Maybe it was her obsession with stars and space but there was something magical about the night - the feeling that it would never end and anything it possible.
She wore a cheetah print blazer over a long sleeve black lace dress- both things she had stolen photoshoots recently ; when Lauren said she had nothing to wear, as an excuse not to go, Olivia turned up at her house with a suitcase full of things for her to use. She wasn't going to let Lauren get out of it so easily.
"Do I really have to go?" Lauren whined as Olivia started pulling out potential outfits for her.
"Yes! I can't believe that you would turn down free concert tickets and not only just free tickets but tickets to see our friends."
"I've met them twice!", she argued crossing her arms.
They were more Olivia's friends than Lauren's but Olivia didn't want to go to a concert alone and she wanted to spend time with Lauren. Olivia rolled her eyes as she shoved a black velvet dress into Lauren's chest, "Stop being annoying and put this dress on." Lauren's shoulders fell dramatically as she took the dress and sauntered off into the on-suite bathroom.
Olivia sat on Lauren's bed tidying up the mess she had made when Lauren asked from the bathroom, "Have you talked to them at all since they left?"
Olivia hummed, "Erm, not really. Alex called a couple of times but that's it."
"He called you?" Lauren repeated with a shocked and suggestive tone. It was clear where the conversation was going from the mischievous look in Lauren's eyes as she peeked out of the bathroom door.
During the two months away Alex had called Olivia three times - Olivia had called him once so they had talked four times in total.
The first time it was the day after they had arrived at Manchester, he called to let her know that they had arrived and to thank her again for helping him pack - he said that Matt complimented his outfit so he had her to thank. In actuality he just wanted an excuse to hear her voice again.
The next time it was actually Olivia who called. She kept seeing videos of them performing and wanted to call to say that they sounded amazing and she couldn't wait for the London show.
It was June when Alex called again, he just asked how she was. She told him about work and the new haircut she had gotten (though it was basically the same she had just grown her bangs out so that they now reached her chin). He told her about the gigs that they had played so far and some updates about everyone. Neither wanted the call to end - not realising how much she had missed him. They talked for 2 hours before Alex had to go.
Finally, Alex had called to tell her they were arriving in London soon and to tell her the details. He said that he told them to let her and Lauren in to the backstage area and if there were any problems to call him and he's sort it out.
"Yeah. . . Only like three times, just to see how I was and stuff." She clarified sending Lauren an annoyed glare.
Lauren shook her head at Olivia and raised an eyebrow at her, "You know that he likes you, right?"
"Here we go again. I swear you think that anyone who talks to me likes me." She complained closing her eyes in frustration. If she was being honest the main reason it annoyed her was that she didn't want it to be true. If he liked her then that meant that hey were screwed, feelings always over complicate things.
"Alex doesn't just talk to you, though. I don't think there's ever been a time where he's not been flirting with you." Lauren claimed.
"You weren't there when we first me, trust me he doesn't like me." Olivia told her, she had finished packing back up her things and stood up and sighed, "Now hurry up and get changed, I don't want to be late."
After a second Lauren came out of the bathroom wearing the velvet dress and leather jacket Olivia picked out, "I'm dressed already, calm down."
Olivia sighed and put a hand on her heart whilst pretending to wipe a tear under her eye, "Wow, I've done it again. I shock myself with how talented I am."
"You could just say that I look nice." Lauren complained and Olivia burst out laughing.
She had met plenty of bands before but this was her first time backstage of a concert.
Olivia and Lauren followed the security guard (who lead them backstage after Olivia told them who they were) There was instruments all around the room. Wires, amps, headphones and microphones were everywhere. There were a couple of dressing rooms and then the main area had a singular black leather sofa in it : Breana and Katie were sat on it whilst Matt, Nick and Jamie were all stood near the stage entrance getting ready to go on.
"Oh, Olivia, Lauren! Your here." Breana squealed getting up, along with Katie, and hugging them both.
