Insanity.
The next day, despite the unbearably hot late-July temperature, the show was easily one of our best. Ty was in a rare good mood, probably because there were close to 100,000 screaming fans singing the words to our songs. So powerful. The energy at an event this size was unlike anything we’d experienced so far, our biggest show in the States had been half the size. It was impossible for our singer to brood when the fans loved us so much. His insane performance spurred all of us to new heights, and it was the most incredible experience of our career.
Playing this high on the bill to crowds of this size meant that we had achieved yet another new milestone. With the success, we had additional responsibilities. Unlike when we were openers, LTZ wasn’t done when we played our last encore. Generally, there were two levels of meet-and-greets with fans who paid top dollar to get their picture taken with us and LTZ swag signed. These after-show interactions were crucial to developing a strong fan base, so our management made it mandatory for us all to participate.
Once the Barcelona show was over, we quickly showered and changed in our dressing room and were ushered by a publicist through a makeshift corridor into an outdoor VIP area for the top-tier meet-and-greet event. Exclusive because it was so expensive, there weren’t a lot of people who were allowed in. That was part of the draw, these fans were willing to pay to get one on one time with each of us.
As usual, Zane and I did the heavy lifting with the fans, we both enjoyed interacting with them and knew how to keep the VIPs happy. Zane could and would happily chat all night long with anyone and everyone. My talent was enabling him to ease out of conversations gracefully in order to keep things moving. Connor had no patience, but he pasted on a smile and bumbled through. Ty did the bare minimum, rarely spoke, and disappeared as soon as it was humanly possible. Oddly, it made the fans rabid for our elusive singer.
The Barcelona VIP area was a sight to behold, full of lush greenery and twinkly lights. An amazing spread of both hot and cold tapas lined the walls, Cava was flowing. Immediately, my eye was drawn to a tall girl with a hot-pink, shaggy bob, wearing aviator sunglasses. She was leaning against a willowy tree sipping a martini and checking her phone wearing a scant, black, silky slip dress that barely reached mid-thigh and draped gorgeously on her thin but muscled frame. My eyes traveled down to her incredibly long legs accentuated by spiky knee-high boots, which were held together by about thirty dainty buckles, exposing skin all the way down to her pastel-blue-painted toes.
Hallelujah! I’ve found my tourist girl.
She hadn’t only caught my attention, Zane was staring at her too. Luck was on my side because he was sidetracked by some Spanish royalty dude who wanted guitar lessons. I was about to make my move when Pinkie noticed I was staring at her. Smiling wide, she held the cocktail up in a toast from across the room. Still technically on the clock, I wasn’t drinking, but I nodded and toasted from across the room with my water bottle. Her smile lit up and she beckoned me over.
“Hi, I’m Jace.” Slipping into my band VIP persona, I stuck my hand out to her.
Silently, she held her hand out to me with nails that were painted in the same shade of blue as her toes, her lips curved in a bemused smirk.
“And you are?” I encouraged, hoping she spoke English. I gallantly clasped her hand in both of mine.
The gorgeous girl just smiled and shrugged. Shit, I thought. She doesn’t speak English.
“Are you here with someone?” I gestured around the area.
She just smiled at me saying nothing, her eyes hidden by the mirrored lenses of her glasses.
Zane shouted out my name to take a picture with the royalty guy and the rest of the band, so I held my finger up to her, hopefully indicating in some rudimentary sign language that she should stay put. Quickly, I fulfilled the last of my obligations for the night, never letting her out of my peripheral vision. By the time we were finished, Pinkie had moved over to a seating area and was watching me from one of the overstuffed chairs. Her long, tan legs encased in the sexy boots were crossed in front of her.
By then, Ty and Connor had left, and Zane’s attention luckily shifted to finalizing plans with a young heiress and her friends to go clubbing. Finally, I made my way to the couch to join the scrumptious mystery girl.
“Hi, again,” I said sitting next to her.
“Ello,” she said with a weird accent, still smiling.
“What’s your name?” I raised my eyebrows.
“Poppy,” she said in the odd dialect, though it also sounded strangely familiar.
I squinted, looking at her closely, and recognition dawned on me, and I reached up and pulled her sunglasses off.
“Alex! Holy hell! What are you doing here!” My eyes must have been wide as saucers.
“Shhhh! I’m in disguise!” She nodded over at Zane, then laughed until she had tears in her eyes and continued in her terrible accent. “Tonight, my name is Poppy.”
“Nice to meet you, Poppy.” I joined in her laughter. “It fits because you’re crazy!”
“I couldn’t let you know it was me until Ty left.” She looked around. “I did see him leave, right?”
“Yeah, he’s
