Under Her Skin Read online

  "You'll get over it. Trust me." Marlo told him with a smile.

  She backed away from Dusty, allowing him to get back to his band mates and finish their celebration. She quietly slipped out of the room without anyone noticing and went back to her empty room. It wasn't that she wasn't happy for the guys, but for the first time, she felt like she was just a hanger-on, someone who didn't really belong but was tagging along anyways.

  ----

  Over the next few days, the band was on a high. Their concerts were all dead on, and they were getting a lot more publicity since the nomination for Best New Artist had been made public. Marlo started to distance herself from the group, even from her brother. She spent a lot of time with Pete and Kevin, which led to spending time with Pierce. They were rebuilding their friendship slowly, and Pierce was working really hard to gain her trust again in the time that he had left with the band His assignment had been extended for a little while longer, from writing a simple piece to writing a weekly diary about the trials and tribulations of an up and coming new band.

  Everyone noticed Marlo slowly shrinking into the background, but it never seemed like there was a right time to confront her about it. Their appearances throughout the days before the shows kept them constantly on the go, then after the shows, they were all too busy partying to have a serious conversation.

  One morning, Marlo returned to the band bus after spending the night on the manager's bus to find Tobias waiting for her. The other guys were still asleep, and Tobias looked like he was going to fall asleep at any moment.

  "Finally." Tobias said when he saw her. He sat up on the couch and patted the seat next to him letting Marlo know that he wanted her to sit next to him.

  Marlo slowly went to the couch and sat down sideways at the far end, bringing her feet up on the couch, sitting so that she was facing Tobias. "What's up?"

  "You haven't been around lately." He said, making her aware that it was obvious to the rest of them. "I've been wanting to talk to you."

  Marlo nodded her head. They hadn't really said anything since that morning at breakfast when he had told her nothing happened between him and Rachel. She wasn't sure she was ready for this talk, no matter what it was, but she had no idea what he had wanted to say.

  "This thing with the music awards, I was kind of wondering if you'd be my date." He asked nervously.

  Marlo looked stunned. Whatever ideas about the unavoidable conversation she had in her head were so far off base, and she was in no way prepared for the words that came out of his mouth. She wanted to be smart and hit him with a zinger, but there wasn't a single thing that came to her head. "Huh?" Was the only thing she could think of.

  "Well, you're pretty classy, and they don't want me making a fool of the band's name. So I figured you'd do pretty well to keep me out of trouble." Tobias told her.

  Well, at least he's honest. She wasn't sure whether she should be offended or not. "I don't know how well it would go if we went together. We'd just end up fighting the whole night. Besides, I thought you had a stable of women that you could pick from."

  Tobias smiled. "Yeah, that's true, I do have a bunch of women to choose from." His eyes glazed over as if he was lost in thought. He was mentally flipping through the women he'd been with lately. Sure, they were pretty hot, but he couldn't think of a single one that he would be proud to be walking next to. All they were good for was one thing, and it wasn't to be on his arm in public, and especially not on television.

  Marlo snapped her fingers in front of Tobias' face. "If you have so many to choose from, then why me?"

  "Because I can't see bringing any other woman." Marlo thought for a brief moment she saw some sort of spark in his eye when he said that, but it was gone in an instant. When he realized what he said, he immediately fumbled with his words. "All they would want is to be in the spotlight. This is my night, not theirs. I need someone who will let me bask in the limelight without trying to steal my thunder."

  "Well, I'm not so sure…"

  "Please?" Was all he asked.

  Marlo sighed. She really wanted to be with them that night, but she didn't want to go out of their pity. "Are you sure you aren't asking me just because you feel bad that I can't go?" She asked. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she laughed. This was Tobias she was talking to, a guy who didn't do anything nice out of pity. If it had been AJ or Sammy to ask her, even her brother, then she would know it was a 'pity date'. But she knew better coming from Tobias. "Fine, I'll go."

