Page 8 of Ravaged For You

I shake my head. “I think I need a minute to recover.”

“That good, huh?”

“Yeah, really good. I’m impressed, actually. Super impressed. I think I understand your passion for those boys now.”

She’s elated by my response.

“Oh, look at you, Maddie. I’ve converted you into being a signed-up Ravaged fangirl,” she says, dangerously close to a fit of giggles.

“How about we go back to mine for a drink and a cool down?” I suggest. “I don’t know about you, but I certainly need it.”

She leans in conspiratorially. “I’ve got a better idea,” she says in a whisper. “Let’s go backstage and meet the band.”

3

MADDIE

I blush at my friend’s suggestion.

“No, I can’t,” I say.

Backstage? Now? Here?

I am terrified of the suggestion.

Marie looks at me with pleading puppy dog eyes. “Please. Pretty please. I want to meet them, and I’m sure you do too.”

I sigh. “What do you mean backstage?” I ask her. “I’m sure we need special VIP passes or something to do that, and we definitely don’t otherwise you’d have almost certainly told me by now.”

“We don’t need passes,” she says.

“What do you mean?”

Marie smiles cheekily. “I’ve done this before, trust me. All you’ve got to do is follow my lead.”

“How many times have you seen this band again?”

“Look, I think we’ll manage getting through to the back of here. Catch them as they leave. Maybe one of them will spot me in the crowd and instantly fall in love with me and then I’ll be his cool girlfriend who everyone is jealous of, and we’ll have amazing sex and I’ll have all his babies…”

“And then live happily ever after?”

“Exactly.”

“I think you and I have very different fantasies, Marie.”

“Come on, Maddie. It’ll be fun. Let’s do something fun and dangerous before we’re old and regretful. You never know, one of those rockstars might instantly fall in love with you too.”

“Ha. I doubt it.”

“What do you say? Worth a try?”

I take a last look around us at all the fans slowly making their way to the exits. I don’t want to sneak past security. I don’t want to ruin the rest of my night. I am certainly not a rule-breaker. I don’t creep around the back of arenas.

But I gotta remember my New Year’s resolution. Gotta say yes to more things.

And this is exactly one of those things.

“Okay. Just because it’ll keep you happy,” I reply to Marie’s excited giggles with a quiver of trepidation in my voice. “Let’s try and see one of these famous rockstars, then.”