Chapter 1
Bobbi heard her phone ding in her hand and glanced down at it as the car rolled to a stop. She smiled at the first few words she could read of the message but had to bring her attention back to her surroundings when she heard her name being called.
"You ready, Bobbi?"
Bobbi looked up and over at Alex as she stowed her phone away. Her manager had barely looked up from her phone when she had spoken and had her short blonde hair falling down in front of her face.
"Yeah. Let's do this." Bobbi said.
She felt a hand reach over and grab her, giving it a gentle squeeze. The smooth and un-calloused fingers felt foreign against the back of her hand but she smiled none the less at their owner. She glanced up at his bright blue eyes and wished somehow they were green instead. She shook the thought from her head as she smiled bigger.
"You ready?" She asked Aaron, sitting next to her.
"Let's do this!" He said. He unbuckled and stepped out the car on his side. Once the door opened, Bobbi's ears filled with the sound of cheers, screams, calls.
Within the minute, her own door was opened and the driver stepped aside to let her out. She started to reach for the hand she expected to be there but felt only air. She made sure to gather up the long skirts of her silky silver dress and pulled her shawl over her shoulders tighter as a cool wind whipped through the street.
Aaron stood a few feet away, already waving and smiling at the crowd that had gathered.
Bobbi heard her name being called by several hundred people, it seemed like, and turned to face them, sending them a smile and a wave.
Aaron soon noticed that she now held the crowds attention and snaked his arm around her waist and started to lead her towards the opening of the white long tent. Alex walked closely behind them, talking into her headset as she went.
"Bobbi has arrived. What's the ETA on the boys?"
Bobbi kept her ear strained to catch Alex's conversation but found it hard when she was stationed in front of the long wall of logos and told to smile for the multitude of cameras pointed her way.
Aaron held on tight to her waist and pulled her close. Bobbi kept her face straight but felt a possible sneeze coming on at the scent of his cologne.
Soon enough Alex wrenched his arm from Bobbi's waist and moved him further down the red carpet, telling Bobbi to stay put.
When she heard Alex mutter into her headset, "Send the boys in," Bobbi started to glance all around her for their familiar faces.
She smiled genuinely when she saw them enter the tent and walked towards her.
Alfie led the pack, running his hand through his curly brown hair as he waved to the cameras and the crowd standing behind them. He was messing up the neat hair job Bobbi was sure several hair stylists had worked hard on to help maintain his head of curls. But his black three piece suit remained impeccable.
Sam followed closely behind and gave a few smiles out to the cameras and the crowd. But he kept a quick pace and came to stand next to Bobbi as Alex started to position them around her. His suit matched Alfie's, as Bobbi was sure Alex had arranged it to. But his hair did not need the help Alfie's did. His dirty blonde locks were pulled back and wrapped up into a nice man bun, sitting high on the back of his head.
The crowd had started to scream when Alfie and Sam had stepped out of their car. But its volume tripled when the door to the car behind them opened up and its only occupant stepped out.
Bobbi shook her head when she saw he had ridden over in his own town car.
Theo took his sweet time walking over to where Bobbi and the other boys stood, casually buttoning only one of his jacket buttons over his black and white patterned button-up. And only about half of those buttons would be actually buttoned, Bobbi was sure of it.
He gave a half-smile to the screaming crowd and waved up at them. He even paused to take a few solo photos at the start of the red carpet, running his hand through his perfectly styled dark brown hair. That move received an additional scream from the crowd and he smirked as he finally turned away and walked over to the rest of the band.
"Thank you for finally showing up," Alex said, her tone snarky as she wasted no time in setting Theo into place.
"My pleasure." Theo replied. He smirked when he locked eyes with Bobbi and a wave of strong emotion came over her. He set his lips in a tight line then looked away and Bobbi was grateful one of them did. She huffed a bit to let out the tension she felt but then turned once again toward the cameras. Her smolder replaced her smile as the boys were arranged around her.
Theo stood behind Sam, who stood right behind Bobbi, Alfie set on the other side, the group staggered in their normal positions.
Shouts came from every direction and they stayed stationary for a few moments.
Then with Alex's command, they all started down the red carpet.
Alex immediately sent Alfie and Bobbi over to an awaiting reporter, and then told Theo and Sam to go to another further down.
