The Band

"You will get another two hundred tomorrow. Also I haven't said it yet but those tights are very good for my libido. I also think you will need a police escort." Well hell, I'm getting paid another hundred and he complimented me on the tights then something else occurs to me.

"Hang on, I'm singing duet on the album so I should get a small percentage of sales like anybody else who takes part in it." Coop sighs and shrugs.

"Honest standard form is to pay a set amount to compensate you for coming in and helping. It's just one song but then again you are doing guitar for a percentage of the album. I'll see that you are cut a small percentage on the sales. Don't expect much unless these guys go mega platinum. Be something like a penny for every ten dollars made." Shrug and wink.

"Hell I was happy with the hundred bucks. Also know that I can't let you guys walk all over me so there we go, hundred bucks and a tiny percentage." Coop snorts and shakes his head.

"Fuck, you don't need pond scum. He is good at this though so it's good if he crawls on board. Go on back in there and do the guitar part." Nod and head for the door then stop.

"Sandwiches again?" Coop stops and shrugs.

"Unless you and the guys want something different. Mention that to them, I wouldn't mind pizza or even burgers."

Head on back in and mention how our evil lord and master Satan would not mind having burgers for lunch and is giving us a chance to voice an opinion. The guys all like burgers so I wink at the booth then turn around and we play the song. Next time we do the song I make faces so the guys are laughing.

Give the booth an innocent look when I get yelled at getting laughs out of the technician. Then we do the song again so I spread my legs then bring them in closer and spread again. The guys trailed off and are staring at me until the intercom squawks. Get to kick cast guy so he changes the pages and we do the song.

Do the whole song this time then we get yelled at to stop for lunch. Well alright so not exactly yelled at, just the intercom makes it sound like we are being yelled at since it cranks up the sound. You can whisper into the thing and come out loud in the recording side. Actually yell and it probably sounds like God is talking to you, so the guys in the booth can suggest changes during the session.

Probably closer to yell so the guys playing can hear and stop to listen. Not that I have had much experience in a studio. My high school did have a room with the equipment but there wasn't a recording room. So any bands with access had to record themselves elsewhere and then refine with the equipment.

Worked well enough that when we moved here to make a name for ourselves we had a tape to hand out and got work. Also had the guys we handed the tape to knowing we were coming straight from high school. I helped on the passing out of the tape and the guys I handed them out to asked outright.

Still got gigs at the clubs so it didn't matter. Course also made me a little self conscious, I mean we are good but nobody has done anything with us yet. Made me think the guys were thinking of how to under pay us or something. Then we are in the snack room and Paul is here with plenty of burgers and a great big old grin so I give him a hug.

"Pond scum liked what he heard so he is having his people write up a contract for us. We can sign it tomorrow. Do you got a lift home?" Look up at him and shrug.

"No idea yet, probably will get offered one from all of the guys." Look around and all of them are staring at me, about then realize I'm still holding Paul so let go. "He isn't my boyfriend, I'm not ready for that yet." Paul swats me.

"I'm not in the band so you could date me." Roll my eyes.

"Again not ready for dating, besides your brother is the singer. If I date you and we break up Mark won't be happy with me unless I was fucking him for the breakup." Paul snorts.

"I'm not terribly sure he has gotten laid yet."

"I'm not fucking him, if anything you should get him an escort. Also should make him eat more, I mean he's all skin and bones." Paul chuckles and shrugs.

"He eats until he is full then stops until later. Honestly I think we need to get him on beer so he adds weight somewhere. So why were you holding me so long?" Sigh and turn red then collect a burger for me.

"I think I am realizing that men are desirable again. Not ready for anything else but you feel nice in my arms and I miss that."

Look around and there really isn't a place to sit left. Sigh and sit where I am, Paul does the same so lean against him. The guys in the band are staring at me now so stick my tongue out at them. Then the music comes on and it's the first song so the guys are listening to that and not looking at me, at least until the end.

