*****
The guys sat around the greenroom, one at a time getting their hair and makeup perfected, waiting for the show to be ready for them. About fifteen minutes before they were scheduled to go on, the MTV VJ knocked on their door and stuck her head in.
"Hi guys, I hope you don't mind me intruding, I just wanted to introduce myself before we met out there. My name is Janis, and as you can probably tell, I'm new here, and I'm a big supporter of your band." She said, a little nervously.
Dusty was the first to stand up and shake her hand. "Hey, I'm Dusty." He held her hand for a few seconds longer than needed as their eyes met. Once her eyes shyly lowered to the ground, he dropped her hand.
AJ and Sammy were next, both very carefree and casual. Finally she made her way to where Marlo and Tobias were. "I'm Tobias and this is my girlfriend Marlo." He said, shaking her hand, then indicating the girl that he had his left arm around, sitting next to him.
Janis shook Marlo's hand, then sat next to her on the couch. "Listen, I want both of you to know that I heard what happened this morning on that radio show, and I was completely disgusted with it. You have no reason to worry, nothing like that would ever happen here. You have my word."
Marlo nodded in appreciation. "Thanks. I think I like you already." Both Marlo and Janis laughed.
"Good, because I hope to see you and the group around a lot." She stood back up. "Well, I better go and finish getting ready for the show. I can't wait to hear you guys perform your new single!" With a quick wave goodbye, and a wink at Dusty, she left the room.
"What did you guys end up deciding your first single would be?" Marlo asked.
"Hey man, Janis wants you!" Tobias teased Dusty, hoping to swing the conversation away from their single they would be performing.
"What? No way. She was just being polite." Dusty blushed.
"Oh my god! You want her too!" Marlo yelled when she saw the look on her brother's face. "Dude, you have to go for it. She's awesome!" Her face wasn't able to hide the excitement that she felt at seeing her brother crushing on someone other than Carly.
"Yeah man, ask her out!" AJ chimed in.
"Hold on guys, we know nothing about her." Dusty tried to reason with them.
"Well, you never know until you try. Invite her to go out with us tonight, and we'll all go so that it won't look like a date thing. That way you can get to know her better." Marlo told him.
Dusty nodded his head as he thought about it. It did sound like a good idea. "Maybe."
Nothing more was said about it as the producer came and knocked on the door, telling Pleasure Pointe that they were on.
Tobias held onto Marlo's hand and talked to her about plans they could make for that night to get Dusty and Janis together. Marlo was so lost in the conversation that she hadn't realized that she was standing in front of the audience with the rest of the group and Janis.
Marlo didn't know what to do. She couldn't just walk away since they were on camera, but she couldn't really stay there either, since they were on camera. This was the band's appearance, and she didn't want to seem like the fifth wheel by being there.
Knowing that Marlo was struggling with whether she should stay or leave, Tobias tightened his grip on her hand and gave her a reassuring look.
Janis asked the guys all the questions on her card, sure to stay away from anything too personal. Most of the questions were about the band, how they met, how long they had been together, when they were going to tour again, etc. Marlo was grateful that she kept her word and stayed away from the personal lives of the band members.
"Okay, when we come back, Pleasure Pointe will be performing their new single, soon to be released, here in the studio live. Be sure to stick around. But before that, check out this video from Coldplay." As soon as the camera went out, Janis wished them luck, and the guys went to the area of the studio where their instruments were set up. Tobias led Marlo over there as she began to protest.
"Tobias, I know you want me here for moral support, but this is crazy. I'm not going to stand here the whole time you guys are playing. I'll just be over in that hallway, where Donovan and Pete are." She told him.
"No, you'll be here with us, and you will stand here the whole time." He said, picking up a guitar and putting the strap over her shoulder. "Dusty already tuned this for you. Here's your mic, you'll be leading on guitar and Dusty will back you up." He kissed her softly. "Don't be nervous, you'll be great. Do it just how we recorded it." He told her, smirking at the look of utter confusion written on her face.
