“I’m sure I can find it, Miss Craft.”
“It’s Stephanie now, Molly. Miss Craft makes me feel old and well……………like my mother. Anyway, here is the rider and let me find you a phone…………………………ah here.” She grabbed a sleek looking device from a basket on her desk and shoved it at me.
“This will be your work phone now; keep it charged and on you at all times. After you get done with the rider, will you head over to the dry cleaners on thirty-second and Boon? We are leaving this weekend for the first half of the tour, so make sure you are packed and ready to go by Thursday night.”
“Tour?” The words stumbled out of my mouth; I didn’t plan on leaving Seattle anytime soon. I was just a lonely PA, not a roadie.
“Yes tour, do you not have a clue who you work for?” Stephanie’s voice sounded irritated and not amused at my lack of knowledge.
“Yes, ma’am, I know you manage high profile bands, but I figured I was just a PA.”
“Oh, aren’t you cute? Yes, you are my PA, but since I’m not available to be on the road at all times you are my eyes and ears to get things done. You don’t have a problem with traveling, do you?” Stephanie paused before collapsing into her plush chair.
I shook my head quickly, unsure if the words that babbled come out of my mouth would be the ones I wanted to actually say. My mind worked faster than it should in situations like that, and I always seemed to say the exact opposite to whatever was being asked of me. Once again, my social awkwardness was on display for everyone to see.
“Alright then; well get this done, and get my dry cleaning. I’ll see you at nine tomorrow. If you have any problems, my cell number is programed in the contact list,” Stephanie gushed, shooing me away with her hand.
“Got it, and thanks for the opportunity to work with you,” I rambled while turning for the door. Suddenly the glass was closer than I realized, and I inelegantly decided to smack face first into the door. “Oomph,” I let out a small noise, rubbing my now red forehead.
“Please, just make it through tonight,” I heard Stephanie grumble as she picked up the phone. Turning to give my new boss a small smile, I pushed the large door open and sheepishly slinked out into the hallway. Seriously, Molly, could you get any more pathetic? Wait, I really don’t want to know that answer.
The ride over to the Tacoma Dome wasn’t as long as I anticipated, thus giving me very little time to actually look over the list and mentally prepare myself. I knew what a rider was, basically a long list of wants and needs from the artist. Brides had these things, too; they just didn’t normally consist of six boxes of condoms and three new packages of underwear.
The parking lot was already packed and fans were scattered everywhere, the majority of them being women. Unsure of what door I should enter through, I asked the cabbie to just drop me off in front. I knew there had to be some sort of back door entrance, but this being my first day and all; I really had no clue how to go about it.
“Holy shit,” I said to myself. The women standing in the gigantic line were not like women back home. It’s not like we lived a totally sheltered life in Georgia, we just didn’t have that. Most of these women looked like street walkers, considering that the few pairs of underwear I did own covered more than their skirts. Who the hell was playing tonight? I forgot to ask, I wondered to myself as I glanced around for the ticketing booth. Large Black Laden posters plastered the doors of the entrance. Holy two humped camels.
I’m pretty sure I peed a little at that moment. Never in a million years did I ever think I would be working for Black Laden. Well, technically I worked for NT Management, who apparently managed Black Laden, which makes me their employee. Right? Who the F cares, I had loved that band since their first album, Denial, hit the airwaves six years ago. They played the kind of music that you cranked up after a bad day, letting all the emotion of their lyrics bleed your soul dry until you feel absolutely nothing. Their first record got me through my one and only heartbreak, something that I refused to ever go through again. So standing outside the very large Tacoma Dome made me want to go all fan-girl and freak out.
After a silent, but totally inward, fan moment, I remembered I had a job to do. Even if this band made me want to scream and shout, drop my panties, and go buck wild in excitement, I really needed this job. I would have plenty of time to freak out about how undeniably fantastic it was that I would be working with this band once I got the job done. Holy shit, I’m going to see them in concert! Just then, my new work phone chirped, causing me to startle.
*Don’t forget my dry-cleaning; they close at seven.*
Well, apparently seeing them in concert wasn’t happening tonight; however it was eventually going to occur. That’s right, I worked for Black Laden.
It took forever to get clearance to get backstage. Apparently, my boss forgot to inform security who I was. So, for almost thirty minutes I tried to explain I wasn’t a groupie who wanted to get “rammed” as one security officer so elegantly stated. Of course, there were small apologies once I was finally able to reach Stephanie at the office, and the gigantic burly men finally believed I wasn’t there for the gang bang. Did I really look like a groupie whore? All of my girly parts were neatly tucked away, not out on display like the women they mistook me for.
“Sorry ma’am. It’s not the first time, nor the last we will hear that excuse to get back stage,” the tall hefty man that went by the name Tiny explained.
“It’s no problem, just glad you guys take your job seriously. And my name is Molly,” I commented, still in shock at the weird name for such a ginormous man. Tiny smiled and guided me down the long curving corridor, passing by tons of people working on getting the show together.