  "Cool." He said and stood up. "I'm going back to bed now." Tobias walked back to the bunk area, and stopped just before he got to the hallway. He turned around slowly, looking back to where Marlo was sitting. "Thanks." He said softly and disappeared into the bunks.

  Marlo smiled for the first time in days. She told herself she was only excited because she was getting to go to the music awards, not because she was going with Tobias. But what were her true feelings?

  *****

  The night of the awards ceremony, Marlo rushed around her hotel room. She only had another 15 minutes before they had to leave for the show, and she wasn't nearly ready. She was trying to put the finishing touches on her hair, but there were a few pieces that just wouldn't cooperate. Her hands were shaking so much that she could barely hold the bottle of hair spray while pumping the nozzle at the same time.

  She gave up on fixing those few pieces of hair, and instead grabbed her scissors and cut the offending hairs to make them lay in the right place. She looked in the mirror, finally satisfied with how her hair looked.

  Hair and make-up down, only dressing to go. Five minutes and counting. She pulled the first pair of thigh high stockings out of the package, and while pulling them up, she put her index finger clear through the nylon material, causing a big hole.

  Cursing, she pulled out her back up pair. Good thing she had thought ahead. Very carefully, she pulled them up her legs, straightening the seam in the back as she went. She clipped the stockings to her garters, then pulled on her layered chiffon skirt. Next was her matching layered chiffon tank.

  She fastened her necklace and put her earrings in. She slipped her shoes onto her feet, and walked to the full length mirror. She did her little spin, loving the way each layer of chiffon twirled out around her. Marlo checked the clock and was thankful that Tobias was a few minutes late.

  As if on cue, there was a knock on her door. She grabbed her perfume from the counter and sprayed a light mist in front of her, then walked through it. She put the bottle back on the counter and grabbed her purse.

  When she got to the door, she took a deep breath before turning the handle. The door opened wide, and she was glad she had taken that breath a few seconds ago. Seeing Tobias took her breath away. His blond tipped hair was spiked and gelled to perfection, giving a whole new meaning to the messy, bed head look. His gray satin-like shirt flowed over every ripple of his muscled body, and his black pants fit him to perfection.

  When Tobias saw Marlo, he was stunned. She looked phenomenal in her deep purple outfit, and in that moment, he knew he had been right in asking her to be his date. He could already tell it was going to be a great night. He had to clear his throat a few times before finding his voice. "Ready to go?"

  "Absolutely. Are you ready?" She asked.

  Tobias knew that she meant more than she asked. "I'm nervous, but I'm ready." He held his elbow out to her, which she took right away. They walked to the elevator together, and when they got there, they both looked at their reflection in the floor to ceiling mirrors that made up the elevator doors. For the first time, they saw themselves as a 'couple'.

  He knew instantly that he liked what he saw. He knew that this was his chance to show Marlo that he could be the man that she had been looking for. He knew that he had to give this 'date' everything that he had, to show her that they could be good together.

  Marlo on the other hand started to freak a little bit. Sure they looked great together, but was what she saw in the mirror an
d actual portrayal or was it all smoke and mirrors? She was determined to find out, whether it be tonight, tomorrow, or next year.

  The ding of the elevator brought them back to the moment of reality, and the doors parted, splitting up the image that they were both carefully studying. In the elevator, they clung to each other, looking for the support to get through the nerve wracking night. Each one felt a little better for having the other there, but also wondering what the night had in store for them.

  Chapter 9

  Marlo and Tobias were the last to get to the limo that was waiting for them in front of the hotel. They got in and Marlo looked around. She saw Sammy and AJ, semi-dressed up, along with their dates. She knew that Kevin had arranged their dates, in order for them to portray the right image, since neither one had any girls that they wanted to bring.

  Dusty's date however, struck something in her memory. She looked at her brother curiously. It was the same girl from the bar a few weeks ago, and even then she looked familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on where she knew her from. With all the people that she had met touring, and in college, names and faces tended to blend together.

