WHERE THE CROWD IS, everything is perfect.
We more than doubled our ticket sales once Grayson was announced as the headliner, which called for a last-minute relocation to the park near the Student Union. The stage is set up right in front of the large fountain, lights bright enough and speakers loud enough to make it feel like a summertime festival. And in front of the stage are more than seven-thousand students, alumni, and local residents with their hands in the air, screaming as Titanium Rush starts their set.
But backstage, everything is a mess.
“Where the fuck is Grayson?!” I scream into my headset, flipping through the documents on my tablet until I find the one that confirms we asked him to be here before the openers went on. His contact information isn’t listed, only a number for his “agent.”
Tool.
“No one’s seen him,” Jeremy’s voice crackles through the headphone piece as two brothers zip past me with the banner backdrop for Grayson. “We tried calling the number for his agent but it’s going straight to voicemail.”
“How many songs does Titanium Rush have in their set list?”
“Six.”
I curse, jogging down the stairs backstage and veering toward the auction booth. “I’ll work on getting ahold of him, you guys come up with a plan to stall. We still have a few auctions to go up for bidding but after that we’re screwed.”
“We’re on it.”
My feet are quick as I make my way to where Cassie is working the auction table, taking the money from the bidders and explaining how to claim the prizes. It was her idea, and though I didn’t want her help or to be around her more than what was absolutely necessary, I couldn’t turn down an opportunity to rack up a larger donation for our philanthropy.
The sky is clear, still casting a soft blue and purple haze as dusk settles in, but it’s hotter than hell. I use the small towel around my shoulder to wipe my face just as I reach Cassie’s table.
“We’re up to four-thousand dollars with that last set of bidding!” she says excitedly, the red mess of curls on top of her head bouncing a little. Her cheeks are bright red, too, freckles more pronounced in the heat as she blots at her own face with a spare event t-shirt. “I think we’ll crack at least five-thousand with the last set.”
“Awesome. Now if only we knew where your diva of a boyfriend was, we’d be cruising on Easy Street,” I spit back.
Cassie’s face falls, her big green eyes softening under bent brows.
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose and holding out a hand toward her. “I’m sorry. I think the auction is amazing, Cassie. I do. I’m just a little worried because Grayson still isn’t here and Titanium Rush has five songs left after this first one. Is there any way you can try to get ahold of him?”
“It’s okay,” she says, voice timid. She places a hand on my wrist and squeezes it, not knowing that squeeze is still tied to my heart, too. “I know you’re stressed out. Let me try calling him, okay? Can you watch the table for a second?”
I nod and she offers a soft smile before pulling out her phone and walking away from the table.
Leave it to Cassie McBee to still be sweet as sugar when I’m being a complete dick. I don’t think that girl has a mean bone in her body, and if she does, I hope I never get to see it. It’s one of the things I love most about her, that wide-eyed innocence and kindness.
She’s gone longer than I expect, and Titanium Rush finishes their set to a roar from the crowd before half of it disperses to get more booze and the final auction girls take the stage. Skyler is emceeing, which is a perfect job for her since she’s quite possibly the most charismatic girl on campus, not to mention one of the hottest. She’s wearing tiny, ripped-up jean shorts and one of Grayson’s t-shirts tied just under her ribs. I hate seeing her in his shirt, but damn if she doesn’t look incredible in it.
“Give it up one more time for Titanium Rush!” she screams into the mic and the crowd goes crazy, cheering and waving their drinks in the air. She continues talking, explaining how the last set of auction items will work, as Jeremy freaks out in my ear.
“WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?!”
“Calm down,” I answer, trying to appear unfazed. Someone has to appear calm and collected, even if I feel like throwing up. “Cassie is trying to get ahold of him now. Just gather up how much we’ve raised so far and be prepared to go on stage with some facts about our philanthropy and the donation they’re all helping make tonight if he’s not here by the time the auction is over, okay?”
“And if he doesn’t show at all?”
My stomach turns. “He’ll show.”
The last three auctions take a while, since they’re the most expensive prizes, but when we finally have winners for all three and Jeremy takes the stage with clipboard in shaking hands, I panic.
This motherfucker really isn’t going to show.
I know we don’t exactly get along — AKA, he’s the lucky bastard who managed to land the girl neither one of us deserves — but even for him, this is low. To wreck an entire concert and put the reputation of Alpha Sigma at stake like this? It’s a completely different level of disrespect, one I won’t let him forget.
Blowing out a long, hot breath, I push the button on my headset. “Just keep talking. I’m on my way up there to break the bad news.”
Jeremy pauses mid-sentence on stage, his eyes jetting to mine through the crowd, and I shrug. Nothing to do now but apologize and hope there isn’t a riot.
He swallows, forcing a smile as he continues talking about where the money from tonight will go and what it will fund.
