Read Online Front Man by Adora Bell - Free Book Online Page B

getting
more attention than him.
    “Look, Jack, I
know you two don't see eye to eye on a lot of things, but I actually
agree with Mikey this time round. We want to play new stuff, sure,
but you've got to throw some of your hits in there, that's what the
fans want. So we've put 'Back Track' in at the end of the set, just
before the encore.”
    “For fuck's
sake Jared, we've talked about this! I don't want to sing that
goddamn song!”
    “But Jack-”
    “I said fucking
no, okay? I just...I can't handle that. Not right now.”
    Jack looked Jared
straight in the face, mentally pleading with him to understand. To
let it go, just this once. But for all his excellent qualities, Jared
was no mind reader.
    “We've already
agreed on it Jacky boy...come on, do it for me?”
    His wheedling tone
set Jack's teeth on edge, and his temper flared.
    “Just get the
fuck out, Jared! Fuck off and leave me the hell alone!” He
snapped. Holding his hands up in supplication, Jared backed out of
the dressing room. Shit, Jack thought, looking at himself in the
mirror, I can be a real asshole when I want to be.
    “Can you see a
parking spot anywhere?” Erica said, peering into the gloom
outside the car window.

    ***

    Sara squinted,
searching for a space between the rows and rows of vehicles. Just
then, a black SUV reversed out of a spot a couple of rows down, and
Erica raced towards it before it got stolen. The girls jumped out of
the car, jackets held over their heads to protect their hair from the
drizzle, and ran towards the stadium entrance. As they rounded the
corner, Sara caught her breath. The line up at the door was enormous,
a great crowd of people snaking round the block. Gaggles of teenage
girls in band t-shirts batted their eyelashes at older guys with
tattoos and piercings. There were a few middle aged couples, too,
looking a tiny bit nervous amongst the rabble; Compass attracted a
diverse fan base with their entrancing sound. Sara had even caught
her Mum singing along when she played them in the car.
    “Oh look,
that's where we need to be,” Erica shouted over the din,
pointing up to a sign that read 'VIP Entrance. The much smaller door
had no line-up , but was guarded by three
burly doormen in black suits. They looked sternly at the girls as
they hurried towards them.
    “Line starts
over their ladies,” one of them said gruffly. Erica rummaged in
her bag for their passes, and held them out. The head bouncer shone
his torch on them, checking the fine print; did people actually try
to fake these things, Sara wondered?
    “Lucky prize
winners, ey?” The bouncer said, finally cracking a smile, “I
guess you'd better come on through. The bar's open at the side of the
stage, or you can go hang out in the lounge until the music starts.”
    “Thanks so
much,” Erica gushed, and the doorman chuckled. “Just you
have fun tonight ladies.”
    Sara grabbed Erica's
hand and gave it an excited squeeze as they passed through the
corridor, and into the brave new world of the VIP section.
    Beers in hand, the
girls wound their way through the crowds of people until they were
right at the side of the stage. Sara took another sip of her drink.
Between the lights and the mass of writhing bodies , it was hot as
hell. The warm up act had been better than Sara was expecting; she
might even look up their latest album. But now it was time for the
main event. Sara felt another little shiver of excitement in the pit
of her stomach. Not only was she about to see Compass live, but she
would be only inches from Jack Carter the entire time. Suddenly the
lights dimmed. Erica reached over and squeezed her arm, and they
grinned at each other.

    ***

    “And now,
ladies and gentleman, the moment you have all been waiting for.
Please give a very warm welcome to COMPASS!” The end of the
announcement was drowned out as a scream went up from the audience.
Jack felt his stomach lurch. Frozen at the side of the stage, he
could picture the crowd, their