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Chapter twenty-three

Naomi

“How did it go?” Robbie asks through the phone as I press it to my ear.

“Hold on.” I hastily shuffle across the showroom floor, tugging on the bottom of my skirt as I walk quickly. Once back in my office, I promptly shut the door behind me.

“Do you want the positive or the negative first?” I say with a cringe.

“Oh boy…give me the positive, I guess.”

“Well, I was approved to take the next two days off, miraculously, but the bad news is…I wasn’t exactly the one to convince my dad, so I can’t get credit for acing this test,” I say sheepishly while stuffing my laptop in my carrying case.

“I’m going to need you to explain that one.”

“Okay, so my dad was at the welcome desk with a bunch of my colleagues. You know, drinking coffee, talking about the inner workings of car engines or whatever it is they talk about. Anyway, I tried to ask him if we could speak in private, but of course he insisted I spit whatever I needed out right there on the spot.”

“Uh-oh.”

“When I asked for the time off, he started giving me a lecture on the importance of company policy and giving adequate advance notice. But then Austin, my department boss, cut in and offered to cover for me while I’m gone.”

“I knew I always liked him.”

“You’ve actually never met him,” I point out.

“That’s irrelevant.”

“Anyway, my dad agreed…reluctantly. And now I need to book it out of here before anyone has a chance to change their minds.”

“No, you do not need to rush out of there. Have I taught you nothing? You walk out with your chin held high, like the confident woman you are who knows her own worth and lawful right to vacation time.”

“You know what? You’re totally right.” I pause my packing. There’s no need to race out of here. I am a confident woman…although the affirmation loses strength each time I replay it in my mind.

“I know I am,” he says matter-of-factly.

“I am a confident woman,” I say aloud, telling myself more than I am him.

“Atta girl. Keep saying it until you believe it.”

“I am a confident woman,” I mumble repeatedly into the phone as I shut and lock my office door, glancing around to see if my dad is lurking anywhere nearby. Seemingly in the clear, I make a beeline toward the door.

“I am a powerhouse professional who deserves a day off.” The confidence is strong in my voice, enough that I start to feel a bit of it simmer on the inside.

But what Robbie can’t see is me skittering across the showroom floor as fast as I can in these heels.

I don’t slow down, even when I make it out of the building, until I’ve rounded the corner of the parking lot and reached my car.

“Made it,” I breathe into the phone once I slam the door shut.

“Nice job. I finished delivering the rest of your orders this morning, so I just need to finish packing, and then we’re good to go. I have a ride picking us up in an hour. Will that still work?”

“Yes, that’s perfect. I’ll be home in ten.”

When we disconnect, I drive through the familiar, tree-laced streets of town, musing on what sort of adventures the next couple of days are bound to hold. Anticipation flutters in my chest, and I can’t help but grin to myself. The possibilities are endless, and I’m positively brimming with delight.

By the time I reach home, I’ve crafted about one hundred different scenarios of the people we’ll meet, the things we’ll do, the interactions we’ll have, and the new friends I’ll inevitably make.

Fueled with excitement, I rush inside to Robbie.

The backstage dressing room at the venue has more of a grungy vibe than anything close to glamorous like I was expecting. The burnt-orange couch looks worn and weathered, patches of wallpaper are peeling off the wall, and the chairs are barely hanging on by wobbly legs.

But there’s a steady stream of adrenaline running through me all the same. I could be in a small hole in the dirt for all I care.

Because I’m here.

Out of Pine Falls.

Out of my normal routine. It feels awakening to be living each moment in the present, actually experiencing an adventure instead of mentally fabricating an alternate universe to live in.

“So nice of you to join us,” a man I recognize from Robbie’s pictures as Dane says as Robbie shrugs his jacket off, rushing to his guitar case in the corner of the room.

“I told you, our plane was delayed,” Robbie says breathlessly.

Not only did we deal with a two-hour departure delay, but we got stuck in traffic on the way to the venue.

It’s now just minutes before showtime, which adds a layer of rushed exhilaration to the already palpable adrenaline hanging in the air.

I step out of the way with a flinch to avoid being stepped on by another band member, but I’m not bothered by it. In fact, there’s a permanent whisper of a smile on my face as I watch with eager eyes as everyone chaotically rushes around doing last-minute pre-show things.

“Guys, this is Naomi,” Robbie says, taking a moment in the rushed chaos to pause, wrapping an arm around me with a clear look of pride beaming on his face.

The way he says my name, as if he’s showcasing a prize, sends a rush of butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

I settle against his side, deepening my perma-smile.

“So, you’re the longtime ‘friend’ Robbie keeps sneaking home for, huh?” Dane asks mischievously, stopping to address me with a wink.

I wonder what Robbie has told all of them about us and our situation.

Regardless, there’s a relieving sense of freedom being here with him.

There’s no false pretense of a fake relationship, no made-up story to remember.

It’s just the two of us, enjoying life while figuring out what we are to each other.

“Hi, it’s so nice to meet you guys.” I wave as everyone else’s attention falls on me.

“Please don’t pay any attention to the stories these guys have to say about me,” Robbie says, releasing me to pull his guitar strap around his shoulder.

“Ah, you mean like the time you desperately needed to use the bathroom during the set and forced us to pause the entire show while you ran off stage,” Dane says with a grin.

“There’s no truth to any of it.” Robbie winks at me, unaffected.

“Or what about the time—”

“Showtime, gentlemen,” someone announces, popping their head in the room.

“Saved by the bell.” Dane smirks, playfully shoving Robbie. “Stick around long enough, Naomi, and you’ll hear it all.”

“Oh, I’m looking forward to it,” I say. “I could probably think of a few doozies about him from high school as well.”

“Yes! We want all the details.” The boys scramble out the door, leaving Robbie and me to take up the tail-end of the group.

“Go easy on me, please,” Robbie jokes against my neck, where he places a quick kiss before turning to the gentleman with an earpiece. “Javier, can you escort Naomi to the VIP tent, please?”

“My pleasure,” he replies.

“Have fun!” I grin as Robbie rushes down the hall after his bandmates.

“This way,” Javier says, leading me through the winding back hallways of the building and eventually through a door that leads us outside.

The noise of a buzzing crowd instantly fills the air, further amping up my excitement.

After maneuvering through a few gates, he leads me directly into the crowd.

I marvel at the number of people that fill the outdoor stadium, and a rush of pride and adrenaline runs through me.

As I look around, I take in the mix of eclectically dressed people, each one with more accessories and flair to their outfit than the last. I absolutely love being right in the midst of such a vibrant crowd, and a part of me feels completely at home being surrounded by this much commotion.

Javier leads me into the VIP tent where I’m greeted with warm smiles of other friends and family of the band members.

“Hi, I’m Naomi,” I say to the group and smile as each one introduces themselves to me.

I find a spot to stand, right next to a cousin of the lead singer, then take a long look around the stadium, intent on soaking it all in.

There’s hardly an empty chair left open now, and the two large neon screens that hang next to the stage buzz loudly with a countdown, the numbers displaying brightly with a loud horn as each second passes.

Adrenaline continues to surge through me, pulsing right along with the blaring horn that I can feel beating inside my chest. The crowd goes wild, filling my ears and my body with a rush I’ve only ever daydreamed about, as the countdown reaches two seconds.

I didn’t think it would be possible, but my smile grows even wilder when Robbie and the band run out onto the stage.