One Hit Wonder (11 page)

• • •

The band spent on stage one-tenth of their entire day at the Warner Bros studio. Everyone stayed in a green room for most of the time. A production assistant took the band to see the part of the studio where they would perform. It was separated from the main studio by a huge sliding wall, on the other side the audience was being perked up by another P.A. who explained to them how the show worked after the cameras were rolling. Later on, Ellen herself went to meet them. Slim and vibrant, her face looked older than on TV, but still much younger than her actual fifty-something-years. She was witty and sweet, asking them about home and if they hated L.A yet. She had heard their music and congratulated them for the success, assuring she was going to buy a CD as soon as it was released. Audrey was taken aback by how down to earth Ellen was and, for an instant, she hoped this wasn’t going to be the circus performance she feared. Unfortunately, right before another production assistant whisked Ellen away, she also told them how cool was the YouTube video and she was going to use it to call Audrey on stage before the band played.

“What?” Audrey’s eyes almost jumped out of her face. The P.A. rushed Ellen to makeup while she assured them someone would explain everything.

“Can you believe it?” Audrey gave John an incredulous look.

“At least she told us now.” John didn’t show a shred of enthusiasm.

“Did you really expect anything different? And the single hasn’t even been released yet.” Kevin said.

Audrey glanced around the room into each of their faces and they all looked like they’d been tossed into an icy lake.

“We might as well make the best of it now.” Matt gave them his never-blue smile.

Tyler stood up, his chest puffed up like a medieval king about to talk his warriors into battle. “If they want to make us look like an amateur stunt gone right, let’s show them what we’re made off.” Then he walked to the food table in the back of the room and grabbed a bunch of grapes.

“That’s right.” Matt said halfheartedly.

“Everyone starts from somewhere, uh?” Audrey mumbled to John.

Someone knocked on the door; the same assistant who took Ellen away was there to usher Audrey to makeup. She got up and let out an enormous sigh that made the boys laugh. The assistant looked confused and mildly annoyed.

“Cheer up, you don’t want to be a big grouch on national television,” Matt told her as she exited the room, giving the door a contained slam.

• • •

There was probably some way their TV appearance could had been worse. Like, for instance, if the band had no instruments, and they all had sat around Ellen and chatted about Audrey’s sex life. Her entrance was right after Ellen played the YouTube video at the time John walked off the stage. Ellen announced to her audience this love demonstration had already surpassed three million views, “and here she is, the girl everyone wants to be…”

Hooray!

Ellen asked Audrey how they met, what it was like to be the only girl on a bus with five guys,
etc.
The upside of Audrey’s appearance was when Ellen showed some of the photographs she had taken on tour and mentioned she was a photographer.

After the band finished playing “North Star”, Ellen led Audrey from their chairs to the stage where the band was. She stood between John and Audrey, and asked John a couple of jovial questions: how hard he thought it was declaring himself to a girl in front of an audience, and if America should expect to follow their relationship with new songs in a hopefully soon-to-be released CD. John told her, in a very gracious manner, despite “North Star’s” popularity, the band’s eight-year-long career had given them a large enough repertoire to compile a CD without any more information about his relationship.

All Audrey could think was during the time Ellen had spent asking her irrelevant questions the band could have played at least another song. Although the boys seemed satisfied with the outcome of their first national television interview, in her heart Audrey knew this kind of attention meant trouble.

Their TV appearance was quickly followed by the release of “North Star’s” music video, and it propelled the band to instantaneous stardom. In light of their success, Atlantis signed the band and their first CD was to be released soon. Bill took them to a dealership to celebrate; as a perk, Atlantis had leased cars for everyone. The very sweet American dream — at least, the bit about material prosperity.

“Me, too?” Audrey asked as the salesman led them through the lot and asked her if she liked any of the cars she saw.

“It has been already arranged,” Bill said sourly.

John gave her an endearing smile and the thought of him making requests to anyone on her behalf gave her a pang of chagrin; especially to Bill, who had made clear she was no more than a groupie. Kevin, Tyler, and Matt ran between the rows of sports cars, spotless and incredibly shiny as if a washing crew had just left the lot.

