Merch Girl Read online

  “Yeah, and I don’t want to be crushed by hundreds of sweaty girls up in the front either.”

  “Gross,” he said with a laugh. His fingers ran through my hair and gently down my arm. It gave me the chills, but in a good way, in a very good way.

  “So, are you excited about tomorrow?” I looked at the clock on the side table, and realized it already was tomorrow.

  “Honestly, it doesn’t feel real. It probably won’t hit me till we get in the store and I see people buying the record. At least, I hope people will buy it.”

  He was so humble. Didn’t he see the hundreds of people in the crowd at his concert tonight?

  “Your hand will be sore from signing so many autographs tomorrow, I know it,” I reassured him.

  “You’re gonna be there, right?”

  “Do you want me to be there?”

  “Of course, why wouldn’t I?” He shook his head like it was the most ridiculous question ever asked. I was glad to hear that he wanted me to attend such a milestone moment in his life.

  “I don’t know, I just wasn’t sure.”

  He grabbed my face with both hands and pulled me in close. “Yes, I want you to be there.”

  I smiled, and leaned in to kiss him. He tasted like sugar.

  “Don’t you need to wake up soon? I don’t want to distract you from your sleep when you have such an important day tomorrow.”

  “I can handle it; stay.”

  I stood up. “No, you didn’t want to like me in the first place because you didn’t want any distractions, and I’m not going to make your point valid.”

  “Fine,” he said, pouting.

  I kissed his delicious lips one more time and grabbed my stuff. “C’mon Trina, the guys need to get some rest.”

  They didn’t budge.

  Logan threw a pillow at Griffin’s head to get his attention. “She’s right; we should get some sleep before tomorrow.”

  “Okay, okay,” he said, tossing the pillow in Ryan’s direction next.

  Trina grabbed her things. “You guys can keep the rest of the cupcakes.”

  “Alright, free breakfast!” Griffin said.

  Logan walked us out of the room. “See you guys tomorrow.”

  I took one last long look at him before separating for the night. It was hard to say goodnight, but I knew tomorrow would be another exciting day.

  Chapter 9 – New York City – Record Release Day

  It was sweltering outside and Trina and I just happened to catch a cab with a broken air conditioner. We both slept in late so we didn’t get a chance to hear the guys on the radio in the morning. I really didn’t know how they were able to stay up so late and work so early in the morning. They must be superhuman, or lived constantly off of energy drinks and coffee.

  “Did you ever get a chance to talk to Griffin about his weird behavior last night?” I didn’t forget the strange encounter, and I was hoping she hadn’t either.

  “No, I haven’t been able to talk to him today, only a few text messages,” she said. “That was strange though, right?”

  “Yeah, really strange.”

  “I’ll try and talk to him about it tomorrow, I really don’t want to ruin his mood tonight,” she said.

  My face started to sweat. I hoped we would be there soon; I didn’t want to look too gross in front of Logan.

  Trina pointed her finger out the window. “Oh my God…”

  “I need to leave you here,” the driver said. “Street’s blocked off for some reason.”

  I knew why the street was partitioned off, but never in my wildest dreams would I have predicted it. There were so many people waiting for Lansdowne to show up for their autograph session that part of the street was shut down. Everywhere I looked, there were girls with Lansdowne t-shirts and posters, media with cameras rolling, and a bunch of cops trying to hold everyone inside the makeshift barricades around the store.

  “Are you serious?” Trina held her hand over her mouth in awe.

  “This is crazy.” I wondered how in the world the guys were going to survive the massive crowd. We squeezed our way through to get to the entrance of the store, but a large group of security guards and store staff stood in our way.

  “You need a bracelet, and then you have to wait in line,” one of the employees instructed.

  “Oh, um, we actually work for the band,” I told him.

  “Right, like I haven’t heard that one before,” he said, rolling his eyes.

  I hadn’t taken my VIP pass with me since we weren’t going to a venue. I turned to Trina, hoping she had her pass with her, or had a better plan than I did, but she just shrugged her shoulders.

  “We can call the guys, but I don’t know what they’d be able to do over the phone,” she suggested.

  “Okay, you call Griffin.”

  “No, you should call Logan! C’mon, you guys practically declared your undying love for each other all day yesterday and now you haven’t spoken to him since last night. Do it!”

  I was super nervous to speak to Logan. I was never good at phone conversations with guys. I always fumbled my words or spoke too fast. I took a deep breath and grabbed my cell. My stomach turned in knots as the phone rang.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey! Um, it’s Lacey.”

  “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Well, Trina and I are outside the store right now, and they won’t let us in,” I explained.

  “Can’t you just tell them you work for us?”

  “Tried that. Didn’t work. There’s probably about five-hundred people who used the same line today.”

  “Five-hundred people? Are there really that many people there or are you just trying to make me feel good?”

  “I can’t even count the number of people here there’s so many. They had to block off the whole area because the crowd is that big!”

  “Wow, seriously?”

  “Yes! Seriously! But anyway, any suggestions on how we can get into the store?”

  “I don’t know, maybe Carson or Holly could come out and grab you after we’re already in there?”

