I thought back to the close call in the forest when I realized that I couldn’t do this alone anymore. I looked up into his eyes that pleaded with me and I melted. “Okay,” I whispered. “I will.”
“Thank you,” he sighed while wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “We can figure out an arrangement for the van.”
As we walked, Hawkins looked over his shoulder at Riley and asked, “You and Joie look out for each other?”
“We do.” Riley was quick to reply.
Hawkins beamed over at him. “Good, I’ll need someone to watch over her when I can’t be around.” Any kind of jealousy he may have ever felt towards Riley seemed to disappear. In fact, I got a sense Hawkins liked Riley now.
Rolling my eyes, humph, “What, am I six years old?”
“No, I just wanted to make sure that you aren’t
ever
alone. It’s not safe for either of you.”
“Not here?” I asked in astonishment.
Hawkins looked ahead at Harrison and lowered his voice, “I just don’t want you to be alone, okay? Do we have to fight over everything?” He smiled down at me.
“No, not
everything
.” I smiled back.
A crew member was just about to pass us when Hawkins asked, “Have you seen Rob anywhere?”
Riley had come to a sudden halt beside me.
“He’s out in the lawn,” the guy informed him, “working out the lights for tonight.”
“Thanks,” Hawkins called back before we started to walk again. Yep, I was right. Riley was his new friend.
Riley messed with his hair out of a nervousness I could sense. He was chewing on his lip as we made our way out to the stage. The view of the lawn from the height of the stage was awe inspiring.
“This is definitely different in the daylight,” I murmured to myself as the lights flashed above us in different arrangements of colors. To avoid the chaos on the stage, Hawkins led us to a narrow pathway containing a set of stairs that descended down to the lawn. Harrison now drifted close behind us.
As we crossed the lawn, we came to a section in the middle of the field, which was blocked off from the rest of the stadium. A couple of guys were standing behind a long, flat board of switches while staring up at the stage. Riley looked like he had digested something unpleasant which meant he must have also seen Rob Harlow. Glancing over at Rob, I noticed his shaggy golden hair and charming face. He was dressed in a green t-shirt, khakis, and was probably wearing Birkenstocks. He reminded me of a preppy hippie who probably recycled and had a compost barrel somewhere outside his ecofriendly house. Maybe it was because he was more of an artist than a crew member. I don’t know why, but he didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the guys. He was actually cute instead of intimidating. Harlow continued to look up at the stage and then over his shoulder at the stadium seats with some type of device in his hand as we approached them.
You would have had to be blind to miss the double take he gave Riley and me then quickly back to Riley. Gulping beside me, Riley’s exterior once again didn’t match what was going on inside. His jaw tensed as he crossed his arms and looked away from Harlow. No one would have guessed that Riley wanted to meet Harlow. I, on the other hand, was worried if Riley was even breathing beside me. Another crew member had to elbow Harlow in the side to get his attention again. Rob caught me watching him and quickly looked back up at the stage.
Hawkins led us around the restricted lighting section to the side entrance. He walked into the busy space while Riley and I lingered behind. Riley didn’t seem to know the affect he was having on Harlow, who tousled his hair around so much you would have thought he was in the middle of a shampoo commercial. The corner of my mouth raised in a grin. Work it, Riley, work it.
The other two crew members smiled at Hawkins as we approached them. One by one they gave him a one arm guy hug, but Rob Harlow looked a little less star-struck and impressed when Hawkins came to stand beside him. I felt a twinge of guilt that I hadn’t warned Hawkins before we walked over.
“Hey, I have a friend here who would like to meet you.” Hawkins smiled back at Riley.
“Kind of busy here,” Rob replied as politely as possible.
“I’m sure that you can take a second to meet
my
friends.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Rob said shortly then gave one curt nod to Riley before quickly looking away.
“I was thinking if it wasn’t too much trouble,” Hawkins said to him. “They could watch the show from back here tonight.”
“It gets really busy back here,” Rob said as he stared ahead.
Hawkins turned to me. “Umm, can you guys excuse us for a second? I want to talk to Rob alone for a minute.”
