True to their fashion Lizzy and Devon arrived at the airport half dressed and Oz arrived all set to go. They made it to the plane and settled back in their seats for the long flight westward.
“Mmm, first class,” Lizzy sighed as she sipped her soda.
“Yeah, this is really nice.” It was ten a.m. and Devon was already drinking alcohol. Oz was already snoring away across the aisle.
“I don’t think he slept much last night,” Lizzy said as she gestured at Oz. “To excited to sleep.”
“He has wanted this for a long time hasn’t he?”
“All his life. I’m just glad I could come along for the ride. It sounds really corny but it’s true.”
“Yeah, we are really lucky aren’t we?”
Lizzy was suddenly feeling very sentimental, she took Devon’s hand and said, “I’m glad I’m here with you.” She was looking straight into his chocolate-brown eyes and he wanted to kiss her. Those electric-blue eyes were hard to resist.
“Me too.” Not exactly eloquent but he needed to say something. She smiled at him and laid his hand down. Devon almost had enough courage built up to kiss her when she looked into his eyes but then he remembered Johnny. He had no chance against Johnny.
Their plane landed a couple of hours later. They found their luggage and got picked up by a posh limo. The hotel they were staying in was even nicer. Each of the three had a suite.
“Not bad, not bad at all,” Lizzy commented as she entered her room and dropped her bags.
“I agree,” Oz called from his own room.
“Perfect for a little entertaining,” Devon was thinking about bringing a girl back already.
The Love Dolls were scheduled to begin recording the very next morning. It wouldn’t take that long because all the songs were well rehearsed. All songs that they had performed dozens of times.
The recording sessions went well, even though Devon was hungover and Lizzy was lonely. When they weren’t recording they were doing the LA thing. Parties, Disneyland, Clubs, the whole bit.
The album turned out exactly the way they wanted it to and they released their first single. “Deliriously Dreaming” began to get a little air play but they needed a video for it. They had one week off before they made the video.
Lizzy danced around Oz’s room singing, “Johnny’s coming, Johnny’s coming.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve heard that in the past week” Oz was just pretending to be annoyed with her. He was glad Lizzy was so happy, she deserved it. Maybe their next album would have some love ballads. That’s how Oz could tell what was going on in her life, he read her songs.
“Sorry, babe,” she sang as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m just so happy.”
“Come on, why don’t we go to the airport now. We could get a drink while we wait.”
“Fabulous idea.” They caught a taxi in the pouring rain.
Oz and Lizzy spent an hour in the airport bar. Oz kept her mind off of Johnny by talking her up. If there was anything that could keep her busy it was talking. Get her going and she would never stop. Usually it was annoying but it was a lot less annoying than “Johnny’s coming, Johnny’s coming.”
His plane was supposed to be there in ten minutes when they arrived at the gate. Oz sat down but Lizzy couldn’t stay still. She paced in front of the wall of windows. Finally, she saw the plane taxi towards the gate. Lizzy rushed over to the ropes and bounced in place watching for Johnny. Oz got up and walked towards her.
“Calm down, calm down. He’ll be here any minute.”
“I’m trying, it’s just that I miss him so much.”
Johnny must have been just as anxious because he was the second person off the plane. Johnny dropped his bags and opened his arms to her. She jumped into his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him hard.
“Okay, okay, you two get a room. People are getting a free show here.” Oz couldn’t help but laugh as he said this. Johnny set Lizzy down and they untangled themselves from one another. The three of them walked towards the loading zone.
“Thanks for coming along Oz,” she kissed him on the cheek and gave him a tight squeeze, “but I think we’re gonna go grab some dinner.”
“All right, love. Have fun.” He kissed her back.
They got in separate cabs and went their own ways. Johnny and Lizzy ended up at a restaurant two blocks away from the hotel. After a lovely dinner they decided to go back to the hotel. They couldn’t find a cab so they hiked it through the pouring rain. They were dripping by the time they got to the hotel.
She unlocked her hotel room door and stepped inside.
“Man, I’m soaked,” she said as she pealed off her coat.
“We gotta stop meeting like this.” He laughed as he pulled her into a kiss.
She love waking up in his arms. She felt so safe and comfortable. Lizzy snuck out to the phone and ordered them some breakfast. She tiptoed back into the room where Johnny lay sleeping. She crawled across the bed and straddled him.
“Sweety. Johnny. Honey.” She whispered in his ear. He began to stir under her. She kissed him softly at first then he kissed her back harder. “Mmm, come on, get up, I ordered breakfast for us.”
“Huh-uh, not yet, come here.” He rolled her over and kissed her again.
“No, no, no,” she scolded playfully, “breakfast now, playtime later.”
“Oh come on.”
She pulled him off the bed just as someone tapped on the door.
“Room service.”
“Be right there,” she called sweetly.
Lizzy and Johnny spent the next four days together, but Lizzy was tortured the entire time. She thought she was falling in love with him. She wanted to tell him but she was scared. What if he didn’t feel the same way?
Friday night after dinner they were slow dancing in a club. She was giddy and dazed form wine, cologne, and love. Now she was feeling a little more open and willing to talk. She brought her head up from his chest and her lips to his ear.
“Johnny.”
“Hmmm.”
“I love you, Johnny Rzeznik.” She couldn’t see him smile.
“I love you too, Elizabeth Lynn.”
That Saturday night they began shooting for “Deliriously Dreaming.” They decided to use Lizzy and Devon as the couple on the verge of a breakup in the video. The video turned out beautifully and they were all pleased. Now it was time to tour.
True to her word Silvia broke up with Oz but before they left for the tour he decided to call her. Bad idea. Terrible idea. He told her he loved her and she told him to fuck off. Well at least he could say he gave it one last go, but it still hurt.
Devon spent the entire time in LA with one girl. This was a record for Devon. He told her he had to leave and that a long distance relationship wouldn’t work. He would call her next time he was in LA. That’s just what Devon does.
They were all going home for a few days to gather up everything they needed to live while on tour. Lizzy and Johnny would say goodbye there. As their plane took off Lizzy kissed her finger tips and pressed the to the window.
“Goodbye Los Angeles.”
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The Love Dolls