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Devon shakes his head. "Nope. We got out of there as soon as we could. But I'll never forget that feeling. Like we were being watched by something that wanted to hurt us."
I take a sip of my beer, trying to shake off the unease. "Well, let's hope nothing like that happens here."
Devon nods in agreement. "Yeah. Let's just get through tonight,” he says. “It’s the band’s first gig here. It’s a big deal.”
I nod. “I know,” I say. “Hopefully, it’ll go well.”
“Right,” he says, finishing his beer. “Knock on wood.”
Javi
It’sbeenalittlewhile since I’ve performed and I’m pretty nervous. The crowd is surprisingly big for such a small venue. They all paid for a VIP experience. I can see the parking lot getting full, a parking attendant guiding them through the fog with orange flags and exaggerated hand gestures.
The stage is a makeshift one in the back area of the hotel, the one that directly faces the falls. I assume the view would be striking if the fog let up. Expensive cars file into the parking lot as Londyn says something to me. I’m not paying much attention to her until she grabs me by the shoulders.
“Javi,” she says. “Babe. I need your head in the game.”
I blink at her.
“This is a big deal,” she says. “It’s your first show after the divorce, and half of the people out there are journalists. I need you to look like you’re having the best time you’ve ever had in your entire life.”
I rub the bridge of my nose. “You know back at the hotel, before we went on the bus,” I say. “You told me I didn’t have to do this.”
“You didn’t then. Now you do,” she says. She takes a step toward me, her slender fingers digging into my shoulders. “You’re going to go out there and you’re going to kill it like you always do. And when they write articles about you, they’ll barely mention that it’s the first show you’ve done after your divorce. But only if you get your head in the game, Javi. Do you understand?”
I nod slowly, feeling the weight of her words settling on my shoulders. She's right. This is a big deal. The press is here, and they're waiting for me to fail. Waiting for me to crumble under the pressure of my divorce.
I won’t give them that satisfaction. I’ll show them that I’m stronger than that.
I take a deep breath and nod at Londyn. “You’re right,” I say. “Let’s do that.”
“That’s my boy,” she replies with a smile, her eyes softening. “Let’s go show them what you’re made of.”
I nod and stand in the back, waiting for Johnny Baskets to go on first. They should do a nice job at warming up the crowd, though their music is very different from mine, so I can only hope they’ll enjoy it.
As I watch Johnny Baskets jamming on stage, I can feel their nerves slowly dissipating. The band is tight, their sound heavy and raw. They're playing a cover of an old classic, and the crowd is loving it. I can see people nodding their heads, tapping their feet, and singing along to the chorus. The atmosphere is electric, and I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins.
Alana turns to look at me for a second, a smile on her face, and then she goes back to playing the drums.
As the band finishes their set, they exit the stage to thunderous applause.
“You were amazing,” I say into her ear as she moves past me.
She squeezes my wrist. “Thanks, Javi,” she says. “Break a leg.”
I nod.
I take a deep breath and step out onto the stage, the spotlight hitting me square in the face. The crowd cheers, and I smile, feeling the nerves turn into energy.
I close my eyes and start to play, my fingers flying over the strings. The sound is crisp and clear, each note ringing out like a bell. The crowd is silent, listening to every note, and I can feel their attention focused on me.
I start to sing, my voice strong and clear, pouring out all the emotions that have been bottled up inside me since the divorce. The lyrics flow out effortlessly, each one hitting me like a punch in the gut. But I keep going, pushing through the pain and pouring it all out into the music.
The crowd starts to sway, caught up in the rhythm of the music. They start to sing along to the chorus, their voices raising in unison. I can feel the energy building up around me, and my heart starts to race in my chest. This is it. This is what I've been waiting for.
The song finishes, and the crowd erupts into cheers and applause. I bow, feeling the sweat on my forehead and the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. I can't help but smile, feeling like I'm on top of the world.
Londyn gestures a thumbs up sign at me from the side of the stage.
