THREE

Luc 

‘HARRY!’ 

Felicity erupts into giggles yet again as Harry whispers something into her hair, her hands gripping his shoulders as she bites her lower lip. She’s sitting on his lap on a brown leather sofa. Her eyes scan the room before settling on Jake, our lead singer. Harry says something else to her, too low to make out, and her eyes widen before she slaps him playfully.

‘Liar!’ 

‘It’s true,’ he responds, loud enough for us all to hear this time, looking over at Jake. ‘He’s got a girlfriend now and everything.’ Jake looks up from his phone and frowns at Harry. ‘But you can’t tell anyone,’ Harry continues, turning back to Felicity and lowering his voice again. ‘It’s a secret.’ 

Felicity mimes a closed zip across her lips before bursting into laughter again as Jake’s frown transforms into a glare. The phone in his hand lights up and he stands to answer it, walking away from the squeals of Harry’s latest arm candy.

‘That’s probably her now,’ Harry says to Felicity as she watches Jake cross the room. Gethin, lounging in a wide armchair, looks up from his own phone, raises an eyebrow and shakes his head. 

‘Luc,’ a voice from my right starts, ‘there’s someone out front for you.’ A member of the venue staff stands next to me, looking at the list of names we gave them when we arrived. ‘Candy?’ He says slowly and with not much certainty. 

It takes me a moment. ‘Oh. I know. OK.’ I stand to leave. The petite blonde from earlier in the week. Really regretting my rash decision to invite her tonight. Not sure I’m in the right frame of mind to be dealing with a fan, what with all the Hayley stuff hanging over me. She’s still convinced we have a date tomorrow night, despite the fact that I’ve told her I’m not going. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.

‘We’ll join you,’ Harry says, walking over with Felicity. 

‘Already?’ she says, her voice rising in protest. 

I’m already following the staff member through to the entrance of the backstage area.

‘Just want to get you a good spot in the audience so you’ve got a clear view of me,’ Harry’s saying as the two of them follow behind me. Smooth, Harry. But I know the truth. 

‘Here we are. Uh, Candy?’ The guy is clearly still not convinced that’s her real name. Candy comes into view. She’s looking down and fussing with the hem on her skirt as we approach. At the sound of her name she looks up, her face flushed pink. She breaks into a smile when she sees me and I take a deep breath. 

Just a few minutes with a fan, I tell myself. It’ll take my mind off the Hayley mess. 

‘Hi!’ she gushes as I draw closer, and then her eyes drift slightly to my left. ‘Oh my God, you’re Harry!’ 

Harry draws level with me, Felicity clinging to him jealously. He nods, smiling. ‘Candy, right?’

She nods enthusiastically.

‘Cool.’ He gives me a look before disappearing in the direction of the waiting audience with Felicity. 

‘Oh wow,’ she breathes, ‘this is crazy. I can’t believe this.’ 

I offer her my arm. ‘Wonder what your friend would have said to Harry,’ I tease.

‘Yeah, I still can’t believe she did that. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what that was all about.’ She takes my arm and we start heading back where I came from. ‘And now we’re on a date. I hope she doesn’t hate me.’ 

What? I frown and look at her. She’s not really my type. This is definitely not a date. Not even close.

‘Yeah, I know,’ she waves her hand. ‘I know.’ She looks up at me. ‘We’re not doing anything wrong. Exactly. You’re right.’ She smiles. 

I try to think of the words, but I don’t really know how to say that she’s got the wrong idea. And I know it’s my own fault.

I extended her an exclusive invitation.

I offered her my arm.

And she’s really dressed up, I suddenly realise, looking at her tight skirt and shimmering vest top.

Fuck’s sake.

‘Oh, is that Jake Norton?’ 

Candy’s oblivious to my dilemma, pointing ahead of us. I look up to see Jake approaching. Beyond him there’s a short blonde talking to Gethin, our lead guitarist, and someone else—someone taller—obscured by Gethin.

‘Hey man,’ Jake says, eyeing Candy before looking back up at me with narrowed eyes. Who’s this? 

Oh. Right. ‘Jake, Candy. Candy, Jake.’

‘Hi,’ Candy beams, clinging tightly to my arm. Shackled to me. At least she’s nice. 

‘Candy?’ Jake frowns. 

‘Is that Cerys?’ I say, trying to deflect. It’s hard not to feel bad for Candy, having everyone question her name constantly, but she barely seems to notice. 

Jake takes a minute before shaking his head slightly. ‘Uh, yeah. Come meet her.’

He turns and heads towards Cerys and Gethin. Candy and I follow and, as we approach, Gethin steps aside slightly, revealing an honest-to-God model behind him.

Tall. Killer curves. Long, almost black hair, cascading over her shoulders.

Tight red fabric clinging mercilessly to an hourglass body.

