Rock All Night

73




The first thing I did when I got back to Derek’s hotel room was take a long, hot bath to wash away the sweat and the dust. (There might have been a certain rock star in the water with me, and a little bit of sex, too.)

The second thing was to return phone calls.

The first call, I was looking forward to.

Shanna picked up immediately.

“What up, superstar celebrity journalist! Any big scoops?”

“Is that Shanna?” Derek asked as he got ready for a band meeting.

“Holy shit, is that the rock god himself? Put me on speaker!”

I sighed, knowing where this was probably headed… but I did it anyway.

“Shanna?” Derek said.

“DEREK! Oh my God! How have you been?!”

“Famous,” he quipped, and she laughed. “How have you been?”

“Horny.”

“Same as always, I see.”

“The more things change… so, D, you tapped that ass yet?”

“Repeatedly.”

I swatted him for that one.

Shanna about lost her mind.

“WHAAAAT?! Hahahaha! YES! How long did you hold out, Kaitlyn?”

I blushed crimson. “Two days.”

“Not even,” Derek grinned. “You got into town, what, Friday afternoon? Saturday night, so… 36 hours, tops.”

“Hahaha – you SLUT!” Shanna cackled. “You really ARE embedded with the band! Get it? Em-bed– ”

“I got it, I got it,” I snapped.

“Come on, now, that one was clever. I was saving it up for when you finally put out. Sooooo, how was he? Enquiring minds are dying to know.”

I looked over at Derek, who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

“Enh,” I said to the cell phone.

“You little – ” he laughed, and tickled me until I shrieked.

“Hey! Knock off the foreplay, you’re making me jealous!”

“Shanna, you should totally fly out and see one of our shows,” Derek said.

“Hell-ooooo, why do you think I called? First, you totally promised me that four years ago – ”

“Oh yeeeaaah,” Derek recalled. “Backstage passes, right?”

“Hell yeah. Plus, it’s the least you can do, seeing as how I hooked you up with a prime piece of ass.”

He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“WHAT?! She didn’t tell you?!”

“Tell me what?”

“I’m the one who hooked her up with Rolling Stone!”

“What?! Really?”

“Yes! Kaitlyn?!” she said in a ‘scolding Mama’ tone of voice.

“I forgot…” I protested meekly.

“Bitch! Stealin’ my byline, not givin’ credit where credit is due – ”

“I’m sorry… there was a lot going on…”

“Like a lot of sweet lovin’, apparently. And not only that, Derek, but she didn’t want to come see you, and I talked her into it.”

“She mentioned that part.”

“That I talked her into it?”

“That she didn’t want to come.”

“But she didn’t mention anything about ME.”

“Uhhh… no.”

“Kaitlyn! Are you removing ALL my contributions to the story?!”

“You know I’m not. It’s just been a little… busy around here.”


“Unh-huh. I hope I get ‘busy’ tonight, too.”

Derek got a look in his eye. “Hey Shanna – seeing as I owe you twice over – ”

“Damn straight!”

“ – how about we fly you out to San Francisco for our next show, all expenses paid?”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line.

“Are you f*ckin’ with me?” she finally asked.

“No, it’s the least I can do for hooking me up with such a prime piece of ass,” he grinned, squeezing me playfully. I slapped his hand away.

“Oh my God – that would be – oh, wow! I mean, I was only talking about when you come to New York!”

I’d never heard Shanna so flustered.

“It’s cool, just give me your info and I’ll have my manager get you a plane ticket and the hotel reservation.”

“Are you – are you sure? That’s a lot of money – ”

“I’m a rock star, Shanna. I got it.”

“He bought a car the other day because he didn’t want to rent one,” I said disapprovingly.

“Haha! What’d you get?”

“A 1969 Mercedes convertible.”

“Ooooh… sounds nice. But no Ferrari, no Porsche?”

“That would have been the obvious choice,” he joked.

“True dat… are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all. Give me your info, I gotta go do a thing, but I’ll take care of it.”

He scribbled down her information on a piece of hotel stationary, then excused himself.

“See you soon, Shanna!”

“Thank you so much, Derek!”

“Don’t mention it,” he said, then gave me a kiss before heading out the door.

“…are you alone now?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Okay, for real: how was he?”

I sighed blissfully. “Incredible.”

She squealed on the other end. “Oooh, I’m so jealous! You bitch!”

“Hey!”

“It’s a term of endearment. Tell me everything – I want length, girth, duration, kinky fetishes, everything.”

I wasn’t exactly that forthcoming, but I did tell her enough to make her even more jealous.

“Damn it, now I’ve got to go score some mushrooms and find somebody to f*ck,” she pouted playfully.

“Yeah, just don’t go walking in the desert first.”

“Oh HELL to the no. No wonder you had a bad trip. So are you glad I talked you into going?”

I paused, not wanting to give her the satisfaction… and then I relented. I couldn’t keep from smiling. “Yes.”

“HA! See? You had SO better dedicate your book to me.”

“It’s an article, Shanna.”

“Just wait till Random House hears you slept with him, they’ll want a book. By the way, how’s Ryan?”

I smiled fondly. “He’s good. He’s really cute, by the way.”

“Ooooooh, really? Maybe you won’t be the ONLY one who sleeps with a band member.”

As soon as she said it, something weird sparked up inside of me.

Like, I didn’t want her to sleep with Ryan…

…but why?

It was silly.

“Maybe,” I said, then grinned wickedly. “Just watch out for the drummer.”

“Isn’t the drummer a chick?”

“Yes.”

“Well… it’s been awhile… but I could definitely switch hit again…”

“Shanna!” I gasped.

“It was a phase. Hey, maybe you, me, and her could have a threesome,” she teased.

“Ewwww!”

“You homophobic bitch,” she teased some more.

“It’s not that – well, yes it is that – but more that she’s totally gross.”

“So you’re saying just you and me?”

“Shanna – ”

“You’re uncomfortable. I get it. Maybe throw in Derek and Ryan, too? Group sexy times?”

“I am not continuing this conversation.”

“Fine, fine,” she laughed. “I’m really happy for you, Kaitlyn. And I’m proud of you. You really DID go out and take a chance.”

“Thanks,” I said humbly. “And thank you for pushing me to do it.”

“Aaaaand…?”

“And for getting me the job in the first place.”

“Ha! Never thought I’d hear that one. You owe me!”

“I know.”

“Well, if Derek flies me out there, we’ll call it even. Is he serious?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Wow… well, tell him I said thank you.”

“I will. I’m looking forward to you coming!”

“Oh, I’M looking forward to me ‘coming,’ too.”

“Ew, Shanna – ”

“Get Ryan ready for me.”

“I’ll tell Riley instead.”

“Is that the drummer?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell her she can have my body, but my heart belongs to you.”

“I’m hanging up the phone now, Shanna.”

“See you soon! Be naked when I get there!”

The trouble with Shanna is, I couldn’t exactly tell if she was kidding or not.

I hoped she was.

But you never know.