The small concert hall was packed with excited fans, some of
them actually dressed in costumes straight out of the band’s music videos.
Stevie and Mallory’s seats were in the middle of the tenth row. On Stevie’s
side were two chubby young ladies in Mad Ben Stan t-shirts. Their excitement
showed clearly on their faces. From their conversation Stevie learned that this
was their sixth Mad Ben Stan concert and they’d met the band three times.
On Mallory’s end were two very
different women. They were probably in their late forties, but were trying
desperately to look under thirty. One had long, blonde hair with dark roots.
The other had short, unnaturally red hair and gigantic cubic zirconium hoop
earrings. They both wore tight jeans with rhinestones on the pockets and tops
that barely contained their assets. Mallory struck up a conversation with them
and found out that this was their second show.
“We just came from backstage,”
the redhead bragged. She placed her hand on the badge that was clipped to the
front pocket of her jeans. “Ben looks great.”
The blonde leaned over to add
her two cents, nearly spilling out of her shirt. “You should meet him. He’s
really a great guy. Last time he signed my shirt.” She patted the top of her
left breast. “Right here.” The two of them erupted in giggles, sharing some
inside joke or memory between them.
“There’s a meet and greet after
the show,” the red-head told Mallory. “Do you have tickets?” Mallory shook her
head.
“Neither do we,” said the
blonde. “But we wouldn’t want to go anyway. Too many annoying fans all over.
The real party is at the hotel bar after.”
The red-head slapped her friend
on the arm and gave her a look as if to say, “Don’t give away any secrets.”
“But hey,” said the blonde.
“Don’t like go over there and try to get all up in his business and stuff. Be
cool. Celebrities are people, too.”
Mallory didn’t get a single
word in before the lights were dimmed and a host came out to announce the band.
The guys rushed onto the stage in a sea of lights and smoke and immediately
barreled through three fast songs in a row. Ben didn’t even look fazed by the
enormous amount of energy he was putting out to entertain the crowd.
Seeing him on stage now was
strange. This was the guy she’d talked to in the hall earlier, the guy she’d
had drinks with last night. Mallory couldn’t wrap her head around it. His
onstage persona and his real-life self were worlds apart.
After the
third song the band engaged in a little banter to cool down. It started off as
the same dialog from the last show. But then it took a turn.
“This hotel
is so big,” Ben was saying. “Don’t you think so, Jake?”
“It’s big,”
Jake agreed, nodding his head.
“It’s
confusing,” Ben continued. “I got lost looking for the gym. I nearly ended up
in someone else’s room.” He put his hand up to shade his eyes and looked out
over the audience. Mallory slumped down in her chair, even though there was no
way he could see her back there. Her cheeks grew red hot. Stevie screamed out a
cat call and laughed hysterically. The middle-aged women next to them looked
over in wonder and then also laughed so as not to be out of the loop.
And then they
were done with their private joke at Mallory’s expense. The show continued for
another hour or so and ended in a cloud of blue smoke.
When the
show was over, the crowd piled out of the hall. Mallory’s heart sank when she
thought of those nasty women swooning and pawing all over Ben. But again she
told herself that it was ridiculous to feel that way. He wasn’t anything to her
but a front man for a band. And she wasn’t anything to him.
Before
going to the bar they went to their room to freshen up. They talked excitedly
about the show and how the guys looked and how they sounded. They laughed about
the blonde and the red-head.
“Holy
hell,” said Mallory. “They were total cougars.”
“Maybe we
should have bedazzled our jeans, too,” Stevie teased. “Worn some stilettos and
hiked up our boobs.”
Mallory
looked down at her B-cups. “What boobs?”
Stevie
laughed, mashing her Cs up as high as they would go and strutting around like
she was wearing dangerously high heels.
Mallory
roared with laughter. “You look like you have a stick up your ass.”
“Let’s go
down and get our drink on.”
“But don’t
bother the band.” Mallory mimicked the Cougars.
Spanky’s
was packed; much livelier than the night before. The Cougars sat at the most
visible table possible, trying to look casual as they scanned the bar every few
seconds. Mallory and Stevie chose a spot less conspicuous but where they could
still see the Cougars and make fun of them.
