Stand up and fight

Melissa peered nervously through the crowds of people gathered in the baggage claim area of the airport. The flight from Phoenix had been a short one, not giving her near enough time to calm herself. She could see a man dressed in a dark suit, holding a white card over his head that read 'Howe' and Melissa thought she was going to be sick. She had never been picked up from the airport by a limo before. She nodded to the driver, clutching the small leather overnight bag in her damp left hand. Moments later, she was sitting on a cool leather seat in the back of a Lincoln sedan. Spinning the labret piercing in her lip, she tried not to focus on her upset stomach. She already knew that the band liked her voice. ‘Why was she still so unnerved? She just had to nail the interview and live audition, right?’  Clearing her throat, she wiped her sweaty palms on the dark cargo pants she wore before pulling out a worn leather bound journal. She began to rehearse the lyrics in her mind for lack of something better to do. Andy was sitting in the studio as he waited for one of the singers to arrive. They had been looking for a singer ever since sandra had decided to leave. They hadn't really found anyone to fit the band. He had really liked the vocals this girl had recorded and he had high hopes. He was hoping her personality was as good as her voice. He really did not want anyone else with a diva complex.  He was going over some stuff as he waited for this girl Melissa to arrive. If today's meeting went well, they would meet with the whole band the next day. He ran his hand over his hair and turned back to what he was reading as he continued to wait.  Melissa looked up from the ragged journal as she felt the car slow to a stop. 'We're here already?' her brain screeched as she closed the journal and tied the leather strings that held the book together with shaky fingers. ‘I'm not ready’ she continued feeling bile rising in her throat. Melissa couldn't remember a time when she had ever been this apprehensive about an audition. she had been on enough of them! She had never wanted to be part of one as badly as she had Dark angel of course. ‘Their music was amazing.’ The talent radiating from the speakers of her crapy stereo system back home had been mind blowing. She had had such a good feeling after talking with the guitarist Frank roberts yesterday. ‘This is the one’, she had thought. ‘The one that would take me all the way.’ Melissa climbed out of the car as the driver opened her door. The burning LA sun was similar to Phoenix but the breeze felt cooler somehow. It didn't matter anyway though, because Melissa's thin, cotton, tank top clung to her perspiring torso like a second skin. She thanked the driver, not sure, if she should tip him, and not that she had more than a five spot in the pocket of her torn pants anyhow.  The frigid air conditioning hit her hot, sweaty skin causing goose bumps to break out on both arms as she entered the studio building. Number ten, she thought as she glanced around looking at the walls for direction. Up two flights of stairs, she headed toward studio ten feeling nausea so close to the surface. She pushed down her nerves again as she raised her hand to knock on the door. ‘To hell with it’ she hissed, ‘here goes nothing.’ Andy heard a knock on the door and he assumed it was Melissa.  “Come in,” he called out but did not really look up from the piece of paper where he had been doodling for a while.  Hearing a deep voice answer her knock, Melissa placed her slippery fingers on the knob and turned, pushing the door ajar enough to stick her face in the opening.  "Hey, you Frank?" she asked, her voice cracking and squeaking nervously, quietly cursing herself about it. ‘idiot.’ Andy looked up from his drawing and smiled at Melissa. "I'm Andy actually. Frank was feeling a little under the weather," he said as he put his pen away and got up. "You must be Melissa," he said with another smile as he stretched his hand. "Oh," Melissa replied as she entered the small studio room, wiping her wet hands on her pants again before reaching out with her own hand. "Yeah, I'm Melissa, you're Andy?" She asked verifying she had caught the name after all. As their hands connected, Melissa winced at the pop of static electricity which caused them both to jump back from the shock. "Whoa, that was weird," Melissa replied immediately as she looked up into Andy's ice blue eyes. Her heart was pounding heavily in her ears and her hand was trembling. She hoped Andy didn't notice it. "It was," Andy agreed, but smiled again. "Anyway... Yeah, I'm Andy," he said smiling again and not sure where this whole nervousness was coming from. "Andy Collins," he said as he gestured Melissa to take a seat, noticing his palms were sweating. "Thanks," Melissa murmured as she took the seat Andy was gesturing. Slowly she looked around the small studio while twisting her hands anxiously in her lap. "This is a pretty nice studio, not like the homemade concoction my old band the undead used," Melissa commented as she laughed nervously, deciding to sit on her fidgeting hands.  She looked over at Andy who appeared to be writing something down. ‘What the hell was he writing? Is this going to be a written interview?’ Melissa thought feeling queasy again but it gave her a chance to get a better look at her potential band mate. Thick raven hair spiked softly fell across his forehead as he leaned over the notepad. Melissa noticed he had long slender fingers that curled around the pen as he wrote. Her eyes continued to travel up his hairless forearm, sinewy with muscle toward broad shoulders covered in dark cotton. Clearing her throat again, she leaned forward to see what Andy was writing.  "So, where exactly do you fit in...with the band I mean?" Melissa asked, still straining to see what Andy was writing but completely distracted by the smooth creamy pale skin of his neck and angular jaw. "Yeah it's a good studio. We're in a lot of pressure to do something good, though." Andy was writing down a note to remind himself to pick up something for Frank at the drug store, he then remember some other errands he had to run and decided to put them down as well. "Sorry about that," he said turning back to Melissa. "I have like the world's worst memory, so when I remember something I have to write it down," he said shyly. He shook his head. "Anyway, frank and I started this band in high school. I'm the lead singer of the band, and I also do bass guitar," he explained. "You look nervous. Seriously, you can relax; this is just us talking here. We really like your vocals and I personally was looking forward to meeting you."  ‘I am so messing this up,’ Melissa thought to herself as she nodded to Andy.  "Cool," Melissa replied as she locked eyes with andy again. Wanting to drown in their glacier depths, Melissa quickly pulled away. ‘What the hell? This guy is not going to appreciate me drooling over him! Be professional, you ass! You are lucky they asked you to audition anyway!’ Melissa scratched her arm absently. "So, I guess you want to hear me sing something then?" She asked, pulling out her journal, needing something to do with her hands. ‘I could so use a hit of something right now, damn,’ Melissa thought as she looked at Andy again, trying her best to appear relaxed and cool, obviously not succeeding though. Andy smiled to himself noting how nervous Melissa still was. He watched her as she took out her journal and took her time looking at her body before she turned back to him.  "Yep, you can go into the booth through that door. And seriously, Chill," he said teasingly.  Melissa smiled for the first time when she began to realize that Andy was teasing her now.  "Ok, you should know that normally, I'm much cooler than this," Melissa told him laughingly as she stood up and headed for the door. "Anything special you'd like to hear?" Melissa asked as she leaned back, only partially through the booth door. "Well I don't know if I believe that." Andy said with a grin. "But anyway, do I look like some jerk producer or something? You seriously have nothing to worry about," he assured her. "I have no particular requests. Any one you'd like me to hear?" he asked, forcing himself not to shamelessly check her out or stare at her for too long. Melissa smiled again, deciding she wouldn’t answer him about what exactly he did look like, thinking that would probably pave her way out of a chance to sing for Dark angel. But, 'unbelievable gorgeous’ would have been her reply should she have wanted the truth. Melissa giggled at her inner thoughts as she paused, again looking at Andy.  "I think I know something you might like," she told him as she walked on into the booth, picking the earphones off the mic stand. Putting them on, she stood directly in front of Andy now, only a thick glass window between them. Melissa fixed her dark eyes on Andy as she covered the earphones with both hands. "I'm ready when you are," she told him, feeling her entire body warming under Andy's gaze.  Andy could not help himself and he was taking in every inch of Melissa's lean body as he watched her get ready. He took in how well the tank top she wore fit her, her arms, her face and that piercing through her lip that was driving him crazy.  "I'm ready," he said with a grin, "Which track would you like?" he asked, feeling suddenly a little guilty when he remembered he was supposed to be interviewing this girl as a singer, not rate her in a scale of hotness. She would definitely be a ten though, he said to himself.  Melissa told him the track and waited patiently for her intro. She closed her eyes, mentally preparing herself for the performance. When she began to sing the first verse of 'The Down Syndrome', she locked eyes with Andy. Using the arousing emotion, she felt, she sung for Andy, her body moving restlessly to the beat while she gripped the mic with her left hand. She was beginning to perspire again in the hot studio booth as she finished the last chorus, holding the notes longer and longer in hopes of impressing Andy with her vocal range. By the end of the song, she was breathless. Meeting Andys’s gaze again, she waited for a response, but knew she had sung her heart out, regardless if Andy liked it or not. Andy was nothing less of mesmerized as he watched Melissa sing. Her voice was absolutely amazing, her passion was almost