Rock Harder: Bad Boy Bandmates & Babies

I was very much looking forward to our date that night.

And I was hoping there could be a chance of making my fantasy come true.

Chapter Five – Holly

Music played, and not just in my head, which a theme song was running through as I tried to choose just the right outfit. I’d already made my first impression to Stig. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been, but it never hurt to try and improve.

“Someone is in a good mood,” my roommate and friend Yara said, stopping in the hall beyond the open bedroom door and listening to the sounds coming from my speaker.

“Yeah,” I gushed.

“So, what’s his name?”

“I never said—”

“Didn’t need to, darlin’; all the signs are there,” she declared gleefully. “You are officially in love.”

“You can’t possibly know that.”

“Of course I can.”

“How?”

“Experience.”

I couldn’t argue with her there. There did seem to be a pattern to these things. I’d just never stopped to notice, which was the advantage of an outsider perspective. Only now, it was happening to me.

“Do you want me to guess his name?” she asked.

“I doubt you could.” I laughed. “We’d probably be here all night if you tried.”

“Okay, then. Just save time and tell me.”

I was half afraid to jinx it, but the other half of me was too excited not to share my news with someone.

“It’s Stig Kristiansen.”

“From Loki’s Laugh?” she asked.

My mouth just about fell open.

“You’ve heard of them?”

“Of course, everyone has. Well, most people have. Their first album was something of an event.”

“Yeah, I work at the record label, remember?”

“Right, of course. You probably helped out.”

“As much as I could. I’ll be able to help more now, because I’ve just been promoted to personal assistant to the owner, Seth Black. That gives me more contact with the bands and I get to go to the recording studio, rather than being confined to the lobby of the record label’s office.”

“Oh, my God!” Yara squealed. “Congrats! That’s huge.”

“Yeah, it’s not really glamorous, but it’s certainly pretty cool. Seth had me take lunch down to The Sanctuary today.”

“The Sanctuary? You’ve been there; you know where it is? No, don’t tell me, because I don’t want to get you into any trouble. I know it’s a secret.”

“Not that big of a secret. It’s not like I’d be divulging the nuclear codes or anything. It would just be better for all involved if I didn’t mention certain details, you know?”

“Of course,” Yara said. “But what details can you mention?”

“It’s just as the rumors say it is. Sven can be a bit of a dictator, but usually has a good reason to be. Loki’s Laugh was recording their second album there, and it’s where and how I met Stig. We chatted, and he gave me some of his fries that I almost dropped like a clumsy idiot, but other than that, it was wonderful. We’re seeing each other later tonight.”

“Love at first sight, was it?”

The answer of “yes” was in my mouth almost before I could stop it, gritting my teeth just in time. Love at first sight was very much what it felt like, but I felt silly saying it. Like a little girl still believing in classic Disney movies— even if a lot of the original fairy tales did make some pretty convincing cases before the mouse company decided to muck them all up in the name of capitalism.

“Not exactly,” I hedged.

“Give me a bit more than that!” she said, and laughed.

“There was a definite spark, if that makes sense.”

“Yes. It does!”

“It’s just one date. Nothing has even happened yet. I’m just going to take things slow and see how they go.”

“But it feels good so far, right?” Yara pressed.

“Oh, yeah. For sure.”

With Yara’s help, I chose and got into the perfect outfit, doing my make-up myself in the mirror. The dress buttoned up in the back, and it was tight enough around the thighs to make it almost difficult for Stig and me to have sex later if we wanted to.

I didn’t want to jump into bed with him too quickly. I’d never wanted anyone more than I wanted him, but that was a level of ardor that scared me as well. I didn’t have the best track-record and was still hurting from my last mistake, which was undoubtedly part of why Yara was so happy I was getting out there again.

It was almost like I had PTSD after Keith, and I honestly wasn’t sure I could trust anyone again. Still, even though Stig was a Metalhead, and rockstars and musicians in general didn’t have the best reputation, I somehow felt that he was different. He seemed to be more stable and measured than most guys I’d met.

Once I was dressed up to the tens, the fashion world’s phrase that was equivalent to the music world’s phrase of “amps up to 11,” it was time to go and see where the night might take Stig and me. I felt open to pretty much anything.