Page 14 of The Rockstar

“Ryder?”

My instinct is to shake my head and bolt, but something about the voice tugs at my memory. I know this guy.

I look up, and a smile splits my face. “Jensen?”

Jensen grins, and we do that handshake and back smack guys love to do. He’s wearing a festival shirt and a tie-dye bandana on his neck. “I didn’t know you’d be here!”

“Oh, just passing through. What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in LA?”

He rolls his eyes and runs his fingers through his shoulder-length blonde hair. I’ve known him for years, and he has always kept his hair only this long. “Yeah, well. I organized this thing. Pretty rad, right? Takes you back to the older music festivals.”

“I noticed. Fewer press, too. Impressive.”

Jensen nods absently and rubs his bearded chin. “Hey, man. I know you’re on vacation or something, but what do you think about playing a couple of songs? Maybe two? It’s the first day, and the headliner’s running late.”

If I had my manager with me, he would have immediately said no. But as I look around, I realize it’s no Coachella or Lollapalooza or Glastonbury. It’s pretty chill, and people are mostly hanging out, lounging by their blankets, and enjoying the music.

Yeah, it’s my scene all right. But I also came here with Vivian, and I need to know she’s okay with this. I don’t know why I even need to ask, but I don’t want her getting uncomfortable. It’s gonna be a reminder that I’m no regular guy, despite how hard I tried to be.

“Give me a sec,” I tell Jensen, running to Valerie’s tent. Good thing there are still a few people milling about. I take off my mask, and Valerie’s gasp is so loud, I feel like she sucked my soul. “Viv, one of the organizers asked me to play a couple of songs.”

Vivian’s eyes are wide. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah, and I needed to ask for your permission.”

“My permission? Why?”

“Because I came here with you, and I don’t want you getting awkward around me.”

Vivian gives me an amused smile. “Ryder, if you want to play, go ahead. I won’t stop you. Besides, I wouldn’t mind watching you perform live.”

“Ryder Cross? Ryder Cross drove you all the way here and carried my records?” Valerie’s voice is full of disbelief, and I feel weird that she’s looking at me like she’s not sure I’m real.

I take her hand in mine for a quick handshake, and her gaze zeroes in on my hand.“Hi, Valerie. I’m so sorry, but Vivian will explain later.” I turn to Vivian. I half-expect her to frown or maybe show any sign of displeasure, but she’s grinning. “See you after my set? I need you close to the stage.”

“Okay. Break a leg!”

I can’t help but pull her close to me for a quick but deep kiss. My body responds easily, so I let her go and plant another kiss on her forehead. As I jog back to the car, where my guitar is, I hear Valerie demand the full story from Vivian.

By the time I reach the main platform, breath fogging in the cooler dusk air, Jensen stands to the side, clipboard in hand, chewing on a pen cap. Same as always.

He clocks me and raises an eyebrow. “You planning to cause a riot or are you here to tune my mics?”

“Depends,” I say, grinning. “The headliner still not around?”

He sighs. “They’re running late. Twenty minutes, maybe thirty.”

That burst of adrenaline kicks in hard. My hands tighten around the case. “I got you.”

Jensen starts to smile, but he looks at me warily. “You know they’ll find out about this, right? Someone will be streaming it live.”

The thought tamps down the excitement, but not by much. “I know.”

“They’ll call me. Then they’ll call you.”

“Too bad I don’t have my phone then.”

Jensen chuckles. “You throwing me under the bus?”

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