Masterpiece Theater

The next morning, I still couldn't get her off my mind. I had to work one out in the shower. It only helped a little. I couldn't shake her; her smile had burned itself into my frontal lobe. I had to find her even though she clearly didn't want to be found.

She was pretty, and caught my eye the minute she walked into the bar. Her chestnut hair was layered with blue streaks and curled right above her shoulders. Her left ear was pierced all the way up, with an industrial bar and traigus piercing to boot. Her green eyes sparkled, even in irritation. Her eyeliner had been layered heavily, but the rest of her make up was done up lightly.

And the way her bedazzled tank top and almost black jeans clung to her, even before I had knocked her drink over...she wasn't hiding anything beneath her clothes.

So I flirted...and I got shot down. It happened. I didn't sweat it.

I couldn't believe it when she told me she wasn't meeting a guy.

She was probably just trying to spare me some dignity.

I needed to just leave it alone. All I had was her first name and it was a big city. The odds of me finding her were slim, unless she came back to the bar.

She probably didn't actually live in Huntington Beach. She probably lived in LA or Long Beach. Maybe she had just been visiting her friend who never showed up.

I lit a cigarette in frustration as I drank my coffee. Jimmy helped himself through my back door.

"Hey." I greeted, shutting off VH1. I hadn't been paying attention, anyway.

"You still thinking about that girl?"

"What makes you say that?"

"'Cause you're drinking cold coffee and smoking a dead cigarette."

I looked at the end of my cigarette and sure enough, it had gone out. I relit it and filled my mug with fresh coffee. Jimmy helped himself to his own cup and sat down on a kitchen stool.

"I only spent ten minutes with her."

He shrugged. "You didn't get anything else out of her at all?"

I shook my head. "Just her name. Laurel. Stubborn as hell. Perfect smile. I should have asked for her number. I'm such a dumbass."

"Yes you are. Look at it this way, your picture is plastered all over the cover of Kerrang right now. If anything, she'll find you."

He had a point. Being a famous rock star had its upsides. I set my half-finished cigarette in the ashtray tray and focused on my coffee.

"I don't know, man. She didn't really seem like type to be into all that."

"Gates, they're all that type. Once the cash starts flowing they can't wait to find out where it comes from."

"She thought I robbed somebody."

"That's because you tried to give her three hundred dollars for a twenty dollar cab ride and at most, a hundred dollars' worth of clothes."

"I felt bad."

"Clearly."

"Did you come here to mock me or is there a point to your visit?"

"Dragging your ass to the gym. Come on."

"Fine fine." I muttered. My bag was already by the front door. I put on my sneakers and followed him out, not bothering to lock up.

When we got to the gym, we flashed our membership cards and to the locker rooms to stow our bags.

"So you gonna keep trying to find her?" He asked as I filled my water bottle.

I shrugged. "I dunno. Doesn't really seem worth it if she wasn't interested."

We made our way to the free weights. I picked out a set of fifty pound dumbbells and Jimmy headed to the bench. Before I picked them up, I scanned over the machines, stopping with a smile at the rowers.

"Jimmy," I waved him over. He set his bar down and sat up.

"What?"

"Come here." I half-whispered. He rolled his eyes and came over.

"You need help cause your weak ass can't lift shit?"

"Look." I pointed. She was there, at the end, pulling and pushing herself, a look of concentration on her face.

"That's her?"

"Yeah."

"Then what the hell are you still doing over here?"

An excellent question. I walked a wide circle around the machines to come over from the other side so she didn't see me. She wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings, but I wanted to surprise her.

I set the resistance on my machine and strapped in, leaning forward to turn it on. She was completely in her zone, her earbuds plugged in, her music loud.

And, what a coincidence, the music sounded vaguely like mine.

I started pumping, waiting for her gaze to wander in my direction. Jimmy had moved towards the leg press to try and get in on the conversation.

A few minutes later, she reached for her water. Her hand hit it and it rolled towards me. I stopped moving and picked it up.

"Thanks." She said before looking up. I smiled when recognition hit her.

"Are you stalking me?" She asked, pulling the headphones out of her ears.

"Not intentionally, no."

"Really? You followed me for three blocks last night, and now you're using the machine next to me."

"I just thought I'd say hello."

She drank heavily from her water bottle. Her face was red, stray baby hairs plastered to her forehead with sweat. Even without makeup, she was hard not to notice.

"Hello." She said with a chuckle.

"So, Avenged Sevenfold?" I gestured to her iPod.

"Yeah. You listen to them?"

"Uh...you could say that."

"They're pretty great. I haven't seen them in concert yet. I'm hoping one of their next shows."

"Why haven't you?"

"No time, I guess. You been?"

I smiled and rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Yeah, I've been to a fair few. They're pretty epic."

"God, I bet it's awesome."

"Maybe I can take you next time they come around."

She laughed and disengaged from the machine. I stood up and held my hand out to her to help her stand. "Isn't their next tour still a few months away? Last I heard they were just starting to record."

I shrugged and smiled at her. We weaved our way through the machines and I leaned against the wall while she refilled her water bottle.

"Something to look forward to, then. In the meantime, maybe I could take you to dinner?"

"I actually have plans tonight."

"Tomorrow?"

"Work."

"You're killing me." I said with a mock groan. "How about coffee then?"

"Coffee?"

"Yeah. Hot beverage. Usually drink it with cream and sugar. Lots of caffeine."

"I know what coffee is. I have an intense relationship with coffee."

"So?" I pushed with a smile.

"Fine. Coffee. Meet me out front in half an hour?"

"Sure. Yeah."

I couldn't stop grinning as I went to get a quick shower.