Turn scarlet, and then even redder because the next song that comes out is the sex song. I got talked into being the female side of that one as well. I mean I'm not ready for sex with anyone but there I am singing about how good that feels. Then our last song comes on and utter silence through it, even for a bit after.

"Something wrong with the tune under the lyrics."

"We were arguing about that last night, couldn't come up with anything to fix it though."

"I got it, nothing but bass until the end when you do the instrumental." We all stare at the technician for a bit then Paul snorts.

"Hell it's an idea and better than we have gotten so far." Look at Paul and well alright so he has a point and think about it then shrug.

"Not sure it will work but we can try." Paul nods and shrugs.

"May even work as our gimmick, have you start playing first with this then we all join in." Sigh then shrug and swat him.

"You are the stage hand so there is no we in relation to you and playing." Plenty of snorts.

"Give him a... cowbell, there's never enough... cowbells." We all stare at the technician for a second then we are all laughing.

"Oh my god Terminator Pinky is laughing." The guys stare at me a second then laugh more, I sigh and toss up my hands.

"Not playing at the moment so no music to focus on."

"On that note I think we should get back to the music, Pinky does need to do the duet." Paul waves his hand.

"What duet?"

"The song we are doing now they were doing with just the one singer. It works better as a duet and our evil lord and master Satan agrees with me so I am singing in the studio, getting paid more and a small percentage of sales." Pond scum snorts.

"You are a genius, also going to hurt you helping out bands for producers but the small percentage will help me on getting you more work." Shrug and wink.

"I've been around the block here for a while so know the tricks." Coop rolls his eyes.

"I think she is the evil lord and master Satan myself. Still why not do the duet now, just those two in the room so we actually have it recorded right."

Cast guy shrugs so I shrug and we head for the recording room. Once in there I notice the rest of the band and Paul are crowded in the booth with Coop, pond scum, and the technician. Also look a little scrunched up in there, they are not very large rooms.

"So I want to ask where you came up with the evil lord and master Satan bit." Look over at cast guy and wink.

"My music teacher in high school. First day of class he introduced himself that way, was a funny bit though he lived up to the title since he was a slave driver. Always demanded perfection out of us, so I practiced on my own double bass every night and practiced at school often as I could. I didn't join a band until sophomore year so I was good at the double bass by then."

"How well did it go over with playing electric?" Sigh and shake my head.

"Didn't do very good at either at first. Electric bass wants different moves for the same sound so I was kinda sucky at both for three months. Drove the band and my teacher up the wall because I was awesome at double bass."

Cast guy snorts then passes over a copy of the lyrics. No notes to go with the lyrics so all of it is on one sheet, and the parts for me to sing are underlined with pen so somebody copied and then underlined for me to follow. Read it down and agree on the underlining so check his sheet and he has the opposite lines underlined.

So we then get to work on singing the duet. We get stopped often for suggestions on how to sing in concert and then for particular lines. So this takes a while, at least two hours before we have it recorded to the point they are calling us done on it. Good timing on that, I don't want to sing anymore, especially not that song.

Pond scum is talking to me about how he will find a voice coach because I sing good and will need to sing for more songs when the rest of the band comes in. Get handed a guitar again so get to go back to what I like. Have to admit I like being involved in the songs, my last band the singer came up with everything and all I did was find a good bass to fit the lyrics.

Get to play the song and make faces for a while. Coop has me facing the band still for this so I get to be the bad guy so to speak. Finally though we are calling it a wrap for today. Paul went home at some point so I guess I can get a lift from somebody in the band unless they all came in one car.

"So who wants to give me a lift?" The guys all trade a glance.

"Aren't you hot for anyone?" Shake my head.

"I would have asked him out if I had known that was a groupy. Also not ready for a relationship or sex so it's just a lift and you are all handsome anyway." Cast guy snorts.

"Would there have been sex if you had asked then?" Think about it and nod.

"Definitely, I wanted sex soon when we met." Gets a fist pump out of him.

"Awesome, then I'll drive you. If I may be so forward, would you like to stop for dinner as well?"

"I'm not ready to date." He shakes his head.

