Page 86 of Doc Rock
“Yeah. The photo is great. It’s the next post that I don’t think you’re going to like.Therewas a miscommunication with Donnie’s team.”
Sie pushed her glasses up her nose and peered at the video.“It’s a video of you guys playing.”She shrugged and squinted harder.
“Yeah, not quite.”Ford reached over and pressed on the video soit wasfull screen, not a tiny thumbnail.
Sie held the phone closer to her nose, and her eyes widened behind her glasses.“Oh shit. Is that us earlier?”
Chapter 31
Mai
Mai didn’t even blink as shewatchedherself play guitar like she was born with one in her hands.
When she danced over to the microphone to sing with Ford, she cringed. She barely remembered doing it, and her dancing looked like someone’s mum drunkenly jigging in the pub. When she was younger, she’d never been any good at moving around the stage, so she usually stayed in one spot, but now, at thirty-eight, she looked even more awkward.
“Can they take it down?”She gazed at Ford, who was leaning so close to her that they were breathing the same air.
“It’s too late.”He pointed to the number of views the video had already received.
Ten point five million.
“Oh, shit.”Mai took a couple of deep breaths to compose herself, as her initial reaction was to run.
But when she really thought about it, she was dressed as Sie. She had Sie’s makeup on, contact lenses in and long dark hair. The video showed Sie, not Mai.It washardly any different to them posting the photo of her.
Finally, she said,“It’s not ideal, but it’s Sie with Midnight Thunder after they announced I’m still alive and kicking.”She shrugged and handed it back.
“You don’t mind?”Ford asked tentatively.
“I agreed to a photoshoot. I can’tgetupset about a video. Have youheardit? Did we sound good?”It wastoo loud in the pub tohearthe audio properly.
“I don’t know.”
“Hang on.”Mai grabbed her handbag off the floor and rummaged around until she pulled out a pair of AirPods and her phone.
She put one headphone in her ear, gave the other to Ford, and opened Instagram. She quickly navigated to Midnight Thunder’s page.
“You follow us on Instagram?”Ford’s voice rumbled.
Mai froze. She hadn’t even thought about the fact that he wouldseeshe followed the band. She was relieved she hadn’t gone to Ford’s personal Instagram, or he would have seen that she followed him, too. It hadfeltlike a risk at the time to follow him, but she was one of millions, and she had figured he would nevernoticea tiny account from Australia.
“Yeah,”she muttered, keeping her eyes on her screen as she opened the video of them playing.
“What are you doing?”Hel leaned across to look at Mai’s phone.
Mai paused the video.“Watching an Instagram reel. We played earlier. It got released by accident. I thought we sounded good, but wanted toknowif I was delusional.”She grinned at her friend.
“You played with Midnight Thunder?”Hel’s voice rose, and Mai shushed her.
They were in a crowded pub. Shecouldlive without Ford getting mobbed if peoplenoticedhim. She wasn’t worried abouther pub quiz team, as they hung out with Taylor regularly, so seemed immune to fame.
“Yeah. It’s on Instagram,”Mai supplied.
“Instagram!”Hel’s voice was a little quieter, but not much.
“Yep. Give me five to listen, okay?”Mai requested, then started the video again when her friend nodded.
Electricity rippled over her skin when Ford leaned into her towatchthe reel. After a moment, he slung his arm along the back of her chair, his hand grazing her shoulder.
