Better Than Me

Riley wasn't counting every second she spent away from Andy, the way she once would have; therefore, she was a bit surprised when she awoke to discover that it was the day of the Golden God Awards. The guys would be arriving in Los Angeles at noon.

Yawning, Riley trudged to the bathroom for a long hot shower. She emerged, threw on jeans and a tee-shirt, and ventured downstairs. Joker and Ghoul were both at her heels. Riley fed them, then ate a bowl of cereal.

She stuck her empty bowl in the dishwasher and wandered to the living room, flopping down on the sofa. She turned on the television. As she flipped through the channels, her cell buzzed with a text from Corinne: "We're having lunch right after the guys' flight gets in. They have to be at the amphitheater by five for rehearsal, so bring your dress. Sam is handling makeup. Love you."

Riley sighed. It was ten thirty-two. She wouldn't have to leave for the airport for at least twenty more minutes.

It seemed an automatic gesture to sign in to Facebook. Her stomach fluttered faintly at the sight of two unread messages in her inbox. They were from David and Jacob, as she'd known they would be.

She and David had been talking about the best, and worst, concerts they'd been to. The message waiting for her contained David's explanation for why he hated Asking Alexandria. Riley gave him a cursory, yet appropriate, response and opened Jacob's message.

The two of them were still playing twenty questions. She had built quite a store of information about him now, including some facts about his childhood, his father, and his two most embarrassing moments on the stage.

"I really like George Michael's album Faith," he'd written in answer to her asking his guilty pleasure. "He got pigeon-holed into the boy band category, but what people don't realize about him is he is absolutely amazing; he's so talented as a song writer. My next one for you...What are your hobbies?"

"Easy," she said. "Stalking pretty band boys, reading, writing, and video games. Yeah, I'm a nerd. :) ... Your turn! Um, who inspires you as a vocalist?"

Riley checked the time again. Ten forty-eight. She went upstairs and gathered what she'd need for the awards' show tonight: her dress and shoes. Back in the living room, she grabbed her cell and her purse. She shut off the television and headed for the door.

The drive to LAX wasn't technically a lengthy one, but traffic surrounding the airport was horrible, especially in the middle of the day. It was well after eleven by the time she parked her car and breezed inside.

Sammi, Piper, and Corinne were already there. All three of them had insulated cups from Starbucks. Sammi was pacing in front of the expansive plate glass windows, arguing with someone on the phone. Piper was using her cell to browse a website that sold jewelry. Corinne was happily absorbed in a book.

Riley smiled at the sight of her best friend, reading in the middle of a busy airport. There was a reason the two of them had bonded so easily and that bond had not broken.

"Hi!" Riley said, making her presence known.

Piper and Corinne both looked up with smiles of welcome. Sammi waved her coffee cup in greeting. Riley slid into the empty seat on Corinne's left.

"I'm so excited about the awards!" Corinne said as Riley set her purse between her feet.

The girls had had this discussion a couple of times already. There were going to be a lot of big names there. Corinne, Piper, and Riley were stoked at the possible chance to meet Avenged Sevenfold. Sammi was playing it cool, having already met quite a few people during her relationship with Jeremy. The guys were up for a couple of awards, including a nomination for Jake and Jeremy in the "Best Guitarist" category. However, they were pumped up most by the prospect of performing with Dee Snider.

"Would it be lame to get Zacky's autograph?" Piper mused.

"Nope," Corinne replied. "I'm letting M. Shadows sign anything he wants to sign."

Riley and Piper giggled.

"Some of my coworkers are morons!" Sammi exclaimed, collapsing into the chair on Piper's right. "This project isn't that difficult. I swear, I'm never working with people again."

"Except band guys," Piper said.

"Band guys aren't people," Sammi joked.

"They're children," Corinne muttered.

"Just yours," Riley retorted.

"It's almost twelve," Sammi said with a glance at her cell. She exhaled loudly. "It's already been a long day. Everything else had better run smoothly."

"It will," Corinne assured her. "We're your coworkers as far as BVB is concerned, and we're not 'morons.'"

The girls continued to chat idly until they spotted the first passengers from the guys' flight filing out of the gate. Jake was at the head of the BVB pack.

"JAKE!" Piper squealed.

He looked up and grinned. The guys finally made it through and crossed briskly to the girls. Sammi, Piper, and Corinne threw themselves into the arms of their men. Riley wasn't quite as enthusiastic.

"Hi," she murmured, giving Andy a quick kiss.

"Hey, babe."

Talking and laughing, the group of nine made its way to the exit. The guys had brought nothing except their carry-on luggage since they would be back on the road in four days anyway.

"Where are we eating?" Riley inquired.

"I could go for some Italian food," Christian remarked.

"And there's only one place we go for Italian," Ashley said.

"Got it," Riley said.

Sammi, Jeremy, Piper, and Jake had ridden together. Ashley joined Corinne and Christian in Christian's SUV. That left Riley and Andy alone.

"I can't wait to see you in your dress," Andy said as Riley pulled out of the parking lot behind Corinne, Christian, and Ashley.

Riley smiled at him. She'd described the dress to him via text message the day she'd bought it. He was going to love it.

"I'm even more anxious to see you out if it, though," he added, smirking.

Riley rolled her eyes, but her smile widened. "You are one giant ball of hormones, Andrew Biersack."

