July 26, 2000 (The day of the concert)
Georgia, Jovie, and Frank together with Mr. Ong headed to a nearby Italian restaurant near Madison Square Garden for an early dinner. That way, they don't have to return to the Hotel afterward, which will save them time.
"Tickets? Check. Lightsticks, check. Camera, check. VIP passes? Check!" Jovie muttered as she skimmed through their belongings to double-check that they were not forgetting something. "Most especially, these!" she announced giddily while holding the passes.
"Do you want me to come pick you up after the concert? I don't want you guys walking back to the hotel that late." Mr. Ong asked the three while cutting a piece of his medium rare steak with a steak knife.
Jovie looked at her brother Frank, signaling for him to speak. "There might be an after-party for the VIP pass holders, Dad. Will you still be awake at the wee hour? We might ring you up or we'll get a cab."
Mr. Ong looked at each of them. "Ring me up, if I don't answer, get a cab. Just don't walk," he instructed them after he swallowed a piece of steak he just put in his mouth.
Both girls headed to the loo after eating for a quick touch-up. "Are you ready to meet Randall?', Jovie catechized her as they both washed their hands. "What would you do if we're right?"
"Readier than ready." Georgia joked after spitting the mouthwash she held in her mouth. "I don't know, I haven't had a serious thought about that." she lied, knowing it took her hours last night to rationalize things.
She smeared a pink-colored lip gloss on her lips, patted her cheeks for some blush effect, and brushed her hair to one side of her face with her hands. There! That's enough, she thought as she admired herself in the mirror. She watched as Jovie did the same, only Jovie's hair was shorter than hers.
"He'll like you. Don't be nervous." Jovie said reassuringly as if reading her mind. Truly, her best friend knows her inside out, she knows when and how to comfort her troubled mind without Georgia uttering a word. "You're pretty, sweet and smart. Justin, Randall, or whoever he turns out to be, he must be a good, deserving guy for you first," she added and gave Georgia a slight smack on her butt, making them laugh.
She took another glance at herself in the mirror before heading out. Wearing a denim cropped jacket on top of a white fitting shirt, a denim tiered mini skirt, paired with her Dr. Marten's Pascal boots, she surely was a slay. Not average, yet not overly dressed.
"Enjoy the concert, kiddos", Mr. Ong each gave them a pat on their heads including Georgia, as if she was one of his own too as they stood outside Madison Square Garden after a couple of minutes walk from the restaurant, arriving three hours early before the start of the concert. A humongous crowd was already queued outside their designated entrance, each gate had long lines of people that kept on piling up each minute.
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Digital Strings Attached
Roman d'amourWhen Georgia finally came face to face with the guy she met online at a famous boyband group chat, she never expected who it could be, never in her wildest dreams. But their secret relationship needs to surpass trials such as the latter's blooming r...