  "Lola, you remember Carly, right? We went out for a while in high school." Dusty told her.

  The moment of realization hit Marlo hard. "Oh, I'm so sorry! Yes, I remember you Carly. How are you?"

  "I'm great, thanks." She smiled, feeling a little awkward. "You look great, by the way."

  "Thanks, so do you." Marlo returned the compliment. "So, tell me how you and Dusty ended up in contact again." The limo began moving, giving a little jolt to all of them. Tobias reached out to steady Marlo, who wasn't prepared for the movement.

  "Well, I travel a lot for my company. I'm a Business Development Manager for a large consulting firm. So I'm all over the country trying to persuade companies to use our services. I ran into Dusty at a restaurant a couple of months ago. I wasn't sure it was him at first, but then he recognized me and we started talking. Now whenever we are in the same area, we get together and hang out." Carly informed her. She sure wasn't shy, a simple 'we ran into each other a couple of months ago' would have sufficed.

  "Wow, that's great." Marlo said, wondering if she really felt that way. If she remembered correctly, Carly was the girl who turned Dusty loose thinking that he'd never make anything of himself. She turned to AJ and Sammy's dates and introduced herself to them. They seemed rather nice, and she hoped that AJ and Sammy would have a good time with them. They deserved some happiness.

  The limo began to slow, and Marlo looked out the window to see what was happening. The sides of the streets were barricaded, and there was security all around. They sat still for a few minutes, then crawled forward one spot. The cycle repeated until they were at the drop off point.

  Marlo looked at Tobias and nearly laughed. He was chewing on his lip nervously as he waited for the doors to open. "You ready for this?" Marlo asked.

  Tobias turned to her, as if there was a delayed reaction to him hearing her. "I think so, just smile the whole time, right?" He asked.

  "You got it. Piece of cake!" Marlo said cheerfully.

  Tobias reached out and grabbed Marlo's hand as the door to the limo was opened from the outside. Everyone filed out of the limo, leaving Tobias and Marlo to get out last. He crawled out as gracefully as possible, and turned to offer his hand to Marlo. He helped her out of the vehicle, never dropping her hand.

  Seeing all the flash bulbs go off, and hearing all the reporters calling his name, Tobias froze. He forgot what he was supposed to say or do. He wasn't smiling, and he wasn't walking. Marlo gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, bringing him back from whichever other world he was in. The cocky smirk graced his face as he led Marlo down the red carpet entrance.

  All around them, people were yelling and asking how it felt to be nominated for their award. Microphones were shoved in their faces, and flash bulbs spotted their eyes. They stopped at a few of the well-known interviewers, and politely answered a few questions. The whole time, they were eagerly making their way to the doors of the American Airlines Arena.

  Once inside, the flash bulbs stopped, and even with everyone talking at once, it was a lot quieter than having the reporters all yelling their questions at once. Marlo looked down and realized that Tobias still had his hand intertwined with hers. For some reason, it made her smile.

  The others headed to their seats, while Tobias and Marlo stayed in the lobby for a few minutes. Tobias looked like he was going to be sick, and Marlo realized exactly how nervous he was. "Hey, you okay?"

  "You know, I don't think I've ever been this nervous. This is such an important moment for us as a band, and for our future. I know that it's a long shot for us to win, but I am going to be so crushed if we don't. I know it's just a bunch of metal, but it's important metal." He looked around the room. "Look where we are Marlo. Look at all these people. We don't belong here, we are so out of our league."

  Marlo watched as the panic flooded his body. She didn't know what to say to calm him down, so she did the only thing she could think of. Her lips crashed into his, taking him completely by surprise. It took him a minute to realize what was happening, but once it hit him, Marlo felt his whole body relax.

  His hands reached up, cupping each of her cheeks, and taking the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Bells went off in Marlo's head, warning her about what was happening. All she wanted to do was calm Tobias down, not turn him on. She wanted to pull away, to break their embrace, but she didn't want to upset him, or at least that's what she told herself.

