Chloe stared at her reflection in the mirror. “Breathe,” she whispered, pulling in a deep breath and releasing it slow and controlled. Reid and the others had already taken the stage, but since Chloe wasn’t joining them until midset, she had a little longer to wait. She’d thought going on later would be less nerve-racking, but she wasn’t so sure it would make a difference anymore.
“You okay?”
Chloe turned to Inky and smiled. “Yeah. Just nervous. I’d be better if someone hadn’t taken my bag of Starbursts. I can’t find them anywhere.”
“Is that a euphemism for drugs?”
“No,” Chloe laughed. “I don’t eat them unless I’m touring. I know it sounds weird, but it’s my thing. Someone lifted the bag I brought. Now I don’t have any and I’m kind of having a mini freak-out.”
“You’re being serious,” Inky said, her expression bewildered.
“I am.”
“Man, I thought Reid had some strange rituals before he went on stage. You two are perfect for each other.”
Chloe’s eyes snapped to Inky’s reflection in the mirror, then her own. She was grateful Inky’s focus was on her phone and not Chloe’s pinked cheeks. Not wanting to dwell on her body’s reaction to Inky’s words, she focused on the other part of what Inky said.
“What kind of rituals?” For the first time, Chloe realized she hadn’t seen Reid since the opening band went on.
Inky tsked. “No way. I’m not getting on his bad side this early in the tour. You want to know his crazy little quirks, you’ll have to ask him. Now, you need to get your cute little ass ready to go on stage. You good?”
“Well, now that I’m picturing Reid biting heads off chickens before he goes on stage, yes. I’m sufficiently distracted.”
“Good.” Inky tugged on the ends of Chloe’s hair and grinned. “You’re going to be amazing. This is no different than any other tour.”
“Except there’s about ten thousand more people in the audience,” Chloe mumbled as she stood.
Inky shrugged. “Minor detail. Now, I’ve got some merchandise to sell. Catch you later.”
Chloe waved good-bye and moved down the hall toward the stage. Her hands shook with nerves and excitement as the sound of Reid’s voice grew louder. People bustled around her. Some with headphones and clipboards, others carrying instruments or checking cables. No one paid her any attention; everyone was focused on their own task. It wasn’t until she reached the side curtain that she finally saw a familiar face.
“Hi, Tom.”
“Hey, Chloe. I was about to come looking for you. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. I had a small Starburst crisis, but Inky distracted me.”
“I have no idea what that means, but as long as you’re good, I won’t worry about figuring it out.”
Chloe laughed. “I’m good. Two more songs, right?”
“Two more songs.”
Chloe leaned against the wall and checked all the points on her violin. She’d already tuned and checked it more than a dozen times, but one more time wouldn’t hurt. “So,” she began, attempting to sound casual. “Reid has some pretty strange habits before he goes on stage, huh?”
She cut her eyes to Tom, who stared at her with narrowed eyes. “How do you mean, strange?”
“I don’t know.” Chloe shrugged, her forced nonchalance crumbling into a laugh.
Tom cracked a smile. “Thank God you don’t have aspirations of working as an interrogator.”
“Right? I suck at this.”
“And ignore Inky. She likes to bust Reid’s balls. It’s funny as hell to watch, but you don’t want to get caught in the crossfire. Boredom causes their childish sides to come out. They’ll have toothpaste in your socks if you’re not careful.”
Chloe wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want any part of that.”
“Good. Okay, it’s almost time. You better get into place. See you after the show.”
“Thanks. See you soon.”
“Are y’all having fun?” Reid asked, the crowd cheering in answer. The heat from the lights and the rush of adrenaline caused sweat to trickle down the side of his face and neck. He grabbed the water bottle next to his feet and took a big swallow before dumping the rest on his head.
“It’s fucking hot up here, man.” The crowd roared, those by the stage lifting their drinks in offering. Anything to draw his attention, pull him in their direction, be noticed, if only for a second.
“I have a surprise for you guys. You like surprises, right?” Reid lifted the bottom of his shirt and wiped the sweat from his face, working the already electric crowd into a frenzy. He looked to the side of the stage and smirked at Chloe, who stood hidden, shaking her head and laughing.