They all laughed. I crossed my arms over my chest and watched. The girls waited to begin the pictures. They were standing beside the stage area while some crew people set up more props.
They stepped to their instruments. A drum set with lips all over it and three guitars, Tiny grabbed the purple glitter covered guitar. The second was a bright yellow bass that Blondie slipped over her shoulder. The last was a green guitar with a picture of Kermit the Frog. Mia grabbed it.
They each took their place and the set director turned on some music. Blondie and Tiny held their guitars and Red was on the drum. Mia stood front and center with a guitar swung around to her back.
"I want you to sing with the song for the shots." The photographer instructed. "Sing like you guys are rehearsing."
Mia swung the green guitar in front of her and moved her fingers across the strings. Holding it low, she grabbed the microphone stand and started to sing. Surprise filled me as her voice saturated the air from the radio. However, the studio could do whatever they wanted with a sound table and editing equipment.
"Okay, now give me actual stage performance," the photographer shouted.
Mia moved around the stage, leaning toward the photographer as if he were the crowd, and interacting with the others in the group.
"Kill me now." Elliot groaned and leaned against me, biting his fist
I gave him a confused look.
"The red head," he growled out. "Her tongue is all over her lips while she…look." He groaned and pointed.
Sure enough, as she played her drums her tongue would peek out from behind her lips. I nudged Elliott off me.
"Damn, Una wasn't lying, they're good." Jimmy said.
I grunted.
"You guys didn't Google them?" Jackson looked at us astounded.
"I did," Elliott spoke up with a proud smile and a fist pump into the air.
"I can't believe neither of you bothered to listen to the group scheduled to open for us." Jackson shook his head.
"Shut up!" Jimmy said and I nodded in agreement. I was too busy planning their replacement.
The thought brought a small smile to my lips. Suddenly the set director approached us to come toward the stage. The girl's props removed. The crew was setting up for our first shots.
"Wait." The set director said loudly. "Nicholas, Una, Do we want a group shot?"
Nicholas looked hesitant to answer. He looked to Una. Una said something, shrugged, and then nodded.
"Yes, just a few." Nicholas answered for them.
The set director shouted to some assistant to get the girls to come back to the stage.
"This will be fantastic," the photographer said and started moving lighting, changing camera lenses, and positioning things around the stage.
The girls look extremely hesitant and Mia rolled her eyes when she caught my glare. Once they were on stage with us, it looked like boys versus girls, keeping to our groups.
"Mingle, mingle," the director ordered.
"What do you want us to do?" Red asked with her hands on her hips.
I watched Elliott walk over and wrap his arm around her shoulders. He smiled large just before picking her up, bridal style. I stayed off to the side watching him in disdain. Everyone else laughed. I heard the photographer taking advantage of the moment with the sound of his shutter clicking rapidly.
"That's perfect, keep it up…all of you, join in," the director shouted, walking up to push us together more.
I bumped into Mia and felt a jolt. She looked at me quickly, blushed and walked away. The next thing I knew Tiny was wrapping her arm in mine and her other around Jackson's. I looked over in time to see Mia hop onto Jimmy's back. I scowled.
The photographer started shouting things out, as did the set director, so I played the part for the photo shoot.
The crew brought out a large red velvet couch. Elliott sat dead center with Jimmy to his left and Jackson to his right. Tiny sat on the arm of the couch leaning toward Jackson with her hand behind his head. Blondie had the other arm. Red lay across the guy’s laps. I walked over and stood behind the couch and Elliott's head. Leaning forward I placed my hands on the back and eyed Mia. She sat on the floor between Elliott's legs, Indian style, with her head leaning on his knee. Fighting the urge to roll my eyes, I put on the photo face.
After the small jolt from our brief moment touching, I couldn't fight this weird pull toward her. I kept trying to shake off the weird and unfamiliar feeling as we positioned and repositioned. The photographer clicked away the entire time.
