"Late Checkout" - Danny One Shot
18+. TW: Language & Sexual Content. Your name (female) + Danny. 9,544 words.
“Mr. Henry, I requested tomorrow off months ago,” you said as you shakily held this week’s work schedule in your hands. You had a good relationship with your boss since you’ve been one of the most reliable employees at the hotel for several years. You looked up to him as a father figure and old friend most days, but you suddenly wanted to strangle him after seeing he scheduled you to work on the one day you asked off.
“I’m sorry but I need you manning the front desk,” your boss said, not looking up from the computer screen.
“I have a concert tomorrow night. I can’t work,” you said, fighting the lump forming in your throat. You had been looking forward to this day for months and you were not about to let anything or anyone get in the way of that.
“That’s exactly why I need you. The hotel is completely sold out tomorrow because of the concert. It will be all hands on deck,” he said, still avoiding your eye contact.
“I can’t miss that concert,” you said in a stern tone.
“Fine. Let’s make a compromise. Can you stay until after the check-in rush? You could leave around 6:00 p.m.,” he added.
“That doesn’t give me enough time to get ready,” you plead.
“I’m trying to make this work for us both. I know you need the extra hours and I know you can handle the influx of guests we’re anticipating,” he said.
“That’s true, but–” you began.
“If I can get you out of here any sooner, I will,” he said, interrupting you. You start to go through the timeframe in your head. If you brought your concert outfit and cosmetics to the hotel, you could get ready in the breakroom. The distance between the hotel and the arena wouldn’t take more than 15 minutes depending on how fast you could get an Uber. The opener goes on at 7:30 p.m., but you didn’t care if you had to miss part of their set.
“As long as I am clocked out by 6:00 p.m., I can swing it,” you said with a sigh.
“I know I can always rely on you,” your boss said with a smile. “Who’s the band again?”
“Greta Van Fleet,” you said. Your boss’ puzzled expression made it clear he had no idea who they were.
“I don’t know what you kids today listen to,” he said as he waved his hand like he was shooing away a fly. “But since you’re helping me out by working tomorrow, I’ll fill you in on a secret.” He leaned in closely and lowered his voice. “Did you notice anything peculiar about the room reservations on the top floor?”
You hadn’t paid much attention to which rooms were occupied today since you clocked in; when you saw your name on the work schedule for tomorrow, that took precedence. You logged into your front desk computer and scanned the booking information for the 8th floor. You noticed every room was booked under the same reservation number. Yet, there were no guest names assigned to any of the rooms. As if your boss could sense your confusion, he leaned in closer.
“That band is staying here,” he whispered. You felt your eyes grow wide as if he just admitted his deepest, darkest secret. You turned to face him with a wild look in your eyes. You whispered, “Are you serious?”
“Their people called months ago and requested a private entrance, booked the entire floor; the whole thing was hush hush,” he said as he mimed an imaginary zipper sealing his lips.
You suddenly felt yourself begin to sweat in places you didn’t know could sweat. “When will they get here?” you asked.
“They are set to check in around noon today, and they will check out the day after tomorrow,” he said in a hushed voice. “I’ve got our best housekeeping staff assigned to their floor as well as our kitchen staff on standby in case they order room service. But only you and I know who our special guests really are,” he said with a wink. You hated your boss 10 minutes ago; now you wanted to kiss him. You glanced at the clock and noticed noon was less than an hour away.
“I am asking, begging, pleading–” you began with your hands clasped together. “Mr. Henry, please, please, please, let me be the one to deliver any extra towels, sheets, blankets, toiletries, whatever they need. Please,” you said.
“You aren’t even scheduled to work tonight,” he said with a laugh.
“I can. I can absolutely work tonight,” you said, continuing to beg.
“I’ll keep you as long as I need you, but no promises,” he said. Without much thought, you wrapped your arms around your boss in an embrace to thank him. He nervously laughed before patting you on top of the head. He was clearly uncomfortable by this sudden display of affection.
“Don’t make me regret this,” he said.
“I won’t!” you exclaimed as you released him from your grateful hug. The idea of potentially meeting the members of your favorite band made you feel lightheaded. You gripped the desk to make sure you weren’t going to pass out.
“I’ll need you to stay here at the front desk while I meet them around back to escort them to their rooms. They’ll be using the service elevator to enter and exit the building. They won’t mingle with the hotel guests at all,” he said. You couldn’t help but to feel bummed that you wouldn’t be part of the welcoming committee, but you decided not to push your luck. You knew you’d find a reason to go up to their floor one way or another.
You practically watched the clock as it took its time to get to 12:00 p.m. You had already taken a smoke break AKA a break to go freshen up your hair and makeup before the boys checked in. Mr. Henry knew you didn’t smoke, but he didn’t object when you asked for a smoke break. He knew exactly what you were up to.
Even though you weren’t going to be the one greeting them, you still didn’t want to risk not looking your absolute best. Well, as good as anyone could look in a work uniform. You glanced down at your khaki pants and your light blue polo neatly tucked in. This uniform certainly wasn’t doing your figure any favors. As you helped the line of guests checking out for the day, you saw Mr. Henry step away to take a private phone call. Was it them? Were they here? You struggled to pay attention to the guest in front of you because all you could think about was the idea of meeting the four men who changed your life. Breathe, you idiot.
