Teri was in a tizzy. She didn’t want to tell Jenn that the band was all going to a club tonight after playing. She worried it might upset things between them. She was afraid it would open up too many cans of worms and was tired of being on the defensive.
Before they left for the House of Blues to play, she texted Tiffany and asked her to send a photo of what she was going to wear. Tiffany had said earlier that she was going straight from the show to the club. Teri was at a loss and was wondering if Tiffany’s outfit could give her an idea of what she should wear. Was club wear the same as a stage costume?
There was a knock on the door, and Tiffany announced that she was outside. After opening the door, Teri watched Tiffany stroll into the room.
“Hey, Little. I’ve decided to be your support person tonight. You should look closely at my gorgeous outfit and savor the beauty that stands before you.”
Tiffany was wearing bright blue satin hot pants. Teri thought they were the tightest, tiniest, cutest hot pants ever.
She couldn’t take her eyes from Tiffany’s crotch. “Uh, they’re beautiful. You are beautiful. They are so tight and so tiny. You should be declared illegal.”
Tiffany grabbed her, pulling her in tightly. So close that their boobs were mashed against each other. Then, she looked Teri in the eyes as she kissed her on the lips and kissed her again.
Teri moaned, feeling the heat bubbling up inside her. She felt her breath grow shorter, her heart beat faster, and she knew her eyes were growing wider. She opened her mouth to speak, but Tiffany stuck her thumb in there, causing Teri to suck down hard.
Tiffany continued to grip her fiercely and slathered kisses on her ears, neck, and eyelids. She whispered, “You like this, right?”
Teri sucked down on Tiffany’s thumb and nodded her head up and down.
Tiffany pushed her back, holding her at arm’s length. “You are amazing. I’ve never seen anyone go from zero to one hundred miles an hour so quickly. Jenn must love turning you on. You are such an eager puppy.”
Teri felt Tiffany pull her thumb away and grab her chin. She was getting dizzy from what Tiffany was doing to her. Her voice sounded hoarse. “You’re making me crazy," she said.
“Did Zoe make you crazy like this the other day?”
Teri was dumbfounded. “She told you?”
“Of course, all of us share. I told her that was the most selfless thing she could have given you. I know Gina mentioned something, but I never realized you had such a quick trigger. Did you just have an orgasm?”
Teri nodded her head. “A little one, just one.”
“Hmmm. When you and Jenn are going at it, how many orgasms do you have?”
“Big ones or little ones?”
“Tell Mother.”
“Lots of little ones and maybe four or five big ones.”
“How many does Jenn have?”
“I like to bring her to at least three or four.”
Tiffany stood back and released her tight grip on Teri. “Okay, sex kitten. Time to check out the rest of the outfit.”
Teri saw that she was wearing a matching bolero-length jacket in the same material. It was perfectly tailored to her body. Teri watched as she pulled off her jacket to reveal an ivory-colored chemise covered in lace.
“Oh, wow, Tiff. You look amazing. And you’re not afraid to wear this to a dance club?”
“Oh, no, honey. And check out the shoes.”
Teri looked down to see that she was wearing flats in the same blue as her outfit.
“Pretty cool, huh?”
“Did you get all of that from Jersey Girl?”
“Of course. I just ask.”
Teri knew she was staring, but Tiffany wanted to be stared at.
“Now, Little. Let’s see what you were thinking of.”
Teri showed her three things: a shiny black jumpsuit, a pair of capris and a blouse, and a little black dress. “I didn’t know what was appropriate," she said.
Tiffany was nodding. “Do they all fit?”
Teri nodded.
“Okay. Let’s see the jumpsuit.”
Teri decided to get undressed in front of Tiffany and pulled off her yoga pants and tee. Her underwear was navy blue.
Tiffany reached over and cupped her breast. “Not fair, Little. You have more than me. All I have is an A-cup.”
Teri blushed and took the opportunity to slip on the jumpsuit before Tiffany decided to explore her more. Her little appendage was small enough that she barely needed to tuck, but it didn’t belong on a woman.
Tiffany watched as she pulled up the tight, black jumpsuit that had molded to her body. It was shiny, with Capri-length pants and capped sleeves. One oversized black zipper ran up from her crotch to her chest.
As she was zipping it up, Tiffany reached out and stopped her hand when the zipper was below her breasts. They were exposed but not revealing a nipple. “That’s it, baby! That’s what you wear to a club.”
“But…”
“But, what?”
“But I’m exposed! I mean, I could just fall out.”
“Cool. You just tuck yourself back in like it happens all the time. You have to become the Queen of Cool tonight. And one more thing.”
Teri stopped to listen.
“No orgasms tonight. Don’t look for anyone or encourage anyone to hold you too close. Tonight you dance with us or by yourself. And if someone comes up behind you and grabs you, you spin around and step sideways. You’re not going hunting tonight for a new best friend.”
“You’re making me out like I’m an idiot.”
“No. You confusing going to a dance with a dance club. Try to rethink this evening. You’re picturing this like a high school dance where the boys all stand together and cross the gym one at a time to ask a girl to dance. That’s not a club scene. There is no couple dancing. It’s more like our forty-five-minute sets where the music never stops.”
“Picture this: The lights are flashing, the bass is thumping, and the music is so loud it consumes your senses. People go to clubs to let themselves go. Tonight, you’re going to lose your mind and let the music make you dance. It’s just supposed to be fun. Kinda like playing to sixty-five thousand people at a festival. Most of those people are just coming to have a mind-blowing good time.”
“Uh, you said most.”
“Right. Not everyone who goes to a club is good. There are pickpockets. There are perverts, and there are haters. You have to take some precautions. Never order a mixed drink that someone can drop shit into. You don’t want to get drugged up. Get a bottled beer or bottled water where you open the top. Just sip it. Hang on to it, but once you set it down, that’s it. Walk away and trash it. Just buy another.”
“And I’m going to be with you every step of the way. All of us are going tonight, and we’re going to circle the wagons to protect you. When we rest, we’ll get a table and just hang out until we’re ready to go again. We’ll screen all the guys who want to dance with you.”
“We’re all going to be your moms tonight. Thumbs up, thumbs down. If we don’t like the guy, we pull the cord, and the trap door takes him down to the shark and alligator pit, never to be seen again.”

