Chapter 172

"Our first stadium show!" Blake said. "I cannot believe we are opening for The Rolling Stones!"

Pearl and Erik had just arrived and the rest of the band were getting ready.

"Nico! Welcome to you first day on the job." Pearl said. "Now let's make me beautiful." She said.

"Girl, I only accentuate what already is. And you are a knockout. I thought maybe we would go with the vintage cat eyes and big teased hair tonight? Also, I told my momma I had a job. She asked what I would be doing the first day and I told her I'd be styling for the lead singer of a band opening up for The Rolling Stones at a stadium, who is also dating the prince of England."

"Well, what did she day?" She asked.

"Girl she hung up because she thought she was having a heart attack." Nico said.

Erik laughed. "I like this man."

"You keep that up, I'm going to have one, too." Nico said.

Just then the door opened and there stood Mick Jagger.

Everyone stood up.

"Erik! I haven't seen you in a few years. How are you parents?"'he said.

"Mick, lovely to see you, mate. They are well." Erik said. The band just stared at them while they chatted like old friends.

"So you met Pearl a while back?" Erik said.

"Indeed I did. She covered my song at a club in Chicago, and did it so well, I didn't like my own version anymore. Ha ha ha. So I invited her and the guys to open for us. I think they are going to make some incredible music for the world to enjoy. Welcome guys and have a great show." He said, kissing Pearl on each cheek and shaking everyone's hand. He looked as Erik. "Keep close, this one. She's a light."

Erik smiled.

"I'm not leaving her side." He said.

Erik turned to Pearl. "Another man helping you that sees your potential?" He joked. Pearl smiled. She understood him now.

The curtain opened and Pearl looked out into the sea of faces. It was the biggest crowd she had ever seen. They cheered and Pearl waited until they were quiet.

She sang the first verse of the song a cappella.

"Hollow and grave

In silence we slave

To keep demons at bay

To make sanity stay

Pray for numbness, feeling loveless

Turn it off for another day..."

Then the music hit hard and Pearl banged her head and danced to the hard music.

She wailed the next verse, sounding crazed with her hard rock voice and their bad ass sound.

"Never was a man inside

Only a child wanting to hide

The innocence of the heart has died

Callous and cold, you fucking lied

This betrayal, I will never abide

Your loss, my pride."

She sang as Dylan came over and shared the mic with her for the chorus. This was not Ian's first stadium performance and he knew exactly what to do. He jumped from a speaker and walked along the runaway attached to the stage, interfacing with the audience and letting them touch him.

"That's my new man!" Fi yelled from behind Erik.

"Fi! Brilliant. Glad you're here. Pearl will be so excited." Erik said. Fi smiled and bit her lip watching Ian.

Erik watched her from side stage and was banging his head, getting into it. Mick was there, too enjoying it. Erik loved watching her perform.

"That was just incredible! Blown away, guys, really." Erik said as they cooled off backstage. Charles passed around boxes for each of the guys in the band and one for Pearl.

"Erik, what is this?" Pearl asked.

"Open them, please." He said.

Dylan looked at Erik apprehensively. They opened their boxes and inside for each guy in the band were Patek Philippe watches, with "Poems for Wolves" and the date inscribed inscribed on the back.

"For your very first stadium show. I thought you would want to commemorate it." He said.

Tony turned pale with shock. He was watch lover.

"These are Geneva watches. They are like two hundred grand a piece." He said. "We can't accept these."

"Of course you can and you will. It's my way of saying thank you as well." He said.

Dylan, still in shock, asked "Thank you for what?"

"For being good men. For being the men Pearl needed before I could find her. And for being the men she will always have to support her. You should be thanked for that. And I do, thank you." He said.

Dylan put his arm around Erik and hugged him.

Ian broke the ice, "I mean it, Pearl. Hang on to this man or I'm going to be all over him." They all laughed.

Pearl opened her box. Inside was microphone charm with the date inscribed on it. She held out her wrist for Erik to attach it to her bracelet.

"We are going to need another bracelet soon." She said.

"I will buy you 50 of them, one for each year of memories we will make." He said.

Pearl looked up at him and kissed him, telling him how much she adored him.

"I adore everything about you." He said.

"Now let's go party with Keith and the boys!"

Blake shouted.