Page 74 of She's the Star

But he doesn’t love my fame, so I can’t let it come between us.

Brian doesn’t press me to keep talking. Normally, he’d have a million things to go over, but as if he can sense I need a minute, he lapses into silence, and the ride to the arena passes quickly. We’re still a couple of blocks away when we slow to a crawl.

“What’s going on?” I peer out the window, straining to see if there’s traffic.

Mina reaches out and lowers the privacy shield so we can see out the front.

There are hundreds of people spilling off the sidewalk and into the road making it difficult for cars to get through. Even from a distance, sparkly, bejeweled signs that proclaim love for me are clearly visible.

It’s still hours before show time, but my fans are already gathering.

It’s the first time we’ve seen mob-sized crowds on this tour, and it doesn’t appear that there is any sort of crowd control happening. Brian immediately gets on his phone to the arena, while Jason, the security guard who’s sitting in the front seat, tells the driver to make a left and then starts murmuring into his phone, too.

We make the turn and weave through the side streets in a sort of zigzag pattern. It isn’t the first time this sort of thing has happened, so I settle back into my seat. Brian taps Jason on the shoulder. “They’re requesting police support. ETA unknown.”

Jason nods but stays on the phone. When he hangs up, he pulls down the sun visor and flips up the mirror cover so we can see his grim expression. “We don’t have the manpower for any sort of interaction right now. You cannot exit the vehicle. There aren’t any barriers, and the crowd seems to be growing steadily, so we won’t be able to keep you safe.”

When I was younger, I probably would have argued, but I’m not looking to take unnecessary risks. I won’t greet the crowds, sign autographs, and take selfies if things might get out of control. “Okay. How are we getting inside without encountering the fans?”

“We aren’t. The only entrance that’ll allow you to exit without being mobbed requires us to drive past where they’re gathering. We’ll stay in the car and make our way underground as quickly as possible.”

“We can arrive from the opposite direction if we circle around,” the driver says. “Then we can avoid passing the main entrance entirely.”

Jason nods. “Do it.” He returns his attention to me. “They’re probably going to guess you’re in here.”

“Can I put the window down and wave?” It’s something I’ve done before. It isn’t what the fans want, but it’s better than nothing.

“Not sure yet. We’ll have to see when we get there. Even that might be too much.”

My security team knows what they’re doing, and Jason has been with me for years, so I trust his advice, but the people who are outside the arena are there to see me and I hate not giving them what they want. I start tapping my fingers on my knee, but it does nothing to release the tension in the car.

It’s about ten minutes before we ease into the traffic that is heading for the arena from the opposite direction. It’s moving smoother, mostly because the crowd is on the other side of the road. Mina switches seats with me so I’m ready to smile and wave if Jason gives the okay.

Unfortunately, the entrance to the underground garage is completely overrun and Jason tersely tells me to keep the windows closed, then shuts the privacy screen so no one can peer through the windshield. The back windows are dark, so there’s no way for anyone to know I’m in the car, but who else would be arriving in a luxury black SUV with a driver and security personnel?

The crowd surges into the sides of the vehicle as we ease slowly forward.

The doors are locked, and we’re secure. Brian, Mina, and I are utterly silent. We’ve done this before, but it’s been a while, and it’s a bit unnerving. I wouldn’t say I’m scared, but my calm has definitely deteriorated. The noise from outside is muffled, and even though we can’t hear anything clearly, it’s obvious they want to see me.

We keep creeping forward slowly, until suddenly there are less people, and we start moving quicker. The security guards at the bottom of the ramp let us through the barrier, and somehow they manage to keep everyone else out, so we accelerate around a bend and the noise fades. We collectively let out a sigh of relief as the privacy shield slides back open.

“We’ll have more staff on duty for arrivals going forward,” Jason assures me.

I smile slightly. “Thank you.” And then it hits me. “Nolan is supposed to bring Maddy in a few hours. Should they stay in the hotel?”

Brian and Jason exchange a look before Brian says, “Let’s monitor the crowds during sound check and then reconvene.”

Jason agrees, and we come to a stop. I climb out slowly. Even though the area is empty, I’m on guard as if someone is going to jump out and storm the car.

Thankfully no one does, and by the time I arrive at the dressing room, I’ve relaxed a little. The high of sharing my feelings with Nolan has faded, and I can’t help wishing he and Maddy were with me. At the same time, I’m glad they’re safe in the hotel, and they didn’t have to experience the unruly crowd.

TWENTY-SEVEN

NOLAN

When Amber calls to tell me that she wants Maddy and I to hang back at the hotel, she sounds calm. When Mina relays why Amber doesn’t want us at the arena, I’m not calm. The urge to rush to Amber’s side to assure myself she’s safe is highly impractical. What do I think I can do to protect her that her security can’t?

To reassure myself that she will be fine, I call my father because I know he’ll be able to give me some perspective.

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