Abby and the Cute One (Backstage Pass) (3 page)

“Good luck tomorrow,” he called after her.

Abby walked backward for a few strides, flashing him one of her killer smiles. She waved once then turned back, the dark night swallowing her silhouette right in front of his eyes.

He knew he’d screwed up the “don’t be available” thing, but with the memory of Abby’s lips still vivid, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. At least not yet.

Chapter Two

Nathan

T
he name of the girl who’d made him forget everything was on a plain sheet of paper in big, black, bold letters. She was the third out of five auditions that he and the guys would choose from.

Hiring their next opening act was a big deal. S2J had fought to make the decision theirs instead of their label’s. After all, they were the ones that’d have to talk, eat, and work with them. They’d be a reflection on Seconds to Juliet, and the guys agreed they didn’t want any more divas like Cherry. Those who made it to auditions were thoroughly checked for any rumors of big egos.

It was LJ who decided the groups would audition on the huge stage that S2J would perform live on later. That way, the acts who weren’t used to playing in front of large crowds would stick out and it’d be easier to decide. Nathan saw it more as an intimidation factor, which made him nervous for Abby. She never mentioned how much experience she had performing, but he guessed it wasn’t much, especially not at a sold-out stadium. After all, singing in front of huge crowds was miles away from singing in front of a camera in your bedroom.

But he kept forgetting that wasn’t his problem.

Last night, it had been easy to focus on her instead of what it would mean if she actually won the spot as the band’s opening act. She’d made him feel normal for a few minutes. He could’ve been at home in Pennsylvania talking to Abby in gym class about the next day’s math test the way they clicked last night. Too many times he’d felt like
the
Nathan Strong from Seconds to Juliet and not just Nathan.

But if she was as amazing today as she’d been last night? He was screwed.

He should’ve told Abby what would happen if she got the job—or more importantly, what couldn’t happen. It wasn’t as if they’d be able to pick up where things left off last night. Thanks to Miles and LJ’s rule, he wasn’t allowed to date an opening act. There was no way LJ would compromise Seconds to Juliet for her or for Nathan.

LJ leaned against the stage, arms crossed, giving a rundown of the day with auditions as the main priority for the next two hours. Nathan sat at a long table situated front and center of the good seats with the rest of the guys. He couldn’t help but think it was a little too Simon Cowell—he even had individual score sheets for the acts, not that he’d use them. His vote would be based on heart and gut instinct. It hadn’t failed him before.

Their manager clapped his hands together. “All right? Great. Everybody take a break except Nathan. I need to see you.”

LJ’s eyes glowed with a certain delight, and Nathan couldn’t help but feel good if he was the reason LJ was in such a great mood. Yes, he sometimes resented he’d had to work more than the rest of the guys lately, but he’d rather do it than not have the opportunity.

The guys stood. Trevin pushed Miles playfully out of the way and into Will’s shoulder. Ryder stood quickly, sunglasses on. Nathan hadn’t been sure he’d even stayed awake through LJ’s chat, not that he’d blame Ryder if he’d fallen asleep. He just wished he had the balls to do it.

LJ took Will’s seat. “Marissa’s camp called. She’s taken with you and wants to set up another date.”

Nathan cringed. He’d thrown Marissa’s number out after he got back to the hotel last night. Their dinner seemed so fake next to the moments he’d shared with Abby. He couldn’t picture the cute blonde who shared his dreams scribbling her name and number down on the torn corner of the menu like Marissa had.

“A second date?” Nathan asked. “What’s the angle?”

As soon as he’d said it, he despised himself. It sounded so business-like, so not him. He shouldn’t have to worry about angles or publicity. His job should be singing. Period.

“Well, we’re in Jersey for a couple more nights. Seems to me if you were serious about helping the band you’d try to hang out with her as much as you could.”

Nathan wished he were wearing Ryder’s sunglasses right now so he wouldn’t have to hide the look on his face. “But I don’t like her.”

LJ scratched his forehead. “What does that matter? She has the ‘it’ factor, and you two are adorable together. That’s all we need. I don’t want you to marry her, but the fans like seeing you out wining and dining so they can pretend they’re your date. And it sure as hell doesn’t hurt that she’s got fans that aren’t our fans. Think of the new market we’re tapping into.”

“I don’t know…”

LJ sat back in the chair, shoulders slumped. “I don’t get it. I thought you’d do anything for S2J.”

“You know I would. I’m just not sure this is helping. Maybe instead of taking off and dating every spare moment, I should be working on songs and—”

LJ straightened. “This band has been the biggest thing the world has seen since day one. If you want to keep it that way, you’ll do what I say.”

