Chapter six.

The girls took their seats, which were just inches from the stage. Cassandra could see every detail of the opening band's instruments as the stage crew brought them out onto the stage and set everything up. She could see people shuffling about backstage getting ready for the opening performance.

"Wow, look how close we are, Cassie!" teased Eloise. "You can reach out and touch Jason from here!"

Cassandra was now feeling rather ecstatic to be seeing him perform in person, and being so close to the stage was definitely a plus!

Especially after meeting him in person just an hour or so before. Thoughts of their meeting earlier that evening crept into her head, and she couldn't seem to shake the image from her mind of that gorgeous face smiling down at her.

She quickly brushed it off as she figured it was just the after-effects of meeting her former teen crush.

(•)

As the generic background music faded out and the lights dimmed, the murmur of the chattering crowd grew quiet in eager anticipation.

However, Cassandra didn't share their same enthusiasm at this point because she knew she'd have to sit through an agonizing thirty or so minutes of the opening act before her beloved trio hit the stage.

Blue Moon consisted of three handsome and talented men; Jason was the lead vocals, Kyle played the drums, and Andy on lead guitar. Andy and Kyle both joined Jason on backup vocals for many of the songs as well.

While Cassandra loved the entire band and had nothing but love and respect for their music and artistry, she had always only had eyes for Jason Cole.

The opening act came out with high energy and a big sound, so they ended up being somewhat entertaining. Cassandra learned that they were a somewhat new band on the scene called X-factor, also hailing from the U.K.

The lead singer was a lovely tall blonde woman with mad singing skills, and she appeared to be in her early 20's. They played many upbeat, poppy music and threw a few slower ballads in toward the end.

No matter how entertaining they were, Cassandra was ready to see Blue Moon come out onto the stage.

The wait was killing her, and Cassandra realized that she was feeling that same fluttery feeling from earlier in her stomach again. So, when the last song was over; and X-Factor finally left the stage, Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief.

(•)

The crew scrambled about in a frenzy, removing the first band's equipment and pulling out the expansive musical gear for Blue Moon from the far back of the stage.

Cassandra's heart pounded as she spotted their bass drum with their signature logo on the front. The name of their band was coloured in azure blue and yellow gold and spelled out with letters in the shape of moons.

She remembers scribbling that very logo all over her school books while daydreaming in class as a freshman in high school. This entire night had her feeling so nostalgic, and she was having a great time.

The next song was a high-powered pop song from the early days of their career, and Jason and the guys bounced energetically around the stage, making the crowd go nuts.

They waved their hands in the air to the beat of the music. Some fans held up signs that read, " Marry me, Jason".

Many were taking pictures and videos, and Cassandra caught a glimpse of one girl crying. Throughout the following few songs, Cassandra could have sworn that Jason kept looking in her direction.

But it was nothing quite as obvious as the intentional stare-down that he gave her during her personal "serenade" from earlier in the show. She and Eloise danced and sang to every note up until intermission.

Once the band left the stage and the lights went up for the 15-minute break, Eloise couldn't wait to talk about what had transpired during the first half of the set.

(•)

"Oh my gosh, Cass... what in the hell was that? Did you see the way Jason Cole looked at you? He sang right to you, girl!" Eloise gushed.

"I'm sure he was just being friendly, El, since we were the last ones at the meet and greet earlier."

Cassandra tried to shrug the event off as if it were nothing. However, she felt herself smiling from ear to ear as it was giving her quite the warm fuzzy feeling.

"Uh, huh." Eloise teased with a smirk.

The girls were beyond giddy as they chatted about the song and the first half of the concert. They discussed which song was their favorites and which ones they wanted to hear during the second half.

Just then, the lights dimmed, and the spotlights beamed onto the stage from the area above, which meant it was time for the second set to begin.

Jason appeared from backstage as he swaggered out to the front of the stage. He was wearing a different outfit from earlier.  Cassandra's jaw dropped when she spotted his muscular arms showing from beneath the short sleeves of a fitted black tee shirt.

His ripped-faded jeans sat low on his hips, and she caught a slight glimpse of his tight abs beneath his shirt as he reached up to put the microphone it the stand.

The look was different than the trendy beige sweater and dark pants he wore during the first set. The way the shirt fits just right accented his broad shoulders and firm, rippled stomach. The sight of him made Cassandra feel a warm rush flow throughout her body.

He was a stunning, take-your-breath-away, gorgeous man, and any woman would be lucky to have just one night with him.

He always had a reputation of being quite the playboy throughout the years, and as far as Cassandra knew, he had never married.

The second set started with an upbeat song from their newest album. High energy and perfect vocals made this tune a real show stopper, and the crowd screamed for more.

As the band sang some of their older songs, it took Cassandra back to her teenage years, and she still knew every lyric. She was surprised to feel those old, schoolgirl crush feelings return as the show progressed.

She felt the same way tonight as she did all those years ago when she first laid eyes on Jason from her living room couch.

The band slowed it down and sang another one of Cassandra's favourites, "Tell Me You Love Me". Jason slowly made his way back to center stage as he belted out those beautiful tenor notes, and the song showed off his expansive vocal range.

He inched his way to the very edge of the stage directly in front of Cassandra. He was so close that the tips of his shoes were literally hanging off the edge. Suddenly, Jason lowered himself to one knee and reached his hand out toward Cassandra.

"Holy shit! Could this actually be happening right now?" she thought.

It was as if everything was moving in slow motion. Cassandra reached up and felt Jason envelope her hand into his and instantly felt an electric shock run up her arm, sending shivers throughout her entire body.

She felt her face become hot and flushed, and her knees became weak. Those gleaming blue eyes looked right into hers, and it was as if her heart was going to pound right out of her chest.

Cassandra couldn't believe that one touch from this sexy crooner could have such a profound physical effect on her.

When Jason finally stood back up, his hand slid reluctantly from her grip as if he didn't want his hand to leave hers.

Before making his way to the other end of the stage, Jason looked down at her and smiled, flashing those dimples she loved so much, giving her a quick, flirty wink.

Eloise turned to look at Cassandra and gave her the thumbs-up sign. Nothing and no one was going to knock the smile off of Cassandra's face for the rest of the night!

Tbc