Fly With Me | ✓

47.3

Brendon, Maverick, and Everleigh sat in the row behind MARS. Which seemed fair, given the size of their group. Getting eight people in a row would've been murder for the filming of the duo/group presentation. It was already going to earn them six seat-fillers when they performed.

"God," Stevie said. "Why do we have to be so close to the front—"

"Almost like you're up for eight awards," Maverick said.

"It's nine, actually, but the camera is going to be so close to my damn face," Stevie said. "I hate it."

"You look beautiful," Brendon said.

"Can someone just knock me out so I don't have to worry about it," Stevie suggested.

"Should've gotten drunk like we did," Jun said from Stevie's other side. (Seira sat comfortably in front of Everleigh, Rami in front of Maverick. Brendon had Stevie behind him, and Lauren was on the other side of Jun.) Like Everleigh, Jun was also slightly rosy in the cheeks.

"Shocked you didn't," Everleigh said.

"Shouldn't you be encouraging them to drink water or something, nurse?"

"I'm off duty," Everleigh said. As if that was a thing she was legally allowed to. "And drinking helps."

"I'm texting Jenny to see if someone can bring us champagne," Stevie said. Already on her phone.

"Maybe they have some—" Jun started.

"Babe, they don't have Capri Sun," Lauren said. It was clear they had this conversation sometime before the red carpet. "Nice try."

Jun groaned. "Why not—"

"Here." Everleigh had pockets for a reason, right? Besides, they'd needed something to chase the gin she'd bought at the same time as the rosé. She handed him the one Capri Sun she'd managed to smuggle across the red carpet. "Enjoy."

"No actual way you had that in your damn pocket," Maverick said. For someone who had been entirely too handsy, she was shocked he hadn't noticed.

"I literally love you," Jun said after poking the straw into the tetra pack and taking the world's longest sip. Any Guiness people around? That was a damn record. "You can have as many sneak peeks as you want. You're an honorary member of MARS now."

"It's the only one I brought," Everleigh said with a laugh. "Enjoy it."

"Happy?" Lauren asked her boyfriend, who nodding while taking a sip. (Everleigh was just happy they'd admitted they liked each other romantically.) (Seeing him look so devastated at recording had been heartbreaking.)

"The stage is turning on," Seira said.

Maverick's hand, which had been resting gently on Everleigh's knee, nearly charley horsed her when it squeezed. Everleigh bit her lip to keep from squealing and silently pried him off her; let him take her hand in his instead.

"End me now. I can't breathe," Stevie said. A server walked by with a glass of champagne, clearly Jenny worked quick. Even when she liked to pretend she was annoyed with them. "God, thank you so much." In one long sip, she drank nearly half the flute.

"Better?" Brendon asked.

"Much better."

"Smile for the cameras," Rami said. "If you need to pee in the middle of the ceremony, don't let Jenny see."