palpable and her energy was certainly contagious. He had been unable to take his eyes off her during the whole. He looked at Melissa with a smile,  "That was freaking awesome," he said sincerely. Melissa felt a stream of sweat run down her neck as she smiled back at Andy. "Thanks," she told him, feeling her heart race with excitement. Maybe she still had a chance of pulling this off after all. Interviews were not her strong suit, however singing auditions were. "Wanna hear something else? Something less melodic with a faster tempo?" she asked as she flipped through her journal for lyrics. She wanted to blow Andy away leaving him no choice but to hire her for the job. She watched Andy hold up one finger as he was apparently taking a phone call although she couldn't hear him in the soundproof booth. She watched Andy stand and turn his back to her as he talked on the phone. He was speaking animatedly about something, using his hand to gesture while he talked. He was obviously excited about something. She wished he could hear what he was saying.  Andy put one hand on his hip, drawing Melissa's attention to his narrow waist and delectable ass covered in tight leather. Melissa bit her lip and spun her labret as she fixated on Andy from the back. ‘God, he was hot,’ Melissa thought as she wiped another trickle of perspiration from her forehead, feeling herself becoming hot and bothered. She couldn't remember ever feeling an attraction to someone as strong as this before.  Andy was on the phone with Frank. "Yeah I'm this interview thing with Melissa. She's awesome, man. I really like her, I mean her voice," he corrected himself knowing that the first part was true too. "Nah, she's cool. Yeah, I think she should meet the whole band tomorrow. I mean she blew me away with just one song. Yeah, ok. I'll see you later." He hung up and turned back to Melissa. "Sorry that was Frank. So... ready to sing some more for me?" he asked with a grin.  "Anything for you," Melissa told him, flirting outright, her eyes twinkling at Andy through the thick glass window. "Try track four," she continued, not waiting for a response to her outrageous flirting.  "See... I knew you'd warm up to me eventually. I thought I was the only one excited here," Andy said happily. "Now let's hear some more of that amazing voice of yours," he said as he played the track for Melissa. ‘Excited, eh?’ Melissa thought, ‘i can't even begin to mention how excited I am right now,’ Melissa thought to herself as she began 'Anything, Anything' focusing on pronouncing each line with high emotion and energy. She could not take her eyes off the pale skinned man sitting behind the glass, bobbing his head along with music. Melissa almost laughed as Andy gestured with both hands, pumping his fists excitedly.  Refocusing, Melissa sung the chorus, screaming to perfection, hitting every note perfectly. She could not have been happier with her performance today. She finished the song, holding the note as she set her eyes on Andy again. Melissa searched for her breath again as she c****d one eye brow at Andy, waiting for his opinion.  "I told you I'd give you anything you want," Melissa added between panted breaths, now completely confident in herself from the looks on Andy's face. Andy laughed, "Now you're feeling all cocky, aren't you?" he said without breaking Melissa's gaze. "I don't know how you were able to know what I wanted... but again, that was pretty much amazing." he told him.  Melissa giggled back, returning the energetic smile Andy gave her.  "Nah, dude. I'm just messing with you," Melissa told him, running a hand through her long dark hair. "However, I am glad you liked it," Melissa commented as she reached for the water bottle sitting on the music stand next to where she was standing.  "So, you want some more or should I come back in there?" Melissa asked as she sipped from the bottle.  "I already know I like you, but I won't complain if you sing for me some more," Andy said with a grin as he leaned back on his chair, putting his arms behind his head and resting his biker boot clad feet on the table. "Whatever you say, man. I can sing forever!" For you I could anyway, Melissa grinned as she took another drink from the water bottle. Seeing Andy relaxed, leaning back in his chair was enough to make her sigh. She wondered about his ethnicity. The pale skin and features made him look mysterious. She was so attracted to him. Melissa watched Andy as she started another song. It was not until three songs later that Melissa paused for another break and a drink of water. She could feel the sweat soaking her shirt. She quickly ran her hands through her hair that was now matted down on her forehead. She smiled at Andy around the water bottle, awaiting another response. "Okay. You've blown my mind a couple of times already," Andy said with a smile. "Want to come back here and take a break?" he asked, noticing that he had just spent another entire song checking out Melissa. He did not know what it was, but he was so drawn to her.  "Only if you can handle the smell. I know I'm reeking by now. It's hot in here!" Melissa laughed as she grabbed the hem of her tank and wiped her face on the soaked material, knowing it hadn't helped much. Andy laughed, "Well for you I think I can hold my breath," he said with an eyebrow raised.  