Hit'n Those Notes Ch. 03

The author retains all rights to this original work of fiction.

Tuesday, March 27th, 10:07 a.m.

Shit! I had been so engrossed in my phone I had totally lost sight of my surroundings. I was smarter than this - usually! Now I was sure the guy from the elevator was right behind me.

Yes, I entered the elevator with maybe five others, but before exiting on my floor, it was only me and the guy wearing a hoodie left in the elevator. The guy's hoodie covered too much of his head and face - why didn't that set off any alarms?! He let me exit the elevator first - no alarm bells going off in my mind. Was I really that disconnected and clueless?!

I had turned left, and a couple feet down the hall, it was obvious he was behind me. Coincidence? Why didn't I look at him closer? I could have stayed on the elevator. Should I turn around and act as if I forgot something and head back down to the lobby?

In a flash a story my mom had told me about a woman in Seattle being followed off the elevator at her hotel and being attacked in the hallway came to mind. That woman had been smart enough not to go to her room and get trapped in there by the homeless guy who attacked her. Her screaming brought out someone to rescue her - did I need rescuing? How was I going to deal with this guy following me? There were cameras everywhere - was this guy stupid enough to think he hadn't been captured on one of them at some point? Augh!

OK, don't go to your room; pick a door and knock. Hope to hell an MMA fighter or football linebacker opens the door and Mr. Hoodie keeps on walking by...

At room 604, I stopped and knocked on the door without looking at my hooded friend. He had stopped also, and I could sense he was watching me from a few feet behind me. When no one answered the door, I knocked again and looked towards the guy.

"Forgot my key...," I squeaked pathetically. He didn't say anything, but he wasn't moving on either. I followed up with, "My husband is in there..." I knocked a third time.

"Are you sure you have the right room?"

His voice chilled my skin, but I held my ground.

"I'm pretty sure my husband is in there... I just got off the phone with him." I was trying my best to sound confident, but my voice felt shaky.

I watched as he stepped towards me, and I moved back, more like jumped back, as he reached for something in his hoodie pocket hanging about his waist. It was a key card. He slid it into the lock for room 604, and the lock's LED light showed green.

He opened the door and said, "I'm pretty sure my brother hasn't been in Vegas long enough to get married, but I wouldn't be surprised by anything Dana does these days."

What? He said 'Dana', pronounced it 'Dan-Ah'. Dana, the guy from the competition? This guy was his brother? The confusion on my face must have spoken volumes because he had a concerned look on his face.

"You... You're part of the singing competition, aren't you?" He pulled the hood from his head after asking the question.

I could only nod.

"I'm only guessing, mind you, but it looks like you've been interviewed by the PBS folks."

"How do you know that," I asked.

"Actually, I don't, but you look like you've got a lot of makeup on, so I'm just guessing."

He had a nice smile, and I could certainly see similarities between him and Dana - they were definitely siblings.

"Oh, yeah, I was just doing makeup... I mean, I was just finishing the interview."

What the hell! Why couldn't I speak a coherent sentence?

"So, you and Dana aren't... Well, you two aren't married or something like that, are you," he asked with a knowing smile.

He seemed to be enjoying my discomfort. If he knew how fast my heart was pounding right now, he might not be so amused about scaring the crap out of me.

"No, we're not... I, I'm part of the competition. I met Dana this morning. He's a very nice guy. I like your brother."

Why did I sound so stupid, mindless?!

"Yeah, he's something...," he chuckled. "I'm Tyler, Dana's brother, and you are," he let the question hang.

"I'm Brea, Breanna..."

"Nice to meet you, Brea, Breanna..."

I was still flustered from the panic I'd been feeling, but there was more to it than that. Dana's brother was a very good-looking guy, very relaxed, and not repulsed by the fact I was Trans - he had to know, right? He had gorgeous blue eyes, surfer boy dirty blonde hair, and, from what I could tell through a baggie hoodie, a decent body above with nice legs showing below the shorts he had on. Augh! What are you doing?!! Make your exit! You've got things to do...

"Are you going to be at contestant's dinner tonight?"

His speaking snapped my mind back to the here and now.

"Yeah, it's at 8:00 PM, so I'll... I'm going." Fuck! What is my problem?!

"Nice, maybe I'll see you there - buy you a drink or something," he said, still smiling and studying me. Not creepy like, but curious maybe.

