The Boys in the Band (Reverse Harem)

Chapter 27: There, or Not There?

"It's weird!" Tommy complained.

They were backstage, waiting to go on, and Momoko was putting the finishing touches on her outfit, which tonight was a deep magenta A-line mini dress with brilliants all over it. Under it she wore a pair of sparkly black thigh highs and black stilettos. She wore her hair in two braids, and two magenta feather earrings finished up her ensemble.

"What's weird?" asked Sully, who was just stepping out of the bathroom.

"You know how Momoko always smells so good?" At Sully's nod, Tommy continued. "Well, because he spent all that time in the tub with her this afternoon, now Jude smells just like her."

Jude smiled and fell across Tommy's lap. "You know you love it," he teased, snuggling into Tommy's body. "Here', take a deep whiff and pretend I'm her--I'll even give you a snog--"

"Get the fuck off!" Tommy laughed, trying to shift Jude's dead weight off his body. "You English freak."

"Why d'you always have to bring my nationality into things?" Jude asked as he rose. "I don't do that to you, do I? You never hear me say, 'Tommy, you Mexican wanker,' do you?"

"Oh, please, you call him that just about every day," Dane declared with a snort.

"I do, don't I?" Jude acknowledged with a smirk. "Blast."

"Come sit by me, Jude," Sully requested. "I want to see if you really smell like Momoko."

Jude obligingly went and sat next to Sully, leaning in.

Sullivan closed his eyes and inhaled deeply of the fragrance of Jude. "Yeah, you do smell pretty good," he admitted. "Very floral and perfumy. It's nice." He grabbed Jude and hugged him. "This doesn't feel nearly as pleasant, though," he added. "You need to grow some boobs, dude." He released Jude. "Peaches, come here," he called.

Momoko turned and tock tocked over to where Sullivan sat in her stilettos, adjusting her bra as she walked. "Yeah?"

Sully pulled her down into his lap and hugged her, planting a kiss on her neck as he gave her breast a friendly squeeze. "Now this is what I'm talking about," he declared. "Mm, way better than hugging that skinny Limey." He finally released her, setting her carefully on her feet.

"Again with the slur on my Englishness," Jude said, flapping his hand against his side. "Just where do you think your ancestors came from, hm, Mister Sullivan Palmer?" Jude slapped Sully playfully in the chest. "That's a good English name, I'll have you know. "You're probably more English than I am, I think most of my family came from Ireland and Wales a while back."

The door opened and a girl stuck her head in. "Five minutes, guys." She nearly shut the door, but then opened it again. "And it's an overflow crowd, way to go." She gave them a thumbs up and a smile, then closed the door for real.

"I have to pee," Momoko declared.

"No you don't," Dane assured her. "You just went before you put on your thigh highs and garter, remember? Because you said it was a pain in the ass to go after you put it on?"

"Oh yeah," Momoko answered, nodding. "So why do I feel like I have to go again?"

"It's psychosomatic," Tommy answered. He stood in front of her, rubbing her shoulders briskly. "Like when you feel like you want to throw up."

"How did you know that?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Know what?"

"That I wanted to throw up."

Tommy took a deep breath and smiled. "Just a lucky guess. But that's my point, Peaches, you don't, not really. Once you get out there, all of this will just slip away, and you're going to rock it, like you always do, right?" He nodded encouragingly, looking at her, blinking his gorgeous brown eyes.