She begin to pace the floor, she had to move, move, move. Too much nervous energy was all bound up in her limbs. She glanced at the clock again. Darn! Only two minutes had passed? "This is utter torture!" she complained out loud. She grabbed her phone and dialed.
"Hello?"
"I'm going stir crazy Sonny. I don't think I'll make it!"
"You are too funny Em. Why don't you come on over to my place, that'll eat up some of your time and then I can give you some pointers in person."
"That's a fabulous idea Sonny." Emily paused, "What do you mean by pointers?" but she was talking to a dial tone, Sonny had already hung up. Emily gave one last glance at the mirror to make sure her hair looked okay, make sure there was nothing green in her teeth, and that she wasn't in danger of a wardrobe malfunction. One wardrobe malfunction in her life was plenty for her. She grimaced. And it had to happen in front of Blaine the Bane of all things. He never let her live it down either.
Thankfully taxis were plentifully and cheap in Starlight Shores, and Emily found herself at Sonny's house with plenty of time to spare. She knocked on the door and Sonny opened it immediately. "You're wearing that?"
Emily looked down at her outfit. "Yeah, why? What's wrong with it?"
"Nothing, nothing, come on in..."
An hour and a half later Emily was taking a taxi to Binder Clips, her concert pass was clutched tightly in her hand. "Deep calming breaths Em. Deep calming breaths!"
"Hey Lady, " the taxi cab driver yelled. "You okay back there? You're ain't gonna puke in my car are ya?"
"I'm fine! No, I won't puke." and then Emily said in a quieter tone, "Well, I hope not anyway. The cab driver frowned. Emily heaved a sigh of relief as she saw the Binder Clips building. "Looks like we're here." She paid the fare, and the cab took off. She turned and saw the really long line of fans. It looked like all of Starlight Shores was there. "Maybe I should have come here a wee bit earlier."
Emily saw a security guard walking by. "Excuse me! Excuse me! Mr. Security guy, could you help me out please?" The Security Guard turned around and headed towards Emily.
"What do you need help with Ma'am?"
Emily showed him her concert pass. "Do I have to stand in that line there, " she pointed to the huge mob of people, "when I have this pass?"
The guard looked at the pass in her hand. "No Ma'am, that's a VIP pass. Follow me and I'll escort you in."
"Sweet! My lucky day! Lead the way!" She followed the guard into Binder Clips and true to his word he escorted her to her seat. "Front row seats!" she whispered. "I have to be dreaming!"
"Enjoy the show Ma'am!"
She could tell when Binder Clips opened their doors. The seats started filling up fast with people. And the noise level began to rise. She amused herself by studying the various states of dress that people were in. She saved her frowns for the girls who weren't wearing much.
All of a sudden the lights dimmed. And there he was---on stage. And here she was---in the front row!
Emily sang along with every song with great gusto.
Before she was ready, the concert was all over.
She looked around, wondering which way she should go to exit when a man appeared beside her. "Miss Emily?" he asked loudly, trying to be heard over the noise of the exiting crowd.
She looked at him curiously. "Yes, I'm Emily. Do I know you?"
The man shook his head. "You will. I'm Phoenix's manager, Roger Money. Phoenix would like you to come on back stage."
"Seriously?" Emily couldn't help it, a squeal came out despite her best efforts to suppress it.
"Follow me then."
She followed Roger very closely since Emily could easily get lost in a paper bag. And Binder Clips looked a little bit bigger than a paper bag. She could end up wandering the halls forever, beating at the walls, yelling for help---she shook her head to clear it. Time to reign in the ole imagination, it was getting away from her again.
Roger stopped abruptly, and Emily almost ran into him. "Go in there. He's waiting on you."
"Thanks Mr...." but Roger had already marched away. Well, nothing for it, Em. She pushed open the door, and there he was.
"Emily! I'm glad you came."
"Friendly sort, your manager."
"Roger? He's always a bit uptight when it comes to concert nights. He's the clearing the way so we can get out of here undetected."
"Really? And where are we going?"
"Well, I'm kind of keyed up, I always am after a concert. I need to unwind, and I was hoping I could talk you into keeping me company?"
"Talk away!"
Roger burst into the room. "The way is clear. Let's go Phoenix."
"Emily's coming with me."
Roger gave her an unfriendly look. "Is she?"
Mark grabbed her hand. "Let's go Emily. Lead the way Roger." Roger grumbled, and then set a breakneck speed that Emily had a hard time keeping up with.
"I shouldn't have worn heels." she muttered as she struggled to keep up.
Mark glanced at her and smiled. "Now that would have been a shame. You look fantastic in them." Mark slowed the pace down. "Hey, slow down Roger. Where's the fire?"
They reached the end of the hallway and Roger threw open the double doors. "Wait right out here Phoenix---your driver will be there in just a couple of seconds."
Mark and Emily stepped outside and were plunged into the dark when the doors shut behind them. "Why does he call you Phoenix and not Mark?" she whispered.
"That's who I am to Roger."
"Oh. Well, I think of you as Mark." She left out the part about what else she thought of when she thought of him. But the thought made her blush anyway, and Mark looked at her quizzically.
"That's one of the things I like about you Emily. Look, here's our ride." He helped her into the limo and Emily tried her best. She really did.
But she couldn't help gushing. "A limo! I'm riding in a limo! This night has been unbelievable! Are there glasses of nectar in here? Is that a sunroof? Oooh--what does that switch do? Music! Oh look! A tv!"
After trying every switch she could find, poking her head out the sunroof, and drinking a glass of nectar, Emily finally settled down enough to notice that Mark was watching her with a grin on his face. "What?" she asked. Then stared down at her outfit in horror. "Please tell me I didn't have another wardrobe malfunction!"
He laughed. "Another? That sounds like a story I'd like to hear."
Emily was still scanning her outfit. "Doubtful" she said absentmindedly. "Very long boring story."
"Emily your outfit is fine."
She looked up at him. "Then what was so funny?"
"I was just enjoying the way you do everything with such abandonment and pure joy. I'm envious. I don't think I've ever been that free. Ah look, we're here." Mark climbed out of the limo and held his hand out to her. "Shall we?"
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