
“Here,” Duncan said, grabbing Jake’s arm as the other man turned away. He held out a pair of small plastic cones. “You left these in the dressing room.”
Jake smiled at his friend, sudden affection overwhelming him. “Thanks, man.”
“Anytime. I have to go do my warm-ups now.”
“Okay.” Jake watched Duncan walk off toward the dressing room, the stiffness of his shoulders betraying his anxiety. Jake frowned, knowing that Duncan wished he could go look for Emma, too. Dammit. He wished Duncan could come with him, but there was nothing he could do about it. Duncan needed to run through his vocal warm-up or he wouldn’t be able to sing. Jake ran his hands through his hair one more time then put in the earplugs, sighing with relief as the ear-bursting music faded to a dull throb. He walked to the edge of the stage, stealthily peeking out into the audience. It was difficult to see because of the lighting, but he thought he could make out the first row. Was that Emma? He squinted but still couldn’t tell. He was going to have to go down there. He sighed, frustrated as he fingered the two backstage passes he’d arranged to have made earlier. He didn’t want to go into the crowd because he was afraid he’d be recognized. Maybe if he put on a hat? He wandered backstage, intent on finding Amanda, Duncan’s makeup artist, costume designer, and all around fixer-upper. She would be able to help.
* * * *
Emma tapped her foot to the beat and watched Julie dancing. She didn’t expect to enjoy the opening act, but they were good. She looked at the stage, wondering what all the stuff covered with black fabric was going to turn into when Duncan began performing. She knew that the headliner usually put on a much more elaborate show, but she hadn’t been to enough concerts to truly anticipate what was going to happen. She tried to relax, reminding herself that there was nothing to fear. She knew from her dreams and her newfound mental landscape that both Jake and Duncan were really nice guys. She could also feel their anxiety in the back of her head, tickling at her emotions. That should have made her calmer, knowing that these two incredibly successful men were nervous about meeting her, but it only made her apprehension more vivid. What if they didn’t like her in person? What if she looked completely stupid and frumpy next to rock star Duncan? She shook her head, catching Julie’s concerned frown. Emma smiled at her friend, and then the music stopped. The deafening cheers of the crowd swamped them for a few minutes before the lights came back on and people started filtering out towards the refreshment stands during the intermission. Emma sat down, enjoying a brief respite from the craziness that was a rock concert.
“Wow, Mizar was really good.” Julie smiled at Emma.
Emma nodded as she removed her earplugs. “I didn’t expect to like them.”
“Well, wait until you hear Duncan sing live.” Julie sat down and took a sip of her water. “His voice is amazing. I have never heard a guy hit the kinds of notes he does. And you know what’s even more incredible?” Emma shook her head, bemused by her friend’s enthusiasm. “He not only sings really high notes, his lower register is ridiculously good. It’s incredibly sexy,” Julie said. She put her drink down carefully so that the open bottle wouldn’t spill.
“I looked him up on the web
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