Back-Up (5 page)

Some of our fans are extremely aggressive. I’ve had sex with some of them. Most of the time they move on when they see my road is a dead end. There is a constant stream of gorgeous
women throwing themselves at us, more specifically at me. I always treat them with utmost respect, and I always use a condom! These women chase me and who am I to disappoint? I am not forcing any of them to do what they weren’t planning on doing any way. It’s amazing how many women will have a one-night stand with a complete stranger.

I lost count o
f how many women I’ve been with, and I am a little embarrassed of my promiscuousness. It hasn’t stopped me though.  I enjoy being in the company of a woman, for one night, maybe two, a week tops. That’s as far as I’ll take a relationship, for now. I don’t have time to waste energy or even brain cells on relationship drama. I have more important things to worry about. My career is finally taking off and I plan on enjoying this wave. The next year of our lives will be recording an album and then touring.

Fuck yeah!

We are so ready for this. I don’t regret all the dirty, sleazy, seedy bars we’ve played in over these last few years. Those dives made us who we are. We don’t take anything for granted. Each one of us appreciates what is happening and we are loving every goddamn minute of it.

Two years ago we were playing in a band competition and won. The super famous band MACE saw us and caught a few more of our shows. They were about to start a small tour and asked us to open for them.

Except for living with a bunch of smelly guys on a bus for months, touring with MACE was fantastic. It definitely gave us tons of experience for our own tour. I had the fucking time of my life…literally.

While in LA, we were approached by a tall gorgeous blonde with ice blue eyes
. She introduced herself as Jennifer Baxter. I prefer brunettes, but she is stunning. After our segment, she stalked right over to me and thrust her hand out. She looked like she wanted to eat me alive. I was just about to put my moves on her until she introduced herself as an agent and said she wanted to represent us. This is just how she works; there is simply no beating around the bush for Jennifer. Not having an agent and liking her balls, we went for it. What could it hurt?

We trusted Jen, and luckily it was the best move we made. In the past year, she got us signed by the same record label representing MACE.

Jen is not exactly a veteran in the music business, but damn she is as tenacious as they come. That definitely works in our favor. She was having drinks with a friend while on a business trip to LA on the night she found us. We trusted her and she came through. 

The guys made me swear on a stack of bibles, a box of condoms, and a case of beer that I
would NEVER DO JENNIFER!  Jeez, I really wasn’t planning on it anyway, but she sure hasn’t made that easy on me. Yes, she has been the utmost professional. However, I am a master at interpreting looks and I was convinced she wanted me.

Jen has been seeing someone for almost a year now. Malcolm Reynolds is also an agent, and if you look up agent in the dictionary, it would show you Malcolm’s picture. He is as tenacious as Jen, but in a sleazy sort of agent way. He’s very successful at what he does, so I guess it works for him.

You would think that having a boyfriend would curtail her flirting with me, but nope. I’ve met him a few times. He has quite a wandering eye himself, and I wonder if Jen’s tactics aren’t to try and get him jealous. I guess you could say they make a perfect couple.

No
w we have a three-album record contract. We have just about two albums worth of songs already, so hitting the three-album requirement will not be a problem. I am constantly writing songs. Hunter and the boys put my words to music effortlessly. They always know exactly what I’m feeling in my lyrics. Along with that, we’re also under contract to rehearse in the studio for the next few months to prepare and record album number one. We will then be going on our US tour beginning in September to promote it. The tour will run from coast to coast over five months. Most of the venues are a few thousand seats. Jen feels it’s better to start small and sell out. I think we could have started a bit bigger since we have a nice following now. I guess I understand her mentality.

One night while hanging out in a bar and listening to another random band, Hunter came up with a great idea. He
suggested that we add a back-up singer to create a different sound that would make us stand out more. Rock bands are a dime a dozen, and we can easily get lost in the mundane. He felt my voice begged for a female companion.

He was right. I
t was fucking brilliant! Jennifer did not agree. This was our first disconnect. She wasn’t thrilled with the idea. Once we checked with the studio and got the green light, we overrode her and went for it. There aren’t many other rock bands that utilize the female voice all that much. We are creating a sound that is practically missing in the rock band world. Last week we held auditions, and one girl blew us away. Many we saw had the perfect voice. Many had the perfect look. This chick had it all.

Leila Marino.

She has a very sultry sexy voice, and her range is outrageous.

