Bethany fumed. What was he doing back there?
"Darryl!" she hissed, swooping around the corner like a eagle to its prey. "Drop the curtain or I will have you fired."
He guffawed, having heard that threat every night since she'd started working here. "Right, sure you will, mama." He snickered again, but the fire in her eyes had him lowering the rope to its correct position.
She is so delicious in that pink dress, he thought, watching her turn around and head back to the side stage. The sexy sway of her hips caught his eye, and he kissed his fingers like a chef and whispered, "Magnificent."
I am not your mama, Darryl. Shove. Off. How many times did she have to tell him? This guy couldn't take a hint! Maybe she really should get him fired. He was lazy, he was rude, and he always reeked of cigar smoke. Plus, in the two months that she'd been working here now, he'd made some kind of inappropriate advance to her every time they'd seen each other.
That man is going to make me lose my religion one day.
The show was almost over, so Beth rounded up the guys and grabbed the little cake she'd baked for Hunter. It was his 23rd birthday today, so they were going to celebrate with a sticky chocolate cake and a mad dash to the next tour location.
The idea was to surprise Hunter. Beth had stolen his phone earlier in the week and phoned Amanda, who Hunter was now seeing with regularity. They'd had many dates in the last two months (at least as many as they could manage with Hunter flying around the globe on tour), and he spent most of his free time either talking about her, or talking to her. So, Beth had taken the liberty to fly her out, give her a VIP pass to the backstage area, and she was going to hide her in his darkened dressing room with the pathetic excuse for a cake she'd made in secret this morning.
"All right, guys, he's coming. Act natural," she whispered into her headset. Everyone put on a show of going about their normal work while Hunter ran off the stage, leaving a screaming crowd of disappointed girls in his wake.
Hunter wasn't paying attention to where he was going. He had been distracted all night, actually, because every time he'd glance at Andy or Sam on his right, he'd see Beth standing there in that adorable pink dress, checking off things on that ridiculous clipboard or whispering into her headset. He'd wondered if that headset was too tight, or if it was just stress that made her rub her temples every few minutes. He wondered how tall she'd be if she wore heels. He wondered what she'd look like under the hot sun of mid-July, and what kind of smile she'd wear on Christmas morning.
Mostly, he wondered why he was wondering anything at all.
Somehow he managed to pay enough attention to the show to get through it without stumbling too much. When he went to run off the stage, he told himself to pay attention to the crowd, and only the crowd.
So he didn't see Bethany, still standing there with her hair down and her brown eyes sparkling with some hidden mischief. He didn't see her until he was looking down, and he saw where he'd pushed her over...onto the floor.
"Oh, my God, Beth! Are you okay? I'm so sorry!" He stretched out his arm to offer her help up, and she accepted it.
Gosh, he's so sexy. He's so...sweaty. God, snap out of it Beth. He has a girlfriend.
"It's okay, Hunter, don't worry about it." She smiled at him, and he smiled back.
"Well, in that case..." he turned and set his electric in its box, and Beth barked orders to some of the backstage workers who were beginning to pack up equipment.
She tapped him on the shoulder, and he looked up quizzically. "Hunter, Ned is poking around your dressing room. He had a lighter in his hand. I'm not sure what he means to do with it, but could you go find out before he burns the place down? Your insurance won't cover it."
Hunter panicked a little. What the heck is Ned doing with a lighter? What the heck is Ned even doing here? He's supposed to be in Canada! He ran through the mass of workers to his dressing room, Bethany on his heels. He burst through the door and, sure enough, there was fire!
Candles? He flipped on the light switch and stared in utter shock as a chorus of "Happy Birthday" rose through the air. He could even hear the crowd singing in the background, but he couldn't focus on any of that. Amanda is here. Amanda is in your dressing room.
Oh no.
Amanda stood, walking over to him and letting him blow out the candles, which he did awkwardly. Then, right in front of everyone who had gathered outside the door, including Beth, she gave him a pulse-pounding kiss.
This is so wrong, he thought, this feels like cheating. But who am I cheating on?
When Amanda stood back, she smiled at him, and he raked his hand through his hair nervously, looking back through the door and seeing Bethany's face, taut with a thin, plastic smile.
What are you thinking, Beth? You've never been jealous of Amanda before...why now? Just because she kissed Hunter? They're practically an item, you fool! Get over yourself.
"I'll give you guys some privacy," she said, winking and hoping her voice sounding suitably nonchalant. The crowd behind her dispersed, and she grabbed the door handle and pushed the door into place. For one moment, she sagged against it, suddenly on the verge of tears. What's happening to me?
"Surprise," her conscience seemed to say, "You like him. Good for you, girl. It's really too bad he doesn't like you. He'll never like you. You're better off going after Darryl. Or, better yet, your ex boss. That's all you'll ever amount to, sweetie. Those guys are the best you'll ever get."
She pushed off the door and ran to the women's bathroom, fighting against the tears pushing at her eyes. She hadn't cried in months. She hadn't cried since her horrible boss....she couldn't finish the thought. She didn't cry. Why was she crying? She didn't like him; she didn't!
"Yes, you do, sweetie," her conscience taunted, "You want him. But you can't have him. You're not enough for him."
One tear slipped onto the tile, and she whispered to herself. "Feelings are evil."
A few minutes later, she bolstered her strength and put the tears behind her. She would not show weakness over this. She would not fall in love with Hunter Hayes.
Ooh. Are we buying her resolve? I don't know. I think she won't be able to help it.
I'm so stoked you guys are still here! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Please, help a sister out with a vote or a comment or a follow! Love you guys! <3 God bless and happy reading!
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Secret Love (Hunter Hayes Fanfiction)
Romance"I'm falling for someone who isn't falling for me." "I know exactly how you feel," he answered, leaning down and hugging her tightly. "Do you?" She hugged him back, willing him to know just how much she cared for him. He chuckled. "Yeah, I do." H...