Point taken. Still, Nathan didn’t see the advantage of a second date. “I just don’t see how going out with her again will work. Won’t it fuel rumors that we’re serious? That’s not what we want, either. I thought you said ‘be available but don’t be available.’”

Instead of frowning like Nathan hoped, LJ’s eyes widened as a slow grin spread across his face. Nathan’s stomach bottomed out—he knew that look. LJ had an idea, and Nathan probably wasn’t going to like it.

As much as Nathan hated it, LJ owned him and he’d do whatever he said. If it weren’t for LJ and
Rockstars: Live!
he would still be a nobody. And if he didn’t do what was necessary to keep the band successful, he’d go
back
to being a nobody. Back to his family who’d gotten a taste of the good life—a far cry from living in his grandparents’ basement—and they’d resent him for losing it for them. It wasn’t just his life at stake, it was theirs, too, and they’d done so much to give him this chance. He owed it to them to keep his career alive so that he could pay them back and then some.

Yes, he would do anything LJ asked, and that was what made him scary.

“I’ve got a great idea, kid. Something that’ll help both you and Marissa out. Let me get in touch with her team and I’ll get back to you. This could be good, really good.”

Chapter Three

Abby

I
t was ten minutes before Abby had to take the stage and sing in front of Seconds to Juliet. Ten minutes before she’d done all she could to get this gig. Minute ten wouldn’t be bad, it was one through nine that was making her panic. Especially since her manager Reeta wouldn’t leave her alone.

Reeta smoothed down her brown hair on either side of her straight, down-the-middle part. She repositioned the bag on her arm and then squared her shoulders. “You ready?”

As ready as Abby would ever be.

God, she wished her mother were here. They’d decided as a team a week ago that Abby needed to stay focused, and somehow her mother being around wouldn’t be the best thing for her concentration. At the time, Abby had been willing to go with what everyone else thought, but now? She wished she’d told them she needed her mom with her, even if it did make her feel like a little kid.

They walked slowly together toward the back door of the stadium. Much to Reeta’s annoyance, Abby had wanted to spend the free time before the audition outside among the real world instead of staring at her possible future for hours. As they got closer to the huge oval building, the butterflies picked up again. She sang a few lines from “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay” as she relived her dance with Nathan. It helped ease her nerves.

Now that she thought about it, it was odd she hadn’t been nervous talking to Nathan. She hadn’t even been nervous when he asked her to dance. She found it comforting she could talk about her dreams and not feel like a freak. It was only when he got that look in his eye, the intense I’m-about-to-kiss-you look, that her blood had really started pumping.

Reeta actually smiled—her first real one all day. Abby almost stuttered over the lyrics but held strong. When they got to the door, a pit of nerves opened in her belly. She was about to see Nathan Strong (and Nathan Strong’s lips) for the second time in twenty-four hours. She stopped singing Otis Redding and switched to Taylor Swift’s “Sparks Fly,” which seemed more appropriate with the kinds of thoughts swirling in her head. Plus, she’d already covered it on her YouTube channel and her subscribers loved her rendition.

Even better, if Abby could trust her sixteen-year-old eyes, she could’ve sworn Reeta bobbed her head to the words. Did Reeta like Taylor Swift? Sure, she would have to know of her because she worked in the music business, but Reeta seemed more of an easy listening type of person. Maybe even classical—all instrumental, no music.

Hey, if Reeta was a T. Swift fan, maybe there was hope for their relationship after all.

When the door to the back entrance shut behind them, Reeta pulled out Abby’s iPod from her black bag and then handed it over. Abby smiled a thanks and then searched through the songs until she found a few perfect ones to get her hyped up.

Before Abby knew it, she was settled in the green room along with a few others. She sat back in a chair and closed her eyes as the beginning of Taylor Swift’s “Long Live” came through.

She’d always been in awe of lyrics. How they could pair up with a melody and make someone smile, or laugh, or cry. This particular song empowered her as if her dreams were the blood coursing through her body, keeping her alive.

When this album first released, she used to stand in the middle of her room and belt this song out at the top of her lungs. Goose bumps spread over her arms as Taylor sang about finally getting off the sidelines and accomplishing her dream. For Abby, that moment was right now.

Maybe it wasn’t up to her whether she won or lost the audition, but she wasn’t sitting back any longer. She was here and she needed to kill it.