“Sure.” I turned around and rolled my eyes at Riley as we exited the restricted section. We didn’t have to wander far before we heard the beginning of an argument between the two men. Or rather Hawkins, who was raising his voice at Harlow. “I don’t want her in the audience! What is your problem?”
“You pay me to do the lights,” I heard Harlow’s voice rise, “not to baby sit.”
“You’ve had other people back here before,” Hawkins fumed.
“That was before.” Rob looked hesitantly over at Riley who was glaring ahead at the stage, probably envisioning Lizzie’s death.
They continued to hash it out, but it was too low to hear until Hawkins barked, “Well, you’re just going to have to get used to it since I plan on them watching the shows with you from here on in.”
“I’m sorry,” he said when he came back out to us. “I didn’t expect that.”
He put his hands on his hips while shaking his head.
“I really don’t want to be back there, now.” Riley spoke up first; he aimed a sideways glance over at Harlow and I nodded along in agreement.
“Surely we can go somewhere else,” I asked.
“No, it’s the safest place,” Hawkins explained. “Most nights you won’t even be among the crowd.”
We had been to enough concerts now that we understood what he meant. The platforms just below the top of the pavilion were where the lighting crew usually gathered except for in stadiums.
“Rob is just in a bad mood. It will pass. I hope you don’t mind staying with him and some of the other crew back here.” He looked down at me hesitantly. “The band was planning to start rehearsal soon.”
“You guys need to focus or whatever.” I nodded. “We don’t want to be in the way.”
Hampton crossed the lawn towards us. “Oh, that would be for you.” Hawkins smiled. “He’ll be tagging behind you guys tonight.”
“If you insist.” I smiled up at him.
“I do.” he smiled back.
“Well, I have to go.” He thumbed towards the stage while starting to walk away. “Bye.”
He made it three steps, turned around and jogged back to give me a peck on my forehead.
“Bye,” I cheesed.
Riley and I were left standing there with Hampton. Smiling up at the bodyguard, I was surprised that we didn’t get Heath Miller or someone further down the chain of command. By the big ole scowl on his face, he was wondering the same thing. His massive muscles were pulled tightly together across his chest. Man, these guys were intimidating.
“Well, okay.” I turned my attention back to Riley. Through the corner of my eye, I saw Harlow steal another glance in Riley’s direction before immersing himself with that “thingy” in his hand. Riley looked like he was about to be sick so I decided that we could at least
hang out
in the van, even if we couldn’t drive in it any longer. Looping my arm through Riley’s, I led him across the stadium’s field before he actually
did
throw up.
“Why don’t we go back to the van?” I suggested.
“He hates me.” Riley hung his head.
“He doesn’t even know you,” I was quick to answer.
“How can I sit back there when I know he doesn’t want me there?” he asked as we made our way up the small staircase to the side of the stage, trying to avoid any oncoming traffic. “I think I’d rather take my chances with The Grimm Reaper. It couldn’t hurt any less.”
“Riley, you don’t mean that,” I said seriously.
“No, I do,” he murmured.
The crew was working like they were swinging from trapezes above us. I heard Hampton huff behind us and I really couldn’t blame him.
“We’re just going back to the van,” I called over my shoulder at him.
He attempted to smile at me, but it came out more like a grimace. We exited the stage, and then headed down the hallway towards the parking lot. Crew members were rushing past us in both directions. It was no wonder that no one could identify The Grimm Reaper. If there was a Mecca for big, built, and gruff kind of guys then this would be it.
Pushing past the doors, I grabbed a defeated Riley’s hand and squeezed it as he stared dejectedly down at the ground. We headed over to the old beast that had recently weathered the insane havoc of gunshots with flying colors. Unlocking the door, I then tossed the keys over to Riley. Hampton continued to stand there. Surely, he didn’t have to wait on us?
“Really, it’s okay,” I told Hampton. “We’ll be fine.”
Hampton wiped the sweat off his brow before looking down at his wrist watch. “I’m sorry, but I was instructed to stay close by.”
“Yeah, well, what Hawkins doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” I smiled.
“My orders come from Wayne.”