"Yeah, I'm... I'll be there, so I can look for Dana and you, you two." I had to stop because I was speaking in full-blown bimbo mode and I absolutely hated myself right now.

I turned to head toward my room without saying anything further to embarrass myself. I pulled my keycard from my wristlet clutch, inserted it in the lock, and opened my door. I looked back toward, FUCK! What was his name? Tim jumped in my head, no - Tyler! God dang it! Tyler was entering Dana's room, and I watched the door shut behind him.

I entered my room and leaned against the door after it closed. What the hell was that?! Everything about that interaction sucked, and the fact that he didn't watch me enter my room pretty much said he was done with me. Did I care? He probably has a girlfriend and doesn't need to waste his time on someone with issues like mine. Fuck! I could have handled that better.

My phone vibrated. It was a text from Bill, 10:12 AM: "Can you believe this shit! We haven't docked this plane at the gate yet! I'm not sure how much longer we're going to be."

I replied: "I'm sorry... I've got wardrobe and makeup at 1:00 PM. I get the band at 5:00 PM. Then there's a contestant dinner tonight. You and Charles are coming as my guests, PLEEEAAASE!!"

Bill, 10:13 AM: "Sorry, Charles got us tickets to the Blue Man show tonight at 7... I'll text you when we're off this rust bucket. How's the hotel?"

"IDK, haven't done much but sleep and go to contestant meetings. I was interviewed by Leza Howell for the PBS documentary. That was wild!"

Bill, 10:15 AM: "I've heard of her; she coordinated the San Fran Trans march on city hall last month... How did the interview go?"

"Fine, doubt I said anything ground-breaking or profound."

Bill, 10:15 AM: "You need to relax... You are valid; you are worthy... Look into the spa, Charles already did and has a massage scheduled for tomorrow."

"Yeah, you have no idea. I do need to relax."

Bill, 10:15 AM: "OMG, finally! We're moving! Going to a different gate now! We'll come to your room after we get settled."

"Sounds good... Thank you for coming. Really means a lot to me. Love ya..."

Bill 10:16 AM: "Wouldn't have missed it. Hugz!"

It was now time to get this caked-on makeup off! And to figure out how to not be a bumbling idiot for the rest of my stay here!

Tuesday, March 27th, 11:15 a.m.

I had successfully removed the interview makeup and applied makeup to match the third outfit change in the Britney Spears video for the song 'Toxic'. I was going to duplicate that outfit and was wearing form-fitting low-cut black leather pants, stiletto-heeled black boots, elbow-length black gloves, a red wispy shawl, and a leather bra-like top that closely matched hers from the video.

To match her look completely, I also purchased a long black wig. All told, I was just over six hundred dollars into this outfit - not my money, thank goodness! Insanely, the leather pants were pretty sexy and very, very expensive. I might actually consider wearing them around San Diego clubbing with Kaley - maybe. Okay, likely not.

I stepped back, grabbed my air microphone, and sang a few lines slowly to the full mirror on the closet slider door. Not bad, not bad at all. I smiled and moved a few stray hairs aside while getting used to the ache growing from my feet in these heeled boots. My curves were good enough to pull this outfit off.

Since the leather pants were so tight, tucking was crucial, and I had that locked down with a homemade gaff - due to the low-cut of the pants. Then there was plenty of surgical grade tape to keep 'things' constricted and in place down there. It wasn't the most comfortable, but I could handle it for a couple hours.

All in all I was happy with the look; I just needed to sing my ass off and incorporate some of her dance gyrations into my performance. I'd worked out with Kaley to get those down - though I probably looked and felt awkward - her advise was to "Loosen up them hips!" If I could just...

A knock at the door made my heart jump. Augh! I looked out the peephole and saw Bill. He hadn't seen my outfit choice yet, so this was going to be fun. I pulled the door open and sang, "I'm addicted to you, because you know that you're toxic..."

The look on his face spoke volumes, at least, I think it did. He didn't move for a second, and I swear his jaw dropped.

"Holy shit... Brea," he said after taking it all in.

"Get in here, silly." I reached for his arm to pull him in.

"Whoa... Even if you can't sing a lick of that song, you should win for that outfit. Leather pants? I like..."

My heart was swelling. It felt good to get the compliment from him, and I hugged him tight, kissed his cheek softly.

"OK, turn for me." He spun his finger around to emphasize the request after I let him go.

I did a little catwalk towards the windows, then turned back towards him and walked seductively back.

