For the next hour, Chloe and Reid set the stage on fire. Their onstage presence became a living, breathing energy that fed the crowd and kept them worked into a frenzy until the last note of their encore fell silent.
“Oh my God, that was amazing,” Chloe said, breathless and keyed up, once they left the stage.
“That was one hell of a performance you put on, Reid,” Tom agreed, slapping Reid on the back.
“Chloe,” Reid said, motioning in her direction with a smile, “stole the fucking show. I had no idea it would be like that.”
“Did I do something wrong?”
Reid stumbled to a stop and looked at her with a bemused expression. “Are you kidding me? You were fantastic. I had no idea how much fun it would be having someone play alongside me.”
“What the hell are we? Chopped liver?” Greer joked.
“What do you think the audience would say if you asked them to compare you to Chloe?” Reid stood with his brow lifted in challenge.
Greer gave Chloe a once-over before letting out a dramatic sigh. “Chopped fucking liver.”
Chloe laughed and smacked his chest as the group moved down the hall to the dressing rooms.
“Who’s up for a celebratory drink?” Drew asked.
“Hell yes,” Greer said, tightening his arm around Chloe’s neck. “You really do have one hell of a stage presence, girl. I hope you realize that you just became spank bank material for every guy in that audience.”
“Probably most of the girls, too,” Drew added.
Chloe covered her face with her hands. “You guys are insane. Now, where the hell are those drinks?”
“Reid, you in?” Drew asked.
Reid pushed the hair out of his face and looked at his bandmates. He usually disappeared to decompress before meeting fans backstage to sign autographs, but that was the last thing he wanted to do tonight. He wasn’t sure if it was the excitement of the first show, or how completely different he felt performing with Chloe. All he knew was there was no way he was missing a second of this experience.
“I’m in.”
Everyone cheered and moved toward the lounge area. Beer sat in buckets of ice, and the equivalent of a full bar lined a table in the corner. On another table, there was a variety of food that Reid requested to be served after his shows. The group wasted no time filling plates of food and grabbing drinks. Once everyone was seated, Tom addressed the group.
“Tonight was one hell of a show. This is going to be a long tour, and there will be times when we’ll want to kill each other. Times when we miss our loved ones and want nothing more than to pack our bags and go home. But when that happens, I want you all to remember how you feel at this very moment. I want you to hang on to that feeling and remember you’re doing something you love, something that is part of who you are. There aren’t many people who can say that. No matter how tired, grouchy, or homicidal you feel, remember . . . You could be picking up trash on the side of the road or stuck inside a cubicle working a dead-end, nine-to-five job. Instead, you get to travel the world and be motherfucking rock stars.”
“To motherfucking rock stars,” Greer echoed.
“To motherfucking rock stars,” the rest of the group cheered, raising their glasses before slamming back their drinks.
Their good mood continued through fan pictures and autographs. Reid couldn’t help but notice how people gravitated to Chloe, and not just the fans. Greer seemed to be a permanent fixture at her side since they’d left the stage. It made him wonder if something was developing between them. The thought bothered him. He felt protective of her. She was his friend. The last thing he wanted was for something to start with her and Greer, only to go south.
“You okay?”
Reid looked at Tom. “Yeah. I think the adrenaline is finally starting to wear off. It won’t be long before I’m ready to crash and burn.”
“We don’t have much longer. Do you think you can hang out another half hour?”
“I can handle that.” Reid’s eyes drifted to Greer and Chloe again. “Can you make sure everyone knows what time we need to be here in the morning? I don’t want to deal with hangovers.”
Tom followed Reid’s gaze. “Sure thing. Have you spoken to Jess?”
“I’m going to text her when I leave.” Reid didn’t look at Tom as he motioned for one of the waiting fans to step forward for an autograph.
“Is there anything else?” Tom asked.
“Nope. We’re all set. Just make sure everyone knows what time to be here tomorrow.”
“You got it, boss.”
For the next half hour, Reid smiled for pictures and signed autographs. Some women slipped phone numbers into his hand, while less shy women propositioned him on the spot. It was the same as always, but he felt more uncomfortable now. Maybe it was because he felt ashamed for inviting that sort of behavior over the last couple of years while he was single. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t wait to escape to the safety of his hotel room.