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Keeping as far back as they could, they skirted the edges of the carpet, dodging PR people as they herded their charges into the building.
At the door, Wil gave the doorman their names, and within moments they were inside. Moving to the side of the foyer, Wil stopped to check on Ben.
“You okay?”
“Wow! Yeah. That was intense, and we weren’t even the focus of the crowd. How do your dad and the rest of the band cope with it?” Ben asked, removing the sunglasses he’d worn and tucking them into a pocket of his loose-cut pants that made him look hellishly sexy. The soft black t-shirt he paired them hugged his torso, and Wil couldn’t wait to peel him out of it later.
“Eh,” Wil shrugged. “It freaked Dad out at first, but now he just goes with it. The others have been doing it since they were our age, so it’s second nature to them.”
“Where do we go now?” Ben asked, looking around.
“We’ll wait here for Dad and Pa, then we’ll head into the club’s main area,” Wil slipped an arm around Ben’s waist, pulling him close. “Have I told you how damn sexy you look tonight?”
Ben grinned up at him, eyes dancing in the lowlight, as his hand splayed on Wil’s stomach. “No, you haven’t.”
“Well, you do,” Wil told him, tracing a finger softly over Ben’s eyebrow and down his cheek. “I didn’t expect the guyliner and blush, but I really, really like it.”
“You do?” Ben asked, his tone uncertain, his hand bunching the material of Wil’s shirt. “You’re not just saying that?”
“Hell, no.” Wil dipped his head and pressed a lingering kiss to Ben’s mouth, hoping to dispel some of the nervousness Ben was desperately trying to hide.
Ben sighed and melted into him. Before it could go any further, a teasing voice interrupted them.
“Ah, young love.”
Wil lifted his head and smirked at Seth.
“Uncle Seth. Are you allowed out of the retirement home past nine o’clock?”
“You used to be such a nice young man,” Seth shook his head sadly, even though his eyes were full of amused affection. “What happened?”
“My father agreed to be your drummer, and I got to hang out with you for a summer or three,” Wil retorted with a laugh.
“Come on, we’ve got people to meet,” Cal said, tugging on his husband’s hand and preventing any further snark, as Jamie and Kellet joined them.
With a grin, Wil led Ben into the bar.
Ten
Noise and flashing lights assailed Ben’s senses as they entered the main bar area of the club. The music wasn’t so loud you had to shout at your conversation partner, but it added a layer to an already overwhelming situation.
Ben could see Wil craning his neck, looking for someone. It wasn’t often he cursed his smaller stature, but he’d have given anything to have the extra three or four inches that Wil had on him right now.
“Who are you looking for?” he asked, thinking he may be able to help.
“It’s okay, I see them,” Wil said, turning back to their group. “Miles and Liam are over in the far corner. Looks like they’ve got a booth reserved.”
Hooking two fingers into the belt loop on the back of Wil’s jeans so as not to lose him, Ben followed his boyfriend through the crowd. He soon spotted the tall, imposing figure of Miles chatting to a man in a suit.
Miles broke off his conversation at the sight of them. He shook the man’s hand before turning his attention to the group as they approached.
Ben hung back as greetings were exchanged and was pleasantly surprised when Miles gave him a firm handshake and thanked him for coming along.
“Where are Taylor, Alex, Dave, and Gabe?” Wil asked, naming the members of Eclipse.
“They’re working the crowd,” Liam told them. “They’ll be over in a minute to say hi before getting on stage.”
As a server appeared and took their drink orders, Ben took a few moments to absorb everything going on. The crowded club buzzed with a diverse mix of people, making Ben feel very out of place. It seemed like he had slipped into an alternate reality where he was hanging out with A-list celebrities and talking about them as if they were just regular guys.
