At four p.m. true to their own fashion they arrived. Oz was all ready to go and unloaded the van. Devon hadn’t even got his pants on yet. Lizzy was still tying her boots and hadn’t done her hair or make-up.
At seven p.m. they were all dressed and ready to go for the first set. Oz in blue jeans, sneakers, and a loose-fitting tee-shirt with his curly, reddish-blond hair hanging in his face. Devon wore skin tight leather pants, combat boots, a black tank top, and his black hair spiked. Lizzy wore her curly, blond hair loose and in her face, tight leather pants, a metallic purple tank top, and glittery eye-shadow with heavy black liner. There was no doubt that they were a rock band.
The seven p.m. and nine p.m. sets went smoothly with much applause. The eleven p.m. set was the longest, ninety minutes, and that’s when the club was the busiest. Little did they know how important this set really was.
The set went amazingly, better than any they had ever played before. Half of the songs they played were some of Lizzy’s songs that they had perfected. The other half were covers of Goo Goo Dolls, Tonic, and Oleander, all songs they liked and Lizzy could pull off vocally. The last song of the night was a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls’ song “Full Forever,” Lizzy’s favorite. They walked off stage and rushed out to the club to party for the rest of the night. Devon ran off to get a drink and a girl. Lizzy and Oz went to find a table to sit down.
They grabbed a table in the very exclusive balcony. They were immediately approached by two men who they couldn’t quite recognize in the dark and smoke of the room.
“Hi, you guys are pretty good,” the first one with the long hair and tinted glasses said.
“Thank you,” Lizzy replied straining to see the men through the dark.
“Mind if we sit down.” The second one still wasn’t speaking.
“Go right ahead.” Oz sat back not speaking, being his usual skeptical self.
“Let us buy you some drinks.” The first man summoned a waitress as he sat down.
“Two beers and...” he looked at her.
“A whiskey sour. Oz what do you want?”
“A kamikaze,” only Oz could make ordering a drink sound skeptical.
“I’m Lizzy Lynn and this is Jay Osborne but you can call him Oz.”
“I’m Jonathan Davis and my silent partner over there is Head.” Head nodded causing his dreads to bounce around his head. “I should probably explain why we came to find you because we have to leave soon.” The waitress set their drinks in front of them, interrupting Jonathan. She walked off.
“Well, you’ve got our attention, continue,” Lizzy shouted over the DJ.
“Well, we started ElemenTree Records recently and we are always on the look out for new talent. Now we need a girl band or a chick fronted band. We’ve seen a lot within the past couple of weeks but you’re the best of them all. To get to the point, we want to sign you.”
“Wow! I, uh, wow!” She couldn’t form a sentence. Oz being more level-headed, set up a meeting for the next week and thanked them for the drinks as they left.
Lizzy was too stunned to get up but Oz felt like mingling so he left her alone at the table. She finished her drink and started on his as she replayed the events over and over again in her head.
“Hi, mind if I join you?”
She jumped at the sound of his voice. “Oh my god, you scared the shit out of me,” she said as she put a hand to her chest, as if to stop her racing pulse.
“I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry. I just wanted to have a drink with you.” As before she could not see him very well in the club, but he seemed nice enough.
“Mmm, go ahead. I could certainly use the company.” She decided to flirt because she didn’t feel like going home quite yet or maybe it was alone.
As he sat down she gasped for air. She recognized this man immediately. There was no need for introductions on his part.
“Hi, I’m Johnny Rzeznik and you are...?”
“Elizabeth Lynn but, uh, you can call me Lizzy.”
“Well, Lizzy, you’re band is really good.”
All she could think of at that point was all the Goo Goo Dolls’ songs they played. She realized he was waiting for a response. “Thank you. I just love your band.” They talked until both of their drinks were finished.
“Come dance with me,” Lizzy said as she stood up and put her hand out to him.
“Oh no, I can’t dance,” he pleaded.
“Come on, it’s a slow one and I don’t bite. Unless asked,” she played coy with him. She walked over to him and pulled him to his feet. He pretended to resist but let her lead him to the dance floor by his hand.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked straight up into his blue eyes. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her tighter. They began to sway to the music. She became dizzy from his cologne and her own emotions. He went weak in the knees when he touched her. The song ended but neither of them wanted to let go.
“Come back to my apartment and have a drink with me,” she whispered sweetly in his ear.
“Okay,” he smiled into her hair.
“Oh wait, my roommate’s at home.”
“All right my place then.”
“Let’s go.”
She took his hand and pulled him towards the door. They grabbed their coats and ran through the rain to his apartment. It was only two blocks away but they were soaked through by the time they got there. They took the elevator up to the twelfth floor and Johnny let them into his apartment.
“Oh man, I’m soaked,” she said as she peeled off her coat.
“Let me get you some dry clothes to change into,” he said as he slipped off his coat and shoes. He quickly returned in dry clothes with a button down, cotton shirt and a pair of sweats for her.
“The bathroom is right down the hall,” he said as he handed her the clothes.
“Thank you, hun.” She walked back to the bathroom. She flipped the switch and shut the door behind her. She pulled off her sopping wet clothes. Man, leather stinks when it’s wet. She laid her clothes over the shower to dry. She put on the black shirt and buttoned it up. She pulled on the sweats but they were too big and she couldn’t keep them up. The shirt fell to the middle of her thighs and that was long enough for her. She checked herself in the mirror and primped her hair slightly. She wandered out of the bathroom to find him.
“I hope you like martinis,” he said as he handed her a glass. She took a sip and smiled at him. She wasn’t interested in the drink, she just wanted him.
“Come here,” she said as she walked towards him. She gently grabbed the back of his head and pulled him down to kiss him.
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The Love Dolls