  Only when he sensed the flashes behind his closed eyes did he pull apart from Marlo. A photographer had chosen them as his subject, and invaded their private moment.

  Tobias looked to Marlo and saw her cheeks redden, just before she hung her head a little. Tobias placed his hand back on her cheek and caressed it softly, after lifting her chin. Out of embarrassment, Marlo turned to leave, but Tobias caught her arm and stopped her. Their eyes met, and he whispered, "Thanks." Marlo nodded her head. "Come on, let's go in now."

  His hand reached for hers again as they walked down the aisle to their seats. Making their way to their spot, Marlo looked at everyone in the crowd. She couldn't believe all the famous people that she recognized, and it gave her a little jolt in her stomach. The realization hit her in that moment, how truly momentous this night was.

  Tobias was also humbled. He saw so many people that he had idolized, and never thought that he would see them in person, let alone be sitting next to them at an awards show. It was so unreal, as if he was dreaming. He even pinched himself discretely a few times to make sure that the night was real.

  They found their seats, and anxiously awaited the beginning of the awards. The opening band came on, and the crowd got pumped. Marlo could feel the heat radiating off Tobias's palm that was joined with her own.

  They sat through presentation after presentation, performance after performance. The night seemed to drag as they waited for their category to be called. It was hard to concentrate on everything that was happening, as they sat in sweet anticipation.

  Finally, their moment came as the band that won the award the previous year went to the podium. "Tonight, we're presenting the award for Best New Artist, and for the first time, the winner has been picked by the fans. For the past week, MTV has accepted your votes and let you pick this year's Best New Artist. And the nominations are…" The screens came alive, showing the videos of all the nominees. The presenters announced each nominee as their video played. Each video felt like a full length movie, as they sat there waiting to hear the winner.

  Finally, all attention went back to the presenters. "And the winner is…" One of them opened up the envelope slowly. "That's great, I love these guys." He said, more to himself than anyone else. "PLEASURE POINTE!"

  The crowd went wild, but no one moved. They didn't realize that their name was being called. The group in front of them turned around and stood to shake their hands, and the producer waved fra
ntically, trying to get them moving.

  In a delayed reaction, the group finally stood and hugged each other. Tobias turned to Marlo when she stood up, and pulled her into a deep kiss. He backed away rather quickly and let out a shout of joy. He looked into her eyes for a tender moment, before starting to head down the aisle.

  Marlo hugged each of the guys as they passed her. Dusty was the last one. He pulled her tight and lifted her in the air. "I saw that." He whispered in her ear, then ran to join the rest of the guys. She sank back into her chair, a little embarrassed by the kiss, but so ecstatic and proud of her boys.

  The guys all gathered around the microphone. "Wow, this is great! We didn't prepare a speech, because honestly, we NEVER thought we'd be up here." Dusty told everyone. He looked at the little moon man, holding it tight in his hands.

  "First, we need to thank our fans. You're the ones that put us up here, and you're the ones that keep us going day to day. Next, we need to thank all of our friends and family, everyone who has supported us since day one." Dusty went on. He looked to the other guys for help, as he got caught up in the moment.

  "All the production crew, Kevin, Pete, the guys at the recording studio, our record company…" Sammy added.

  "And most importantly, a special thanks to my sister Marlo. Thank you so much for always keeping us in line, and being there for us whenever we need you." Dusty announced.

  "We love you Marlo!" Sammy and AJ yelled together.

  Tobias took the mic then. "Thanks for being my sparring partner, as well as my teddy bear." He looked out to the crowd and spotted Marlo.

  She looked back at him and blew him a kiss, as well as the rest of the guys. The music came on to usher them off the stage, but before they moved, they saw their biggest fan give them a standing ovation. Marlo stood, with tears pouring from her eyes, clapping like there was no tomorrow. Her heart swelled, knowing how deserving the band was. Their hard work and long hours were finally paying off, and she couldn't be happier for them.