They wait backstage, listening to the audience and each of them focusing in their own way. Stevie is in the corner, stretching her arms above her head and bending to the side. It's dark and he can barely see her, but he watches her silhouette as she arches her back, the pale skin of her neck and chest exposed and nearly glowing in the dim light. These stretches are part of her pre-show ritual now. Usually he ignores them, but not tonight.
Knowing it's too dark for anyone to really see them, he approaches her from behind and puts his hands on her hips, startling her slightly. He leans in and she can feel his warm breath on her neck as his arm circles her waist. He kisses the curve of her neck and lets his free hand travel down to the hem of her skirt and lifting it slightly, squeezing her inner thigh. She forgets for a second where she is and leans back in to him, stumbling slightly when he abruptly lets go.
"Two can play this game."
She turns around and raises an eyebrow, her breathing heavy as she watches him walk away and rejoin the band. What were they doing? This was so dangerous. Right now, though, she didn't think she cared that much. She was already coming up with ways to torture him for the next three hours.
He grabs her hand and leads her on to the stage, his fingers laced between hers. She stands at her mic and lets the vibration from the kick drum wash over her as Mick starts The Chain. She looks over at Lindsey, in the dark, his head down as he readies himself. She smiles a little, noting that his guitar is positioned slightly lower than it normally is.
They stay on their own side of the stage for a while, shooting glances back and forth. Finally, during Landslide, she's feeling bold. She sings directly to him, then seizes the opportunity during the solo to get close to him. She steps up behind him and rests her hands on his shoulders for a minute, then wraps her arms around his waist, pressing her body to him, letting herself enjoy the moment.
"I'm not playing," she whispers into his ear, just before she has to go to the mic. His eyes widen and he stares at her, transfixed as she starts singing again. What the hell does that mean?
He comes over and hugs her for a little too long at the end of the song, letting the audience scream. He presses his forehead to hers and cradles the back of her head, his hand tangling in her hair. "There are tens of thousands of people watching us," he reminds her.
"You used to think that was exciting," she retorts, smiling as she leaves him and walks back to the mic. He regains his composure and starts into Never Going Back Again, trying to avoid looking at her while she sings with him. It's significantly harder without anyone else onstage.
They share loaded glances all night, a silent banter between them that they pray no one else notices. The banter disappears during Go Your Own Way when they notice something happening behind them, and suddenly Mick is rushing offstage. The drum tech jumps right in, not missing a beat but leaving all four other members utterly confused. When they finish the song, they're told that he has the flu and they take a minute before sending Stevie out to inform the audience. Lindsey, momentarily distracted by the chaos, suddenly realizes that they're not going back out and nearly tackles her, but stops after he pulls her into his arms, realizing anything but a hug would raise eyebrows.
Stevie pulls away, giving him a look before she runs into the bathroom. Lindsey hangs back for a minute to avoid suspicion, but there's so much going on that no one notices they've both disappeared at first. He bursts in and pushes her up against the door roughly, their mouths colliding hungrily.
"We don't have time..."
"Skip your goodbye tonight," he orders, biting her lip.
"I can't... mmm... Lindsey...."
He ignores her protests and lifts her up, her legs circling his waist as she tilts her head back to give him access to her neck and chest. Then they hear Karen again. "Stevie! Get out here!"
"I'm going to murder her in her sleep," he complains roughly, still pinning Stevie against the door.
"Let me go, we don't have Mick out there tonight."
He reluctantly lets her slide to the floor, his fingers pressing into her hips, trying to hold on. She checks herself in the mirror then slips out into the hallway again, leaving him alone to try to recover before he sees everyone again.
She gets offstage and is ambushed by Karen and the girls, but he watches her, looking for an opportunity. It doesn't come. Before he can say anything, she's being whisked into her car, disappearing again.
"What's going on?" Christine's familiar voice pulls his eyes away from her and he turns to see her approaching him.
"Nothing. Just about to head out."
"Want to grab a glass of wine? It's been a stressful night," she says.
"It has," he replies. "I'm worn out, Chris. Rain check?"
"Sure thing. I'll go see what Johnny's up to. Stevie's gone already, yes?"
He nods. "She took off quickly tonight."
"Okay then. Have a good night," she says, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and leaving him to get out of dodge.
He gets back to the hotel and immediately heads to her suite, but hears the girls in there with her and hesitates. He can't show up in her room after midnight and expect no one to ask questions. Totally dejected, he picks up his phone and calls Christine. Maybe she'll take his mind off Stevie.
"I'll take you up on that glass of wine."
"Brilliant. I'm just getting to the hotel. I'll meet you in the bar."
By the time he gets to the bar, Chris has two expensive bottles of wine on the way. They'd long bonded over their love of wine, and she'd picked two fantastic bottles to share. They chat about Mick and plans for the next show if he doesn't recover, both grateful that they've got two days off. He hadn't realized what a calming force she had been in the band until she was gone. Stevie was happier, which meant everyone was happier when she was around.
Stevie. He couldn't get his mind off of her. Finally, the girls head into the bar and he immediately notices that Stevie isn't with them. This is his chance. She's got to be upstairs alone now.
He wraps up with Chris as quickly as he can, drinking his last glass a little too fast. Now slightly tipsy, he heads back up to their floor and knocks on her door.
