Seize the Day

Seize the Day 31

"Fucking spill it, woman!" I shrieked at Jamie the next morning as I was nearly inhaling my English muffin.  

"Nothing to tell," she said non-chalantly, not bothering to make eye contact. 

"Liar!"  I now had five other sets of eyes on me, as people at the surrounding tables had started to stare.

"Will you keep it down?" she hissed.  

"Only if you tell me what happened last night!" I trilled, but a little more quietly.  Jess was sitting back, her arms crossed, already having finished her French toast.  She wasn't pressing Jamie like I was, but certainly had a look of curiosity as well.  The guys and Michelle had ordered room service breakfasts, but I couldn't wait to grill Jamie.  

"Fine," Jamie said, throwing her hands in the air.  "Johnny was a perfect gentleman.  We went to his room, had a couple of beers, and just talked.  Got to know one another."  At this point, her face broke into a huge smirk.  "And then we fucked like bunnies," she added giggling loudly.

"I knew it," I said.  "I knew you couldn't lie!"

"I didn't lie!" she challenged back.  "That was all true.  We talked for nearly forty-five minutes!"  

All three of us busted into obnoxious fits of giggles, garnering more stares from the neighboring tables.  

I was wiping tears of laughter from my eye when I felt a tap on my shoulder.  "Um, Ms. Sanders?"  It was the hotel's restaurant manager.  Or assistant manager, actually.  Devan, Assistant Manager to be exact, according to his name badge.  He might have been about 20, and may have weighed a buck 15 dripping wet.   

"No one here by that name," I said.  "But I'm with Mr. Sanders, so I assume that's what you meant."  Jess giggled over my shoulder. 

"Well, yes," he said, clearing his throat repeatedly.  "We've, um, gotten a couple of, uh, complaints, I guess," he started, and cleared his throat once again.  "Well, that your table, um, is being a little, well, um, disruptive."

"Devan!" I breathed, feigning shock.  "Are you trying to tell me that we're being too loud?"  I threw my hand over my chest in my best Southern belle melodrama.

Devan's eyes got huge.  "Well, it's not that, um, it's well," he stammered. 

I coughed, and took his hand in mine.  "I'm sorry, sweetheart," I said, trying not to laugh at the poor kid.  "We are being loud, but we're finished now and on our way out.  We're really very sorry that we interrupted breakfast, and hope you can accept our apology."  I turned then to the table closest to ours.  "I very sincerely apologize for being so disruptive this morning," I said.  "Please let me pay for your meals to make it up to you?"

The little old ladies looked shocked.  "Oh, no," one said.  "That's not necessary."

"It is," I insisted.  "In fact, Devan, please just put all of these meals on my tab.  Charge them to room 2389.  I'll take care of all of you this morning!"

"Um, ok, are you sure, ma'am?" the kid asked. 

"Absolutely," I said.  "It's the least I can do to make up for our rudeness."  I reached into my pocket and pulled out two twenty dollar bills.  "And this is for you," I said, pressing the money into his palm.  "Sorry for causing trouble for you.  Come on, girls, we've got to get our stuff together."

Jess and Jamie followed me out of the restaurant and into the elevator, where we burst into yet another fit of giggles.

"But wait!" Jess exclaimed.  "You & Shads are on the 12th floor, me and Zee are on 16, and Johnny's down on the third, I think."  Jamie nodded her agreement.

Before she could finish her statement, I started grinning evilly.  "Oh, Jesus," she laughed.  

"Gates!" the three of us shouted at the same time.  

"I told them I was going to terrorize them.  This is only the beginning," I said, rubbing my hands together like a mad scientist. 

"Oh fuck," Jamie laughed.  

"This is going to be a long trip, I can just feel it," Jess said, shaking her head.    

The show that night was beyond amazing.  Jamie was an avid concert attender, so she wanted nothing short of the full experience.  She, Jess and I watched the show from the pit, thrashing and screaming the lyrics like everyone else.  Of course, we called out Matt when he forgot his own words, and managed to get Zee and Brian laughing onstage.  Jamie kept blowing kisses to Johnny who I swear was blushing like a schoolgirl.