Alfie and Bobbi stepped up in front of the mics held out to them and said hi, at the same time and in the same tone.
The woman was taken back for a moment by their synchronized answer but laughed it off as she started it in on her interview. She even dared to open her line of customary questions with a quick joke about the telepathy between siblings.
Alfie and Bobbi gave her a pity laugh in response, acting if they hadn't heard every joke or comment about their relationship before.
The interviewer then jumped in on her questions, seemingly aware of the lack of time she was allowed with them.
The questions were the same as they always were. They might have differed in order or phrasing but they remained the same at every award show, every party, every red carpet event Bobbi had attended. And they didn't differed at the Grammys.
Since she was paired with Alfie for every single interview they did for these things, the two of them had developed a flow on who answered what questions.
Interviewer: "So are you guys excited to be here?"
Alfie always took these as he was better at seeming enthusiastic and Bobbi had enough of an acting job to do.
"Of course. We are always so excited to be invited to every award show we attend. But we are especially honored to be invited back to the Grammy's."
Interview: "And this is your third year attending as a band, is that correct?"
The interview did a good job pulling her mic in then immediately extending it back towards the duo as they spoke.
The factual questions always went to Bobbi.
"Yes. This is our third year. We've been lucky enough to be nominated every year so far and we are extremely honored to be nominated again this year. Whether or not we win doesn't matter. It's simply so exciting to be here tonight."
Interviewer: "Bobbi, you of course look beautiful tonight."
Bobbi's smile tightened as she answered. Alfie sensed her movement as she stood up a bit straighter.
"Thank you!"
Interviewer: "Who are you wearing tonight?"
"Chanel. I've been able to work with their head designer a few times before and I always enjoy wearing his beautiful creations."
Interviewer: "And Alfie you look very handsome. Did your sister help pick out your suit?"
Bobbi chuckled and smiled over at Alfie.
"I always help him pick out his outfits. He would have shown up in his tee-shirt and jeans if I hadn't intervened."
Alfie shrugged with his hands in his pockets as the interviewer chuckled along with Bobbi.
Interviewer: "And Bobbi, I saw you have a date with you tonight. Who is it this time?"
Bobbi clasped her hands tighter together to keep them from striking out, the smirk and glint in the interviewer's eyes was not helping.
Alfie leaned forward to answer as he always did.
"Well, technically she's my date tonight."
The distraction worked, as it always did, and the interviewer turned her mic towards him, asking him to clarify.
"Well, when we were younger and just messing around in our garage, I made Bobbi here promise me that no matter what happened, if any of us got big, that we would bring the other one with them as their date. Its the rule that's helped keep the band together."
His cute anecdote was sweet enough to send the interviewer off topic and away from the topic of Bobbi's love life. The paparazzi asked enough of those questions and her choices of dates sent around plenty of rumors, Bobbi didn't need to add any fuel to the fire.
Interviewer: "Now there seems to be some speculation as to how long Wild Wallflowers has actually been together. Seems in different interviews, you guys give different answers. Can you clarify?"
Alfie glanced to Bobbi and she gave him the smallest shake of her head. He turned his smile back to the interviewer and started in his speech.
"Yeah, there always seems to be some confusion on this topic. I keep trying to set the story straight but maybe nobody listens to me. I don't know."
The interviewer laughed lightly at his joke and Alfie kept going.
"Bobbi, Theo and I actually all grew up together. We started Wild Wallflowers in our garage back in Boston when we were kids. We were called the Fidgets then. We asked Sam to join the band when we were gaining traction and switched the name to Wild Wallflowers when we were signed to Capitol."
Interviewer: "And when was that exactly?"
Alfie turned his glance to Bobbi to confirm.
"Five years ago?"
"Four." She corrected.
Alfie nodded then turned back to the interviewer.
"Right. Four years just this past November. My mistake."
Interviewer: "There have certainly been rumors floating around you guys recently. There's talk of Theo going solo. He definitely seems to be a fan favorite. Can you two confirm or deny those rumors?"
Bobbi scoffed at the question and rolled her eyes, taking a slight step away. This interviewer was apparently more daring than the rest. Alfie jumped in to answer and cover up Bobbi's reaction.
"No, we're are not breaking up. Theo is not going solo. We are all very happy where we are."