Her look is
also
perfect
. She has a fucking hot, killer body with nice legs. Long, brown hair that has a natural wave extends to the middle of her back. Her eyes are a stunning golden brown, fringed in thick black lashes. Her full lips are the kind you want to suck on for hours. She did a lot of staring at me when we met, so I was able to get a good look at her. She’s perfection. She had on tight jeans with black boots to her knees. Her blouse was black and sheer and fitted, revealing some nice curves underneath.

When Leila walked in, she looked dumbstr
uck. My first impression was, “What a ditz!” She was gawking at me like a star struck groupie. At first, I couldn’t get her to focus. She gets this “deer in headlights” look on her face that makes you want to laugh. I attributed her skittishness to nerves.

When we finally
made it to the studio for her to actually sing for us, FUCK ME! She blew us away. She sang one song as back-up, and I desperately needed to hear more. Her song choice was
Dream On
, by Aerosmith. Do you know how hard it is to sing that song? She nailed it. When she belted out the rock screams, my cock twitched. It was so fucking hot.

Her audition song choice was a work of art. I joined her towards the end, and we co
mplimented each other perfectly. Her voice is the female version of mine.

Patti, Scott’s girlfriend, found Leila singing in a bar in Hoboken. I was a little
skeptical about Patti’s find since she tends to over react. Patti’s opinion was dead on. Why this girl hasn’t been discovered yet is baffling. She will need some work. She has absolutely no confidence in her talent, little self-esteem and is a klutz. The confidence and self-esteem issues aren’t a problem. I can help her ten-fold in those departments. The klutziness could be an issue. However, I simply don’t care. Hell, I’ll put her in a padded suit if necessary.

We finally tracked Leila down yesterday and we are now waiting to meet with her. I really hope she accepts our offer. She is perfect. 

A loud “Fuck you” drags me out of my daydream. This crew can be so annoying. They are arguing away about utter nonsense. I suddenly feel real antsy and stand to stretch. Damn, it feels like my ass has been in this chair for days.

“Let’s grab some food and hang out at my place.”
Scott chimes. He is content in playing our gigs, hanging out with us and snuggling with his chick Patti, all in the same night.

“Nope. I’m heading home.” I look up to see three sets of eyes staring at me. “What?”

“It’s Saturday dude. What the hell?” Hunter on the other hand, can go out to a different bar every night without fail.

“As much as I’d love to spend a romantic evening with you three, I’m going to work out, get something to eat and then call that chick from last weekend, Ella? Emma? Wha
tever the hell her name is. I’m going to invite her over and relax.”  I emphasize “the relax” with air quotes.

“Relax my ass.” Hunter smirks. “Make sure you close your door dude, and stay out of the living room. I don’t need to see your junk again when I get home.”

Last night Hunter walked in on my friend Heather and me having sex on our couch. Heather calmly pulled herself off of me and without flinching sauntered to my room while smiling at Hunter. In the process, she left me completely exposed in all of my own naked glory. Hunter grabbed a potholder and threw it at me to cover up. Really, what did he think that would cover up? So I left it on the floor and followed my friend into my room. The look on his face was priceless.

“That wasn’t my fault. Heather is an exhibitionist. She likes to do it in every room and doesn’t care who is watching.” I give them my full dimple smile. It really only works on chicks and the guy
s hate it when I lay it on them, so I do it often. I am a bit of a ball buster.

***

After my workout, I scroll to my Ella/Emma entry on my phone and dial the number. When she answers I smoothly announce, “Hey babe, it’s Jack. How are you?”

“Hi Jack.
What a nice surprise. I’m so much better now hearing your sexy voice.” She seductively says into the phone.

“Want to come over?”

“I’d love to. Be there soon.”

I guess she doesn’t have plans
or she’s ditching whomever she’s with. Ella or Emma is a gorgeous, leggy brunette that I met last weekend at our gig. She was up against the stage and stared at me the entire time. I walked up to her once our show ended. Before long she was in my bed. We didn’t have a lot of conversation, which is why I can’t remember her damn name. The sex that night was mind-blowing. Also, I pegged her to be about a one and a half on her “relationship scale”. The combination of the two is the only reason I called her tonight.

First off, I usually don’t see one night stands for a repeat. I have really good relationship-seeking radar. I can usually tell if a woman is in search of a relationship within fifteen minutes of meeting her. I don’
t want to lead anyone on, or raise her expectations. There are certain red flags and I am a pro at detecting them. At a one and a half, Ella/Emma definitely passed the test.

Secondly, obviously the sex has to be good.

