“Hey, Reid,” Tom called, moving to his side. “Can you hang on a sec? I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Yeah, sure,” he said, his brows pulling together when he caught a knowing look pass between Drew and Greer. All at once, his good mood vanished and anxiety settled in. “What’s up?”
Tom looked around to make sure no one was listening before speaking. “You might have a bit of a problem on your hands.”
Reid’s stomach dropped. “What happened? Did something come out about Devon?”
“No. It’s nothing like that. It’s just . . .” Tom’s hesitation kept Reid on edge.
“Just tell me.”
“The cameras, Reid. There was one pointed at you for the entire song. Actually, I’m pretty sure at one point there were four locked on you—”
“Yeah, so?” Reid interrupted, not understanding where the conversation was headed.
“—and one on Chloe,” Tom finished, his face expectant.
Reid remained silent as he processed what Tom had said. Before he could speak, Tom sighed.
“You didn’t even realize you were doing it,” Tom surmised. “Reid, you stared at Chloe almost the entire time you were on stage. And it wasn’t some innocent ‘she’s my band buddy’ stare. By the time the song ended, half the people in the audience were imagining the two of you having sex.”
Reid scoffed. “What the hell are you talking about? No one is thinking that. Don’t be ridiculous. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Tom, apparently prepared for Reid’s denial, pulled out his phone and opened Twitter. After a quick search for Reid’s name, Tom grimaced and handed him the phone. Reid’s eyes widened and his heart hammered as he read the tweets on the screen.
If #ReidRyder looked at me like that, I’d probably come on the spot. #luckybitch
Do you think he pulls her hair when he takes her from behind? #hotaf #ReidRyder
I knew I shouldn’t have quit my violin lessons! I could be banging #ReidRyder right now!
I ship them! dreamy sigh #Chlid #Rhole #Reloe
“Holy shit,” Reid hissed. “What the fuck is wrong with these people?”
“They’re insane,” Tom said bluntly as he pocketed his phone. “But to be frank, you two eye-fucked each other on live television. And don’t bother arguing. Once you see the video, you’ll understand.”
Reid raked his hand through his hair. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?”
“Milk it. Use this to your advantage. Sell out the rest of your shows. Hell, add some more. You just gave people a whole new reason to come to your shows. People love to watch, and if you two play this to your advantage, you’ll have more voyeurs than you know what to do with.”
Reid nodded before a look of apprehension crossed his face. “Jess.”
Tom’s expression twisted with remorse. “If you suddenly go cold with Chloe, it’ll be obvious that what happened earlier wasn’t planned. Your best bet is to pretend it was all part of a plan to create a buzz.”
Reid agreed, even though he still felt torn. “You’re right.”
“Of course I am. Oh, and Reid, the longer you let this thing go, the more likely it will all blow up in your face.”
Without another word, Reid jogged over to the others and tried to put his conversation with Tom to the back of his mind. The truth was, Tom’s idea wasn’t a bad one. He also knew if they played their cards right, Chloe would never worry about landing gigs again.
Giving Drew and Greer fist bumps, he followed the others to where they would be lifted to the main stage behind their instruments. Alone in the shadows, Reid and Chloe stood side by side. His body thrummed with energy as he tried to figure out what to do. He bounced on the balls of his feet and moved his head from side to side. He should’ve moved to his own mark, but he couldn’t bring himself to walk away from Chloe.
“Are you nervous?” Chloe asked. Reid was sure she meant to sound joking, but it was obvious her nerves were starting to spike.
Reid scoffed. “What do I have to be nervous about? You’re the one they’ll all be staring at.”
Chloe pulled in a shaky breath, her hand trembling as she pressed her palm against her forehead. “That’s not funny,” she whined, squeezing her eyes shut.
Reid pushed his guitar behind his back and turned to face her. “Hey,” he whispered, tugging her hand away from her face. “I was only kidding. Don’t be nervous.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You just performed with Jack Green. This is nothing for you.”
Reid slid his hand to Chloe’s, gripping it tightly. He expected her to pull away, but when she didn’t, his shoulders relaxed and a feeling of calm washed over him. For once, he felt like she needed him. “I threw up before I went on stage,” he admitted with an embarrassed laugh.
Chloe’s eyes widened and her lips parted in shock. “You what?”