Bobbi's reaction apparently did not escape the interviewers notice, it seemed to only encourage her.
Interviewer: "But there have been rumors of tension between you and Theo, Bobbi. What can you say about that?"
"Nothing." Was Bobbi's quick reply.
She started to move away before the interviewer could finish her next question and Alfie gently pushed the mic away.
"Thank you. That's enough." Alfie clarified.
Alfie hurried to catch up with Bobbi's quick pace. By the time they reached the large double glass doors leading into the award show, Theo and Sam had finished their own interview and met them there.
Bobbi saw Theo cough into his hand at the last question their interviewer asked and quickly turn away. Sam wrapped up the interview just like Alfie had done, like they had both been trained to.
She locked eyes with Theo for a second, his smile gone from his face for the first time in the night, replaced by a hard look and a tight jaw.
Before either of them said anything, Alex popped up next to Bobbi and led her into the theater, ahead of the boys. Aaron was standing inside and resumed his spot next to her. He placed his hand on the small of her back, a little lower than Bobbi would have liked. The hand was almost immediately removed when Theo spoke.
Aaron turned from Bobbi to face Theo, extending the hand that had just been on her back out to Theo in greeting. Bobbi was sitting down in her seat in the front row of the theater in front the stage by the time he returned his attention to her. She made sure to smile up at him as he sat down next to him. She even squeezed his hand affectionately as the cameras turned on and the show started.
The show went long, as they all did. But Bobbi stayed calm by smiling up and chatting to Aaron when appropriate, and passing jokes back and forth with Alfie. She cheered when friends of the band won and waited patiently for their category to come up. Even after two Grammys and several other music awards, Bobbi still felt her knee start to twitch up and down when they started to reach the end of the night and their category was next.
She had her hand in Aaron's but held it loosely, as it felt rather sweaty in her own and a bit like a dead fish. Her other hand was wrapped tightly in Alfie's and he kept squeezing it to help keep her calm. The frequency of his jokes rose as the night progressed and he had her laughing when the presenter stepped up to the stage for "Record of the Year".
She calmed her laugh to make sure that she held the appropriate expression for one waiting to hear whether or not they won. She didn't realize that she had stopped breathing all together until the stick thin model ripped open the envelope, read what was inside and leaned forward in the mic.
"And the winner, for Record of the Year, is...." she paused for dramatic effect and Bobbi felt certain she could hear the breathing of her fellow band mates stop all together as they stared up at the stage.
"Wild Wallflowers, for Only You!"
Bobbi was out of her seat with her arms around Alfie once the presenter started on the first syllable of Wallflowers.
Alfie wrapped his arms around her waist and squeeze her tight, cheering into her ear. He released her and turned to the others. Bobbi paused for a moment, unsure what to do and then remembered her date, who had stood up behind her. She saw the cameras had already panned over to their row and smiled up at Aaron. She threw her arms in the air then around his neck, cheering. He hugged her back and his hands rested on her lower back. Bobbi released him from the hug quickly then made to follow after the guys as they exited their row and headed for the stage.
Sam hung back and let Alfie pass him, pausing at the end of the row to give Bobbi a hug and then lead her up the stairs onto the stage.
Theo was the first one up on stage and immediately walked over to the presenter and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. Bobbi made sure to focus on walking up the steps and not trip on her dress or her very high high heels.
She held onto Sam for balance but let go once she reached the top step.
She walked over to Alfie as he held the golden record player and beamed at him, her excitement uncontainable.
He gestured for her to step up to the mic, passing the award to her. He joined Sam and Theo off to the side and just in the periphery of Bobbi's eyesight.
Bobbi stepped up to the mic and stared down at the award she held in her hands. It trembled slightly with her own hands and she had to take a deep breath before looking up at the expansive crowd before her to speak.
"Wow." Was the first thing she could think of to say. She glanced back down at the award to try and gather her thoughts.
"Um, I just want to say thank you, to everyone who helped us make this record. It was an honor to work with all our producers. Thank you guys for sticking by us and believing in us and helping make our vision for this song a reality."
She couldn't contain the smile on her face and her cheeks where starting to ache. Her hands continued to tremble and she glanced over at the guys to try and think of what else to say.
