Overdue - A Rockstar Romance

Chapter 16 - Phoebe

"Are you ok?" she said quietly, taking my arm and steering me towards the bar.

"It was a mistake coming. I shouldn't be here." I whispered back.

"They will be showing the video in a moment and you know as well as I do that everyone is going to want to know who you are. Cut it off before it becomes a man hunt. Answer their questions and they'll leave you alone." She had said this a number of times already, but it didn't make it any easier to hear.

"You said you needed me here for the networking." I squeaked.

She raised an eyebrow, "You know as well as I do that, I could have done this alone. You wanted to be here too. Deep down you're curious."

"I feel sick." I mumbled, ignoring her accusations.

"Deep breaths. You're going to be fine."

The lights dipped and a spotlight appeared on a stage across the room. I grabbed Clara's hand, desperately needed some physical reassurance that this was going to be ok. She pulled me into a fierce hug, and I had to resist the urge to bury my head in her jacket and hide from the world.

She was already going above and beyond her requirements as an employer tonight and slipping back into being a friend. Something she hadn't done since I started working for her.

Cara's friend appeared on stage, beaming out at the crowd. "Welcome and thank you so much for coming. Just a few housekeeping rules. No recording devices, audio or visual may be used during the showing of the video. The boys will take four audience questions after the video has been shown. If you have additional questions, please contact me to arrange an interview." She paused for breath and dramatic effect, "Without further ado, True Outlaws."

Applause and cheering broke out as they bounced on to the stage. "Thanks for the amazing welcome guys." Erik took the microphone, "We would like to start by thanking KoKo Camden for having us in their brand-new club. This is an awesome venue and they've done a fantastic job creating this tonight."

A smattering of applause broke out but quickly died as we all listened to hear what was coming next. "As you know we are here to launch the first single from our new album, but we've also got some big news." Erik said passing the microphone to Chris.

"Thanks dude. Now as you know we are pretty hot right now, and I'm not just talking about all this." He grinned and winked at the crowd, gesturing to his body and rolling his hips. "Well you know we are all about giving back to the fans. By popular request," he motioned for the others to lean in and they all chorused, "We are going international."

Elliott took the microphone and looked out at the crowd, our eyes meeting for the briefest moment before he spoke, "Yes we are excited to announce that our next tour will be international. Twelve big cities in twelve weeks. A mix of our old and new material, we hope the fans will love. Tickets go on sale on the eighteenth."

The room erupted into conversation and shouted questions. Victoria appeared on the stage and took the microphone, "Questions after the video, thanks guys." She called out and the spotlight on them dimmed.

The TVs lit up and I bit my lip, half-terrified and half-intrigued how much I would feature. The first scene was of boys, all slouched against the bookcases, pouting and posing.

"I met her in the library / My silence is golden girl / Hushing me with a finger / I just wanna please her now." His voice was husky, and the screen showed the Chris and Kyle playing their guitars in the thriller section.

Yes, I could remember the order and placement of genres still. You could take the girl out of the library but not the library out of the girl.

It cut to Erik playing his drums in front of the largest stained-glass windows, "I can't waste another day / Without tasting your kiss / Mussing up that perfect hair / Honey it's my only wish."

It cut again and this time my face filled screen, blushing and looking up at Elliot through my lashes as he leaned in and sung "I'm long overdue baby / Overdue for knowing you / Checked you out so many times / Your stamp card must be full. / So kiss me between the stacks darlin' / I know you're wilder than you look / Behind those little glasses / Your bedroom eyes have got me hooked."

I watched my face across the multiple screens as my eyelashes fluttered and lips parted. The memory of it sent heat through me which I put down to embarrassment. I wanted to stop watching but I couldn't tear my eyes from the screens.

Up on screen he had grabbed my books and slowly backed away, "Tellin' me I've been bad / I think you said I'm fine / My library books were overdue / Just like that kiss of mine / I've been dreaming of that body / Underneath those baggy clothes / And I know you've caught my heart now / And I think you know / I'm sure you know."

It cut again to the boys, Chris passionately kissing a girl against a bookcase and Kyle pretending to read to another girl as a particular amazing guitar section played. Then the camera panned to Erik, who had a hand cupping a girl's face as he sang a brief section I hadn't heard in my version. It was sweeter, more tender somehow.

Then Elliott's face, grinning at the camera before he moved towards where I was stacking books.

I had put a Keri Arthur in the wrong section I thought with dismay as I looked at what onscreen me was doing. "I'm long overdue baby / Overdue for knowing you / Checked you out so many times / Your stamp card must be full / So kiss me between the stacks darlin' / I know you're wilder than you look / Behind those little glasses / Your bedroom eyes have got me hooked / You've got me hooked."

He followed me down the shelves, occasionally glancing at the camera with a smile on his face that gave me the oddest feeling in the pit of my stomach.

He took my arm, spinning me to face him and my hand moved unconsciously to where he had touched me. Rubbing the skin there. It tingled at the memory. I winced as I watched myself drop the books. "If silence is golden honey / Then you've got 24 carat lips / And I want a kiss."

He leaned in closer, "You know I'm overdue / For your kiss." The last part of the lyrics a husky whisper and onscreen we gazed into each other's eyes for far longer than I remembered it being in person as the music finished. As soon as it did our eye contact broke and I dropped to my knees to gather the books. The camera followed me down and then faded to black.

There was silence for a moment and then applause broke out. I twisted out of the embrace Cara still had me in and turned to face the stage just as the lights went up and my eyes found Elliott. My heart pounded wildly in my chest and my breath caught in my throat.

He was staring right at me.