“John, I’m not sure about this.” Audrey told him when he followed her toward the less glamorous line-up.

“You can’t survive in L.A. without a car.” He caught up to her and laced his fingers on hers.

“I don’t feel comfortable. I haven’t earned it.”

“Earned it? Babe, seriously? Do you feel guilty for accepting a little perk from a multi-million dollar corporation that probably writes it all off in tax deductions?

“My mother always said it’s better to make your own journey by foot than riding on someone else’s horse.” Audrey chuckled. “It’s a Brazilian thing.”

“Hmm, interesting.”

“I grew up watching my mother’s side of the family live in Brazil with so little money and yet they were the happiest people I knew. They didn’t want to buy a newer car every year, or the largest flat screens available, or the biggest house on the block. They were happy with their comfortably restrained life as long as they could spend it together.”

“It sounds like a utopian society. How about education, careers, uh, the corporate ladder?”

“All of my three uncles went to college. One is an agronomist and has a farm near my grandfather’s, the other two are business owners. My aunt has a PhD in mathematics, and she teaches at a Federal University. They’re not at all the starved and uneducated aborigines portrayed on the six o’clock world news.”

“Our media is not the most reliable source for world events, especially the ratings-driven news broadcasting shows.” John pulled Audrey toward a Mercedes SLK and said, “Check this one out.”

“Absolutely not.” Audrey shook her head, looking at the fiery red convertible with tan leather interior.

“You would look very sexy driving this.” He pinned her against the car kissing and nibbling at her neck.

“I love when you do that.” She whispered.

“How about this?” He bit her earlobe.

“That too.”

“And this?” He trailed the side of her neck with his lips and delved his tongue in her ear.

“Ahem.” Bill cleared his throat from a few feet away. “The boys already made their choice: convertibles.”

John looked expectantly at Audrey who said, “How about that one?” She pointed at a lonely Toyota Prius sitting on an unpopulated corner.

They drove to the beach and along the way she parked at a gas station and rode with John to have dinner in Malibu.

• • •

The fact that their newfound fans seemed to get much more of a thrill from John’s love life than from the band’s songs didn’t seem to bother anyone but Audrey. Inevitably, she had to accompany them in all their appearances.

“KYSR wants to interview Audrey, too.” Bill told them one morning. She and Matt had arrived from their run. John was reading the newspaper at the kitchen table, and Kevin and Tyler were still sleeping.

Surprised, she stopped with a bottle of water midway to her mouth. The room was quiet except for Tyler’s soft snoring coming from the living room. He had been demoted to the couch since Bill had taken his bed for the days he was in L.A., claiming he had back problems.

“Why?” She looked at Bill.

“You know why.” He spoke condescendingly.

Matt sat at the table and picked up the sections of paper John had discarded.

She looked at John and Matt who were both staring at her, took a big gulp of water, and said, “Look, Bill, I don’t want to tell you how to do your job.”

Bill was standing in between the kitchen and living room toying with his cell phone, when Audrey’s words sank in, he shifted his weight, disconcerted as if she had cuffed him on the ear.

“But you have to stop this madness. Get the focus back to the band and leave me out of it.”

Bill cleared his throat. “Audrey — darling — please know having you involved in the band’s professional engagements is not my preferred marketing strategy.”

Audrey suppressed a snort. Right, like you ever had a ‘marketing strategy.’

“Great, then. Just tell KYSR and whoever else asks for me, no.”

“That’s impossible — unfortunately.”

“Yes, it’s very possible. I won’t go.” She shrugged.

“If you don’t go, you’ll give them reasons to inquire about the stability of your relationship, and, potentially, start attracting another kind of attention. Much more unpleasant, I must warn you.” He walked to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup.

She hated to agree with Bill, but he was right. It was hard to stomach the situation, but it would be harder if she had to deal with gossip about a break-up. She’d have to suck it up. After all, she was living the life most woman would kill for: going to Hollywood parties, hanging out with musicians, and being loved by the man she loved.