She had never been good at this part, as she felt always overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude. But as the unofficial front man of the band, it was expected of her.
She saw Alfie start mouthing words and she nodded at him.
"I of course want to thank our label. For letting four kids from Boston live their dream."
Alfie's mouthed the word Alex and Bobbi continued.
"And of course our management. How you guys put up with us I'm not quite sure. But we appreciate your patience and understanding. You guys seem to have our best interest at heart."
Bobbi glanced back down at the award at her hands, seeing a flash of the hours, days, weeks, all the energy and time that it took the get them there. She only felt tears start to sting the corners of her eyes when she looked up back at the boys staring straight at her, pride and pure happiness alit on each of their faces. She smiled at Alfie and Sam and even dared to lock eyes with Theo.
She stared at his bright green eyes while she started to speak again then turned back out to the crowd.
"And I want to thank these three boys, right here, most of all. With out them, I would not be who I am. They are everything to me. They are all I'll ever need in this life. And I love them all so dearly. Thank you so much!"
She held the award over her head and the crowd erupted again in cheers. The music played and the host and presenters led them off stage. Bobbi shared another hug backstage with Alfie, squeezing him tight. She felt a few tears of happiness roll down her cheeks but wiped them away before they could harm any of her dark makeup look.
They were escorted back to their seats during the next commercial break and sat out the rest of the show in a peaceful excitement, content with their winnings.
Bobbi was finally headed back to the hotel after they made a short appearance at the Grammy after party.
Immediately, once they had entered the large ballroom, Aaron lead her around and talked her up to the biggest names in the industry. He talked more than she did in that hour and she politely nodded along. She got the chance to grab a few of her fellow musicians that she knew and congratulate them on their winnings. But she was the most excited when Alex finally came round to find her and lead her and Aaron out the front doors and back past the line of paparazzi.
Aaron tried to walk a bit slower, to grant the photographers a good moment between him and Bobbi. But Bobbi kept her hand locked tightly in his and almost dragged him toward the awaiting black car.
She blocked out all of the questions shot her way, as she tried to kept focused on heading back to the hotel.
Unfortunately some of them made their way through her determination.
"Hey Bobbi! Who's this?"
"This your new boyfriend, Bobbi?"
"Another boy toy, Bobbi?"
"Don't you think you should just pick one, Bobbi?"
"How does Sam feel about this one, Bobbi?"
She laughed slightly at this last one, shaking her head at the absurdity of their implications. She chuckled as she followed Alex into the back seat of the car.
Aaron gave one final wave to the cameras before Bobbi had to grab his hand and pull him into the car.
The driver took off once the door was shut and Bobbi slumped in her seat, taking a deep breath for the first time all night.
They rode in silence mostly. Bobbi would have tried to make small talk with Aaron, to try and get to know him a bit better. They had chatted on the way to the theater but even then, she wasn't quite sure what it was he did for a living.
But he stared at his phone the whole ride and barely even notice they had stopped in front of his condo complex.
"This is you." Alex said.
That was enough to finally get him to look up and glance around.
"Oh. Okay." He unbuckled his buckle and turned to Bobbi.
"I had a really great time tonight." He said. His eyes were dark as he stared at her intently.
Bobbi nodded and gave him a small smile, her lips pressed together tightly.
"Yeah. Thank you so much for coming."
Just as Aaron started to lean a bit forward, Bobbi stretched out her hand.
Aaron stared at it blankly then glanced up at her confused. Her expression remained the same and her hand remained outstretched.
He glanced down at it and then shook it gingerly, unsure what was exactly happening.
He let it go and then started to climb out of the car.
"Have a good night." Bobbi called out to him as he stepped out side.
He sent her a half-hearted wave in reply before shutting the door.
And before Bobbi even saw him make it to the entrance of his building, the car was off, speeding down the road to the hotel.
Any trace of exhaustion was washed out of her system as they drove.
She sat up straight in her seat and her leg started to twitch again as they got closer.
"Stop that." Alex said, from her seat across the way. She didn't even bother looking up from her phone.
"I cant help it." Bobbi mumbled, her eyes glued to the outside to see if she could spot the hotel.
"Well, try." Was all Alex had to say on the matter.
Bobbi took a deep breath and forced her leg to stop moving.
Soon enough the lit awning outside the hotel came into view and the car rolled to a stop outside.
