Free How to Catch a (Rock) Star (The Dead Hour #1) by Gabrielle Aquilina Page B

just relax and enjoy the show.
    ‘Actually, Jed thought you might be able to help me out with stage fright,’ Lillie said.
    ‘Oh God, yeah. No problem,’ he said. ‘I suffered from it really badly. So did Eddie. The trick is to focus on something above the crowd and in the distance. Pick a light and just stare at it. And remember to breathe. That’s pretty important,’ he laughed. ‘Especially for a singer.’
    Jed reappeared and, removing Johnny’s arm with a smile, started to give her a pretty good shoulder massage.
    ‘Me next, dude,’ Johnny said.
    ‘You get two minutes max,’ Jed replied. ‘I bet I can get a massage back off Lil, but you never reciprocate.’
    Johnny started to hotly deny Jed’s accusation when Steve arrived to let them know the crowd were getting impatient. Lillie’s stomach leapt into her throat as she realised that, in about an hour, she would be singing in front of paying fans.
    At the base of the stairs leading up to the stage, Jed gave Lillie a lingering kiss. ‘See you in a while, crocodile. You’ll be great,’ he whispered with a reassuring smile before running on and taking his place.
    The curtains went up to a mass of screaming and shouting, and the band exploded into their opening number, Jed stalking the stage and causing the fan girls in the front rows to scream with lust and delight. He was a great performer, making sure he covered every inch of available space. His gyrations and teasing drove the fans mad and he was funny and charming when he spoke to the crowd.
    Lillie was so caught up in the gig and the atmosphere, she forgot all about her performance until Jed started announcing that they were lucky to have a very special guest with them who had agreed to come onstage tonight. The crowd were buzzing, wondering who this mystery guest was going to be, and Jed looked towards Lillie at the side of the stage.
    ‘Give a proper Dead Hour welcome to my partner in crime for this next song, Lillie Harris!’
    Kate pushed her onto the stage and she walked towards Jed, concentrating on his face and steadfastly ignoring the crowd, whose cheers and screams had faltered somewhat as they realised they had no idea who this mystery guest was.
    ‘Lil is our new discovery. We’re real proud to have found some new talent here in the UK and can’t wait for you all to love her as much as we do,’ Jed said as Johnny set Lillie up with his microphone stand.
    She stared out into the almost darkness, her heart beating double time as she concentrated on staying on her feet. The screams got louder as Eddie started playing the intro to ‘Fell In Love With A Girl’. Jed put an arm around Lillie’s shoulders, whispering reassurances as she put her hands to the mike and took a deep breath, choosing a light to focus on.
    ‘I’m okay,’ she told herself, ‘I can do this. It’s just a few lines, just over two minutes.’ Lillie made a wobbly smile at Jed and began to sing, faltering at first but growing in confidence as the song went on. The crowd went silent as the words floated over their heads, Jed’s strong voice a perfect backdrop for Lillie’s lilting tones. As they finished, the audience erupted into wolf whistles and cheers, screaming for more. Lillie was both elated and relieved, and her legs were shaking so much, she didn’t know if she would make it off stage.
    ‘I told you guys you were getting a treat, wasn’t she fucking awesome?’ Jed screamed at the crowd, who shouted and whistled back.
    Jed and Lillie turned to each other just as Johnny came up and planted a big kiss on her cheek.
    ‘Well done Lil, you nailed it. They loved you!’
    Lillie grinned at him, feeling her eyes tear up. She felt a little overwhelmed, the adrenalin leaving her body now it was all over.
    Jed thanked the audience for being a great crowd and the band left the stage to rapturous applause and screaming, Lillie following on unsteady legs.
    ‘Oh my God, that was amazing!’ Lillie exclaimed.