“The guys won’t be back for another hour or so, so no need to be rushed or anything,” Tiny exclaimed, holding open the door for me to enter. I don’t know if I was expecting something else from the room, but it was just that. A large plain room, with a couple black leather couches and various tables with food and booze scattered around the place. Maybe I thought it would be softer, but then again this was a rock band and their rider did ask for several boxes of condoms.
“Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Tiny, for your help. I appreciate it tons,” I replied. The door shut behind me and there I stood with the list in my hand. Well, guess I better get to it.
Some things on the list were a given; like bottled water and booze. Others were a little strange; like the fog machine and jumping castle outside. Then there were the just down right bizarre; two blow-up dolls and a sex swing. I just really hoped I never had to experience walking in while that was in process. Who knew if it was a brand new one each time or if they packed it up and used it again at the next stop. A shudder ran down my body just thinking of the sex swing, oh good lord the germs.
I was adjusting the rack in the hotdog cart when the dressing room door slammed shut, causing me to jump and crashed gracefully into the large unit.
“Fuck,” I grumbled when a large tear appeared on the side of my ass cheek. This was perfect. Not only did I not have underwear on, but my shirt wasn’t long enough to cover the damn hole I was now sporting.
“Well, that’s a shame. I would tell you to just take them off right now, but I have this rule about sex before the concert,” a dark smooth voice chuckled from behind me.
Whirling around, I stood facing Reid Chambers; lead singer and resident sex god for Black Laden. There were no words to describe how absolutely delicious this man was. Undeniably, he was the hottest man I had ever seen; however when he opened his mouth, it was an entirely different story.
Chapter 5: Being a pompous ass gets you nowhere, unless you have millions of dollars. Then, apparently, you can do anything.
“Excuse me?”
Just the sight of this man wanted to turn me into a puddle of mush, but then that little comment ruined it all. How can someone so freaking good looking be that arrogant? I’m damn sure I don’
t look like those skanks outside, just praying to be given the golden ticket into fun land with Black Laden. Please, I have morals and standards. This man may be a rock god, but that’s where it ends.
“You are different than the girls they normally let back here, and well, it is early but I guess you can stay and hang. Just remember I saw you first,” Reid commented, sauntering over to where I was standing.
“You have the wrong girl, buddy…..”
He leaned in closer and whispered in my ear, “J=just know that I don’t share.” His voice was like a well-aged scotch, smooth with a little after burn as your body took it in. I had to fight all my girly bits into submission, for my body said go for it and my mind screamed something different.
Stepping to the side, I gave myself some distance from this man. His dark relaxed jeans hung low on his hips, and his dark grey t-shirt stretched across his chest letting the obvious muscles underneath press through. He was the quintessential bad boy; tattoos littered both arms and his long dark brown hair grazed the top of his eyes. Who wouldn’t drool over this man; shit, who wouldn’t drop their drawers for this man?
“Yeah, that isn’t going to happen,” I stuttered, slowly slinking away. You work for him Molly, just drown that damn fire right now.
“Then why are you here, darling? Isn’t this on every girl’s wish list, a night with no stipulations or regret?” Reid licked his lips and leaned back on the hotdog cart, crossing his arms over his chest. I could tell how this man had no troubles getting women; the mere sight of him made my brain scramble and all common sense disappear. I was going to need a chastity belt around him, either that or a vow of celibacy. Yep, my B.O.B was going to get some good use tonight.
“I have to go; have a good show tonight,” I managed to sputter out. The cockiness of this man could fill the whole stadium, and normally it should have been a turn off. But for some reason, all I could think about was getting naked and doing the horizontal mambo. Stupid me and my stupid girl parts.
Quickly, I shuffled to the door without another word exchanged. Don’t look back, Molly, don’t you dare look back! I battled with myself, reaching for the handle and thrusting myself out the door. Once the latch was heard, I let out a soft sigh. Did I really just fall for his charm after he confused me for one of his groupies? Not to mention he assumed that he was every woman’s desire and dream. Wow, apparently I had lost my damn mind.
“Nice ass there, Sweetheart,” another man laughed, as a group of guys wandered into the dressing room.
Instantly, my face turned red, as the heat swept over my body. Closing my eyes, I forced myself to take small breaths. What happens when you assume that your job is going to be easy? Oh yeah, you rip your pants, get confused for a slutastic groupie, and then publically humiliate yourself wandering around with your ass hanging out. Way to be a rock star Molly Anne; maybe that job at Subway was more my speed.
“Did you have any troubles last night, Molly?” Stephanie asked as I walked through the door to her office. Once again she was polished to perfection. Today, her hair was slicked back into a sleek tight pony tail, and her little black dress clung to all her curves in all the right places. She was the poster child for what a business woman looked like in this industry; sophisticated, yet hot as hell. If I batted for the other team, she would be a home run.
“Everything went smoothly; oh, I also hung your dry cleaning up in the closet over there.”
This morning I spent a little more time planning out my attire for the day. I paired my black skinny jeans with a dark purple tank top and little black vest that fit my small frame perfectly. I even opted for my black ballet flats, figuring they worked better than just my chucks would. However, the underwear was still a no go. One would think me baring my ass to a bunch of people last night would make me want to put the floss on, but I’m a glutton for punishment. At least my nibbly bits weren’t hanging out.
