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  He winked at her.

  Her eyebrows creased as she said, “Why do you say that? You don’t think I can do all those things?”

  He sensed he had offended her and quickly tried to recover by saying, “No…I mean…yes. I do think you can do all of those things. It’s just…you are so…I mean…”

  He looked away as he felt his cheeks burn red. He rarely got embarrassed. What the hell was wrong with him?

  In an attempt to recover from his blunder, he cleared his throat and said, “Madeline Smith, I believe you can do anything you set your mind to.”

  Her eyes widened as she grinned and said, “You’re starting to get me, Adam. You don’t even know how right you are.”

  He exhaled slowly, relieved that she didn’t appear to be offended.

  He said, “I grew up in upstate New York. My family likes outdoor activities as well. I haven’t been fishing in ages, but when I was a young boy, my family used to go camping and fishing quite often. We’ll have to go fishing sometime.”

  She nodded and seemed pleased with the idea.

  “Yeah, that would be fun,” she said. “Now it’s my turn to ask a question. Tell me something about yourself that might surprise me.”

  He thought for a moment and said, “I love to cook.”

  “Really? A budding rock star who loves to cook? Intriguing. Tell me more.”

  He pretended to be offended and said, “What? You don’t think I can?”

  “Touché, Adam. I get you.”

  He winked and said, “I dabble in gourmet cooking. I’m self-taught. I watch the Food Network a lot throughout the day while I’m working. You know, I have it on in the background most of the day. Wolfgang Puck is my hero. I like to entertain and I love good food, so I am continually trying out new recipes on my friends. I’ll have to cook for you sometime.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Now it’s my turn. Maddie, tell me something about yourself that not many people know.”

  She thought for a moment and said, “Well…like I said before, I really love music. You might be surprised to hear that I play an instrument too. I play the violin. I’ve played it for a number of years and I am fairly accomplished at it—if I do say so myself.”

  “That’s awesome! You’ll have to play for me sometime. You should bring your violin to our rehearsal one night and play it for everyone.”

  “I could do that,” she said and nodded in agreement. “Or maybe I’ll just play it for you sometime—a private audience.”

  Her lips turned up in a mischievous smile as he became aroused. He fought back the urge to move around the table and take her in his arms. But for some reason his instincts told him to hold back and play it cool. He did enjoy just talking with her, after all. But as much as he wanted to kiss her—and do so much more than kiss her—he didn’t want to spoil a great evening by making the wrong move. Instead, he took her hand in his and said sincerely, “I’d really love that.”

  Again, their eyes locked as she softly said, “So would I.”

  But she made no further move, so Adam let it be and just focused on enjoying the time with her. They talked a while longer about their interests, hobbies, and music. They opened up to each other more than Adam expected, and he didn’t want the evening to end.

  He snapped out of this thoughts of an endless night with Maddie when she stood up abruptly and said, “Adam, I’ve really enjoyed tonight and getting to know you and some of your friends. I haven’t enjoyed myself this much in a really long time. Thank you so much for inviting me.”

  Adam jumped and stuttered awkwardly, “Oh…yeah…of course. I’ve really enjoyed it too. I’m so glad that you came.”

  He also stood. Maddie smiled at him, but it seemed different. Did he detect a hint of sadness? Why was she leaving so suddenly? Maybe he was overanalyzing again.

  She said, “Unfortunately it’s getting late and I guess I better get going. I have a lot to do tomorrow, and I need to get at least a few hours of sleep.”

  He tried not to show his disappointment. Instead, he fake-smiled and said, “Sure. I completely get it. I’ll walk you to your door.”

  They continued their conversation on the way to her apartment, which was so convenient next to his. As they walked, Adam tried to think of a way to set up the next encounter with her. He didn’t want to let her go before he asked her out, or at least got her phone number.

  When they arrived at her door he said, “We’re playing at the Venus De Milo tomorrow night. Have you ever been there?”

  “No, I haven’t ventured out much since I moved to the city,” she said. “What exactly is it?”