“They make
me sad,” Stevie said. “Let’s not be like that.”
“You know we
totally will be.” They both nodded and started laughing again, unable to stop.
When all of Mad Ben Stan stepped through the door they were still laughing. Ben
looked around the room and stopped when he saw Mallory. She was still smiling.
He gave her a small smile but turned and walked the other way. The people in
the club stopped and stared at them, but at first didn’t try to approach.
The band sat at the bar and
ordered drinks. The Cougars were the first by their sides. Barry was
immediately receptive. He turned to talk to them while the others concentrated
on their drinks and their own conversations.
“Barry’s such a whore,” Mallory
joked. He was a perfectly sweet guy, but he definitely had a thing for the
ladies. And it seemed like any ladies would do.
“He totally is. Forget them.
Let’s dance.” Stevie was visibly annoyed at Jake for ignoring her. When she was
annoyed with a guy she would go out of her way to act like she didn’t care. So
she slammed back the rest of her beer and dragged Mallory to the dance floor.
Within minutes they were joined
by a weird young guy wearing a Hawaiian shirt and holding a beer. At first he
tried to dance with Stevie, but she threw Mallory in front of her as a human
shield. He was okay with that, thinking he was getting a two-for-one.
“Hey,” he shouted over the
music. “You’re really skinny.”
Mallory stopped dancing and
stood looking at him. Was this a pickup line? It was the worst ever. Even the
best line wouldn’t have worked coming from him, but come on. Give it some effort.
He held his beer out to her.
“You want a sip of my beer?”
“Seriously? You’re not even
going to offer to buy a whole beer? You want to offer me sloppy seconds?”
“Okay. Can I buy you a beer?”
“No.” Mallory turned quickly,
whipping her long hair in his face, and walked toward the bar. Stevie quickly
followed.
The only clear spot at the bar
was directly across from where the band was sitting. Mallory ordered a shot of
tequila for herself and a beer for Stevie. She tried not to look Ben’s way, but
when she finally did he was staring straight at her. He yanked his head in the
direction of the Cougars and rolled his eyes. The red-head was still talking to
Barry and the blonde was slowly inching toward Ben, trying to get into his
peripheral vision.
Mallory laughed and shook her
head. She ordered another shot of tequila and had it sent to Ben. She watched
as the bartender gave it to him and motioned toward her. The blonde, who was
now nearly touching him, looked across at Mallory and scowled. She leaned
toward Ben and said something to him, but he wasn’t paying attention. He was
scribbling something on a napkin which he handed to the bartender who then
brought it to Mallory. It said “Bowser’s Blues Club”. She had no idea what it
meant.
Stevie was still not happy with
being ignored by Jake. She finished her beer quickly and dragged Mallory back
out onto the floor. This time after making sure Jake was watching she pulled
Mallory close. They’d danced this way many times. They looked great together
grinding and groping on the dance floor. It was sexy. It turned all the guys
on. Mostly it sent a message that Stevie hoped said, “See, I don’t need a man
to have fun,” but really meant “I’m screaming for your attention… and I may
have daddy issues.”
But the girls got so into their
seduction that they stopped paying attention to the guys they were playing it
up for. When they finally left the dance floor the band was gone. The only one
that remained was Barry who was still chatting up the Cougars. The red-head was
holding his hand as he whispered sweet somethings into her ear. The blonde
stood nearby with her arms folded over her big, fake chest. Clearly she was
bored and not at all happy.
Mallory remembered the napkin
in her pocket. She rushed out of the bar, followed closely by Stevie. The front
desk clerk told them that Bowser’s Blues Club was just a block behind the hotel
in a strip mall. They didn’t waste any time.
Bowser’s was much calmer than
Spanky’s. There was a live blues band playing. The guys of Mad Ben Stan were
sitting in a semi-circle booth with a red velvet seat. Jake saw the girls come
in and motioned them over. The only other people in the bar didn’t seem to know
of the existence of Mad Ben Stan.
“Glad you could make it,” Mike
said to Mallory. “We were just about to order a round.”
