“Julie, they know I’m here.” Emma stumbled into her friend’s back when Julie finally halted. “They don’t have to see me.”
Julie swiveled around to look at her. “Um, seriously?”
“Yeah,” Emma replied, nervous. “I can feel them, too.”
“Holy shit, that is so cool.” Julie breathed, gesturing to the folding chairs right next to the stage. “I think those are our seats.” Julie began making her way through the people. “And, wow. I thought maybe it was just a burst here and there that you got or something, like a bad phone connection. You’re saying that you can feel them all the time?”
Emma nodded. “I mean, it’s not like television or anything. It’s more like having a stray thought in the back of your head, and if I concentrate, or one of them concentrates, it comes into focus. And I know things without knowing I know them, you know?” Emma explained, sitting down with relief. She really wasn’t used to wearing shoes this high.
Julie stared at her then sat down too. “That is so weird. I mean, it’s cool, but it’s weird, too. Isn’t it weird knowing they can, what, feel you? See you?”
“Yes, exactly.” Emma was relieved that Julie was finally getting the idea. “That’s why I didn’t want you to tell anyone. I’m not used to this yet. I don’t know if I’m ever going to get used to it. And I have no idea how Jake and Duncan feel about it. It’s not like we’ve actually had a conversation.”
“So, you can’t, like, talk to them in your head?”
“No,” Emma replied. “At least not yet.”
Julie frowned. “What do you mean?”
Emma sighed. “Remember how those kids at school acted when their parents tried to separate them?” Emma asked. Julie nodded. “I have the feeling that it was physically painful for them to be away from each other. And remember, Duncan, Jake, and I haven’t actually met. What happens when we touch each other?”
Julie pursed her lips. “I have no idea.”
Emma nodded grimly. “Exactly. What will happen? I mean, the kids’ marks didn’t even manifest completely until they were touching. What does it mean that mine are completely formed and we haven’t even met? I’m a little scared, to tell you the truth. And I’m connected to two people, not one.”
“Oh man, it’s like the most freaky blind date ever.” Emma looked at her friend then laughed.
“Yup.”
“Duncan, she’s out there,” Jake said urgently, grabbing the other man’s arm and dragging him closer to the wall.
Duncan nodded. “I know.”
“You know?” Jake said, running his hand through his hair distractedly. “Of course you know. How could you not know?” he muttered.
Duncan smiled and pulled Jake into a hug. “Dude, you have to calm down. You’re freaking me out.”
Jake sighed, looking up at his friend. Duncan was wearing his tight leather pants and boots and a sparkly T-shirt that hugged his body. He could tell that Duncan wasn’t as cool as he pretended, but he was an excellent performer. His hair was mussed, probably from running his fingers through it, and Jake realized that Duncan was trying very hard to be calm as he pulled his friend closer. Jake took a deep breath, willing himself to chill out. “I’m not used to performing in front of billions of people, Duncan,” he said apologetically.
Duncan nodded. “I know.” He tucked his face down into Jake’s hair. “Why don’t you see if you can find out where she’s sitting? I can feel her here, and I know she’s got her friend with her, but I can’t pinpoint her location. And I can’t really take off to go look for her, but you can.”
“Okay. Her friend’s name is Julie, right?” Jake asked. He reluctantly stepped back, getting himself under control. He wasn’t helping Duncan with his freak-out.
“I think so.”
“It is so weird that we know that. All right, I’ll go see if I can find them.” Jake winced as he heard the opening notes of Mizar. It was incredibly loud back there near the side monitor speakers, and he had forgotten to put in his earplugs.
“Here,” Duncan said, grabbing Jake’s arm as the other man turned away. He held out a pair of small plastic cones. “You left these in the dressing room.”
Jake smiled at his friend, sudden affection overwhelming him. “Thanks, man.”
“Anytime. I have to go do my warm-ups now.”
“Okay.” Jake watched Duncan walk off toward the dressing room, the stiffness of his shoulders betraying his anxiety. Jake frowned, knowing that Duncan wished he could go look for Emma, too. Dammit. He wished Duncan could come with him, but there was nothing he could do about it. Duncan needed to run through his vocal warm-up or he wouldn’t be able to sing. Jake ran his hands through his hair one more time then put in the earplugs, sighing with relief as the ear-bursting music faded to a dull throb. He walked to the edge of the stage, stealthily peeking out into the audience. It was difficult to see because of the lighting, but he thought he could make out the first row. Was that Emma? He squinted but still couldn’t tell. He was going to have to go down there. He sighed, frustrated as he fingered the two backstage passes he’d arranged to have made earlier. He didn’t want to go into the crowd because he was afraid he’d be recognized. Maybe if he put on a hat? He wandered backstage, intent on finding Amanda, Duncan’s makeup artist, costume designer, and all around fixer-upper. She would be able to help.
Emma tapped her foot to the beat and watched Julie dancing. She didn’t expect to enjoy the opening act, but they were good. She looked at the stage, wondering what all the stuff covered with black fabric was going to turn into when Duncan began performing. She knew that the headliner usually put on a much more elaborate show, but she hadn’t been to enough concerts to truly anticipate what was going to happen. She tried to relax, reminding herself that there was nothing to fear. She knew from her dreams and her newfound mental landscape that both Jake and Duncan were really nice guys. She could also feel their anxiety in the back of her head, tickling at her emotions. That should have made her calmer, knowing that these two incredibly successful men were nervous about meeting her, but it only made her apprehension more vivid. What if they didn’t like her in person? What if she looked completely stupid and frumpy next to rock star Duncan? She shook her head, catching Julie’s concerned frown. Emma smiled at her friend, and then the music stopped. The deafening cheers of the crowd swamped them for a few minutes before the lights came back on and people started filtering out towards the refreshment stands during the intermission. Emma sat down, enjoying a brief respite from the craziness that was a rock concert.
“Wow, Mizar was really good.” Julie smiled at Emma.
Emma nodded as she removed her earplugs. “I didn’t expect to like them.”
“Well, wait until you hear Duncan sing live.” Julie sat down and took a sip of her water. “His voice is amazing. I have never heard a guy hit the kinds of notes he does. And you know what’s even more incredible?” Emma shook her head, bemused by her friend’s enthusiasm. “He not only sings really high notes, his lower register is ridiculously good. It’s incredibly sexy,” Julie said. She put her drink down carefully so that the open bottle wouldn’t spill.
“I looked him up on the web after—” Emma blushed as she stumbled over her words. Julie raised an eyebrow suggestively, and Emma rolled her eyes. “Well, after the dreams and stuff. I mean, I have his first album because I like his music, but I never saw any interviews or live performances. He’s really good.”
“Good? That’s all you have to say?” Julie laughed. “I lent you his new album last week. What did you think of that?”