The hotel was fancy enough that a doorman stepped up to the car and opened the door for Bobbi. She didn't even have to wait on the driver to do it for her.
She was out of the car and headed inside the hotel lobby before Alex had even gotten the chance to unbuckle her seat belt.
She called out to Bobbi as she ran up to front carpeted steps.
"Bobbi! Wait!"
Bobbi grabbed the hem of her dress and scrunched it up in her hand to keep from tripping or ruining the dress.
Alex got the message that Bobbi would in fact not slow down and hurried after her.
Bobbi only slowed down when she crossed the large lobby and reached the elevators.
Alex mumbled something about how lucky they were that the rest of the hotel was already asleep and that the lobby was relatively empty, not counting the staff as people to worry about.
Bobbi was nearly bouncing up and down as she stood waiting for the elevator to arrive. She even pressed the button several times in the vain hope that that would speed up the process.
"Bobbi! Calm down." Alex grabbed her hand to keep her from breaking the button.
"I can't help it!" Bobbi said.
She sighed when the elevator finally dinged open but Alex stepped in front of her to press their floor button when they got inside.
Bobbi watched the numbers climb above the doors, only half listening.
"Alright, go ahead and get changed. The boys are on their way and will we'll all meet in your room for the band meeting."
23... 24... 25... 26...
"Got that?" Alex asked.
Bobbi nodded, never taking her eyes off the numbers. Once the numbers hit 27, she sped out of the elevator doors just as they dinged open. She grabbed her keycard from her clutch and hurried into the room.
Her clutch, shrug and shoes were on the floor the moment she stepped inside. And within another minute, she had a pair of sweats, a tee-shirt and an old guys sweater in her hands, and was headed for the bathroom.
Once she had showered and changed, she stood in the mirror and worked on removing all the makeup the makeup artists had applied that afternoon. It had taken them nearly an hour to do her face alone. And Bobbi could understand why as it took nearly 10 minutes to get all the dark eyeliner and eyeshadow off.
Her blue eyes shone brighter under the dark colors, she was aware of that. Everyone thought so and commented that when she was all done up. Her sweet, nearly baby-face appearance didn't quite fit the brand of the band and so the makeup was deemed a necessity.
She was wringing out her long black hair and wrapping it up in a bun when she heard the elevator open just down the hall. Her heart started to pound as she heard deep voices and pounding steps make their way to her door.
She was heading towards the bathroom door when she heard a keycard insert itself into the lock and the door fly open.
"Where is she?!" His deep, gravelly voice filled the air as Bobbi stepped out of the bathroom and locked eyes with his piercing green ones.
She barely had time to catch her breath or even react when he took three large strides towards her, closely the distance between them and grabbing her by the waist.
Her arms were around his neck as he lifted her in the air and spun her around.
"Birdy! We won!" He cheered into her ear.
His voice was higher as she could hear him smiling through his words. She laughed in his ear and her smile broke out across her face. She breathed in his warm scent, the cologne matching that of the sweatshirt she had on.
"We won, Teddy!" She cheered back at him in response.
He held her high in the air for a moment longer then she felt her legs return to the ground.
But he did not let go. Neither did she.
She kept her hands wrapped tightly around his neck, soaking in his scent and reveling in the feeling of his arms around his waist.
Their moment was broken when Alfie entered the room and groaned.
"Ugh. Come on. Do we have to do this every time?"
"Yes!" They answered in unison, still locked in each other embrace.
"Okay. I think that's long enough." Alfie exclaimed. "Theodore, release my sister."
Theo laughed at the use of his full name and brought his head back up, laughing.
Bobbi whined when he started to pull away but he leaned down and planted a soft kiss in her lips to quiet her complaint.
Bobbi smiled when he stood up straight again.
"Hi." He whispered, staring down at her.
"Hi." She replied. Her smile stayed at its widest point as she continued to stare up at him.
They both shook their heads when they heard Alfie clear his throat loudly behind them. Bobbi looked past Theo's shoulder and saw Alfie glaring at the two of them, his arms crossed across his chest.
"Anytime this year." He quipped.
"We should probably get to this meeting." She whispered, looking back up at Theo.
He groaned in response but let go of her waist and stepped aside.
