Avery's Desire

Trash just about had everything set up when his phone started vibrating. He flipped it open and put it to his ear.

"Yeah?" he said. "Oh, hey you; yeah, I'm here now. Sure, it's actually perfect timing. Okay, where are you now? Oh yeah, you're really close. You know where Billy's farm market is? Okay, make a left there and then drive straight till you come to the end of the street. There's a bar on the right called 'Shaggy's.' You can pull in back and park next to the black SUV.

You'll see a bluish door with peeling paint almost directly in front of you. There's no sign on the door yet, but that's where we're going to be set up for the time being. No, right now it's just me here, but if everything works out you'll be meeting the rest of the band real soon. Alright, sounds great. I'll see ya in a few." He snapped the phone closed then shoved it back into his pocket.

Trash took a few minutes to double check the equipment and straighten the place up a bit more, then he sat down in a folding chair that he'd set up along with a small card table. The potential fourth member of the band was on her way and Trash wanted to appear at least somewhat professional when she arrived. He'd never had to audition anyone before and he wasn't really sure how to go about the process of it. The four original band members had all been high school buddies that started out playing music in Mikey's dad's garage.

When Avery came into the picture there wasn't really much of an audition. Mikey had heard him singing in a nightclub and fell in love. He sang a few songs for the other members but by that time Mikey had already decided to hire him whether Trash and Rick agreed with him or not. Luckily for them it worked out great. Avery had an amazing voice and he immediately won the other two members over with his talent and charm.

Trash wasn't sure what kind of a musician this new girl was, he'd never heard her play before, but she seemed really cool on the phone. Her name was Kat Dollinger, she was twenty-one, and had previously been in an all girl band called 'Lady Fire,' but had quit after a falling out with the lead vocalist due to creative differences. From what Trash could tell just by talking to her, she had a great personality and a really sexy voice. If she looked half as good as she sounded over the phone, Trash was half tempted to offer her the gig without even hearing her play.

Just as Trash was lighting a smoke, he heard the hum of a car engine as another vehicle pulled up out back. He was suddenly nervous though he had no idea why. He'd already spoken to this girl at least five times over the phone and he was really looking forward to meeting her but now, sitting there waiting as he was, Trash was growing a little apprehensive. He really wished the guys were there with him but Rick was busy moving into Avery's apartment so neither of them could make it.

Trash ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to brush it back some, and tried to smooth the wrinkles out of his 'Metallica' Tee shirt, though why he was concerned with wrinkles he really didn't know. Why he was concerned with his hair for that matter made little sense to him. Never in his life had he ever been this strung out over meeting a girl, so what was so different about this one?

A car door slammed. He heard the crunch of leaves and gravel being tromped on as she approached the door. Trash stuck his cigarette in his mouth and sucked it hard; inhaling so much smoke and nicotine that he nearly choked himself on it. He pulled his sun glasses down past his eyes and rested them on the tip of his nose so his eyes could peer out over the top of the rims. She rapped on the door energetically, with the determination, and aggression of a full grown man. Trash grinned and whispered; "Now, that's what I call a woman."

"Yeah, it's open." He called out to her, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. The door opened and a bright river of sun light poured into the room illuminating everything around it. Out of that illumination stepped the hottest woman that Trash had ever seen in his life! She was tall and slender with a tight, round, little ass. Her long, beautiful, legs were covered in black fishnet stockings and black combat boots adorned her feet. She was dressed in a pair of jean shorts, cut extremely short.

A hint of a dark pink thong peeked out over the top of her shorts. She wore a black tank top, also extremely short. It showed off her firm and amazingly curved midriff. The bodice dipped down into a V shape, barely concealing her breasts, which were perky and large. Not porn star big, but not tiny either. Trash immediately felt the front of his pants tighten as his eyes focused on those fleshy mounds of heaven.

