The Boys in the Band (Reverse Harem)

Chapter 16: Snapdragon

"This hotel is way nicer than the place I'd booked us into," Jude enthused as they walked down the hall toward their rooms. "First of all, it's an actual hotel, not a motel, which is a step up."

"I love hotels," Momoko told the boys. "My family didn't travel much in Japan, so I think it's so fun!" She opened the door to her room and disappeared inside. "I just wish I had a roommate," she called back. "It's much more fun when there's someone to share with."

The boys took their stuff to their rooms, then all quickly congregated in Momoko's room, draping themselves on the furniture, or in Sullivan's case, on her bed.

"We won't be spending much time here, anyway," he said, popping the tab on a soda. "We have to get to the venue and set up, then it's showtime, then it's just back here to sleep, then up tomorrow and off to the next venue."

Momoko lay down next to him, resting her head where his arm met his shoulder. "That's no fun," she complained. "No time to enjoy the room? No time to write letters on the stationery or use all the bath products?"

Tommy lifted his head from where it rested on the back of the chair to look at her. "Did you say 'write letters on the stationery'? Oh my god, what kind of goober are you?"

Dane whipped out a hand to whack him on the chest. "Manners, Tomás."

Momoko flounced off the bed and opened the drawer of the desk, pulling out the pad and envelopes. "I don't care what you call me, Mr. Ruiz, I have twenty minutes until we have to be downstairs, I'm writing a letter to my cousin in Kawasaki, so shut up and get out of my room if you're going to make fun of me."

She found the hotel pen and began writing, quickly getting lost in her thoughts.

Jude came and looked over her shoulder for a moment then said, "Whoa, guys, come and look at this, it's insane."

Momoko was, of course, writing in Japanese, the characters flowing thick and fast from her pen.

"Wow, Peaches, what are you writing?" Dane asked.

"Nothing important, just telling her about the bus ride, the hotel, how hot and nice you guys are, you know," Momoko said, shrugging.

"You look like some kind of genius," Sullivan said. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

Momoko smiled and continued to write.

She bought stamps at the front desk and dropped it in the mail box in the lobby before they got back on the bus to head over to the venue. Tonight it was a club called Snapdragon, a place that fit about five hundred between the tables around the sides and the floor.

"Oh my god, are those people waiting for us? I mean you?" Momoko gasped when they pulled up to the back of the club.

For there was indeed a small crowd hanging around the fence, seemingly waiting for the arrival of the bus. They began waving and jumping up and down when it pulled into the parking lot. Someone opened the gate and the bus rolled through, leaving the people on the other side. They immediately ran to the fence, hanging on it and holding up their phones.

"How did they even know when we were going to be here?" Dane asked.

"What do you mean?" Momoko asked. "The show's tonight, when else would we be here?"

"No, I know, I mean, we've done shows like this, but we've never had fans waiting for us to show up at the venue before," he marveled.

"I put together a couple of radio ads," Kay said. "Just thirty second spots, they've been running for the past few days, maybe that's what did it?" She smiled at the band and shrugged. "Or maybe you've just hit the tipping point. Don't get too excited, there might not be any fans at the next stop. Or there might be more, who knows? Anyway, enjoy it while you can, go over and meet them."