Rock Candy, page 11
part #1 of Dark Horse Series
It was a good idea, and I smiled at her to let her know I thought so, then joined her, adding my own complementary movements.
Laughing, we even worked out a sort of routine where we both moved opposite each other.
"It's all set," Gunnar said, putting his phone back in his pocket.
"Great," I told him as I worked my way over toward him. “How long do we have to practice before the show starts?”
He smiled up at me. "The fans will start to find their seats any minute now, but it takes them a good half hour."
I gave him a thumbs up and went back to practicing with Tiffany. We were getting our routine down pat when there was a commotion from the side of the stage, making us turn and look.
Jessica rushed out with Levi in tow, muttering, "Nonsense. These are last-minute dancers. I can be a last-minute dancer just like they can." She gave us her syrupy fake smile as she rushed up the stairs and stood in front of us, as if we were her backup dancers. She then turned her syrupy smile on Gunnar. "It was so nice of you to set up this dance gig for us girlfriends, Gunnar. Tracy should reward you really well tonight." She winked in a suggestive manner that made me want to vomit.
I couldn't help looking to see what Levi's reaction was, but he was at his synthesizer with a headset on, pushing buttons and adjusting knobs.
Was the show starting already? My heart raced, and I looked to see if Tiffany was as nervous as I felt.
She did one of our dance moves, smiling her reassuring smile and shaking her head in playfulness.
Right. This was supposed to be fun. I shimmied in response, moving my head in the same playfulness. When our eyes met, I knew it would be fine. So long as Jessica didn't get in the way.
Max strapped his saxophone on. Jack took up position at the main mic. Zeke strapped on his lead guitar. Brandon sat down at the drum set. Gunnar took up his bass last, pointing at me and Tiffany as if we were the whole show. And at Jessica, I guess.
The announcer’s voice came over the loudspeakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Dark Horse!"
As the lights came up and the guys played their most popular song, the audience not only clapped but cheered. High-pitched screams could be heard from all the way in the back of the stands.
Tiffany and I did our little routine, with her kicking first then me kicking second and the two of us looking like one dancer in two bodies. It was cool, even if I do say so myself.
Oblivious to what we were doing, Jessica wiggled her rear end to the music and held her arms out with her head up as if the applause were all for her.
It seemed like a minute later the announcer said, “Give it up for Dark Horse one last time!”
Gunnar had told us this was their cue to leave the stage, so Tiffany and I were ready when he came over to the stairs and put his hand up.
But Jessica took his hand. "Thank you so much, Gunnar. This was fun. I hope to do it again sometime!"
Gunnar was a gentleman, and so he helped Jessica down off our platform. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Levi's over there in the wings waiting for you." He pointed.
Jessica sauntered across the stage as if all the applause was for her.
Gunnar then helped me down. "Did you enjoy it?"
I couldn't help gushing, "It was stellar!"
Tiffany gushed, too. "That was so fun!" as Gunnar helped her down before we all ran to the side of the stage, where we could see Rogue waiting in the wings.
We were offstage and headed down the crowded hallway full of backstage pass holders who were swarming everyone for autographs, not to mention the reporters whose cameras were flashing left and right.
Gunnar said softly in my ear, "I think you’ll be pleased with the deal you’ve been offered. Maybe you'll come along with us and make this your regular gig, instead of doing the talk show circuit. It's enough to pay for your apartment and then some, thanks to your agent."
"Really?" I turned to look at him.
The expression on his face revealed all.
“Wait," I told him. "When did you guys put up that platform for us? When did you first hear about the deal?"
The other guys headed for the green room, but Gunnar took us down a different hall. He stopped at a door, used a key to open it. “This is our dressing room, and I drew first shower tonight. Come on in.”
We followed him into a room bigger than I expected, with two couches, four wardrobes, and a bar.
