Hello there you beautiful readers. My name is Victoria and I'll be with you for this whole crazy journey. It's my first time posting on here in a long, long time. I really hope that you guys like it. I know it might not be perfect right now, I'm still looking for a BETA, so if any of you are up for the challenge you should hit me up ;)
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING except my ideas. The song feature in chapter 1 is Last Time Around by Nick Jonas and the Administration. Look it up if you don't know it, it's a fantastic song. The characters belong to the fabulous Stephenie Meyer, not me. So all the money made off the Twilight books and things go to her.
I really would like to thank you guys if you read this. I'll give you a giant cyber hug. 3
So here it is Chapter 1!
(Please review so I can work on things for chapter 2!)
I stood next to the stage and tapped my foot to the opening group. They were cute 20 something year olds who were hoping to make it big by opening for a big star. They were the reason that I was at the concert and on the floor in the first place.
"They sound really good!" my best friend Alice shouted as she nodded her head along to the beat. I had let her come along with me to watch the band perform and because she was in love with the guy they were opening for. Although my company wasn't representing him, just this group. The Pack, made up of the lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Jacob Black, lead guitarist, Sam Uley, drummer Quil Ateara, and bassist Embry Call. They were a really good group of guys and probably the nicest group I had the privilege to work with so far at Eclipse Records.
I nodded and bopped my head to the beat. Technically as their manager I didn't need to be here tonight, at least not on the side of the stage like this, but the boys asked me for my support so here I was. There music wasn't all that bad either, in fact I would probably buy it if I didn't know them, and they were all cute which really helped. I looked out to the audience and could see girls screaming for them. It was funny, they were all so down to earth I never really pictured them as rockstars but that's exactly what they were tonight up on that stage. I heard Jake starting to sing the last verse of the final song.
"Come on Al, let's head back to their dressing room so we can talk to them when they get off stage without all the screaming," I said leaning over to whisper in her ear. We linked arms and turned back away from the stage.
"They really were fantastic, you must be pretty proud that you managed to sign them to the label, Aro must love you for it." she said as we walked along. Aro was my boss, head of the company and responsible for the more important clients we had, and my pay. Which might have recently gone up since The Pack was so wonderful.
"Yeah he was pretty happy about it," I grinned feeling pride swell up inside me. It was the first time I had gone out and found talent, real talent, that I knew would make a killing in the industry. Alice had done a pretty good job on styling them for the night, since it was what she did for a living. I had lucked out with having such willing boys in that band. The jeans she had put them in were skin tight and most of them had low cut v-necks on top so you could see their tanned chests. However, I had also let her dress me tonight and I felt slightly uncomfortable. I was in what was supposed to be a skirt, however it barely covered my ass. It was black and tight and showed off the small curve my hips made since I wasn't all that blessed in that area. Paired with the white shirt she had given me which made my breasts..well...they certainly weren't hiding anywhere, I looked kind of like a hooker, a high class hooker, but she assured me everyone would think I was hot. Not exactly what I needed while I was technically with my employees but I was single and she said it couldn't hurt.
As we rounded a corner and started talking about how we should take the band out to celebrate their first big time gig I tripped over what felt like an extension chord and felt myself start to fall.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I was surprised however when I didn't hit the ground. Instead I felt myself land in a pair of warm arms.
"Woah, watch it there. Don't want to unplug the sound. The audience wouldn't like that too much."
I was about to thank him when I looked up and saw who's arms it was that I had just fallen into.
Oh dear sweet baby jesus it's Edward Cullen.
Now here's something you should know about me. I don't fawn over rock, pop, or any other kind of star. However this man is...gorgeous. He's tall and has the bone structure of a greek god and the copper hair of a sex fiend. I'm not a huge fan of his music...ok well I'm a fan, but not like those 13 year old girls who typically listen to his stuff. I'm a mature 23 year old woman who likes how he sounds and his...erm...stage presence.
"Oh...sorry...I didn't mean to..." I feel like I can't breathe anymore and I slowly start to stand myself back up. His hand is on my lower back helping me adjust myself on the stilettos I had been forced into earlier that evening.
"It's alright. Just didn't want you hurting yourself." he grins and winks at me and I feel my heart speed up.
Stop it Bella, you're not 14 years old. This is not the time for you to forget how to act like the calm, cool, adult you are.
"Right. Thanks." I stutter and take a few steps away from him in an attempt to clear my thoughts.