Over the tank top, she wore a mauve colored leather jacket; open in the front, with the hem just above the waist line. After forcing himself to tare his eyes away from her boobs, Trash diverted his gaze to her face. She smiled at him with full red lips. He couldn't see her eyes very well because they were covered by silver framed shades with violet, square shaped lenses. Shoulder length, dirty-blond, and slightly wavy, hair framed her heart shaped face. Her bangs, which completely covered her brow, cast a light shadow over her gorgeous features, adding to the aura of pure sex appeal that seemed to radiate off her.

As she stepped into the room, Trash found himself musing over how aptly named she was, because she moved with the grace and elegance of a feline. There was also a hint of predatory nature in her as well, this made more obvious when she removed her glasses and peered at Trash with dark, sapphire eyes that reminded him of the darkest depths of the ocean.

She carried with her a black, satin guitar case that was shaped like a coffin, and a small portable amplifier. Once inside, she set her gear down, put her right hand on her hip, and scanned the room. "Nice digs." She said, a bit sarcastically. "Is this just your 'office' or do you actually live in this hole?"

Trash smirked. "No, I don't live here. It's just a means to an end. We have plans to move to a location that's bigger and more permanent but we're kinda short on cash at the moment."

"Super." Kat rolled her eyes. "I was actually looking for a paying gig." She sighed, crossed her arms over her chest, and tapped her foot on the floor as she looked over the place again.

Trash stood up and walked around to the other side of the table. "We've actually made good money in the past playing different locations. Mostly we've done nightclubs or smaller bars but we just recently heard about the battle of the bands coming up and if we can get a fourth member, we're planning on sighing up. Once we get back on our feet I think we'll have a real shot at winning."

Kat raised an eye brow as she looked at Trash. "So, you think your band is that good huh?"

Trash nodded. "Our lead singer is; all we need now is a kick-ass guitarist. There won't be a lot of cash up front and I realize that can be a problem, but I think we have a great opportunity here for good exposure and future gigs. All we really need is some good publicity and business will take off."

Kat didn't look convinced. She never thought, coming to the audition that she'd be auditioning for a spot in a garage band. She definitely needed something that would show case her talents though and a concert as huge as a battle of the bands was right up her alley. Unfortunately, she needed a band before she could put her name on the entry list and for a female guitarist, in this area, there wasn't a hell of a lot of options.

"You think we're second rate posers." Trash dropped his cigarette in the ash tray then opened the lap top that was sitting on the table. "Before you decide against us, listen to this first." Once the computer had booted up, Trash opened a file of MP3's and clicked on the one marked 'Demo.'

"We recorded this last month. Our old guitarist Mikey was still in the band at the time but who I really want you to hear is Avery; he's lead vocals and hell-a good. If you're not convinced about how serious we are after you hear this, then I won't hold it against you if you decide to leave, but I know that won't happen."

Trash clicked play and then stood back and waited. Kat looked slightly annoyed at first, she didn't like having her time wasted like this, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to at least listen to the demo. After all, she took time out of her day to come down for an audition, so she might as well hear what she was auditioning for.

The song started out slow and a little on the depressing side, but it quickly picked up into a hard, and steady flow of harmony resonating love, heartache, power, and fierce strength in the face of all adversity. She recognized the song at once. It was 'call my name' by Asendin, but the person singing it gave his own style to the music, and it wasn't all together bad.

Kat could definitely feel the emotion of the vocalist and the passion he put into his performance. Before she even realized what she was doing, Kat had started swaying to the recording and tapping her foot in tune with the beat. This band had talent, she couldn't deny that, they also had heart, and she could tell that they loved what they did, even without seeing them perform live.

When the song had ended, Trash grinned with total confidence. "So, what did you think?"

Kat raised an eye brow then smirked. She hooked her thumbs in the pockets of her shorts and shrugged. "Where do you want me to set up?" She asked.

_____________________________________ The long hours, public appearances, and rehearsals were starting to take a toll on Brian. He was really spreading himself thin and still even more was expected of him. What he really wanted was some time to himself and someone sweet to hold onto. His thoughts were immediately turned to Avery, his beautiful, French Angel.

The distance between them wasn't making the relationship easy. Brian missed him terribly, he missed the intimacy, and the way Avery's body felt, held closely against his own.