“Don’t worry, pretty soon it will all be in the past and the boys will be able to continue their career without, uh, ‘North Star’s nuisances.” The corner of his lips slightly tweaked upward.

Did he say what she thought he did? Audrey wanted to knee him on the crotch.

John stood from his chair and walked toward her, circling his arm around her waist from behind. He kissed her neck, lifted his gaze to meet Bill’s, and asked, “What do you mean?” His face pressed against her head and his arms curled around her like a protective shield.

“Uh, a second hit will give people something new to talk about it.” Bill gave them his million-dollar smile.

• • •

Audrey had continued to work keeping up with their fan mail, but there was no need for a photographer with the band at all times. They spent all day everyday inside the studio working with producers to select songs from their repertoire and composing new ones. And these were just the demos; recording would officially commence only when they had chosen the twelve tracks or so for their album. She felt as useful as a calendar from a previous year.

Several of her photographs — heavily retouched on Photoshop — made into the publicity package for the band, but she suspected Atlantis was hiring a real photographer for the upcoming CD and eventual tour. Regardless of their decision, she wanted to move on. She needed to learn more to even consider offering her services as a photographer. As a matter of fact, she still wasn’t sure it was what she wanted to do. Until Tuscaloosa, her life had been a boring story unfolding in front of her. She couldn’t wait for everything to fall into place anymore. One thing was clear: she had found John and lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice.

For self-preservation, she’d never spoken in advance about things she planned to do, she would rather wait until the deed was done. It eliminated unnecessary explanations and unfulfilled expectations. Like bringing a boyfriend home only if they remained together after the novelty of the initial six months had faded. However, she intended to spend the rest of her life with John, so this was a good chance to exercise sharing her plans with someone before she acted on them.

“I’m going to visit Edward today.” She told John from the shower while he brushed his teeth.

“Mm-hmm.” He was swishing mouthwash.

She cracked the shower curtain open and said, “I want to ask him if I can come over more often…to learn…like an apprenticeship.”

John turned toward her, his mouth parted slightly by surprise.

She closed the curtain and said over the shower, “I don’t want to sit at Atlantis all day answering fan mail anymore.” She waited for his response, fighting the urge to look.

A few moments later, John opened the shower curtain and stepped in. She smiled as he took the soap from her hand.

“We’ll be performing more very soon, and we’ll need you,” he said, soaping her shoulder, then her back as she turned. “I can talk to Tim. You can do something else.”

“John, I don’t want you to find me a job.”

“I know.”

Taking the soap and switching places with him she said, “I need to find my own way.”

“I know,” he mumbled, grabbing the bottle of shampoo. “I — I’m just gonna miss you.”

“I know.” She took the shampoo from his hand.

He rinsed his hair in silence, then kissed her.

• • •

At the studio, Audrey watched Edward and his assistants working on a photo shoot for an upscale clothing catalog. She talked to Janice, his secretary, for a while, and after he called a lunch break she approached him gingerly, almost ashamed to ask.

“Apprentice?” He snorted it and she wished she hadn’t opened her mouth. “I haven’t heard that in so long. I feel very Da Vinci all of the sudden.”

Audrey made a mental note not to say that word near him ever again.

“How about an assistant, Audrey? Part-time. Low pay. Heavy lifting. How does that sound?”

She swallowed hard and her eyes burned from the imminent tears she hoped to hold back. It was the best news she’d gotten since John had said he loved her.

“Perfect.” She hugged Edward.

“You’ll pretty much be carrying equipment around, so don’t hug me just yet.”

She didn’t care. She was going to be a photographer.

• • •

After the band signed the contract, their status as out-of-town artists was revoked and they had to vacate the house. As much as Audrey loved the guys, she longed to have a place just for her and John, where they could walk naked, cook together, and settle into coupledom and domesticity. However, she said nothing. Surprisingly, the suggestion to live separately came from Kevin, who said he wanted to have his own place to escape the artistic influence from the others — especially John — and find himself again. The biggest load of bullshit he had thrown at them yet; but, conflicted herself about what life in L.A. would do to them, she had to give him the benefit of the doubt.