At Sundown | Jack Harlow

Leaving without saying goodbye?

Sunday, March 13th

   "What am I going to wear?" I flop back onto my bed, throwing my arm over my eyes. I can feel Anna rolling her eyes at me. She doesn't like Jack as much as I do, but she agreed to go to his shows with me.

   "Just wear a dress, Violet." She sighs loudly, and I move my arm.

   "But it's his birthday, Anna!" I exclaim, jumping up off the bed and walking to my closet. I wonder what he'll be wearing. I know! His favourite color!

   I rummage through my closet, trying to find the top. Aha! I hold up a purple, off-the-shoulder corset top. It has a babydoll neckline and puffed sleeves. Anna smiles, nodding her head. I pair it with some matte black leather pants. We know Jack loves some leather pants, I think to myself, pulling them on. I put the top on, and pair it with lilac combat boots and gold jewelry.

   My phone pings. Text Message from Yasmin.

      You and Anna have a good time! The rest and I will see ya on Friday!

   We arrive at the venue and are stopped by security. We hand them our VIP tickets and shoot them both a smile. They give us a nod back and we walk in. We're the first ones in the lounge. No sign of Jack either. We grab a booth and order two martinis.

3:00 p.m.

   People start arriving for the meet and greet and my heart rate spikes. I'm going to meet Jack Harlow. My stomach turns at the thought.

   "You okay, Vi?" Anna places her hand on my shoulder as I stare at my glass. I nod, tilting my head to face her, and smiling.

   We hear a commotion behind us and turn around. There he is. Jackman Thomas Harlow in all his glory.

   "Let's go." Anna nudges me on the arm. I scoot out of the booth and straighten myself. He looks good. His hair is longer than I've ever seen. He's wearing purple dress pants, a white vest, a purple shirt, and a gold chain. I stop myself from licking my lips as we approach the M&G area.

   It's our turn to meet him, and my heart beats faster as he spots us. His eyes travel down and up my body and he smiles as Anna walks up to him. "Hey." She beams at him.

   "Aye. How are you?" He says as she wraps her arm around his waist for a picture. He throws his arm over her shoulder and looks forward to Anna's phone in my hand. They smile and I take a picture.

   Anna walks over towards me, grabbing both our phones from my hands and nudging me towards Jack. I almost trip and he grabs onto my shoulders, keeping me steady.

   "I got you." He smirks down at me. Fuck, he's tall. His arms open and I step into them, breathing in his rich scent and wrapping my arms around his waist. His hands rest on my back and I sense Anna taking pictures of us. I feel the rise and fall of his chest against my ear and realize how long I've been hugging him. Shit!

   I jump back out of the hug and he laughs. "I'm sorry. I-". I look up at him and he's smiling. He pulls me next to him and looks straight ahead at Anna, so I do the same. She snaps some pictures.

   "What's your name?" He asks between pictures and I tense. Did he just?

   "Violet Walker," I respond. Did he want to know my last name?

   We take one last picture with goofy faces and let go of each other.

   He looks back down at me. "It was nice meeting you, Violet. Enjoy the show." He shoots me a wink and my stomach turns.

7:00 p.m.

   Anna and I are right in front of the stage, waiting for Jack to step out and perform. We don't wait long until a 6'3, dark-haired, white man walks onto the stage.

   Pulling me closer to her, Anna whispers in my ear, "Shout happy birthday before he starts." I hear the grin in her voice and accept her challenge.

   Cupping my mouth with my hands, I shout "Happy Birthday, Jackman!" His eyes fall straight to me. He walks over to us and stretches his hand out towards me. I take it and he smiles.

   "What's your favorite song?" He asks on the mic, then puts it in front of me so the whole crowd can hear my answer.

   "Uh," I stutter. "Knack For It." My voice echoes through the speakers and fills the room. I sound ridiculously stupid, but Jack's grin melts everything around me away.

   "Let's start with that." He says, looking back at his DJ. The track starts playing and Jack winks at me, again.

   My cheeks heat up and I know I have the stupidest smile on my face as I sing along to every word. I catch him staring at me throughout the song and the rest of the show.

   He performs all my favorites, which are his best in my opinion. Sundown, Ghost, Nun Free, Warsaw, Face Of My City, Goin' Back Down, Rotten, Same Guy, and more. I sing along to every song, and Anna sings the little she knows, dancing to the ones she doesn't.

   Anna and I walk outside the lounge when the show ends and wait a while, hoping Jack comes outside and has time to talk. Ten minutes go by and I'm freezing.

   "Let's go, A." I turn around and look for the car keys in my bag.

   "Leaving without saying goodbye?" A familiar voice says behind me. I turn to find Jack standing next to Anna and our eyes lock. Fuck.