“Wayne?” I said with surprise. “What, does he want my social, too?” I laughed.
“Huh?” Hampton asked me like I was speaking Japanese.
“Never mind,” I replied and got inside the van. “Do you want us to open the side door so that you can sit down?”
He looked offended by just the suggestion alone. “I guess that’s a no,” I said to myself as I closed the door. I looked over at Riley, “You seem to be coming around again.”
Riley quickly opened the door and threw up outside the van.
“Ah, spoke too soon.” I stared ahead and waited for him until he got it together.
“I think, I’m just over heated,” he gulped.
“Is that what we’re calling it now?” I smirked. “Overheated?”
“Shut it.” He fought back a smile. “That was awful.”
“That didn’t seem to stop Harlow from checking you out though, did it?” I grinned even wider.
“
Girl
, what were you smoking?”
“Oh, yeah, he did,” I assured him. “I don’t think you realize how you come across to people.” I glanced out at the parked line of cars in front of us. “You look all stoic and cool. I’m going to start calling you Mr. Unapproachable.”
“It’s more like being paralyzed with fear, but wide awake,” he explained.
“Sounds painful.” I smiled.
“Oh, god, it is.” He leaned back in his seat.
“It worked for Harlow,” I sang. “Oh, no please!” I started to mimic him. “Don’t let this really hot guy stay back here with me all night. I won’t be able to concentrate. Please, no!”
“I wish,” Riley groaned as he ran both his hands through his tousled, sandy brown hair to push it back off his face.
“Careful what you wish for, then.”
Riley took a glimpse of himself in the mirror on the back of the sun visor. He grimaced at what he saw, sighing in frustration before he flipped the visor back up.
“You get that you’re hot, right?” I asked him.
“I haven’t showered in days.” He rubbed his hand along his five o’clock shadow. “And
this
is not hot.”
“Really? Gay guys don’t like sexy, scruffy faces? Because we girls definitely do!” I tousled his hair. “Let me get some of Lizzie’ hair gel in the back.”
Ten minutes later, I was running my fingers through his hair while we faced each other on the cot in the back. Leaning back, I admired my work.
“Look, it’s Twilight hair!” I smiled as he moved Lizzie’s compact mirror around to admire my work. “You look hot.”
“Now, I just need to change into a clean shirt.” He hiked the shirt up over his head revealing his pronounced, tan, muscular chest.
“Okay, if you want to stun him tonight,” I widened my eyes, “
do that
.”
He chuckled to himself while rummaging through his duffle bag for another white V-neck t-shirt. Hey, if it works, why change it? He doused himself with Axe body spray before pulling a clean shirt over his shoulders and down his tight abdomen.
“Does it feel weird that I’m shamelessly checking you out?”
“No, I’m used to it by now.” He grinned.
Just then I heard a knock on the back of the van door. I turned around to see Kosic who looked like one of those cat clocks where their eyes darted back and forth. “Umm, am I interrupting something?”
“Sadly, no,” I sighed.
“Rumor is that you’re being held captive here.” Kosic smirked as he held up a pizza box.
“Is that for us?” My stomach grumbled at just the thought alone.
“No, it’s for your bodyguard here,” he snorted before he came around to the side door of the van. Taking the pizza box, that smelled mouthwatering, I opened it and grabbed a slice before passing it over to Riley.
“Who told you that we were here?” I asked while brushing a couple shattered pieces of glass off the ledge before carefully sitting along the ledge of the side door.
“Ah,” he scanned the parking lot, “who else would drive this piece of…”
“Careful,” I interjected.
Kosic was about to laugh when suddenly his face fell. He looked over my shoulder at a bullet hole in the side of the van. “He
shot at you
?”
Glancing over my shoulder to look at the side of the van where a bullet had riveted through the metal. “Yeah, a few times actually. That’s how the windows got busted.”
Kosic balled his fists so tightly together that his knuckles turned white. He went to speak, but stopped himself. His chest rose and fell with a fixed concentration. He looked like he wanted to punch something hard. “Are you? Are you okay?” He looked at me intently with his nose flaring.