"Nice of you two to drop by," Phil said seeing us out. Stelle had dressed and hung her camera back around her neck. 

"It was nice of you to have us," she responded. I smiled. I was still so very shy. Stelle kissed Phil on the cheek and I stepped back in surprise. Am I supposed to kiss him now? After a few awkward seconds I held out my hand for him to shake. And he shook it without complaint. "We'll be at the show tonight, alright?"

"See ya' then."

Phil closed the door behind him and Stelle and I walked down the hall. "Any parties?"

"Nope. Not this time. But we'd better get back to the hotel unless we want to scare the boys away with our morning after stench." I secretly sniffed my jacket. I didn't really stink, did I? 

The hallways were quiet. The fight had broken up and there was no one around to relive the details for us. Malcolm and Bon were nowhere to be seen and I kept an eye out for them. I wanted to make sure they were alright. We got to the elevator and someone waved us down. 

"Hey. Can I see you for a second?"

It was Trouble, all dressed and ready for a new day. Her eyeshadow was a pale pink and her clothes were not the typical groupie look. She looked nice. I looked back at Stelle who shrugged and Trouble and I walked across the hall. I stuck my hands in my pockets. "Yeah?"

"How do you do it?" she asked. I frowned. 

"Do what?"

"Get the band to like you!" I almost started laughing! It must have been obvious in my expression because she heaved a sigh. "I'm serious, they're all over you!"

"Hardly," I said. 

"At the party you danced with Bon, got Cliff to hold your things while he wouldn't even look at me, went back to Angus' hotel and even your friend over there spent the night with Phil." I looked back at Stelle wondering if she could hear us. I saw her taking photos of the paintings the hotel hung up. Trouble lowered her voice. "So what's your secret?"

"I don't have one," I answered.

"Come on, you're new to this. Me and the girls have been doing this for years and we've never been showed up like this." I shifted uneasily and looked at the floor. 

"I didn't mean to show anyone up," I said. It was true. I didn't come here to steal anybody away from anyone. I didn't come here to enchant the entire band with my so-so looks and cardboard personality. And that's not what the groupie lifestyle is about anyway. 

4. It isn't a competition. 

It doesn't matter how many men you can charm or go to bed with. That doesn't determine anybody's worth and it's nothing to turn against women about. Whatever I was doing that Trouble noticed last night was beyond me. I wasn't purposefully getting the band to like me. So what could I say to her?

"So how'd you do it?" she insisted. She didn't look upset with me, but ready for my explanation. Which I didn't have. 

"Well...maybe I don't try at all," I said. 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean..." I sighed. "If you go up to someone only wanting sex, and they don't feel the same way, you're more likely to just...not go any further," I said. "I don't want that from any of them."

"Are you nuts or something?" she asked. I smiled.

"I just sort of...hang around," I said. "There's no tension, no pressure to do anything with any of them. It's just a relaxed sort of friendship. And it works for me."

"So....Bon danced with you because you happened to be standing there?" I ran a hand through my hair. 

"Look, I don't know what any of these men see in me. Alright? They know better than I do so if you want to ask them...be my guest," I said. I hoped that was enough for her. I was tired, frankly, and wanted a bath and a nap. She crossed her arms. "They're nothing more than friends to me."

"They haven't even looked at me since we showed up," she mumbled. "Hollywood met up with Bon but I haven't caught anyone's eye." A pang of sympathy coursed through me. I knew what that felt like. 

"You don't need to catch anyone's eye," I said. "And I've been interviewing the guys too, that could be why they like my company." My eyes widened as I realized I left my notebook in Angus' room. I tried to hide my panic so Trouble wouldn't see. "I'm really not trying to damage anyone's image so if that's all you wanted to talk about..."

Trouble looked over at Stelle who I saw looked rather bored. I felt bad making her wait for me. I should have told her to go on ahead. "I guess so," she said. My shoulder started to ache again and I rubbed it and winced.

"Society doesn't value friendship the way it should," I said. "People put too much emphasis and praise on relationships. I like being friends with the boys." Trouble only nodded. 

"Friendship may be all well and good for you," she said. "But I want to have a good time while I'm here! They're attractive men, they like to have fun, don't they?" I shook my head of any salacious images. 

"I guess you're asking the wrong person," I said. Trouble sighed and pushed her hair behind her ear. 

"I guess I'll be seeing you then," she said. 

"See you." I turned to walk back to Stelle who pushed the button on the elevator. We watched Trouble's retreating form disappear around a corner. 