  “It’s a huge, three-level nightclub on MacDougal Street, with live music on the main floor every night, a DJ dance hall, and a game room. Many famous alternative rock bands got their start there. You never know which famous musician will drop in to play with the house bands. Only the best bands are offered standing weekend gigs, and Night Fury recently landed Friday nights. You should come by and check out the show. I’ll even make sure you get a VIP pass for backstage.”

  He winked.

  She grinned and said, “I just might have to do that.”

  “I guarantee our real performances are a lot different than our rehearsals in the residents’ lounge. It would really be worth your while.”

  She nodded. “This I might have to see. What time do you go on?”

  “The show starts at nine o’clock tomorrow. We get there at least an hour ahead of time to set up and do sound check and stuff. You’re welcome to come at any time. You can even ride over with me if you want to.”

  She thought for a moment as if mentally checking her calendar and said, “I’ll have to see how things go tomorrow. I’ll try to make it, but I can’t make any promises. Don’t wait for me. If I decide to come, I’ll meet you there. Again, I really enjoyed tonight.”

  He leaned on her doorframe and said, “Thank you again for the Shark Fin beer. I still can’t believe you just happened to randomly pick it out for us. That’s crazy.”

  “I’m glad you liked it. Goodnight, Adam.”

  She leaned over and kissed him gently on the cheek. Her lips felt soft and warm. It sent pleasurable pulses of heat throughout his body.

  “Goodnight, Madeline.”

  He inhaled deeply as he watched her unlock her door and go inside. This girl was special. This girl was hot. He really enjoyed her company and he couldn’t wait to see her again.

  Chapter 6

  The next day Maddie called Sancha to give her the full report. Sancha must have been waiting for the call; she answered on the first ring. “Well, how did it go? I’m dying to find out!”

  Maddie laughed at Sancha’s excitement.

  “It went great. I had a really nice time and met some of his friends. The band is extremely talented, and it was fun watching them rehearse.”

  “Go on. Go on.”

  “Well…Adam and I hit it off. He’s so sweet and gorgeous, and easy to talk to. We had a great time.”

  “Really? That’s wonderful!”

  “Yeah, we sat outside on the rooftop terrace after everyone else left and talked for hours. I felt oddly comfortable talking to him. He seems like a really good guy, and did I mention that he is really sweet and so good-looking?”

  Sancha laughed. “I believe you did mention that once or twice. Does he seem interested in you as more than a friend?”

  “I definitely think so. We flirted a little bit. I haven’t had that much fun in a long time. And yes, you were right, Sancha. I’m really glad you made me go.”

  “Well, that’s wonderful news. So, did he ask you out on a date or anything like that?”

  “He did ask me to go to a nightclub tonight to watch the band perform. They’re playing at a club called the Venus de Milo. He even offered to let me ride with
him.”

  “And you said yes, right?”

  “I told him I would probably go.”

  Maddie could hear the frustration in Sancha’s voice. “You would probably go? Wrong answer. I believe the correct answer is ‘yes.’ Are you trying to play it cool with him or what?”

  “Not intentionally—you know I’m not like that. I’m not trying to play games with him. It’s just that I’m still hesitant about this whole thing. It’s been so long and there’s still the possibility that…”

  Sancha cut her off. “Don’t think so negatively. You know better than that. You’ve got to keep your thoughts positive, and you can’t let the events of your past stop you from living a full life. You’ve been on your own long enough, Maddie. Now go out and have some fun.”

  “I know, I know.”

  “Then why do I have to keep telling you?”

  “I don’t know why. I can’t explain it. I just have this feeling that something bad will happen. I’m not trying to be negative. I’m just trying to be realistic.”

  “You of all people know the consequences of negative thinking. Tell me what harm could be done by going to the nightclub to watch him perform.”

  “I don’t know. I guess I’m just being silly and paranoid.”

  “So, are you going tonight?”

