The line did move quickly, and in a couple of minutes, we were halfway up the wall. I stood on my toes and let out a gasp when I saw the scene at the front.

“There!” I said.

Vanessa and Jen craned their necks.

“Oh my God!” Jen said, clutching her heart.

He was standing there, right at the front of the room, taking a photo with a group of girls young enough to be his daughters. One was in tears, and the others beamed like it was their wedding day.

I couldn’t believe it. In another few minutes, I’d be right there beside Lotti, with his phone in my purse.

Would he recognize me?

Did I even want him to?

The line moved forward again, and then again, and suddenly, we were next in line.

I had a brief moment of panic. What if I hadn’t put his phone on silent and it rang? What if he recognized the ringtone? I’d never heard it before. Maybe it was something unique. I swallowed, resisting the urge to take it out and check. I hadn’t looked at it since Vanessa and I had found it in the trunk; chances were the battery had died by now anyway.

Right?

“You okay?” Vanessa asked.

I looked over and nodded.

“Okay, next,” the stern woman standing next to Ryan said.

Vanessa, Jen, and I stepped forward.

And just like that, I was face-to-face with Ryan Hooks.

He looked at us, and I held my breath. But he smiled, the way he had with everyone in the line, and then held up his hand for high fives.

“Hey, ladies,” he said. “Thanks so much for coming to the show. What are your names?”

“Vanessa.”

“Jen.”

I swallowed. I couldn’t very well lie in front of them. “Paula.”

“Well, Vanessa, Jen, and Paula, did you like the show?”

“It was amazing,” Jen said quickly, and she launched forward with her phone. “Could we get a picture?”

“Of course,” he said. “In fact, I’ll take it.” He took the phone from her, and we all crowded around him. He reached out his hand to take the selfie, and I squeezed in close to him. He smelled good, like expensive cologne, and I was surprised he didn’t smell like sweat after all the dancing he’d done for the past hour and a half.

“Thanks again,” Vanessa said, and she and Jen both leaned over to examine the picture.

I was standing right next to him, and there was a line of fans just a few feet away from us, waiting for their chance to come up and get their selfie with him. I could’ve just ended it there, could have leaned in to look at the picture and then walked away, following behind Vanessa and Jen, as I was supposed to.