“I’m going to assist our top floor guests. Call my phone if you have any issues. I’ll be back shortly,” Mr. Henry said to you in a hushed voice. You felt like all of the oxygen in the hotel lobby left with him as he went out the door.
“Ma’am?” the man in front of you with tired eyes said.
“Yes?” you asked, suddenly aware of where you were.
“Can I get another copy of my bill, please?” he said as if he had already asked you once. Maybe he did. Your mind was elsewhere.
“Yes, yes, of course,” you said as you moved the mouse to print the tired guest a copy of his bill. A short line formed behind him and you tried everything in your power to focus on your job and not the idea that Josh, Jake, Danny, and Sam would be sleeping in rooms that you have access to. Wait, that sounded creepy. You’re not creepy. You’re just freaking the fuck out. Chill.
When Mr. Henry made it back to the front desk, you practically jumped on him. “What were they like? What were they wearing? Were they nice? What rooms are they in? Do they need anything? Who did you talk to? Did they make any requests?” you asked in a rapid-fire fashion.
“Relax, relax,” he said with his hands up like he was bracing himself for impact.
“Tell me everything!” you exclaimed.
“The ones wearing sunglasses and hats are the ones in the actual band, I presume. They are in rooms 808, 809, 810, and 811. Their management people are occupying rooms on the other side of the hallway per the famous ones’ requests. The rooms in between are vacant, but booked to maintain privacy, of course,” he said. You burned the numbers 808, 809, 810, and 811 into your brain as you listened to Mr. Henry talk.
“I gave them my cell phone number in case they need anything, so don’t hold your breath that they’ll be calling the front desk,” he said.
“They seem to want total privacy, young lady,” he said pointing his finger at you. You sighed and rolled your eyes at his response.
“That being said…” he began. “I will let you know if they need anything,” he added with a wink.
“You know your shift ended 34 minutes ago,” Mr. Henry said as he walked up to you at the front desk.
“Oh, did it?” you asked nonchalantly. Normally you’d be clocking out the second your scheduled time ended, but now you had a reason to stay. The guys checked in four hours ago but no sign of them… yet.
“I can keep you on into the next hour, but then I’ll need you to clock out. You can linger here if you want, but I can’t pay you for it,” he said.
“Yes sir,” you said. Just then you saw the front desk phone light up with a room number that made your heart stop. You stared at the phone, stunned as if it suddenly grew legs.
“Answer it!” Mr. Henry commanded to break you from your trance.
“Hello?” You said in a panic, totally forgetting the customary front-desk-speech you’re supposed to recite each time you answer the phone.
The familiar voice belonging to the man in room 809 said, “Hello. Um, I know this is a strange request, but I was wondering if you could recommend the best local florist to me?” Oh great, he’s sending flowers to his girlfriend.
“Yes, yes, I can compose a list of our best local florists and deliver it to your room, Mr.—?” you ask.
“Wagner,” the voice answered. It was Danny, but you already knew that. You recognized his sweet, sultry voice immediately.
“Yes, Mr. Wagner,” you said, trying to keep the squeal out of your voice. “I’ll personally deliver this list to your room shortly.”
“Thanks, you’re an angel,” he said before hanging up. You hung up the front desk phone and took a deep breath. Did that really just happen?
“I’ll personally deliver this to your room shortly,” Mr. Henry mocked you in a high pitched voice.
“I’m just honoring our guest’s request,” you said while sticking your tongue out. You turned your attention to your computer and opened a new tab to start researching the local florists. Surely Danny knew how to use Google… Why in the world would he need to call the front desk of a hotel for something like this? Oh well. You weren’t going to question it because now you had a reason for making your way up to their floor.
You finished compiling a list of local florists, sorting them from highly rated to lowest, and hit print. You grabbed a mint from the bowl on the counter–that of course was intended for guests only–and reapplied your lip gloss before grabbing the list off the printer.
“Mr. Henry, I’m delivering this to our guest in room 809,” you said with a smirk. You made your way to the elevator and reminded yourself to take steady breaths as you hit the number 8 button. As the elevator moved up, you felt your stomach grow heavier. Relax. As if you had to command your legs to move, you forced yourself to walk through the open elevator doors. The short distance to room 809 now seemed to be a million miles away. Hoping your sweaty palms didn’t dampen the list of florists, you approached Mr. Wagner’s room and mustered up the courage to knock. As if your knuckles were made of glass, you lightly knocked on his door and waited for him to answer. Alas, the door opened and there in front of you stood a Greek God who came to Earth. You couldn’t believe he was actually there standing in front of you.
“Mr. Wagner, here is your requested list of the best local florists,” you stammered, wondering if you stumbled over any of your words in the process. You had no idea if the words that came out of your mouth were English. Hell, maybe you didn’t even speak at all.
“There’s my angel,” he said with a smile as he reached for the list in your hands. His fingers lightly grazed yours unintentionally, or was it? You watched his eyes move across your chest, surely just eyeing your nametag. “My sister’s birthday is tomorrow, so I’m needing a bouquet of daisies delivered to the venue,” he added as if to answer your unspoken question of why he would need a florist.
“Her favorite flower,” he said with a soft smile.