Brian had had a few offers from random fans during his time away from Avery, but he declined each of them. Brian didn't want to be unfaithful, especially when they were just starting to build a relationship together, but he honestly didn't know how much longer he could hold out. He started to wonder if a long distance relationship like this was going to work.

After his last concert, Brain had gone back to the hotel and crashed. He was so exhausted that he even declined to attend the after party. Not that it really mattered to him. They were all the same. Tons of people he didn't know, drinking, doing drugs, and random strangers having sex in just about every room, leaving Brian with no privacy or anywhere to really unwind and rest. He was never much of a partier anyway, and he preferred to spend the majority of his time alone, or with a handful of close friends and family.

It was after noon when the phone rang, waking Brian up from a sound sleep, and interrupting the awesome dream he was having. He rolled over on his side and glared angrily at the phone. "Oh for fucks sake," He groaned. Picking the phone up he saw that it was Amy, the assistant to his manger. Brian hit the speaker button. "What?" He growled.

"Well good morning to you too, or should I say afternoon." Amy sounded annoyed but Brian didn't care. He was having one hell of a sexy dream and didn't appreciate it being interrupted.

"Whataya want?" He yawned into the phone as he spoke.

"What I want is for you to get up, shower, get dressed, and meet me for a late lunch. Kevin wants us to go over your schedule for the week, and you also have a radio interview today at four."

"Fuck!" He had forgotten about the interview. What a nuisance. He didn't want to do it in the first place but Kevin said it was good publicity. Answering questions about himself and his upcoming album was a good way to get closer to his fans, make them feel special, and therefore more eager to buy his album.

"Give me an hour." Brian told her. "I'll meet you in the lobby."

He hung up then lay back against the bed and sighed. He really didn't feel like wasting his time with an interview but there was no way out of it. He just hoped they didn't ask him if he was in a relationship with anyone because Kevin specifically told him not to mention it. It was better for the fans if they thought he was available. It gave them a small sliver of hope that they might actually have a chance with him no matter how impossible it actually was.

Life was getting complicated and the more he thought about it, the more stressed out Brian became. On one hand, he didn't want to piss off Kevin—he'd never hear the end of it if he did. On the other hand, he worried that if they asked him about being in a relationship and he denied it on air, Avery would be listening and be hurt by it. There really wasn't a good way of handling the situation, either way he'd be fucked.

Brian forced himself to get up and out of the bed. He dragged himself across the room and into the bathroom. He leaned over the sink and stared into the mirror. His reflection stared back at him but offered no advice. He sighed, turned on the water, and splashed his face. The cold water made him shiver but at least it woke him up. He wanted to call Avery. He needed to talk to him and hear his voice, but there just wasn't time. His busy schedule left him little time to do anything other than work.

He loved his job, he loved to sing, and he loved the fans but lately, it seemed like it's all he did. His life now revolved around his career and it was suffocating him. When he first started writing songs and singing it was for fun, or a way to relax and express himself. He wrote about people and events in his life. His music was important to him, it meant something. Lately though, he hadn't really felt inspired by anything.

His life had become a series of hotels in different cities, constantly surrounded by strangers, and constantly being pushed from one gig to the next. It didn't matter how many people he surrounded himself with because he somehow always managed to feel alone. Avery was the only one who took that loneliness away; but Avery was in another city, in another state.

Brian looked up at his reflection suddenly; his eyes lit up and he smiled a wide, excited smile. "Oh my God," He nearly screamed into the mirror. "That's it! Why the hell didn't I think of it before?"

Brain ran back out into the other room, grabbed his phone, and quickly dialed his assistant's number. "Hey, it's me. Get over here quick, I need you to do something for me. Yeah, don't give me no fookin' attitude, just get yer ass over here now!"

Brian ended the call abruptly, before the assistant had time to argue. He tossed the phone onto the mattress then smoothed his hair back with his right hand. Amy was going to be pissed if he was late meeting her but he didn't really give a shit. She could wait, they all could wait. Brian wasn't just the lead vocalist of Asendin, he WAS Asendin! Without him, the band would fall apart and they knew it. It was high time that he used that to his advantage and did something selfish for once.

