***Matteo Marwood***
***Iris***
We still had a couple of hours before we would have to get to the concert's venue, when we walked into the small coffee shop just around the block labeled 'Coffee Casanova' in brown and white writing. Much like the former place the rustic wooden sign hung from above the door, the bell ringing as we entered.
We got a few looks from the people in the cafe as we passed by, nothing out of the ordinary considering where we were from.
Ignoring the looks of curiousity and disdain we got into line at the counter, ordering our ice coffee's before taking a seat at one of the tables in the back of the country-styled coffee shop.
"You don't think this is too much?" I asked her again, looking down at my dress as the cold met my legs from the brown leather seats.
"No. You worry too much." She giggled, taking a sip of her Ice Caramel Macchiato.
My back was faced away from the shop's front door, while Ginger was seating across from me. So, when another ring of the bell was heard, and Ginger almost choked on her drink at the same moment I whipped my head around.
Now, at the front of the line as he ordered a drink was a six-foot tall man with pale skin, adorned with a multitude of tattoos covering numerous patches of his body. His black attire dark brown hair and light blue eyes made him look almost ghostly as it contrasted against his ivory skin.
He was definitely good-looking, Ginger's type, but I had never seen her so flustered over anyone like this before. Her cheeks were pink as she starred at the man from afar, her mouth slightly agape.
"Do you know him?" I asked, looking in between the two.
She looked frantically in between the man and me frantically, stuttering out noncoherent sounds before finally answering. "You-you seriously don't know who that is?" She whispered, still staring at the man. I looked to her confused.
"That's Matteo Marwood." She was astounded that I wasn't yet putting the pieces together. But I know that I would have definitely remembered a name like that.
"He's the drummer for the Black Doves." It was apparent that her excitement was boiling under the surface. Now it all made sense. I recalled countless time of her going on and on about 'The Black Doves' drummer, as she had a minor obsession with them.
Despite listening to their music tirelessly, I had never seen what any of the band members looked like. They were a fairly new upcoming band, and for the past few months, besides for schoolwork I didn't have access to a computer or most of the internet.
My punishment for supposedly damaging my father's car, which really, I had nothing to do with. It was my stepbrother Carson who was really to blame. I ended up taking the fault because of endless threats that he had sent my way.
Luckily, during that time Ginger was able to download a playlist of all of their songs on my phone. Which I had since listened to every chance that I could. I knew all their songs, every lyric, and note, but I knew virtually nothing about the band members themselves.
"Really." I whispered, looking back at the man. I looked around, seeing how everyone else in the cafe was less unphased by the talented stranger. I expected someone, anything to go up to him and bombard him with questions or demands to take pictures, but the room remained quiet. The only sound was of people sucked into their own conversations. It wasn't a surprise though, none of them looked like they would have any good taste in music.
"Well, go. Go introduce yourself." I urged, turning my head again, but she snapped my attention back to her.
"Stop it. He's going to think we're staring." She seethed.
"But we are staring." I retorted, remarking on how her eyes hadn't once left him since the moment that he walked in.
After receiving his cup of hot coffee, he walked towards where we were sitting in the back booth.
"Shhh. Shhhh. Act normal." She muttered. I couldn't help but smirk at her reaction, her cheeks going impossibly pink.
In our luck he had chosen to sit at the booth directly across from us. I smiled as I distinctively noticed how he would offer a glance her way every time that she looked shyly at the window.
I didn't know how long this back and forth way going to last, or how much longer I could go with holding in my laughter.
On a whim I got up from my seat, walking over to the table across from us where the man was sipping at his hot coffee. I found it hilarious that in Ginger's embarrassment she didn't even notice how he kept looking over to her. Or maybe she did, and that's why her cheeks were so rosy.
"Hi. I'm Iris and that's my friend Ginger." I motioned over to Ginger who now stared at me wide-eyed. Her eyes quickly landed on the man though, and her embarrassment seemed to turn to pure nervousness.
"Matteo." He responded in a thick Swedish accent.
"My friend was just wondering if she could take a picture with you if you have a minute." I mentioned. It was funny. I was usually the shy out of the two of us, and there she was, basically shrinking back into her shell as she gawked at this stranger.
His eyes never left Ginger as he spoke. "I would love to." He answered. I motioned for Ginger to come over here, and with eyes to the floor she did. He scooched over so she could sit down, leaving one of his arms on the back of the seat, so that it could drape around her when she sat down.
Smiling, I broke out the camera on my phone, snapping a picture of the smiling pair, before Ginger fainted from heart failure.
"Ginger went to get up, but he motioned for her to wait, and for me to sit down, which I was more than happy to.
