142. After Dark

Warning: coarse language, half-nekid people

Bridgeport, present day...

The After Dark launch was held at The Crypt. It had become a tradition for the band to throw all their release parties there; it had more than enough room to accommodate their expected guest capacity and plenty of free parking too.

Krisis’ fans went crazy when he pulled up outside the club and helped Leigh out of the car.

“Krisis we love you!” His Stans cried feverishly, begging for kisses and a whole lot more.

“I want to have your babies!’ A few screamed in the crowd.

“Spot’s taken, sweethearts,” Krisis smiled at his fans, but drove the point home when he placed a possessive hand on Leigh’s bump.

They took a few shots with his fans…

Some wanted to pose with Leigh alone…

and others wanted him only.

A lot of autographs were requested too, and when one crazy fan ran from the crowd, baring her boobs at Krisis to leave his mark on them, Leigh thought she was going to faint from shock and embarrassment.

“Okay, we’ve seen enough, cover yourself please! He won’t be signing those!” She told the young girl firmly.

A scuffle broke out, apparently the Stan didn’t like the way Leigh spoke to her and she wanted to have it out with her right there on the red carpet. Leigh’s bodyguards intervened and they led her inside while Krisis did some damage control and seduced his fans.

Natalie, the band’s publicist, had expected a good crowd turnout since there was  no cover charge, but she was blown away when she arrived at the club and found the place swarming with fan girls and all the ‘who’s who’ in the music industry.

“Best crowd EVER!” Stanley, the band’s manager, congratulated her as soon as she’d had time to grab a drink from the open bar.

“Yeah,” she smiled modestly scanning the place.

Her team had worked nonstop on the media blitz during the two weeks leading up to the party, posting thousands of messages and tweets about the launch on major social network sites, and sending the final e-mail blast to their fan base last night. All her hard worked had paid off and she knew she was assured yet another hefty bonus.

She willingly shared in the glory with Mark. Releasing “If Only I had known”, the album’s second single on My Space and Facebook three days earlier, had stoked the hype over the album even more. Their phones hadn’t stopped ringing, radio stations wanted to do interviews with the band and hotspots, in and around Bridgeport, wanted K-Infinity before they left for their Five Cities tour.

“Reggie and Cass are here,” Stanley shouted over the loud music, watching the founders of Dark Forces, the largest Vampire owned music magazine, sip on pina coladas and chat with Leigh and Krisis in their VIP booth.

“Let’s go kiss some arrogant ass,” Natalie suggested. She hated the magazine founders, they were snobbish and uppity, but she knew their free publicity could make or break After Dark.

Before Natalie and Stanley reached the booth though, they were stopped by Daisies and Jazen, VJs, from VMC (the Vampire Music Channel).

They talked for a while, Stanley and Daisies discussed the VMC charts and After Dark’s impending rise to the top ten…

…while Natalie and Jazen gawked at the fashion from the guests. The bulk of the fan girls had either misunderstood the theme or they just ignored it; there was nothing dark or gothic about their scantily clad bodies. In fact only Leigh and Eloise had played dress up.

The commotion outside the door stole Natalie’s attention. J.D. and Krimsyn had just arrived and their fans were clamoring around them for photos and autographs.

Michaela walked in a second later with Maddie and Rose and the rest of her entourage, they went straight to her VIP booth.

“Guess who’s here?” Maddie whispered conspiratorially.

Michaela already knew the answer.

She blushed furiously when she looked at the entrance and caught Cameron’s eyes on her. She smiled and waved and blushed some more.

Cameron took a step towards her booth but out of nowhere Liza cut in, leading him away to the general direction of the bar.

“That bitch!” Maddie fumed.

“Who?” Rose and the rest of the group demanded in unison as they strained their necks, trying to catch a glimpse of “that bitch”. It wasn’t long before they were speaking in low tones, planning Liza’s fall. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Cameron demanded weakly. As much as he wasn’t pleased to see her, her presence was his own fault, he’d forgotten to remove her name from the guest list.

“I came to support you,” Liza ran a warm finger on his cheek, smiling up at him suggestively.

Cameron brushed it away, and grabbed her arm roughly, dragging her outside to the alley.

“I told you we are done, Liza. Don’t make this harder than it should be,” he growled. He wanted to be inside there with Michaela, maybe not with her as such, but close to her. Instead, he was out here, sorting out issues with his ex, issues that shouldn’t even exist in his opinion.

“No, you may be done Cameron, but I’m not!” She told him, her angry scowl never leaving her face, not even for a second.

