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“I can drive, man,” Ollie offers. “I don’t plan on drinking tonight.”
Chase takes him up on it, parking as we all climb into the Bronco. Ollie took the top off his vehicle and stored it in the garage at Charlie and Ben’s house recently. I tie my hair into a low ponytail in anticipation of the wind wreaking havoc on my long locks. I end up in the front passenger seat with Chase riding in back with Oakley. I catch Ollie’s stare on my thighs when the other two aren’t paying attention, and my skin tingles from the intensity of that blue-eyed gaze. Whatever we’re doing right now feels dangerous and exciting again.
All conversation is blocked out by the rushing wind and the sound of the tires on the pavement. Ollie has the radio playing, but even that is muted by the elements. We drive outside of town. I smile contentedly as I look around at the rolling hills and sinking sun that’s casting a red glow across the sky right now. The night feels full of possibilities. An evening of music and friends. Ollie …
The trip takes about thirty minutes. The festival is held in an empty field off the highway outside of town. The land is flat out here, and the sky expands as far as the eye can see. The sun has completely set by the time we’re parking with hundreds of other cars in the makeshift dirt lot. That red glow that was present earlier has been replaced by an inky-colored horizon, dotted with thousands of stars.
We climb from the vehicle, and Oakley walks up next to me, connecting us with an arm around my waist. I slide mine across her shoulders, and we move as a unit. Ollie is reading something on his phone, and Chase is right behind us.
“Sims and McMann are by the food trucks,” Ollie announces.
I snort. “Was there any doubt? Charlie can always be found wherever the food is.”
We wait in a long line that moves relatively fast to get inside the gates that have been erected for the event. Ollie pays all our entrance fees even though Chase protests. We walk around for a bit before we’re able to locate Ben and Charlie. Luckily, the six-foot-five-inch goalie towers above most of the crowd.
“What’s up?” Ben shouts as we walk into view.
Chase greets his two teammates with fist bumps, along with Ollie.
“Hey, Oakley,” Ben says, hugging my friend hello. He stops, his dark gaze landing on my face before scaling my entire body flirtatiously. “Mads … you’re looking hot tonight. You too, Oak.”
“Thanks,” Oakley and I reply in unison and then laugh.
Ben pulls me into his embrace for a hug that lasts too long and is too sizzling to be considered friendly. I’m sure he would’ve done the same to Oakley if she wasn’t attached to Chase now. I gently push against his chest to extract myself. I brush my fingers across his jaw to soften the blow.
“You look good too, Ben. Always.”
He smirks, and Charlie steps in to greet us.
He leaves his heavy arm anchored across my shoulders after giving me a side hug. “Are you my date for the night, Mads?”
“You wish, McMann,” I quip.
I glance over at Ollie, and his eyes are anchored on Charlie’s fingers, where they are tracing circles across my shoulder and collarbone. There’s a furrow between his brows, and his lips are downturned. Ollie isn’t doing a very good job of hiding his disdain.
“I do wish, Madison,” Charlie practically purrs, completely oblivious to Ollie’s reaction.
I remove Charlie’s large hand from my body and step out of his grasp. “You know I can’t be tied down, Charlie. Not even by a man like you.”
He smirks while shaking his head. “You know I like a challenge, Mads.”
“You only think you want a challenge. When what you really like is easy prey.”
The guys laugh. I’ve watched Charlie disappear with countless bunnies over the past year. He talks a big game, but at the end of the day, he’s not as into chasing, as he says. Besides, I know Charlie just likes to flirt with me and every other woman in the vicinity.
Everyone grabs a beer, and Chase buys Ollie a Coke before we head over to the main area as a group. There’s a rock band playing as we congregate to the left side of the stage.
“What time is Johnny’s band playing?” Oakley asks me.
I take a sip from my cup, the foam leaving a ridge along my upper lip that I lick away. “They go on at nine.”
Oakley checks the time on her phone. “So, he should be up next.”
We listen to the current band until they play their last note and they exit the stage. Johnny and his bandmates walk across the structure and start getting their instruments ready for their set. The crowd becomes restless as people mill around, heading for the concessions and restrooms during the break.
We’re too far from the front for Johnny to spot us, but I see him scanning the crowd more than once. I wonder if he’s looking for someone he knows or if he’s looking for me specifically. We messaged back and forth yesterday, so he knows I was planning to come tonight. I’m a little uneasy about seeing him. I need to be up front and tell him that I’m seeing someone else. I don’t want to lead him on.
“Which one is he?” my best friend asks, leaning closer.