“She has great taste. That’s very kind of you,” you said while biting your lip to hide a relieved smile. “Is there anything else I can assist you with today, Mr. Wagner?”
“Please call me Danny,” he said with a nervous laugh.
“Mr. Wagner, I–” you began.
“Danny,” he interrupted. You stood there tight-lipped. You knew it was part of your job to always address guests formally, but you also knew that Danny would correct you every single time.
“Mr. Danny Wagner,” you said, finding a loophole, “is there anything else I can assist you with this afternoon?”
“Yes, actually,” he said. “Since I have you here, could you recommend what I should order for dinner?”
“Yes, of course. We have two wonderful restaurants on property that provide in-room service. Menus for both should be located on your dresser. Personally, I recommend the steak frites or the ahi tuna nachos,” you said.
“And would you be the one to make those deliveries?” he asked.
“No, sir. I will not be working this evening,” you said.
“So that means you are free to join me for dinner tonight?” he asked. Suddenly, you felt your body temperature rise. Your cheeks began to warm, showing a deep shade of red that no blush could ever create.
“Mr. Wagner, I–” you said.
“Danny,” he interrupted again.
“Mr. Danny Wagner, I don’t think–” you said.
“It’s just dinner. I’m going to put in two orders of steak frites and two orders of ahi tuna nachos to be delivered to my room by 7:00 p.m. I hope you will be back here to join me before then,” he said.
Without thinking, you immediately nodded. “Yes, I’ll be back,” you said. Suddenly, the most beautiful smile you’ve ever seen lit up his already glowing face. You swear his eyes even sparkled.
You went home to change out of your unflattering uniform and put on something that was both comfortable and cute. You freshened up your makeup, brushed your hair, and sprayed the expensive perfume that you always saved for special occasions on your neck. You stared at your Greta Van Fleet records and wondered if you should bring them for Danny to sign. Nobody was going to believe that you two were hanging out in his hotel room, and you sure as hell weren’t going to take a picture to prove it. But you wanted to remember what was probably just a fever dream forever, so you grabbed the records and put them in your tote bag. You gave yourself one final look in the mirror before walking out the door.
On the way back to the hotel, you started to feel nervous. Was this just going to be a one-night-stand? How often does he do this? What if he tries to take it too far? You contemplated turning the car around but something in your head told you to keep driving. No matter how attractive you found him or how much you loved his band, you would not be pressured to do anything you didn’t want to do. You pulled into the employee parking lot–even though you weren’t there as an employee–and took a deep breath before exiting your car. Carrying your tote bag with your Greta Van Fleet vinyls in it, you walked through the automatic glass doors and into the hotel lobby.
“What are you doing back so soon?” Mr. Henry called from behind the desk.
“I was invited to have dinner with a friend,” you said smugly.
“A friend, eh?” he said, narrowing his eyes.
“Yes, a friend who is staying on the top floor,” you said, meeting his gaze.
“Please do not harass our guests. I told you about their stay in confidence,” he whispered.
“Mr. Henry, a friend who happens to be staying here invited me to dinner so that’s where I am headed,” you said as you made your way to the elevator. “I’ll call the front desk if I need you,” you added before leaving the lobby.
As you hit the number 8 button inside the elevator, you nervously bit your lip as the doors closed. You gripped the strap of your tote bag tighter as you tried to remind yourself to stay cool. When the doors opened, you made your way to room 809 where you stood outside his door wondering if you made the whole thing up in your head earlier. There was no way this was real. If he answered the door and had no idea who you were because you made the whole thing up in your head, you would just make a run for it. You knew where all of the emergency exits were. Good plan. You lightly knocked on his door and awaited your fate. Suddenly, the familiar Greek God from earlier appeared in the doorway and was welcoming you inside his room. So it was real. Danny greeted you by name–good to know he wasn’t just staring at your boobs earlier–and you made your way into the hotel room that you knew like the back of your hand.
“The food should be here in about 15 minutes,” Danny said as he grabbed the remote to turn off the television. You made a mental note that he was watching golf on ESPN.
“I can’t wait,” you said as you took a seat on the small couch in the room. Sitting on his bed would just be rude.
“What’s in the tote bag?” Danny asked as he took a seat next to you. You could feel your cheeks start to blush as you pulled the vinyls out.
“I was hoping you’d sign these for me,” you said sheepishly.
“Oh hell yeah, of course,” Danny said excitedly as he grabbed the stack from you. “Uh, let me call and see if someone has a Sharpie.”
“It doesn’t have to be right now,” you added quickly.
“Well, I won’t forget. I promise,” he held up his pinky. You wrapped your pinky around his which made your heart beat faster. His big hands made yours look and feel tiny in comparison.
“I’m so excited for the show tomorrow,” you said.
“What song do you want to hear most?” he asked with a smirk.
“I already know the setlist,” you said, matching his smirk.
“Well, setlists aren’t set in stone, ya know? Seriously, what song would you want to hear tomorrow?” he asked again.
“Well… One song I noticed that wasn’t on the list that I would kill to hear live would probably be ‘Talk On The Street’ if you want total honesty,” you added. Suddenly, Danny jumped up and made his way into the closet.
