by Desiree King
"Great…" Victor said taking the camera from Jesse and removed the tiny flash card, handing it to Jesse, "Go upload this to my server."
"You got it!" Jesse answered running off.
"Alright…We'll meet at the lot in about two hours." Johnny laughed.
"See ya!" Victor smiled. David and Johnny gathered the kids and Mike then headed off.
"So what are we starting with?" I asked walking over.
"I think just the black space first…," Victor answered peeling the jacket off. I walked over to the plain black back drop.
"Oh damn," I said leaving the robe off and grabbing my wings, slipping them back on.
"Wow, Alex…" Victor smiled pushing a blank card into the camera.
"Right back at you," I beamed walking into position, most of the shots would be on that background and most of the rest on the white.
"Hey Vic…I have an idea…" I laughed.
"What?" Victor asked reaching out to help me to my feet.
"Come on lets go to wardrobe." I grabbed his hand dragging him behind me back to the dressing area. "We make you up real sinister looking maybe horns, you get it?" I smiled.
"Okay let's try it." They didn't have any horns but we rearranged how the spikes of his hair sat and added some dark make-up around his eyes. A diehard atheist would have sworn he was the Prince of Darkness himself.
We went back to the throne and Jesse was behind the camera. Victor sat in the throne, leaned back with a devilish smile spread across his face, and me on my knees with my face in his lap. We continued and also shot a few with him standing with his back to the camera and me on my knees in front of him looking at the camera around him with a very suggestive look on my face. The standing photo would end up being the album cover. Victor went out and loaded his laptop, my duffle bag, and his bag into the trunk of the car and put the top up.
"You ready?" Victor asked walking back to the studio. I was looking at some prints he had sitting on his desk still in my fallen angel guise.
"Yeah! Hey Vic! These are great!" I smiled.
"Thanks, let's get going or we'll be late." He smiled.
"Okay." I laughed and we were off.
When we finally got to the video shoot, it was only ten mintues late but we were definitely missed. The car stopped and Johnny and David were waiting outside in full make-up and wardrobe smoking, and they were waiting for us.
"Hey Vic." I said pointing them out to him.
"Damn Jesse." Victor cursed. He turned the car off and got out immediately. "What's up guys?" He shouted to the men.
"Took you long enough." Johnny called back flicking his cigarette away.
"You changed the album cover!" David said following Johnny's lead.
"Yes…this one is better." Victor answered, slamming the car door. He walked around to the trunk.
"You need to ask the rest of us." David was angry.
"No, I don't." Victor fired back.
"Vic, David, come on let’s not do this." Johnny was suddenly between the men.
"You challenging me?" Victor snarled at David. I got out of the car and out of the corner of my eye, saw david reach for me, but faster than I could react Victor grabbed David by the arm and ripped him away from me. Johnny was frozen as Victor and David squared off.
"Alex! Go inside…Johnny!," Victor ordered without taking his eyes from David. Johnny wrapped his arm around my waist. I must have still been in shock because I did not fight him, I just let him pull me along. I twisted around just in time to see Victor punch David in the jaw. Then the door closed behind Johnny and me.
"Shouldn't someone stop them?" I asked.
"Don't worry sweetie…" Johnny smiled.
"Do they fight like that a lot?"
"Sometimes David forgets he is not in charge."
"We can change the cover back this isn't that big of a deal," I stammered.
"This would still have happened that was just an excuse." Johnny was still leading me down the hall, then through a set of heavy doors. On the other side of the door was a lounge area where Mike was laying on a sofa and looked fast asleep. "Well, there's food on the way and lots of soda and water in the fridge. Make yourself at home." He smiled and walked over to Mike and swatted at Mike's feet waking him up. They talked quietly. I could not hear them from where I sat in a window seat near the door. The seconds felt like days waiting there. That's when I realized I was worried, but not about Victor getting hurt. I was worried about Victor and his band mates fighting because the last thing I wanted was for them to spilt and call the tour off. For the first time, I knew I wanted to do this for real not just to get away from my family; not just to get attention but so I could spend time alone without someone breathing down my neck. When they came through the door it had only been about ten mintues and they looked perfect, not even dirt on their shoes. It made me question if I had really seen Victor hit David, but I had. They looked as if nothing had happened out in the parking lot. Victor met my eyes and tilted his head indicating for me to follow him. Wordlessly, I walked over and took the laptop bag from him since he carried my bag. We stayed quiet till we got into a dressing room where he dropped my duffle and turned to me.