I have just enough time to grab something to eat, jump into the shower, and wrap a towel around my waist when the intercom buzzes.

Anxious to get down to business, I answer the door in just a towel. Why get dressed when I will be naked in a few minutes? 

“Hey gorgeous, how are you?” Leaning in, I give her a kiss on her cheek. She is wearing a black mini skirt that barely covers her fine ass, a black tank top that is showing off her assets nicely and black heels with the sharpest point I have ever seen. They look like weapons; they also make her very tall.

While I’m checking her out, she is checking me out and focuses on my towel.

“Thanks Jack. I’m so glad you called. Tonight is looking to turn out much better than I expected.” She flashes me her super white smile, probably fake. I know her boobs are most definitely fake. I prefer natural, but it doesn’t matter in the least to me since she is smoking hot.

“I hope I didn’t pull you away from something important.”

“Nope, no worries.”

Wasting no additional time with pleasantries, she rubs up against me and kisses me flush on the lips. Dipping her finger inside the edge of my towel and running it from side to side, she instantly has my attention. It’s less than ten minutes later when we find ourselves in my bedroom and Ella/Emma is giving me a noteworthy blowjob.

This is exactly what I needed tonight, and I’m relishing in the feeling of her lips wrapped around me. Lying back, I close my eyes and I see… Leila.

LEILA??? WHAT THE FUCK?!!

I am so surprised by seeing Leila inside my head that I actually call out her name.

Hot chick lifts her head and says, “Leila? Who the fuck is Leila? I’m Ella.”

Oh crap
!

“Sorry baby, I meant Ella.” Placating her, thankfully she continues with her task while I remain baffled by my vision. It must be because I spoke to her yesterday, right? I was just remembering her audition earlier, right? That
can be the only logical explanation for seeing Leila while I’m getting the best fucking blowjob from Ella!

Deciding to not waste a good blowjob, I close my eyes and settle back to enjoy what Ella is determined to fin
ish. And I might as well continue with my fantasy because I am so
going
to hell.

Chapter 3-Leila

This week’s Sunday brunch with dad is interesting, to say the least.  We are both purposefully avoiding the elephant in the room. I have no new information to share with him, since my meeting isn’t until tomorrow.  My silence on the topic of my new career is the only encouragement dad needs to ignore it and wish it
away. But he keeps zoning out. His gaze shifts nervously from his plate to his coffee and back again.  I’m completely aware of the turmoil swirling in his head. He can’t fool me.

“So Lei, Sal said Saturday was the largest crowd he’s ever had. That’s amazing.”
He slowly chews on a piece of bacon and zones out again.

Saturday was amazing. It was standing room only. I don’t know if it was because I was on such a high from hearing about my audition, or if we rocked the place, but I had one of the best nights ever. I even allowed myself to hang around afterwards and have a few drinks with the entire gang. We were celebrating my “phone call” as well as having the best turnout we have ever had at The Zone. Sal was so happy
that he bought us all a round of shots. That has
never
happened before,
ever
. I chose not to tell dad the details of our little celebration. I don’t want to add fuel to his “denial” fire.

“Yep, it’s pretty amazing.
The boys just loved the standing room only crowd. I hope their egos don’t get too big for the bar.” 

“Nah, they are good kids. I’m sure they’ll take it in stride.”  Dad loves the boys in the band, and they feel the same about him. Having known them for years, he is pr
oud of the men they have become, even Matt. In all fairness, dad would have killed Matt by now if he were aware of the details of our relationship.

Dad would have preferred it if the guys had gone to college and gotten degrees.  But he’s proud that they are not into drugs, or squandering their time doing nothing.  They may be in a rock band, but these boys work hard.

Dad levels his gaze on me, and I know what’s coming. It’s here and he is finally going to address the issue.  Clearing his throat, three times, he mumbles, “Um, so, I know this band that is interested in you is due to tour soon. I guess that means you would be gone too?”

Oh boy.

“Um, dad, let’s wait and see what they have to say to me tomorrow? I really don’t want to jump to any conclusions.” I look down into my bowl of yogurt and granola. I’m afraid to make eye contact with him.  I’m afraid of the look I will see in his eyes. I know this is his way of prepping himself for what’s to come, but I simply can’t discuss this with him yet.

We finish our meal with some awkward silence. This is rare for us, as we can usually discuss just about anything.  It’s times like this when I wish
that Evan were here. He has a knack for shifting the focus away from me when I need that the most. 

