Womanizer

“Hey, Megan,” Danny said, sticking his head into the stockroom, where Megan was dividing up the repacks. “There’s someone here to see you.”

Brian? her mind guessed hopefully.

Megan dropped the shower curtains she was holding and walked briskly out of the stockroom.

“Surprise!” Zacky exclaimed.

Megan stopped short. Disappointment that it wasn’t Brian warred with the excitement she felt at the sight of Matt Shadows, Johnny Christ, and Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan--the other three members of Avenged Sevenfold.

“Oh, my God,” Megan managed.

Zacky grinned, obviously pleased with himself. “Guys, this is Janine’s cousin, Megan.“

“Hey,” Matt and Johnny said. Jimmy lifted his chin in acknowledgment.

“They flew out to see Janine, since they don’t allow women as far along as she is on planes,” Zacky explained to Megan.

“That was sweet of you,” Megan commented. “I know she’s been missing California.”

Jimmy raised his hand. “Can I say something?”

“Regretting this immediately,” Matt said. “What?”

“Good looks run in that fucking family,” Jimmy declared, eyeing Megan appreciatively and making her blush. “Damn!“

Johnny nodded in agreement. Zacky rolled his eyes; Matt simply shook his head.

“Thanks, I think,” Megan replied.

“Anyway,” Zacky cut in with a dirty look at Jimmy. “I wanted to tell you to come straight home tonight.”

“Yeah, because I have so many other places to go,” Megan drawled sarcastically.

“Listen, little girl--” Zacky started, but Matt interrupted.

“Zack and Janine are taking us out for a night on the town. We want you to come.”

“Oh. I’d love to.”

Matt smiled. “Of course you would.”

“And dress hot,” Jimmy added. “We don’t go out in public with ugly girls.”

Megan stared at him for a full minute before responding. “Okay, first of all, you’re in Alabama. Who the hell is going to see you? Second, I’ve seen some of the girls you guys have had in public and they aren’t always pedigreed, if you know what I mean.”

Matt let out a snort of laughter.

“She’s right,” Zacky stated. “You guys have dated some ugly bitches.”

Jimmy pointed at him. “She said ‘you guys.’ That means all of us, and that includes you!”

“Yeah, Zee. Remember the one before Janine?” Megan made a face.

“I try not to.”

“Everybody has their lapses in judgment,” Johnny said, defending himself and his friends. “Like you’ve never dated an ugly guy?”

“I probably have,” Megan returned without hesitation. “Because I don’t choose my boyfriends based on their looks, you shallow little gnome.”

“Except Brian,” Matt remarked.

Megan shot an acidic glare at him. “Brian isn’t my boyfriend.”

Matt studied her face intently. “Are you sure about that?”

“Positive,” she said, meeting his gaze head-on.

“Well, thank God!” Jimmy piped up loudly. “You’d be wasting yourself on him.”

Megan almost retorted on Brian’s behalf, but she caught herself just in time.

“What time do you get off?” Zacky asked, changing the subject.

“Eight.”

“Then we’ll see you around eight-thirty. C’mon, guys.”

Johnny and Matt waved. Jimmy led them towards the front of the store.

“Bye, Doll.” Zacky hugged Megan and kissed her on the cheek.

“Bye, Zee.” She watched him walk away before turning to go back into the stockroom.

**********

"Megan, if you're not down here by the time I count to three, I'm coming up there!" Zacky called from the first-floor landing.

Megan ignored him. If she was going out for a night on the town with four members of Avenged Sevenfold, she was going to look flawless. She finished rubbing on the clear lipgloss, which she had applied liberally, and left the bathroom to stand in front of the full-length mirror mounted next to her closet.

Her hair was in a ponytail. Her makeup consisted of black eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and the clear lipgloss. She was wearing the Misfits tee that had been converted into a corset-like top (a gift from Zacky) with a black miniskirt and black combat boots. Perfect, she thought happily.

She breezed out of her room and descended the stairs.

"It's about fucking time!" Zacky exclaimed.

Johnny, Matt, and Jimmy simply stared at her. Janine rolled her eyes. "Hey, retards, y'all are getting drool on my floor!"

Megan snickered. Johnny and Jimmy quickly looked away. Matt, however, offered her his arm. Megan glanced at Zacky, who was eyeing Matt in a not-very-pleased way.

"Um, so where are we going?" Megan asked.

"The Station," Zacky replied.

Megan brightened. "Yay! Karaoke!"

Zacky smiled. "I thought you'd like that." He led the way out to an SUV Matt had rented upon arrival in Alabama.