"Okay,” Gunnar said as he grabbed some jeans and a T-shirt from the nearest wardrobe, “you got me. Paul worked this deal before you even came out here. I didn’t want to tell you because it would be too much pressure. But I would love it if the two of you joined us on tour as our official band dancers." He headed for the bathroom, handing me a remote and gesturing at the TV on the wall. "I won't be long. Make yourselves at home." He disappeared with a smile to the sounds of the shower starting.
I just sat there looking at Tiffany, too overwhelmed to start the extra noise of the TV.
Tiffany looked pretty shocked as well, but she had the biggest grin on her face. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked me with a look around the posh dressing room.
I wrinkled my face in mock confusion. "I don't know. What are you thinking?"
"Come on," she told me with mock frustration. "There’s no way we’re paying for an apartment when we could be on the tour bus with Gunnar and the rest of the guys."
“We did just cut our belongings down to three big suitcases and two carry-ons.”
“Yeah,” Tiff said, “and our pay would be ours to keep, instead of paying rent.”
The more we talked about it, the more excited we got.
14
Nothing I Want More, Tracy
By the time Gunnar came out of the shower, Tiffany and I were dancing around. This time in joy, rather than a concerted attempt to entertain. He just stood there a moment, chuckling. We finally noticed him.
"Are you ready to go into the green room and face the barrage of reporters?" he asked us with raised eyebrows and an excited smile.
I sat back down on the couch and put my knees up in front of me, hugging them. "That's the last thing I want right now. Can I just stay in here? Tiffany, will you bring me some food?"
"Sure," Tiffany said.
Gunnar's face changed, and he knelt down next to the couch where I sat, looking into my eyes with concern. "That's not the response I was expecting. Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?”
"Nothing like that,” I told him in my mopey way. "It's just... Like I explained to you before, being around lots of people tires me out. I'm already physically tired. I'd seriously rather sit here."
He stood up, putting his hands in front of him to indicate I should remain seated. "That's fine. I'll bring you some food myself."
"No, I'll do it," Tiffany told him. "I know you have to go in there and schmooze. It’s part of your contract, right?"
He nodded, but he wasn't stepping any further away from me. "Yeah, it is. Are you sure you'll be okay, Tracy? No strangers will bother you in here, but the other guys’ll be coming in one by one for their showers."
"Your friends won’t bother me,” I told him. “Besides,” I took out my phone and gestured at the TV. “What more could a girl require?" I was trying to let him do his job, but then I just couldn't restrain myself. "Of course, I'd rather you stayed here with me, but I understand you need to go. Don't worry about me. Wait. Do make sure Tiffany brings me food."
"Alright then,” Gunnar said with a wrinkled brow as he opened the door for Tiffany.
Brandon came in along with sounds from the hallway, reporters yelling questions and Jessica answering them.
"Are you the official dancer for Dark Horse now?"
"This was just something I did for fun today, but I'm open if they want me to be."
I rolled my eyes at that, catching Tiffany's eye roll in response before she and Gunnar left.
Brandon grabbed some clothes and saluted me, then ducked into the bathroom, leaving me in blissful solitude.
Just because I didn't want to be with people in person right now didn't mean I wanted to be completely alone. I checked my Twitter feed, expecting congratulatory tweets from the few friends I still had back home. They would've seen the outtakes from the concert that people inevitably posted on social media during a show.
What I found made my jaw drop. Previously, I had a grand total of 133 followers, all of whom lived in my hometown. Now? 4,000 followers and growing. It had to be some kind of mistake. They thought I was someone else.
I scrolled down my feed to see what people were saying about me.
40 versions of a video of tonight’s show, all featuring me and Tiffany dancing our coordinated number that we only briefly practiced. It was okay, but not remarkable. What was this about?
And then I read the comments and burst out laughing.
"Best punk ever!"
"Jessica is such an idiot!"
"Either that, or she's a much better actress than we thought. She knew about this ahead of time and she's just acting this way."
"No."
Brandon came out of the bathroom, hair still wet. “What’s so funny?”