"Let's get the leads together." The director announced. "I haven't seen one with you two anywhere near each other, so let's get them alone."
Mia sighed loudly.
Good, she's already annoyed at just the idea. I can work this to my advantage.
She turned around after standing from the floor and looked at me with a glare. I smirked.
"What's wrong dear Mia? Don't you want to be alone with me? Am I a distraction for you?" I figured arrogance would be the way to go with a chick like her.
"Look, Mason, let's just get this over with and get out of each other's way." She climbed onto the couch and sat on the back with her hands at her sides.
I took the opportunity, pushing her legs apart and making her eyes widen. Then I plopped down between her legs in the center of the couch and pulled her arms around to rest them on my shoulders. Wrapping one arm around her leg, my hand rested on her thigh.
The photographer was eating the shit up.
Inching my fingers slowly up her thigh, she growled before climbing off the couch.
"Let's get a few more poses." The photographer shouted.
I smirked when she growled again. She was making this too easy.
Grabbing her arm, I pulled her down onto the couch to lie on top of my chest. She pushed up, one hand on the couch beside my head and the other on my chest.
"Look here." We both turned to the photographer who snapped away.
I put my right arm behind my head and grinned, sliding my left hand from her waist toward her ass. She sat up quickly making sure to push extra hard into my chest and smacking my head with her hand. She stood smiling.
That bitch!
Jolting upright onto the couch with my back against the armrest and one leg stretched out. I pulled her back down and positioned her against my chest. She brought both of her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Leaning back, I rested my arms on the back of the couch and the armrest. After the final shot, she started to move. I bucked my hips to thrust directly into her ass. She jumped off the couch.
"You're such and asshole!" she yelled.
"You loved it." I leered and she glared. "Call me anytime you want to do that in private." After blowing a kiss, I stood from the couch.
Before I saw it coming, she grab a cushion from the couch and hit me. The whole room gasped. Then snorts turned into bursts of laughter, the closest laugh coming from Mia.
"Don't touch me again!" She pointed at me, trying to keep a straight face. Then she stalked off.
The angry twitch of her hips drew my attention to her dark denim clad ass. Well, well, what do we have here? Underneath it all, Mia had a spectacular ass. Perhaps I'd been too hasty in my 'thin' assessment. In fact feeling her against me wasn't too bad either. Maybe she would be good for something during the tour after all. If I can't get rid of her, at least I can screw her regularly.
Looking up, Nicholas gave me the familiar look of disappointment mixed with anger. His long strides made it clear I was about to get a lecture from my father slash manager.
It wouldn't be the first time or the last.
Chapter Three
Apologizing repeatedly for my outburst, Una assured me was not a big deal. We left the studio and I didn't have to look or talk to Christopher again until the start of the tour. Thank God, because he needs to realize that if he messes with me, with the band, or this tour he'll have a run for his money.
Back at our hous
e, we started to tie up some loose ends and get things situated for the time we would be away. Serena and Linda worked out the first three months of the tour schedule where Ryan was concerned, along with the plans for his upcoming birthday.
Leaving day quickly arrived and we needed to get going. It was a mild April Wednesday, but there was a lot to do before the concerts on Friday and Saturday nights. After saying our goodbyes, we climbed into the studio's car and settled in for the long trip to Seattle.
I put my earbuds in and turned my iPod on, closed my eyes and leaned into the door trying to nap during the trip. I’m a travel sleeper, unless I was the driver, of course. About two hours later by Serena nudged me.
"Pit stop," She announced before slipping out of the car.
Stepping out of the car, I stretched and located the nearest bathroom.
After using the dirt filthy facilities, I browsed the little stop-n-shop store to see if they had hand sanitizer and Swedish Red Fish. Grabbing a travel sized bottle of hand sanitizer and two large bags of the candy fish I love so much, it was time to check out. While waiting for my change I saw a magazine cover with The Forgotten on the front of it.
