Never Like

Chapter 5

"Wait! Wait ladies."

He jogs across the large room towards us. "I apologize for listening in on your conversation, but I can get you space in VIP. Stay, I insist."

Danatha's mouth swings open as Tonya's eyes bug out of their wide sockets. Meanwhile, warmth envelops my body. Aden Arrington is not done tail-spinning my life and what's more, I couldn't be any more thrilled about it.

"AH!!!"

"Tonya." I laugh, ushering her along.

"Let's go."

"Will you let me do that for you?"

I nod with a smile and guide my now mute friends towards Aden. Some guy from protocol shows up next to him as we near the crowd of girls. He tells Aden that he's late for hair and makeup, but Aden is only interested in instructing him to place us at the front of the VIP section.

I beam as he smiles down at me. I can't seriously be about to swoon over a guy in this day and age. I need to pull it together. Danatha and Tonya follow the protocol guy who leads the way past the group of girls, as we're surrounded by bodyguards forming a human shield between the crowd and us.

"You're paying, Aden. You really don't owe me."

"Oh, I simply like to give." We laugh together. "It feels nice; you know that."

Once the show starts, the stadium bounces with energy. We all follow by jumping on our toes and singing along to the crowd. I did promise to pretend to like them after all. It really isn't so hard to pretend now that I've met the lead singer rather intimately. His voice sounds just as rich and textured when he projects it using his mic.

The set is meant to last two hours and I only vaguely know four songs. Luckily, that gives me ample time to admire Aden up close. I watch the way his jaw moves to make certain signature sounds, the way his digits tap on the mic stand they're holding and the way he screams at times, causing veins to wring out of his neck like red carpet ropes.

Just envisioning the colour thrusts me back to the red room and brings back his thumb to my lips. I was as entranced then as I am now, watching him indolently pace around the stage.

I almost miss it when before a song, Aden speaks into his mic. It isn't the first time he's spoken but this time is distinct. He waits for the crowd to quieten. Only then does he speak.

"This next song...is one of my favourites. Tonight, I'm dedicating it...to a girl I met...just an hour ago. She is one of the kindest and funniest people I've ever met. She's that kind of person that..." he laughs. "Yeah. So now every time I play this song, I reckon I'll remember her."

I freeze, disbelieving of my ears. Danatha and Tonya both rotate to look at my shocked face, but they might as well be in my peripheral view because my eyes are only following one person on stage. How has he done this? How has he completely exceeded the girlish fantasies that I have been fostering for the better part of the last hour? I can't even react; I'm not even sure I know how to. All I can do is breathe as I watch him move to one of the guitarists then back to his mic stand.