"Anytime, enjoy the show." he says before waving to Alice who looks like she's about to die and then glancing back to me with a smirk. I smile back and try to think of something clever to say...but no words leave my mouth. With one last wink he's gone. It wasn't fair for someone to be that good looking. There should be a law against it. I can't help myself but I look back and notice how good his ass looks in the tight jeans he's wearing.
Oh good lord. That's some nice stage presence alright.
I shake my head willing out the dirty thoughts and finally feel like I can breathe again.
"Bella...that was Edward Cullen. He friggen caught you! He caught you and stopped you from falling flat on your ass. He HELD you!" I listen to Alice as we start walking toward the dressing room again and nod, I still don't seem to be capable of speaking yet.
When we finally get to the door I open it and sit down on the small leather couch. I try to calm my thoughts down and find myself staring up at the ceiling. After a few moments I see a hand waving in front of my eyes.
"Bella...Bella...BELLA!"
I quickly snap back to reality and see Alice staring at me. She looks worried...that's weird, I rarely see her look worried.
"What's wrong?" I ask her quickly.
"...What's wrong? Bella you just fell into Edward Cullen's arms and now you were sitting on the couch looking like you saw a ghost. Are you ok? Did you hit your head when he caught you?"
"I'm fine...that was just kind of surreal." I say shaking my head, as though it will magically clear the look on his face when he walked away.
"You should have given him your name, and your number." she says and laughs to herself as she sits down next to me and hands me a bottle of water.
"Right because he's probably super single." I say and let out a huff of air. She's being ridiculous. I might be in the world now where seeing celebrities is a common occurrence, however there are very few who are just that...flawless in person. His speaking voice seemed to ooze sex and it had a beautiful pitch one that sent waves of heat over my entire body from the memory alone. I ran a hand through my hair and saw the door open. For about five seconds I remembered why we were actually here. The boys.
"THAT WAS AWESOME!" I hear and look up to see Embry with a large grin on his face which makes me break out into one as well. He's a normally a super shy, quite boy so to see him like this is a treat. He see's me and automatically becomes silent again. I shake my head and laugh to myself. I stand up and look a the rest of the boys as they file in.
"You guys were fantastic! The crowd loved you!" I congratulate them and beam like a proud mom. Alice comes over next to me and looks horrified as she stares at Sam.
"Sam...did you...did you rip that shirt?" she asks him look at the plaid button down she had him in earlier snagged near the bottom.
"Oh I didn't mean to...some girl actually ripped it when I was going out to shake some hands..." he says and a blush fills his face. Alice still looks a little angry but she is determined to fix it because apparently that shirt is worth more money than one would think.
"Yeah and one girl threw this at me," I look up and see Quil holding what looks like a hot pink bra.
Classy.
"Girls today have no self respect." I mutter under my breath and roll my eyes.
"She was practically a baby anyway Quil, you shouldn't be all that proud." I hear and look to see the final member of the band looking at his friend with his signature crooked grin. Jacob Black. I laugh and realize Quil is probably holding some tween's bra that her friends convinced her to throw at him. He shrugs and tucks it in his back pocket, a souvenir for the road.
"Well did you think we were really that good Bella?" Jake asks and wraps an arm around me. I try to duck away from it, he always asks slightly inappropriate with the touching and the fact that he's blatantly in love with me but I forgive him because he's still kind of a kid himself and doesn't like the fact that I'm not interested.
"You were great, and I could hear people singing along to your single. I told you that radio play this month was going well! Soon you guys are going to be on the top of the charts, this time next year you'll be headlining your own tour. Sooner if we finish that CD in the next few months."
"Thanks Bells." he squeezes my side gently and then releases me in order to grab a water bottle from the mini fridge.
Thank goodness.
"Ok well we're going to let you boys cool down and go watch the main act for a little while." Alice says and takes my arm, eager to go back out there and watch Edward, who's set should be starting soon based on the chanting I can hear from the stage.
"Oh...ok...well I thought we would go celebrate..." Jake says looking kind of hurt. This is the first time they've played an arena, something that wasn't a tiny bar or a club. They deserve to go celebrate...but Edward.
Crap.
"Boys don't you worry we will be back in plenty of time to celebrate." Alice says and glances down at her watch. "Besides it's only nine! What cool rock star goes out before eleven anyway!" She shouts behind her as she ushers us out of the room and back toward the stage.
