Willow leaned close to his ear. “I don’t mind if you want to have a drink.”
Luke placed his arm over her shoulder. “Stopping the coke made me realise that I don’t really know my limits. I’ll probably drink while I’m there, but we’ll find something alcohol-free for the limo-ride back.”
“I’m proud of you. It must be hard.”
Luke glanced out of the window, then back at her. “Not going to lie . . . it’s harder than I thought. Even considered making tonight an exception. It’s a constant mental battle that so far I’m winning.”
The shouts and screams of the fans were a dull roar until someone outside opened the limo door. The wave of sound hit Willow as sure as if someone had pressed a fist into her chest. She’d seen similar. She’d done a couple of mall events with other influencers, and there had been screaming, then. But this was a different kind of noise. More crazed.
The volume escalated when Matt stepped out and reached for Izabel’s hand to help her out of the limo.
Jase turned to Cerys. “You okay, sunshine?” he asked.
“To see how people respond to the album, yes. But this madness, not so much.” Cerys tucked her hair behind her ear. She’d blow-dried her curls. “But I’m looking forward to hanging out with Dad.”
“And me, right? Because Little Jase is really digging this dress.”
Luke groaned.
“Is Little Jase what I think it is?” Willow whispered.
“It is, and I’d rather you didn’t think about Little Jase at all.”
She leaned close, her lips to his ear. “Would it be weird if I told you the only . . . well, the only one I think about is yours?” Uncertain why she’d suddenly felt so bold, she felt her cheeks heat.
He turned to face her, their lips millimetres apart. “You can’t say that to me when we are about to get out of a limo, possibly in front of media. The last thing I need is a huge boner on our first official outing together.”
“Does it have a name?”
Luke turned and glared as the others clambered out of the limo, one eyebrow raised, before laughing. “No. Because I’m a grown man. But I’m sorely tempted to shut that limo door and reintroduce you.”
“Blurred lines, right?”
“Yeah.” He tucked her hair behind her ear and kissed her. “Blurred fucking lines, flower.”
The flashes of cameras blinded her as she stepped outside.
“Willow. Over here.” She didn’t know which member of the press yelled at her. It was a sea of faces and bright lights and flashes.
“Willow, how long have you and Luke been together?”
“Willow, have you moved permanently to the UK?”
Luke slipped his arm protectively over her shoulder. “I guess this is where we smile and wave and shit, huh?”
Willow grinned up at him. “Yeah. This is where we do that.”
Willow was still smiling three hours later as songs from the band’s album, Unpolished Roots, reverberated from the walls of the old music hall for a second time.
Luke was talking with Jimmy Bexter, the album’s producer, and Cerys’s dad. Matt and Jase were in conversation with the head of marketing for the label. Alex was talking to Annika, a journalist from a popular music magazine, although given how close they were standing to each other, Willow figured the conversation had shifted from interview to flirtation.
Ben sat next to her, with his feet up on the chair next to him.
“Shouldn’t you be networking?” Willow asked.
“Probably. But there’s only so many times I can smile and answer the same questions. And they aren’t really interested in me. Never have been. The story has always been Matt and Jase.”
“I’m sure that’s not true. Tonight’s about this.” She pointed up toward the ceiling where lights and music swirled.
Ben wiggled his pint glass in her direction. “In that case, I’m going to enjoy this overpriced pint and listen to it.”
“It’s a free bar, Ben.”
“It is. But someone will have paid too much for it. Give me day drinking in West Dids anyway. Half the price of this watered-down shite.”
Luke glanced in her direction and grinned. He patted Jimmy’s arm, said a few more words then headed in her direction. “How are you holding up?” he asked.
“You were right. I’m tired. But Ben’s keeping me company.”
Luke flopped into the chair on the other side of her, just as Cerys and Izabel returned from the bar.
“This is the most amazing night ever,” Iz said, squealing as Matt stepped behind her, pulling her to him.
Jase slid his arm over Cerys’s shoulder. “You know. It’s one thing to dream about shit like this. But it’s a different kettle of fish to be standing right here in the middle of it.”
Luke reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I had the journalist for NME tell me it was an inspired album. Said we had a vibe that reminded her of early Ocean Colour Scene. I feel like I could live with that.”
Willow looked around the table and laughed.
“What’s funny?” Luke asked.
“You. All of you. You look . . . dare I say it . . . bored.”
Alex joined the group and planted his pint glass on the table. “This has been fun and everything. But I’m knackered. Like, honestly, I’m toasted.”
“Me too,” Luke said, flopping his head on Willow’s shoulder playfully. “How long do we have to stay here for?”
“Until it ends,” Matt said. “It’s a party for us. We’d be ungrateful twats to bail before all the music journalists do.”
Ben picked up his pint and chugged it. “I think it would be pretty epic to just walk out of here. The crowd has thinned. I bet there’s only like sixty people left.”
“Fine. Let me go speak to Simon and see what he says.” Matt walked over to their manager.
Six pairs of eyes watched, grinning when Simon nodded.
“You know what we should do?” Jase said as they headed for the exit. “Get the limo driver to cruise around London. Look up some cool spots to go drinking. Dancing.”
“I think we should go for a curry,” Alex said. “I’m starved. That posh finger food was all fluff and no substance.”
“Luke introduced me to the delights of Kathmandu,” Willow said. “It was so good.”
“I think you need to go to bed.” Luke placed his hand on her back again as they said goodnight to the doormen and headed for the limo that had just pulled up in front, the driver out and already opening the passenger door.
The crowd outside jostled, arms outstretched, to touch the band and shake their hands. Screams. Names called out. Alex signed something thrust at him.
Willow watched in horror as the barrier on their left crashed over, knocking Cerys to the ground as Jase tried to push the surge of people back to get at her.
Suddenly, they were surrounded by fans who either cheered or appeared panicked.
Matt shoved Iz toward her and Luke. “Get them to the car,” he yelled, as Ben and Alex, along with event security, yelled at everyone to get back.
“Hold on to my shirt,” Luke instructed both of them.
They did as he said, and held on to one another, as Luke elbowed his way through the crowd, until he could get them inside the limo. “Wait there,” he said, then slammed the door before disappearing into the crowd.