"Can I drive?" Megan inquired hopefully.

"That depends," Matt said. "How well do you drive?"

"Better than a NASCAR racer," Megan boasted.

"Or at least faster than one," Zacky remarked.

Megan crossed her arms over her chest. "It makes sense for me to drive. I know where we're going and if I'm driving, I don't have to sit in the back with the horn-dogs. No offense," she added quickly to Johnny and Jimmy.

"She has a point," Janine said.

"Fine." Matt tossed the keys to Megan.

"Sweet!" She ran over and climbed in.

Janine took the passenger seat, and the guys piled into the back. With Janine and Megan happily singing along with Bullet for My Valentine, they sped to Madison. They arrived at The Station to find it crowded as it always was on a Saturday night.

"I feel so...fat," Janine said, pouting a little.

Zacky brushed a kiss across her lips. "You're beautiful."

"Yeah, J, you're fucking gorgeous," Megan said. "And you're walking in on the arm of Zacky fucking Vengeance."

Janine smiled, and Zacky took her hand in his. Jimmy, Johnny, Matt, and Megan followed the couple into the club.

"First things first," Johnny said. "Beer!" He headed for the bar, the others trailing after him.

Megan suddenly stopped short, causing Jimmy to walk into her, and Matt to plow into him.

"Jimmy, man, what the fuck!?" Matt exclaimed as Jimmy grabbed Megan's arm to keep her on her feet.

"It wasn't me," Jimmy said.

They both looked at Megan curiously. She wasn't paying any attention to them, however. Her eyes were on Zacky, and they were bright with anger.

"What the hell is he doing here?" she snarled.

Janine, Jimmy, and Matt all frowned and started searching for the source of her anger. They spotted him at the same time, but only Janine realized that he was the answer: Brian was standing at the bar with two half-naked girls.

"He wanted to hang out with his boys," Zacky said. "It's a free country."

Megan crossed her arms over her chest, jaw set.

"Ignore him," Janine advised.

Zacky frowned. "Why do you care?"

Megan lifted her chin defiantly. "I don't."

Zacky shook his head. "Whatever. Go find a table and I'll get you a drink. Jack and Coke, right?"

"Yeah."

Megan and Janine made their way to a table near the stage.

"Megan, you can't be so obvious," Janine said once they were seated. "If you don't want Zee to figure out that you have the hots for Brian, you've gotta calm down."

"Seeing him here took me by surprise, that's all."

Zacky, Jimmy, Matt, and Johnny appeared out of the crowd. They joined the girls at the table, Zacky setting a Jack and Coke in front of Megan.

"Alright, my partner-in-crime," Zacky said. "What song are we singing tonight?"

Megan shrugged. "I don't know. I think it's your turn to pick."

Jimmy raised his eyebrows, surprised. "You do karaoke, ZV?"

Zacky nodded. Janine nudged Megan and nodded towards the dance floor. Megan looked in the indicated direction and saw Brian dancing with one of the half-naked girls who'd been flirting with him at the bar. "Swing" by Savage was blasting from the club's PA.

"What is she doing?" Megan said cattily. "She looks like she's having an epileptic fit."

Zacky, Johnny, and Jimmy all twisted around to see who she was talking about.

Janine smiled slyly. "Go show her how it's done, Megan."

"I'll need a partner."

"You're up, Zee," Janine said. "I'm afraid Slim Jim, Shadsy, and the gnome won't be able to keep their hands to themselves."

Zacky got to his feet and held out his hand to Megan. She accepted it and let Zacky tug her onto the dance floor. Megan put her back to him and with one of his arms loosely around her waist, she worked her body with the beat. She knew Janine had sent her out here to show Brian what she could do, so she didn't hold back, despite the fact that Zacky was Janine's fiancé.

She looked up as "Swing" came to an end. Brian was watching her and his brown eyes were dark with lust. "Swing" bled into Britney Spears' "Womanizer."

Megan couldn't stop her smile. She kept her gaze locked with Brian's, singing along and moving seductively to the music. The song was enabling her to say everything to Brian that he needed to hear.

When "Womanizer" faded out, Brian had the smallest smirk on his perfect lips. He leaned down and whispered something to the girl in his arms. The girl giggled, reaching for his hand. She sashayed towards the exit, pulling Brian along behind her.

Megan felt as though she'd been punched in the stomach, but she refused to admit that it bothered her. Teeth gritted, she stomped back to the table, picked up her drink, and downed it in one gulp.