"Not a date, two fellow musicians getting dinner and talking together. You probably need to get out more and here I am a big strong guy to not let it happen again." Look him up and down and shrug.

"You are accident prone so not helping your case but alright we can get dinner."

The guys are all laughing, he is as well since he did screw up with the getting hurt. Out we go and cast guy has a rather nice car. In fact all of them do so well dang color me jealous. Just drive for a bit before he says anything.

"So what sort of dinner do you want?"

"I like pasta, and pizza is in that category. Mexican is good, but not the fast food, I don't want to sit in a fast food place."

"I know a great little pizza place, does pan pizzas big enough to feed an army with one. We can get boxes to take home what we don't eat so don't worry and you will get half." Nod and smile since that sounds good.

"Works for me, but if it's all dark and you try and sit next to me I'm breaking your nose." He snorts and chuckles then looks over at me.

"Speaking of that, not going to try anything, but if say I was to try and do something in the car, what could you do?" Look over at him and frown but then he has to stop the car to do anything and I do know him a little bit.

"Well since you need to stop the car to do something I can get out and all the things I know to do work. Now if you surprise me by trying to do something at a red light I know some pressure points and if nothing else a thumb to the eye is easy to do." Earns me a shiver and he doesn't say anything for a while.

"Almost sorry I asked, was this taught to you by the cops?" Shake my head.

"One pressure point was, wrap my hand around the collar bone and push down in the middle with thumb, hurts and the guy will back away. Rest I learned in a self defense class. Taught me how to punch, elbow, and knee. Well there was a kick as well, kick the guy in the knee when he is walking. This is something one does if you end up on the ground from a toss like did happen to me. The pressure I learned in class was on the chest just above where the collar bones meet, can't breathe and hurts." Cast guys feels there and nods.

"Damn, I'll have to remember this, I have a sister."

"Well the biggest thing is to never go anywhere alone. I mean basic stuff most chicks know already but bring along friends. I was raped because I left early thinking there would be plenty of people. A group had just walked along the alley to reach the bus stop when I got to it on the cross alley when he grabbed me. I didn't think to scream at first." I'm also crying now, not sobbing or nothing but I got tears.

"I think I got tissues in the glove box." Sniffle and nod then open it up and find he does in fact have tissues.

Rest of the drive is spent in silence, I'm dabbing at my eyes feeling a little down. He's just driving and glancing at me now and then. Probably making sure I don't break down more to wail in his car. When we get to the pizza place he wasn't kidding on small. The place looks to have enough room to seat five inside.

Then we go inside and there are plenty of places to sit. There are booths along the walls, a counter with stools and tables in the middle. Also like six inches between the tables so I'd feel crimped to waitress here. Course there are two rows of tables so it's not that hard, walk along the booths to reach the right table.

Cast guy takes me to a booth and looks at me so shove him to the other side and slide in. He follows suit on his side while I look around better. Not dark though the walls are red brick, there are lights hanging everywhere with the golden wiggle glass surrounding the bulb. Makes it a little dark and the place looks larger but you can still see everything.

"This is a great place, no kidding on small." Waitress snorts as she drops off menus.

"Food to die for as well. Now would you like a soda or something harder?"

"One glass of beer and then soda if you refill free." She grins and nods.

"We do and I like how you think. Same for you?" Cast guy nods and smiles.

"Yeah I'm driving and she isn't ready for sex so two reasons to stay sober." She nods then frowns and looks at me then gasps.

"Oh shit, I watched you play that night." Sigh and shrug.

"Not with that band anymore, got a new one though. We are doing battle of the bands and the story of that is probably what we open with." She nods and smiles.

"Awesome, I'm glad to see you getting past it." Shake my head.

"Not getting past, I'm learning to live with it." She frowns and nods.

"Yeah sorry, I only know what I have heard about it on the news and they are always sugar coating. Doubly glad to have gotten the night off for that as well, I'm calling everybody I know. Oh shoot I'm sorry do you know what you want to order or should I come back?"