“You’re acting like I can’t be trusted.”
“No, sweetie. We’re acting like it’s your first time and want you to have fun. Clubs are great and will give you a different perspective of being on the other end of our show. If you have orgasms dancing, well, join the club. That’s what it’s about.”
Teri nodded. “Okay, I get it, and I’m thankful that the Cats are going to keep me safe tonight. By the way. How old do you have to be to go to a club?”
“If they serve alcohol, you will need to show ID to get in. Do you still have your Tasha ID that says you’re twenty-two?”
Teri nodded.
“Good. Well, if you get carded, you’re covered. But I doubt that we’ll get carded tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because five beautiful dolls go straight to the front of the line. Your buddy Travis will use us to get in if there’s a line.”
“Why would there be a line at midnight”
“Clubs don’t open until ten, and they have to count their numbers for the Fire Marshal. So, are you excited?”
“Crazy excited.”

They were sitting down in the back of the House of Blues, eagerly watching the act on the stage. The D-City Band had two lead singers, two brass players, a bass player, a guitarist, and a drummer. The two singers also played a keyboard and bongos. They opened with a lot of Motown mixed in with Eminem, Bob Seger, and some amazing soul legends.
As they watched, Teri turned to her sister. “They’re playing all Detroit acts, lots of talented people.”
Lisa nodded. “But so far, all I’ve heard are covers. I’m wondering if they have any originals.”
Ten minutes later, the male singer came up and said, “Bruno Mars wrote this tune for us.”
After that, they would announce that different artists had penned songs for them. It became apparent that Warner’s was feeding them songs, and they were stylizing them.
Zoe whispered, “They’re really good. There's a lot of talent there.” Lisa looked at them. Where are their weak points?”
Gina laughed, “Percussion.”
Tiffany turned and said, “Better horns.”
Lisa looked at Teri. “You want to write some songs for them? I’m sure Wiggins would love that.”
Teri laughed. “Well, I’m pretty busy right now, and I don’t think they’d dig the Vampire songs we wrote for EBR.”

Later, after the opening act had disappeared, they were all strapped in and standing on the stage. Teri looked out and wondered what this audience would think after listening to the D-City Band. Before she could think about it, Gina started pounding on her drums, and a voice on the PA system simply said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Please Welcome The Wildcats.”
They vanished if she had any doubts that this crowd had come to see them. As they all stepped to the front and the spotlights found them, Teri could see everyone on their feet clapping along. Then, she heard Zoe yell out into her mic, “C’mon, Teri. Play that guitar!”
She was suddenly struck by the soul of Eddie Van Halen moving through her. Wrenching feedback, bending notes, playing high-speed strings with the fingers from both her hands and chording like a maniac, she lit the place up. After a minute or two, she realized that the show was just beginning. Remembering Lisa’s sage advice, “It’s not a sprint; It’s a marathon," she yelled into her mic, “C’mon, Zoe!”
While she passed the lead over to Zoe, Tiffany filled in the bottom with high-speed super bass that echoed off the walls. Before long, Lisa stood at the mic and yelled out, “Hello Detroit!" and began singing the opening lyrics of Run, Run, Gone!
The whole place was with them shouting back, “Run!” along with the entire band. After playing the song through twice, Zoe stepped on the ending of the song with the opening chords from Downward Spiral.
And they were off.
After fifty minutes of non-stop playing, the band stopped so Lisa could talk to the crowd. “Thank you, Detroit! We're excited to play for you tonight and tomorrow at The House of Blues. And how about the D-City Band? Aren’t they great?”
Waiting for the applause to die down, she waved and pointed out the members of the band. Each was getting applause, but Tiffany and Teri were getting whoops and hollers, too. Lisa read the crowd and looked at Tiffany. As if it was mental telepathy, she started her bass introduction to Show Me Some Love, which had everyone up on their feet and dancing. As each instrument joined in, Tiffany came to the mic. She turned and stared at Teri from across the stage. Then she started softly cooing. “Oh, Teri. You look so wonderful tonight.”
The crowds roared and ate it up.
Tiffany looked at the crowd and then turned again to Teri, who was playing and watching but did not acknowledge Tiffany. “Oh, Teri. You look so sexy tonight.” She emphasized sexy.
Teri turned and looked at Tiffany as if to ask, "Where did you come from?" “Oh, Tiffany…”
Tiffany’s voice was dripping with passion. “Oh, Teri. You make my heart beat faster.”
Teri repeated, “Oh, Tiffany.” And moaned.
Tiffany fanned herself and said, “Oh, Teri. I love you.”
Teri just started moaning.