"No. I just can't help myself around you."

"That's sweet."

Andy lit a cigarette, cracking his window to release the smoke. "I'm going to have the hottest date there."

"You're being exceptionally nice today." Riley arched an eyebrow. "You either did something, or you want something. Spill it, Biersack."

Andy laughed. "There's nothing to spill. I didn't do anything and I don't want anything, except you." He reached for her hand.

Riley barely suppressed a frown. She hoped Andy wasn't about to get all deep and serious. Their relationship was perfect. They loved each other and that was enough. They'd never touched on the subject of anything beyond that--marriage and everything that went along with it. Andy wasn't ready for that. He was a twenty-four-year-old rock star whose band was steadily shooting to stardom. It was enough to turn anyone's head. He couldn't be a husband while this was happening.

"Riley." Andy squeezed her hand. "Where are you? I'd appreciate it if you didn't space out while driving."

"Sorry." Riley shot him another small smile. "I'm just...nervous about tonight."

"Don't be. You'll be fine."

"I've been fans of these bands for, like, ever."

"Uh, so have I."

"Yeah, but you're used to this. I'm afraid I'm going to totally fangirl out on Avenged Sevenfold."

Andy chuckled. "Eh, it's okay if you do. They won't think anything of it. And I'll still love you."

"You'll love me even if I'm totally socially awkward?"

"I'll always love you, Riley."

Riley's stomach wiggled uncomfortably. "I love you, too, Andy."

**********

The girls were hanging out with three members of Avenged Sevenfold. They couldn't believe their luck. They weren't going to examine how or why this had happened; they were just going to enjoy it.

"HEY!" Avenged rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance barked at Piper. "What are you looking at? The hottest motherfuckers in the room are right here."

"Nice," Matt Shadows, Avenged's vocalist, said with a snicker. "That ego is really gonna lure 'em in, Vengeance."

"She's checking out Johnny Depp," Sammi told Zacky.

"I don't care how old he is," Piper said. "That man is sexy as hell."

"I know I am," Jake chimed in, approaching in time to overhear Piper. "I can't figure out how to turn down the sex appeal."

Zacky, Matt, and Brian Haner Jr., Avenged's lead guitarist, chuckled appreciatively. Jeremy and Ashley wandered over in Jake's wake.

"Where are Andy and CC?" Corinne asked them.

Ashley gestured towards the opposite side of the VIP area. "The bar."

"Are they pacing themselves?" Corinne worried.

"That is high doubtful," Jeremy replied.

Riley frowned. "Then shouldn't y'all be over there, stopping them so they don't fuck up the performance?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ashley said sarcastically. "I didn't know we were Andy and CC's babysitters."

"Fine." Corinne shrugged. "Look like assholes in front of some of your idols."

"They won't fuck this up," Jeremy stated. "It means too much to all of us."

"Not on purpose," Riley agreed. "But if their nerves get the better of them, they might--and probably will--forget restraint."

"This is why we didn't bring our women," Brian stage-whispered to Jeremy, Jake, and Ashley.

Riley, Piper, Sammi, and Corinne all flipped him off simultaneously. He grinned cheekily.

"Riley!" Andy appeared out of the crowd and seized her around the waist from behind. He kissed her on the cheek and she could smell the whiskey on his breath. "I just ran into Nikki Sixx."

"Mmm," Piper said. "He's sexy, too."

Jeremy, Ashley, and Andy looked at her.

"She's really enjoying the eye candy," Jake commented, draping an arm around Piper's shoulders.

"And that doesn't bother you?" Matt questioned.

"Why should it? I'm the one taking her home."

Piper smiled and leaned over to peck Jake on the lips. "That's right."

"Besides," Jake added. "If guys like Nikki Sixx weren't out there, she might not have gotten into that 'dirty rocker' type of guy and I would be boned."

Matt, Brian, Zacky, Jeremy, Ashley, and Andy laughed. There were a few murmurs of consent.

"Guys." Christian ambled up next to Ashley. "We need to go backstage and get ready."

Riley twisted in Andy's arms and kissed him. "Go kick some ass."

The guys filed out of the VIP area.

"Is anyone else nervous for them?" Sammi queried.

Riley, Corinne, and Piper nodded.

"Don't be," Matt said. "They're gonna be great. It's not like they're new at this."

"But they're performing with Dee Snider," Sammi protested. "That's a huge deal to them."

"So it's their first test," Brian said. "If you can handle being on the stage with one of your idols, or knowing that one of your idols is watching you, then nothing will ever phase you."

"One of our biggest tests was when we opened for Metallica in 2006," Zacky recalled.

"I wish I could have seen that," Corinne remarked. "Metallica is bad ass live."

"And us?" Matt said. "Or have you ever been to one of our shows?"

Riley and Corinne exchanged a glance. They had been to an Avenged Sevenfold show every year since moving to L.A.

"A couple of times," Corinne said, trying to ignore Sammi's and Piper's smirks.

Riley realized her water bottle was empty. "I'm gonna get a drink." She walked to the minibar. She'd stuck to water thus far, but now she thought she might switch to liquor. One or two wouldn't hurt.

The bartender had just set a White Russian at her elbow when a voice spoke close to her ear: "Hey, Riley."

Startled, she turned quickly. Her breath left her in a soft gasp.

Jacob Bunton was standing less than a foot away, smiling at her.