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She nodded and kissed him. He wrapped her up his arms and they danced close, moving to the music. Adam and Amy were dancing too. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time, so Sarah decided she would too. She grinned at Dylan, then she allowed her body to sway with the beat, forgetting all the crazy stuff she’d been involved in recently, and focusing on what was happening here tonight.
The final song was a sprawling number with few lyrics but lots of electric guitar, and it climaxed with a two-minute guitar solo and a clash of crashing cymbals. Joseph ended the show by whirling his arm around and around, rapidly striking his strings and then letting out a final clanging note. Sarah tensed with worry as he suddenly collapsed to the ground, as if he’d been shot by the music. But apparently it was just part of the act. There was a brief implosion of silence in the room, then the stage-lights died and the audience went wild with applause and cries for more. Under the cover of the darkness, Sarah could just see Joseph prising himself to his feet, then stumbling off the stage as if he was coming out of a trance. He didn’t even stop to take a bow.
Then the stage was empty. Sarah exhaled, feeling as if she’d had an orgasm. What the hell had she just witnessed? It was like some kind of drug. She threw Dylan a grin and he smiled back. One thing was for sure, that young man and his band were about to become huge.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sarah had never been backstage at a concert before, and it was slightly disappointing compared with the euphoria of the auditorium. It was cramped and sweaty, and the décor back here was even more run-down than out front. There were drunk young women stumbling around and taking selfies, and a few men in suits, who were chatting animatedly and making it feel more like the stock exchange than a rock gig.
Sarah squeezed past a group of giggling hyperactive fans and made her way over to Joseph. She could see he was feeling emotionally and physically exhausted after putting his heart and soul into that performance. His hair was a mess and he had black eyeliner smudged around his eyes, but he looked modest with a child-like expression on his face, which was such a contrast to the confident and powerful performer Sarah had just witnessed.
She glanced back and realised that Dylan, Adam, and Amy had stopped to talk to one of his bandmates, so she drifted over to talk to the superstar. He was deep in conversation with his stern-looking manager, but he broke off as he noticed her.
“Sarah, hey! How did you enjoy the show? I won’t hug you because I’m really sweaty!”
He took her hands in his and kissed her on the cheek. Sarah adored Dylan – he was the love of her life – but she secretly coveted the attention of this lovely young man – especially right in front of his diehard dedicated fans. She gazed into his eyes, refusing to allow her gaze to drop to his toned chest, abs… or lower.
“Happy birthday, Joe! And well done for that amazing show. You guys are incredible!”
His eyes were full of post-gig excitement. “Thanks! It’s what I love doing more than anything else in the world. Well, not… you know... anything!”
“I know. Typical Quinlan man, huh?”
Joseph grinned. “Our aim is to please.”
Sarah laughed and gestured to a cluster of young women. “Well, there’s a line waiting, so do your best.”
He raised a playful eyebrow. “I certainly will!”
Sarah opened her mouth to continue the conversation, but she was shoved out of the way as a group of young people rushed past singing the lyrics to one of Joseph’s songs. She chuckled at their merriment, then she spoke sincerely. “I think you’ve found your calling in life, don’t you?”
“It’s definitely what I want to do. It’s precarious, though, so my parents aren’t too pleased. I will finish college – I’ve only got a year left to go. I’d love to drop out now, but Amy convinced me to stay – although I’m not sure it was the right decision.”
“Why?”
“My grades are slipping because I’m concentrating on my music.”
“Oh. What are you studying?”
“Business and economics.”
Sarah grinned. “Sounds thrilling.”
Joseph ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s so dull. And my professors all say my essays are full of impassable dreams – they don’t like that.”
Sarah frowned. Was it just his accent that had made her misunderstand? “Impassable? Do you mean ‘impossible’?”
“That too. My last assignment outlined a business proposal that I thought was attainable, but my professor gave me a shitty grade, saying it wasn’t grounded in reality. It was to do with the music industry.”
“Do you think your professor was right?”
“No.”
“Maybe he’s jealous of your success? You’re so talented and you shouldn’t give up on your dreams. You organised this whole gig yourself, right? So here’s the proof that you know how to make a profit in this industry.”
He treated her to a sincere smile. “Yeah, I know – you’re right, thanks.”
“Joseph, I made the mistake of walking away from my dream when I was just finishing college. I’ve regretted it every day since.”
