Page 18 of Vince
“Seriously? That’s pretty cool. It must’ve been one hell of a competition.”
Sydney shrugs. “A drawing, really. Never thought I had a chance, but as luck would have it, here we are. I don’t think I’ve ever won anything in my life. These are some freaking amazing seats.”
“They sure are,” I say, sitting beside her. Though, being this close to the stage, I’m fairly certain we’ll stand the entire concert. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to a stage in my life.”
“Me neither, unless you count being in a small bar or something, and the dance floor is close to the stage. But never in a venue this large. I’ve been pumped since I got them.”
“No kidding—I’m surprised your friends didn’t want to come.”
“They’ve seen Riser before. Besides, Chloe’s priorities should be her grandma… and well, if you ever meet Abby, you’ll see that she doesn’t mess around when it comes to school. She’s managed to graduate a year early and be accepted to a few med schools. She’s still holding out for her top choice, but with her focus, I’m sure everything will work out.”
Before I can respond, the opening lights dim, and the fans across the stadium shriek in welcoming the opening act. Instantly, Sydney and I are on our feet.
From the corner of my eye, I see her place her thumb and forefinger in her mouth. She lets out a whistle like no other I’ve heard before, then she screams to show her excitement. One thing I’m quickly learning about Sydney—with her around, it will never be boring.
As the opening chords of an electric guitar ring out, Sydney jumps in excitement. Energy fills the stadium, and everyone wants the show to begin. I’ll admit, the band may be good, but I get more satisfaction in watching Sydney enjoy the show than focusing on their performance. Every dip and sway as she bops to the beat makes me need to join her. Before long, I give into my urge. When she leans into me and flashes her beaming smile, I could give two fucks about being the guy who normally doesn’t dance in public. I’m here with a beautiful woman, and every fiber in my being tells me to hold on tight and enjoy the ride.
By the time the opening act ends, Sydney and I breathlessly take our seats and reach for the drinks we’ve set aside. Gulping down the soda, I use my forearm to push away the sweat from my brow. I can’t help but notice Sydney’s flushed cheeks or the way her eyes dance with excitement.
God. She’s beautiful.
“What?” she asks defensively when she catches me staring a moment longer than necessary.
I go with honesty. “You’re beautiful.”
Her cheeks darken, and she rolls her eyes, trying to pass off my compliment. “Okay…” she draws out.
I reach out to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear and wait until I have her attention and slowly admit, “Seriously. I’m not feeding you a line.”
Sydney’s eyes flit from one side to the other as if she’s gauging my expression, but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she reaches out and cups my cheek, making me lean into her warm and inviting hand. I’m so focused on determining the exact shade of her green eyes, I miss her cue.
When her eyes close, and her soft lips brush against mine, I’m taken off guard and freeze—but only for a second before my body catches up. She pulls back, but I instinctually reach out and cup her face, holding it in place.
Then I kiss her back for all I’m worth.
Her lips part in a gasp, and I take this moment to invade her mouth with my tongue. I run my tongue along her lower lip, and she tastes of Pepsi and something uniquely her. When her tongue meets mine, I linger on her taste and let it consume me. We may be in a room filled with thousands of people, but in this moment, all I care about is Sydney.
Unfortunately, when a male voice introduces his band, and fans fanatically scream, I’m brought back to reality. Forcing myself to pull away, I can’t help but smile at the fact we’re both breathless and have lost track of where we are. A beautifully shy grin forms on her swollen lips as she stares up at me. I quickly lean in to kiss her quickly once more before resting my forehead on hers. When the first song plays, I spin her around to hold her from behind. There’s no way I’m letting her go in this moment. When the first song ends, I lean in and whisper in her ear, “In case I forget to mention it, I’m having a really great time tonight.”
She nods her head in return but keeps her focus on the band. When they begin their most recent number one hit, she jumps up and down, and excitement rolls off her in waves. I’ve heard Riser on the radio a million times over, but watching Sydney enjoy this concert is something I’ll never soon forget. The way she sings nearly every lyric, dances without a care in the world, and screams when her favorite songs end will never let me hear these songs again and not relive this moment. Time ceases to exist, and I’ll admit I’m shocked when they announce they’re playing their final song. Of course, it’s their greatest hit of all time, and even I’ll admit I scream right along with Sydney as the opening progression hits its famous notes. Riser is freaking amazing in concert, and these seats force you to get lost in the experience.
My ears are still ringing as I merge my way into traffic from the parking garage. This is the only time I wish my Jeep were an automatic because having to shift in traffic forces me to let go of Sydney’s hand. After a few blocks of stop and go, to let others merge into the flow of traffic with us, I’ve never been more relieved than to shift into overdrive and be able to reach for Sydney’s hand.
She intertwines our fingers and traces my knuckles with her other hand, sending electric pulses throughout my body.
What the fuck is she doing to me?
I’ve never reacted to anyone like this, and I’m completely in uncharted territory. Sure, I’ve dated—but why do I feel as if whatever is going on with her could be so much more than the casual dates I’ve been on before? This is only our first date for crying out loud.
Shaking my head, I must catch Sydney’s attention because she asks, “Everything okay?”
There’s no way I’m jumping into this rabbit hole this early in a relationship.
Fuck… did I just say relationship? Date. We’re on a date, dummy. Not making commitments or anything.
Though she did agree to a second date…
“I… Uh… am just thinking about what type of date could top this?”