“Here; sit down, let’s go over expectations and how the next couple of weeks are going to flow,” Stephanie said, motioning to the chair across from her large desk. “I’m sorry yesterday was such a blur. Unfortunately, I was behind on so much from the lack of assistance that I just kind of threw you to the wolves. The guys said everything was fine last night, and trust me, if it wasn’t I would have heard about it. They are the biggest set of whiners I have ever been around.”
I tried to stifle a small giggle; I’ve always felt like men are the bigger whiners between the two sexes. Women birth babies, men just play with their penises.
“It’s okay to laugh; I do all the time at them. Anyhow, we need to leave on Friday morning for the first tour stop in Boise. I will meet you down there Saturday afternoon, so you are going to be in charge of the boys until then. Basically, you are a babysitter for over-grown man children.”
“In charge?” Panic took over my body in an instant; I didn’t apply to babysit, I was only a fricken PA!
“Are you unable to do the job, Molly? I thought you could handle it?” Stephanie shot me a look of question, a wondering doubt spread across her face.
I took a minute to think about what I was wanting out of this job. I moved out to Seattle for new experiences, to get away from the pink and glitter that surrounded my life back in Georgia. NT Management was giving me an opportunity to try something new, in an industry that I loved. Sure, I wasn’t the best babysitter, and I have never really ‘managed’ anyone before, but I had a feeling I could excel at this. I loved music, and this was the perfect opportunity to have a job that let me live and breathe what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Why wouldn’t I take this chance and run with it?
“Oh no, Stephanie, I can manage it just fine. I just have a couple loose ends I need to tie up before we leave,” I stated firmly. The biggest issue I had was my car. She was being delivered tomorrow, and I couldn’t just leave her sitting in the parking garage of my apartment for the next couple weeks. She wouldn’t feel safe out in the open, and I couldn’t do that to her.
“Okay then. Everything is already planned and set in stone. All you have to do is make sure the boys are where they should be and basic errands. I am normally at every venue, but with the load I’ve taken on right now I can’t travel as much. Daddy always rides me harder than the rest of the managers.” Stephanie leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
So for what I’d gathered from the snippets of information that Stephanie had leaked, ‘Daddy’ was someone high up in this company, thus making our employment scrutinized. No longer did I believe this was going to be an easy job, but it had to be worth it.
“Alright; well, enough blabbing. Can you run out and grab a couple coffees? The guys will be coming by the office a little after ten to go over the itinerary for the tour, and I’m going to need a massive caffeine intake before they get here,” Stephanie moaned, still slouched over in her large chair.
“No problem, how do you take it?” I ask, standing up and pulling down my shirt. Stephanie scrambles some words on a sticky note and thrusts it forward.
“Hurry, Molly, it’s going to be a long day.”
I offered her a small smile and headed for the door, this time paying attention to how close it was to the desk. I didn’t need to walk into it again; I’m sure I’ll do other wonderful embarrassing things soon enough.
I was making a couple phone calls with some venues from my desk when I watched the band stroll into Stephanie’s office. Every part of my body took notice to having Reid in the next room, and once again it waged a battle with my mind. This man had some sort of weird pull on my body. My mind knew he was a total douche canoe, but it didn’t stop my nibbly bits from getting all hot and bothered. One could claim this attraction was like touching a hot stove when you were a little kid. Even though your parents told you it was hot, and you would get burned if you touched the burner, you still did it. I knew this man was trouble, but my body still said go for it. Open your legs and let this man give you the release you’re craving. All the time my mind was screaming
, don’t do it. Fuck the burn; I could slap some cream on it later.
Stephanie tapped the glass between us and motioned for me to come on over. Oh no big deal, just come over and meet the guys of a band you have only loved for quite some time. Really, no biggie.
My palms were sweaty as I stood to walk into the room. Quickly, I wiped them off on the back of my jeans. I’ve never been a woman who was vain about her appearance, but fuck I wish I had a mirror right now.
“Well, if it isn’t ass girl; I can see you changed from last night,” the base player, Brody, snickered, recalling our run in last night.
I bit my bottom lip to resist the urge to flip him the bird, jerk face.
“Ass? Pants? Do I really want to know? Actually, scratch that. I don’t care. Boys, this is Molly Mcglenister; my new PA, and your new warden. Molly; this is Brody, Tysen, Ryder, and Reid.”
I offered the men a sweet smile, and caught a smirk Reid tried to hide. This was going to be interesting to say the least.
“Now gentleman, you know I can’t be on the road with you twenty-four-seven, so Molly is my stand in. You will treat her with respect, and please don’t run this one off,” Stephanie threatened, looking directly at Brody.
All of these men were good looking. It must be a requirement to be in a band, because, I swear, not a single one of them had an encounter with an ugly stick.
“So I can bend her over this desk like I did to you?” Brody said with a sly grin, just waiting for my reaction.
“You could, but then it would be rape,” I snaked back at the cocky man. Really, were they all full of themselves? A collective chuckle came from the other three band members as Brody licked his lips. I narrowed my eyes at the man; it wasn’t a challenge he was going to win.
Hot Southern Mess (Hide Your Crazy) Page 4