What she’d told Nathan yesterday was true. She’d thought getting the record deal was her dream, but she’d been wrong. It was getting to share her voice, her stories with the world. If she got this gig, she’d be able to do that. All of S2J’s fans would be her audience. Maybe they’d like her, even shout her name and go nuts when the first notes of her song came pouring through the speakers. It didn’t matter if it was six people or six thousand, they’d get to hear her.

Someone tapped her shoulder. Startled, Abby jumped and her eyes flew open.

Reeta stood in front of her, a tight smile on her face. “It’s time,” she mouthed. Or maybe she’d said it out loud, but the song still building in Abby’s ears had drowned it out.

Abby pulled the earbuds from her ears and then handed the iPod to Reeta. A guy with a headset around his neck waited for the pair of them by the door. They followed as he walked through the maze of tunnels. After a minute, a wisp of fresh air caressed Abby’s face; they were close. She took a shaky breath and focused. When she found out she was actually auditioning on the MetLife stage, she almost had a panic attack, but right now, she felt as if she could do almost anything.

She knew two things: she could control her voice and she wanted this gig. She wanted to be S2J’s next opening act, and she could do it if she’d just be herself and sing like she knew she could. Her plan was to pretend she was in her bedroom singing a Taylor Swift song in front of her webcam like any other day.

Their escort handed Abby her guitar as they hit the side of the stage. She used the last moments of the audition before hers to make sure it was tuned. A trio of girls bounced offstage in front of her, and she smiled at them before getting back to work. Her escort said something into the mike and then pointed at Abby.

She was on.

A
bby didn’t even glance down at the first rows of seats. She knew what she’d see: Mr. Pearl’s balding head, Miles’s hair, Ryder’s cocky smile, Will’s gorgeous smile, Trevin’s older, big brotherly look, and Nathan’s lips. She didn’t need to see Nathan’s lips right now. They weren’t going to win her this gig.

She strummed a few lines then adjusted the hat she’d fought with Reeta that morning over wearing. It was her signature hat and it went well with the cute, lacey dress she wore.

Abby stepped toward the mike. “I’m Abby Curtis. I know you have on your sheet that I’m singing your song, “The One,” which is the song that got me my record deal. But if you don’t mind, I’d like to sing something else.” She strummed a few more notes, watching as her fingers played over the strings. She hadn’t planned on changing her mind. But now that she was out here and the wind blew her hair and a mike to share her voice stood in front of her, she wanted to do something different “I’d like to sing Christina Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years.’”

She hesitated, waiting for some sort of confirmation from someone. After a few seconds of nothing, she glanced toward the side of the stage. Reeta’s eyes were wide and frantic, and her fingernails were in her mouth.

Huh. Abby didn’t know Reeta was a nail biter.

The headset guy waved her on, so she stepped up to the mike again. “Okay. Great. I’ve never sung it anywhere except my head, so I hope it goes okay.”

She laughed at herself as she took a step back from the mike. Maybe she should’ve kept that part to herself, but oh well, it was already out in the open. There was nothing to do now but start the song and prove that, despite her awkwardness, she really was a great singer.

Once she played her fingers over the strings and the first few notes came out of the gigantic speakers, she lost herself. Music filled her mind and body until she sang and played on instinct.

Christina Perri’s lyrics were intended as a love song, but they fit perfectly for what she felt right now. She could be brave. She had her dream right in front of her just waiting for her to take it, and that’s what she intended to do.

Every emotion, every feeling she ever had about singing and writing songs poured from her like rushing water over a cliff, a nonstop well of emotion. For four minutes she would sing from her heart and soul. When she was finished, she would leave everything on the stage—she’d make sure she had nothing left to give. If her heart wasn’t enough, she didn’t know what else she could give.

When the guitar solo hit, she smiled up at the clouds. It felt amazing. Goose bumps sprouted all over her body as she strummed harder over the strings. Beautiful notes blasted from the speakers and filled her from head to toe before pouring out over the stadium. Her confidence rose with each note, and by the time she picked up with the lyrics again, she felt like a new person.

There were only a few more lyrics left, the last chorus, and then she was done. She waited until the speakers stopped carrying her voice and the last guitar chords through the air before she finally gazed at the front row.

The guys had stood and were clapping. Mr. Pearl looked like he’d eaten a canary, and even Ryder’s smile didn’t seem quite as smug as she imagined it would. In fact, he looked impressed behind his dark sunglasses. Miles looked like the heartthrob, of course, while the others had their smiles on full blast.

She searched for the one reaction she couldn’t wait to see but…where was he? She scanned the seats again until she finally found Nathan…still sitting.

And his lips. Oh, his lips. They weren’t smiling.