Incidental Happenstance (13 page)

            “Absolutely. They don’t let just anyone run around back there, you know. Special invitation only.”

            “And I can just spend the day with you, hanging out?” His heart lifted at her words. She wanted to spend time with him—the real Dylan Miller. “It sounds like a perfect date to me.”

            “After the show, if you’re up for it, we’re going out to celebrate Bo’s birthday. It would be a celebrity outing, though—no disguises, and the possibility of paparazzi…”

            “I think I can handle that!” Her face changed as her mood brightened even more. “Oooh…”

            “What?”

            “I just realized that tomorrow when I see you, you won’t be wearing the mullet. You’ll have your real hair. And you’ll be Dylan Miller, international superstar with fans falling at your feet and girls throwing bras at you…”

            He smirked at her from the side of his mouth. “Are you worried you won’t like me without the mullet? Because I can keep it on—if you want.”

            “No, no,” she laughed. “Let’s not do anything drastic. It’s just that…all night, even though I knew who you were, I wasn’t looking at you that way. It’ll be different, that’s all.”

            “Listen, Tia. I’m the same guy, no matter what my hair looks like. You got to know me for me, and that’s more than most people can say. And I love that you’re not star struck by me. That’s what I hate the most about being around people. It’s why I wear the disguises.”

            “I know, and I’ll get over it. Just don’t freak out if I freak out a little when I first see you, OK?”

            “Fair enough. Can I ask—no disgh, who you’re bringing to the concert? It isn’t a date, or anything, is it?”

            She laughed. “If it were, I’d cancel it in a heartbeat! But no, I’m going with my friend Lexi.”  She would have to call her and cancel their plans to have dinner before the show.
Oh crap
! she thought. She never called Lexi! She’d promised to call when she left
Last Stop
, and said she’d only be gone a couple hours—she had to be worried absolutely sick! She’d have to call the minute she was free, and beg forgiveness. “I told you about her.”

            “That’s your best friend, right?” Tia nodded. “Can you have her pick up her ticket at will-call? I’d tell you to invite her backstage, but I’m going to be selfish and keep you to myself, if that’s all right with you.”

            “I wouldn’t have it any other way!” She threw her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug. “Oh this is so exciting! I can’t wait! But don’t worry, Lexi already has her ticket, so she can just meet me at the seats.”

            Could this girl get any better? She was still going to be happy in her crappy seats and seemed excited about spending the day with him while he worked. This could get complicated, he thought. You didn’t meet a girl like this every day. Some people never did.

            He smiled at her and shook his head. “But, like you said earlier—and rather eloquently I might add—the lottery system sucks. I’ve upgraded your seats for you, so she’ll have to pick hers up at the arena.”

            “I’ve been upgraded?” she smiled. “So you won’t look like a tiny ant?”

            “I’ll be larger than life. You’ll be able to see the sweat pouring down my face, and every one of my hideous attempts at dancing. You’ll probably be able to smell me—now there’s a horrible thought.” He shook his head to push it away. “I’ve got you in the front row, right where I can see you any time I want to.”

            She squealed and jumped up and down. “The front row!? Really? I’ve never been in the front row for anything before!! I can’t believe it!” She stepped up on her toes and kissed his cheek.

            “I’m doing tomorrow night’s show for you, Tia, and I want to be able to see you when I sing to you again.”

            “Oh, my God, Dylan. I still can’t believe that you’re real. Are you sure I’m not dreaming? Maybe you should pinch me, or something.”

            “I like ‘
or something
’ better,” and he leaned over and took her mouth with his again.

            “Holy shit, Tia! Where the hell have you been? Do you know how worried I’ve been? I’ve been calling hospitals, Tia—
hospitals
! It’s almost three in the morning! I thought you’d been killed and buried by some psycho!” Lexi shouted as soon as she answered the phone.

            “Sry,” Tia giggled. Nothing could put a damper on the fantastic night she’d just had. Not even one of Lexi’s famous tirades.

            “Are you
laughing
?? You damn near gave me a heart attack tonight! What the hell happened?”

            Suddenly, Tia didn’t want to share it all. She thought it would be fun to watch Lexi discover for herself just who captured all her attention tonight. “I met someone,” she whispered.

            “Goddammit, Tia,” she hissed, obviously frustrated.  “I told you not to go to that place. Please tell me you left, and met him somewhere else and not at that pit.”

            “No, I met him at
Last Stop
.”

            “Oh, God help me. Did you at least inspect his fingernails, like I told you?”

            “His fingernails were clean. I checked. He’s in a band.”

            “You made off with a guy from the band playing at Last Stop? That’s just as bad—maybe worse!” Her voice softened. “Oh, honey. I was just so worried. I kept calling and calling, and it just went straight to voice mail. You didn’t even have your phone on. I called
Paddy’s
, hoping maybe you’d decided to go to the memorial, but no one had seen you. And you
promised
to call me.” She said the last words with a serious pout in her voice.

            “I know. I did, and I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner.  But I had fun, Lex! Actual fun! I laughed, I danced, I drank… and I did go to the memorial; I just didn’t get there until late.”

            “Oooh, I am really glad you did that. You needed to be there. I know you would have regretted it if you didn’t go.”

            “I would’ve. And I’m so glad I went. It was great to see everyone, and they were all so nice…”

            “Yeah, but you still didn’t call me, and I am seriously pissed at you!” Tia heard a tired grumble in the background, then Lexi covered the phone and said to Ryan, “It’s Tia—she’s alive, but not for long once I get my hands on her—she met some guy and stayed out all night with him.” Tia smiled to herself. Lexi returned to the line.