“Uh, what are you doing?” you asked, feeling a little nervous. He grabbed a pair of drumsticks and made his way back over to join you on the couch. He turned his body to face you as he began tapping the drums on the sofa cushions. You recognized the beat instantly. He was playing “Talk On The Street'' flawlessly as if the cushions were his drum set. You watched his face as he concentrated on hitting the cushions; you couldn’t help but smile. Before he could finish his performance, a loud knock on the door startled you both.
“Here,” he said, handing you his drumsticks as he jumped up to answer the door. Your hands shook as you held his drumsticks in your hands. Signs of wear and tear were noticeable but they still held up well. You looked up to see Mr. Henry had pushed the room service cart into the room. Four covered dishes were neatly arranged on top of the white tablecloth, along with a bottle of wine and two long-stemmed wine glasses. You quickly met his gaze to give him a reassuring look that you were “ok” before he finished uncovering the dishes and arranging the polished silverware.
“Would you like me to open the bottle of wine, sir?” Mr. Henry asked Danny as he presented the bottle like it was a newborn baby.
“Yes, thank you,” Danny said as he shot you a wink. You felt your body melt into the sofa cushions and prayed you’d be able to climb back out. As Mr. Henry finished pouring the second glass of wine, he turned to you one last time to make sure you felt safe. Then he turned his attention to Danny and asked, “Is there anything else I can do for you this evening, sir?”
“No, I think we are all set,” Danny said as he held what looked to be a 100 dollar bill out toward Mr. Henry.
“I cannot accept tips, sir,” Mr. Henry said as he put his hands behind his back.
“I insist,” Danny said, holding the bill out even further.
“As the manager, I am legally unable to accept tips. I do appreciate the gesture,” Mr. Henry said as he bowed to Danny. He grabbed the silver covers to the dishes and made his way to exit the room. You watched him leave and realized you were squeezing the drumsticks so tight that you were probably going to get a splinter.
“I just realized you probably eat food from here all of the time. I should have ordered us something else,” Danny said as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck.
“No, I actually don’t. This is wonderful, thank you,” you said as you jumped up to join him near the front of the room. You held the drumsticks out to him but he held up his hand in protest.
“You can pretend you caught them at the concert,” he said playfully. You held the drum sticks close to your heart as a way of showing how meaningful this gesture was. You put your newest prized-possession inside your tote bag when Danny brought you over a glass of wine.
“Cheers to new beginnings,” he said as he lifted his glass for a toast.
“To new beginnings,” you repeated as you touched his glass to yours. You took a sip of the wine and watched his eyes linger on your face a little too long. He realized that he may have been staring and immediately cleared his throat before bringing the glass to his lips.
You both ate and drank while enjoying the simple company of one another. Danny controlled most of the conversation but not in an arrogant sort of way. You almost felt like it was a Q&A because he was asking you so many questions about your life. You could tell he was genuinely curious about who you were, your hobbies, your family, and more. You barely had an opportunity to ask him any similar questions because he was always ready with the next question for you. However, you were curious what the other guys were up to. Were they staying in the hotel or did they go out? Were they hanging out together in another room? You didn’t want to pry but curiosity got the best of you.
“So do you guys normally spend evenings alone when on tour?” you asked as you swirled your second glass of wine around. You were thankful to have had a moment to put him in the hot seat where he had to do the answering.
“Honestly it depends on the city and how long of a break we have,” Danny said as he smoothed his palms over the top of his pants. “I think everyone just wanted some alone time tonight.”
“I get that,” you said. While others needed to be in constant contact with friends or family, you found yourself often wanting to be isolated. It probably stemmed from having a job where you were always having to interact with the public. You didn’t mind spending evenings alone, but it was nice to be in his company. Oddly enough, you were also fighting the urge not to clean the dirty dishes from the room. You had to remind yourself that you were currently there as a guest and not an employee.
“We’ll probably party tomorrow night after the show,” he said. You consciously took your time forming a response as you finished your glass of wine. On the one hand, you considered this as an invitation to spend more time with him. On the other hand, you weren’t sure if you wanted to cringe at the idea of having to clean up their mess after they left.
“Don’t tell me you guys trash hotel rooms,” you said, covering your face.
“No, no, it’s not like that,” Danny said, grabbing your hands away from your face. You noticed he didn’t let go once he held them. You could feel the rough parts of his palms and fingertips–calluses from playing instruments. Your hands looked so small in his but you didn’t pull away.
“I meant it when I said you’re an angel,” he said quietly.
“I got you a list of florists. That’s hardly angelic,” you said, staring at your hands in his.
“I could simply tell from your voice. I didn’t even know what you looked like. But then when you came to my door, I knew I was right,” he said as he lightly ran his thumbs over the top of your hands.
“Do you normally call the front desk for things you could Google on your own in hopes of finding angels?” you asked playfully.
“I may have been influenced to call,” he said with a grin. Your bewildered expression caused him to laugh. “Your manager may have hinted that the girl working the front desk was a huge fan when he was escorting us to our rooms…”
“Oh my God,” you said as you tried to pull your hands away to cover your face in embarrassment, but his hold on your hands became firm. You felt your body heat up and you weren’t sure if it was because you were embarrassed or because you felt a connection while he held your hands tighter.
“It really is my sister’s birthday tomorrow. I really did need a florist,” he said laughing. “I just wanted to meet this huge fan for myself.”