Dusty laughed at her as he went over to check her guitar out. "Get used to performing it, sis. It's our new single, and you'll be on stage performing it with us at every show." He winked at her, but didn't get a response from Marlo as the cameras cut back in, with Janis announcing them.
Sammy led a count with his drum sticks, letting them all know when to start. As if on automatic pilot, Marlo came in right when she was supposed to. Tobias sang the first verse of the song, his gravelly voice setting Marlo at ease. If she closed her eyes, it was just the two of them there. When he finished his last note, he gave Marlo a small, almost imperceptible nod, along with his patented smirk.
Marlo started the second verse, her voice soft, feeling the nerves. But as the song called for, her voice got stronger and stronger as she went, giving off a husky, sexy sound.
Tobias and Marlo sang the chorus together, the other guys blending in with background vocals when needed. The last verse was a mixture of Marlo and Tobias, battling line for line in the song. As the last note ended, the studio erupted into a thunderous applause.
Dusty looked over at his sister with pure admiration. She had been thrown into such a nerve-wracking situation without any warning or preparation, and she killed. He had never heard her perform this song live, only the recorded version, but it was so much better in person. He wanted to go over their song list to see which other songs they could add her to. She had blown him away.
Tobias walked over to Marlo, seeing her freeze when the song ended and she realized they were still in a room full of people. He helped her remove her guitar, then picked her up in a big hug as the camera cut to commercial. Once he put her down, she saw the pride shining in his eyes, and it really hit her deep. From that moment on, she would never doubt Tobias or his feelings for her.
The rest of the guys took their turns hugging Marlo and swinging her around the stage before Janis called them over. As soon as they all got seated in the interview area again, the 'On Air' light went back on.
"So, Tobias, you wrote that song, correct?" She asked them.
"Yeah, I wrote it during our last tour. Someone I really cared about was hurting, and I felt helpless. I know I didn't always show it, but I've always held a special place for them in my heart, and I hope this song shows it." He said and looked over at Marlo.
She was fighting to maintain control as tears welled up in her eyes. In her head, she went over every lyric, each heartfelt line bringing the tears closer to spilling over. Everyone watched as she processed the words in her head.
"Well, I think it's pretty clear who you wrote it for." Janis said, watching Marlo suddenly embrace Tobias. He whispered something in her ear that no one could hear. The audience all let out a collective 'Ah' upon seeing this. Marlo backed up and looked into his eyes as he wiped the few tears that had escaped from her face. He kissed her softly and quickly before whispering that he loved her.
Marlo stayed in his embrace, not caring that they were still on national television. "Now, I'm guessing that this is the first time you've heard this?" Janis asked her.
Marlo took a deep breath and swallowed what was left of the lump in her throat. "I had no idea. Hell, I didn't even know that it was going to be on their album, let alone be released as their first single. So many songs got cut and I figured this would be one of them. I was just filling in one day when my brother couldn't make it. I thought it would be the first one to end up in the trash can." She laughed.
"And, I thought it was written by someone else and submitted to the record company like some of their other songs. I always knew that it was a powerful song, but never really put the words together. It's kind of unbelievable."
"Well, it's a great song, and you sounded great…especially for them surprising you like that." She smiled at Marlo and the rest of the guys. "We look forward to more from Pleasure Pointe in the near future. You'll have to come back and see us again soon." She winked at Dusty, then turned to face the camera. "And now here's a video from Weezer."
The camera cut out again, and she got up to hug them all and thank them for coming. Seeing that Dusty had been too chicken to invite Janis out with them that night, Marlo took over. "Hey, we were wondering if you wanted to come out with us tonight. We were thinking of some seedy bar that had karaoke, then maybe a club or something?" Marlo asked her after she pulled her aside, away from the group.
Without hesitation, Janis agreed to go, quickly looking at Dusty.
