"You've got to admit, she's a great presenter. Not to knock Dan—he was good too—but she's better off when she's not sharing the stage."
Zak stumbled forward and then looked behind him.
"What's up with you? Had too much beer?"
"Someone just pushed me. I felt their hand on my back."
I turned and looked at the space around us. "Think you need to hit the sack, mate, because you're already dreaming."
He was about to protest, but then Seven Sisters came on stage and as Stacey not only captivated the audience but received a standing ovation from the crowd and the judges, we became otherwise occupied.
"Fuck, your ex might just be a thorn in our side in winning this competition. Do you reckon they're using their powers and bewitching everyone?" Roman asked.
"No, she wouldn't do that."
"It's clear we need to up our game, and I'd thought I was faultless, so actually you lot need to up your game." Zak chastised us. "We didn't get a standing ovation. You lot aren't working hard enough."
A security guy pulled back the curtain to where we were standing.
"You've got two reporters at the door to your dressing room. Got time to talk to them?"
"Do they want to talk to Seven Sisters or any of the other bands too?" Zak asked.
"Didn't say so. Just showed a press badge and asked for you." Security guy looked bored. It was nearly time to wrap things up and no doubt he was looking forward to going home.
"We're on our way." I told him and we left the wings and went back to the dressing room.
What we found at our door didn't look much like press. It looked a lot more like two twenty-somethings, one of whom, a woman with pink hair, was so drunk she could barely stand. The drunk one took one look at Zak and blurted out, "Fuck me. I really do think I died."
I saw the other woman elbow her in the side.
Zak looked bored. "I'm off. You can sort out whatever this is." He whispered in my ear. Then he turned on the charm for the women, said it was good to meet them, but he had an urgent appointment and off he went. Twat.
The pink-haired one's drunk eyes followed him the whole way down and she let out a regretful sigh.
“Let’s get you on your feet and some coffee down you.” I said, looking from one woman to the other. “And don’t pretend to be press. I know you aren’t.”
I did have to hold in a snigger and eye-roll when the pink-haired one asked, “How?”
“I can read both your minds.” I said honestly. “You couldn’t be more open if you had a shop sign hung around your neck.”
“It’s you.” The brunette huffed, side-eying her friend. “Being drunk gave the game away.”
Inviting them into our dressing room, I asked their real names and discovered the brunette was Freya and 'pink' was called Erica.
Erica was still legless, but then her eyes widened and she announced: “It's true I'm not a press person. I’m the President of your fan club.”
“Fan club?” I smirked.
“Yes.” Erica was becoming more exuberant as she warmed to her own idea which she was thinking up as she went along. “Whether you win or not I believe you are on the brink of stardom and I want to run your official fan club. What say you?”
Rex shot forward, his hair flying around his face. “Hell, yeah. I even know what we can call our fans.”
“Oh God, don’t encourage him.” Roman groaned.
“The Subs.” Rex said proudly. “Do you get it? Short for subscribers to our club, but meaning submissive, doing what we want them to.”
Freya’s hand shot up. “I want to be the first official Sub.”
He winked at her. “Done. So, coffee and then you can take some notes about the band, how we started up etc. Sound good?" His voice had gone extra husky.
Freya took the notepad and pen from Erica. “While my bestie sobers up, I can start by getting to know you. Is there somewhere more comfortable we could go?”
Freya's mind was a cacophony of cuss words when both Rex and Roman suggested going to the canteen and she really did look like she would have to write down some facts about the band. Looked like I was staying with Erica and sobering her up.
“Will my friend currently be part of a threesome?” Was the first thing Erica asked when more in control of her faculties.
I laughed. “No. She's quite safe in the canteen. You'll have just made their day by saying you're making a fan club. Don't worry, I'll let them down gently. Sorry that Zak left when I know you came to see him."
"Was I that obvious?" Erica said, her mouth turning down at the corners.
I didn't want to say I could read her mind again, so I smiled gently. "A little."
"Huh. Yeah, he was so interested, he left in a split-second."
I patted her arm. "Zak has a great amount on his plate, not least of which is we're trying to win this competition. I definitely wouldn't pin your hopes on him. He's not a settling down kind of guy. Or a one-woman kind of guy." I hoped she wouldn't start crying, but she was on a one-way ticket to brokenheartsville if she pursued Zak.
“Is Stacey really with Dray? Because I think you two look good together?”
I'd not expected that one. She bloody could be press, the woman had a natural flair for asking you questions you felt you wanted to answer. “Matchmaker, are you?”
“You must be joking. I can’t get myself a date, never mind anyone else. Nope, if you still like Stacey you’re on your own there. I just think you seem nicer than Dray.”
I smirked. “But you don’t actually know me. What if I’m a vampire or something and not as nice as you think?”
She guffawed with laughter. “I like you, you’re stupid.” Clapping her hand over her mouth, she gasped. “Sorry, I mean, you’re funny, not stupid as in dumb. You make me laugh. I don’t laugh much. My life’s pretty boring, so I’m so pleased I’m now running your fan club.” She patted down her pockets. “Oh, but Freya went off with my pad and pen so I can’t write down anything you tell me.”
"It's fine. You don't have to run our fan club. I'll tell the others. Thanks for supporting us and hopefully you now realise that alcohol is not your friend."
She blushed a little. "I shouldn't let myself get pulled into Freya's hairbrained ideas, but hey, I got to meet you all. And I really am a huge fan and would definitely, truly like to run your fan club. You'll need one. You're going to be huge. I just know it."
Oh what the hell. “Give me your phone number and email address and we’ll be in touch. You can totally run our fan club if you want. You can ask us anything via emails and then we’ll leave it up to you how you run things. That’s if you still wake up in the morning wanting to run things and it's not the alcohol talking.”
“I don’t usually drink.” she confessed.
"Funnily enough. I kind of worked that out." I stood up and escorted her to the door. "Let's go find your friend in the canteen."
She nodded.
"I really do think you and Stacey seem better suited than her and Dray." She said, as her friend stood up in the canteen and they got ready to leave.