You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

Billie watched Blackbird's set from the curtain, something that he rarely did. Usually, he was backstage warming up, playing guitar with the band and taking turns singing lines of their songs. He told Mike and Tre he would be back there in a minute, he just wanted to get a feel for the new band's music, which was pretty much total shit. He just had to be near Ava, he couldn't stop thinking about her. On stage she wore a lacy pink tank top that flowed past her waist and hung low showing a generous amount of her perfect round breasts and lacy bra along with jeans that fit tight in all of the right places and had tears that allowed glimpses at her milky pale skin. She'd stated off with a worn leather jacket on her shoulders but quickly stripped herself of that after the first song. Her shoes were old black converse, and her hair was a tangled mess around her head. Her green eyes shown, complimented by the heavy eyeliner and dark eye shadow applied to accent her lids. She grinned as she wailed on quick punk riffs on her white Les Paul, bringing her head up to meet the microphone so that her melodic voice hit the notes hard and powerful. Somehow, she was even more beautiful than yesterday. Before he knew it, their set was over and the band was rushing past him, first Dylan, then Andy and Danielle. Ava stood on the amp and waved her hand high in the air to the crowd before taking a graceful bow and blowing a kiss with her soft pink lips. She ran off the stage as well, brushing past Billie gently without even noticing his presence. Hell, he could have been just another amp for all the attention she was giving him. He caught her scent in the wind, almost like red roses.
Mike approached him from behind, shaking Billie's shoulders for attention.
“Bill, come on, we gotta go warm up. We're on in a half hour.” Billie snapped out of his trance, turning to face Mike.
“Oh, okay, yeah.” He replied somewhat distantly, averting his eyes.
“You okay?” Mike asked, now sounding concerned rather than annoyed.
“Yeah, man, I'm fine.” He pushed past Mike, reaching for his nearest guitar as he walked backstage. “Let's get going.” Mike sighed, shaking his head in dismay; even after twenty years, he would never be able to understand his best friend.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After Billie managed to return to his old self and bid thoughts of Ava temporarily out of his mind during their first show of the tour, the two bands and their roadies prepared for the mandatory first-night-of-tour-get-totally-shit-faced-party. There was any alcohol imaginable, leaving the boys with smiles on their faces similar to those of a dog about to receive a treat. Vodka, scotch, and lots of cheap beer were set out backstage like a buffet. Tre and Mike ran straight for the heavy stuff; Billie meandered behind taking a second to talk to the roadies and Andy and Dylan before taking a beer for himself and walking towards the nearest wall for a temporary resting spot. Music blared through the room, the current tune filling his ears was The Who's Baba O'Reilly. He popped the cap off his beer and brought the bottle to his lips when he felt the presence of someone beside him. Glancing to the right he saw Ava standing next to him, smiling. His heart sped up automatically.
“Hey,” She said. Then, pointing to his hand, “That is a terrible beer.”
“Wha-? Oh, yeah, I know.” He replied as nonchalantly as possible, trying to hold onto his cool as he inconspicuously looked her up and down. She had changed since she was on stage, now wearing fringed cut off jean shorts that exposed quite a bit of thigh and a faded t-shirt the hugged her chest tightly and displayed the converse seal. The t-shirt was short and he could see part of a black tattoo painted on her hip. She must have showered after her set; her heavy make-up was reduced to nothing but some eyeliner and mascara and her hair was no longer tousled, but framed her face perfectly, falling in all different layers. He had to wrench his eyes away from her figure in order to get them back.
She smirked to herself. He wondered if she knew how much her presence was affecting him, driving him mad. “Not really the partying type, huh?” She asked him, her smirk becoming more profound.
“What? I'm here, aren't I?” He asked, somewhat offended. This girl had balls. All of the other bands usually cowered in his presence, complimented him and confessed their undying love. He didn't know how to handle someone that treated him, well, not even like he was normal. Ava acted like she was better than him, and it was really starting to get to him..
“Physically, yes. But mentally, no. You're minds off in another realm and you're just here on cruise control.” He raised his eye brows in a questioning look. She ignored it. “Your friends, on the other hand, are having a great time.” She pointed to Mike and Tre in the middle of the room, drinking their body weight in tequila and dancing with some girls who had managed to make their way backstage. “Are you going to dance?” She asked finally.
“Me? Dance? I don't think so.” He replied, chucking half heartedly and taking another gulp of his beer.
“Why not? Where did all of that energy and charisma you had on stage go?” She turned her body towards him, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head while chewing her bottom lip.
“I don't have anyone to dance with. As much as Mike and Tre seem to love hanging with the crazed fans, I like to stay clear of any stalkers.”
“Dance with me.” She said boldly. It wasn't a question, not even a suggestion. It was a command.
“What?”
“Dance with me.” She repeated in the same tone. “Come on, Billie Joe, ask me to dance, it'll be fun.” She grinned.
“You really want to dance.” He repeated slowly.
“No, I want you to ask me to dance.” She countered just as boldly.
“Ava-”
“Ask me.”
“But I-”
“Do it.”
He knew he wouldn't get out of this one. “Okay fine. Would you like to dance with me?”
She grinned, taking the beer from his hand and and replacing it with hers. “Of course.” She pulled him into the group of intoxicated rock stars, wrapping her arms around his neck as he gingerly placed each of his hands on her hips, barely touching the fabric of her shirt. “Come on, what is this, a middle school dance? You can come closer, no one's going to come around with a yard stick to make sure we're three feet apart.” She rolled her eyes and he colored slightly at her comment as he complied, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her body closer to his. “See? I don't bite.” She replied grinning. A new song came on, an intro complete with a complex organ part made Ava's grin widen. “I love with song.” She stated. He listened carefully before he remembered the song, Gloria, by The Doors.
“Oh yeah?” He asked smirking.
“Mhm, she replied, “I've always wanted to be Gloria.” She smirked, her eye lids closing for a brief moment as they danced.
A puzzled expression overtook his features. “Why Gloria?”
“Because she's captivating and sexy and totally in control.”
“He doesn't listen to anything she says.” Billie argued.
“Do men ever listen to what women are saying?” She challenged. “Besides, he's stuck in her spell. That's what's so great about her. Jim Morrison, total rock and roll sex god, can't stay away.”
He thought about her words, realizing exactly what she meant. She was Gloria, addicting and intoxicating. She had him in her trap already. He would follow her, regardless of what she said. Hell, he'd already followed her onto the dance floor.
When he didn't say anything else, she knew she won the argument. The small victory left a slight smirk on her lips that remained in place for the entire song. She was a good dancer, moving swinging her hips just right and leading him without even letting anyone know. He was starting to get a little dizzy. She moved close to him, her breath on his neck and fingers tight on his shirt. She sent shivers down his spine as she whispered some of the lyrics, whether it was to him or her just subconsciously singing along he couldn't tell but either way it was sexy as hell. When the final chord rang out, they stopped dancing. She looked him in the eyes, grinned one last time and whispered, “Thanks for the dance, Billie.” winked, and turned to walk away, grabbing the nearest bottle of vodka in one hand and linking her free arm with Danielle's. She turned her head as she walked, seeking out his eyes and then winking once before uncapping the vodka and letting out a loud laugh at Danielle's words.
Billie could do nothing but stare after her, alone and immobile on the dance floor. He was fucked.

****************************************************************************************************
Well she looked at me, and I, I could see
That before too long, I'd fall in love with her.
****************************************************************************************************