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At one point, I noticed people in the crowd shouting and waving their arms up at us. I waved back, which drew cheers from them. It was the positive reaction we had wanted, so this date was a success.
Alexander didn’t join in, despite my attempts to coax him into dancing, but he watched me with a look of mild amusement. I couldn’t really picture him dancing, anyway. It wasn’t that he seemed too serious or stiff; rather, I realized I’d never truly seen him relax–not to the extent that dancing would require.
Still, the way he watched me, with a small smile tugging at his lips, made my heart flutter more than I cared to admit.
By the time the concert ended, I was nearly breathless, a ridiculous smile spread across my face that I couldn’t shake off. I hadn’t had that much fun in a long time, and it was only then that I realized just how much I’d needed to let loose.
“Well, that was certainly worth the price of admission,” Alexander joked. “I thought you said you’d never heard of this band before.”
“I haven’t,” I replied, still grinning. “I just think they’re really good.”
“It’s not the kind of music I’d usually go out of my way to listen to,” he admitted. “But I can see why you like it. Shall we get going? We don’t want to get caught in the after–show traffic, and it’s going to take a while for that crowd to file out through the front doors.”
“You so
sound like an old man,” 1 teased. “Wanting to leave early just to beat the traffic.”
“We’re not leaving early,” he argued with mock offense. “We stayed for the entire show, and now it’s time to go- unless you want a T–shirt or a keychain or something.”
He raised his eyebrows, clearly teasing, and I pretended to look thoughtful, making him laugh.
“No, I don’t need a souvenir,” I said, giggling. “I think you’re right. Let’s get going and avoid the crowd.”
Alexander led me through the hallways and back toward the side door where we had entered. A security guard was standing there, a troubled look on his face. I could feel–almost as much as see–Alexander’s body language shift. His shoulders stiffened, and a tenseness settled over him.
“What’s the problem?” he asked the guard, his voice calm but alert.
“Paparazzi,” the guard replied. “We’ve tried clearing them out, but they’re persistent. They’re waiting for you, Alpha Black”
Alexander made a sound of frustration, then turned to me, concern flashing in his eyes. “We–can try to find another exit to avoid them,” he offered. “Or we could just push our way through and leave this way, to avoid getting caught up by the crowd.”
“That’s fine with me,” I said. After all, avoiding the press seemed silly when the whole point of this outing was to be seen together.
Alexander nodded to the guard, who stepped away from the door. With a resolute look, he pushed the doors open, and we stepped out into the dark.
There was a moment of stillness before the paparazzi noticed us, and then a storm of flashing camera lights and at chorus of voices filled the night.
“Ms. Rowan! Ms. Rowan!” multiple voices called out.
Alexander
put his arm around me protectively and began pushing his way forward, but that didn’t stop the
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reporters from following, shouting their questions.
“Miss Rowan, what do you think about the engagement?”
I frowned in confusion. Surely, they couldn’t be asking about my engagement–that was old news by now. But I couldn’t think of anyone else whose announcement would warrant this kind of attention.
Another voice cut through the din: “Miss Rowan, have you heard that David Lake and Amanda Gray are getting married?”
My heart froze. I could feel Alexander pulling me forward through the crush of paparazzi, but everything suddenly seemed distant and surreal. The world around me blurred as my mind struggled to accept what I had just heard.
David was marrying Amanda. How could he?
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