“Okay.” I nodded, licking my lips. “Okay,” I repeated louder this time and quickly dashed to Katy, who was looking at us with amused eyes.
“You okay?” she asked over the chanting fans.
“Yes,” I mumbled.
“Good, follow me,” she said, taking me through a line behind the photographers where assistants and PR managers lingered.
“Will you be okay here?” Katy’s questioning eyes met mine. “I have a few interviews I have to coordinate.”
“Yes.” I smiled. “I’ll be fine. You go.”
“Okay,” she muttered, smiling back before she whooshed through the crowd, commanding the space with her unmatched aura.
And this place was perfect, it had a clear view of the carpet that was filling up with so many celebrities that I only thought I would be seeing on TV.
Last, the Four Foxes arrived, and the crowds went wild.
And my inner fangirl went bonkers, I wanted to be in the stands holding a Matty poster, screaming his name. But I toned it down, trying hard to maintain my composure as I watched them.
I didn’t even bat an eye at the other members flashing their stage-ready smiles because my eyes never strayed far from him. Matty looked scrumptiously delectable in his fitted three-piece, imposing the air with his sharp gaze and stoic presence.
There was a realness to him that bewitched me, even from day one.
Matty Evans was real.
In every version, he was truly himself.
Sometimes, I was envious of that. It was something I’d always wanted, to be the unapologetic version of me to everyone in my life. But most time, I admired that part of him. It was probably why he was my favorite fox.
In the following minutes, the band answered a few questions and exited to the venue, while the Evans siblings lingered, introducing Raphy, who ate up the attention like a pro, grinning confidently.
Internally, I was a proud, proud sister.
It wasn’t long before they walked up to me, finally wrapping up with the press.
Matty’s gaze found mine first. “You okay?” he asked in his gruff voice.
And I tried my best to appear collected as I whispered, “Yes.”
He nodded, and the four of us entered the hall with Katy guiding us up front.
Holy wow.
The vast room was bathed in a golden light from the low-hanging chandeliers, the decor minimal with tasteful flowers and velvet tapestries.
I’d never seen so many people in the same place wearing elegant attire, embellished in extravagant jewels.
It was opulence at its height.
A small stage stood by the far end, facing the round tables in the room. Only a simple, clean poster of the label’s logo was perched as the backdrop. It was a thin golden outline of a box with a dot at the bottom, with ‘true beat’ written in all lowercase.
It was uncomplicated but eye-catching at the same time. It suited his brand and the message he wanted to send to the world. But I still couldn’t believe they accomplished all this branding in a matter of days. I guess when you have plenty of money, you could even get a kidney transplant done in weeks instead of being placed on a waiting list like the rest of us mortals.
Katy led us to a table right by the stage, where I recognized the other two members of the Four Foxes lingering with some people I didn’t recognize. Now that I thought about it, the last member of the band, Landon Greige—Katy’s fiancé, was missing. Wouldn’t he want to be here to support his future brother-in-law and bandmate? Moreover, I heard that the entire band was involved in the label, so wouldn’t he want to be here for his own big day? It was interesting that he was a no-show.
Katy immediately swooped two gorgeous girls into a tight hug, smiling as she murmured something to them.
Just as she moved aside, Matt stepped forward. “Guys,” he said, gesturing toward Raphy and me. “This is Raphael and his sister, Sierra.”