I nod and give him a reassuring smile. “Go. I’m all good.”
“Okay, sweetheart. I’ll see you backstage after the concert,” he promises before jogging to where the lighting tech is waiting for him.
I watch him for a little while. He seems to have a lot of control over how the concert will run, and I’ve gotten the impression he takes charge of the band a lot. So far, though, I haven’t seen any evidence of that being an issue for anyone. They seem to naturally defer to him when a decision needs to be made. I like his take-charge attitude, but the thing I like about it the most is he leads rather than controls. There’s nothing worse than being told what to do with little regard for what you want.
***
A couple of hours later, I’m fully into the swing of this. The concert is packed and the energy is electric. Jett and the guys know how to deliver a show, that’s for sure. And their fans eat it up. They love the band in a way I’ve never seen before. I’ve been to a lot of concerts, but Crave draws the crowd in and makes them feel like old friends. And their music is amazing. I can’t believe I’ve never heard it before. I really do need to get out more.
I started off a little rocky, but I quickly worked out what I was doing. After spending some time watching each band member and learning their idiosyncrasies, I worked out the best shots to aim for. Jett has this way of leaning away from the mic during pauses in songs, so I’ve managed to capture that pretty well, I think. Van is the lead guitarist, and he and Jett have this chemistry on stage that creates some great photo ops. I’ve been able to capture their dynamic really well, and I can’t wait to see how the photos turn out. And then there’s Hunter on the drums and West on rhythm guitar. I got some great shots of the both of them, too, and I’m quietly confident all my photos will turn out well and the guys will be happy with them.
As they wrap the concert up, I take in their fans. It’s pretty clear they’ve loved every minute of it, but at the same time are disappointed it’s over. I can relate for a couple of reasons. Number one, I think I’ve fallen in love with photography all over again, and I could keep going for hours. And number two, there’s a backstage party after the concert, and I really don’t want to go. Hanging out with groupies is the last thing I want to do.
Chapter Five
Presley
Me: I kicked ass.
Michael: Knew you fucking would. Thank god my ass is spared.
Me: No your ass is still on the line because now I’m at the after party and these people are nearly as bad as those fucking models I hate.
Michael: Leaving town now...
“What are you laughing at?” Jett asks as he comes up behind me and slides his hands around my waist. They settle on my stomach, and I look down taking that sight in. I like it. A lot.
“I wasn’t laughing.”
His chin rests on my shoulder and his warm breath feathers against my neck as he speaks, causing a new rush of desire to pool in my stomach. “Not on the outside, but I can tell that something has amused you,” he says.
I debate whether to be honest with him and then think to hell with it. I’ve never censored myself for anyone before, so why start now? “I was just texting my agent and told him I am going to kick his ass for this job.”
“You didn’t enjoy it?”
“No, I did enjoy it. I just don’t care much for the people at your after party. I told him they’re almost as bad as the models I’ve been subjected to for years.”
A voice booms from beside me. “Oh yeah, they are.” It’s West. “I totally agree with you there, babe.” I remember the day I met him at the airport. He flirted with me enough to piss Jett off, but even then, I could tell he was only doing it to rile Jett up. I don’t know him, but West seems to care for Jett a lot.
Jett’s hands tighten around my waist, and he pulls me closer to him. “Don’t you have a groupie to entertain, West?” His voice is deep and growly as he asks this, and I can feel his body has tensed up.
“Calm the fuck down, dude. I’m not after your woman, but she’s cool to talk to. You think you can handle it if I just talk to her for a bit?”
I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing, and West winks at me.
Jett straightens and he repositions me so I’m pulled tight against his side, his hand firm around my waist. “Yeah, I can handle you talking to her, but seriously, take your fucking eyes off her body.”
West shakes his head and pins Jett with a glare. “You’ve never cared before.”
“Yeah, well I care now.”
They glare at each other for a few moments and then a scantily-clad woman sidles up to West. She gives me a filthy look as she puts her arm around him. “West, you said you wouldn’t be long, but you’ve been gone for ages. Are you coming back now?” Her voice has that breathy, sexpot tone to it, and I take an instant dislike to her. I don’t care what anyone says, women like that give the rest of us a bad name.
West rolls his eyes and removes her arms from his body. “No, I’m busy.” He doesn’t tell her to leave, but his tone speaks volumes, and she understands it. Scowling at me, she huffs and then saunters off.
“Why is that my fault?” I’m pissed and have to restrain myself from following her to give her a piece of my mind.
West chuckles. “Because you’ve got my attention and she hasn’t. Clearly, it’s your fault.” He throws a wink in while he says this.