Ugh, Christopher asshole Mason front and center. To make it worse he's wearing that stupid crooked grin. I want to smack it off his face or at least draw a black mustache on it.
Giggling, I slid a TV guide over the cover.
Climbing back into the car, I got comfortable again, but couldn't get past the thought of having to deal with Christopher on a daily basis for ten months. I could only hope he would take up ignoring us rather than acting like the asshole he's proving to be. The chances were extremely thin and deep down I knew…there was no way in hell that was going to happen.
During the photo shoot, the mischievous look in his eyes had gotten me on edge. I knew he was up to something. However, I'd be a liar if I didn't admit to the peculiar lure to him. It was bizarre and stupid, like falling for that guy in high school who got high all the time.
Pulling out my notebook and placing it in my lap, I figured I'd preoccupy myself with song writing. Opening the bag of red fish, I deeply inhaled. Heaven.
"You're disgusting" Kat was crinkling her nose.
"What?" I looked down at myself. Nothing looked out of place.
"You and those damn fish, that's what." She fake gagged.
"Shut up, you always take some too, so don't act like you hate them." I stuck my tongue out like a preschooler.
"It's not that." She shook her head. "It's the fact that if I ate crap the way you do, I would be four hundred pounds and look at you. It's disgusting."
"She can't help it." Serena added. "She has our dad's metabolism." She sighed. "She can eat whatever she wants and she will barely gain a pound. It's all in the genes." She laughed and playfully pinched my thigh.
"Ouch, hooker!" I smacked her leg in retaliation. "Hey what about Laney, she is tinier than me."
"Yeah, but I don't eat like you Mia." She shrugged.
"See what I mean?" Kat pushed her foot against my knee.
"Screw you all," shoving a handful of fish into my mouth and chomping on them, I smiled at them with red jelly pieces stuck to my teeth.
"Eww…really Mia, do you have to do that?" Laney cringed.
Behind her pink haired, rocker girl persona, Laney is a girly eco child. Kat has always the aggressive bad ass no one wanted to mess with, Serena the over bearing mother hen and know-it-all, I was left with the scrawny klutz with tomboy tendencies.
Swallowing, I shook my head. "You act like I don't gain weight."
They all nodded.
"Yeah, but still Mia, you're like a bottomless pit and to top it off its all junk." Kat added putting her head back and closing her eyes.
"It's really not healthy. I have some granola and carrot sticks in my bag. Want something healthy for a change?" Laney teased, knowing damn well her vegetarian lifestyle would never, and I mean never, be a choice I would make.
"Well if you're all done critiquing my eating habits and my lack of body, I'm going to get back to writing our next big hit. You know the ones that made you all famous, thank you very much." With a sarcastic and exaggerated sigh, I was barely able to hold off my snort.
Wrapping my legs up under me, I turned on the unwritten playlist. It was music we had recorded but never put any words down. I, sometimes, use this to write even though we often make changes once the lyrics written.
Two notebook pages, a great deal of crossed out lyrics, and a couple of hours later we finally pulled up to the Seattle hotel we were staying. The hotel staff took our luggage and Una met us in the lobby.
"Hello ladies, welcome. I hope your trip was comfortable." She smiled as if she was as excited as we were.
"It was good." Laney answered. The rest of us were looking around the fancy marble lobby taking it all in. Suddenly my worn blue jeans, Rolling Stone's t-shirt, and boots didn't quite cut it.
"Okay, well let's get checked in, and then you can freshen up. After that, we'll head out for dinner." Una escorted us to the front desk and gave the name of the reservations. While the girl worked on getting all the rooms pulled up and getting the key cards Una turned back to us. "So, what are you guys in the mood for; Italian, Steak, Mexican, your choice?"
"Is there a Sushi bar nearby?" Laney questioned before I could hop on the steak idea.
"There's a Japanese restaurant that serves Sushi, so I'll get some reservations made." Una handed us each a key and we followed the bellhops to the top floor. Una was across the hall from us and with a smile she entered her room.
