“Um, yeah. So, I need to…” Need to what Ely? Run? Serve food? You’re not part of the wait staff today so hand the tray over to one of them. Politely excuse yourself before you say something else stupid. “Go.” And there went stupid. I darted off so fast you would have thought my ass was on fire! I sat the tray down on the last table I saw as I ran outside, rounding the corner of the tent.
“Do I make you nervous?” Rhone said.
“Eeep!” I squeaked, clenching my chest. Not my finest moment by any means. “Yes. You scared the hell out of me!”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to,” he replied. Hurt was the only word I could conjure to describe what I saw flash across his features. “I’ll leave you alone.”
He turned and wasn’t two steps away before I blurted, “Stop!” His feet stayed in place, only his head swiveled back at me. “Look, I’m sorry,” I said, nervously twisting my fingers through my ponytail. “It’s just, ugh.”
“Look, I’m sorry too. I don’t usually come on so strong. You surprised me, in a good way that is,” Rhone added the last bit hurriedly and I smiled. “You have a beautiful smile, Ely.”
Was he spreading it on thick, or was he being sincere? The warmth in his eyes and the light blush he wore eluded to it being heartfelt. “Thank you.” Now my cheeks matched his. I wasn’t used to compliments, at least not ones that were real.
“What time do you get off?” Rhone asked. I immediately put the brakes on, stopping so abruptly he ran into me. Again. “Ely, I’m not trying to get into your pants. Trust me. I just want to get to know you. The real you.”
“Trust me. Those are two of the most difficult words for me to absorb,” I admitted, unsure why I had but it was the truth. I wasn’t one to outright trust anyone, except for Jordan which he’d more than earned.
“Understood. Can I at least walk you to your car when you get off?”
“Um, we’re staying onsite in one of the trailers,” I said.
“Okay then. Ely, would you allow me to accompany you back to your trailer tonight when you get done?”
I quickly muffled the giggle that was trying to escape, slapping a hand over my mouth, “Ouch,” a little too exuberantly.
“Ely,” Rhone began. “I get the feeling that once you finally let your hair down all hell is gonna break loose. In the best of ways. I only hope I’m in the front row when it happens.”
Under the shadow of the full moon, behind the main stage, outside a tent full of people whose lives were worth far more than mine Rhone gently gripped my chin, tiling my face upward, and kissed me. My first kiss.
“Tell me to stop and I will Ely. I think you feel the same way I do, at least I hope that’s the case.” His soft, honey’d gaze nervously searched mine. He once called me beautiful, but if he saw the man I was staring up at right now, he would be saying the same thing about himself.
“I’m off,” I whispered.
“Sorry, what was that?” he questioned.
“I’m um, not on the clock right now,” I clarified.
“Hmm, what are you doing here Ely?” Rhone asked, smirking. I stared down, brushing my shoe over the loose dirt. He tilted my chin upward, taking my lips again. When his tongue slid between my lips, I panicked but that faded when his tongue encircled mine. As if it knew more than me, mine began a slow, methodical dance with his. Mimicking his every move. Rhone wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him.
“I should’ve known,” a deep, angry voice growled from behind us.
I tried to pull away, but Rhone wasn’t having it. “Ssh, it’s okay,” Rhone whispered in my ear. The warmth of his voice sent chills racing up my spine. “Sikes, I’d like to walk Ely home.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Sikes replied.
“He’s staying onsite, in one of the bunkhouse trailers,” Rhone informed him. All he received in return was a grunt from the man. “Ely, this is one of our security guards, Sikes. Sikes, meet Ely.” Again, the mountain of muscle only grunted so I chose not to reply. I was so out of my element here that it was scary. “Come on Ely,” Rhone said, kissing my forehead then taking my hand. “Lead the way.”
“Sikes to Snipe,” the guard said into his earpiece. “Escorting principal four to zone seven. Copy? Roger that. Let’s go,” he said to us.
“So…” Rhone began as we walked, our entwined hands swinging between us. Sikes stayed several feet behind which helped ease the tension his presence brought me. “You said you live in Vegas too?”
“Yeah, near Old Town. I share an apartment with three other guys,” I admitted. He probably had some big mansion house all to himself.
“Seltzer and I had a two-bedroom apartment not far from Old Town. But when we took off for the Battle of the Bands, we put our stuff in storage and turned in the keys.” He laughed. “Not sure where we’ll land when we get back. My mom has a friend who’s a realtor that’s supposed to help us find a house or two to rent.” Rhone’s admission surprised me. Maybe my assumptions about him have been wrong. For someone who didn’t like labels, I sure was slapping them all over Rhone.
“You’ll be home on Monday?” I asked, silently wishing he would ask to see me again once we were both in Vegas.
“Nope, headed to Seattle from here. Our management team has us going right into the studio to record our first album,” Rhone said. Excitement radiated from him when he shared this. “Should be there for a couple of weeks.”
“Oh.” I didn’t mean for that to come out as somber as it had.
“I was um, I was hoping maybe when we got back to Vegas that maybe I could take you out. Like on a real date?”
“Me?” My response came out in a mousy tone. Seemed there were no lengths to how far I would go to embarrass myself.
“Yes you. I’d like to see you Ely. Like date you but I’ll be honest, this whole record recording concert scene is new to us. I don’t know what our schedule will be like but I’m guessing it’ll be erratic at best,” Rhone said.
“My schedule is pretty crazy too, but yeah, I’d like to see you when you get back. If you have time for me, that is,” I replied, nervously chewing my bottom lip.
Rhone’s thumb tugged it free. “I’ll always find time for you, Ely.”
“Am I allowed to have your number? Or ask for it I mean.” Jesus, I was really screwing this up majorly.
“Why wouldn’t you be able to?”
“Cause you know, the whole you’re a big deal and I’m just…me,” I admitted.
“Ely, I barely know you but I can already tell you’re worth so much more than you think, here.” He handed me his phone. “Put your number in and text yourself so you have mine.” My hands were shaking, my mind was waging an internal war with itself but I somehow managed to do as Rhone asked.
“Oh, this is me,” I said, pointing to the trailer I was staying in. There were about a couple rows in this fenced off area for the staff working this event. With a dozen bunk beds and locking storage boxes to keep our personal belongings in.