Monarchy of Roses

Chapter 10

Nika could hear the soundcheck through the closed door as she played scales on her clarinet, trying to keep her mind calm. The night before felt like something out of a teen comedy, a pleasant, wholesome one instead of raunchy. It had been the first time she had sang in front of an audience, excluding school concerts and recitals where she had soloed. Once done with the scales she played Blue Skies as the high notes trilled like a lark.

John quietly entered the room and watched his daughter play, an intense expression on her face and her fingers deftly manipulating the keys on the long black instrument. "That was amazing, Nika. Why don't you come out and watch the rest of the soundcheck?", he suggested.

"I don't want to act silly around Josh", she said as a dull blush formed on her face.

"I know, Anthony loves to tease but he knows better. Josh was looking for you, he thought you were avoiding him", said Josh.

"I'm not avoiding him", she protested.

"It doesn't look like it, Nika. Us guys think a girl is avoiding them, that she doesn't like us", he said.

Nika sighed as she fiddled with the keys on her clarinet, the sound echoing in the room. "I have no idea how to act around guys, I didn't date at all in high school or college", she muttered.

"And I haven't dated anyone in nearly twenty years, that makes us even. Come on, Josh hasn't been playing too well in soundcheck", teased John.

Nika carefully put away her clarinet back in its case and removed the read to place it in its pouch. She gave her father a nervous smile and followed him out the door towards the stage. The corridors below the stage were crowded with members of the road crew, security guards and representatives from the American and Korean branches of their label as Nika was glad she had the All Access pass around her neck.

The band was taking a break from soundcheck when they arrived. "Hey Nika girl, your man Josh has been moping around", teased Anthony as he gave her a hug.

"I'm sorry, I'm kind of awkward", she whispered.

"So say hi to your man so he plays good tonight", he laughed.

Nika giggled nervously as she followed John towards the stage. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Josh on stage. His head was bent forward and his brown fringe covered his face while he played a few soft arpeggios on his guitar. His long thin fingers slowly picked individual notes from his guitar as his lean body swayed slightly from side to side, a pensive look on his face.

Josh instinctively felt a presence nearby as he slowly looked up from his guitar. He couldn't help the grin forming on his face and the slight blush on his cheeks when he saw Nika, his fingers on the guitar still playing as though they had a mind of their own. She returned the smile shyly and even from the slight distance, he could see that her blue eyes sparkled. "Josh, you have better play good now that your lady is here", laughed Flea as he blushed.

"What was that you were play?", she asked as she came over.

"Just a riff I've been playing around with, I came up with it the other day, I can show you more later", he said. "Uh, not in a freaky way, of course", he added hastily.

Nika giggled, an amused look in her blue eyes. "I know what you mean, I'm a musician myself. Dad says you thought I was avoiding you, I just don't know how to act around guys", she said apologetically.

"Wow, you don't have to play games or act sophisticated, Nika. I barely date either, we can learn as we go", he teased as she laughed.

Josh liked how her flushed cheeks turned the color of a blush rose which complimented her ivory complexion, her dark blue eyes sparkling with purple highlights. "I can't wait for you to show me around Tokyo, have some more nights out", he said as her face lit up.

"Let's go, boys and girls. You can get all flirty and cutesy and stuff after the show", teased Chad as they both blushed.