“Just some videos,” was all I told him.
He smiled at me on his way to the door. “I have to rush off and greet fans right now, but some other time we can hang out and watch funny videos together.”
“I’d like that,” I told him as he left.
Max came in while the door was open and got his stuff for the shower. “Gunnar wants you to know he’s thinking of you, and Tiffany will be here soon with your food.”
“Thanks,” I told him with a friendly smile.
As soon as Max closed the bathroom door, I went back to staring at Jessica's oblivious face on the videos and watching her clumsy dance moves.
A comment caught my eye, and I followed the link they offered with it. I became engrossed in the story of Jessica, how she’d been born into a Hollywood family and used her connections to get into B films, but how no one had anything good to say about her work. She assumed too much and didn't really try, so she would be forever relegated to walk-on roles.
I was reading my seventh such article when Tiffany came in with two plates full of lasagna, set them on the coffee table, and plopped down next to me on the couch.
She was all excited, talking a mile a minute. "All the photographers wanted pictures of me, and they kept asking about you. I don't know why, but we’re stars now. Everyone’s so nice in the green room. Not at all like before.” She made faces as she imitated them. “You want one of these, Tiffany?” “Can I get you a drink, Tiffany?” “Can I have your autograph, Tiffany?”
“They did not ask that.” I gave her a playful shove.
On his way from the bathroom out the door into the hall, Max said over his shoulder, “Oh yes they did!”
“Yep,” Jack said as he grabbed his clothes.
“Seriously, they did” Tiff gushed. “I posed for at least a dozen selfies. Not even all with guys. Women like our dancing, too.”
Jack toasted us with a bottle of whiskey as he closed the bathroom door behind him. “Yep, our dancers have it going on!”
Tiffany put her hand on my arm, glanced at the bathroom, and lowered her voice. “But I don't understand the winks I keep getting, and everyone covering their mouths and laughing and making a show of doing it behind Jessica's back."
I reached into the mini fridge beside my end of the couch and got her a bottle of sparkling water.
"Pellegrino. Fancy," she said before she opened it and downed half the bottle. "Wow, I was thirsty. Must be all that fine dancing you and I were doing." She smiled and dug into her food.
I ate too, biding my time until she was done before I showed her my phone, giddy with anticipation.
Jack left and Zeke came in, nodding and smiling at us on his way to take his shower.
When I finally did show Tiff my phone, she didn't have the reaction I expected. "This is terrible, Tracy. It looks like we’re making fun of her. She's gonna kill us."
I gave her an ironic stare. "She's not gonna kill us. She's a lightweight. Either one of us could take her, easy."
Tiffany thought about it a second, then snorted. "You're right. She talks the talk, but she can't walk the walk."
A thought occurred to me. "She's friends with Lydia, though. Two of them on one of us, I’m not so sure what would happen. Which just means one thing."
Tiff drained the last of her Pellegrino and gave a loud ‘ah’ sound. "What's that?"
I put my plate down and linked my arm through hers. "You and I have to stick together. I'm calling my agent and explaining the situation."
No one came in when Zeke left. Tiffany stayed with me, the two of us dreading the moment when Levi and Jessica came in. When they did, Gunnar was with them. Jessica was all smiles in front of Levi, who was gathering his clothes for his shower.
Gunnar plopped himself down beside me. "You're welcome to stay here in the dressing room all night if you want. I don't think that'll be a problem," he said with a goofy smile on his face.
"No way," I told him just as playfully, adding a shoulder bump for good measure. "Someone got me a stellar hotel room, and I'm going to enjoy it again tonight."
"Suit yourself," he said in that same goofy tone, "but this fine dressing room is all yours if you want it."
Levi went into the bathroom, laughing.
Not daring to look near Jessica’s face, I jumped to my feet and headed for the door out of there. "I might be tempted, except that I have a hot date tomorrow. Gotta look my best, you know, and I’ve got a Jacuzzi to help with that."