  “I doubt they’d be able to find us. It’s alright, Trina and I will figure something out, if not, we’ll just see you later.”

  “I’ll send one of them out there anyway, just stay near the front of the store. Hopefully I’ll see you soon,” he said.

  His raspy voice was so sexy, even over the phone it gave me the chills.

  “Okay, I’ll try. Bye.”

  The security guard tapped me on the shoulder. “You can’t stand here. Either buy a CD and get a bracelet, or you need to leave.”

  I searched frantically for a spot near the front of the line to sneak into, but there was no way in. The fans were crammed in like sardines and roped off to the side of the building.

  Someone yelled my name in the distance. I scanned the line, but it was hard to find who the voice belonged to in the large crowd. Trina pointed down the line to a familiar face, Ryan’s number one fan, Devin. She waved us over.

  I waved back, and my mood turned hopeful. She was close to the front of the line. I wondered how long she had been standing there. I wouldn’t doubt if she got there last night.

  “Can we sneak in line with you?” I asked.

  “Sure,” she said, making a few inches of room for the two of us to slide in. “So, did you tell Ryan about you know what?”

  This girl was intense. I hesitated to answer, not wanting to start a fight with a fan for the second day in a row.

  “Umm, well, this isn’t the best time to cause drama within the group. We’re waiting until after the CD release,” I explained.

  “Well, I’ll tell him then,” she said. I couldn’t think fast enough to respond.

  “No you’re not,” Trina said, staring down at her. “There’s nothing going on, and even if there was, why would Ryan believe you?”

  “Listen, I am going to tell him, I’m just waiting for the right moment, okay?” I told her. “Is that good enough
to keep you quiet?”

  “I guess, but I also want a backstage pass for their next show.”

  “Fine, deal,” Trina said. I knew we couldn’t promise her anything, but Trina had an easier time lying to people than I did.

  The noise level around us rose, and screams quickly followed. The van arrived and Logan, Griffin and Ryan jumped out, waving to the fans. It made me smile to know how much their fans loved them and vice versa. After a few minutes, I found Carson looking around outside.

  “We’ll see you later,” I told Devin as Trina and I ran up to meet him.

  “Don’t ever forget your credentials, I won’t always be there to save you guys,” he told us. “And the guys can’t come rescue you every time either.” He shot us a nasty look and led us into the store. He must have found out about our “brawl” last night. How embarrassing.

  The guys waved to us and we stood a few feet away with some of the record company executives. Once the doors opened, the security guards tried to keep the line in order, but girls pushed and shoved each other to get into the store. Logan’s eyes widened; he was either shocked or scared, or both. I’d be terrified if hundreds of people were pushing and screaming to get at me.

  The first girl walked in and started crying as soon as she got to the table. Logan leaned over and gave her a hug which made her cry even more. It was kind of funny, but also a little weird and sweet all at the same time.

  “Psycho…” Trina said.

  “Aw, it’s kind of cute,” I said. If we hadn’t met the guys in Boston, I’m sure we’d be waiting in line to meet them right now, and I’d probably be the one crying.

  “I guess, but it’s still weird,” she replied.

  I shrugged my shoulders and continued to watch the fans. When Devin walked in the store I prayed she wouldn’t say anything out of line to them. She spoke to Logan and Griffin briefly, but when she got to Ryan she turned and pointed at me and Trina. I held my breath until I saw Ryan smile and give her a hug. Oh thank goodness; disaster avoided, at least for now.

  For some reason, I imagined this being more fun. It was exciting to hear their music playing in the store, and to see the intense reactions the fans had when they were near the guys, but it was sort of boring after a while. The record industry people were all sitting and chatting together, and Jenna followed Jeff around as he filmed the girls sobbing and swooning over the band.

  I waved my hand in front of Trina’s face as she stared into space.

  “Huh?” she said, snapping out of her trance.

  She stretched her arms out behind her and yawned. She may be as bored as I was, but at least I was faking interest for the sake of the band.

  “Wanna take off?” she asked me.

  “I don’t know, I feel bad just leaving.” I looked over at Logan, but he didn’t seem to notice us anymore.

  “They don’t care if we leave, they’re busy with the fans, we just needed to show support for a little while,” she explained. “Griffin will text when they’re done. Besides, I need to pack up my stuff before we go to the record release party tonight; I think we’re driving to the next city right after the party.”

  “Wait, what? A record release party? I didn’t know about that!” No one told me about a party. I immediately racked my brain to think of outfits to wear.

  “Logan didn’t tell you?”

  I shook my head. I wish he had told me, why didn’t he? Did he not want me to come? Maybe I didn’t look cool enough to be at a record release party in New York City.

  “Well, it’s not until really late, so let’s go back to the hotel now so we can go pack and get ready and not have to rush. I’ll let Griffin know we’re leaving.” She texted him and he nodded back at us.

  We took a cab back to the hotel and made our way up to our tiny room.

  “What are you wearing tonight?” I asked, searching through my luggage for a decent outfit.

  “I have a little black dress for emergency special occasions like this one.”

