Chapter 43

JAKE

I walk out on the stage and once again I give my best performance. While I am singing and dancing I am thinking about Layla and how I saw her just now. I smile not because I am enjoying the song but because I am thinking about how she fell over the cable like that.

It is strange how my priorities have changed. All I used to live for was singing and getting the next date and now, it is for the moment when I am going to see Layla again. It is as if I am doing a better job now in my singing and dancing while I am thinking about her.

The song is over and I make my way back to her. I run up to her and I can feel myself getting really hot on a summer night. Then I see her avoiding my eye contact and standing with the next outfit in her hand.

LAYLA

I was so consumed by his body that I could not even move around my station normally. While he sings the song I try to get everything in order so that when he comes he can just put on his clothes and leave. I need to focus on my job because his reputation is in my hands.

When the song finishes and he starts to make his way to me, I try to avoid his eye contact as much as I can. Then I hear his beautiful voice.

"Hey"

"Hi. Here is your next outfit"

I see him almost bending down trying to get my eye contact but I do not want to give it to him because I will be swept off my feet. He takes the clothes and he says.

"Thank you"

I nod my head and try to walk away or at least put my attention on something else. Then suddenly I feel a hand on my arm and with reflex, I look at who it is. Who else but Jake of course. I seem to lose myself in those blue eyes staring at me and with pure humbleness he asks.

"Did I do something wrong?"

I could not say it fast enough.

"No, not at all"

He gives me a slight smile as if hope rises in his eyes.

"Then why are you not looking at me?"

"Oh, I was just busy...you know...getting your makeup and things"

I feel his hand moving back to his side leaving my arm. I enjoyed his hand there but I dare not let him know.

"Well, it seems like I miss judge you a few times tonight. I am sorry"

"No, please do not be sorry"

Then I move closer to his face without realizing and I start to touch up his makeup. For a moment I could swear that I saw him moving closer to me.

JAKE

She takes a step closer to me and it is as if I am ready to give her a kiss. Her entire existence is just driving me insane and I do not know what is going on with me. It is almost as if I want to please her the entire time. I do not want her to think ill of me.

But then, she only touched up my makeup and I have to say that even though it is not what I thought it is, I love it. I love to be so close to her. It just feels perfect and right in every way. Then she is finished and she stares at me with those blue eyes.

It is as if she is looking at me but I should realize that she is not. She is just focusing on her makeup and that is all that she is doing. I should also remember how I said to myself that I should stay away. Then she says.

"Perfect..."

I have to swallow deeply to take this not as a compliment of me but of the makeup. I clear my throat and then turn around.

"Yes, yes, of course"

LAYLA

As I was busy doing his makeup it felt like I was busy with a masterpiece. The problem with that was that I did not have to do anything to complete the masterpiece. I just spent a few moments looking at his perfect face. His jaw is perfectly chiseled and made of perfection.

Then I could not stop the words escaping my mouth as I said he is perfect. Luckily, for me, he knew that I was not talking about his entire being but about what I was doing. Then he turns around and starts to walk to the stage but before he goes on stage he looks at me and says.

"Thank you"

Once again he disappears on stage and I am left in awe. Luckily, I know he will be busy on stage for a few songs before I have to see him again because I do not know how to control myself around him. I take a seat because I am not physically tired but emotionally.

After a while, I realized that I was just listening to his voice singing so indescribably beautiful, and then I jump up because I know he is going to come back. I jump around to get his outfit ready and then I see him walking my way. This time he is not running because he knows he has a bit of a break.

The way he walks while staring at me from under his eyebrows is just pulling me even closer to him but then our staring competition is interrupted by Mark.

JAKE

As I finish talking to the crowd I make my way backstage and this time I am struggling to control my emotions. I do not want to act around her any longer. I want her to know how I feel but then, unfortunately, Mark decided to walk into our little moment.

As I take a seat at Layla's station, Mark starts to talk to me.

"Jake, you are really doing a good job"

"Yeah, yeah, thank you. I really need to rest was there something I needed to know?"

"Well, we just have a problem with the stage in the far right corner. You need to avoid that part as much as you can, otherwise, you might fall through the stage. We are trying to fix it as much as we can"

"Okay, I got it. Stay away from the right corner. Anything else?"

"Nothing for now, except keep on doing a great job. We will talk some more when you are finished"

"Great, thank you"

Then I feel the fan going on and Layla hands me a bottle of water. I can not stop myself from brushing my fingers over hers and then she says.

"I thought you might be thirsty"

"It is perfect, thank you so much"

"It is pretty hot tonight"

"Yeah, I am dying out there"

LAYLA

I knew that I was getting hot just sitting at my station but I never really thought of how hot he must get. He is dancing the entire time and singing and of course, and do not forget the adrenaline that shoots through his body. I can only imagine how tired he must be.

I quickly walk over to my station and get him a wet towel. I put it on his forehead and he looks at me with a shock.

"What about my makeup?"

I give him a slight smile and say.

"I am sure we have a moment, just so that you can cool down a little bit. I will touch up your makeup and make you look good again"

He laughs at my attempted joke and I appreciate that he does it. As I pressed the towel against his forehead he closes his eyes and says.

"Man, this feels good..."

I have to practice that self-control again as he is sitting on this chair without a shirt. I can see a sculpted chest moving up and down as he breaths.

"I am glad that this is helping you"

But then after a while, I feel his hand on my hand that is pressing the wet towel on his forehead. He opens his eyes and says.

"I think the time has come for me to leave"

Why is it when he says it it feels like rejection but I have to wipe the shock from my face as I realize he is talking about getting on the stage again.

"Oh, yes, of course"

I can feel my cheeks turning red again but I quickly move out of his sight. Then I get his outfit and help him get dressed as I also touch up his makeup. We make it just in time and then he runs onto the stage. The next few songs are quick and he does not have a lot of time in between.

We do not really say a lot of things to each other and then he is gone again. The last song finally arrives and I hear the crowd screaming at the top of their lungs. He truly is a Superstar and the people are crazy about him. I have to remember that he belongs to the world.

I start to clear up my station as I want to catch that first van back to the hotel again but this time Rita is waiting for me in my room. I am shocked to find her there and then I say.

"What is going on?"

"Do I have to have a reason to see you?"

I give her a slight smile and then I say.

"Of course you do not. You just never meet me in my room. What is going on? Tell me you have a spot for me on the first van"

"No even better..."

I am completely curious about what she has to say and then I ask.

"Well, out with it?!"

She smiles at me while she says.

"We are going to a party"

"We can not go to a party. We are all exhausted remember? Jetlag anyone?"

She stands up and makes her way to the door and just before she opens it she says.

"But this is not just any party. This my dear friend is an after party and you do not want to miss that"

Then she disappears out of my room but I still wanted to ask her some questions. What is so special about an after party?