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I watched as much of the fashion show as I could, though I barely took notice of it until the last line of models made their way out, with Augustus taking up the rear. He was my special Christmas surprise for the guests and, as expected, the crowd cheered the loudest for him.
“Thank God,” I muttered as I went to check on Mad Lurchers.
“Hey, are you guys ready?” I asked, knocking lightly on their door.
“Ready,” Henry replied.
I paused at the way the guys looked made up. Henry had somehow attached a bright pink mohawk to his head, Tripp had colored his beard, Louis had spiked his hair, Will looked more or less the way he always did, and Cruz spiked and colored his ends. All of them had eyeliner on, and there were loads of leather pants, gloves, jackets, and boots, accompanied by chains, black jeans, and studded shit everywhere.
“They’re set,” Jeremy told me.
“Cool.” I stepped to the side, and the five guys strolled out of the dressing room.
“I’m looking forward to this, strawberry,” Cruz said as he passed me.
Even Tripp’s thumbs-up couldn’t brighten my mood.
Jeremy could tell something was up.
I plastered on a smile, but he wasn’t having any of it.
“Sienna?”
“Get cracking,” I said.
He reluctantly followed the band, and I took up the rear. We reached the edge of the stage, where Cruz, Tripp, and Henry picked up their instruments and began playing.
To my surprise, Cruz lowered his lips to mine. My heart skipped a beat as his tongue teased my lips as though he was begging me for more, but it ended as suddenly as it started. “For luck.”
I didn’t know how lucky I was at the moment, but he didn’t need to hear that right now.
The moment he arrived on stage, he transformed into a pure rock star and everything that came along with it— talent, sex appeal, and arrogance.
Jeremy was like a tower beside me. He folded his arms and kept his eyes on the guys, but clearly, his mind was on me. “What’s the matter, sugar?”
“Nothing.” I even sounded way too cheerful to myself.
“Bullshit.”
“I’d better check on the guests.”
The sounds of the mingling audience drowned out my unsettled mind. I was glad to see people were having a good time. Some were discussing the clothing, others were networking, and some were discussing the venue, the charity, and hors d’oeuvres. I moved around the room, introducing myself and checking on people.
The room hushed when Mad Lurchers began to play, opening with an upbeat number that had many people dancing and some even headbanging.
“Hallo,” Cruz shouted into the microphone when the second song had ended, and everyone was still cheering. “Welcome to the Estate Styles’Charity Gala after-party. I’m Cruz Huntington, this is my band, Mad Lurchers, and we’re here to make sure your Christmas Eve goes off!” He strummed his guitar, and the crowd cheered. “This one’s called ‘Fuck the Nobility.’Here we go.”
Even I began dancing to the song. It helped me forget my current woes for a little while. Mad Lurchers were incredibly talented, and I believed they deserved the chance to be successful.
“Hopefully, someone in this room takes notice of you,” I whispered to myself.
“Sienna, there you are.” Ramesh managed to make himself be heard over the music as he pulled me into a big hug. “A huge well done on selecting the musicians. They’ve been perfect. You ought to be proud of what you’ve achieved.”
“Thank you, Ramesh, I am.” I pushed back my shoulders and stood up straight. I’d worked as hard on this evening’s event as anyone else had, and I had every right to feel proud. “I so enjoyed working with you and Riva. I think we make a great team.”
“So do I.” Ramesh patted my shoulder.
Mad Lurchers’ performance went on for another forty minutes, and when they were finished, streamers and snowflake-shaped confetti exploded from confetti cannons positioned on either side of the stage.
