Better Man

Lo and behold, the music video had wrapped, the first single for The Sinners had been released to radio stations across the nation and Canada, as well as several other countries, and they were starting to promote their album, Last Rites.

It was an exciting whirlwind of events for the foursome from Buffalo, who were determined to be the next best thing out of the Nickel City.

Every day seemed to be planned and scheduled for one thing or another and when their video premiered on MTV2 and it began to receive a lot of positive feedback from viewers before Thanksgiving, it garnered attention from MTV, FUSE and MuchMusic in Canada.

Despite the non-amazing sales for their record in the first couple of weeks of its release, The Sinners felt confident that it would only be a matter of time when the world took notice. And they weren't wrong.

A few days before Tre's 34th birthday, Caroline and the guys were asked to come onto TRL to perform their first single and get interviewed by the Veejays. They were more than happy to oblige. After all, TRL was a major deal and gave them the best promotion they could think off.

Unfortunately, the day TRL wanted them on the show was a Friday, the day before Tre's birthday, so Caroline wouldn't be there on his actual birthday unless she ditched the guys after the show and caught a plane home or sometime during the morning of the 9th. But Tre insisted it was alright, and that she could make it up to him when they saw each other next.

When they arrived to the city, they were given rockstar treatment and it was just too surreal to them; to think they'd made it. It still hadn't sunk in yet and they weren't sure it ever would. They were driven to the MTV studios in Time Square and escorted inside the building with the help of security because there were actually fans outside! There were fans on the sidewalk outside the studio, holding signs that said things like 'We <3 The Sinners,' 'Caroline Rocks My Socks,' 'Pick Me Nick,' 'I Wanna Be Dave's Love Slave' and other funky shit like that.

Before the audience was allowed in the studio, The Sinners had a sound check with their instruments, practicing the song they'd perform while making small talk with the Veejays Damien and Vanessa, as well as with the producer and cameramen and other people who worked behind the scenes.

After their mini sound check, they went backstage to wait in the green room and the audience was finally shown to their seats in the studio where the producer got them all hyped until Damien and Vanessa came out; all of which The Sinners were watching from backstage on the television in the room.

But after what seemed like forever, with bundles of nerves bouncing around in their stomachs, The Sinners were directed out of the green room and down the hallway where, once their name was announced by Damien, they walked through the entrance into the studio, waving and smiling to the fans, shaking hands here and there.

Caroline's heart was pounding so much from the excitement of it all, feeling a little warm in her face. People were actually at TRL, excited to see her and her band. When she stopped in front of the windows with Vanessa, she turned to the crew that handed each of them their own microphones.

"Whoa, hello," Caroline muttered with a smirk. While Dave began to make conversation with Damien, Caroline moved to look out the window at the people below, waving to them and laughing at some of the signs they'd made.

"Care---" came Nick's voice as he poked her arm a little.

She turned her face and then gave an 'Oops' look as she rejoined her bandmates with the two Veejays.

"Hey, guys, how ya doin'?" Damien asked.

"Awesome," Nef muttered, rocking on his feet, off to the side, behind Caroline.

"What he said," Dave added.

After a bit of small talk, they got into talking about the album and the process of making it, to which Damien brought up an interesting fact that anyone who hadn't read the album's liner notes wouldn't have seen.

"Speaking of recording this album," he began. "I understand that, Nick, you were in a car accident around the 4th of July, right? What happened there?"

"My girlfriend and I were driving in the city -- the city being San Francisco -- and this guy ran through a red light and T-boned my side. Almost shattered my left arm."

"Ouch. How's it feeling now?"

"Much better. I had it in a cast for about four weeks, and then I went through about three months of therapy to make sure I could function at a hundred percent."

"Well, we're all glad you're doing well, and kinda surprised at the star power you guys pulled while Nick was laid up, so to speak," the Veejay remarked. He looked toward the cameras and the audience as he related the next part. "During the last two months of recording, Mike Dirnt of Green Day actually played bass for you guys, playing what you would dictate to him, right, Nick? How was that experience, having someone of his, uh, expertise at your disposal?"

"It's was synergistic," Dave commented a la Sweet Lou from the little known skateboarding movie, Grind. "Seriously, he came into the studio with no problems at all and really helped us out. We all communicated well, he understood what we wanted to do where and he played great. We were lucky and honored to have him play with us..."

Again the conversation carried on, with the usual -- and very annoying -- breaks for commercials and videos on the countdown. And one time where Gideon Yago rambled on about some news brief. But when it was back to The Sinners again, it was time for them to perform their single.

Caroline declined using an ear piece as she stood between Nick and Dave, and in front of Nef in the open corner of the studio where their instruments were set up. The audience helped get them pumped up as they jumped right into the song, no holds barred. Caroline began to sashay around, and when Dave went into a small guitar solo, she threw the hand holding the microphone up in the air and then brought it back down quickly as she went back into the song.

And, then, the song was over. Caroline stopped in place and bowed forward, nodding as Damien announced them going back to commercial. During the break, he complimented them on their performance and the group were given bottles of water to drink from and they even had make-up people touch them up so they didn't look to sweaty or shiny on camera.

When they came back on air, they were given stools to sit on across from both Vanessa and Damien, once again all with their own microphones.