After I kiss dad goodbye and I let him hug me a bit tighter and longer than is normal, I jump into my car and drive home. I can’t seem to swallow the huge lump that has firmly lodged itself in my throat. He’s going to be lost without me. It’s not realistic to think I can be here for him and never
leave the confines of northern Jersey. This is when I wish he had other children, or at least a girlfriend to keep him busy. I worry that he’ll be permanently molded to his recliner watching the Yankees or Food Network. I’ll have to have a chat with a few key people in his life to be sure to keep tabs on him.

Trying to re-direct my thoughts, I begin to think about my meeting tomorrow and I i
mmediately see Jack’s face, his legs, his arms, his chest and his mighty fine ass. Remembering the comatose, stupefied, idiot that I became, I struggle to figure out how I’m going to be able to act normal when I face him tomorrow.

UGH! It’s embarrassing how much this man turns me on. Since my audition, I’ve thought about him so many times I’ve lost count. I find myself constantly wondering what he is doing. Pathetically, most thoughts
of him come at night as I’m settling in to fall asleep. My relationship dry spell isn’t helping my Jack Lair crush. I couldn’t be hornier if I tried. My said situation is in dire straits, and I’m not the type of girl to sleep around or to take matters into her own hands.

So instead of succumbing to my yearnings, cravings, desires
, I decide to clean my apartment, bake enough cookies to supply a grammar school bake sale, and watch
The Notebook
for the three-hundredth time.  Glaring at the clock like it is responsible for my lack of orgasms, I literally grunt to see it’s still only five pm.  I decide to call Evan and ask him to come over and without hesitation, he’s on his way.  He only lives in Weehawken and is at my apartment in less than fifteen minutes.

Evan is all ears as I unleash every detail of my breakfast with dad over bad Chinese take-out.
He is quick to defend dad and reminds me how hard this is on him. He also makes sure that I know he gets where I’m coming from as well. Evan is diplomatic, if nothing else.

“Damn Lei. I’m going to miss the hell out of you. How am I ever going to get through all those months without you?”

Leaving Evan will be harder than leaving dad will be. “I’m going to miss you so much Ev. I am scared to death. I am on the verge of freaking out about this whole thing.”

I reluctantly tell him all about Mr. Sex on Legs. At some points, Evan’s face looks like he is about to hurl.

I know what he is thinking. “How the hell can my dad, and he himself, allow me to tour with that man, for months and months if he is walking sex?”

But he doesn’t say it.

Because just like Evan has the knack to support me and tell me things I do need to hear, he also has the knack to keep to himself what I don’t need to hear. 

***

On Monday morning I shower, pluck, shave, primp and polish every inch of my body. I stare at my closet as I always do, in hopes that new, expensive, trendy clothes have miraculously generated overnight, I’m left disappointed by my selection. In desperation, I pull out one of my best professional outfits. I don’t own many, as much of my wardrobe is either casual stuff or performance uniforms.  I finally choose a black pencil skirt that falls right above my knees with a white cotton fitted blouse and my black patent stilettos that make me feel like a naughty schoolteacher. In all of my excitement, I didn’t think the clothing part through. There’s really nothing I can do about it at this point, since a trip to the mall isn’t possible. 

With
a deep breath, I grab my bag and run out the door.

The ride into the city feels like an eternity. I’ve released the f-bomb more times during my commute than I have my entire life. I allowed plenty of time
for traffic but it was horrendous, and I manage to arrive only a few minutes early.

Of course all the spots on the streets are taken, and I don’t have time to circle, so I pull into a lot as close as possible
and hope it won’t cost me a small fortune. I pluck the valet ticket out of the attendant’s hand and sprint towards the studio in my stiletto’s as I pray to the heavens no not fall. A few whistles and catcalls later, all of which I ignore, I slow my pace a half block from the studio, check my face in a window store front and take another deep breath.

I grab the door handle just as a firm grip grabs it as well
without ever knowing that
he
was watching this entire episode. Surprised, I flip my head to the left and gasp out loud as I come face to face with Jack. Feeling that same jolt of electricity zip up my arm and down to my crotch as I experienced during my audition, I quickly pull my hand free from his grip as he smiles down at me.

No doubt, I am beet red from running and
seeing him. He looks directly into my eyes, and cajoles, “Nice to see you in one piece Miss Marino. I’m impressed you can run in those shoes.” He winks and pulls the door open for me. 

Oh G
od…he did see me.