Marlo laughed. "Yes, my brother will be there too. Just don't hurt him, he's been through a lot lately." She warned.
Janis nodded and took Marlo's phone number so that she could call her later, once the plans were finalized. Marlo waved goodbye as she followed the guys back to the green room.
She entered the room, chanting over and over, "Dusty's got a date tonight, Dusty's got a date tonight!" The guys all laughed when he got flustered. They gathered all of their belongings and made their way down to the limo that was waiting to take them back to the hotel.
During their ride back to the hotel, they decided where and when they wanted to go out, so Marlo would be able to give Janis the firm plans when she called. The guys also made plans to go out for dinner.
"Um, I think we're going to skip dinner tonight guys." Marlo said, getting a questioning look from Tobias. "I was kind of thinking of ordering room service." She said with a smirk that got all the other guys groaning and making gagging noises…except for Tobias. He was excited just thinking about it. He was smirking for the rest of the ride.
*****
Once inside their room, Marlo put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door. When she came back in, Tobias was lying across the bed, a playful look on his face. "So, you wanted me all to yourself?" He asked her.
"Well, I really don't want anyone else watching what I'm going to do to you or what we are going to do together." She said saucily. "But you have to be gentle, I'm still a little sore from last night."
He pulled her into his arms. "I'll do whatever you want me to." He told her, kissing her neck and driving her crazy already.
"Then what are you waiting for, make love to me!" She begged as he sucked on her neck, knowing just the right spot to set her off.
Tobias took his time undressing Marlo, who was getting very impatient. "I think I like the little nympho that I turned you into." He laughed as she pushed him away and quickly finished undressing. Tobias rid himself of his clothes quickly too, while she finished with hers.
Just as he was about ready to climb onto the bed, Marlo stopped him. She knelt before him and took him into her mouth, eliciting a moan from Tobias. When she thought he was getting close, she backed away and lay back on the bed.
The look in her eyes was unmistakable as Tobias prepared himself before lying on top of her. He kissed her deeply and passionately as he entered her, wreaking havoc on Marlo's senses. The intense love between them was evident; not only in their everyday lives, but also in the connection they felt when they made love. It was more than Marlo could have ever hoped for, and because of this, Tobias was right, he had turned her into a nympho.
The pleasure was mounting in her body, only to be sent over the edge when Tobias picked her legs up and bent them over his shoulders. She couldn't hold out any longer and gave into her release, followed shortly after by Tobias.
After carefully removing himself from her and going to the bathroom to clean up, Tobias came back to lay next to Marlo, both of them panting. She cuddled against his sweaty body, thankful for his love.
Chapter 23
Outside of the hotel, Marlo sat in the limo waiting for the guys so that they could leave to pick Janis up. They had been signing autographs for at least fifteen minutes now, and she was getting antsy. She understood that they had an obligation to the fans, but sitting in a limo all alone tends to get boring when there is nothing to keep a person occupied.
Marlo put her hand on the door handle, getting ready to go outside and see what was taking the guys so long, only to have the door yanked out of her grasp. Tobias was on the other side, followed by Dusty, AJ, and Sammy. "Let us in before they attack!" He shouted playfully, and diving into the limo. His torso landed just beyond Marlo's legs, but a key part of his anatomy coincidentally landed in a spot where he had been connected to Marlo not long ago.
"God, didn't you guys get enough of that earlier?" Dusty groaned. He didn't like to think of his sister having sex, he much preferred it when she was still a virgin.
Marlo's face was beet red, but Tobias was enjoying it. He started to move his hips in a humping motion, then let out a few moans. This got Marlo even more flustered, so she pushed him off her lap.
Tobias ended up in the bottom of the limo, looking up at Marlo with a smirk splayed on his lips. "I think that's the first time you've ever pushed me off of you."
Dusty got into the limo, nearly stepping on Tobias's hand on the way in. "Would you move so the rest of us can get in?" He snapped at Tobias.