"Alright, we're gonna play a little game with The Sinners right now," Vanessa announced with a nauseating smile. "A bit of a True or False kinda thing. We're gonna ask each bandmember things about them and they have to answer if it's true or not, hence...True or False."

"Dun Dun DUN!" Nick joked, pressing his lips right against his microphone, muffling his voice.

"First one is for Dave," Damien announced, holding up a bunch of colorful index cards. "True or False: You have a tattoo of a Barbie Doll on your ankle."

A few of the audience members laughed as he shook his head. "False. I have a tattoo of a Barbie Doll on my shoulder."

"Do tell..."

"I dated a girl a few years ago who loved Barbies and I got the tattoo as a sort of tribute to her, but then we broke up, like, two months after."

Damien laughed as he turned to Nef next. "Nef. True or False: You once took off all your clothes during a show."

Nef laughed and nodded. "True. I did that. Just the one time, though. It was on a dare and I never turn down a dare."

"Nick," Vanessa spoke, holding her own set of cards. "True or False: you auditioned for Star Search when you were eight years old by singing The Romantics' 'What I Like About You.'"

"True," Nick admitted. "As much as it horrifies me to say. But luckily I didn't make it onto the show or else I'd have ended up fated to also try out for The Mickey Mouse Club and join a boy band."

Vanessa smirked at that comment and turned her attention to Caroline. "Caroline, Caroline, Caroline."

"Oh, no. Should I be worried?" the lead singer questioned with a grin.

"I wouldn't be," Vanessa replied. "Okay...True or False: You've been dating Tre Cool from Green Day for a year."

Caroline pursed her lips in a firm smile as she sighed and shook her head. "No, that's false. I haven't been dating Tre Cool for a year," she said adamantly. "But I have been dating him for eleven months."

"Okay, and with that, we only have a few more minutes and we have a True or False question for the audience," Damien piped up. "True or False: Tre Cool is here today."

Several audience members let our shrieks of joy and gasps as well as other shouting their answers of 'True' or 'False.'

"TRUE!" came a bellow from the wings of the studio.

In a burst of energy, Tre stepped out into the studio much to the surprise of not only the audience members, but to Caroline, who's mouth parted and then formed a smile.

All four members of The Sinners stood up to greet Tre, who snaked his arm around his girlfriend's waist and kissed her cheek.

"What are you doing here, dude?" Nick asked with a laugh.

"It's my birthday tomorrow and I didn't want to spend it away from my little lady."

"Aw, happy birthday," Damien said.

As the show ended, The Sinners and Tre all signed autographs for the audience members, although Tre hung back a little more, talking to Damien, so that he didn't steal his girlfriend's band's thunder.

And to be honest, Caroline didn't mind Tre showing up. It made her feel so incredibly special.

She had a guy who really loved her enough to show up on live, national TV and express how he cared for her.

She couldn't be any luckier.

* * *

That night The Sinners and Tre, along with his daughter Ramona, all went out to dinner at a swank Manhattan restaurant, and while the men from the band went off in one direction to hit up some clubs, Caroline went in another direction with Tre and his daughter as they dropped the soon-to-be eleven-year-old off at her home where her mother, Lisea, wished Tre a Happy Birthday and the two ex-spouses set up a time for him to take Ramona for the weekend while he was in the City.

But as soon as Tre and Caroline were off on their own, they headed back to her hotel suite at the Waldorf-Astoria.

He broke out a bottle of complimentary red wine and called room service to order two slices of chocolate cake, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup. Caroline disappeared into the bathroom to change out of her clothes and into nothing but a black, lacy bra and matching black thong. She touched up her make-up and tipped her head forward, gave her hair a shake and fluff and then stood back up to allow her dark brown hair to fall around her face all tousled-like.

Opening the bathroom door, Caroline walked out to find Tre standing in his pinstriped slacks, his gray dress shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest while tipping the bellhop or whoever it was that brought up the room service. The bellhop person had to be no older than 21 and when he turned to see Caroline standing there, barely dressed, it was amazing that he was able to pick his jaw up off the ground.

Because Caroline wasn't waify, she had curves and some junk in the trunk as well as being able to really fill out her bra. And it didn't matter that her tummy wasn't completely flat like all the famous women in the world. She still looked good.

"Bye now," Tre said, to get the guy's attention.

"Wha--oh, sorry. Uh, thank you and have a nice night, sir."

The guy left the suite, with Tre closing and locking the door behind him before turning to his girlfriend with a grin.

"You minx, you," he snickered. "Giving the hired help a little peep show, eh?" he added with a British accent.

"Maybe," she replied coyly as she walked up to him and pointing to the cart full of goodies. "Now, I understand the cake, 'cause it's your birthday in about two minutes as soon as the clock strikes twelve, but what's the deal with the whipped cream and the chocolate syrup?"

Tre quirked an eyebrow evilly as he wasted no time in claiming her lips and parting in order to pick up the whipped cream can and squirt the tops of her breasts. Leaning forward, he licked it all off and then looked up at her through his eyebrows.

"Well, it's my birthday," he commented, as if every word he said was naughty. "I'm gonna have my cake...and eat you, too."

With that, Tre picked her up and threw her down onto the bed where only her laughter echoed off the walls, followed by other noises.