The One That Got Away.

The Frontman

"Come on," Kelly replies skeptically. "Shannon and Tara weren't trying to send that message."

"They were, and it's true," he says glancing towards the bathroom where Josh is getting ready for bed. "And there's not a fucking thing I can do about it."

Josh exits the bathroom and joins them in bed. He has never seen Jared in a sullen mood before. "We missed you at the party tonight." 

"Yeah, well, I hate parties and paparazzi."

"I didn't notice any paparazzi," Josh shrugs.

"They were there, trust me." He rolls over and turns his back on them.

Josh gives Kelly a concerned look. She shrugs and motions for him to turn off the light.

Kelly began to take on more responsibility as editor and creative director. She gave Cade pointers on improving film footage and how to better meet her expectations. She had been creating short videos, similar to the style she had used with weddings but now with a rock band instead of a bride, a groom, and their families.

She requested interviews with Ari to inform fans about what they could expect at a typical Meet & Greet with the band, and interviews with crew members to reveal what their jobs were really like and how they got hired. Every episode showcased at least one live song, recently performed, and a unique highlight of a particular show. Like the time a guy, completely naked, jumped on stage, grabbed a mic, and started singing. Or the time a fan, a rather petite woman in fact, fully lifted Jared up and attempted to run off with him before security intervened. Jared had a way of encouraging such antics, so there was no shortage of this sort of thing. 

She tasked Laurent, head of the Social Media Team, with picking one question a day, randomly chosen from a social media platform, for the band or crew to answer at the end of every episode. Fans, collectively known as The Echelon, were gobbling it up and begging for more.

Kelly had one condition for Jared: the fans had to access the content for free. It took quite a lot of arguing, and an ultimatum but he acquiesces to her demands. He knows this is her calling; she's a Goddamed artist and storyteller. The rest of the team had even made a point to let Jared know how much of an asset she is. 

It took a lot off of Jared's plate as an unexpected side effect. Now he didn't need to constantly be the director, the editor, and didn't have to constantly come up with new ideas for content. Even as the downright control freak that he is. Kelly knew how to hit the right emotions and make the viewer so excited they couldn't turn away. Even Jared looked forward to watching the videos. Josh did, too. They were probably as excited as the fans to see the next thing she was going to come up with.

An unexpected consequence for Kelly is that the more she gets familiar with Jared as frontman the more her crush on him grows. She had never in her life seen anyone perform like Jared. She felt it. His endless energy, the way he commanded an entire crowd, his ability to make every audience member feel like an important part of the show, and how he delighted every single one of them on an individual level. She got chills when the crowd sang in perfect unison, and she loves how kind he is to his fans. She thought it was charming when he flirted with them, making them squeal with delight or just blush speechlessly. Fans left with memories they would hold onto for a lifetime. 

She spends most of her time in their little cabin by herself, editing. After one especially grueling edit, she pops out her earbuds and slumps on the bed, exhausted. She hears Shayla and Jared talking, their conversation growing in volume as they near her.

"Look, it's one visit. He wants to see you, Jared," Shayla pleads.

"I'm too busy."

"Why don't you visit him while she goes shopping with Grace. You're still doing that, right?" She asks Kelly, who nods in response. "See? You can visit him while she's shopping."

"Visit who?" Kelly asks.