Love Musical: The Tour

Chapter 3: Crossing A Line

Chapter 3: Crossing A Line

Declan was waiting to pick up the person he had to collect. He hadn't asked what her name was, so he didn't know who he was looking for. The thought of calling Nina crossed his mind but with her busy schedule, it seemed irrelevant.

Could he look her up online? Someone who is a stylist having about 10 million followers? He readied himself for the task by adjusting his face mask and reaching for his phone, just as someone tapped on his arm.

Declan spun around to see a beautiful young woman with her dark hair tied in a ponytail, and a mask covering her face. Her captivating honey-brown eyes studied his features.

"Are you Declan Ludovic?" she asked.

He responded with a nod and queried in response, "And you must be the make-up artist?"

"Yes. To be honest, I saw you from there first but I was hesitant to approach, in case I was wrong and it wasn't you. So I waited until no one else showed up before making my way over," she spoke once again, her voice filling the room like a warm hug. Melodic notes flowed seamlessly from her lips and her words were drenched with assuredness that added a certain depth to her already powerful sound.

"Yeah, I am here to pick you up. Sorry I wasn't sure how you looked, so I couldn't look for you." He noticed she was holding her luggage behind her, so he offered, "Please let me have that, Ms...?"

"Ariel Easterlin," she completed. "And it's okay. I carry this thing all the time, so I am pretty sure I can handle it. I appreciate the gesture, though."

Declan couldn't help but keep looking at her. Each word she spoke was imbued with a sense of purpose and conviction as if she knew exactly what she wanted to say and how to say it.

"Very well, then. Let's go," he said, and they started walking toward the car.

He spoke up again, saying "Word has it that you are quite the celebrity. Is that why you have your face covered?" He wasn't usually one to start conversations with strangers; he found the small talk to be a waste of time. But for this person, he was willing to make an exception.

"Yeah, you know, fame can sometimes suck," she replied with a sigh.

They reached the car and got inside.

"How was your flight? I heard LM sent you their private jet," Declan said.

Ariel nodded and muttered, "It was a very comfortable journey. LM really invests a lot in their top singers."

"That's right," Declan replied. "You can remove your mask in here; this car has a tinted windshield so you can feel secure." He really wanted to see her face; he was greatly attracted to her, even though he hadn't seen what she looked like yet. There was something about her that bewitched him.

Ariel smirked, nodding. "I don't mind taking off my mask, but you have to do the same too, Declan." She began unfastening her mask and he followed suit.

"Please call me Dee." He never lets strangers call him by his nickname, especially not on his first meet, but he could always make an exception. He remembered Aurora calling him Dee for the first time and he was surprised. He didn't object because he knew she was his bandmate now so there would have been no point in correcting her.

"Okay, Dee." With a single motion, Ariel removed her protective mask, leaving Declan speechless. She looked so gorgeous that it almost took his breath away.

He was desperately hoping to be disappointed because he really wanted to keep his attention on the road ahead and not become too distracted by her beauty. But she was breathtakingly gorgeous, making him yearn for them to reach the hotel soon so he could look at her more closely. Focus, Dee! He scolded himself in his head.