"All righty,” Gunnar said, getting up too.
I got to the door first and hightailed it into the hall. The coast wasn't clear, but there were far fewer people than before.
"Brian’s waiting for us at the end of the hall,” Gunnar explained. "Most of the people have gone to Jack's room to party, So I don't think we'll have any trouble getting out of here."
The feel of his hand on the small of my back calmed my nerves enough that I could smile when a few fans asked for selfies with all of us and not just Gunnar.
Once I was settled in the back seat of the limo next to Gunnar and Tiffany was up in her front seat with her headphones on, bobbing her head to the music, I said to Gunnar, “Sincerely, thank you for understanding and letting me hang out in your dressing room."
He took hold of my hand gently and held it, his warmth seeping into me and exhilaration flooding my body. "Anything for you."
"Anything?" I said before I could stop myself. What if this chased him off? Why couldn't I have kept quiet?
"Yup," he said simply.
I grabbed him and hugged him, straining the seatbelt’s hold on my lap. "There's nothing I want more than this."
With a sigh, he put his arms around me. "That's wonderful to hear, but I don't think that will always be the case. I just hope you always want me anyway."
I had no idea what he meant by that, but it made me uncomfortable, so I just relaxed into his warm hug and changed the subject. “What's it like on the tour bus? Do you sleep on it?"
He gave me a knowing look, but he took up my new topic of discussion. "We can go sleep on it now if you really want to see."
I squeezed him abruptly. "Oh no. I was promised a room with a Jacuzzi for getting ready for this date, remember? I'm not giving it up now. But I am curious to know what it's like, sleeping on the tour bus."
He settled us back on the limo seat with his arm around me. "It's crowded, but it's nice. Paul will probably put you and Tiffany on the second bus with him and his sisters. They have a spare room."
"I take it the band is on the first bus?"
"Yeah, it's kinda cute. We all have single beds in a row upstairs. But it's no place for women."
"Where do Jessica and Lydia sleep when they're on tour with you?"
Gunnar snorted a laugh. "Are you kidding me? They always stay in hotels."
I was relieved to hear this, but I couldn’t tell him. I didn’t want to be the source of discord among the band members. Pun intended. "We would rather stay on the bus with you," was all I said.
"I know," he said with such longing and understanding in his eyes that I melted into goo there on the seat. All thoughts were gone for a few minutes while he kissed me.
Well, not all thoughts. The teeniest tiniest critical part of me thought, "My gosh, he has to quit smoking. This is gross." But of course I didn't tell him that. Here I was kissing a rockstar and I was picky about him being a smoker? Come on. Still, it was like licking an ashtray. Mom was right. Should I start smoking too? That way, I won’t notice. What am I saying? No way!
Tiffany turned around in her seat. "So who all's on the second bus with me and Tracy?"
Relieved to have an excuse, I broke off the ashy kiss to yell at her. "Hey! I thought you had your headphones in and weren't listening."
She shrugged at me with a wink. "What can I say? This involves me, so it is my business. Right, Gunnar?"
He chuckled against me. We were so close that I could feel all the tiny movements of his body, and it was nice. "She has a point, Tracy."
"Oh, she has several points, and when I get her alone we’re going to discuss them all and get something straight," I told Gunnar while staring Tiffany down with my eyebrows raised. I wasn't really mad. Maybe 30%. The rest of me was blasting off into outer space with excitement.
I’m his girlfriend! He kissed me! He’s holding me!
Tiffany knew me pretty well after living together a year. She smirked and put her headphones back on and gave me the slightest nod of agreement to this arrangement to renegotiate privacy settings for our conversations.
Gunnar played with my hair while the limousine sped through the city night, and I found myself wishing Brian would go slower so that we could sit like this longer.
Gunnar's rich voice spoke softer now, closer to my ear. "You can tell her that on your bus will be Paul in his private little suite upstairs and his sisters downstairs in theirs. His sisters are the bus drivers for bus one."
