ROCK MY WORLD

12. Sexual Tension

I put the mic on the stand and the assistant walks up to me, handing me the guitar.
"On your que Blake" says Peter, before walking back off the stage.
I put the guitar over my head and adjust the strap before standing nervously in the middle of the stage.
"I still can't play the riff that good" I say into the mic, jumping at the sudden echo of my voice that fills the arena.
There is an awkward silence as Peter looks at me with a frown.
"It's just a rehearsal, I'll play with you", says Kirk.
Peter shakes his head and holds up his hand to silence him.
"No no no, she needs to play this on her own", he replies.
"No, I'm playing it with her. It's her first time Peter, cut her some slack", Kirk says furiously.
He looks at Kirk for a moment and sighs.
"Fine" he says, "Blake, on your que please" he repeats, getting aggravated.
I look over to Kirk as he winks at me and I blush.

I gather myself together and begin to strum the opening chords of the song as Kirk plays along with me. I look over at him and smile as he plays the riff, covering up my pathetic attempt of it. I change the chords before the lyrics come in and Kirk maintains the rhythm. I close my eyes and sing the first line into the mic, "So close, no matter how far".
I can already hear the crowd singing along with me. I lose myself in the lyrics and the sound of the instruments as they echo through the empty arena. The solo approaches and I shred up and down my guitar before reaching the end of the song.

I open my eyes and look down at Peter as he applauds, smiling proudly at me and the band.
"Yeah!" James yells from the side of the stage, throwing up devil horns.
"You fit the song so well Blake", says Peter.
"But you won't be getting help during the performance so the riff has to be perfect for tomorrow night", he adds and I nod.
"Okay, that's a wrap" he says, as he claps his hands together, "I'll see you all tomorrow night at 7 o'clock".
I take off my guitar and walk over to James.
"Are you sure you're okay with not performing this one?" I ask him.
"I'm sure. You have the perfect voice for it", he replies as Kirk walks up behind me.
"How are you feeling about it?" He asks.
"Nervous, but I think I'm ready".
"You're more than ready", he replies.
"We should probably leave now, the paparazzi is starting to gather outside", says Jason as he walks back up to the stage.
"Stay close to me, they can get aggressive", Kirk says.
"Aggressive?"
"James got into a fight with one before and it didn't end well".
"The guy's jaw got busted", James says.
"If any of them get too close to you, tell me", says Kirk.

We walk through the doors and the paparazzi are already swarming like bees. Kirk walks close to me as the bodyguards lead us to the tour bus. The clicking and flashing of the cameras surround us with some inaudible yelling as the paparazzi try to push past each other.
"Who is she?"
"James!"
"Kirk, over here!"
"Look down and cover your eyes", Kirk says, moving in closer to me as we continue to walk over to the bus.

We finally make it in and I throw myself down on to the couch.
"How do you guys deal with that?" I ask, trying to catch my breath.
"Years and years of it and it stopped bothering us after a while", replies James.
"Do you feel like a rockstar yet?" Kirk asks, as he walks over and sits down next to me
"I feel breathless" I reply.
He laughs and lies down next to me, resting his arm behind his head. My heart beats faster in my chest when I feel his body press up against mine.
"I could lie here all day" he says softly.

I turn my face to look at him and he stares into my eyes. I suddenly feel his hand brush against me before gently hooking his pinky finger around mine. I blush and glance down at our hands locked together like a pinky promise. I look back up at him confused and his mouth raises into a subtle smile. His eyes scan over my face before focusing down on my lips. I breathe heavily into him and he slowly moves in closer.
Lars clears his throat, shaking me and Kirk out of the moment.
"We're going to the hotel now", Lars says as he glances between us with a smirk.
"What hotel are we staying at?" I ask, blushing.
"The Chateau Marmount.You'll have your own deluxe room, unless you want to share one with Kirk", he adds.
I blush hard when I notice Kirk trying to hide his grin.