He grabbed her hand instead and lead her to the edge of the bed. He sat down first and grabbed her by the waist again and pulled her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and turned to look at the rest of the room occupants.
"Comfortable there, Roberta?" Alfie asked, his eyebrow cocked at the close proximity between her and Theo. She smiled at the use of her whole name and nodded.
"Yes. Thank you, Alfred." Alfie redden at his name and turned to Alex to get the meeting started as attempt to change the subject.
"Alright, Alex. What do you have for us?"
Bobbi and Theo stared up at Alex from their spot on the edge of the bed. Alfie had taken a seat on one of the chairs and Sam sat on the end of the couch, one leg rested on his knee.
As Alex rambled on, Bobbi tried her best to focus but couldn't help glancing over at Theo.
He seemed intent on listening to the schedule for the week and their plans for their time in LA. But a small smile stretched across his lips and up his cheeks when he spotted her staring at him instead.
After a few moments of trying to focus on Alex and not on each other, and failing, Alex finally sighed and spoke to catch both their attention.
"Are you two going to be doing that all night?" She asked, sounding only slightly annoyed.
Bobbi went to answer no and try to apologize, an affirmation that she would indeed be paying attention right on the tip of her tongue when Theo spoke first.
"Yes."
Bobbi hit him lightly on the shoulder and he shot her look of mock hurt.
"Don't piss off Alex." She admonished.
"Oh, don't worry." Alex said, placing her phone back in her pocket, signifying that the meeting was indeed over. "I'll make sure you guys know what you need to. Even if it means locking you two in separate rooms and giving you the run down individually."
"Yeah, I'm pretty useless when ever this one's in the room." Theo said, nodding at Bobbi.
"Same." Bobbi agreed, nodding along.
"Managing this band would be so much easier if you two weren't in love." Alex said, shaking her head.
Both Bobbi and Theo shrugged at the same time.
Alex shook her head then stepped over to discuss a few details with Alfie and Sam.
Once he knew she had nothing left to say to them, Theo recommitted his full attention back to Bobbi.
"You looked beautiful tonight, Birdy."
"Thanks, babe. You look good, too. Is that the shirt I bought you for Christmas?"
Theo had to glanced down at his mostly exposed chest and his half buttoned shirt to check, but then smiled back up at her, nodding.
"Yup. Finally got a chance to wear it."
"I love it. Who ever bought it for you had impeccable taste."
"I think so." He smirked then leaned in and gave her another quick peck.
When he pulled away, his tone got serious and his eyes darkened.
"How did it go with that Aaron guy?" He asked.
Bobbi shrugged.
"As well as can be expected. He was nice enough and completely self-absorbed but that always makes it easier."
"Was he handsy at all?"
Bobbi would have laughed at his use of that word but his glare and concerned expression made her stop. She gave him a soft smile to try and ease the crease that had formed between his eye brows.
"Only a bit. Nothing I couldn't handle."
"I saw him getting a little too familiar when we were walking in. Thought it would be a great time to introduce myself."
Bobbi chuckled, very much aware of his intentions. His tone had hints of a threatening manner when he had caught Aaron's attention when they entered the theater.
"Thank you. It makes it easier to deal with all this when I know you're always there."
"Course. You're my bird." He placed a small kiss on her nose and grabbed her tighter.
Bobbi leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder as they watched the others talk, remaining silent themselves.
After a few minutes, Alex declared it the end of the night and insisted that they all make their way to their rooms. She was shooing Alfie and Sam out into the suite common room through the door set in the wall of Bobbi's room, then came back for Theo.
He protested when she gestured for him to get up.
"Come on. You'll see each other in the morning. Let's go. Time for bed. We've got plenty of interviews and then house hunting this week. I don't need you two tired because you decided to spend your nights gazing loving into each other's eyes."
"Doesn't sound like a bad night to me. What about you, bird?" Theo asked as he stood up.
Bobbi shook her head as she stood up first then followed him to the door. He kept a tight grip on her hand as he walked across the room, then leaned against the door frame.
"Get some sleep." She said.
She stood on her tip toes and planned to plant a small peck on his cheek but he grabbed at the waist and pulled her closer.
Her arms went around his neck and took in his scent again.
"We won, Birdy. Our song won." His whispered.
"Yeah, it did."
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