Before he could react to her bold statement, Liza was all over him like a painful bum rash, kissing him and pressing her body up against his. He tried to push her away, praying Michaela wouldn’t come outside and see him in such a compromising position.

‘Stop it!” He shoved her away from him with all his strength. She hit the wall hard and gasped in pain.

“What? I’m not good enough for you anymore? Is that it? It’s that bitch isn’t it? She’s a kid. She won’t give you what I can!” Liza’s sharp screams were slightly slurred, her words falling into each other.

A few guests came out to watch the drama. Cameron walked away, ignoring the cheap shots she hurled at his retreating back. The cameras flashed on. He knew their spat would be all over the gossip columns the next morning.

Inside the club Eloise was awestruck and a little bewildered. When Krisis invited them to the party, she’d had no idea just how big of an event it was.

She felt a little uncomfortable and self-conscious in her goth ensemble, but the appreciative glances from Devon told her she had nothing to worry about.

“You look beautiful, stop fussing over your dress,” Devon lowered his head to nibble on her ear lobe. She melted, and let him guide her to the dance floor.

Half & Half, the newest band to join O+ Records took the stage and performed a selection of songs from K-Infinity’s past albums.The crowd went wild for When Night Falls, the first single from Let it Bleed, K-Infinity’s second album. After almost fourteen years, the tune was still undoubtedly one of the band’s ‘most loved’ songs.

Michaela excused herself half way through Half and Half’s set. She needed the ladies room and maybe some air too.  Maddie and Rose insisted on coming with her.

They’d just reached the bathroom when they saw Liza and Cameron making out in the dimly lit hallway.

Michaela stood there, shocked and hurt,  her mouth slightly agape, watching the man she was so head over heels in love entangled in the arms of another woman, her heart breaking into a billion little shards.

She didn’t know she was crying until she felt Maddie’s arms on her shoulders, gently nudging her towards the bathroom.

Cameron looked up just as they were walking away.

“Damn you, Liza!” He barked at his ex, and scrambled after Michaela.

“It’s not what you think!” He tried to explain.

“Leave her alone!” Both Rose and Maddie hissed at him before they slammed the door in his face.

Liza was on the roll. She wouldn’t be dumped so easily, especially for a mere seventeen year old. She picked herself up from the floor and ran after Cameron, determined to win his affections again.

“You got your fucking goodbye kiss, now stay the hell away from me!” He yelled at her as he paced outside the ladies’ room, waiting for Michaela to come out.

Liza just laughed in his face and stumbled away, but not before she reminded him things weren’t over between them, and yes she’d tricked him, it wasn’t a goodbye kiss but a welcome back smooch!

He heard the stage call from the MC. It was time for K-Infinity’s performance. He was torn. A part of him wanted to stick around and wait for Michaela, and clear up whatever she thought she’d seen. But he knew he had to go, the band needed him.

“Fuck this!” He growled, kicking the ladies’ room door on his way to the stage.

“Where have you been?” Krisis demanded under his breath as he positioned himself on the drum kit.

Krimsyn and J.D. turned to him as well, silently asking him the same thing. Cameron ignored them and took his place on the keyboard.

He scanned the crowd, hoping to see Michaela, but all he saw was Liza, causing mayhem in the front, screaming obscenities at anyone she thought had eyes for him.

Not removing her name from the guest list was a big mistake. He cussed himself again.

As Krimsyn led them into “A Love since Forgotten,” Cameron wondered what he’d seen in Liza to begin with.

Katie, dancing in the crowd with the rest of the band’s management team, knew something was horribly wrong with Cameron, he kept missing his chords, the other three though, covered up his mistakes well, the audience hardly noticed the flaws. But it was hard for her to ignore the mistakes because she wrote the song and she knew how it was supposed to be performed.

On the stage, under the strobe lights, Cameron closed his eyes, listening to Krimsyn’s voice, wondering if Michaela was okay…

 “You are a love since forgotten,

I am the scourge of your dreams.

You run, your crystal tears falling,

I come alive when you scream.

Your eyes, wide with apprehension,

I catch your arm as you turn.

You fall, soundlessly sobbing,

For you, dear, the heart within me burns.

You are the temptress in my vision

 You are the siren of my song

  You are the echo of a memory 

  I've been hunting you so long

You are a love since forgotten,

I am the scourge of your dreams.

You run, your crystal tears falling,

I am alive when you scream.

Your mouth, crushed beneath my hunger,

I take now what you never freely give.

You cry, your soul and body burning,

From you, dear, your life, so I may live.

You are a love since forgotten,

You are my love since forgotten,

You are a love since forgotten,

You are the siren of my song.

I've been hunting you so long.

