I resist the urge to bury my face in my hands. What have I just gotten myself into?

No, I have to look on the bright side. Houston is only about thirty minutes from my hometown. At least it’ll be a free trip home for the weekend. It’s been a couple months since I’ve seen my mom, and I miss her like crazy. New York is a hard place to get away from.

I can do this, right?

“Someone schedule this girl a flight for tomorrow immediately and give her the run down on this charity, so she’ll know what information we need from the band,” Diana says.

When I open my mouth to tell Diana I’ve changed my mind, Aubrey says, “Ms. Swagger, I would like to volunteer to go with Lanie. She’s only an intern, and I would love to go along with her and show her the ropes on navigating clients.”

Ms. Swagger nods. “Okay then, I’ll allow that. Go ahead and book a flight for yourself and one for Ms. Vance and then report back to me on Monday after the initial meeting.”

I slump back in the chair.

This may be the worst decision of my life.

Aubrey leads me into the hallway after the meeting is over. Every nerve in my body zings with adrenaline. This is it, my big break to show Ms. Swagger I deserve a job in her company, that I’m a marketing slave. The only problem is facing Noel.

Aubrey grabs my wrist and yanks me into the supply closet. “Oh. My. God.” She shakes her head and her auburn curls bounce around her shoulders. “I don’t even know what to say. On one hand, I’m thrilled you’ll have the chance to show these stuffy assholes around here some of those mad marketing skills, but on the other I’m freaked the fuck out. Noel Falcon, Lanie?”

I sigh. “I know, I know, but what was I suppose to do? Tell Diana no because I have a painful history with the lead singer of Black Falcon? There’s no way I could admit that to her. This opportunity just fell into my lap. I’d be crazy not to jump all over it.”

Aubrey grabs my hands and squeezes them. “You’re right. You can get through this. It’s only Noel Falcon. We go down there and take him to dinner. You’ll be fine because I’ll be there the entire time for moral support.”

I wrap my arms around her slender frame. “Thank you for doing this with me.”

She pulls away and pushes my dark hair back before resting her hands on my shoulders. Her emerald eyes stare at me. “You’re welcome, sweetie. Now there’s only one thing left to do…” Her lips twist and she picks at my shirt.

I raise an eyebrow at the mischievous look on her face. “Oh, no. I know that look.”

Aubrey’s grin broadens. “Where’s the closest mall? I can’t wait to see Noel’s jaw hit the floor when he sees you.”

I roll my eyes and do my best to look displeased, but deep down I can’t wait to see that either

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CHAPTER TWO

The last chord of the song still hums in my ears. I can’t believe I’m out here in this blistering heat. The sun beats down on my back and I just know my fair skin is going to scream at me later. But I have to be here, even if it is the last place I ever wanted to be—front row of my high school boyfriend’s concert. God knows where he gets the inspiration for his music from.

The lead singer from the opening act, Embrace the Darkness, walks back on stage in his tight, black, leather pants and ripped up t-shirt. The crowd behind me is predominantly women because my old boyfriend is a rock-sex icon now. They scream even louder when the rocker grabs the microphone off the stand.

Two fights broke out behind me during the last band’s set, so I’m a bit nervous to find out what’s going to happen when the main act goes on, but I’m not leaving this spot. I’ve waited out here since the gates opened at noon to get center stage. I want the best view possible to lay my eyes on the first boy I ever really kissed.

“You guys are awesome. Thank you so much.” The singer smiles and the rampant crowd of horny women shove against one another even harder to get closer to the stage. “Are you ladies ready to drop your panties for Black Falcon!?”

That gets them pumped up again. I look behind me and watch the waves of people scream and yell in excitement.

My ears ring, but I don’t want to look like a total wuss and stuff my fingers in them in the midst of all these hard-core rocker chicks. That might get my ass kicked.

The middle aged woman behind me screams out Noel’s name followed by an ‘I love you’ at least ten octaves higher than her normal voice. The woman shoves into my back, and I crunch into the iron fencing in front of me.

“Give it up for BLACK FALCON!” the rocker screams, and my insides jitter. I’m not sure why I’m nervous. It’s not like he’ll even remember me. He sees tons of women every night, and after a while faces probably all start to look the same to him.

My gaze instantly glues to the stage. The lead singer, Noel Falcon, enters from the right and looks just like I remember him—tall and lean with shaggy, dark-brown hair. He’s not the goofy boy I knew anymore. The past four years have been good to him. Really good. He wears twenty-two well. The dark, scruffy hair on his jaw line brings out the blue in his eyes, and for a second, I kick myself for the night we broke up.

Noel stops center stage, wearing a sexy grin as he takes in the arena packed with his adoring fans. He’s close. I can practically reach out and trace the intricate tattoos on his arm if I want to. The spotlight beams down on him, and he points a finger out to the throngs of people in the upper deck. The crowd goes nuts, but I stand there simply awestruck. Not because Noel Falcon, one of the hottest rockers on the planet is five feet in front of me, but because it’s Noel Falcon, the first boy I ever loved. He used to be my best friend. The guy I thought at one time was my forever.