He stood and fixed my skirt then kissed me. “That should take the edge off. Now I need to get showered or I’m going to be late.”
Following him into the bathroom, I watched Ty strip and step into the shower, sporting an impressive woody. I wanted to return the favor and started to pull off my shirt to join him.
“Don’t even think about it, babe. We don’t have time.” Ty cupped his cock and shooed me away. “Besides, we’ll have all night after the show.”
“Fine,” I sassed, flicking water at him from the sink where I was freshening up.
While Ty finished showering and getting dressed, I texted Alex to give her an update on the last couple of days. She had been reading the posts and confirmed they were skewed to the positive. I sighed with relief. Then I began to actually get excited. The night was going to be such a cool experience! My first movie premiere. My first time seeing LTZ play live. My debut as Ty’s significant other.
Life couldn’t be any better. I had been worried for nothing.
Ty emerged from the bathroom, looking scrumptious in black jeans, a white T-shirt, and black lace-up boots. His damp hair flowed around his clean-shaven, chiseled jaw. Sergey was waiting for us in the hallway. He escorted us to the theater where Ty was meeting the guys for the red carpet. When we pulled around the back to the designated meeting place, the rest of the band was in a huddle with Katherine. She beamed when we walked toward the group arm in arm, and she handed me another VIP All-Access laminate pass, this one for the Phantom Uprising screening.
“Zoey, are you going to walk the red carpet with Ty or come inside with me and meet him after?” Katherine took my elbow.
“Ty, what do you want me to do?”
Ty encircled me tightly in his arms. “Do you want to come with me? Or would you rather your red-carpet debut be at the Christmas show when you have a fancy dress on?”
“Award show, all the way. This is already a lot to get used to.” I smooched him and wished him good luck. Then he was on his way with the rest of LTZ.
Sergey, Katherine, and I made our way inside and were shown to the cordoned-off VIP area. Once seated, I promptly felt a little awkward because I hadn’t met Katherine until minutes before and now, we were stuck having to make conversation.
“Zoey, I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you from all the guys and Carter, I’m happy that you and Ty have found your way back to each other again.” Katherine’s slight, bony hand lightly caressed my shoulder, she had a soothing, motherly way about her.
“Thank you, Katherine. I’m hoping the LTZ fans feel the same way.” I didn’t quite feel comfortable in the setting but did my best to fake it. “So far so good.”
“There seems to be a genuine interest in both of you, Ty was interviewed about it all day today. It seems like everything is good.”
Katherine’s phone kept buzzing, so our small talk was cut short. While waiting, I took a picture of the stage and texted it to Alex and read some more of the Instagram posts. A few pretty heinous comments had been posted, which made me feel icky, so I put the phone away. I distracted myself by reading one of my non-profit class books on my Kindle app. Soon, the hum of the crowd got louder and louder when everyone poured into the theater for the screening.
Turning around at the sound of Ty’s voice, I couldn’t help but ogle him. He graciously worked the crowd, smiling, shaking hands, giving hugs to the movie producers and, holy hell, Idris Elba, Chris Pine, and Gal Gadot. Overwhelmed, I quickly turned back around so I didn’t gawk like an idiot. Feeling his nimble fingers stroke the nape of my neck a couple of minutes later, I looked up into Ty’s gorgeous, smiling face. He held his hand out and drew me to my feet, tucking me into his side. Proudly, he introduced me as his girlfriend to all the stars and a bunch of the movie executives, with his arm draped protectively around my shoulders.
Every one of them acted like I was the celebrity when they found out I was Z. My mind was blown.
I was still giddy from the friendly interactions with the famous actors when the lights dimmed. Ty wrapped an arm around my shoulders and didn’t let me go throughout the film. When Strike, the featured LTZ song played during the final scene, I looked up at Ty with such awe. He smiled humbly and kissed my forehead and squeezed me tighter to his side. I stroked his bracelet, finding it hard to fathom that my Ty was as famous as all the people I’d just met.
When the credits started rolling, we followed Sergey out the side exit through the winding hallway that led to the venue. With just over half an hour before the show, we stopped by the dressing room so I could make Ty some tea while he finalized the setlist. While it was brewing, he began his vocal warm-ups, causing goosebumps to decorate my arms each time he’d hit the high, wailing notes that were his trademark.
After a few minutes, satisfied that his vocal cords were ready, he sat cross-legged on the couch, closed his eyes, and started his ritual of visualizing the show. I tried to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. Meticulous in his preparation, he mouthed the words and went through the set in his mind, moving his arms and legs slightly as
