The One After [SHAWN MENDES]

Chapter 78

"Here you go, miss," the security guard said when we got to a door on a restricted hallway in the Ball Arena.

A large man was standing there, and when he saw me, he smiled. "Lucy? I'm Jake. Shawn's been expecting you. He just finished the meet and greet."

I'd taken a bit longer to get to there than I wanted because my hair got wet in the shower and I had to restyle it. I also needed to plan a new outfit because it was cooler than I expected it to be, so instead of a short dress, I was wearing jeans and a sparkly blouse.

Jake knocked on the door, setting of my internal déjà vu alarms, and a second later it opened. Shawn gave me a huge smile before taking me by the hand and pulling me inside. "Welcome to Denver!"

"Thanks! I'm excited for the show."

"So am I, but I'm even more excited to spend some time together. I've missed you."

I wasn't sure if my stomach was fluttering from butterflies or the altitude, but it didn't matter. His words meant a lot to me. I took a step closer and gripped his muscular shoulders before standing on my tiptoes so I could give him a kiss. "I've missed you, too."

He placed his hands on my waist and leaned down to kiss me again, though this time it was much deeper and longer and by the end of it, I could feel his bulge pressing against my hip. My thoughts wandered to everything else I'd be feeling after the show, and even if my arousal wasn't as evident as his, it was in full bloom.

Eventually we needed to breathe, so we broke apart and just smiled at each other. "You look beautiful, Lulu," he said as his eyes traveled down my body.

"You look pretty good, too." He was wearing blue pants and a sleeveless white shirt which showed off his impressive arm muscles.

"Thanks. I need to eat something. Are you hungry? There's usually a great spread of food, though I just have a snack before the show. I eat a bigger meal after."

I hadn't eaten all day other than a pretzel at Pearson airport. "I'm starving."

With Jake in tow, we went to a large room where a caterer had set up a buffet. Shawn explained that all the plates and cutlery were reusable and that the food was made with sustainability in mind, using mostly organic vegetarian and vegan ingredients. He also shared that any leftovers would be donated to a food pantry and that the venue had to follow a similar protocol. He'd made a commitment to cutting the environmental footprint of his tour in half, and I was incredibly proud of him for this.

He introduced me to several people, and I chatted with Brian after we filled our plates. When Shawn stepped away to get waters for us, his best friend leaned towards me. "It's great that you're here. He won't stop talking about you, which is a good thing given this past year, but I know he needed to see you. He's changed since that night."

"So have I, but probably not in the same way," I replied.

"I got a notice that I have to testify at the trial. I hope something I say puts that asshole behind bars."

"I'm really sorry you and Shawn and everyone else have to be at the proceedings. I wish he'd just change his plea to guilty, but apparently he thinks he has a case."

"Well he doesn't," Shawn said from behind me. "It seems very cut and dry to me."

"Let's change the subject," I suggested since he tended to get agitated by the topic. "The mountains here are pretty incredible, aren't they?"

We chatted about Denver for a bit as we ate, and eventually it was time for Shawn and his band to go get ready. I was escorted to a viewing area on the side where I caught the second half of Tate McRae's act.