after—” Emma blushed as she stumbled over her words. Julie raised an eyebrow suggestively, and Emma rolled her eyes. “Well, after the dreams and stuff. I mean, I have his first album because I like his music, but I never saw any interviews or live performances. He’s really good.”
“Good? That’s all you have to say?” Julie laughed. “I lent you his new album last week. What did you think of that?”
Emma didn’t respond right away, shifting in her seat and hunting for the lip balm in her purse. How did she explain the sense of arousal she felt every time she heard his voice? To be honest, she was a little afraid of how she was going to react when she saw him on stage. She loved the album. Maybe too much. She found her lip balm and uncapped it, taking her time rubbing the minty moisturizer onto her lips. Julie watched her impatiently. After she tossed it back in her purse, Emma felt a bit more put together. “I really love it, actually.”
Julie whooped. “I knew it! I knew you’d love it.”
“Well, I’d heard some songs from the radio, so I knew I’d like it.” Emma shifted in her seat again, suddenly inexplicably anxious. She felt itchy, as though her skin was too tight. Did she eat something weird? She stood up, trying to stretch. Maybe she was just cooped up from being squished into one place too long. “Listen, Julie, I’m going to go to the bathroom and maybe get something to eat. You want to come with me?”
“Sure. I could use a pretzel.” They stood and squeezed down the row, trying not to step on anyone. When they reached the hallway, it was still so crowded that Emma felt like the walls were closing in on her.
“Where’s the bathroom?” she asked Julie.
“I think it’s that way.” Julie pointed. “I’m going to get in line for a pretzel.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you back at the seats.” Julie nodded as Emma shoved her way down the passage to a less crowded spot. She didn’t really need to use the restroom. She just wanted a moment to breathe. After about ten minutes of standing alone, she felt marginally better, though her skin still prickled. Oh, well , she thought, must be the heat and stress . She made her way back to the seats but had to pause by a pile of equipment at the edge of the stage because the crowd was too thick to get through. Too many people all trying to get to different places, she figured, waiting patiently near one of the venue’s security men. She leaned against the railing that separated the stage from the audience, ignoring the guard’s curious look. He turned away, scanning the crowd for trouble, then Emma noticed his eyes widening a fraction. What was happening? she wondered just as she caught him nodding. He turned toward her.
“Are you Emma?” the big man asked in a deceptively soft voice. Emma’s heart began pounding. How did he know her name? She nodded and he smiled. “Could you please come here for a moment?” He slid the barrier back to create a small space that she could squeeze her body through. She looked at him, wondering if she should trust him, then realized that she could feel Jake in her mind, silently urging her on. She blushed and hurried toward the opening, trying to get control of herself. Did Jake know where she was?
“Just down here, miss.” The guard guided her a short way around the edge of the stage. When he stopped, she could see a small space between the large speakers that lead underneath the stage. At the man’s hand motion, she slipped in and abruptly came face to face with Jake Mackenzie. Emma stopped breathing.
* * * *
After trying and failing to find Emma during Mizar’s performance, Jake felt like hitting something. He could feel her, Duncan could feel her, but he couldn’t find her. It was driving him crazy. He felt jumpy and desperate. Finally, he stopped near the edge of the stage, protected from the crowd’s view by the enormous speakers and the security fencing. He peered out, careful to keep
“Good? That’s all you have to say?” Julie laughed. “I lent you his new album last week. What did you think of that?”
Emma didn’t respond right away, shifting in her seat and hunting for the lip balm in her purse. How did she explain the sense of arousal she felt every time she heard his voice? To be honest, she was a little afraid of how she was going to react when she saw him on stage. She loved the album. Maybe too much. She found her lip balm and uncapped it, taking her time rubbing the minty moisturizer onto her lips. Julie watched her impatiently. After she tossed it back in her purse, Emma felt a bit more put together. “I really love it, actually.”
Julie whooped. “I knew it! I knew you’d love it.”
“Well, I’d heard some songs from the radio, so I knew I’d like it.” Emma shifted in her seat again, suddenly inexplicably anxious. She felt itchy, as though her skin was too tight. Did she eat something weird? She stood up, trying to stretch. Maybe she was just cooped up from being squished into one place too long. “Listen, Julie, I’m going to go to the bathroom and maybe get something to eat. You want to come with me?”
“Sure. I could use a pretzel.” They stood and squeezed down the row, trying not to step on anyone. When they reached the hallway, it was still so crowded that Emma felt like the walls were closing in on her.
“Where’s the bathroom?” she asked Julie.
“I think it’s that way.” Julie pointed. “I’m going to get in line for a pretzel.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you back at the seats.” Julie nodded as Emma shoved her way down the passage to a less crowded spot. She didn’t really need to use the restroom. She just wanted a moment to breathe. After about ten minutes of standing alone, she felt marginally better, though her skin still prickled. Oh, well , she thought, must be the heat and stress . She made her way back to the seats but had to pause by a pile of equipment at the edge of the stage because the crowd was too thick to get through. Too many people all trying to get to different places, she figured, waiting patiently near one of the venue’s security men. She leaned against the railing that separated the stage from the audience, ignoring the guard’s curious look. He turned away, scanning the crowd for trouble, then Emma noticed his eyes widening a fraction. What was happening? she wondered just as she caught him nodding. He turned toward her.
“Are you Emma?” the big man asked in a deceptively soft voice. Emma’s heart began pounding. How did he know her name? She nodded and he smiled. “Could you please come here for a moment?” He slid the barrier back to create a small space that she could squeeze her body through. She looked at him, wondering if she should trust him, then realized that she could feel Jake in her mind, silently urging her on. She blushed and hurried toward the opening, trying to get control of herself. Did Jake know where she was?
“Just down here, miss.” The guard guided her a short way around the edge of the stage. When he stopped, she could see a small space between the large speakers that lead underneath the stage. At the man’s hand motion, she slipped in and abruptly came face to face with Jake Mackenzie. Emma stopped breathing.
* * * *
After trying and failing to find Emma during Mizar’s performance, Jake felt like hitting something. He could feel her, Duncan could feel her, but he couldn’t find her. It was driving him crazy. He felt jumpy and desperate. Finally, he stopped near the edge of the stage, protected from the crowd’s view by the enormous speakers and the security fencing. He peered out, careful to keep
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