7 days in limbo [Billie Eilish]

DAY II.2: guys being dudes

The time until the concert passed quickly. I send Billie the pictures from the green room as the opening band was playing.
When I read the contact name above the new conversation I chucked at my own Tarantino reference.

KillBill

Here you go. Hd and all
8:27 PM

it's me btw
8:27 PM

Her phone was probably turned off before the show. I put mine down as well and focused on the band.

~

A few hours later I stretched in my chair. My back hurt from sitting too long and my eyes from starring at the computer screens and the stage lights.

It had definitely been worth it though. I had had different expectations for the second show after the first one blew me away but I was not let down the slightest. It might have been even better. It was hard to grasp that it was already over.

The fans took ages to leave and I stayed in the sound booth longer than necessary. I knew that I was doing it on purpose to avoid the afterparty. Most people there would be strangers.
Perhaps I should go to the pub, get pissed and forget all about a certain pair of soul-piercing eyes that I was currently fighting to keep out of my head.

I decided that I could still forget them next weekend.

The upper floors of the factory above the Hunted Hall were used as office space but an oversized conference room took up about half of the floor. Everything in the venue had a rough industrial look to it but the conference room had been renovated to blend old bricks and rusty metal with modern design.
Sometimes it was used to host weddings or other events too small for the big hall.

The afterparty was there as well.

'Party' was the wrong word. When I entered the room i found people either standing around, talking over the music or lingering by the bar.
I made myself comfortable on a couch in the corner where I could see everybody and observe the room. I was not going to drink because I was here with my bike. I had to find another way to kill the time.

I felt the couch dip down and looked over to see Christopher next to me. He was not only my colleague but had also been my first friend in London. Sometimes when we had to work late we liked to flirt and mess around to pass the time.
He was tall, somewhat lanky, with messy hair and a constant attitude like he just fell out of bed. For some reason I found his smile attractive. It was proof that about once every year I would come across a man to remind me I was, in fact, not gay.

"Hey Mara," he greeted me, "what's up?"

"Not much." I looked around. When a few people in the middle of the room walked over to the bar I was able to spot a familiar shade of bright green at the opposite end of the room. Some guy was talking Billie's ear off.

Christopher saw where I was looking, leaned closer to me and lowered his voice. "What do you think about her?"

I took my time to answer. "She's good. The shows they put on were insane and the connection she has to her fans is unlike anything I've seen before. I don't know how to describe it, perhaps it's charisma. I feel like she sucks up all energy of a room she's in. Even out there during the concert."

"I know." Christopher nodded and glanced at Billie. "But honestly? She's intimidating."

"Yeah, but in a good kind of way." I paused and lowered my voice even more. "I think it's hot."