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“It must be hard when he travels for long periods at a time,” I say.
“It’s okay,” Kelly says when Ridge steps away. “I usually join him on the road. But sometimes I like to stay home and get our house in order. Now, I want us to focus on the next chapter.”
I imagine what it must be like to be married to a pop star. Kelly seems to have dedicated her life to Ridge. She has to trust him on the road when she’s not there, even though she knows gorgeous girls will throw themselves at him. It takes a strong woman to have that amount of faith. Their relationship must be rock solid.
Music plays loudly as the crew sets up for Jax. Kelly and I yell in each other’s ears as we continue to get acquainted. I wonder if there’s a chance we could actually become friends. That is, if things with Jax and I progress. And the media doesn’t blow us up tomorrow morning.
“I love your dress,” Kelly says. “Has Jax started to flirt with you yet?”
“Thank you. Why would he flirt with me?”
“You’re totally his type. I can tell.”
I hope she can’t see me blushing through the darkness of the room. I just laugh.
“How so?”
“You’re cute, slightly edgy. Great fashion sense. So far, from what I can tell, you’re career-oriented, so you have your own goals. But I don’t think you’re so career-oriented that you miss out on the simple joys of life. I mean, he’s told Ridge and I a little about you.”
“Wow, I didn’t know Jax talks about me to anyone.”
“He was really impressed with the press release you wrote and how you described his new album. Jax may have the ‘bad boy’ image to the outside world, but there’s a lot more to him and I wish he got that credit.”
“I haven’t known him very long, but I can see that already,” I say. I’m learning a lot about Jax Slater and the more I discover, the deeper I fall. It’s one thing to crush on him from afar, when there’s literally no chance of ever meeting him or having any of those fantasies come true. It’s another thing when those dreams begin to become reality. I have a chance to be one half of a classic love story around how an underdog got her man. But if things work out on the opposite end of the spectrum, I’ll be just another girl who let her fantasy take her on a journey that ultimately broke her heart.
The background music stops, along with our conversation, just as everything turns dark and a spotlight hits centerstage. The crowd roars and starts to chant, “Jax! Jax! Jax!” My heart beats to the sound of his name as I watch him walk out on stage with his acoustic guitar. Everyone falls silent. It’s like they are in the church of rock ‘n’ roll and service has just begun.
It’s breathtaking to watch Jax perform so closely. There’s a part in the show where he does a tribute to his 5 Leo Hearts days and serenades a fan. All the girls in the audience freak out and climb on top of each other, begging to get chosen. By girls, I mean women my age, because they all grew up loving him. I guess they don’t feel awkward at all.
When it comes time for the serenade, I notice the woman he pulls up is wearing an engagement ring and wonder if that’s intentional. She seems to have forgotten her commitment to her fiancé, however. She sings along to every word and desperately tries to grab his hand as it lingers near her. I always wanted to be that girl. But now, I’m glad I never was. The universe was waiting to send me something better.
After his set, Jax comes out and performs two more songs for an encore. By the time he walks off the stage, he is drenched in sweat and breathless. So am I. Everyone gives him a high-five or a handshake as he makes his way behind the curtain. I stand off to the side and clap. I want to go run up to him and throw my arms around him, swirl across his slippery body with my own.
But I’m his publicist, so I can’t. I can—and should—however, go up to him and congratulate him on a great show. So that’s exactly what I do.
What Jax does next, though, I don’t expect. He wraps his arms around me in a big bear hug and holds me a few seconds longer, letting me know he wishes it could linger, too. Harry comes up and puts his arms around Jax, rightfully oblivious as he breaks up our embrace.
“Well done, team,” Harry tells us. “Night one is a success. Did you see everyone singing along? They freakin’ loved it. Even the new songs held their attention.”
Harry looks at me and says, “The photo pit was lighting up. Let’s see when we can get some shots from the photographers so Jax can make a social media post. Can you work on that?”
“On it,” I sign off to Harry. I grab my phone from my purse to check my notifications as I make my way to the post-show meet and greet for VIPs. I find a quiet corner and slip into a chair, eager to relieve my throbbing feet. I vow never to wear heels for the rest of the tour. Unless, maybe New York City since that will also be a special show. But middle America media will get a more laid back version of Cailin McCall. Well, casual in style, anyway. Right now, my nerves are a wreck and I hope that the rest of the tour is less stressful—at least from my own doing.
Gemma texted me a million times asking for updates and photos. Of course, I had to tell her I saw Ridge and I’m sure she went back in time to her teenage self. I open her thread of messages.
Gemma: OMG, Ridge is there! Is he hot?
Gemma: What’s his wife like?
Gemma: Did you talk to them?
Gemma: You look super hot in that selfie you posted.
Gemma: How is the show going? I need details!
Gemma: Photos, please! Anything? A social story of the show? Your girl is dying over here.
I haven’t even told Gemma anything about Jax yet. Boy, do I have lots to fill her in on. I make a mental note to call her tomorrow when I have some free time on the bus. For now, I need to monitor #jaxslater and also the media to see if anything incriminating is posted. So far, all I see are photos of fans posting pics and clips from the show. A bunch of media I recognize from the pre-show event posted their photos with Jax, but he was positioned looking forward, so the side of his neck is hidden. I think we’re out of the woods. I put down my phone and scan the room to see who has made their way back to meet Jax.