  Defeated again by her friend’s reasoning, Maddie sighed and said, “Yes, I’ll probably go. I’d like to see their stage performance. Adam said it’s even better than their rehearsals, so I’d like to see if for myself. And, to be totally honest, I really want to see Adam again. But I will drive myself, just in case.”

  Chapter 7

  Friday nights at the Venus De Milo were always wild. With different styles of music on each of the three levels, it drew an eclectic and dynamic crowd. The band never knew what kind of audience they would get.

  The band members were doing their usual setup, sound check, and warmup when Luke said, “Hey, Adam, that chick…Maddie was it? You were right about her. She is smokin’ hot!”

  Jason chimed in, “Yeah man. Dude, did you ask her out?”

  “Yeah, give us the scoop. How did it go last night? Did you get lucky?” Zach joined in.

  Lacey, always the mediator, interrupted, “You jerks leave Adam alone. He’ll tell us if he wants to.”

  “Well, if you didn’t ask her out, I’m going to,” Luke blurted. “She is so freakin’ hot!”

  Even though Adam knew not to take Luke seriously most of the time, it wasn’t above Luke to move in on someone else’s girl, not even a friend’s girl. Adam could usually take Luke’s ribbing with no problem, but for some reason it rubbed him the wrong way when Luke talked that way about Maddie.

  Annoyed, Adam said, “You already said that once, Luke. You’re sick, man, and I don’t mean that in a good way. Like she’d want to go out with you anyway. Besides, I saw her first, so back the hell off.”

  “Oh, so it’s like that?” Luke taunted. “Well, what are you going to do about it? Try and stop me, bitch.”

  Lacey intervened, “Chill out, boys!”

  Zach said, “Adam, you’re keeping us in suspense. We’re waiting to get the juicy details. Come clean with it already. Did you ask her out or not?”

  Adam knew they were relentless and would never give up. He sighed and said, “I asked her to watch our performance tonight. That’s all the details you’re getting.”

  Claire leaned forward and said, “And did she agree to come to the show tonight?”

  Adam felt his face fall just a tad, but he tried to remain upbeat.

  “She didn’t commit to anything, but she said she’d try to make it. I took that as a good sign because that’s the same thing she said when I asked her to come to rehearsal. I’m hoping she will come tonight as well.”

  Jason said, “Speaking of that, how long did she stick around after everybody left? She was still there when I left around midnight.”

  Adam shook his head knowingly.

  “I know what you’re angling for, Jason, and I’m not biting. But if you must know, I’m not even sure what time it was. To tell you the truth, I was enjoying talking with her so much that I lost track of time. We talked for hours and got to know each other a little better.”

  Luke bellowed, “Just how well did you get to know each other? Tell us. Did you get lucky last night? That’s all we really want to know.”

  “Pigs!” Lacey feigned disgust as she leaned in closer to hear better.

  Adam shot Luke the “go to hell” look.

  Undaunted, Luke continued, “That means no. You bombed. Blue balls. I can tell by your reaction. You would’ve been bragging about it if you had.”

  “I’m not a kiss-and-tell bastard like you, Luke. I don’t divulge that kind of information,” said Adam as he grew more irritated. He clenched his fists.

  Luke retorted, “Oh yeah, Mr. Holier-than-thou. That’s bullshit! You’ve divulged plenty of information to us in the past.”

  Adam clenched his teeth and said, “Well it’s different with Maddie.”

  This piqued Zach’s interest. “Oh really? How so?”

  Adam’s anger melted away as he thought of Maddie and their night together.

  “I don’t know exactly. She just seems like a… how should I describe her? A very nice, intelligent, classy lady. The type of woman that you take things slow with.”

  Luke snorted and said, “Nice, intelligent, classy lady, my ass. You just wussed out. I bet she was waiting for you to make a move and you didn’t. You probably disappointed her. So now she’ll come running to me.”

  Adam couldn’t imagine Maddie ever having an interest in someone like Luke. That did a lot to dampen any lingering irritation he felt toward his bandmate.

  “In your dreams, asshole. Everything went well. Just let me play it my way, Luke. You worry about your own love life. Or should I say lack of it?”

