The chapter opens with Jo immersed in a charged kiss with Sebastian Fell as the crowd roars. She savors his gentle touch and taste, and in the moment she hears a faint new melody, a creative spark she has not felt in a long time. Sebastian holds her close, grounding her amid the noise, and Jo consciously leans into the intimacy.

The kiss breaks when Sebastian blurts that Jo tastes like cherries, startling both of them. As he notices fans snapping photos below, Sebastian's demeanor shifts to a slick, guarded persona, and he jokes about confirming the taste, assuming it is ChapStick. Jo registers the change and the attention from the crowd.

Sebastian invites Jo to “get away,” offering a discreet exit or a public walk for fleeting fame. Jo considers a spontaneous night but remembers her early flight and upcoming month in Vienna Shores, along with a knot of dread about returning home. She senses that Sebastian assumes she is a fan looking for clout, which offends her.

Before Jo can respond fully, Willa Grey bounds up from backstage, glowing with sweat and glitter, and hugs Jo. Willa reveals to Sebastian that Jo is her songwriter, Joni Lark, the one he had heard about. Sebastian reassesses Jo with a calculating look, which Jo dislikes, while Willa’s assistant pressures Willa to return for the encore.

Willa squeezes Jo’s hands, proposes hanging out on her day off, and asks about Jo’s mom, making Jo tense. As Willa leaves, she whispers that Sebastian is not so bad if given a chance. Left alone with Sebastian, Jo weighs that suggestion against his behavior.

Sebastian then asks if he will be the inspiration for Jo’s next song. The question stings, and Jo challenges his assumption that she wants something from him. He replies that everyone wants something, calling her “sweetheart.” Jo snaps that she is not sweet and regrets kissing him, adding that the song playing earlier is a terrible pickup line.

Jo departs, fleeing down the stairs past security. Outside, as Willa starts her encore with a song about taking chances and kissing strangers, Jo listens briefly from the doorway, then slips out a side exit into the parking lot and calls an Uber, leaving the encounter behind.