____________________________________ Rick had just about moved the last of his stuff into Avery's apartment. He didn't have a lot to move actually, just his clothes, CD's and DVD's, a small stereo, DVD player, and his play station, then some other personal odds and ends, and a couple of boxes that had been stuffed in the back of his closet since he'd moved in. He wasn't really sure what was in them since he'd never gotten around to unpacking them, but he didn't want to take the chance of throwing out anything that was important, so he threw them in the back of Trash's truck with the rest of his stuff.

He could look through them later and figure out what he wanted to keep; there just wasn't time at the moment. He'd promised Trash that he'd have his truck back before six, and he still had a load of garbage that he planned to take to the dump before he was done. The small amount of furniture that he did have he planned to leave in the room for the next tenant to use if they wanted. The only piece of furniture he did take was his TV. He had a microwave but it was tiny and besides, Avery already had one and his was in way better condition anyway.

Avery's spare room was a pretty decent sized room so there were no issues with fitting all of Rick's belongings in it. It came fully furnished too which was a plus. All three band members had agreed to keep the majority of their gear at Boomer's place. Boomer even gave them a spare key to the back room and assured them that it was safe. He'd never had a break in and most of the guys that hung out at the bar were people he knew and trusted. That was fine with Rick. His key board was pretty bulky, not that he would have had trouble finding a place for it at Avery's; it was just that it might have been somewhat in the way.

Rick brought in the last box, dropped it on the floor near the front door then plopped himself down on the couch to rest. Avery was on the phone and from the sound of the conversation Rick could tell that he was talking to Trash.

"Yeah he just came in. Sure, no problem," Avery handed the phone to Rick and smiled. "I think he's in love." He mused.

Rick raised an eye brow and cracked a grin. "Hey Trash man, what's up?"

Rick barely got the words out before Trash began detailing the encounter he'd had with Kat earlier in the day. He raved about how awesome she was, and what an awesome guitarist she was; He told rick how she'd sung for him, and was an awesome singer. "She'd be awesome singing back up!" Trash gushed.

Rick counted approximately seven uses of the word "Awesome" in Trash's monologue. "So, I guess what you're saying is that she's an 'Awesome' lady?" Rick winked at Avery and Avery snickered.

"Oh man, I'm telling you, she's a Goddess with a guitar and so fucking cute too." Trash rambled on about Kat for the next ten minutes. The excitement he felt over meeting her in person was evident in his voice. Rick couldn't remember the last time that Trash had been that fired up over anything, let alone a girl. His motto was love 'em and leave 'em, never get hooked. He didn't believe in love at first site, and claimed to have never been in love in his life. He was fine with it though, he didn't want to limit himself to just one girl. He was a self professed ladies man, at least according to Trash. Avery on the other, hand referred to him as the "he-slut."

"Well, if she's as good as you say then yeah, we should totally give her the gig. I think Avery would agree with me." Rick glanced at Avery and Avery nodded. "Yeah bro, we trust your judgment. Well yeah, we should meet her before making the final call but unless she turns out to be a majorly rude and insulting bitch, I'd say she's in. Yeah it's no problem. Yeah, tomorrow sounds good, just let us know when. Oh don't be such a fucking pervert, God, is that ALL you ever think about?" Rick laughed, "Nope were good here, oh and thanks for the loan, I left it at your Dad's place. Yeah, he gave me a ride back. Okay buddy, talk to you tomorrow then. Bye."

Rick hung up and handed the phone back to Avery. "Wow!" He laughed. "This Kat chick must be one hell of a woman. She defiantly has Trash all worked up."

Avery grinned. "Yeah, what are we gonna do if you two start fighting over her?" He winked playfully at Rick.

"I think you know better than that." Rick lit a cigarette then leaned his head back against the couch and sighed. "Man I'm whopped. This is why I hate moving, all the work involved."

"Hmm," Avery shrugged. "I feel fine."

Rick looked at him, raising an eye brow. "That's because you hardly did anything!"