"Well, excuse me!" Tobias said, offended. He reached up and grabbed Marlo's hand and pulled her to the other seat with him. Once they were both out of the way, the other two guys got in and they headed off to pick up Janis.
"You look a little pale Dusty. You okay man?" Tobias teased.
Marlo smacked him in the chest. "Leave him alone. This is the first girl he's been interested in since Carly."
"Ugh! Please don't mention her name. I want to have a nice night, and thinking about her will just ruin it." Dusty groaned.
Marlo made a sign that she was zipping her lips and throwing away the key. Seeing this, Tobias did a little victory dance in his seat, causing him to get another blow to the chest from her.
As he was about to protest, they all felt the limo stop. Dusty wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and took a deep breath before opening the door of the limo and heading to get Janis.
While they were waiting, Tobias decided to break the silence. "So we were talking earlier, as a group, and we've made a decision." He said to Marlo. The other guys watched intently.
"Oh yeah, what's that?" She asked, not really paying attention, as she tried to see out the window to look for Dusty and Janis. She worried about her big brother and hoped that he would have a good time with Janis.
"Well, we want you to officially join the group, and be with us for more songs than just 'Helpless'. Dusty has figured out a way to work you in on each song, and it all makes perfect sense. We all think that you'll be able to add something that we've been missing." He paused. "I mean, yeah we were popular before, but if we kept going the way that we were, we probably would have stayed semi-famous, but we never would have joined the ranks of some of the major bands out there. But you'll be adding something that we all feel could bring us up to that next level. So, what do you say."
Needless to say, Tobias had her full attention now. "I say that you guys are insane!" She told him, giving them all looks of disbelief. As she was talking, Dusty and Janis got into the vehicle, Janis sitting next to Marlo, and Dusty sitting on the other seat next to AJ. "I mean, first of all, I barely even know how to play the guitar, and second, my voice is shit. It's embarrassing enough that my voice will be on the album in 'Helpless', but now you want me join other songs too? Why are you doing this, is it out of pity?"
"Pity?" Dusty asked. "Come on. You know us better than that. We truly believe that you belong with us on that stage. You really added something to 'Helpless', and we think you could add something to all of our ot
her songs too." He told her. "Besides, you'll have me working with you on guitar. Who better to teach you?"
"I don't know guys. You think I could help escalate your band, but I think I would just ruin it and cause you to be left in the land of One Hit Wonders." She told them hesitantly. If she was honest with herself, she would have admitted that she got a rush when she was on stage with the guys, and she would love to be up there playing with them for more than just one song. But she wouldn't ruin them for her own selfish reasons.
"I know I'm not a part of the group or anything, but as an outside observer who knows music, I have to agree with the guys." Janis told her, then turned to the guys. "I've always liked your music, but it was something different when you guys played in our studio. It sounded more complete, more refined. I think that Marlo would make an excellent addition."
"See, it's settled then." AJ said. He didn't want to fight over this.
"No, it's really not. I don't think you guys are thinking clearly here." Marlo protested.
"Fine, we'll put it to a vote tonight at the karaoke bar. You against me. If the crowd votes for you, then you'll join the band full time. If the crowd votes for me, then you'll just have to be with us during 'Helpless'. We'll do three songs each. You pick two for me, I'll pick two for you. Then we'll pick one for ourselves." Tobias told her in a stroke of brilliance. "But, we have to be satisfied with whatever the audience decided."
Marlo pondered this for a moment. Surely no one would pick her over Tobias, so what harm would there be? "Fine, but we have to go by what the audience votes. If you win, you need to stop pestering me about being in the group."
"Done." He said and held out his right hand.
"I'd rather seal the deal with a kiss." Marlo said with a smirk and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him closer to her.
"I like the way you think." He told her before pressing his lips to hers.
The guys all groaned, getting annoyed with all of their public displays of affection, but Janis just smiled. She looked over at Dusty and winked at him, loving the blush that spread across his face when they made eye contact.
Under Her Skin Page 16