“I’m so embarrassed,” you said, closing your eyes. If he was going to keep you from covering your face, you figured you’d do your best to hide by not looking at him.
“Don’t be,” he said as you felt him let go of your hands. Before you could open your eyes, you felt his fingers gingerly push a strand of hair away from your face. His touch sent waves of electricity through your body. You wanted him to put his hands all over you if that simple touch could cause such a reaction inside. You fought the temptation and used your better judgment, even though the combination of the wine and your attraction to him made it difficult to think clearly.
“It’s getting late and I have to be up early for work tomorrow,” you said as you watched the light in his eyes dim.
“Are you working tomorrow night?” he asked as if he were worried about something.
“No, no, I will be at the concert come hell or high water,” you said. “I’m bringing my outfit to work so I can change when I get off.”
“Where is your seat?” Danny asked.
“Oh, it’s not great but I’ll just be happy to be there,” you said.
“Can I get you a pit ticket?” he asked, grinning. You bit your lip to keep from smiling but the corners of your mouth gave you away. “I’ll pull a string or two to make sure I can see you from the stage.”
“That’s really not necessary, I–” you started.
“Please,” he said softly. You met his eyes and then realized he was being totally serious about wanting to watch you while he played.
“Yes, of course,” you said, not looking away from his stare as you studied his deep brown eyes. He jumped up again and went over to the dresser. You watched with curiosity as he returned back to you with a room key in his hand.
“I know you already have access to my room–wow, that sounds weird saying it aloud–but here,” he said, handing you the second key. “You can use my room to get ready in when you get off work. I have to be at the venue pretty early, so you’ll have the whole place to yourself. I’ll get a pit wristband somehow and leave it in here for you too.” The idea of not having to use the tiny breakroom to get ready for the concert was nice, but something about having one of his room keys made you feel a little nervous. “You can use it to come back to party with us after the show too,” he added. So it was an invitation earlier.
“Are you sure? I’d feel weird being in your room when you’re not here,” you said.
“Just don’t go through my underwear. Or do, I won’t know,” he said, grinning.
Now that you knew you were going to be up front at the concert, you started to wonder if the outfit you had planned was good enough. That being said, you had literally no other options and made the best of it. Mr. Henry was able to let you off work before 6:00 p.m., so you didn’t feel super stressed for time. You carried your outfit on its hanger and had your cosmetic bag in tow as you made your way to the elevator to get ready in Danny’s room. You still couldn’t believe he offered his personal space to you, but you were going to take advantage of the opportunity. You had an hour and a half before you had to call an Uber, so you made mental notes on where to start when you got to room 809. You scanned the key card and entered the room. Housekeeping had definitely been here because it was spotless; that is, unless Danny naturally kept his room that way. It could be a toss-up. As promised, an envelope with your name on it was sitting on top of the dresser. You put your stuff down on the couch and made your way over to open the envelope. You opened it to find not only a wristband but also a handwritten note that said:
I can’t wait to see you tonight.
When you finally got to the venue, you could hear the opening act loudly from the lobby. You asked an employee where to go to get on the floor, and she directed you to the general admission entrance. You entered the pit and stood behind rows of hundreds of fans; yet, you noticed your wristband was a completely different color from theirs. Not like anyone but you would even notice. You found a clear area in the back of the pit and hung out on the side barricade, enjoying what was left of the opening act. You weren’t sure when Greta Van Fleet would go on, but you were glad that you made it with plenty of time. The openers played their last song so you knew you had a brief intermission before Danny took the stage. The simple thought of seeing him again made you feel like you were floating.
“Excuse me,” you heard a deep voice say. You turned to see a large man, who was clearly working for security, standing near you. “You can follow me,” he motioned with his hand.
“Yes, I’ve been looking for a bright yellow wristband all night,” he said as if he were annoyed with you. Confused, you made your way out of the back entrance and followed him along the right side of the pit. You could feel people staring at you but you tried to focus on following the large man. Even though he was three times your size, the man moved quickly. He stopped near the front section of the pit and let you in at the side, the furthest right on the barricade. You felt bad moving up to a space that was so clearly coveted by the surrounding fans. You gave the girls next to you a soft smile to which they just turned their backs to you. Lovely.
The music started to play from behind the curtains and you felt every ounce of energy in the venue radiate. After what felt like an eternity, the curtain fell and even though there were four men on stage, you were immediately drawn to Danny. You loved seeing both versions of him: The soft, kind man who had his hair pulled back in a clip yesterday and the rockstar version with rhinestones, eyeliner, and full luscious curls. You screamed as the four of them took their positions on stage to play “The Falling Sky” but your eyes were still fixed on him. As if he could sense you, he met your gaze and playfully stuck his tongue out. You felt your knees get weak and you fought to stay standing. You grabbed your phone to record bits and pieces of the concert. Every time you moved your camera on Danny, he’d go especially crazy, no doubt showing out for you. You didn’t realize it, but you were biting your bottom lip so hard that you started to feel pain.
Once the guys started to head back toward the front from B stage, you realized why the security guard positioned you to this exact spot in the pit. You watched as Jake passed by you and felt your lungs almost give out when Danny personally handed you a white rose. Screams of fans enveloped all around you and you noticed many phones pointed at you too.
