The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 15

"You look gorg, Lucy!" Briya gushed when she saw me at our designated meeting spot in front of the Rogers Centre.

It was hotter than hell, so I had on a short summery floral dress and sandals. I bought it probably four years ago, but it was one of my favorites and I always felt cute when I had it on.

"Thank you. I have our passes. Shawn texted that after the show we can go to a certain door and we'll be able to go backstage. I have the directions on my phone. Apparently it's going to be quite a party since tons of people he knows will be there."

Fallon arrived a few minutes later so we proceeded inside. There was a long line for security and vaccine card verification, but once we got through that, it was smooth sailing. The venue was full of excited fans, most of whom were teens and young women. If they knew I was sort of seeing Shawn, would they attack me like a pack of hyenas? He'd told me his fans could be very problematic, and I'd read how many turned on him when he was with Camila.

"Let's buy some shirts!" Bri suggested. "I want the total Shawn Mendes experience!"

We found a merch stand and waited in line. Once we were at the front I told the vendor which one I wanted and the girls picked out different ones for themselves. Mine didn't have Shawn's image on it because I felt weird about wearing his face on my body.

The show was set to start in twenty minutes so we found our seats. They weren't close to the stage like the seats Shawn would have provided, but I knew they'd set my friends back quite a bit and I was so grateful to them for doing this.

I checked my phone and saw that Shawn texted me.

Where are your seats?

I'll try to look for you

I laughed because there was no way he'd be able to spot me in a sea of fifty thousand people.

Section 522

We're in the third row.

So if you look at the top tier and slightly to your left, maybe you'll see me.

He replied right away.

What's your favorite song of mine?

I had no idea where he was going with this but I answered anyway.

There's nothing holding me back.

The three dots appeared for a long time and then two messages popped up.

After I finish the first chorus I'm gonna wave in your direction

I might not see you but it'll be just for you

My heart did a tiny flip in my chest. I still had my fucking period which meant that even if we went home together tonight, nothing was happening. Actually...there were plenty of things we could do, and I got lost in my thoughts as I imagined several of them.

Tate McRae took the stage first and the crowd gave her an incredibly warm welcome, which was not surprising given that she was Canadian. She was very young, but you wouldn't know it from her voice which was soulful and rich. By the time she got to You Broke Me First, the audience was worked up into a frenzy that would obviously carry over and magnify when Shawn took the stage. I really respected that he was giving a younger musician this kind of exposure and tour experience. He told me during a phone call that he'd been fortunate to tour with Taylor Swift when he was starting out, and he wanted to return that favor now that he was a huge headliner.

There was a brief intermission while the stage got switched over to Shawn's set, so the girls and I went to get some drinks and food. I hurriedly ate my hot dog since I didn't want to be bothered with it during Shawn's performance.

When he took the stage, the entire stadium erupted in ear-splitting screams. I'd only been to a handful of concerts in my life, and none of them had been anything like this. His fans were intense!

I alternated watching him on stage and on the big screens, which obviously gave me a better view of his face. When he waved in my direction during my fave song, butterflies flew around my tummy. I loved how happy he looked and it made me understand what he'd meant when he told me touring was his favorite part of being a musician. His passion as he sang was unbelievable, and I had a newfound respect for him as an artist. I knew that I could watch Shawn sing on stage every day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it.

There were a couple times during his more personal songs about Camila that he got a faraway look in his eyes. It wasn't that he looked sad, but I sensed he was fighting to keep his emotions separate from the words. I couldn't hold this against him, though it did sting slightly to know she was on his mind every time he got on stage and sang her songs.

The last song had the entire audience electrified, and when he took his final bow and exited the stage, I heard several girls sobbing around me. I wondered if he knew the impact he had on his fans.

Once the crowd thinned out, we made our way to the door Shawn said would get us backstage. A huge guy let us in after inspecting our passes and checking to see that we were on the list. We were directed down a corridor which was lined with security officers.

"You'd think we were going to see the Prime Minister," Fallon quipped.

Eventually we got to a large open area that was filled with people. Shawn wasn't kidding when he said he'd invited all his friends and family; there were more people than he'd had at his birthday party. I looked around and saw a few familiar faces.

His best friends were standing together drinking from red Solo cups and Meg, Brian's girlfriend, waved us over. We joined them and introductions were made. His parents were in another group nearby and I wondered if I'd get to meet them tonight.

Shawn arrived to cheers and I gave him a big smile when we made eye contact. He walked around greeting people and eventually came over to us. I knew he couldn't couldn't show me any type of affection, but it stung a little that he didn't talk to me personally, other than to say hi. There were several local reporters in the room, so I understood the rationale behind it.

The girls and I were enjoying some food and drinks when my phone vibrated.

I'm sorry

I want to give you a hug and a kiss but I can't

Just know I'm thinking about it

I looked around and saw Shawn with his parents, phone in hand. I replied and watched him glance down at his phone and smile as he read my reply.

Sending you a telepathic kiss!

💋

The party continued for over an hour and then the crowd began to thin out. I wasn't sure if we should leave, but when I saw Shawn wave goodbye and slip out a side door, I knew it was time to go. I'd just made it to my car when he texted me.

I'm headed to Pickering with my family

Didn't know they were throwing me an after party

When can I see you?

I obviously wasn't to the 'meet my family' level yet, which made sense since things were moving pretty slowly. I typed a message back.

Working the next two nights.

Can I make you dinner on Sunday?

He replied a few seconds later.

It's a date