He watched with a critical eye. "Your makeup isn't complete, right?"

"No, but it'll be a match for the video. I've got a few screen grabs on my phone to show the makeup artists."

"You look amazing, Brea..."

"Thank you... God, I'm so nervous, I can't stand it. I was afraid this outfit was going to be too over the top."

"No, it's on point. With the arrangement being flipped like we have it, your outfit takes the delivery to the opposite extreme. I don't think any other outfit would work, do you?"

"No, I think this outfit makes a statement, like the arrangement. Where's Charles," I asked.

Bill chuckled, "Slot machine slut... We couldn't get out of the airport without him wanting to play ten-dollars at some quarter machine. After we got to the room, he was like, 'Tell Brea I'll catch up with her later!' I doubt you'll see him before we head to the Blue Man show."

I smiled, but my face switched to concern when there was a knock at the door.

"Probably Charles," Bill said, turning to open the door. "Can I help you?"

I tried to get a glimpse of who was at the door, but my view was blocked by the door itself and where Bill was standing. I heard the person reply, "I was looking for Breanna..."

It almost sounded like whoever it was was asking a question.

Bill looked over his shoulder, "You have a visitor, Brea...," he said while opening the door completely to reveal Tyler in the hallway.

I cringed inside and wanted to slap Bill on the back of the head for opening the door like that! I didn't want this guy to see me like this! Crap! But it was too late to duck into the bathroom, and by the look on Tyler's face, he'd gotten a good look at my Britney wannabe outfit. Could this day get any worse?

"Hey Breanna... I, I just wanted to... Whoa, ah, you look..."

Before he could finish Bill provided him with the word, "Amazing..."

"Oh, yeah... Totally, yes... Amazing... Are you wearing that for the competition," he croaked out as if tripping on his words, not sure what to say.

Bill answered for me, "Yes, do you like it?"

What the hell! Bill! I clenched my jaw so tightly that it ached. I walked up behind Bill and tapped him on the shoulder, saying, "I got this, William..."

He looked at me quizzically before moving out of the way, but not before flashing me a knowing smile before leaving Tyler and me at the door. Was there some visible chemistry going on here that other's could see and I didn't? Augh!

"Hey Tyler, What's up?" I tried to sound all casual, but dressed as I was, I'm sure I sounded uptight.

"Oh, I... I wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn't mean to spook you or anything..."

He sounded sincere, so I rolled with it: "Yeah, I pretty much had my nose so deep in my phone. I didn't realize what was going on with my surroundings. Can we not tell Dana about my attempt at getting into his room? I wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea." I tried to smile but felt very self-conscious about my appearance.

Tyler was smiling. "Sure, but you have to let me buy you a drink tonight."

That was a bit bold, but I agreed with a slight nod.

"Cool, then I'll see you at dinner," he said, a hopeful look on his face and sounding much more relaxed.

"I'll see you there."

Tuesday, March 27th, 11:21 a.m.

"What the hell, Bill?" I unloaded exasperatedly after the door was shut, and I stared him down for a second.

"What? He's cute..."

"Yeah, but opening the door when I'm all Britney slut-like? Come on," I complained.

"Did you see the look on his face," Bill asked with a slight chuckle. "I'm pretty sure he was mesmerized... You vixen you!"

"Yes, I felt the uncomfortable stare. Geesh!"

"What was that apology stuff all about?"

I explained the elevator ride and got to relive the embarrassment of meeting Tyler. Bill laughed, but did bring it around to something my mom might say: "You need to be more aware of your surroundings, Brea..."

"Yeah, yeah... I screwed up, but really, I could have handled him if things went sideways."

"Oh really? Like what, falling into his arms for a big kiss?" Bill was laughing at me again.

It annoyed me, but in the scheme of all that had happened today, I could use a little grounding, so I let it go. It doesn't mean I didn't give him a pouty face, though. He hugged me and assured me he loved me but was going to kick my ass if I didn't pay better attention to my surroundings. At least he didn't threaten to tell my mom!

We spent the next half-hour discussing my outfit for the 'What's Up' song and arrangement specifics. He had me sing runs, emphasizing volume changes and breathing control. Bill was the consummate musician and vocal coach all rolled into one. I was lucky to have him in my life and here in Vegas to assist. Without him here, I doubt I could maintain my already frizzy nerves.

When he was satisfied I was in my lane vocally, we talked about the arrangements some more, and he produced a no-vocals version of the 'What's Up' song in case I forgot my copy.