“Holy shit, did you just get a rose from Danny?” the girl who ignored you earlier asked.
“Yes,” you said breathlessly as reality was still setting in. You continued to watch in awe of the band as they performed the last half of their setlist. Part of you wondered if they’d stick to what you knew was coming after Danny made the comment last night about them not being set in stone, but you had about all you could take. If they were to play anything else, you wouldn’t make it out of the arena alive. As long as you were buried with this white rose, maybe it’d be worth it.
While you were watching the final song, you felt a tap on your right shoulder. You looked to see that it was the large security guard from earlier. Without a word, he motioned for you to exit and follow him. What the hell? The concert wasn’t even over yet. Not wanting to get on this man’s nerves any more than you inadvertently did, you slipped out the side of the barricade and followed him backstage. Even if he were to say something to you, the noise from the stage overpowered your senses. You couldn’t hear anything but the music. You weren’t sure where he was taking you, but you kept your rose and clear purse firmly clutched against your body. He finally stopped when he reached a small door in a dim hallway. The place kind of gave you the creeps.
“Danny asked me to get you out of there before it got too crazy,” the man finally spoke as he unlocked the door. Before you could say a word, he turned around and left you standing in the barren hallway. You entered the room and noticed a huge bouquet of daisies on the table in the middle of the room. No card, no note. His sister must have already taken it out before the concert. The local florist he chose did a beautiful job. You admired the soft petals before making your way to his vanity. You took a seat in the chair and stared at your reflection in the mirror. Your subtle rhinestones in the corners of your eyes had held up surprisingly well. You took the lipgloss out of your clear purse and reapplied it when you heard the doorknob start to turn. You spun around to see Danny entering the room. His tall stature took up the entire space of the doorway. Clad in only a pair of shiny white pants, you gulped when he locked the door behind him. You admired his back muscles before he quickly turned back to face you.
“That was incredible!” you squealed as he made his way over to you.
“Yeah?” he asked like he didn’t already know. He took the rose out of your hand and stuck it in the bouquet of daisies. It looked incongruous sticking over the top of the daisies that you had to giggle.
“As long as your sister doesn’t take my rose,” you said.
“Oh, those are yours,” Danny said, moving closer to you.
“I may or may not have ordered two bouquets. That one is yours,” he said as he was now close enough to touch you. “You said she had good taste. I assumed they’d be your favorite flower, too,” he said sheepishly.
“Yes, they absolutely are, but–” you started to say.
“I wanted to give you a daisy tonight instead of a rose, but Josh told me no. Between you and me, I think he was just mad I was copying him to begin with,” he said with a shrug.
“Everything about tonight was absolutely perfect. I can’t thank you enough,” you said.
“The second I saw you, I immediately got nervous,” Danny said.
“Shut up,” you said while rolling your eyes.
“No, seriously. I never get nervous before a show, but seeing you made me feel like I was under pressure,” he admitted.
“You wouldn’t have felt like that if you had let me keep my seat in the nosebleeds,” you said sticking your tongue out.
“I still would have found you out of the thousands of people. You naturally glow, angel,” Danny said as he softly touched your arm. You moved your hand over the top of his and admired his rare beauty. You felt your heart race as he moved his body closer to you. Even though he already towered over you when standing next to him, now that you were sitting down, he looked even more intimidating in the best way possible. You held your breath as he seemingly removed any open space between you two.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked in the most faint of voice you almost wanted him to ask you again. As if every word you’ve ever learned escaped your brain, you nodded. He leaned down and put his soft lips against yours. You felt your body relax as his hands moved across your back, pulling you closer into an embrace. His lips pushed yours open and his musician’s fingers glided up your back until they reached your neck. You moaned as if you had never tasted anyone so sweet, so good in all your life. The noise that escaped you only seemed to ignite the fire that was already lit inside him. This kiss was becoming dangerous, and now you had a new reason why you weren’t going to make it out of the arena alive. As if he sensed the same need for caution, Danny slowly pulled away and left you wanting more.
“Now that was incredible,” he said in a voice so low you barely heard him because there was a loud, obnoxious knock at the door. You watched as he nervously situated himself to answer the door. You obviously weren’t the only one who got excitedly lost in the kiss. You watched as he took a deep breath and shook his head before opening the door. Without warning, Sammy entered the room carrying a bottle of tequila.
“Are we partying here or taking it back to the hotel?” he loudly announced as he made his way into the room. He stopped moving when he noticed you sitting in the chair.
“Oh shit, was I interrupting something?” he asked with a nervous grin.
“No, no,” you said as you jumped down from the chair. “I was just leaving,” you said as you grabbed the vase of daisies with the tall rose sticking out the top.
“You still have the room key?” Danny leaned in and asked you quietly.
“Will I see you soon then?” he asked as if he were holding on to your every word.
“Yes,” you repeated. He relaxed into a smile and rubbed your arm.
You called an Uber to take you home so you could put your new vase of flowers away before you Ubered back to the hotel where your car was. Before leaving the house, you stuck an extra change of clothes, your toothbrush, and a phone charger in a purse just in case you weren’t coming back home for the evening. You did have a key to a hotel room, after all. When you got to the hotel, you recognized concert-goers in the lobby based on the outfits. You blended right in with your rhinestones, glitter, and pearls. You wondered what these people would do if you revealed the band was secretly occupying the same space as them. Keeping that secret made you feel even more confident as you made your way up to room 809.