  I threw my clothes out of my suitcase and tried to find something night club appropriate. I’d never actually been to a club when there wasn’t a concert going on. Trina searched through with me and pulled out a couple of pieces. She found a black sequined tank top and white shorts. She lent me her black high-heeled sandals and some of her bangles, necklaces, and earrings too.

  “You should be a stylist,” I suggested. “Your Barbie was always the coolest one when we were little.”

  “I’ve thought about it actually,” she responded. “I wouldn’t mind moving up from merch girl to stylist some day!”

  I laughed at the idea of Trina dressing up the guys as if they were her own living dolls. She would have way too much fun. We finished packing, got dressed, did our hair and makeup, and went downstairs to check out of the hotel. I was sad to leave, but I would always have the memory of my secret stairwell kiss with Logan. We went back to the bus earlier than we needed to and loaded our suitcases underneath before climbing in.

  “Ew!” Trina screamed, jumping back into me. She pointed at a bra lying on the floor. I knew it wasn’t mine, and it didn’t sound like it was Trina’s. I opened my mouth, but Trina put her hand over it before I could let out a sound. She tip-toed closer to the back of the bus and leaned in to listen before running back to me.

  “Someone’s totally having sex back there!” she whispered. “And I can take a wild guess at who it is.”

  “This is kind of gross, I think we should leave.” I turned around, but she grabbed me by the shoulders.

  “No, we need to confront her. I’m sick of this crap, and even though I don’t know him that well, I feel bad for Ryan too.”

  I’m glad she finally agreed to tell the guys about Jenna’s infidelity, but interrupting her mid-deed didn’t seem like the best idea. The image in my head alone made me sick.

  “Make some noise so they know someone’s here and they’ll stop,” she suggested.

  I wasn’t sure what to do, so I grabbed the closest object, a cereal bowl, and threw it down the narrow bus corridor.

  Trina doubled over laughing, “What was that?”

  “I don’t know, what else do you suggest?”

  She grabbed some forks and spoons and banged them against the table. I couldn’t help but laugh either. This was one weird scenario, but it worked. Jenna poked her head out of the curtain from the back of the bus. She kept it wrapped around her body as she looked around. “Who’s there?”

  “Surprise,” Trina said, cell phone in hand, ready to snap a photo.

  “Go ahead,” she said, disappearing behind the curtain and coming back out wearing an oversized t-shirt. “Someone else already knows, and it doesn’t seem like he’s telling anyone.”

  “What do you mean?” Trina asked.

  She smiled coyly. “Griffin knows exactly what’s going on, and apparently he hasn’t said something to you or Ryan, so it looks like we’re all hiding things from each other now.”

  “How does he know?”

  I was just as confused as Trina.

  “He came to surprise you on the bus last night, but instead found me and Jeff hooking up.”

  Ah, now his strange outburst in the hotel room all made sense.

  Trina turned around and practically pushed me down the steps off the bus.

  “Maybe I should tell Griffin what I know before this gets even more out of hand,” she said, wiping the sweat from her brow.

  The city was thick with heat and humidity, and the exhaust from the cars and buses passing by didn’t help the situation.

  “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I have your back no matter what.”

  We walked a few blocks before hailing a cab to the night club. There were fans already waiting outside the doors.

  “Are they even allowed inside?” I asked, wondering why they would all be here, standing out on the street on a hot night like this.

  “I don’t think so, guess they just want to catch a glimpse of the guys,” she said.

>   Robyn texted to let me know they were arriving soon, and gave us instructions from Holly. She didn’t want Trina and me to walk into the club with the guys, or be photographed with them. It was so stupid, but we had to agree. We waited across the street and watched the girls outside go crazy as Logan, Griffin and Ryan signed autographs and took photos with them. There was a small red carpet leading into the club where photographers captured every moment of the mania.

  We found Robyn and trailed behind her, entering the club with the rest of the crew as part of their entourage. There were a ton of people in the room already; record label executives, radio people, journalists, photographers, and some girls that resembled the ones from last night -- groupie looking hos with tight dresses and overly made up faces.

  “Let’s get a drink,” Trina said, pulling me over to the bar.

  “Um, we’re not 21,” I reminded her.

  “So? They’re not going to card us if we’re already in here and obviously VIP!”

  “Fine,” I said, “Get me something fruity.”

  I wasn’t a big partier back home and only drank a few times, but one drink never hurt anyone. Trina came back with two glasses.

  “It’s a sex on the beach,” she explained. “I need a drink to take the edge off the bomb we’re going to drop later.”

  “Maybe we should wait; tonight’s a big night for them.”

  “It’s always a big night!” she yelled. “That’s the problem, there’s never a good opportunity to break bad news.”

  She was right. I gulped down my liquid courage along with her and pulled her out on the floor with me where we danced like fools together. We sang with the music and had a blast letting loose and forgetting about all the drama.

  “You’re drunk,” she said.

  “No way, it was just one drink!” I did feel a little weird, but it was probably just the heat, or maybe I was a little buzzed, or a mixture of both.

  I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Logan smiling down at me. I immediately wrapped my arms around him and tried to get him to dance with me.

  “Hey, hey, slow down there,” he said, moving back. “We can’t get too close in public, remember?”