Love in the Mix (Love in the Mix #1)

Chapter 42

forty-two

SEBASTIAN

C all me Jack Dawson, because I am on top of the world. The thought of this interview no longer has my stomach in a knot of nerves. What do I care what these assholes think? My favorite girl loves me. Serotonin overloads my system as we all take our seats in front of the small, quiet crowd of reporters in front of us. I can't help but grin as Luna's hand finds mine under the table. Xavier shoots me a grin, his eyes gleaming with the same giddy excitement I feel.

Savannah steps up quickly to introduce us. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today. We are thrilled to have everyone here to share some exciting news about their upcoming collaboration and personal lives. Let’s keep the fuckery to a minimum, okay? The floor is open."

Excited hands shoot into the air, all foaming out the mouth for their chance. Savannah points to an eager looking woman. “Tara from Mixtmag here. Rumors have been circulating for sometime now. Can you tell us what’s going on?”

I lean forward to the mic with a smile. "Absolutely, Tara. We all know why you’re here. You want to hear about us.” I point between the three of us before continuing. “We wanted to figure things out for ourselves and what that means.” I look at Xavier, and he gives me a quick nod and a wide smile.

“Xavier and I have been in a relationship for many years, since we were teenagers.”

The gasp that moves through the audience is exactly what I expected. Several hands thrust into the air, but Tara speaks up. “Why come out now? Why hide in the first place?” she questions quickly, raising her voice above the crowd.

“Hiding long term wasn’t the intention. We had always planned to have this conversation on our own terms. That opportunity was taken away from us, and that’s something we won’t ever get back, but we take the opportunities we’re given.” Xavier’s smile brings an ache to my chest. He’s so fucking sexy without even trying, and he’s mine. I move my gaze over to Luna, who’s looking at both of us with unshed tears in her eyes. Her hand grips mine a little tighter.

“The sad fact is that this happens everyday. People are outed by people for petty reasons, with malicious intent. We are very lucky to be in a place where our sexual identity doesn’t hinder our success, or who we are, but that’s not the case for everyone. All this to say, we are so profoundly lucky to have found each other. I’m even more lucky to say, I’m committed and love both Luna and Xavier on both a personal and professional level. I’ve never been happier, and if you try to come for one of them, I promise you won’t like the consequences,” I finish with a playful growl into the microphone.

A small laugh goes through the audience before hands fly back into the air, but this time they just begin talking over each other.

“What does this mean for the future of your music careers?”

Xavier takes the chance to answer. “We are all still dedicated to our individual music careers. This collaboration is a labor of love, a way for us to express ourselves, together.”

Next, a reporter from DJ Mag speaks up. "Speaking of your music, what can fans expect from this collaboration?"

“We really want to push boundaries and blend our different influences. We want to honor our roots in deep house, trance, and pop while also pushing into uncharted territory. Work with new artists, new collaborators.” Luna’s answer sends hushed words through the crowd. “Our goal is to bring new listeners into the electronic music world. Something that everyone wants to listen to.”

Savannah calls on the next report, a skeezy looking dude with a really, really bad comb-over. "Are we supposed to believe your little ‘relationship’ isn’t just a ploy for attention?” He actually uses finger quotes. “A cheap marketing tactic to get people to attend your shows? Or boost the career of an unknown artist?" His eyes narrow on Luna.

I feel her tense beside me as a ripple of awkward murmurs spreads through the room. Anger flares in my chest. I'm about to rip into this asshole when Xavier squeezes my knee under the table, shooting me a warning look.

“I got this,” he murmurs, sitting forward again and speaking directly into the microphone.

Xavier levels his gaze at the reporter, his voice low and steady. "I understand that people loving each other, supporting each other, and working together may be a difficult concept for some small minds to grasp. I assure you, our love is as real as it gets. We have nothing to prove to you or anyone else. Our music will speak for itself. Next question.”

The rest of the interview moves along smoothly, questions over music, curiosity to who we’d like to collaborate with. I feel myself finally relaxing, at the worst possible time, because the last question hits me like a freight train.

“Luna, there’s been some rumors circulating about your relationship to Ruby Knight. Care to comment?”