charisma

gene fucking simmons

He smirked again, and offered me his arm. "Oh, what a gentleman," I teased, taking it.

"That's what the ladies say."

"It's not what the tabloids say." 

"Got me there."

"Are you always this sweet to girls before you sleep with them?"

"Are you saying you plan on sleeping with me? Can't say I'm surprised."

"Ooh, I think I'll just shut my mouth."

"How bout a name first, honey?"

"What?"

"You might as well tell me your name before you let me take you home."

"Take me home? Do I look like a groupie to you? I must say, I'm mildly offended."

"I meant driving you, but for the record, I don't take groupies home. And you don't seem like one anyway, so..."

"Should I feel special?"

"Up to you. But at least a name before you get in my car, then."

"Fair. I'm (_____)"

"(_____). Hmh."

"Just curious down here—" 

"Down here?" 

"Down here, where we have to look up at people to talk to them because we don't have platforms."

"Ah. Go on."

"Just curious, what would you have done if I'd driven my car up here? Left me for dead?"

"No, I still would've brought you."

"What? Why?"

"You'd have an excuse to come back up here. Get your car, see the show, come visit me."

"Visit you? We just met five minutes ago. We barely know each other—"

"We could get to know each other."

"That's not the point! Why do you care so much?"

He smiled and shrugged. He certainly had charisma. I'd always pictured the Demon to be- well, scary. Crazy, unhinged, savage- basically whatever the tabloids said. I figured that since the KISS personas were supposed to be extensions of the members that the men underneath wouldn't be much different. But Gene was sweet. And a flirt. Most importantly, though, he'd shown that he had integrity. He didn't have to help me out, he could've walked right past. But he didn't. And he didn't seem to expect anything for it. That was admirable, and made him that much more of a star in my mind. He led me around the stadium, through a door marked "Staff Only." He held it open and gestured for me to go in.

"Where are we going?"

"Just gotta tell the guys we're going out."

Does he mean- who am I kidding, of course he means the rest of the band. I entered a long, dark hallway with hundreds of electrical cords lining the floors. This'll be a fun story to tell at Christmas, I thought, helplessly. Gene offered his arm again, and I took it. We came to a door marked "Dressing Room. Good Lord, I thought. Good Lord and Great Balls of Fire, I'm about to meet KISS. I could have started laughing hysterically, this whole situation was so un-fucking-believable. I tried to tell myself that by this point, I shouldn't be surprised. This night had been crazy enough already. Next, I'd probably grow a third arm. After that, I'd move to Hawaii. Then I'd-

"Where've you been? All the girls were asking about you."