The Boys in the Band (Reverse Harem)

Chapter 2: Introductions

"Shall we do another one?" Momoko looked around at the four young men. "I'm up on 'Serenity,' if you want?"

They looked at each other and nodded. "Serenity" was a ballad about how it felt to be with the person you loved after looking for so long. Sullivan had written it when he was in a long term relationship. It started with just a vocal lead in, with the piano picking up in the third measure, and to their collective astonishment, Momoko didn't need a note cue; she sang a perfect G, which meant she had perfect pitch, or very strong relative pitch from singing the previous song.

Sunday mornings in bed with the paper
The smell of her shampoo in my bed
Walking with her through the neighborhood
Can't get her out of my head

She is my breeze
She is my light
When we're together
The world is right

Serenity, serenity

Again, Momoko didn't bother to change the pronouns, which had the guys shooting each other approving looks. Momoko herself didn't notice this, as she tended to sing with her eyes closed when the song was this slow. She swayed at the mic as she sang, lost in the pretty melody, and the guys took this opportunity to look at her, though only Jude and Sullivan could really see her face since they were up front with her with their bass and guitar, respectively. Her hair was held off her face with a plain hair band that matched her pink shirt.

She's pretty, Sully mouthed to Dane, and Dane smiled as he nodded before looking back down at the keyboard of his piano.

Jude, too, nodded, and Tommy, who hadn't quite made out Sully's words, mouthed, What? Pretty girl? at Dane for confirmation. Dane nodded at him, and Tommy nodded back, looking with approval at her backside, which he had a clear view of from his place at his drum kit. It was perfect to him, round and not too skinny.

Yeah.

Nice ass, too, he added to Sully with a grin.

Sully nodded sheepishly, as did Jude.

Dane shook his head in disapproval, mouthing pretty EYES, asshole, before resolutely looking down at his keyboard again.

Then Momoko hit a lovely melisma, and all the guys stopped discussion of her various body parts as they simply listened to her sing.

It was breathtaking.

When the last notes of the song died out, everyone was silent for a few seconds.

"Why don't we go out to the booth and talk for a few minutes, Momoko? Do you have time?" Tommy suggested, gesturing.

She shrugged. "Sure."

When they were all seated, and she'd been given a bottle of water, Tommy spoke again. "So, Momoko, tell us a little about yourself."

"Does this mean you're at least considering me? Even though I'm a G-I-R-L?" she asked with a laugh. "Have we moved on to the interview portion of the audition?"

The guys smiled, and Sullivan nodded. "We have," he answered with a nod. "Start with your name, it's pretty unusual."

"Well, I'm half Japanese, that's all. It's written 'Peach child,' in Japanese, and my Japanese mother named me that because she thought I looked like a little peach when I was a baby." She looked around. "Believe it or not, I didn't have any hair when I was born."

Jude, Sullivan, Dane and Tommy were staring at her, as though fascinated by her every word.

"So I lived in Japan until college, then I moved to New York," she finished with a shrug.