Darcy nodded once and rose while Elizabeth put the acoustic guitar in its case. She didn’t see Darcy move off to go onstage as she thanked Ronnie and ran for her friends. Joining them, Tommy quickly led the three women and Alex to the elevator, which took them to a private, lush hallway. After a short walk, skybox number twelve appeared before them and Tommy directed them to stay there until the show was over, when he would come and walk them backstage.
Smiling, they entered the small room to find two surprises. The first was a small spread of food on a table along the back wall. The second was Bill Collins, standing in front of the glass wall, stuffing his face.
He turned with a start and smiled beneficently, “Oh, there you are! Just in time!” he said loftily as he licked his fingers then held out his hand to the girls. “I can’t tell you how proud of you I am. You girls put on a lovely little show. Even Ms. de Bourgh was impressed.”
Elizabeth was horrified, but by quickly getting a drink from the minibar she was able to avoid touching Collins. A silent yet urgent conversation, conducted only with looks, got Alex to sit between Collins and the girls. They just settled down into their seats when the intro tape ran out and the arena grew silent.
Darcy’s flawless guitar flooded the room. Elizabeth’s jaw dropped as first Richard’s drums and then Charles’s bass exploded with a crash of lights and pyrotechnics. The crowd roared as the lights came up and the show started. Elizabeth sang softly along with Charles, smiling at Jane and Charlotte, who were singing as well. They all knew the words so welclass="underline" words about searching in the dark, trying to find answers, trying to know what one’s life path is.
As Elizabeth watched, her hair swinging unconsciously back and forth to the beat, she considered that Darcy probably wrote those words as well. They seemed so doubtful and questioning, from a man who seemed so secure and in control. The enigma of it challenged her mind and she watched him, trying to reconcile all she knew about this puzzling man. Try as she might, she could come to no conclusion about Darcy. She resolved to find out more about him and allowed herself to enjoy the show.
Slurry was tight and masterful in their playing, but there was more to it. They did more than simply play music; they knew how to communicate with the crowd, to move it and control it. It was amazing. Elizabeth was impressed not only with the music but with the whole experience. She watched the thousands of people below her, laughing, singing, and dancing. It was only when the band broke for intermission that she realized that she had not been still once during the entire set.
“Wow!” Charlotte said as Elizabeth and Jane smiled and nodded in agreement. “Oh my God!” She laughed, giddy. “That was so intense!”
“They’re extraordinary,” Elizabeth observed, grinning in spite of herself.
“Hey, don’t sell yourself short!” Alex objected. “You girls rock too, you know.”
“Alex, thanks, but we are nothing like that,” Jane gently disagreed.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” their manager objected. “Seriously, I really think you have as much talent as them.” He nodded toward the stage. “You just need a chance.”
Elizabeth smiled gratefully. “Well, this is certainly going to be our big chance.” She looked at the crowd. “And I’m going to do everything I can to succeed.”
“I’m so pleased to hear that, Lizzy,” Collins said silkily. “That’s the kind of attitude that is going to get you places. Stay focused on your goal.”
Elizabeth nodded, but she didn’t like the way he was looking at her. As quickly as she could, she turned back to the stage, to watch the band begin the second half.
The crowd was deafening as they screamed at Slurry’s return. Charles smiled broadly and waited a moment for the crowd to quiet down, and then he spoke easily over them. “Oh man!” He laughed. “You’re all so great!” The crowd cheered back for him. “So, let me ask you something.” He paused and the crowd roiled in anticipation. “What did you think of our new act?” Screams filled the air.
Elizabeth turned to Jane and Charlotte her mouth hanging open. “Yeah, we like them too,” Charles grinned conspiratorially. “Give it up for the ladies of Long Borne Suffering, Charlotte, Liz, and Jane!”
Elizabeth cynically suspected that Charles could have told them to “give it up” for the T-shirt venders out front and the crown would have gone nuts, but that didn’t stop her from grabbing her band mates in a huge hug as they squealed and jumped up and down excitedly.
“But I know you came to see us,” Charles continued once the crowd quieted, “so let’s get back to work.” He winked and the band started the riffs for “Bound.”
As Charles sang about domination, Elizabeth found herself again watching Darcy. He seemed entirely focused on his playing, his expressive eyes hidden behind those dark glasses, but Elizabeth could see he was subtly communicating with his band, and even more fleetingly, with the audience: a nod, a glance, even a rare grin. The crowd ate it up; the tiny flashes of attention he showed them only made them long for more.
She had to admit he was startlingly handsome. His skin had a soft sheen of sweat over it at this point. His arms were pumped up, his muscles bulging. He radiated sex, danger, and talent, a combination Elizabeth found very arousing.
The concert finally ended after 10:00 p.m. As they waited for Tommy, Jane caught her eyes and grinned knowingly.
“Okay, you are right; he’s gorgeous,” Elizabeth said sotto voce, recalling their conversation from the night before.
Jane nodded happily. “I’m in love,” she sighed half-mockingly.
Sooner than she expected, LBS and Slurry were loaded into limos and whisked away to their hotel. Rebecca brought them straight through the lobby to the waiting elevators. Once inside, she passed out keycards to each of them. The girls would be sharing a three-bedroom suite, while the men each had their own room. Charles was, as usual, standing next to Jane, and Elizabeth saw him whisper something into Jane’s ear, which caused her smile to drop. After a moment, Jane responded with a tiny nod.
Charlotte was oblivious, drumming on the side of the car, Darcy was silent and withdrawn behind his glasses, and Richard was talking softly to a pretty young woman with long dark hair.
Charlotte, Jane, and Elizabeth were delighted to find that their luggage had been brought up and arranged in their bedrooms. The suite was large, light, and luxurious. Elizabeth doubted that every band lived this high when they were on tour, but she also suspected that LBS was being handled with kid gloves. It was a strange situation, but she was willing to take advantage of it. A knock on her bedroom door preceded Jane’s entrance. “Can I talk to you, Lizzy?” she asked worriedly.
“What’s wrong, Jane?” Elizabeth’s eyes reflected the concern she felt.
“It’s Charles,” she said softly. “He asked me to come to his suite,” Jane explained bluntly. “I said I would, but now I’m not so sure.” Her eyes were troubled. “I mean, he is so nice and a good kisser and everything, but I worry. We are going to be working together for a long time, and I don’t want any bad feelings between us.”
Elizabeth motioned for Jane to sit on the bed beside her while, unbidden, Darcy’s warning came back to both of them.
“Lizzy, do you think he thinks I’m throwing myself at him?” Jane asked worriedly.
Elizabeth frowned. “I don’t know, Jane. I know you are not, but he doesn’t know you,” she shrugged. “How do you feel about him, really?”
Jane looked at the floor and whispered, “I’m crazy about him.” Once she got that out, it seemed easier for her to speak. “I know it sounds like a stupid fangirl crush, but I’ve been thinking about him nonstop since we met. It really feels like there is something between us, and then this morning,” she sighed and laid back on the bed, drawing up her knees. “If we weren’t working together, Lizzy, I’d be all over him.”