  Adam added the last with a sneer. Nope, the irritation wasn’t completely gone.

  Luke flipped him off.

  “Bite me! You’re just grumpy because you didn’t get laid last night. That’s all.”

  Everyone laughed at Luke’s comment. Adam rolled his eyes and went about his business of plugging in his amp and setting up the equipment.

  A little self-conscious after that exchange, Adam tried to be inconspicuous when he repeatedly scanned the crowd for any sign of Maddie. He wanted to play it cool in front of his friends, but inside he started to feel nervous again. The realization of the effect that Maddie had on him made him feel uncomfortable. As showtime approached, he scanned the crowd again and spotted the regulars setting up camp at their usual table in the front row, but still no sign of Maddie. His shoulders slumped as he sighed and started their first number.

  Halfway through Night Fury’s first set, Adam looked toward the entrance and saw Maddie as she scanned the crowd for familiar faces. His heart jumped in his chest.

  Amazing. He couldn’t believe that just looking at her made him feel this way.

  Energy surged through him as he strutted around the stage.

  He set his sights on her as he sang. She made her way down to the table where Cristy and the others sat. They waved to her to come join them. She sat down, made eye contact with Adam, and gave him a little wave. He winked at her as he pulled the mic out of the stand and strutted toward her. He flirted with her and all of the ladies at the table. He was in his element.

  The club owners had invested in a pyrotechnics display that they regularly used to enhance the stage show for many of the house bands. On that night, they had special lighting, a smoke machine, and the pyrotechnics display to help blow the audience away.

  The fans—fueled by copious amounts of alcohol and drugs—grew into a frenzied, undulating mob. They were packed like sardines as they screamed, danced, and banged their heads. To Adam’s delig
ht, Maddie joined them. Adam’s chest filled with pride at the effect their performance evoked.

  As is the tradition in most concerts, the band left the stage when they finished their last number and went backstage to wait for the crowd to chant and cheer them back for the encore. Not to disappoint, the audience chanted and stomped and clapped and illuminated their cell phone flashlights. When the band didn’t come back immediately, the audience chanted louder, hooted, hollered, and screamed until Night Fury came back onstage.

  They were midway through the first encore song, with the strobe light flashing, smoke filling the air, and pyrotechnics blasting, when the screaming of the crowd began to escalate and change tones. The screams became shrill cries. People pointed at the stage, their eyes wide, as they scurried in various directions. At first Adam thought the crowd had worked itself into an even wilder frenzy due to the band’s awesome performance, but then he realized that something seemed different. Something wasn’t quite right. He couldn’t place the strange looks on their faces.

  Was that surprise or fear?

  He scratched his head absentmindedly. The crowd continued pointing, climbing over one another, and backing away from the stage. Had the band done something to turn them off? It didn’t make sense—until he saw a sudden flash of orange behind him. Adam spun around and realized some of the curtains at the back of the stage had caught on fire from the pyrotechnics and were rapidly being enveloped in flames.

  Eyes wide, he spun back around and looked for Maddie. She wasn’t where he had last seen her. His pulse quickened as adrenaline surged through his veins. He scanned the crowd and couldn’t see her anywhere. He hoped she had fled to the nearest exit and escaped. He prayed she would be alright.

  In a flash of memory, Adam recalled the fire that had occurred at The Station nightclub in Rhode Island several years before. The story had been covered heavily by the press. Pyrotechnics had caught the nightclub on fire and many people were killed because they had panicked and couldn’t escape.

  Adam alerted his bandmates to the fire and motioned for them, and anyone nearby, to follow him. The nearest escape route was through the backstage door, but the fire had spread quickly and blocked the exit. Adam tried to remain calm and clearheaded as he looked out over the crowd to find the next nearest exit. The crowd appeared to be in full panic mode. They were piled up at the exits, climbing over each other, and pushing each other down. He imagined, to his horror, that the outcome would be just like the Rhode Island nightclub fire scene.