"Yikes," Stelle said. We stepped into the elevator. "What caused that frown?"

"Nothing," I said. It really wasn't anyone else's business. I didn't know what to tell her! She seemed to think I was a siren of some sort. As soon as the band found out about my journalist facade, they offered to have some alone time with me, and Stelle helped to manage that. And...maybe through our talks we liked each other's company and with the men being bolder than I am, they made the move to continue talking to me. 

I promise, I wasn't stirring anything up! 

"She's one of those Glamour Girls, right?" Stelle asked. 

"Yeah, that's Trouble," I said. I recited their names in my head to see if I could remember. I recalled my names, Gemini and Belladonna. Who was I fooling? I didn't need a special name. If people couldn't be bothered to remember my real name, then they weren't very good company, were they? 

Also, nothing I came up with seemed to fit. 

"I'm sure the boys love having them around," Stelle went on. We stepped off the elevator and walked into the lobby. It was still early enough and business was light. "Just as much as we love having the boys around, yeah?" I smiled. They were sweet boys. 

And one of them had my notebook....I had to get it back somehow.

Speaking of the boys, I saw Bon and Malcolm talking to someone in the lobby. I tapped Stelle on the shoulder and pointed them out. Malcolm stood with his arms crossed and Bon had his hands in his back pockets. Whoever they were speaking to was some kind of hotel staff member. He didn't look at all happy. Neither did the boys.

With a huff the staff member walked away and Bon and Malcolm turned to each other with sneaky little smiles. Bon noticed us watching them and waved us over. "Are they looking at us?" Stelle asked.

I looked around to see no one. "They must be." We approached the men across the room and Bon picked up a squealing Stelle over his shoulder. 

"You an' Angus ran off an' forgot your tea," Bon said looking at me. I stuffed my hands in my pockets. Stelle demanded "Ronald" put her down. "In a minute, baby. Now I walked into that kitchen to get myself some ice for my drink an' you two had bolted an' I saw the tea out where anybody could have grabbed it!" I started laughing at the face he made. "Lucky I was there, or some drunk tea fiend would be on the loose right about now."

"Thanks, Bon," I said. He set Stelle down who swatted his arm with a giggle and he gave her a side hug. 

"Ya' know I had to drink all that tea myself?"

"You poor thing," I gushed and he ruffled my hair before walking away. I saw Malcolm saunter after him. His lip had a small cut. He caught me staring at it and stopped before giving me a pat on my aching shoulder. 

Stelle and I left the hotel.

**********

I lay face down on the chaise lounge as Stelle took a shower. After stuffing my face with whatever I found in the fridge I collapsed and couldn't move. It was already hot outside and it would only be getting hotter as summer approached. I wasn't used to the seasons being opposite. I wondered what Australians sang during Christmas. "Let it Sun"? "Walking in a Summer Wonderland"? "Baby, it's Hot Outside"? All this begged the real question...did Santa Claus wear a red speedo? With a white fur trim?

I started laughing and thankfully it was muffled by the lounge. Stelle probably couldn't hear me anyway over the running water. It finally stopped however and I sat up to await my turn. 

How could I get my notebook back? I wasn't sure where I left it. I didn't see it anywhere in the living room. I probably left it in the bedroom where I had slept. I was so shocked at being in his bed it completely slipped my mind! How could I be so careless? There's important things in there! Secrets I can't let anybody know about! What if....Angus read any of it?

I couldn't think about that. He probably didn't even know I had left it there. Once Stelle and I got to their concert tonight I'd ask him about it. He'll find it, hand it back, end of story. There was nothing to worry about. 

But still, my anxious brain never rests...

"You know what I think?" Stelle asked coming out of the bathroom. I hadn't even noticed her. She was wringing her hair out with a towel. "I think I ought to throw a party."

"Here?" I asked. 

"Of course here," she said. "The ones we went to were so fun I'm thinking of throwing my own. I've got some friends I can call up and we can party in the room." I hadn't thought to bring the party scene to the place where I slept. All those people using the one bathroom? Trying to sleep and the music playing loudly over the loud guests talking loudly? 

Very very loud. Much too much.

But it was Stelle's room and she could do very well what she pleased. I had no choice but to go along. "That might be fun," I said. 

"I'll invite Morgan back over and my friend Bunny who's from Texas and..." I started to zone out as she listed the tens of thousands she was planning to invite. I promised myself to stay positive. Maybe it really would be fun? I should keep an open mind. 

You never know what could happen.