"Alice are you sure we shouldn't stay in there? I feel kind of bad..." I say softly, knowing that they probably need me and we should really go to the merch booth and try and make a few sales.
"No. Don't feel bad. This is your night off. They are big boys, they can handle themselves, you taught them well they should know what to do. Just listen to two songs and then we can go back there." she promises me and stops just short of the stage. Edward is just walking out a guitar around him, only adding just how sexy he looks. He goes up to the mic and flashes an award winning smile before speaking to the crowd.
"Hello there, how's everybody doing tonight?" he asks, and there's that voice again. I close my eyes and imagine how it would sound if it were just the two of us alone, whispering to each other...
Snap out of it.
Right.
I hear the crowd scream, high pitched teen girls hoping to catch this super star's eye, or maybe his ears if that won't work.
"Well I'm glad to here that. I want to start off tonight with a song that I wrote a little while ago, about a girl in the summer that stole my heart." The lights dim a bit and a spotlight shines down on him, framing his silhouette, making him look a lot more human from where I am, but I'm sure from down below the stage he looks untouchable. That's how it seems when you're down there screaming out at the top of your lungs.
He starts to play some chords on the guitar while the drum keeps a steady rhythm behind him.
"Walk in the room; I'm a man on a mission.
You're standing there, and I feel that connection.
I break the ice and I ask what your name is.
Then I recall that we already did this...
Somehow I missed it.
Keep on moving like you did last summer,
When the grass was greener and your hair was longer.
If you become familiar with another in town,
Don't forget about the fun that we had
Last time around.
You walk around with a new man, new plan.
You think it's over but I'm just getting started.
I try to call but you don't ever answer.
I'd let you go but you're all that I'm after.
Can't you remember?
Keep on moving like you did last summer,
When the grass was greener and your hair was longer.
If you become familiar with another in town,
Don't forget about the fun that we had
Last time around."
He's walking around the stage now, playing the guitar solo moving his hips along to the rhythm, adding to the sex appeal he has while simply standing there. He know's how to work that guitar too, which only aids to the thoughts I have in my mind of things he could do to me later on...too bad he's probably got a supermodel waiting in his dressing room.
"So keep on moving like you did last summer,
When the grass was greener and your hair was longer.
If you become familiar with another in town,
Don't forget about the fun that we had
Last time around.
Last time around!
Yeah, last time around!"
By the end of the song I find myself dancing on the side of the stage with Alice. He's good. His voice sounds even better on stage then it does when he's coming through the speakers of my car. Not that I play his stuff that often...ok maybe a few times a week.
He ends the last chord on the guitar and the crowd goes ballistic. The only time I've ever heard screaming like this was when I watched old video footage of Elvis or Beatles concerts. It's crazy. He smiles graciously and thanks them before picking up his water bottle and taking a sip. Some of it falls on his white shirt making it a little transparent. He must know what he's doing...although no one is that cruel. So maybe he's blissfully unaware of his god like sex appeal.
He looks over this way and I find myself holding my breath. He can see me...why is he even looking at me? Shouldn't he be focusing on the audience in front of him? That's when I see a big bald man walk out on stage with an acoustic guitar and hand it to Edward before taking the bright red electric one he had used in the previous song.
He wasn't looking at me.
Like some big time rock star would.
He grabs the acoustic and turns back to the crowd. He starts to play on it, getting comfortable.
"Ok so now I want to slow things down a little bit. I don't usually play this song, but tonight I ran into someone...literally and I think she uh had quite the...effect on me."
Alice nudges me and feel like my lungs have forgotten how to take air in. My eyes are wide. Maybe, just maybe he did see me.
"I also happen to know, that she's at the side of the stage right now, so even though I don't know her name, I'm wondering if maybe we can get her out here so I can sing a song to her."
No.
No, no, no, no, no.
I look around, trying to figure out if there could possibly be anyone else he's talking about. Nope. Just me. Alice starts pushing me toward the stage but I shake my head and plant my feet in the ground. I can't just go out there, what if he's not talking about me.
"Bella. Go." Alice urges me sharply. "Do not screw this up, he wants you out there."
Slowly but surely I make my way out there, my face probably the color of a tomato, and my legs suddenly unaware of how to walk in heels. This is it...it's now or never. I swallow and feel the lights of the stage on me, unsure of what exactly is about to happen.