"Meet me in about an hour, okay?"
We nodded and walked into the room. Stepping into the room, we stopped short and gasped.
"Holy Shit," Serena hushed. "Is this really our room?"
"Why are you whispering?" Geesh, now I was whispering too.
She shrugged.
A moment of silence passed by and the door clicked shut behind us. Laney screamed excitedly, causing me to jump, and ran straight to a room and jumped on a bed. I looked to Serena then to Kat before the three of us followed her onto the same bed, jumping up and down on the bed until each one of us collapsed breathless.
"I can't believe this is happening" Kat broke the silence. We lay in a heap of tangled arms and legs.
"I know. I keep waiting to wake up and be back in our house having to go to work serving another 'low-fat, soy milk, I-am-a-snob, cost-a-fortune cup of coffee'."
"Tell us how you really feel, Lane." Kat snorted.
"Well, I'm gonna jump into the shower. I feel like ass." Serena rolled off the bed and walked toward the bathroom.
"Thank god, because I was just going to tell you that you were starting to smell like ass."
She flipped me her middle finger and closed the bathroom door with a bang.
"I'm going to go claim another bathroom." I sniffed myself. "Ahh…nothing but red fish, yum!"
"That's so disgusting." Laney crinkled her nose at me and shoved me out of the room.
Once we cleaned up and changed, we headed down to meet with Una. She sat in one of the large chairs in a pair of jeans and a sheer white blouse. It was the first time I'd seen Una in casual clothes. I was impressed.
"Everyone ready?" She stood when we approached.
"Well, look who's more than just a corporate hottie." Laney giggled, circling Una and checking her out.
Una blushed.
"Um…thank you, Laney. I think." Her face twisted in amusement and confusion.
"Oh, trust. It's a compliment." Laney smiled and took her by the arm walking with Una to an awaiting car. We shook our heads and followed.
Laney schooled all of us on proper Sushi eating technique and Saki drinking. She definitely earned smiles and laughs from the restaurant manager and staff. Leave it to Laney to be center of attention. I still wasn't sure how she hadn't ended up as the lead singer. She had that natural ability to draw attention.
Arriving back to the hotel Una requested
we join her in the lounge so we could talk about tomorrow's schedule. We followed and sat around a large table. Ordering some overpriced drinks, Una made a phone call to someone named Xander before we got down to business.
"So, tomorrow we need to arrive at the Dome early for sound checks, lighting, as well as for you to do some stage rehearsal. We'll need to leave here around nine in the morning."
A young light haired man appeared with bags and boxes setting them next to Una.
"Thank you, Xander." Una gestured for him to sit. "Ladies this is my assistant Xander. Xander meet Hushed Mentality." He smiled and gave a nod.
"So, Xander and I will order a breakfast cart to be sent to your room around seven, so you will have time to eat and get ready." Una looked up and we all nodded our acknowledgement.
"Alright, we'll be entering the Dome the same way you will be coming in Friday and Saturday night. That way you will be familiar with arrival and departure. Don't be surprised on the night of the concerts of the camera's, screaming fans, bodyguards, etc. It's going to happen, especially since you are traveling with The Forgotten." Una paused. I could almost see the light bulb appear above her head.
"Speaking of bodyguards, you'll be introduced to your security tomorrow as well. Phillip and Bishop come highly recommended. We have a very trusted company we hire through, but if you have any problems, at all, you just let me know and we can find a better fit for you. Okay?"
"It's going to get very real isn't it?" Serena asked the question all of us were thinking.
"Yes." Una smiled both reassuringly and nervously. "I'm afraid the bad comes with the good, we just have to do the best we can." She looked back down to her planner.
"We'll also have one of our public relations representatives coming tomorrow when we return from the Dome to start coaching you on how to behave and speak with the press."
We all scowled.
"Its standard procedure and trust me it helps more than you could imagine. Besides, your first press meeting is before the concert on Saturday."
Falling Stars Page 3