            “Now wait a second, back up a little bit there. Did you bring the “someone” to the memorial with you?”

            “Yeah, he went.”

            “Seriously? You met some guy, and then invited him to your dead fiancé’s memorial service? And he went?”

            “That’s not exactly how it happened, but he went, and he was very gracious about it.”

            “And that doesn’t strike you as creepy? At all?”

            “He’s a great guy, Lexi. I know you’ll like him…”

            “What do you mean, ‘I’ll like him?’ I don’t like the sound of that…”

            “I have to cancel dinner tomorrow.”

            “I knew it!” she hissed. “You’re going to see this guy again, aren’t you?”

            “I’m going to spend the afternoon with him. He has a gig tomorrow night in the city. We’re going to meet up with him after the concert and go to a club.”

            “We?”

            “Yes, we. It’s his drummer’s birthday, and we’re going to celebrate.” Tia smiled, imagining the look on Lexi’s face.

            “With a bunch of people I don’t know? While you put the moves on some guy and completely ignore me? I really don’t think so, Tia. You’ll have to count me out on that one.”

            “Maybe this will change your mind,” she added, hoping it sounded enticing. “He has an in with the management at the venue, and he was able to upgrade our seats to first pavilion. You can pick up your ticket at the will call booth, and I’ll meet you at the seats before the show starts. Please, Lex. I just know you’d like him.”

            “Absolutely not, girlfriend. Now I’m sorry, but you’re on your own on this one. I’m not going to be a third wheel on your first date, and I surely don’t want to be a single to your couple with a bunch of guys you met at
Last Stop
. No offense, but you’re setting your sights way too low if you’re picking up your men at a place like that. You can do so much better.”

            “Well, you think about it, and you can decide later.” She tried to keep the smile out of her voice. This was going to be fun.

            “You’re not going to convince me so don’t even try—not even if he got us in the front row. I don’t think you should go, either, but I’m sure I can’t stop you.”

            “Try and be happy for me Lex, he’s a really great guy.”

            “Oh honey, it’s not that I’m not happy for you. I really want you to meet someone and be happy again, you know that. It’s just that you’re worth more than you think you are, and I think you can do better. Jace is a nice guy, and seriously, I do think he likes you.”

            “Seriously. He’s been dating Ditzy Randall for almost a year now, and in all the time I’ve known him, he’s never once asked me out or made any kind of move. Not that I’d want him to anyway—he’s a nice enough guy I guess, but he’s not my type. Too conceited for me.”

            “Yeah, OK. It would just be so perfect if the two of you were together since he and Ryan are best friends, and you and I…”

            “Not gonna happen, so get it out of your mind. Besides, you wouldn’t say this guy wasn’t my type if you met him. Honestly. He’s not at all what you’re assuming he is. But if I can’t change your mind, I’ll go by myself. No hard feelings.”

            “You’re sure?”

            “Absolutely. But when you’re begging me to go—on your knees—just remember this little conversation. Nothing is going to convince you, you’re positive?” she was very glad that Lexi couldn’t see her face right now—it was going to be so much fun when she found out.

            “I. Am. Positive.”

            “OK then, now go get some sleep, and I’ll see you tomorrow at the show. Don’t forget—pick up your ticket at the will call booth. I’ll be in touch and let you know when I’m on my way.”

            “K. Night.”

            “Night.”

            Tia woke early after a restless night of delicious fantasies battling with anxious concerns. At first, she was afraid to sleep, fearing that she’d wake to discover it was all just a dream. But she only needed to touch her swollen lips to know that Dylan was real, and her body was responding to the mere thought of him in the most perplexing of ways. However, she couldn’t help hearing his voice as he told her that he couldn’t make her any promises; they had only a couple days, at best, and then he’d be off again dating Hollywood starlets and she’d still be trying to find herself. It would be back to the old routine and hanging out at the country club as the eternal third wheel. She’d never wanted that stupid membership—wasn’t a tennis or croquet player and hated how the people there were always trying to outdo each other, but it had been an engagement present from her parents and they’d insisted she keep it after Nick died. Probably to keep a better eye on her and make sure she got out once in a while.

            But the Dylan thing. Oh, she liked him so much. He was so unexpected—so down to earth and easy to talk to—and she felt comfortable with him right off the bat. He was funny, adventurous, and so much more normal than she ever could have imagined someone famous could be. And sexy. God was he sexy. Just thinking about seeing him tomorrow without the god-awful hair, then all sweaty on the stage in front of thousands of adoring fans and knowing that he was dedicating the concert to her was making her tingle in places she’d long thought had gone dormant. But those two words kept rolling around in her mind--
no promises
. They were from two completely different worlds, and she didn’t see any way that those two worlds could co-exist in this lifetime. Europe, then New Zealand, and he wouldn’t even be back in the states for nearly a year. It was childish and ridiculous to think that a relationship of a couple days would survive a year apart, not that she could call one crazy night a relationship. Just a strong attraction and some damn hot kisses. Finally, exhaustion got the better of her, and she slipped into a fitful rest.

            Penelope secretly hated Hollywood parties. Oh, she put on the right act with the rest of them, exchanging air kisses with the girls and small hugs with the men, pretending to be thrilled to share the same space with them, but it was all a competition, really, and they were all so fake. Everyone talked about themselves, where they’d traveled, who they’d worked with, which designer had agreed to make them a dress or tux for an upcoming award show, where they’d be seated at the award show—anything to make themselves look better than to whomever they were speaking. It was all a game, and she played it as well as most; better than some.