A love ... my love ... a love since forgotten...

The crowd cheered and sang along with Krimsyn as she brought the song to an end.

As soon as the curtain closed, Krisis rained hard on Cameron.

“What the fuck was that!” He demanded, getting up in Cameron’s face.

“I know I messed up. I was distracted. I’m sorry.” Cameron put up his hands apologetically, but Krisis wouldn’t drop it.

Cameron threw the first punch and before long their minor scuffle had turned into a full blown fight with both men exchanging punches and angry words.

It took all their strength for Krimsyn and J.D. to break up the fight.

Cameron went to his dressing room and banged the door hard behind him. The other three stood in the hallway, listening to his angry string of expletives. His rant went on for a solid ten minutes. When he was done blowing off steam, he came out and apologized to Krisis and the other two.

When they took the stage again, Katie was pleasantly surprised.

It was a different Cameron on the keyboard and Krisis, now strumming the acoustic guitar and leading the mournful tune, “So Epic It Hurts”, had the crowd captivated, while his sister worked the bass like mad and J.D. beat the drums like the devil possessed him. They were on fire and the crowd loved it!

“As I watch your eyes, I see your light fade away...

I can touch you now, but I can't make you stay.... 

Your life rises to the sun, the sun I never call a friend....

Will never call a friend

As I touch your face, I feel your soft, slight tremor....

I can hold you now, I can't hold you forever....

Your life rises with the wind, a wind I never call a friend....

Will never call a friend

The Sun! In a moment, like a rainbow, your beauty leaves me

The Wind! In a moment, like a feather, you gently leave me

This life! My life! 

Epic, so it's called, 

I don't want to see you go,

I just want you by my side, forever.... forever....

As I lie you down, I sense your slowing heartbeat....

I can feel you now, but I fear it's all a dream...

Your life rises to the moon, a moon I never call a friend....

Will never call a friend

As my tears fall down, I see your soul fly away....

I don't touch you now, 'cause I can't make you stay....

You have risen to the sun; you have floated on the wind, 

You are dancing with the moon; I will not see you again!

The Sun! In a moment, like a rainbow, your beauty leaves me

The Wind! In a moment, like a feather, you gently leave me

This life! My life! 

 Epic, so it's called, 

I don't want to see you go,

I just want you by my side, forever.... forever....

I don't want to see you go,

I just want you by my side, forever.... forever....

This life... my life... so epic it hurts.”

In the audience Eloise, Leigh and Devon were enthralled.

Leigh had seen the band perform live numerous times, but each time she was amazed by their stage presence and their chemistry. Tonight was no different.

Krisis’ fan girls clamored closer, trying to touch him, and when one of them climbed on stage and ripped off his t-shirt and ran off with it into the crowd, showing off his famous pecks, the rest of his  Stans went off the hook, the temperature in the room reached boiling point.

“Cameron, take it off! Cameron, take it off! Cameron, take it off!” The crowd chanted over and over. Some demanded JD should take off his t-shirt too.

And the two men obliged, giving over half of the women in the room instant orgasms.

Every time the band wanted to leave the stage, their guests demanded an encore.

In one of her rare moments of spontaneity, Leigh jumped on stage to show her love and appreciation for her man. If his fans could do it, why the heck shouldn’t she?

K-Infinity ran through two more songs from After Dark before wrapping up their set with ‘If Only I Had Known’, led by Cameron and J.D.

Your expression, so distressed

I've never seen your pain before

your absolute defeat

Your heart is racing

Your eyes, look through me to my heart

have you found what you've been seeking

my absolute defeat

Your heart is racing

No matter what, no matter where,

I will fly to you, reach your side

hold you close, chase out your fear,

I will protect you... please don't hide.

No matter where, no matter what,

when you call to me, I will come

hold you tight, lift you up,

I will protect you... please don't run.

Your song, a most dreaded melody

I fight against what I can't hold

you're my absolute defeat

My heart is breaking

Your love, if only I had known,

you've been always at my side,

I surrender to defeat

I have been broken

No matter what, no matter where,

I will fly to you, reach your side

hold you close, chase out your fear,

I will protect you... please don't hide.

No matter where, no matter what,

when you call to me, I will come

hold you tight, lift you up,

I will protect you... please don't run.

No matter what, no matter where,

I will fly to you, reach your side

keep you close, chase out your fear,

I will protect you... for all time...

_________

Credits: All the lyrics in the After Dark album are intellectual property of Fae/Zhipphidy. All rights reserved.

A special thank you to everyone whose Sim-self made an appearance in this chapter.

And an even more special thank you to Fae and Karima for making this chapter possible.