After the boys showered and changed clothes backstage, we all loaded up and headed toward the Rock Parlour.  As promised, the club had been closed to the public, so it was just the bands, their guests, and several other VIPs who were in Toronto at the time.

"Looks like the openers beat us here," Zack said, pointing to the bar.  Matt Heafy of Trivium and Matt Brady of New Medicine were standing there ordering drinks.

"See?" I winked at Jess.  "Told you there'd be plenty of time to hang with Heafy."  Zack, of course, heard me, and shot me a look.  "Oh, chill, Vengeance."  I rolled my eyes.  "If you even had half an idea how much Jess adores you, you'd know there's no chance in hell she'd so much as look at anyone else."  I turned on my heel and walked back to where Jamie and Johnny had already parked in a booth.

"Sup?" Johnny asked.

"Oh, you know, running damage control on Zee's ego," I sighed rolling my eyes again.  

"What?" Jamie asked, confused.

"Vengeance's number one sin is jealousy," I explained.  "Not bad, just a little over-protective.  Mama J wants to chat up Heafy, and Zee is freaking."

"Really?" Jamie asked, eyes wide.  "He knows how she feels about him, right?  Even I know she's never gonna give him up." 

Johnny and I had the same thought at the same time, and broke into a little impromptu Rick Astley sing-along.  

"What the shit are you singing?"  Brian's hand came down on my shoulder, turning me around.  He was laughing heavily, though. 

"Sorry," Johnny said, still cracking up.

"Just a little Rick-rolling, nothing major," I said.  

Jamie rolled her eyes.  "Really though, what's his deal?"

"What's whose deal?" Brian asked, sliding into the booth next to me.  Jess, Zack, Matt and Michelle were at the bar talking to several people I didn't know.

"Zack's being a d-bag," I sighed.  "Well, he's really not, he just doesn't like it when Mama talks to other dudes."

"Ah, yes."  Brian leaned back and locked his long fingers behind his head.  "He's always been like that.  Especially if it's another musician."  

I nodded.  "Trivium is her other favorite band.  She really wants to meet and talk to Matt, but he's not down for it." 

"Ha, watch this," he said, Synyster Gates grin plastered on his face.  I watched and chuckled as he walked over to the bar, said nothing, took Jess's hand, and walked straight to Matt Heafy's table.  Zack followed as quickly as he could, but by then, Johnny had jumped out of his seat and gone to corner Zee with some bullshit story.

Jamie and I sat back and watched as Mama J stammered and stuttered her way through an introduction, and while Zack stared holes through him while not at all listening to Short-Shit. 

After about fifteen minutes, Jess sauntered over to our table, trying to glare at me.  "I know you were behind all that," she said, smile shining through the evil eye look. 

"Actually, not really," I said.  "Gates asked what was up, I told him Zee's a jealous fiend, he took care of the rest." 

"You're terrible!" she squealed.  

"You got to talk to him, right?  Mission accomplished."  I shot her the biggest smile I could muster.

"And what in the hell has you grinning like you just won a lifetime supply of Reese's cups?" my Matt's voice came from behind me.

"You know me, sweets," I said.  "Just a little trouble-making."

"Anything like at breakfast this morning?"  He sat next to me, and smirked that dimpled grin that said I know everything you did.

"I have absolutely no idea what you are speaking of, sir," I said, being sure to avoid eye contact.

"Right," he laughed. "I'm sure you don't."

Jamie couldn't contain her giggles, and soon Jess started in too.  I was fine until the two of them lost it, then I joined them in a laughing fit.  Matt just sat next to us and rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I'm pretty much beat.  I think I'm gonna head to the hotel, you wanna come with?" he asked, winking.

"Tell ya what," I bargained.  "One more round of drinks, then absolutely."

"Ok, fine," he said, flashing his dimples.

"Stop that," I groaned, kissing his cheek before I stood up.

"What?" he asked, doing it again.