He proceeded to ask Mallory
several questions about herself, as if he was interviewing her for a magazine
article. Ben sat by, not saying a word. Eventually Mike ran out of questions
and he and Ben talked shop for the next half hour.
Stevie was content now with
Jake’s arm around her shoulder. They were once again engrossed in each other
and joined at the hip.
Feeling like a fifth wheel,
Mallory excused herself to the bathroom. She took her time, fixing her hair and
her lipstick, making sure everything was adjusted and nothing improper was
sticking out. She once again couldn’t believe she was sitting around chatting
it up with Mad Ben Stan, a band she didn’t even like a month ago.
When she returned to the booth
it was empty except for Ben. He stood up and shrugged as if he were some sad
consolation prize. Mallory slid into the booth and he sat down next to her,
scooting close enough to hear her over the music without yelling.
“Where is everybody?”
“Jake and your friend went back
to the hotel to see if they could find something to eat.” He grinned at Mallory
gave him a suspicious look. “So they say,” he continued. “And Mike went to
rescue Barry from those ladies at the dance club.”
“He didn’t look like he needed
rescuing,” Mallory laughed.
“Yikes.” He laughed, too. “We just
used him as a decoy to keep them there so we could sneak off. They snuck
backstage before the show. They’re kind of crazy.”
“Did you throw them out?”
“Nah. We let them stay for a
little bit. They were going on about being ‘super-fans, like forever.’ When I
asked them what their favorite Mad Ben Stan song was they couldn’t even think
of one. I’m not an idiot. I know a newbie when I see one.” He winked. “No
offense.”
“Hey,” she defended. “Just
because I wasn’t your ‘biggest fan ever’ last time doesn’t mean I don’t
appreciate your music.”
“I’m pretty sure your friend
dragged you to our show last time. Am I right?”
“She didn’t drag me. She
pleaded with me a little, yes. But you guys have totally grown on me.” Mallory
shifted in her seat. Here she was sitting in a bar having a private
conversation with a big celebrity. Only right now he didn’t seem like a big
celebrity. He seemed like any other guy she might meet anywhere.
“Why are you still here?” She
looked at Ben across the table, hoping that his response had something to do
with her. “Are you waiting for someone?”
“Yes.” He grinned. His smile
was like a magnet pulling her in. “I was waiting for you. I didn’t want you to
come out and find everybody gone.”
Holy cow, he was waiting for
her. “That’s very chivalrous of you, Sir.”
Ben laughed and stood up from
the booth. The blues band had packed up their gear and the bar was getting into
shut-down mode. He held his hand out to help Mallory out of the velvet booth,
bowing slightly as he did. His hand was warm and strong and sent electricity
all the way up her arm. When he let go she could feel his warmth still there.
Mallory knew she’d had too much
to drink. She wasn’t super drunk, but she was impaired enough to be thinking
crazy thoughts about Ben. Thoughts like how she wished he would take her hand
again, that he would walk closer to her, put his arms around her, kiss her. But
that was crazy. There was no way.
The night, when they stepped
out of the bar, was mostly still. The air was warm, but a cool breeze picked up
now and then. Mallory wished she’d worn a jacket over her black tank top. She
tried not to shiver as she and Ben walked past the darkened store fronts to the
hotel. But he noticed.
“Are you cold?”
“I’m always cold.” She crossed
her arms and rubbed her hands on her shoulders.
“If I were a gentleman I’d
offer you my coat. Too bad I don’t have one.”
“Too bad you’re not a
gentleman,” she teased. She didn’t know him. Why did she think it was okay to
tease him?
But he laughed and said,
“Touché.”
There was silence between them
and finally he said, “If I weren’t a gentleman I’d seize the opportunity to
take advantage of your predicament.”
“Really? How would you do
that?” She glanced up at him as they walked side by side. She desperately
wanted him to try his best to warm her up. “If you weren’t a gentleman, that
is.”
“I’d put my arms around you,
try to keep you warm.”
“And a gentleman wouldn’t do
that?”
He contemplated. “Maybe. But
he’d probably ask first.”