Snort and open up the menu to look it over. The pan pizza sounds good so I say what I like and cast guy does the same and we end up with a good pizza. Then I notice there are wings so ask after the wings and we add those, the barbeque wings not the regular cause they melt your sinuses. Short time after that we get our beer, do show drivers license for that, and then left alone.

"I've been thinking about it, I think that guy was right, though also wrong. The music doesn't really flow well but then with the subject of the lyrics I suppose best if it doesn't." Sigh and shrug.

"Was hard to do because I set the tune, to do that I had to think of what it was like under that guy and how helpless I felt." He nods and frowns.

"I suppose why there is the little hitch." Think about the music and nod realizing it.

"Yeah, I was not really there when it happened but I remember it at a sort of distance like. I guess that is why there is the hitch."

"Probably better that way, if you remember all of it like it happened I don't think you would be out of the house yet." Nod and sigh.

"I did at first, I mean once I woke up again recovering from the surgery and what he did I darted across the room when someone came in the room. They assigned a gal to sit in there with me and she held my hand, all day and night like that for four days. What got me to stop needing it was simply the counseling, I finally realized it was over and I was safe."

"Do you still do that?" Nod and look down, it's embarrassing.

"When I am surprised I will, when I told my band what happened, in gory detail Coop's wife talked to me at the end. I hadn't known she had come down so tried to jump over the sofa we were sitting on. The basement has a conversation nook in the corner so behind the sofa is wall. I ended up in the corner of the sofa breathing fast and shivering."

"So that's why the lyrics are so stark." Nod and look up.

"Mark was writing it down while I was crying on Woody's shoulder, he's the drummer and a great guy."

"Are you falling for him?" Sigh and shrug.

"I don't know, I can look at cute guys and know they are cute but I'm not willing to look deeper. Also not sure I should end up with a band member, I mean I've heard the horror stories." He nods and shrugs.

"It comes when it comes. There is a side benefit if it happens though, he can't cheat on you, vice versa as well but if you don't want open it's the best idea for us musicians." Nod and tilt my head to the side.

"Are you trying to push me off on somebody else?"

"Shit no, I want you. No idea on anything else but you are hot, good at music so we have similar interests, and well I want to bodyguard you. I know it sounds stupid but rolling around in my head is the notion that you have been through enough."

Open my mouth and our pizza arrives with wings. Well good I had no idea what to say anyway. We dish out a slice each and some wings and just eat. I also think while eating and well you know actually the protection thing sounds a little nice.

"Not saying I'm your girlfriend but the protection thing sounds nice. I mean besides the fact that all the stories have the guy as protecting and saving the girl, I would like an additional wall against the world. I mean I know what happens when there isn't one." He nods and shrugs.

"Wasn't trying to get you to fall for me but really knowing what happened to you I want to find that guy and kick his ass."

Snort and smile, it's nice to hear that. Perhaps I was wrong about what guys thought about when they knew. Also makes me wonder how exactly the cops haven't caught this guy. I mean the artist rendition is exactly as I remember the guy and it is circulated every time he found a new victim. Also not altered so he isn't changing his face.

We also talk of other things now. Fun things like the funny things we have seen people do while we are on stage. Well of course in most clubs stage isn't really right since it's a slight raised section of the floor. He is sharing a story about a gal who was trying to be a lover while he is playing when our beer runs out.

How she pulls her shirt up a few times, gets up to the front of the people there and pulls her panties off. Moves on to spreading her legs and pulling the skirt up when what has to be her husband grabs her arm and pulls her away. Not to be outdone I share a story about four guys who are trying to be my lover while playing.

Did start out rather ordinary, they are waving and running their hands down a curvy body. So I smile at that and they keep getting more outrageous. The best part was they started demonstrating how big a cock they have. Hands down there demonstrating and pumping away with their hips. I'm laughing at this point of their performance and the crowd has noticed as well.

They are watching and yelling encouragement so one of the guys actually opens up his pants. What he pulls out is impressive but not as big as he was showing. Not that it matters a gal in the crowd jumps on him and they disappear probably for some sex. So the other three decide to do the same and two are carted off immediately, the last guy though stayed for a while.