You could hear music blaring from their end of the hallway as soon as you stepped out of the elevator. The security guard from earlier was positioned right outside the elevator doors. Like an old friend, you gave him a wave to which he ignored. He didn’t say a word to you as you walked around him. “Great talking to you again,” you said as you made your way to find where the music was coming from. Doors were propped open and you tried to ignore the safety hazards that were everywhere. You walked past rooms crowded with faces you didn’t know, scanning for the one that made your heart beat faster. Unlike the others, room 809’s door was closed. You scanned the key card and let yourself in. There you found Danny, Sammy, and another girl pouring shots. Danny called out your name as you nervously shut the door behind you. Danny introduced you to his friends when Sammy said, “We’ve already met, remember?”
“Hi, I’m Josie,” the girl said, holding out her hand.
“This is my sister,” Danny said as he pulled Josie into a side hug.
“Oh! Happy birthday!” you exclaimed when shaking her hand.
“Thank you!” she said as she handed you a shot glass.
“To another trip around the sun,” Sammy said as he held up his shot glass to make a toast. You touched your shot glass to theirs and threw back the liquid that burned all the way down. Trying to mask your disgust, you cleared your throat.
“Here,” Danny said, holding a can of White Claw out to you. “This will help cut the burn. Sorry, Josie insisted on us taking tequila shots for her birthday.” You took the can and was grateful for the chaser.
You panicked a little when you scanned the hotel room and noticed your stuff from earlier was nowhere to be found. Your cosmetic bag, work uniform, and shoes weren’t in the spot where you left them earlier. As if he could sense your uneasiness, Danny whispered in your ear, “Your things are in the closet.” You gave him a soft smile to show that he had read your mind perfectly.
You continued the evening party hopping from one room to the next with Danny on your arm. Every room had a different sound, vibe, and smell to it. You did your best to ignore the state laws being broken right in front of you when the boys blew smoke out into the hallway. You were a guest, remember? Not an employee. You silently prayed they wouldn’t trigger the smoke detectors, but you had a feeling they were experts at avoiding that by now. It was a surreal moment getting to hangout with your favorite band. Getting to see them on stage was one thing but getting to see them act natural in a relaxed environment was a whole different experience.
As if the work day and concert was starting to catch up to you, you stifled a yawn that you tried to keep hidden. It was a little past 2 a.m. and the party showed no signs of stopping. Danny noticed your attempt at hiding your yawn and squeezed your shoulder before announcing to everyone in the room that he was calling it a night.
“What?” Josh yelled. “You can sleep on the bus all day tomorrow.”
“Not with your snoring,” Danny responded back. You made a mental note that Josh snores loudly. Then again, who would you have to tell that would believe you?
“It was so nice to meet all of you,” you said as you waved both hands to the dozens of people occupying the small space. Josie jumped up to give you a hug goodbye and you noticed a look you couldn’t quite pinpoint that she exchanged with her brother. You followed Danny out of the room where he took your hand and led you back to his room.
“You really didn’t have to cut the party short on my behalf,” you said as you followed him inside.
“I can party with them every night. I want to spend more time with you,” he said.
“Well,” you said looking at the time, “you have a little under 8 hours until check out.”
“What if I request a late checkout? Do you know anyone who could pull some strings for me?” he said, pulling you into a bear hug.
“I would let you stay as long as you want, but I don’t think my say matters,” you said into his chest.
“You’d let me stay forever?” he said as his chin rested on top of your head.
“That’s certainly the latest checkout time I’ve ever heard, but I’d make it work for you,” you said. You felt him let go and you looked up to see him looking down into your eyes. He still had his concert makeup on, but then again, so did you. He quietly said your name and you felt your bones turn to jello.
“Would you like to stay the night with me?” he asked.
“What if I told you I had my toothbrush and a change of clothes already in my purse?” you answered his question with a question. His face lit up with that contagious smile. Suddenly, he picked you up and carried you to the bed. You squealed with laughter as he dropped you gently on top of the comforter.
“Mr. Wagner, are we going to leave a trail of rhinestones in this bed?” you asked playfully as you propped yourself up on your elbows.
“I won’t mess up your makeup, angel,” he said as he stood over you.
“What if I wanted you to?” you asked with a smirk.
“I’ll give you anything you want,” he said as he began to remove his clothes. You had already seen him shirtless earlier, but seeing his muscles again made you short of breath. You followed his lead and began to remove your top. He then started to take off his shoes where he held on to your legs for balance. Without removing his hands from your body, he moved his way up your thighs and lingered near the waistband of your shorts.
“You may,” you said, matching his tone, “such a gentleman.” He slowly pulled your shorts down while you laid back on the bed. Danny smiled as he gazed over your matching bra and panty set–something you were mindful of when deciding what to wear tonight.
“My, my, my,” he said as he admired your body.
