We waited until the guests began to leave.
“I think I should probably talk to some of these people.” Frank braved a smile and rose to his feet. Soft yellow overhead light illuminated his features. Our hands were linked, fingers threaded together, gazes connected. The moment was charged with the gravity of what we were. Whole.
I stood and followed him along the line of empty chairs.
The second we reached the general admission section, we were separated again.
Surrounded by a group of fans, Frank made his way through the auditorium to join Isabella. There was half an hour to go until the performance and everyone poured back into the lobby for another photo op, snacks, and drinks.
Linda met up with me and took me to the VIP lounge, where Levi was accepting congratulations. My memories of his father weren’t particularly pleasant. Old-school, business-minded Adam Bernstein never missed a chance to remind his only son that real estate was a far better career choice than a rock ’n’ roll magazine. But right now, the man’s face sparkled like a ten-carat diamond. I could swear this was the first time I’d seen Adam smile since I met him seven years ago when Levi took me over to his parents’ garage, which served as the original Rewired office.
Caught up in the chaos, we circled the lounge until there were no more hands to shake. I stared at the door, waiting for Frank. My feelings were bigger than everyone and everything. They swelled in my chest and filled me with an anxious tremor. I needed a minute alone with him. To ask questions and to share how I felt about what I’d just seen. I needed to get all these things out of me before he got on that stage. To make room for more.
“So what’s it like, partner?” Levi chuckled. “Being a producer?” He hooked his arm through mine and maneuvered me to a quiet corner, away from the crowd. Although I didn’t think we were going to stay unnoticed long.
“Your dad looks chipper,” I said, surveying the crowd.
“He thinks I’m about to make millions, ha!”
“Maybe he’s not wrong. Did you check the stats?”
“I’ve been glancing at them, but we’ll have to take a better look tomorrow.”
He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. “I fucking love how it turned out, Cass.”
I gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “I’m still a little mad. Why the hell didn’t you tell me Frank was going to be part of it?”
“He asked me not to.”
“When did you record all this?”
“Why do you think I’m going to sleep for a week starting tomorrow?”
My mind raced. I needed to hear everything. I needed details.
“Look.” Levi grabbed my arm and shook me out of my daze. “It doesn’t matter now, okay? It’s done. He didn’t want you to know, because you wouldn’t have agreed to this after what happened with ‘Afterburn.’ Just enjoy. The biggest rock star on the planet has professed his love for you in front of millions of people. And I’m not kidding when I say millions. This film is going to be seen by millions. It’s the kind of film that needs to be seen by millions. It’s the best fucking thing we’ve created together in all the seven years we’ve been doing this.”
Emotions clogged my throat. I swallowed past the developing lump and nodded. In my peripheral vision, I caught Frank’s silhouette across the room. People clung to him as he started his approach. His presence was the epicenter of everything, the epicenter that moved in my direction like a comet, burning all its obstructions.
Enthralled, I stood in my spot and tried to breathe through my panic. We were being seen together in public for the first time since the meltdown and it was both real yet unreal. The closeness of our bodies made me nervous when Frank moved to stand by my side.
“Impressive work.” He gave Levi a pat on the back.
“I had a great cast.”
They exchanged glances and shared a covert smile.
The chatter inside the lounge intensified. I recognized Isabella’s voice as Ashton steered her toward our group, the crowd around them thickening and clamping on to us. It was in the air, the invisible power she had.
Frank’s hand lay on the small of my back, his other one was in his pocket.
I heard a jingle.
“Ash?” He turned to my brother and held out his palm.
A gasp of surprise left my lungs. “No, you didn’t?” My gaze darted from Ashton to Frank and back. Apparently, this conspiracy was bigger than I had initially thought.
“He totally did,” Levi croaked. “Your own brother sold you out for a car.”
A low rumble of laughter erupted. Face smug, Ashton grabbed the keys and shoved them in his pocket.
“Was there anyone who didn’t know about this?” I cried out.
“Not really.” Frank shook his head. Others joined in.
“Did you bribe everyone with a car?”
“It was technically already my car!” Ashton countered. “You kidnapped it.”
More laughter.
The lounge was too hot. Clusters of people grew together into one huge human mass. It was almost impossible to breathe or speak and I felt like the world had started to close in on me. Frank’s hand on my back slid to my side, his fingers wrapping around my waist with a tight grip. A touch of distress. It hit me then. This was an open bar. He was surrounded by hundreds of drinks and waiters floating around with trays.
“Excuse us for a second?” I snaked my arm through his and maneuvered him toward the emergency exit.
Other than a couple of event staffers and a security guard, the back hallway was empty and quiet. Just what we needed. The massive door separated us from the rattle inside the lounge. As always, Frank bypassed the warnings. He spun me to the wall and dipped his head for a kiss. His lips neared my cheek and brushed the corner of my mouth.
I placed my palms on his chest in an attempt to keep him at bay, but the truth was, my heart and my head didn’t agree. “You can’t just show up here and kiss all the mental distress you’ve put me through goodbye,” I said firmly.
“That’s not what I’m trying to do.”
“So…Alisha is your sponsor?”
He nodded, circling his hands around my neck and skimming his fingers through my hair. “Are you jealous?” A frown creased his forehead.
“A few weeks ago, someone sent me photos of you and her.”
I noted a smirk of amusement in his eyes.
“It’s not fucking funny.” I shook my head and blinked back the tears that had been slowly building in me ever since I saw Frank’s name on the screen.
“You should know it by now.” His face neared mine. “You’re the only woman in my life.”
My emotions were raging. Drowning in his words completely, I continued to stare and waited for more. Suddenly, all my doubts were replaced by guilt and a treacherous tear fell down my cheek.
“What’s wrong?” His thumb brushed the wet trail on my skin.
“So there’s no other woman?” My voice shook. I believed him the first time, but for some reason, I needed to hear him say it.
“No, there’s no other woman, silly.” He pulled me closer. “Why are you crying?” Our bodies aligned and clicked like two magnets.
“I thought there was someone else… I went on a date with another man and I kissed him.”