"You both look incredible." Katie told them admiring their outfits, "I think they're going on soon-"
"We would be but we're still waiting on Al." Matt told them shouting over after listening in to their conversation.
It was clear that they were all too busy getting prepared to go get Alex so Olivia, wanting to be helpful, offered, "I can go grab him if you want?"
Matt thought this was a great idea. If there was one person Alex would listen to it was Olivia and he knew that he had been waiting to see her again. So he nodded and pointed down a corridor, "Fourth door on your left.".
"Do you want to come with me?" Olivia Alex Lauren not wanting to leave her on her own.
"I'll just wait for you here." Lauren said and Olivia glared at her a little knowing what she meant when she tried to hide her smile.
She knocked twice and the door quickly opened, though Alex was already back to the mirror running his hands through his hair.
He had lost track of time and he had been trying to get his hair to cooperate for ages, he felt pressure to look good since he was aware today was the day he was seeing Olivia again, he just didn't know that it'd be so soon. He just assumed that it was Matt telling him to hurry up again so when he heard a laugh coming from the doorway he quickly turned around.
"God you're so high maintenance. I think that they're ready for you." She joked before nodding her head down the hallway and to where everyone else was.
"Fucking hell."Alex muttered for multiple reasons. One being that he was now late and holding everyone up and secondly (the main reason) being that he had forgotten how good Olivia looked - obviously he was aware that she looked good but his visions of her couldn't compete with the real thing especially in an outfit like that.
Olivia rolled her eyes with a smile stepping into the dressing room, "Calm down. Come here." Alex stepped closer and Olivia went on her tiptoes as Alex tilted his head down for her. She began rubbing her hands through his hair and she quickly fixed it, doing it in the usual quiff that he had.
"Should hire ya to do this for me." He told her with a smile after looking in the mirror.
"I think I charge more than you can afford. Now, they are all looking for you, so you need to go." She said taking a moment to fix his blazer collar running her hands down the material and he looked down at her watching as she delicately touched his chest - she didn't make anything easier for him.
"Are you standing back stage or in the audience." He asked her quietly since they were standing so close.
"I want the full experience." She said whilst patting down the collar she had just fixed and smiling up at up.
"I'll look out for ya." He said with a smirk still looking down at her. Alex noticed her cheeks go red, the colour rising on he face which only made him smile more. She swallowed, now noticing how close they were, he can't say things like that and not expect her to get a little flushed.
She took a step back, "Go!" She told him practically pushing him out the door as he rolled his eyes.
"I'm going." He reassured her leaving the room but not before turning around, his hands holding the door frame as she leant forward, "Oh, and it's nice to see you again." He told her sincerely before actually leaving.
Olivia stayed in the dressing room for a moment, confused over the interaction with Alex, mainly the fact that she didn't hate it.
Ever since Lauren said that Alex constantly flirted with her she had made a mental note to see if she could notice it - she now realised she was stupid for never noticing it before. They way he stared into her eyes, intentional and full of yearning, his gaze flickering down to her lips looking as if he was on the brink of kissing her.
She wasn't sure if this was a new development or if she had just never noticed it before. However, it was clear as day to her now.
She contemplated what to do but didn't have a chance to come to a conclusion when she heard someone introducing the Arctic Monkeys. She rushed back to Lauren and they slipped into the front of the crowd from a doorway connecting the backstage room and the main venue. Her dilemma would just have to wait.
She though that the music would distract her but now the entire time she watched Alex perform her mind kept reminding her of the situation. Especially when he kept looking down at her, it didn't help it the slightest.
Olivia was mesmerised as he sang, the way he gripped the microphone stand and danced. The moments where he'd close his eyes to reach a note.
Towards the end of the show Alex announced to the crowd, "Now this one is from our first ever album. I 'ope your all in the mood to dance!" He said looking directly at her with a small smirk, "Put on your dancing shoes." He began to sing. Olivia had briefly mentioned once that she liked their song 'dancing shoes'. She knew that this wasn't on the setlist originally.
It seeemed like he looked at her throughout the whole song.