"You know exactly what, Captain Dimples," I called over my shoulder, already walking away.  You know exactly that if I see you smile like that, there's no argument you can't win, or no deal I wouldn't make, I thought while heading to the bar.  I shook my head and chuckled to myself.

"Oh, Vivienne," Brian drawled, sidling up next to me.  "Vivienne, Vivienne, Vivienne."

"Uh, what's the what, Gates?" I asked, a little confused.

"You know, I consider you a great friend," he slurred.

"Oh, Scarecrow!" I wailed.  "You're toasted!  Nearly schwasted even!"

"I'm not!" he yelled.  "Ok, maybe a little."  He put his finger to his lips, shushing me.  I laughed and turned to the bartender, ordering drinks for myself, Matt, and the others at our table. 

"Come drink with us," I whined at Brian.  "I haven't talked to you like all night!"

"Ok!" he chirped, and then followed me to our table.

"Cheers!" we all yelled as we raised our glasses, then emptied them quickly.    

I glanced over at Matt, who was eyeing me suspiciously.  I blew him a kiss, and he winked.  I giggled, just like every time he winks like that.  

"Ok, guys," I said, putting my empty glass back onto the table.  "Matt made me promise we'd turn in after this round."  I had to pause to let Jess and Jamie's groans subside.  "So anyway, we're off.  Catch you bitches tomorrow, mkay?"

"Mkay," half of them agreed.  Michelle and Johnny started cat-calling and wolf-whistling.

"Yeah, yeah," I giggled as Matt and I said our goodbyes, 

The next morning, as we were gathering up suitcases and checking out, Johnny looked like he'd just heard that someone ran over his puppy.

"You know she can come with us, right?" I whispered in the ear opposite where everyone else was standing.  "If you want, that is."

His face lit up.  "Ya think?" he said, trying to keep quiet.

"I know," I beamed.  "If she can get out of work, that is.  Go ask her, loser!"

He shuffled toward the back of the lobby to find Jamie.

"Aren't you just the best little matchmaker ever," Zack said, coming to stand next to me.  "It's like you know someone who's just perfect for all of us!"

"Eh, I just have awesome friends, that's all," I sighed.  I turned to Matt and wrapped my arms around him and yawned.  "Can we get this tour on the road?  I think I need a nap!"

"Didn't get much sleep, huh?" Jess winked.

"Bite me," I hissed through a grin.  I heard Arin's laughter behind me.  "What are you laughing at, kid?"

"You."  He slapped me on the back.  "You crack me up, dude."

Two weeks later, we were all having a band meeting after the last show of the Canadian tour.  I'd picked five bands that I thought were exactly what The Collective needed, and sent their information back to Steve.  He was impressed enough with all of them that he arranged for a huge meet and greet, and was flying them all, and myself, to LA for a couple days. 

"So, if you're going back to LA, what does that mean?" Jamie asked.  Of course, she'd agreed to join us on tour before Johnny had been able to get the whole question out.  They'd been all but connected at the hip ever since.

"I'll just be gone two days," I said, rolling my eyes.  "I fly out tomorrow morning, meet with Steve and these bands, then fly back to catch up with you guys in Chicago on Friday afternoon in time for the show."

"Chicago?" Jess squealed.

I looked at her smugly.  "Mama, don't you pay any attention to the schedule?"

"No, I don't," she huffed.  "But Chicago!" she yelled again.

"Yes, Chicago," I echoed.  "And chill out.  I've already called Virgil."  I threw her a huge grin.

"Who the fuck is Virgil?" Brian asked.  "Your mechanic?"

Jess and I both busted into laughter.  "Virgil is my Laugh Twin," she said.

"Another Jessica," I added.  "But she'll always be Virgil to us!"

"Oh dear god," Johnny said.  "Just what we need; another one of them."  Jamie punched him on the arm.  "You know I didn't mean you, babe!"  He was rubbing the spot she'd hit gingerly.

"Yes, another one of us," Jess said triumphantly.  "And if you think the three of us now have been bad, just wait!"  She let out a squeal of glee and started bouncing around the room.

"Here we go again," Matt said, hugging me tightly.