Underneath Your Clothes

What We Became

I made my way to the side of the stage where the five brick steps lead to a hallway. It was dark and so I clung to the wall as I carefully felt my way down the steps, with only the exit sign to guide me. Once at the bottom, I peaked my head around the corner. I always got so fluttery at this point. As usual, there he was…standin’ there talkin’ to one of his bandmates. I felt badly that I didn’t remember his name. I’d only met him twice before and both times I had been nervous. I stayed back out of eyeshot until his bandmate moved away. I walked slowly around the corner, heading down the hallway until he saw me. I smiled all over. “Hey, Roger.” I said a bit backwardly. He turned around, his face lit up. He smiled at me, which immediately turned me to jelly.

 “Lydia!” he called to me, laying a set of drumsticks on a nearby equipment case. I walked over to him and just stood there. We stared at each other for a moment, his eyes darted around to see if anyone was watchin’ us. He didn’t seem to care; his bandmates and some of the bar employees who helped them break down equipment were scurrying around in the adjacent area. He reached his arms around my waist and I pushed him up against the brick wall; sinking my lips into his. He moved his hands up my back and pulled my body into his, suddenly pulling his lips away and looked at me.

  “You’re wet.” He noticed.

  “Yeah, got some beer spilt on me. No big deal, really. Just a drunk out there.” I stared at him deeply before his lips met mine again. I put my hands on his shoulders, reaching around his neck and feeling the chain of his necklace intertwined with that dark blond hair. I let my tongue barely touch his but was startled at the sound of one of his bandmates callin’ for him. I spun around quickly, wipin’ my lips on the back of my hand as if I’d been caught in the cookie jar.

 “S’Alright. S’Alright.” He reassured me, his hand stroking my back. “You don’t gotta’ be nervous. “It’s just John. He don’t bite.” There it was again. Roger’s smile that tore my world upside down. He put his hand on my chin and kissed me again. “I’ll be right back.” I shook my head and watched as Roger picked up his drumsticks and one of his drums that had already been packed up. He dashed off in a hurry to what must have been a side door that was situated down a small flight of stairs judging by the second exit sign. I waited there against the brick wall underneath the arched walkway that connected the adjacent room to this short hallway. I was trying to remain out of the way. His bandmate gave me a friendly wave and I waved back to him. “Hey John.” I called to him politely.

  “Hi, Lydia. Hope you’ve been well.” He said before taking off with a guitar in its case. I shook my head yes. “Take care, John.” He threw a hand in the air at me once again.  Roger was right, he wasn’t intimidating. He was quiet and polite around me. I stood there against the brick wall as equipment got shuffled around and pushed to and fro. The next band was preparing to set up and so their equipment was being shoved in front of Roger’s bands’ stuff.  

  I actually enjoyed watchin’ him scurry around from inside to outside, all that long hair falling freely and effortlessly; just like his spirit. I heard him yell something through a doorway toward the back and then disappear for a few minutes. There must have been another exit in the back of the room. Once he was outside, I took this time to walk into the adjacent room and have a look around. It was a disaster of equipment parts and a bit poorly lit by exposed bulbs in the ceiling. Like the steps and the archway, this room was made of the building’s brick. As I looked around, I had no idea what plugged into what but the other guys helpin’ tear down seemed to know what they were doin’. One of them looked up at me.

  “Hey.” He said. I recognized this guy as someone who helped each band setup and tear down.

  “Hello.” I answered him.