Page 100 of Animal Beats

“Oh, Nina, I can’t rock the boat.” That’s what ended my career with UC in the first place, isn’t it?

“The band loves you, Luke relied on you, and I love your work. Hiring the person we want isn’t rocking anything.”

I guess now is as good a time as any to discuss BTM. “Please don’t worry about me. I might have a job with Behind the Memories, capturing behind-the-scenes photos of bands. Not at this moment, but hopefully soon they’ll be in a position to sponsor a band.”

“BTM. I’ve never heard of them,” my old boss taps her bottom lip.

I describe the company, which gets Nina’s interest. We talk until a voice over the loudspeaker announces the show is returning. Before leaving, Nina grasps my hand. “This will work out.”

I hope so, on every front. My last paycheck is coming up soon, then UC is going on its third leg of the tour in Australia. At least they have a month off starting tomorrow. The thought of having Río all to myself for thirty days straight makes me almost giddy.

The room settles as the announcer introduces the final song up for an Oscar is “Refocused Destiny,” the theme song to the movie Untamed Coaster Unleashed. The lights spotlight the boys filing into their spots—my eyes riveted on the UC pendant around the shirtless drummer. I shake my head. The fact that he’s performing at the Academy Awards doesn’t matter, he still refused to wear a shirt.

Then my gaze dips to the bass drum, which usually sports the Untamed Coaster logo. Now, in addition to the familiar, it has something new. Something unexpected. Something amazing.

A triangle.

My palm flies in front of my mouth. Only he, Mila, and I know what this symbolizes.

“Oh, Río.” My whisper is drowned out by the audience’s clapping.

As I watch, Río hits his drumsticks together and the band begins playing the Oscar-nominated song. An electricity is in this performance that I’ve never heard before at any of their gigs. Guess that’s what the Academy Award stage does.

Bennett prowls, his black leather pants highlighting his every asset. I nudge Nese. “Bennett’s sex on a stick.”

“All Jenna’s.”

We turn our heads to the physical therapist dancing in her seat next to me, enraptured by her husband. As she should be.

My attention returns to Río, who’s wailing away on the drum set. From time to time, he hits a triangle attached to his kit, enhancing the beat.

I allow all the goodness from the stage to seep into my body, and accept the fact that I’m totally in love with him. As unbelievable as it might seem, the entitled drummer has morphed into a sensitive man with a heart of gold. Who sees me deeper than anyone else ever has. And he loves my sister.

Jenna leans forward. “I’m going to meet Bennett backstage. Something tells me you need to join me, Hayden.”

Without hesitation, I nod. Leaving Nese, we exit our row and I follow Jenna backstage, thankful for our All-Access lanyards. We stop near Luke, with a perfect view of the stage.

“Thought I would see you back here, Jenna. Hayden, you’re a very happy surprise. Guess Río worked things out with you, huh?”

“He sure did.”

“I have faith in you two.”

The manager is pulled away by someone on the Oscars crew, so Jenna and I take his place to watch the end of the performance. She says, “I’ll be thrilled to have another bandmate’s partner with me. Don’t get me wrong. I love everyone on the crew, but there’s somethings only another woman in love with a UC band member understands.”

I don’t correct her that I won’t be joining the tour. Instead, I say, “Like how sexy and gross, at the same time, it is to have their stage sweat rubbed all over you?”

Jenna giggles. “Exactly.”

“Río’s pretty amazing.”

“I’m so happy he found you. You know, what you did for my business was beyond anything I could’ve hoped for, but how you calmed our drummer down takes the cake.”

My eyebrow quirks. “You think I calmed him down?”

“He’s now a two-drink-and-done type of guy. When you weren’t in Europe, he went on and on about how he doesn’t want to get wasted anymore so he can be the man you deserve. That qualifies as ‘calming down’ in my book.”

Hearing this from Jenna warms my soul. Río did tell me he was cutting back on his drinking so he would always be available to help with Mila, if need be. “Yeah. He even was my babysitter when I got drunk in Lisbon.”