Stacy broke into a trot and joined Helen on the sidewalk, narrowing eyes lined with a copious amount of kohl. “Okay, what is up with you? How did you get here so fast? Lisa texted that you stopped by the studio to pick up some stuff in the afternoon, and not even a direct flight to LAX is this efficient.”
“It’s a new airline. I’ll explain later. How do we get backstage?”
Stacy laughed. “Someone’s ready and raring to see Brian.” She drew out her pronunciation of his name in a teasing, girly sing-song.
“You could say that.”
Stacy grabbed Helen’s hand and led her around the side of a building, stopping at a yawning entrance to an underground parking garage. A trio of bored-looking people in Fyre T-shirts and laminate passes stood around smoking.
“What up, Stace?” A man with tattoos on his face offered a friendly nod.
“Hey, Steve. This is my friend Helen. Who’s working security tonight?”
Steve scratched his shaved head. “Uh, Ken, Misty, and Skeeter.”
“Awesome. Catch you guys at the party later.” Stacy pulled a fist down like a lever and guided Helen into the bowels of the concrete pit.
A limo, a semi trailer, and a black bus similar to the one Brian had exited from at the fair occupied parking spaces. A heavyset man unloaded the big rig, carrying a guitar the color of mint.
“Hey, Ken,” Stacy called. “Can you hook up my friend and I?”
Without a word, Ken rummaged in a fanny pack and produced two stickers with the band name, date, and words “all access special guest” printed on them. He handed them over.
Helen followed Stacy’s lead and stuck her pass on the front of her shirt. “Dang, girl, you have superpowers.”
Stacy shrugged, her heels clattering like gunfire as the pair followed Ken through a door and into a cinderblock-walled corridor with dirty linoleum flooring. Pass-bearing staffers sprinted about, hauling equipment and pushing carts.
“I’ve got mad groupie skills at least.”
Walking beside Stacy down the hall, Helen cringed before she could stop herself. Ugh. She needed to play it cool. Stacy was assisting her, big time.
Stacy slid Helen a sly look. “I mean, I know everyone on the tour and can get where I need to go with ease, perv. And besides, you’d be proud of me.”
The women zigged and zagged, soon advancing upon a wide doorway. Beyond the entrance, a spotlight flickered across a punch bowl of stadium seating. Red chairs filled up with chattering people. Recorded music streamed over speakers. Helen’s internal butterflies got more agitated with each step closer to the floor. Showtime, the moment of truth in more ways than one, awaited.
“I’m proud of your yoga practice, but I have a feeling that’s not what you mean.” At least talking to someone she knew provided welcome distraction and saved her from feeling alone and overwhelmed.
“Nah, I mean I’m taking a break from hookups with bands and roadies on their tours. I’m sick of being a freaking human sacrifice, offering my heart and body to the horny men of the music scene who couldn’t give a wet fart about me or my feelings. So no more sex. From here on out, I’m only going to shows to hang with my girls, rock out, and have a good time.”
Ooof. Human sacrifice. If only Stacy knew the gory extent.
Leaning against a wall, a buxom blonde in a red leather miniskirt chatted with a small group of scantily clad young women. She stuck a hand in the air. “Stacy.”
Helen caught Stacy’s fingers before she drifted off to join her people. “I am proud of you. For everything. I’ll see you back at Light and Enlightened, okay? I’ll talk with you about possible teacher training if I…as soon as I get home. I’m glad we’ve gotten to know each other over these few weeks.”
Stacy squinted. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Helen blinked back tears. “Wish me luck.”
Stacy pounced on Helen and squashed her in a massive hug fragrant with various products. “You’ve got this. Brian adores you, and he’s a great guy. Really great. You wanna know a secret?”
“Sure.”
Stacy broke away and backed up a few inches. Body glitter on her chest caught the light, giving her the aura of a coquettish fairy.
“About six months ago, a bunch of us were partying in a hotel suite. Thom ditched me to hang with these two new girls from Chicago, fake-ass groupies who weren’t even fans of the music but wanted to star fuck their way to hotter Instagram followers. Whatever. Anyway. I was mad, so I went after Brian to get back at Thom. Brian was playing poker, and I sat on his lap and murmured all sexy in his ear that I’d suck his dick if he won the game. For incentive. You want to know what he did in return?”
“I suppose?”
“He had a roadie pull up a chair, and then he dealt me in. I sat next to him like an equal. Then we just talked, you know? And he asked me questions about myself and everything, got to know me. So I’m sitting there next to Brian Shepherd, the big kahuna himself, just stunned. Because he didn’t want to use me for a blowjob. He didn’t want the free sex. Didn’t even talk down to me or make fun of me or mess with my head. He’s one of the good ones. And we still talk now and then. He sent me an email with a link to an accounting school, cause he said it seemed like I was good with numbers. I never made a move on him after that, because I knew he deserved someone really great and special, a chick who could challenge him, who he could admire.”
Stacy took Helen’s hands. “He deserves you.”
The final bit of assurance gave Helen the incentive to see the mission to the finish and reunite with her man. “Thank you, Stacy. Have an awesome night.”
“I never told you