Beer-induced bravery had set
in. When Mallory stopped walking Ben stopped and turned to her. She looked up
at him as if to challenge him. For a moment she stood there shivering and
waiting for him to make a move. He stood in front of her just staring down at
her, admiring her cute form, how beautiful she looked in the street light. When
he did nothing, she started to feel stupid. But then he spoke in almost a
whisper.
“Can I put my arms around you?”
Mallory nodded, unable to speak
because of the butterflies that had flooded into her stomach and the pebbles in
her throat. He reached out his long, strong arms and folded her into his chest.
She kept her arms folded in front of her and could feel his heart beating
swiftly underneath his hard pecks. Who knew he was so solid under that shirt?
They said nothing to each other
as she stood there encased in his arms. She breathed him in. He smelled clean,
obviously because he’d had a shower after his show. But even beyond that, he
smelled nice. Mallory couldn’t get enough of it.
But eventually he let her go.
He stepped away with his hands still on her bare shoulders.
“Are you sufficiently warm
now?”
“I think I’m getting there.”
She absently rested a hand on his chest, pawing a little bit at the smooth,
expensive fabric of his shirt. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t make a move
on a rock star. She couldn’t wish for something to happen when he was a
celebrity and she was one of the little people.
He looked at her with longing.
He looked at her with total knowledge that he shouldn’t do what he was going to
do next. But he liked her, not just because she was intoxicating to look at and
even more so to hold. He liked her because she was sassy and witty and because
she didn’t seem to care much about who he was or what he did for a living. He
felt like when she was with him she was with him and not “that guy from Mad Ben Stan”.
With his hands still on her
shoulders, Ben leaned down and gently brushed her lips with his. She couldn’t
believe the sparks that raced from her mouth straight down to the tips of her
toes. Just a few inches from her face he looked her in the eyes to gauge her
reaction. She smiled and tilted her head slightly to the side.
Ben took his cue and wrapped
her fully in his arms again. He kissed her intensely this time, claiming her
mouth with his. Her body tingled and was aroused. The butterflies in her
stomach tripled in size.
When they finally parted
Mallory was shivering again. This time she shivered with excitement and adrenaline.
She rubbed her shoulders and apologized for her sudden and awkward shaking fit.
Ben laughed and put an arm around her shoulders. They walked the rest of the
way in a comfortable silence.
By now the bars were all closed
and the hotel lobby was clear of any lurkers. The desk clerk noticed the pair
walking in, but tried to be subtle. Mallory wondered if Ben always had to put
up with people watching his every move. She also noticed that he purposely put
distance between them.
When they got to the elevator
they stopped. It didn’t go to Ben’s floor, so there was no reason for him to
get on. And he was clearly conscious of the desk clerk watching them.
Neither of them knew what to
say next.
“This was fun,” Mallory said
finally. “Hanging out, I mean. All of us.” She was stumbling and nervous. He
smiled at her with sympathy for her awkwardness.
“It was fun.” He lowered his
voice so the clerk couldn’t hear him. “I need to ask you not to say anything to
the guys about what happened between us.” Mallory’s heart sank, not that she was
planning to tell the world, but because it seemed like he now regretted kissing
her.
Ben could see the hurt her
face. He quickly put his hand on her arm. “I’m not sorry it happened. Don’t
think that. It’s just complicated.
“Actually,” she began. She knew
why it was complicated. Did he think he was the only one with complications?
She blinked away some stupid tears and faked indifference. “I was going to ask
you the same thing. It would be best if Stevie didn’t find out. She’d be so
pissed at me if she knew I’d kissed you. She’s been planning to marry you like forever.”
He smiled at her. She amazed
him. He wanted to kiss her again. But instead he pushed the elevator call
button and said, “I’ll see you around.”
“Sure.” Mallory was
disappointed. See her around? When? Where? He lived in California or something.
There was pretty much no way he was going to see her around. He didn’t even
bother getting her phone number or even an email address. So that was it.
The elevator dinged and Mallory
stepped on. She was shaking again. But now it was because she was angry. He was
brushing her off. And how dare he kiss her and then try to do damage control?
Did he think her goal in life was to make out with a celebrity? It certainly
was not.
