Around 10 p.m., the room gets dark and multicolored lights come on. A bright light gets pointed at the stage and Luna walks out. The bright spotlight lights up her eyes, making them sparkle. Her chocolate hair is nearly shimmering. She takes in the large crowd before her and smiles wide, making my heart pound even harder in my chest.
I turn my barstool so I can watch the show. My jealously flares when I see she’s in a band with a bunch of guys. I wonder if she’s seeing any of them, but I push away the thought. She’s not my girl and I don’t have any right to be jealous.
“Hello, everyone!” Luna says into the mic and the crowd goes wild. “Everyone having a good time?” They scream even louder, making my ears ring. “Awesome! Let’s crank this party up, shall we?”
The music starts and I’m immediately surprised by how good they are. They don’t sound like some small garage band. They seem like real rock stars. Luna rocks the guitar just like she did at the store today, but then she opens her mouth and the most beautiful sound comes out. The drummer puts on a show all his own the way he twirls the sticks in the air. The bass player keeps the beat and makes it vibrate in my chest. And there’s another guitar player who also sings backup. His rasp is the perfect complement to Luna’s sweet voice.
“You ever seen them play before?” the bartender asks me.
I shake my head and yell back, “First time. They’re really good!”
He nods with a smile. “Yeah, word has it they’re about to be signed!”
I order another beer and decide to try pushing my way to the front of the stage. It takes some time to get there, but I finally make it with only a few dirty looks. I stand right in front of her as she sings and moves around the stage. She’s wearing a short black jean skirt with combat boots. Her top is more like a bikini, and I imagine what would happen if one of those little ties just happened to come loose.
As I watch her move around the stage, singing and playing the guitar, her eyes lock on mine and she flashes me a smile and a wink. I lift my beer and nod, trying to play it cool, but honestly, I’m anything but. It’s like I’m falling for this girl who’s a real rock star. I almost feel giddy inside—like my celebrity crush noticed me in the crowd. I know it all sounds stupid, but it’s easy to get wrapped up in the whole package of loud music, a rowdy crowd, and screaming fans.
After several songs, the band takes a break. They head toward the side of the stage, but Luna looks back at me, then walks over. She kneels down in front of me. “Wanna come backstage?”
“Yeah, sure,” I agree, hopping up on stage and following her off to the side.
She leads me into the back and opens the door to a small room. I step inside but can’t even close the door. The room is too small and it already has four other people in it.
“So, what did you think?” Luna asks, spinning around to face me.
I give her a smile. “You sounded really good. I knew you could play from the taste you gave me at the store today, but I had no idea you could sing like that!”
She laughs and her cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink. “Thanks. Oh, let me introduce you to the guys,” she starts to point them out. “That’s Van, Ridge, and Lane.” She says their names as she points at them. Each one looks up and gives me a wave.
“Ridge. That’s different. You’re awesome on the bass.”
He laughs. “Ridge is my nickname. It’s actually Trevor, and thanks. Is this the first show you’ve been to?” he asks, stepping up to me to shake my hand.
I nod. “Yeah, I just met Luna at the store today and she invited me to come out and watch. Glad I did. The crowd is crazy out there. Are all your shows like this?”
He laughs and nods. “Yeah, all of them we’ve played in Chicago anyway. We’ve gone out of state, but no one knows us anywhere else. So the crowds are pretty subdued until we manage to win them over.”
“I can’t imagine that taking long.” I lift my beer to my lips and take a swig. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Luna lean into a mirror, fixing the makeup she sweat off during the show.
The guys gather around and talk about the band, the bar, and the crowd out there. They try including me in their conversation, but I’m not worth much because I can’t keep my eyes off her. I’m hypnotized by the way she applies her dark lipstick. Her eyes find mine in the mirror and she smiles before turning around to face me.
“Time to get back out there, boys.”
The guys take off toward the stage, but she lingers a little longer.
“You want to grab a drink when you finish up?” I lean against the doorframe, looking down at her.
She looks up at me through her impossibly-long, dark lashes and gives me a smirk. “Think you can hang until then?”
I chuckle and shrug my shoulders. “I guess we’ll have to wait and find out.”
Her smile finally comes out to play. “All right, I’ll save you a drink . . . if you’re still here at midnight, that is.”
Midnight? That’s easy.
She slips past me and I can’t help but turn and watch her ass as it gets farther away. It’s thick and plump and round. Perfect. I’ve always considered myself an ass man and I know hers is perfect. I bet it would look amazing in a lacy pair of boyshort panties. I swear I could bite into it like a peach. In fact, I nearly have to bite my fist to hold myself back. I don’t want to come on too strong, but damn.
Once she’s no longer in my line of sight, I head back out to the bar and grab another beer to sit and watch the show. The way she moves on stage is mesmerizing. She’s absolutely breathtaking up there. She doesn’t just walk across the stage—she glides with grace and purpose. She doesn’t just sing the lyrics—she belts them out at the top of her lungs and she’s perfectly on key. Her long, thin fingers move across the strings, plucking the perfect note time and time again. How is it I can be so turned on by someone so different? She isn’t my usual type: blonde hair, model-like body, and a better-than-you attitude. Luna is different. Don’t get me wrong, though. Her body is just as perfect as an Instagram model or centerfold, but in a different way. There’s ink on her ivory skin. Her makeup is darker and heavier than most, and her hair isn’t a pretty blonde but a shiny chocolate with subtle hints of caramel peeking out. Instead of a structured style, hers is in full waves flowing effortlessly down her shoulders and back. She casually runs her slender fingers through it and flips it to one side of her head.
I take a sip of my beer as I think over the conversation I had with Calvin today. He’s right and I know it. Luna and I are different. Too different. It could never work out between us. I know it, and I think deep down, she knows it too. But as long as we’re both aware of the problem, we can have a lot of fun together while it lasts. Call me crazy, but I have every intention of enjoying every minute of it.
I sit in a booth and slowly suck down beer until she wraps up the last song at midnight. The band tells the crowd goodbye and leaves the stage as the people on the dance floor are left hungry for more. They’re all chanting Luna’s name and declaring their love for her. It’s nice to know I’m not the only one bewitched by her. I want to get up and go to the back, but I also want to play it cool. Instead of running to her, I’ll see if she comes to me.