Ever wondered what was happening in Slash's life in 2009, while he was busy working on his first solo album, and his marriage was facing some challenges?
Los Angeles, March 2009. Mia flourishes at Paramount Pictures while captivating crowds as the f...
Kyle was right. It was indeed fucking Eric Avery. He was engrossed in conversation with Frank Terry, the famous music journalist, and they seemed to be having a good time. But Mia knew appearances could be deceiving; in Hollywood, you had to learn how to look uber-interested and amused while making small talk at parties.
As Kyle circled around Avery, waiting for a chance to approach him, Mia tried to scan the crowd, but her weak eyes struggled in the dim lighting. Clutching her whiskey glass, she decided to retreat to the other corner of the hall, where she could secretly observe the crowd in peace. Damn, where was Pam anyway? She checked her messages and found a text from her bestie: "grr8 show babe, im sorry i gotta without sayin goodbye to u but tell me everything tomorrow!"
Just as she was staring at the text, two guys approached her. They were big, with faded tattoos and bloated faces. The older one, who had to be over 50, wore a warm, polite smile.
"Hi, Mia, not to disturb you, but may I say that you blew our minds today!" he exclaimed.
Mia thanked him, and the second guy chimed in, "It's a great band, really. We just love your style. Where are your bandmates?"
Before Mia could reply, the first guy interjected, "They should not have left this lady here alone with us old farts, right Harry?" He laughed, revealing yellowed teeth. "Oh, where are my manners? Mia, this is Harry Lewis, and I am Joe Fontana."
It turned out that they were the owners of a nearby carpet cleaning service who had somehow managed to sneak into the party by pulling a few strings. The two men were die-hard rock 'n' roll fans who had been catching live shows at the venue since their 20s. After some small talk and reminiscing about the '80s, Mia quickly made up an excuse to find another quiet spot. She cursed Pam silently, wondering why her she was never around when she was needed.
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The bar appeared less crowded and more approachable now, so Mia saw no harm in getting herself a beer. Adam was no longer there, and she spotted Billy engrossed in conversation with one of the "Helicopter" guys. She decided to take her beer and light up a cigarette outside. That's when she noticed Chris, the venue manager, walking up to her with her trademark cheerful smile.
"Hey, Mia! Great show tonight, girl! Are you enjoying the party?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, it's amazing. Can't wait to meet the 'someones'!" Mia replied, tucking her cigarette back into her purse.
"You sure? You look like you're avoiding meeting the someones," Chris said, smiling.
Uh-oh, busted. Mia hated it when people picked up on her introverted moments. She gestured towards the crowd, where everyone seemed to be having fun. "Just taking in the view! Any particular people I should avoid?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"I guess just those two carpet cleaners, and you're good to go!" Chris replied.
"Oh, the bloaty-faced, yellow teeth guys? Sadly they could not be avoided," Mia said, making a funny, sad face with squinted eyes. Chris burst into very unexpected laughter, accidentally spitting out her vodka martini and even spilling a little on someone's arm.
"Oh, my God, so sorry!" Chris apologized, still laughing. "Oh, god, never mind... It's my man Slash!" Chris exclaimed, giving the guy who indeed appeared to be Slash, a friendly hug.
"It's fine," mumbled Slash with a smile. The room was so dark, and his face was disguised by his curly black hair under a baseball cap and sunglasses. Mia probably wouldn't even notice him if it weren't for Chris' ridiculous explosion.
Chris, still giggling, said, "Let's get that cleaned up, man... I'm sooo sorry." As the bartender handed them some tissues, Chris pointed at Mia and said, "It's totally Mia's fault. She made me snort out my drink with what she said... Have you two met?"
"No, but I watched her tonight," Slash replied in a barely audible voice, reaching out for a handshake.
"Hey, nice to meet you," Mia replied. "Did you enjoy our performance?"
"Yeah, it was fucking killer," he said. "Your vocals are pretty fucking amazing."
Slash had a warm smile, but Mia couldn't make eye contact with him due to his sunglasses. He wore a blue t-shirt with a Mickey Mouse print. Chris was already distracted by other guests, and now they were alone.
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After a brief pause, Slash surprised her by saying, "I think we have run into each other before in studios and whatnot."
Really? He remembered her?
Mia decided to play it cool. "It's a small town." she smiled.
"I really like how you guys sound. You should try and make more songs of your own. You guys could go really big, and you have fantastic vocals..." Slash said, sounding sincere. "There aren't too many kick-ass female frontwomen out there, and this... shouldn't go to waste."
Mia thanked him for his compliments, choosing not to reveal her low ambitions. "Thanks for the ego boost man! We love what we do, and we work hard. We just want the fans to have a good time and come back for more..."
Slash was about to reply when Adam and Kyle suddenly showed up and joined their conversation. "If I heard right, was Slash just saying nice things about us?" Adam smiled, introducing himself and Kyle to the famous guitarist. "Such an honor to meet you, man," said Kyle with a shy smile. Mia wondered where Johnny was. Well, Johnny wasn't a huge fan of Slash's guitar playing, but he would have still wanted to say hi...
Adam said, "Please don't go anywhere. I'll go get Johnny," while Kyle went to the bar to get a drink, asking Slash and Mia if they wanted something.
As a reflex, Mia caught a glimpse of Slash's left hand. There was no wedding ring. Slash turned to her, leaning close to her ear, and said, "Listen, it was nice to talk to you. I really gotta go find my friend now, but I'll see ya 'round, okay? And sorry I couldn't hang out more with your bandmates."
Mia, trying to overlook the fact that his hair touching hers made her blush and feel all hot, replied, "Alright, see ya later."
Man, what was that? she thought, still feeling all flustered. Was it just her or was he a really cute, shy guy? And what the fuck with the sudden hot flash?
Just seconds after Slash walked away, Adam and Kyle approached. They couldn't find Johnny. Mia shrugged, and the two boys did the same in disappointment. They decided to walk towards the bar to get their last shots before heading home.