"My dressing room is right next door, I'll be right back." He pointed to the door adjoining my dressing room to his.
"Victor…" I started before I could stop myself. He just looked me in the eye and let that great smile spread across his face.
"What?"
"Was that my fault?"
"No it was nothing," he laughed, walking over and opening the door into his dressing room.
"You sure?"
"Yes…" He laughed and was gone.
It was nothing and so we were on set. The first shot was gonna be a bar scene where I would be dancing by myself in my pink and black plaid outfit. Then we shot the live shots of the guys playing, and lastly the closing scene. I wore my fallen angel outfit with the wings and walked away. It was a simple rock video not a whole lot of acting required.
"Alright that's a wrap!" The director shouted from the playback monitor.
"Great!" Johnny got to his feet so fast I thought he was gonna run from the building.
"So, can we see the new cover?," Mike asked as they walked over to where I stood, trying to get the wings off.
"Yeah…" Victor laughed and grabbed the wings to helped me.
"Thank you." I smiled happily at him.
"No prob." He laughed and led the way back to his dressing room where the prints were.
"Here." Victor said handing Mike the picture.
"This is great!" Mike exclaimed passing the picture to Johnny.
"Why didn't we think about this before?"
"I don't know." Victor answered and even David seemed to agree. You would think nothing had happened between them only hours ago.
"So what made you think of it?" Mike asked.
"I didn't…Alex did." Victor answered proudly.
"Well…that's interesting isn't." David sounded almost jealous.
"I love it." Johnny was trying to brush the comments off.
"See you guys in the morning." David called over his shoulder as he started walking away.
We all went our separate ways before long. It was late when Victor and I got back to the house with pizza and beer, but to Victor's disappointment I ate a few slices of pizza and drank a huge glass of water before I stood and said goodnight. I went up to my room, showered and dressed for bed. That's when I heard a sound that made me feel cold to my bones. I sat on the edge of my bed listening to Victor shouting at someone. He sounded so angry, it was almost terrifying the only full phrase I understood was, "FINE, I promise. ARE YOU HAPPY!?" Then I heard a very familiar sound of a cell phone being thrown against a wall and pretty much shattering. After about five mintues passed, I heard the throaty rumble of a motorcycle as it roared out of the garage and down the drive. I laid in the darkness for only a few mintues before I gave in to the curiosity and headed downstairs. I walked from room to
room almost like I was searching for something. I walked into the office and switched on the overhead lights and found myself surrounded by record plaques and merchandise. In the center of the room was a large heavy desk. On the desktop sat Victor's laptop, it sat open and on as if it was waiting for me to sit in the leather chair and I did just that. The computer was open to a picture folder with the thumbnails showing. I quickly scrolled through the images and knew they were from today. I minimized the window and was caught completely off guard by the picture on his front page was a picture of me from the Gibson shoot. I was on my knees in only the panties and heels, holding the guitar very strategicly. All the times I really looked at these pictures, I only really looked at Victor but the way this one was composed the eye was drawn to the tiny space between us which then sent the eye in search of the subjects of the picture. This time I truly looked at the picture and realized something, we looked like we went together like puzzle pieces. That's when I heard his bike rumbling back up the drive. I quickly put the room back the way it was and raced up the stairs. I closed my door a millisecond before the door into the kitchen opened. I still did not know who he was shouting at or why but I doubted I'd find out. So I went to bed and could not sleep I just closed my eyes and let my mind wander hoping I would find sleep again tonight.
