Cigarette Burns

"What would it hurt?" Shay Matthews' best friend Chelsea asked her for the millionth time that morning. Shay gritted her teeth and responded with the same thing she had the other times.

"We've never gotten along, Chels. I can't even tell you how many time we've crossed paths over the years and he's a dick. Like, monster dick. No way do I want to essentially be his personal servant and slave."

"That's not the job and you know it," Chelsea threw back, rolling her eyes. They were talking about an interview Shay had later that day; an interview for a personal assistant job, which normally would've been fine. She'd worked with tons of bands over the years, going back to when she was just eighteen years old. She'd done everything from being a roadie and an instrument technician all the way to tour managing. The only problem? She'd be working for none other than Corey Taylor, lead singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour.

"Doesn't matter. I don't want to work for him, Chels," Shay said firmly, walking out of her bedroom purposefully.

In reality, all the things she'd said about Corey were true. He was loud and rude and there were times when he thought the sun shone out of his own ass. But, the biggest reason she didn't want to take the job was because despite everything, despite the fact that they'd done nothing but bicker the various times they'd met over the years, she was undeniably ridiculously attracted to him. She hated herself for it, just like she always had, but she couldn't help it. It was something about those stupidly beautiful baby blue eyes of his.

"Fine. Just remember that this job pays more than double of any job you've had in the last few years," Chelsea said, following Shay into the living room and plopping onto the couch. Shay stopped in her tracks and rolled her eyes.

"God damn it. Give me his fucking phone number," Shay groaned, glancing up at Chelsea. Chels smiled widely and held out a card with Corey's name and number on it. Shay snatched it from her and stepped outside onto her apartment's balcony.

Shay dialed the number, listening as the phone rang on the other end. Finally, a gruff voice answered, sounding annoyed.

"What?" the voice that Shay instantly recognized as Corey asked.

"Hey, Corey. It's Shay Matthews," she said, and he didn't say anything for a moment, making her wonder if he'd hung up.

"You're the chick that was working with Avenged Sevenfold when we toured with them a few years ago, aren't you?" Corey asked, and Shay rolled her eyes. She knew he actually knew for sure exactly who she was but was just playing into the "cool guy" role.

"Yeah. I was their drum tech for a while," Shay said, getting Chelsea's attention through the sliding glass door and dragging a finger across her throat dramatically. She turned away from Chelsea's laughter and listened to the silence that hung heavily through the phone.

"What's up?" Corey asked her, and Shay rolled her eyes again. Of course he didn't even know they were supposed to be meeting.

"I... had an interview later. With you... for your assistant job," Shay said, feeling like he should definitely know what she was talking about. Finally, she heard a rumble in his throat that sounded like acknowledgment.

"Oh yeah! I saw your name on the list; I just didn't immediately recognize it. You've got the job if you want it, dude," Corey said, surprising her.

"Wait, seriously? You don't even want to interview me?" she asked, and Corey scoffed.

"Nah. I've been seeing you around working with bands that I trust and respect for as long as I can remember. I know you know what you're doing. Besides, all the other interviews my manager set up were either old ladies that came from office settings or fans that just wanted in my pants," Corey said casually, brushing Shay's question off like it was funny.

"Are you sure?" she asked, and he laughed gruffly.

"Yeah. Are you sure?" he tossed back, and she shook her head even though he couldn't see it.

"Not totally," she admitted, and he laughed again.

"Good. I'll text you my address. 'Knot leaves for tour in a week so we should probably formally meet and shit since I'll probably need you to come with us. We don't have a formal band manager at the moment, and me and the other guys can handle most of it for this one tour but we'll probably need a little help. If you're ready to start right away, that is," Corey said, phrasing the last part like a question even though they both knew that if the answer was 'no', her opportunity would probably fly right out the window.

"Yeah, sure," she said carefully, taking a deep breath.

"Great. Can you come over today? We should really get acquainted," he said, and she sighed.

"Yeah, I can. Text me the address and I'll be there as soon as I shower," she told him, and they tossed a few more words back and forth and then hung up.

Shay went back into the apartment, picking a magazine up off the counter and tossing it at Chelsea, who jumped when it hit the back of her head where she was sitting on the couch. She turned and looked at Shay with a huge smile on her face.

"He hired me on the spot. Said I was the only worthy applicant or some shit. He wants me to come over to his house right now," Shay explained, and Chelsea squealed obnoxiously.

"Have I ever told you how fucking envious I am that you get all these amazing jobs?" Chelsea asked, and Shay just rolled her eyes and made her way to the bathroom for a shower.