The Kiss: An Anthology About Love and Other Close Encounters(64)

As they drew closer to the Sage Bowl, the irony struck her. That she would finally meet him here. Here, where her career started.

Her friends had urged her to enter the amateur night of the music festival. Terrified and elated at the same time, she’d sung her heart out with a medley of Patsy Cline songs. Simon Preston, an aggressive up-and-coming manager, had spotted her and the rest, as they say, was history.

The limo crested a hill and she caught sight of the venue. It took her breath away every time she saw the transformation that took place in the valley below. High sandy cliffs provided the perfect backdrop for the gently sloping ‘bowl’ of the valley floor. The stage was large, but it was dominated by the cliffs. Over the years, the festival organizers had experimented with various lighting schemes to illuminate the cliffs, and it hadn’t taken long for the performers to realize that nature’s backdrop couldn’t be improved upon. As an informal site, where people brought their own seating, it was unparalleled.

As they approached the gate, Mandy rolled down her window.

“What are you doing?” Simon had reverted to his old self.

“I want to talk to the guard.” She smiled at the young man. “Hi!”

He bent to look inside the limo and his eyes widened. “Oh, hello Miss Malone. What can I do for you?”

“I wanted to be sure you have my friend’s name on your list. Sonja Larsen, but she’ll probably identify herself as Sunny.”

The guard checked his list. “Sorry, I don’t see her.” His pen trailed down the sheet of paper. “Oh, wait. Here she is. Last minute addition.”


“Great. And she might bring one more friend. Can you make a note of that?” Sandy’s boyfriend was trying to make it to Gold Creek for her performance, but he wasn’t sure if he could get away.

“Sure thing. Have a good one, Miss Malone.”

“Thanks, Cory.”

The guard glanced self-consciously at his nametag, then offered a brief salute as they pulled through the gate.

“Okay,” she said, scanning the stage with a practised eye. “Let’s get this done.”





*


The sound check went flawlessly. This was Mandy’s fourth year performing at the Sage Bowl Music Festival, and it always amazed her that they could set up such a large venue out in the middle of nowhere.

British Columbia was becoming known for its successful festivals, and this one had grown over the twelve years it had been running. The promoters had turned it into a three-day weekend of performances. This was her second year as headliner, and she didn’t think she’d ever get used to the excitement of performance day.

“Sounds great, everyone.” Yankee Bob, her drummer, had expressed an interest in taking on the secondary job of Stage Manager, and she was glad she’d agreed. He was respected by the other musicians, as well as the back-up singers, and he knew his way around a stage. “What do you think, Mandy?”

“Sounded good to me.”

“All right, everyone,” her drummer turned to the band and the back-up singers. “Be back here at seven thirty for eight.”

As he spoke, Mandy noticed Sunny sitting off to the side in a rare patch of shade thrown by a Ponderosa Pine. She was with a man, and they were deep in conversation.

Prickles of anticipation crept down Mandy’s neck. The man looked vaguely familiar, but something told her this wasn’t Sunny’s boyfriend. She crossed the stage, ran down the side stairs and started walking toward her friend.

“Mandy!” Sunny opened her arms. “Get over here and give your best friend a hug.”

Engulfed in Sunny’s embrace, Mandy glanced over her friend’s shoulder toward the man. He was watching the reunion with a gentle smile.

“Look who I found!” Sunny pulled away and reached for the man’s arm. “Matthew!” She turned back to Mandy. “You remember Matthew Williamson from school.”

His gaze flickered to Sunny, then returned to Mandy’s upturned face. “Hello, Mandy. Great to see you again.” He extended his hand.

This was Matt Williamson? She couldn’t believe her eyes. Her hand disappeared into his, and heat bloomed in parts of her body that had seen little action in the past couple of years. The tall, un-coordinated youth had morphed into a well-muscled, well-dressed man. But the eyes were the same; dark brown with intriguing hints of gold.

“Matt.” She pulled her hand away, hoping he hadn’t noticed the way her pulse ratcheted up at his touch. “What are you doing here?” She regretted the words the moment she uttered them. “Not that I mind, but I was wondering...” She looked to Sunny for help.

“I found him sitting in the schoolyard.” Sunny made a disgusted face. “Just sitting there, on the old stone fence.”

Mandy laughed. “You’re kidding.”

“Noooo.” Sunny drew the word out.

Mandy waved a hand in front of her face. “I’m laughing because I did the same thing on the way out here.” She smiled up into Matt’s eyes. “I was remembering that day.” She could tell from his smile that she didn’t need to explain which day.

“Me, too.” His voice had turned husky. “You still owe me a kiss, you know.”

Sunny watched them, her gaze moving back and forth. “I told him I was coming out here, and we decided to drive out together.”