"Are you two from around here?" He asked, looking to Ginger, his arm still slightly around her. After a minute of no answer, I decided to speak up.
"No, we're from Vermont. We actually came down here for the concert tonight. Well, you're concert." He was by far the most famous person I had ever met, and I didn't know how to react in this situation. But talking with him he seemed genuine, almost as if he was just an everyday average guy.
"Ah. You're here for the show. Fans of us, are you?" He asked, and we both nodded our head.
"Well, that's good to hear. We're hoping that they'll be a good turnout tonight." It was quiet for a little while, both of us unsure of what to say.
"Do you have tickets?" He asked, Ginger, finally making her speak up. "Got them months ago." She replied, making him chuckle. If you want. I could probably get you two in the front row if you want to head out a little bit earlier.
"Really?" I asked, surprised, and he nodded his head.
"Yep. It wouldn't be any trouble." We took him up on the offer, excitedly. "But there is one condition though." He stated. "I would love if you gave me your number." He smiled down at Ginger who still sat next to him, his arm still draped over the seat behind her.
"Wh-what?" She looked over to me for help as the words got caught in her throat.
"I think what she means is that she'd gladly give you her number." I finished for her as he handed her his phone and vice versa, chuckling at her obvious signs of embarrassment.
Awhile later the three of us walked out of the cafe, agreeing to follow Matteo to the park where the concert was being held.
"Do you want to ride with me?" He asked, Ginger, grabbing the helmet off of his motorcycle. She wisley shook her head. Even though he was one of her idols, her celebrity crushes so to speak, it wasn't the wisest decision to just go off with someone you just met.
Luckily, he understood and waited for us to get int the car, before speeding off in front of us. Before Ginger could object, I hopped behind the wheel. If she was that terrifying while driving with a completely sober mind the last thing I wanted was to find out was how she was driving when she was a nervous wreck.
"Are you alright?" I asked her, as we sped down the road. "I've never seen you like this before."
"I've. I just I've never imagined I'd actually meet him. And like did we meet the same person? He's dreamy." She smiled, looking in front of us, her eyes falling to the back of the biker in front of us.
"Well maybe you'll ride off on the back of his motorcycle into the sunset." I joked.
"Oh, Shut up." She laughed, hitting my arm.
It wasn't long before we made it to the park, the large black stage at the farthest corner of it. Even though we were plenty early there was various vendors and food trucks lined up along the pathway towards the stage. People were already scattered about, some in tents next to vehicles with foreign liscence plates.
As we rounded the parking lot, passing by a large group of cars I realized that most everyone that was here so far were from out of state.
Matteo stopped in front of us, signaling left with his arm before slowly continuing. We followed him to a lone dirt path, a couple security guards even had to move a gate that was blocking the pathway once Matteo had given the okay.
I almost turned around, a part of me wanting to go back to where the group of cars were beginning to line up. But against my better judgement I proceeded forward, parking next to where Matteo had placed his bike not far from a large unlabeled black tour bus, which I assumed belonged to his band.
We got out of the vehicle, walking over to him. His once previously slicked back brown hair was slightly ascue due to the helmet he had been wearing, but he had Ginger blushing all the same.
"I've gotta go and warm up for the show tonight. The guys are probably wondering where i am. But if you want, they've already got some things set up if you want to go check it out." He told us, motioning to the confection stands.
"Just come to the front of the stage before too many people get her. Trust me it won't be a problem." He told us.
We turned to leave after we said our thanks, but he stopped us, by gently grabbing Ginger's hand. Her eyes went wide as he gently rose her hand to his lips, planting a kiss on the top of it.
"When will I see you again?" He asked her. Even though his voice lowered I could still hear him from my close proximity.
"When-when do you want to?" She stuttered. I was mentally routing for her, glad that she was finally able to form legible sentences.
"How about after the show? If you don't mind staying late, I can give you and your friend a tour of the bus." He suggested.
She didn't need my opinion, as she nodded her head enthusiastically. "That sounds great." He smiled at her response, before waving a goodbye and proceeding towards the bus.
I looked to Ginger as we walked towards where the rest of the population was, seeing her normal confident, bubbly self-reappear. Never in the entire time have I known her had I seen her crush over someone so hard. Now to think about it i can't remember a time where she was really crushing over anyone.
"I can't believe that happened." She said as we waited in line for our fried dough.
"Is it everything you imagined?" I asked her.
Her eyes gleamed as she spoke. "He's more than anything i could have ever imagined."
If I hadn't known the circumstances, if I hadn't known that she had just met him today, and that he was merely a celebrity crush of hers so to speak, I would say that I had just witnessed my best friend fall in love.