It’s funny how I
could sprint three city blocks in these heels, yet one look at Mr. Pretty, and I can’t seem to balance on them while standing still. I carefully make my way into the lobby, surprisingly without injury.

“So, are you ready for this?” I can feel his breath on me
from his whisper and it sends goose bumps all over my entire body…and yep, here comes the clenching.

He smells so good. It’s clean and masculine and it’s overwhelming me. I quickly step away so I can clear my thoughts. I can’t walk into that room stupefied again.

“I’m ready.” I nod my head and attempt to ignore my raging hormones. Jack is smiling while assessing my outfit. The tables have turned, and it’s now his turn to eye-fuck me in the same lobby. His gaze makes me feel exposed and naked. I have to summon every fiber of my being to ignore the electric pulses running through my body, specifically my lower body and to force my legs to literally move and follow behind him.

As we walk past evil witch Sally, Jack greets her and of course she smiles for him. I don’t spare her a glance, but I doubt she even notices my indifference. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see her eyes firmly glued to Jack’s ass.

Jack leads me down the hall, but this time we turn right into a small conference room. The same familiar faces are in the room. The band lines one side of the table. The stunning blonde is at the head. This leaves the side that is closer to the door with three empty chairs.  Jack turns towards motions for me to sit. I pull out a chair closer to the blonde, and he pulls out the chair that’s to my immediate right.

All eyes in the room are on me and my nerves
jump-start my annoying foot tapping habit.

The blonde says, “Hello
, Leila. My name is Jennifer Baxter, and I am the agent for Devil’s Lair. Can we get you anything to drink?”

Yes, a shot of vodka please
.

“No thank you. I’m fine.” 

As I size Jennifer up I am feeling dreadfully inadequate. She is truly striking. Her blonde hair looks like silk. I’m certain she’s never experienced Jersey frizz on a hot July day. Her eyes look and feel like ice. They’re not warm and fuzzy at all. Her red painted lips are turned up at the corners is an amused smile. Her nails are perfectly manicured. Her clothing screams power. I sit up straighter in my chair in a pathetic attempt to shake the intimidation I feel.

Jennifer turns to her left and says,
“This is Hunter Amatto, and he’s our drummer.” Hunter is gorgeous. I didn’t get a good look at him during my auditions. He definitely looks rocker enough with his piercings and spiky hair, but not in a scary way.

“Hey
, Leila. Nice to meet you.” Hunter smiles warmly at me and I return the gesture. I have a gut feeling that I’ll like him. He reminds me a little of Evan.

“Then we have Scott Malone
, our guitarist.” He waves and grins as well.

“Hey
, Leila.” I can see him with Patti, although it looks as if he wouldn’t get a word in edgewise.

“This is Trey Taylor
, our bass player.”

Trey…that’s his name.

He doesn’t lift his shades. He doesn’t smile. He simply nods his head and for some reason this makes me blush awkwardly.

“And lastly we have Jack Lair, our lead singer.” I turn towards Mr. Sex God and he is smiling the CCDS smile.

Crap…

Pressing my thighs together causes me to shift uncomfortably in my chair. Wh
at shade comes after bright red? Purple? Because I’m sure that’s the color my cheeks are right now.

His eyes are so beautiful
and hypnotic. I don’t realize my gaze is still focused on Jack’s eyes until I hear Jennifer clear her throat.

“Leila, as you know the band feels you would be the best fit for their back-up singer. We are trying to change our sound and we feel your voice is the right
complement to Jack’s. This meeting is merely an informal presentation of contract. We will proceed to Mr. Crowse, our band’s attorney, for the formal signing should you accept our offer.

“The band is due to tour in September. Until then, there will be grueling rehearsals, almost every day of the week. Jack is quite the work horse, and expects all his members to be one hundred percent committed to the integrity of their music.” She smiles warmly at Jack.

Hmmm…so she
can
be warm and fuzzy?

“Devil’s Lair is on the cusp of super stardom.
” she continues. “Your commitment to this band will bring a huge change to your life. We want you to be as prepared for that as possible. This contract is a detailed account on what those obligations entail.  Although Devil’s Lair is more recognizable than they were last year and will be playing in major cities across the country, the studio cannot afford to contract three buses. We want you to be completely comfortable with the traveling arrangements during the tour. You will be roommates with these four gentlemen and their drivers. There will be another bus following that will contain our tour manager, our equipment manager and the rest of the stage staff. I will not be traveling with the band, but I will be meeting up with them at key locations throughout the tour.”