LA Baby ♡ Manhattan Dreams Sequel

34. Center Stage

I run my finger down the list posted on the floor beside Josh's microphone stand. There were songs I knew by heart and a couple new ones that the band has recorded since coming to LA but there's one track in particular that gives me pause. "Josh!" I stand up to my full height and turn around, looking for my boyfriend.

Blake is sitting behind the drums, gently playing a rhythm that I don't recognize while Natalie sings a melody beside him, barely audible. I catch the subtle smile he shoots her over his shoulder when she hits an especially high note and remind myself to ask Natalie how things are going between them whenever I get the chance. But right now was not the time.

"Josh!" I shout, starting off stage when he suddenly appears, pulling the curtain aside to step onto the stage himself. "Took you long enough" I complain, earning a laugh that I ignore in my annoyance. "What is this setlist?" I demand, pointing to the paper on the floor.

Blake hits a cymbal rather loudly, earning our attention. "I told you that she would be pissed" he smirks, meeting Josh's gaze. "When you asked her to sing she assumed-."

"Amnesia." I don't bother letting Blake finish. "Yea, I did." I confirm, glaring at my boyfriend. "What the hell were you thinking, putting Ride on the setlist when your entire fandom is pissed at me?"

"Is it really any worse than Amnesia?" He asks, his eyebrows furrowing. "Both are romantic-."

"One is about a break-up and the other...is quite literally sex put to lyrics!" I run a hand through my hair in frustration. "Your fans don't need a reminder that I'm sleeping with you. My pregnancy has made it quite clear." Strolling towards me, calm as I've ever seen him, Josh grabs my waist and pulls me close.

"Penelope, this is my show-."

"Ehm." Natalie interjects. Josh glances over his shoulder at Blake and her and laughs.

"Okay, it's our show, but irregardless-."

"Not a word." Blake argues.

Turning to face them fully, Josh motions to the backstage area, "can the two of you find quite literally anywhere else to be right now?" Josh demands. The two of them quickly gather themselves and disappear behind the curtain, leaving the two of us alone. As Josh turns back to me, I cross my arms over my chest, unwilling to let this drop with a few sweet sentiments. "Anyway," he begins again, "it's our show. We can make whatever creative choices we want and if the fans don't like it...they can leave." He states simply with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders.

I open my mouth to argue, to remind him that the entire point of this concert is to make nice with the fans when he suddenly grabs my waist and pulls me against him, making me stumble into him. I uncross my arms to catch myself against his chest, lifting my eyes to his. "You always have an answer for everything, don't you?" I question, my palms flat against his pecs. He reaches down to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

"It's one of my many talents." Chuckling, I reach up on my tiptoes to kiss him and revel in the moan that vibrates from the back of his throat into our kiss; my desire mounting, I open my mouth to his and slide my hands to his shoulders and further to the nape of his neck. His hold around my waist tightens and before I know what's happening, I'm being picked up and carried off stage.

Not paying the slightest bit of attention to the world around me, I barely register the dressing room door opening before it's shut with Josh's foot and I'm being laid down on the futon against the far wall. Josh hovers above me, his body wedged between my legs and I can't think of anything except undressing him...but unfortunately, we aren't the only people in this venue.

Far from it.

"Josh." A knock sounds on the door making us finally pull apart. "We have sound check in five." I recognize Natalie's voice and watch as Josh's entire mood deflates. He hangs his head in frustration.