Melissa laughed as she walked back into the studio, stopping again to wipe her face on her tank after she walked in the door. Realizing she had just exposed her bare stomach to Andy with that move, she felt her cheeks burn. Quickly she took a seat next to Andy who sat hopelessly relaxed in the office chair.  "So," Melissa began drawing the word out over the awkward silence that ensued after Melissa had revealed her naked stomach. "What next?" Andy grinned when he noticed the slight blush in Melissa's cheeks. It had taken every ounce of will power not to bite his lip as he saw her body, he suddenly realized that Melissa would notice him staring.  "Well now you meet with the rest of the band, tomorrow," Andy explained, trying to get back to his senses. "I'm going to give you a cd with the latest versions of our demos so you can take them home, given them a listen, tell us what you think. If you feel a burst of inspiration, I could use some help with choruses for most of the songs, since I'm better at writing the verses.” "Great, I'll do that," Melissa told him as she accepted the cd Andy handed her. "I've already heard and pretty much memorized the ones that frank sent me last week before I came out here, so I'd be ready in case you guys all wanted to get together and practice some. But, I have a ton of stuff in my journal that I have been working on for a while. Maybe some of them will fit with stuff you have already written." Melissa smiled at Andy again as their eyes met and locked for what felt like the hundredth time today. Melissa could not shake the intense attraction she felt when Andy looked at him.  "That sounds great to me," Andy said, "I'll tell you what... why don't we get together tomorrow so you can meet the rest of the guys, and then maybe we can bounce some ideas of each other," he proposed. Before Melissa could answer, Andy's cell phone rang. "Sorry," he said to Melissa as he picked up. "What's up greg? What? You're standing me up? You know I hate eating alone. Whatever...yeah, later then," he said before he hung up. He turned to Melissa, "What was I saying?" Melissa listened to Andy on the phone, talking to greg. ‘Who in the hell would be stupid enough to stand Andy up?’ Not me of course, she thought to herself and decided to go for it. "Uh...something about taking me out to dinner...I think..." Melissa replied with a smirk in the corner of her mouth. She just could not help herself, it was the perfect opportunity to take her flirting to the next level. Melissa held her breath as she waited for Andy to respond. She could not believe she had just done that. It was so bold. Unlike anything, she had ever done before. She hoped like hell, she had not ruined everything. ‘f*****g A Howe, you're totally insane, do you realize that?’ Andy grinned. "Really?" he asked with an eyebrow raised. "I don't remember that. I guess my memory is worse than I thought," he said as he paused for effect before he said "Good thing of you to remind me," he said getting up. "Are we going or what?" he asked looking at Melissa. "Because I kinda need to change my shirt."  "You need a new shirt? I need a shower, dude. Check it, I'm soaked over here!" Melissa squeaked as she walked over to Andy, bumping him with her wet shoulder playfully.  "I can help you with that," Andy said aware of how bad that sounded, and wanting very much to mean it literally. "I've been pretty much living here in the studio. If you go up a flight of stairs and turn to your right there's a decent bathroom where you can shower," he explained as he walked over to his bag, which was sitting next to the couch, and pulled out a clean shirt as he pulled off the one he was wearing.  "Cool, that works...." Melissa began went to lean over to pick up her overnight bag, noticing that Andy had just pulled his shirt off directly in front of her, more of that glorious pale skin now exposed. ‘Good lord he was beautiful.’ Melissa immediately felt her eyes dance with lust. "Yeah, well...that...ah...that...works for m-me," Melissa finished her statement, cursing at herself for stuttering, not able to tear her eyes from the toned muscles of Andy's back. Andy's phone rang indicating a text. He dropped the shirt on the couch, moving over to pick it up, reading the text as he rested against the controls.  "It's greg apologizing again," Andy told Melissa, suddenly realizing that he was still shirtless and that Melissa's eyes were on him, "Erm... he... em... he's the rhythm guitarist of the band," he said glad he had something to say. "I've known him for years too, but he cancelled on me because he says I'm not worth getting up from his couch."  Dropping the overnight bag, Melissa walked over to Andy looking over his shoulder at his phone where the text message had just been displayed. She could feel the body heat radiating off Andy's naked torso. She licked her lips nervously and swallowed against her now parched throat. Melissa looked into Andy's eyes, allowing herself to drown for a moment before flicking her gaze over his chest, taking notice of the smooth skin and dark n*****s now puckered from the cool air condition in the small room. "No way," Melissa purred. "I can't imagine anyone saying that," Melissa whispered now narrowing her eyes on Andy's lips, feeling her breath hitching.  