“I believe you’d be more comfortable out of those pants,” you said when you noticed the large bulge behind his zipper. He immediately began to unbutton his own pants and pulled them down. He now stood in front of you wearing nothing but a thin pair of boxer briefs that left nothing to the imagination. You pulled your body up and moved your fingers over his chest that started to heave in anticipation. He moved closer to you and you felt his hands slowly move down your back until they met your bra. As if undoing a bra clasp was his area of expertise–and maybe it was but you didn’t want to think about that–you felt the straps fall in one swift motion. Your breasts were bare and when you met Danny’s eyes, you could see a shudder run through him. He gently pushed you back on the bed and traced his mouth over your right nipple before taking it into his mouth. You rubbed your fingers through his thick ringlets and couldn’t believe how soft they felt.
His mouth moved from your chest as it kissed every inch of your stomach until he reached your panties. As if waiting for your permission, Danny lingered until you gave him another sign of approval by inching yourself up so he could remove your panties easier. His calloused fingertips traced your hips when he pulled your panties down, exposing the sacred part of you. “Fuck” he gritted out. You let out a giggle and wrapped your legs around his waist, moving him toward you. It looked like he stopped breathing when you pulled the waistband of his boxer briefs down and saw his large erection up close and personal. Wow. “You’re the sexiest man on the fucking planet,” you said as you gazed up at him. That was all he could handle. He climbed on top of you and you felt his hard erection rub against the top of your center where it rested on your stomach. He took you in mouthfuls at a time. His tongue parted your lips and you breathed him in. You moved your fingers back to his curls where you pulled fistfuls gently as you drew him closer. You heard him say your name as his lips moved to kiss your neck, nipping you lightly with his teeth. You arched your back and pushed your hips into him, signaling you were ready for him. Suddenly you screamed when you felt two fingers, that had once been so gentle against your skin, now sliding inside of you. “I want you so bad,” you moaned as he moved his fingers in and out of you in a rough, repeated motion. You could hear the sound of your own wetness and could only imagine what his dick would feel like inside of you. “Please,” you moaned. You weren’t one to beg, but the effect he had over you was hypnotic. You felt him slowly remove his fingers and when you looked at him, he put them inside of his mouth–not breaking eye contact. He reached inside the nightstand where he pulled out a shiny gold wrapper. You waited in anticipation as he slid the condom over himself. He returned back to your wanting body and grabbed fistfuls of your ass to pull you to the edge of the bed. You parted your thighs as an invitation for him to enter, and he slowly pushed his way inside of you. “Oh, Danny,” you moaned as you threw your head back on the bed. You felt him enter deeper, still taking his time to make sure you were ok. Your white knuckles clenched the comforter beneath you as the intense pleasure took over you completely. Now that he had made himself known, he went at you harder. You whimpered as he continued to deliver deep, hard thrusts that you hoped would never end. You couldn’t help but to scream as his primal instincts made you start to writhe beneath him.
“I’m going to cum,” you yelled as you felt your body tighten beneath him.
“Cum for me, angel,” he moaned. And as if you’d follow his every command, an orgasm shuddered through you. Your hands found his strong arms where you gripped his biceps, digging your nails into his flesh. He continued to hit deeper and you thought you were going to black out. “Oh my god,” you yelled out as you felt his hands tighten against your legs. He was at his breaking point–you felt him collapse on top of you breathing out a “holy shit” in the process. The once perfect curls that framed his face now stuck to his sweaty skin. He rolled over to lay beside you as you both struggled to catch your breath.
“Holy shit,” he repeated. You turned to face him, admiring the features of his beautiful face. You always had a soft spot for him, but the last two days have made you absolutely crazy for him. You knew this was only going to be a hookup; as much as you would love to lay next to–and especially under–this man every day for the rest of eternity, it would be impossible. You chose not to dwell on the fact that he could never be just yours, so instead you chose to enjoy the fact that you didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world at this moment.
“What are you thinking?” he asked as he studied your face. Your eyes must have given away your busy mind. You met his eyes that were once soft, then animalistic, and now concerned.
“I’m thinking about how I wish I could be in every hotel you stay at,” you admitted.
“You know, the tour is currently on its last leg of dates,” he said as he pushed your hair back from your face. “I’ll be free in a little over a month.”
“You wouldn’t want to come back here during your time off,” you said, shaking your head. You knew he was only telling you things that you wanted to hear. You knew the closest you’d ever get to him again was going to be watching concert videos from tonight on your phone.
“I would absolutely come back here. Those steak frites were incredible,” he teased. “Oh, I would come back for you too, of course.” You rolled your eyes and tried to turn away but he pulled you closer to him. He nuzzled his face into the nape of your neck. “Why do you smell like strawberries?” he said.
“My conditioner,” you laughed.
“I love it,” he inhaled. “Use it again on November 20 when I check back into this hotel.”
“Shut up,” you said as you playfully hit his arm.
“Will you leave me rose petals on the bed?” he asked. “Is that something I can call and request before I arrive?”
“I’m sorry. That’s not a request we can accommodate, Mr. Wagner,” you said in your customer-service-voice.
“I’m sure the angel working the front desk will pull some strings for me,” he said as he squeezed you tighter.
“I’ll see what I can do,” you said as you enjoyed the moment in his embrace. He began kissing your neck and you felt goosebumps erupt all over your body. His kisses became more frequent and passionate, and you sensed he was ready to go again when you felt his dick harden against your thigh.
“Again?” you said as both a question and an invitation.
“Good thing I have a late checkout,” he said with a smile as he pulled you on top of him.
