He nudged Ike. “Ready to get the party started?”
“What I’d start would more likely be a mass exit.”
“Honey!” Quinn smacked his forearm. “That didn’t sound very supportive.”
“Hey, I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Yes, with a pair of earplugs in your pocket.”
Julian leaned forward toward Quinn. “You’re kidding, right?” She shook her head. “Bro, really?”
“Guilty as charged.”
Julian and Quinn shared a sigh of exasperation. She watched him idly tapping the chair arm with his fingers. “Nervous?”
“Excited.”
“When’s the last time you saw her perform?”
New Orleans, Julian thought with a smile, remembering their secret family reunion getaway. “It’s been a while.”
“London’s going to hate that she missed it.”
Niko’s wife, Monique, sat next to Quinn. “All London is thinking about is fashion week. She and Ace are busy tightening up next week’s show-stopping finale.”
Julian’s youngest sister, London, was a superstar model, her husband, Ace, a model turned fashion mogul.
“Fashion week is impressive,” Quinn said, her eyes sparkling as she eyed the stage. “But this is Broadway.”
As if on cue, the lights dimmed.
The stage went completely black. A single drumbeat burst out of the darkness. Boom cha. Boom cha. Then several more percussion instruments along with a sequencer delivering an old-school scratch over syncopated beats, building with every note. Lights, like stars, began to flicker everywhere. On stage and off.
A group of dancers appeared, Nicki among them, lithe, graceful, beautiful, twirling and gyrating and skipping across the stage. Julian watched. Focused. Entranced. Her body seemed a mass of barely contained energy mixed with soulful joy and childlike timidity, personifying the young character she portrayed. A bodysuit clung to her like a second skin, the crystals covering it catching the light, mixing with the twinkling orbs around her that made her a star as well. His heart swelled with pride and, but for strong discipline, another body part would have also grown in size. She was beautiful and talented, amazing and perfect. And she was his girl.
The dance ended. For a second no one moved, then as one, the theater erupted in a round of earsplitting applause mixed with whistles and yells. The second song in the act began, a solo by Rapunzel, and ninety minutes later the audience had to catch their breaths from the wild, exhilarating ride on which they’d been taken. Shortly after the show ended, an assistant came to escort the Drake family backstage.
Behind the door was a crush of sponsors, reporters, actors and their family members, all vying for space in the close, humid quarters. Julian spotted Nicki across the room. She posed with the actor who’d played Rapunzel. Camera flashes temporarily brightened their drab surroundings. A dozen conversations happened at once, a din that made talking at length impossible. He motioned for the others to follow him. Nicki saw his gesture. She whispered to Rapunzel, who looked their way and joined Nicki as she walked over.
Nicki hugged Julian before turning to Paige. “You remember Julian.”
“Of course. Hey, handsome!”
“Hey, Paige. Excellent show.” They shared a brief hug and air-kisses.
“And this is part of the Drake family.”
“My pleasure to meet everybody.” Paige smiled as she took in the beautiful tableau. “I’ve heard so much about all of you.”
“All good, I hope,” Niko said.
“No, she told me the truth.”
Amid the laughter, Nicki introduced Paige to the rest of the family before leading the way through a narrow, dimly lit hallway to the door with a star that bore her name. Once inside, Julian allowed the others to offer their congrats before once again pulling Nicki into his arms. “You were amazing, baby.”
“You liked it?”
“I loved it.”
She pulled away to look at him. “Thanks for the flowers and the champagne. They’re wonderful.”
“So are you.”
Niko stepped up to the couple. “I hate to break up this lovefest, but it’s hot as heck in this shoe box. A star like you can’t command a larger dressing room?”
“This is a larger one,” Nicki deadpanned. “And I’m not a star yet, but thank you. Now get out of here. Give me a few minutes to change, and I’ll meet you by the side exit. Except you,” she finished, reaching for Julian’s hand as the others exited. “You can help me undress.”
“I haven’t seen you in a month, girl,” Julian whispered, running a hand down her back and cupping her butt. “Seeing all that loveliness and not getting a taste will be a pretty tall order.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. Gave him a peck on the lips. “It’ll be worth the wait.”
He kissed her back, deepened it with a swipe of his tongue to part her lips as he reached behind her and undid her zipper. Her last costume, a long, frilly number of sequins and lace, fell to the floor as Julian ran his hands along her torso, searching for and finding pert nipples ready to tweak. He lowered his mouth and pulled one in between his teeth, walked them toward the dressing table.
“Julian!”
“Just a little bit...”
He lifted her with the finesse of a dancing partner, set her on the table and positioned himself between her legs. The belt buckle was unfastened. Pants came unzipped. He reached for his ever-hardening shaft, rubbed the tip along her leg as he eased it toward her quivering folds and...
Knock! “Nicki? You in there?”
“Don’t answer it,” Julian whispered.
“It’s not locked.” Nicki shimmied off the table and reached for her robe. “Yeah, I’m in here.” She cracked the door.
An assistant peeked her head in. “A reporter from Variety is here for you. A bunch of fans, too.”
“Out in five minutes.”
Shortly afterward, Nicki emerged from the dressing room looking fresh and effervescent, as though she’d emerged from a nap, not just performed a nonstop, high-energy show. Hair pulled into a topknot, face nearly devoid of makeup and eyes glowing, she wore a long, loose maxi with bold geometric prints, clunky jewelry and sandals. One could have easily mistaken her for a model instead of a dancer, and many had. Julian walked beside her, a strong but quiet presence amid the crowd.
“Nicki! Nicki!” Fans and the press clamored for her attention. She spent a moment with the reporters, then walked over to where dozens of fans held out programs and other memorabilia for her to sign. While she posed for a couple selfies, Julian texted Niko and requested the limo be brought around to the side entrance. When he turned back, she was rushing toward him.
“Let’s go,” she muttered, not stopping. “Where’s the car?”
Julian quickly spotted Niko standing beside a white stretch limo and waving. He reached for her hand. “Come on.”
He helped her into the limo. She fell back against the seat, clearly relieved.
“Looks like they didn’t want to let you go back there,” Niko teased.
“Yeah.” Nicki glanced out the window, then turned to Julian. “Where are we eating?