Andy felt himself blush under Melissa's gaze. But oddly enough he didn't feel like running across the room and throwing his shirt on, the way Melissa was looking at him was turning him on immensely. He swallowed dry, as he did his own inventory of Melissa's body, easy to see over her tank top.  "Well..." he said nervously, "Maybe you haven't known me long enough, how do you know I'm not insanely boring or annoying?" Melissa shrugged, her hands itching to reach out and touch that hot skin in front of her. She could feel Andy's eyes on her as well. It was making her so hot. "I dunno, I guess I don't..." Melissa replied softly as she refocused on the ice blue soulful eyes in front of her. She fisted her itching hands, resisting the urge to stroke the tender flesh of Andy's neck. ‘Would he shiver I put my lips my here? Or there?’ She wondered as she tried desperately to compose herself. "Guess I'll have to find out for myself," Melissa mused aloud, a small smile again creasing one corner of her mouth. Get out now, Howe, before you do something stupid, she told herself as she brushed Andy with her shoulder purposefully feeling the electricity between them crack again. "Meet you outside?" She asked Andy as grabbed her overnight bag and put her fingers on the doorknob. Andy was not sure he was breathing at this point. All he could think of was closing the distance between them and kiss her until they could not kiss anymore. He was going crazy over the feeling of having her this close. He wanted to follow her as soon as she walked away from him.  "Yeah, I'll be there when you're done," he said as he tried to gather himself. He was going to do his best not to think of her in the shower.  ‘Oh my god,’ Melissa gushed inwardly as she made her way toward said shower area. She was so unbelievably turned on; her breath was coming in breathless pants. She had been so close to just saying 'f**k it' and letting him take her right then and there. ‘Jesus, Howe, what the hell?’ Melissa could not remember ever feeling this strongly about someone on a first meeting. Now, she was going to have to an entire evening with a man she had to fight herself to keep from pouncing on like a rabid animal.  Quickly she undressed and slid under the harsh spray of as cold of water as she could stand, trying not to scream out. Heaving as she forced her burning body under the freezing water, she hurriedly showered trying to force the intense feelings she was experiencing for Andy. This was not good. Melissa wanted to be part of Biersack so badly but sleeping her way there was not her intention. A perk though, she added evilly with a smirk as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair. ‘God, but he was amazing,’ Melissa thought again as she dried her body off and pulled on a clean pair of dark black jeans and a thin cotton Aqua t-shirt. She buckled her belt, slipped her checked Etnies on rushed her fingers through damp locks. She peered in the mirror at herself, rinsing her mouth with some mouthwash. It was going to take every ounce of will power in him to resist this guy and she meant every ounce. Grabbing her bag, she zipped out of the bathroom, taking the stairs two at a time as she went to meet Andy outside. Andy had changed his shirt and then gone to the bathroom to fix his hair. He was less than happy with it; he wanted to look nice for Melissa. The thought suddenly made him stop. Biersack, get a hold or your hormones, he told himself. But she's hot and I have not been this attracted to someone in a long time, he debated with himself. Yes, but this is the first girl that comes even close to what you and the band are looking for, how do you know you're not just horny? Maybe I am, Andy thought losing the battle with himself. He took once last glance at himself in the mirror and walked out to wait for Melissa.  Stopping at a water fountain for a drink before she walked outside, Melissa tried to calm her nerves. She had been waiting for an opportunity to join a band like this for as long as she could remember. A group who were talented, serious about making it big, willing to sacrifice whatever it took to make a dream reality. ‘But, I am so attracted to him! Maybe it is because I want this so bad. It is just making him all the more alluring, right? All right Howe lets just take it slow.’  After a few deep breathes and a couple of hands through her hair, she walked out the door of the studio. Melissa could see Andy immediately, leaning against the bumper of a black Jeep wrangler. Her heart pounded immediately. Andy had opted for a clingy gray cotton tee that seemed to fit him like a glove, outlining all his attributes. Broad shoulders, muscular chest, flat and as he now knew washboard abs all for the taking. Melissa adjusted herself, thankful for the baggy pants she wore, as she realized Andy had aroused her body upon first sight. Andy could not see her yet but damn if he wasn't the hottest thing Melissa had seen in a long time, long time.