After a few sleepless nights, we started rehearsals for the stage show. After every rehearsal, Victor and I would come home, eat then go to bed.
It had been almost two weeks since I had been swimming in my second form and I was feeling it. My skin felt itchy and tight. The problem is this, my host is way too attentive and he would not leave me alone. It seemed like every time I would try to sneak off to shift and swim he decides to join me and my fun private swim turns into an awkward hour or so of watching each other in honest wanting and shy flirting. Although tonight I was sure would be different. Vic was gone, stuck in the studio with the rest of the guys and I would get a swim in even if it had to be in the pool, and I would feel better. The sun was still high in the sky when my phone rang.
"Hello?" I answered from my relaxed position lounging in the claw foot tub with hot bubbly water to my chin and a glass of cold OJ in my hand.
"Hey…I'm sorry I'm gonna be home late!" Victor sounded contrite.
"It's fine…how late?" I asked hopefully.
"9 at least, David is being a shithead and we are just now taking a lunch break." He answered.
"Okay…should I eat or…"
"No I'll bring dinner home it will be late but no expense will be spared. I promise."
"It better be good." I joked back.
"It will…" He laughed. "What are you doin?"
"Just soakin in the tub." I answered autoatically and there was silence on the other line and a loud crash then a scrambling noise as he picked up the phone. "What the hell was that?" I laughed.
"Sorry…tripped over my own feet…Hey I gotta go see ya tonight." He blurted quickly.
"Okay bye." I answered but he was already gone. "He is so strange," I laughed to myself and got out of the bath. "Since he'll be gone it's a great time for a swim instead."
I would have loved to swim in the ocean, but my kind, sirens, or mermaids as we are also known, are supposed to be dead and gone, extinct. So logic dictated that day time swims in public should not be allowed. Instead, I would go out and shift in Victor's salt water pool, hey at least it was temperature controlled. I walked out into the warm sun wrapped in a black silk robe. Victor's pool was perfect for this; it was a lagoon style pool with cool decking the color of sand surrounded by lush soft grass and tropical colored flowers and trees. Most importantly, no neighbors, complete privacy. The grass was velvet soft under my bare feet, and on a whim I decided to get a little color while I had the opportunity. I slipped out of the robe and laid it out in the grass to lay on and soak up the California sun above me.
Unfortunately I did bring my cell phone out with me and only 20 mintues into my sun bathing it rang, it was Jenny. "Hey sweetie." I answered.
"What's up?" She asked.
"Getting some sun…you?" I answered putting her on speaker.
"Sounds good…how did you wrangle that?"
"Vic is at the studio." I answered rolling over on to my stomach.
"Oh good, you gonna get to shift too?"
"It's part of my plan."
"Good. Did you get the date for Tampa so I can get the time off approved?"
"Yes, two weeks from Friday we will get into Tampa and stay there for 3 days." I answered.
"Alright good…I'll let you go so you can go shift already." She laughed and left me listening to silence on the speaker.
The sun was sinking to the horizon when I lowered myself into the cool salty water of the pool and began the shift. Immediately the tingling melding of my legs into the powerful tail took over and within seconds the golden scales were glittering just below the surface of the water, and I sank into the depth to enjoy the twilight lit water.
As I relaxed at the bottom of the pool, I kept hearing a strange sound but I ignored it. I was distracted by the full moon over head when a face appeared over me looking down into the water. A face with bright green eyes and black hair and it shocked me back into reality. I headed for the surface shifting back on the way.
"Alex? What are you doing swimming in the dark?" Victor asked.
"Hey…when did you get home?" I avoided the question.
"A few mintues ago. I bought pizza," He said and made a move to help me out of the pool.
"I'll meet you inside…" I stammered and a confused look swept his face.
"What's wrong?," He wondered and looked around again. He must have just that second put it all together. A smile, a devious little smile, crossed his face. "Oh…take your time but let me turn on the lights at least." He moved to grab the remote and I yelled, "No…! No lights…I'm coming just go in." I was reaching for the robe without exposing myself, no easy task.
