Starry Eyes

“Nice place you have here.” Douglas states as we walk into my very industrial apartment complete with exposed brick, beams and fake venting systems. “Great acoustics.”

“Already speaking like Nikki.” I laugh as I walk into the kitchen with our Chinese takeout and wine bottles. “Nikki actually helped me pick this place out. Dad was out of town. So he stepped right in.”

“You and Nikki are really close aren't you?” He asks as he walks right behind me and sets down the bags of food he’s carrying. “I think that’s awesome. Are you as close to Vince and Mick?”

“My relationship with Nikki is different. He’s my godfather; a role he didn’t want but took on anyway. So I’m of course going to be closer with him. My dad says I had Nikki wrapped around my finger the moment he first held me. Vince and Mick are my totally cool uncles but, there is no special bond. They’ll help me with vocals and guitar shit but they’ve never given me life advice or threaten to kick a boy’s ass for hurting me. Nikki has.”

“And you and his son, Gunner. You guys are so close, it’s hard to believe you two aren’t involved or even dated in the past.”

“I never said Gunner and I haven’t dated.” I chuckle, earning a subtly hurt look from Douglas. “It didn’t work out. In fact, the break up nearly cost us our friendship. It was almost two years before Gunner and I could be in the same room with each other.”

“What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?” He asks, treading lightly around his words.

“We cheated on each other.” I reply, frowning out of shame. “It wasn’t our brightest moments but we were horny teenagers just out of high school. We were trying the long distance thing when I went to college. Neither one of us could handle the distance. Gunner is the only boy I have ever cheated on and it still pains me to this day.”

“Wow, you would never be able to tell with how you two are so comfortable around each other.”

“We’ve known each other since birth. Our dads are best friends; it was written in the stars. We were destined to be best friends.”

“Any more “spawns” I have to worry about impressing?” Douglas asks, using air quotes around spawns. “Your dad seems to love calling you guys that.”

“Once you get to know us, all of us, you’ll understand why.” I laugh. “I have two younger brothers, Brandon and Dylan. Nikki as three other kids. He has two daughters, Storm and Frankie-Jean and he has another son named Decker. Vince has a son and a daughter from his first marriage. Their names are Neil and Elizabeth. Mick has three other kids besides Michelle. Their names are Stormy, Erik, and Les Paul. They aren’t exactly close with the rest of us. Same with Neil and Elizabeth.”

“So I don’t have to worry about impressing them?” He smiles. “That’s a relief.”

“But you have to impress the rest of us.” I smile. “No pressure. But to be honest, the younger Crue spawns are more critical. We had our dads high up on a pedestal; worshipped the ground they walk on even if they don’t deserve it.”

“How so?” He questions, genuine interested in my answer.

“Look I don’t want you to second guess taking on this role but Nikki and the rest of the Crue aren’t exactly saints. In fact I’m sure they’ve done shit that would make the devil himself blush. They are pigs that used and abused women and drugs and caused hell everywhere they went.” I sigh, running my fingers through my blonde hair. “They shouldn’t be worshipped, not how us kids worshipped them. Or how any of the millions of Crueheads are out there worship them.”

“Kids worship their parents, it’s natural.” He shrugs. “You’ll always seen the good in your parents, no matter what.”

“I watched him kick his ex-wife and assault her with one of my baby brothers in her arms. He spent time in jail because of it. I should fucking hate him but I can’t. You just can’t hate Motley Crue, no matter what. They’ll always be everyone’s favorite car accident.”

“You’re not happy about this movie coming out, are you?” He asks. “Not that I blame you.”

“There are things you want to forget and this movie is going to open those old wounds for all of us.” I shrug. “Us kids don’t get a say in this. Hopefully the Crue knows what the hell they’re doing but doing this.”

“If you aren’t happy about this, why help me?” He asks. “You don’t have to. I could just leave.”

“I want to help you.” I tell him. “Like I said, I really want to see you in action as Nikki. So I’ll help you out no matter what.”

“Why do you want to see him as Nikki so badly?”

I walk closer to him, close enough that we’re inches apart. “You’re nothing like the man you’re about to play. They couldn’t pick someone so opposite from Nikki Sixx. That’s why I want to see you so badly. You’re a saint compared to Nikki.”

“Every saint has a past.” He smirks.

“And every sinner has a future.” I add. “And if I’m being honest, I really want to see you in leather pants. Hell I want to see all of you in leather pants.” He just laughs. “So what do you say; let’s eat and start working on bass lessons?”

“That sounds amazing.” He smiles. I just smile before we grab whatever food we can then head to my studio room. Tonight might not be as bad as I thought it would be. Douglas isn’t bad. I feel like I can truly open up to him. And he will actually listen. He might just be the first guy I’ve met in a long time that isn’t trying to get into my pants. His niceness isn’t an act.

He might just be the real thing….