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I laughed, feeling like I could finally take a full breath again since Simon's song. I was overreacting. It didn't help that Sarah and Jenny were overreacting as well. It was a beautiful song but Simon wasn't singing it to me. I looked up onstage and Simon was fervently playing his guitar, passionately singing a song about love and betrayal. He worked the crowd, making eye contact with fans as his gaze moved around, making each person think he was singing solely to them for that moment. Simon was a performer. And he had given a brilliant performance with me, letting every girl imagine what it would be like for him to sing solely to them. He had just chosen me as the vessel.
Comforted by my rationalization, I was able to watch the rest of the show with enjoyment and pride for my friends. They played a mixture of old and new songs and they really did sound amazing. While the group with Abe as the lead singer had been fun to listen to, Simon drew you in almost hypnoticall
y. Combined with Grant's skilled drumming and Marcus' steady but pounding bass playing, I had a feeling that the East End was going to packed whenever they performed.
Sarah, Jenny and I had moved over and snagged seats at the bar by the time the guys were done playing and disappeared behind the stage. It had gotten a little too hot in the crowd, and even though my top was sleeveless, I was feeling the affects of wearing a turtleneck.
"Remind me never to wear a turtleneck to a bar again," I said, pinching the neck of my sweater and stretching it out so that a waft of cool air hit my heated neck. "This is why I wear t-shirts all the time."
Sarah laughed as she glanced at my sweater. "You should've chosen the other shirt I picked out for you." Sarah had tried to convince me to wear a halter top but I had compromised with the sleeveless turtleneck.
"No thanks," I replied drily. "I don't want to wear a man-hunting shirt when the only thing I'm hunting is a good time with my friends."
Jenny nodded towards the stage. "I think Simon would hunt you in a paper bag." I looked over and saw that the guys had emerged from backstage and were surrounded by fans wanting to snatch a precious moment with them. Simon had the most people swarming around him, and I couldn't help but notice the majority of them were girls. He was smiling and engaging in conversations with them and I turned back to Jenny, leaning an arm on the bar.
"I think he's the one being hunted, not me," I said, rolling my eyes, ignoring my displeasure at the scene I had just turned away from.
"Spoken too soon," Sarah said under her breath as I felt a hand snake around my waist and whip me around.
"What did you think, babe?" Simon asked, with a big grin, He was leaning over me, his head close to mine, so that I could hear him over the noisy bar. His hair falling over his forehead was damp with perspiration. The smell of his cologne combined with his warmth was intoxicating. Simon's arm was wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer than I thought was appropriate. But his wide smile and boyish enthusiasm was infectious. Simon asked the question as if he was asking for my approval. The thought that my opinion mattered to him banished the protest that would have normally met his intimate touch.
"You were adequate, I guess," I replied airily, trying to suppress my answering smile. Then I laughed. "Oh, you know you were amazing. You don't need me to stroke your ego."
Simon grinned even wider. "I don't think I have to worry about an inflated ego with you around to always keep it in check." He nodded towards the beer I was still clutching, trapped between our bodies. "You need another one?"
I shook my head. "No, I'm good." He let me go and I couldn't help but feel a little bereft by the loss of contact.
Marcus came up behind Simon. "Grant snagged a table. We can all order from there." He smiled at Jenny, and she hopped off the stool by the bar to follow him. Sarah didn't need much convincing and followed Marcus as he made his way through the crowd. He and Simon were stopped frequently along the way by people complimenting them on their performance. Simon walked behind me, his hand on the small of my back guiding me, and I felt a burning warmth where his hand lay. It made me feel as if he was enveloping me in his personal space, separating us from all the people coming up to him.
Grant was sitting at a table, but he wasn't alone. There were two girls sitting with him, obviously groupies. The table barely fit the six chairs they had dragged around it, and now two of the chairs were occupied by girls fawning over Grant. When they saw us walk over, their eyes lit up as they spotted Simon and Marcus.
"Hi guys," one of the girls said breathily. Her bleached blonde hair fell well below her shoulders and her halter top showed off every asset. It made the halter top that Sarah had tried to convince me to wear earlier look like a nun's habit. I uncharitably thought that it was about time for the blonde to touch up her roots. She patted the chair next to her, her eyes zeroing in on Simon. "Have a seat. I want to hear all about your new songs."
Simon ignored her and arched a brow at Grant. I glanced over at Sarah and saw that she looked a bit pale. Although Grant wasn't a playboy, when he was off-again with Cara he enjoyed the attention of his female fans.
Grant got the message from Simon's look and turned to the girls. "Thanks for the compliments but these seats are reserved." He glanced over at Sarah but she averted her eyes. Grant turned back to the groupies. "Our ladies are here."
The blonde's friend, a similarly scantily clad brunette, looked up at us in contempt but grabbed her friend's hand and stood up, drawing her up with her. The blonde wasn't as easily deterred and stopped in front of Simon, placing her hand on his chest and looking up at him flirtatiously. "You were amazing tonight," she said, biting her lower lip, undoubtedly to bring attention to her mouth. My fist itched to punch that mouth, which surprised me. The surge of jealousy rising in me felt unfamiliar. "I'd love to hear more. Privately."
Simon shifted his hand from the small of my back to around my waist, pulling me close so that my side was plastered against his. "Sorry, I only give private shows to a select few," he said, looking and sounding bored. Then he looked down at me, squeezing me even closer as his face was transformed by a goofy lopsided smile that made my heart skip a beat. "Raven-haired sirens included."
Simon's words made me weak in the knees. I was sure if Simon hadn't been supporting me, I would have melted into a sentimental puddle on the floor. The way he said such heart-wrenching things with ease took my breath away.
The blonde's eyes narrowed as she allowed her friend to pull her away. They stomped off, swallowed by the crowd until they disappeared.
"Well," I said a little breathlessly. "That's one way to get rid of a groupie."
Simon eyes assessed me. "I didn't say anything for her benefit."
I chose not to respond to that comment because my mouth wouldn't formulate a response. Our friends had all sat down at the table, but they were watching us. Obviously, they had seen the whole exchange with the blonde, which meant they were also witness to Simon's comments. Face flaming, I was glad that it was relatively dim in the bar as I took a seat. Simon sat next to me, propping an arm around the back of my chair. As usual.
"How did the first official performance of the reincarnated Henchmen feel?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation onto a safe topic.
"It was fun. The crowd was really receptive. I thought there might be some lingering loyalty to Abe that would get in the way of people giving me a chance, but they seemed pretty accepting." Simon nodded his head for a beer when Janice stopped by to take everyone's order.
"You must have performed a lot to be so comfortable onstage."
Simon shrugged. "I've performed a decent amount with the other bands I've been in. Nothing serious. It just feels natural to me, I guess."