I had to laugh, "I have my copy of the song, Thank you..."

We both laughed a little more and it was nice to know he had my back yet again. We'd practiced the song with him at the piano and with the recorded version sans vocals. We studied the video together, and when it came to duplicating the singing style, I felt like I was ready. He promised to meet me at 5:00 PM for the setup of my songs with the band.

We hugged at the door, and he was off to find Charles and maybe grab lunch.

Tuesday, March 27th, 1:01 p.m.

I was greeted by hotel staff members participating in the running of the singing competition at the staging conference room for makeup and wardrobe. I had my outfits in a small carry-on-sized suitcase and turned that over to the stylist assigned to me, Deanna. She was a great listener and had nothing to add in regards to my outfit choices, which made me feel pretty good.

We talked about the two wigs I had purchased: the Britney long black and the 4 Non Blondes dreadlocks. She had me try both on, and after some minor adjustments I was happy with her input on how to wear them both.

Deanna turned me over to Andrew for the makeup portion of this appointment, and again, a simple couple tweaks to my vision, and I was digging how my makeup looked. Not just the Britney version, but the simple 4 Non Blondes application.

In less than forty-five minutes, I was through this phase of the competition and released until my meeting with the band at 5:00 PM.

Deanna warned me that I should drink plenty of water, stay away from alcohol, and get a good night's rest tonight. She said before the show there would be a two-hour window to get ready to perform. I thanked her for the advice and assured her that partying was not something I was into and that I would be prepared for tomorrow.

I headed back to my room, set an alarm on my phone, called the front desk for a wakeup call, and crashed so hard it took me a second to realize what all the noise was in my room between the room's phone ringing and my cellphone alarm complaining at me...

Augh, I probably should have skipped the nap. My brain felt foggy, and it took me nearly five minutes to actually get up the energy to sit up. I looked at the clock on the bedside table: 4:07 PM. I needed to get moving...

Tuesday, March 27th, 5:23 p.m.

"Wait... Can we slow this down even more," I asked.

Brian adjusted the tempo, and I continued to sing, "Too high... Can't come down... It's in the air, And it's all around... Can you feel me now..."

That felt better, I thought, but Brian wasn't Bill on piano. We had talked the arrangement out, and while Brian was good about listening to Bill and seemed to understand the needs for this switched-up arrangement, I just wasn't feeling it like I had hoped. Short of Bill taking Brian's seat at the piano, I was having some serious doubts about my chances to advance in this competition. Maybe I should sing 'What's Going On...' first? Was that my best chance at advancing? Augh!

"Once more from the top..." I requested.

Brian smiled and flipped the sheet music Bill had provided to the first page, and after a nod, he began playing. OK, that sounds better...

On my mark, I began singing, "Baby, can't you see... I'm calling... A guy like you should wear a warning... It's dangerous... I'm fallin'..."

When Brian let the last bars hang, I looked towards Bill, who threw up two thumbs up.

I nodded and smiled towards Brian, saying, "I think that's it. Thank you."

It was the fourth run-through for the song, and that was the best one yet. My nerves subsided just slightly, but not completely.

"No problem. I've got your recording and sheets here. I see what you're trying to do, and I'll work on this some more tonight. You want to do it again?"

"No, I think that's the way I need it tomorrow," I replied.

"OK, we'll do a run-through tomorrow if you want. Did you want the full band for your second song," Brian asked.

I looked towards Bill, and he nodded 'No'.

"I think I'm going to use the original track," I replied. Did Bill sense a weakness in the band, I wondered...

"Sure... Mike, you want to cue Breanna's second song..."

In my in-ear monitor (IEM), I could hear someone say, "Brea, we've set your levels for Toxic - you sounded great, by the way. Is there anything you think you want changed?"

I turned toward stage left and could see Mike standing by the mixing board.

"No, I think it sounded good...," I turned toward Bill, standing at the front of the stage, and asked, "Levels?"

"Sounded right in that last take Brea," Bill said, smiling.

God, I wish I had half the confidence he has in me right now. "Let's keep them set on that last take, please."

"OK, I've got them saved. Give me a sec, and I'll queue your second song..."

A minute later, the unmistakable guitar riff from 'What's Going On' began to play throughout the theater, but I was missing the sound in my IEM's. I pointed to it while looking at Mike offstage. I could see him fiddling with some switches and cringed when the sound finally made it to my earpieces.