"Alright," He laughed and picked it up and handed me the robe, "next time you skinny dip just give me a heads up." He laughed walking away.
Those two weeks before we set off for the tour flew by. I slept terribly and when I did sleep, I dreamt bright vivid dreams that scared me. In the morning we would be loading up the buses and set out for our first stop Tampa Bay.
I woke up early to Victor laughing in my doorway.
"What?" I asked sitting up.
"Go kill that cat on your head and get dressed, we gotta go load our bags on the buses, then catch our flight." He was still smiling when he started to walk away. I jumped to my feet and followed him out into the hall.
"Wait! We're not taking the buses to Tampa?"
"No, I decided we could use a day off before we get started and we're gonna shoot video too while we're there. We'll fly in and I rented a suite at the Hyatt for us all," he answered walking into his bedroom.
"Is it still okay for Jenny to meet us there?"
"Sure."
"Okay, thanks Vic." I smiled then got moving.
Within an hour we were in the parking lot at the studio standing out in the sun with all the other bands and behind us were 7 tour buses and 4 tractor trailers.
"Okay, guys you all know the basic rules of touring but we have a few of our own. Number 1. No drugs, 2. No ride alongs. 3. No fighting." Victor kept talking but I leaned over and whispered to Johnny.
"What's a ride along?"
"No taking girls on the bus between cities," he whispered.
"I didn't realize that had a name," I giggled back and that is when Victor who had kept talking to the group turned to Johnny and I…
"This all seems a little unrealistic," I whispered back.
"He's the leader and the label suit on this tour. This is just a formality, so he can say he told us...," Johnny smiled pantomiming quotes as he said it. We both laughed.
"Guys?"
"Sorry man!" Johnny said.
"Yeah sorry Vic, we'll be quiet."
"Okay! You all know the
rules, break 'em and I'll replace you, even my bands." He sneered then turned to Jesse and I. "Jess go grab Alex's bags and load 'em would ya." Victor had been barking out orders since we got here. "Alex, Jesse will show you your bus and then we'll all get going." I followed Jesse over to one of the smaller buses which Jesse, Devon and I would share. Jesse and I walked into the bus to see Devon already in the fridge.
"Damn kid!" I laughed as Jesse disappeared with my bags into the back of the bus.
"I'm a growing boy!" He protested and Jesse reemerged.
"Alex you get the bedroom and we'll take the bunks." Jesse said and I walked past him into my bedroom. That is exactly what it was too, a huge bed and vanity with a bench seat. My bags were in the tiny closet already secure so I got back off the bu,s there would be plenty of time to get moved in later. I walked off the bus to see a guy leaning against the side.
"Hi." I smiled as he watched me.
"Hello, my name is Jamison, you must be Alexandria." He smiled.
"Yes…hi." I stopped and really looked at him now. 'Oh my God' I thought to myself. He looked just like Victor only about 10 years younger. He was covered in tattoos and piercings, he had black hair, only short and spiked, and blue eyes. He was cute but he wasn't Victor.
"You have no idea who I am do you?" He smiled.
"No sorry." I laughed.
"Singer, No Man's Land." He introduced himself.
"Oh! Sorry, I know your music but not the faces yet." I leaned back against the bus next to him now. "How do you know who I am?"
"We all know who you are. we've all seen the video, the album cover, and the Gibson spread.
"Duh." I said to myself.
"I have a question…"
"What kind of question?"
"Personal."
"Sure!"
"Are you fucking Victor Greene?"
"No!" I was completely caught off guard. "Where did that come from?"
"Oh if I'm the first to ask I won't be the last. You know after the pictures and the video most of the guys here assume you're Victor's play thing."
"Wow…um Jamison…I don't"
"Call me Jaime, and since you're not boffing the boss, can I call you sometime?"
"Um…yeah sure. "My number…" I plucked a marker from the necklace around his neck and wrote it on his hand. As I handed the marker back I heard the familiar sound of chains on a running man and turned to see Victor trot up behind me.