“He’s here,” Cassie says, sniffling a little as she tosses her phone on the table. “He and Cal, his agent, just pulled up. They’re parking back behind the stage now, I told him not to worry about a parking ticket, that we’d handle it.”
“Oh, thank fucking Christ.” I turn back toward the stage and push the button for my headset. “He’s here. Stall a little longer, Jeremy, then you can announce him. Carter, you copy?”
“Here,” Carter’s staticky voice answers.
“Grayson is parking backstage. Get him set up as fast as you can and have the other brothers take care of his car.”
“On it.”
I let out a long breath of relief, scrubbing a hand over my face and turning back to Cassie. “God, thank you so much.” But when I see her, really see her, my heart stops. “Wait, are you crying?”
“I’m fine,” she whispers, holding her head high as she gently wipes a tear from her cheek. Her smile is as weak as her lie. “He’s here, all is good. The show goes on and all that, right?”
Her face crumples, and I reach for her on instinct, pulling her into me and wrapping my arms around her. Her shoulders shake just slightly, her cries nearly silent as I hold her.
“Shhh,” I whisper, kissing her forehead before pulling her in tighter and resting my chin on her head. “It’s okay. Want me to kick his ass? Put auto-tune on his mic?”
She laughs into my chest. “He was just kind of snappy with me and said some things he didn’t mean. He’s got a lot going on. I get it, I do. He’s just a little… different. That’s all. But when we’re alone, he’s the same Grayson I know and lo—”
She doesn’t finish the sentence, stiffening in my arms at the realization of the word that almost slipped out. I just hold her tighter and pretend like I didn’t notice, like it wasn’t a shotgun shell to the gut.
“Who the hell was that who bid on me?!”
Ashlei rushes the table in a flurry, eyes searching the crowd as Cassie sniffs and pulls away from me, crossing her arms over her chest. “Oh, the guy who bid ten-thousand out the gate? Yeah, we’re all dying to know who he was, too.”
“That’s just insane,” Ashlei says, hands flying. She pauses when she looks at Cassie again, no doubt noticing the red blotchy skin under her eyes, but she doesn’t push for answers — not in front of me. Instead, she shakes her head and crosses her arms to mimic Cassie. “I mean, honestly, what college kid has that kind of money to throw around? And for an auto racing date that’s worth maybe fifteen-hundred, if even.”
“Maybe it was you who made it worth more to them?” I offer, trying to stick up for the poor sap.
She scoffs. “That’s even more ridiculous.”
A young girl with the biggest tits I’ve ever seen stuffed into a small tank top skips over to the table, handing us a check with a wide grin. “This is for the auto racing date with Ashlei Daniels,” she says with a high-pitched voice.
“Mykayla?!”
She blinks, turning to Ashlei. “Oh! Hey, you. Good job up there. This event is really cool! I never really did any of this when I was in school. I lived at home and really only came to campus for class. Are you sticking around for Grayson Anderson? He is so swoon-worthy.”
Cassie chews the inside of her cheek and I reach for her, grabbing her hand behind the table where no one can see. I smooth my thumb over her wrist and she closes her eyes with a sigh before squeezing my hand in return.
“Yeah, he’s a hunk,” Ashlei deadpans. “Mykayla, why did you bid on me?! And ten-thousand dollars?! Are you insane?!”
“Oh!” Mykayla shakes her head, dark blonde hair framing her rack as she giggles. “No, silly, it wasn’t me. I’m here on behalf of Mr. Church.”
Ashlei’s face goes sheet white as Cassie and I exchange a look and a shrug.
“Mr. Church bid on me?”
“Uh-huh,” Mykayla says, dragging out the words and bouncing on her heels. “He heard me talking about the concert and the auction. I just thought it was so nice of you to donate your time like that. And to risk going on a date with some random guy you don’t know? That takes guts. He agreed, and he wanted to help the cause, so he sent me with a check. Isn’t he the best boss ever?”
This time, Ashlei’s face flushes red, and she slowly closes her mouth that has been hanging open since Mykayla started talking. “He’s something.”
Cassie gives Ashlei a look that says they’ll be talking later just as Jeremy calls me backstage through my headpiece.
“I have to run,” I say, nodding to Ashlei and Mykayla before turning to Cassie. The lights on the stage go black and the crowd roars, more than seven-thousand people on their feet for the asshole who made my favorite girl cry. I keep my eyes on her, ignoring the first note from Grayson’s guitar. “You going to be okay?”
Cassie nods. “I’ll be fine.” She watches me, questions dancing in her eyes as the stage lights up again and the crowd goes even crazier. “Thank you, Adam.”
“I’m always here,” I remind her. Then, I lean forward, kissing her cheek with the same promise before jogging toward the stage.