As we draw closer she laughs at something Gethin says.

Sexy. Almost husky.

‘Girls,’ Jake is saying, ‘this is Luc.’ 

Her eyes, hidden behind long lashes and almost as dark as her hair, meet mine.

‘And Candy,’ a smiling voice from my right arm adds. 

Damn it.

‘Right. Candy.’ Jake pauses, looking at her for a moment, still unsure what to make of her, before continuing. ‘Luc, this is Cerys and Lexi.’ 

‘Lexi?’ I ask. ‘As in, Alexis?’ 

She nods, and I swear her cheeks redden just a touch.

‘Alexis,’ I repeat slowly. ‘I like it.’ 

She smiles and looks down, long dark hair falling forward to hide her face.

‘And Candy is presumably short for Candace?’ Gethin says. 

Oh yeah. Forgot about Candy.

Jake pulls Cerys aside and I silently wish for Candy to let go of my arm.

Lexi is looking at me again while Candy responds to Gethin. Their voices fade to a blur of white noise as I lock eyes with Lexi.

Wide eyes. Like a rabbit caught in the headlights.

She’s starstruck, I realise.

‘So, how do you know Cerys?’ Like I care. Just want to hear that voice again. 

‘She’s my flatmate.’ She speaks softly and low. ‘We’re in uni together.’ 

‘Oh yeah? What are you studying?’ 

‘Biology.’ She looks down again. She didn’t seem this shy with Gethin. 

‘Well that’s pretty cool.’ I’m enjoying this. The inability to hold my gaze for more than a few seconds. It’s sweet. 

‘Nah. Not as cool as drumming,’ she says, lifting her head and smiling slightly. Her voice a bit louder this time. 

Part of me feels bad for not reassuring her in some way, but another, more primal part of me is enjoying the power of knowing I’m having this effect on her.

‘We’re not dating!’ Jake’s voice suddenly interrupts from across the room, causing the entire backstage area to hush. Candy’s grip on my arm loosens slightly, and both Lexi and Gethin turn in the direction of Jake’s yelling. 

‘We’re just friends. She’s not my girlfriend.’ He’s talking to Harry. 

And fucking things up royally.

Cerys, tiny next to him, shifts from foot to foot.

Harry tilts his head at him and crosses his arms across his chest. ‘So, what, you’re just friends who fuck?’ His voice is quieter than Jake’s, but still clearly audible in the now-silent room.

No, don’t…

‘Yes!’ Too late. 

The colour seems to drain from Cerys’ face, but she nods at Harry.

The room holds its collective breath, waiting for something. Waiting for Jake to make it right.

‘One minute!’ someone calls out eventually. That’s our cue. 

Low chatter starts back up, rising quickly.

Cerys is walking back to us. Fast.

As she approaches, I swear I can see tears in her eyes.

Before I have a chance to say goodbye, Cerys takes Lexi’s arm and marches her through to the stage, to the audience. Lexi looks back, helplessly, just for a moment. Even as she’s being dragged away she manages to walk with a wiggle, her dress just as tight around her ass as it is around her waist.

They disappear around the corner.

Great.

Thanks Jake. You fucking dick.

‘Oh wow,’ a small voice from my arm breathes.

Candy.

‘Uh, you might want to follow those girls back out front,’ I say, gently taking my arm back.

She looks up at me. ‘And later?’

‘Helping me,’ says Harry, appearing next to me and throwing his arm around my shoulders. He ruffles my hair. ‘Gotta get all this equipment out of here once we’re done.’

God, he’s fucking everywhere tonight.

He drops his arm and starts gently guiding Candy towards the rest of the audience.

‘Thanks for coming though. Hope you had fun.’

‘I did!’

They vanish into the darkness.

Jake swiftly follows, muttering to himself.

‘Let’s go,’ says Gethin, grabbing his guitar. We follow, getting on stage while it’s still dark.

Lights from dozens of mobile phone screens glint off the metallic edges of my kit, making navigation on the unlit stage a piece of cake.

The crowd starts to hush as I find my sticks with my hands, aware of everyone else’s movement up here on the stage.

As the drummer, I get to decide when we start.

I control everything about the music.

Where it begins. The rhythm. The pace.

I twirl the sticks in my hand, relishing the control and the quiet anticipation.

Deep breath. Click the drumsticks.

One two three four.

The room explodes into bright colours and I let the rhythm of my drumming overtake me.

It’s a relatively simple beat, and one I’ve played thousands of times.

So it’s easy to lose myself in it and let my gaze drift towards the crowd.

It’s usually hard to see the audience because all the lights are focused on the stage. But I know exactly what I’m looking for.

Who I’m looking for.

There she is.

Long hair. Round black eyes.

We make eye contact.

She looks back. She holds it.

Holds it.

Holds it…

Then she breaks.

Looks down, trying to hide the smile on her face.