Lisa had moved to the Theremin and started getting spacey sounds from it. Zoe had begun using her amp and guitar to provide feedback and a cacophony of various noises. Tiffany stated blasting away on her bass, and Teri used a glass slide on one finger to bend notes. Gina was going crazy back on her drums.
As the noise grew louder, Tiffany started repeating, “Oh, Teri," and clicked a foot pedal that added those words to a looping machine.
Teri did the same thing with her moans until the entire place was lifted high and away from Detroit on their orgasmic ride.
Then Zoe stopped playing, Lisa stopped her Theremin, and Teri stopped and clicked off her moaning loop.
All that was left was Tiffany going back to the starting basic baseline and the loop of her moaning over and over, “Oh, Teri," until she clicked her foot pedal and stopped playing. She leaned into the mic and whispered, “We’ll be back in a few minutes. Get your phones out and ready.”

As they walked off the stage to the cheering crowd, Zoe turned and smiled at Lisa. “Good call, coach. You heard what they wanted and gave it to them.”
“Right, but where does that leave us for our Show Us Your Love ending?” Tiffany was puzzled.
Lisa nodded. “We do the song without the space twins. Just the music and the lyrics. They’ll be busy chanting along.”

Richard appeared. “Excuse me, Teri. Do you have a minute?”
Teri smiled. “Sure, Richard. What’s up?”
Richard whispered in her ear, and Teri smiled. Then she returned to the group, which had already put on their Fur Face suits.
“What was that about?”
“Just some arrangement ideas about our encore. Richard thought we should do something special just for Detroit.”
Lisa was talking out loud. “We did the Detroit Wheels medley with Smith in North Carolina.” She stopped and looked at her sister. “No. You didn’t!”
Teri just grinned and watched Smith walk up behind her.
Lisa saw where all the eyes were turned. She turned and fell into the arms of her boyfriend, Smith Walters.
Tiffany laughed. “How’d you do that, Little?”
Teri shrugged. “I was talking to Bill about some of the arrangements that I’d written up for Eaten’s new album. And I mentioned that we were in Detroit, then Chicago. I wondered aloud how doing an encore with Smith would be so cool. And then maybe do some real Chicago blues on Saturday night. You heard his harp and how he did a great job with Howlin’ Wolf and Buddy Guy.”
Gina was laughing. “And you and Bill, as in William Wiggins, head of Warner’s, just made it happen.”
Teri smiled. “I don’t know. Bill said something about their jet flying in to watch our Chicago show. So I suggested he come early and bring Smith.”
They were all still watching Lisa and Smith kissing. Zoe asked, “So Wiggins is here?”
“Nah. He flew on to Chicago for meetings. So Smith has a round trip ticket back to LA from Chicago.”
“Is that where EBR is practicing and recording?”
“Just practicing. Their album was recorded in the little studio where we practiced. You remember, down in the Treme.”
“How are you doing the arrangements if you’re here?”
“Oh, that’s already finished. Now they’re revitalizing some of their old songs, and I’m helping with the arrangements.”
“Well, somebody needs to tell Lisa to come up for air. The little yellow chick needs to be out on stage.”
Lisa came up and hugged her sister. “Oh, my God! I love you!”

The stage lights went up as the five Wildcats waddled out on stage. The crowd cheered and chanted "Fur Face."
When Lisa donned Teri’s guitar, pressed some buttons, and began playing a heavy metal three-chord pattern. Zoe played the dirtiest, screaming guitar as Teri stepped to the mic.
There was no way that Teri, dressed as a brown and white bunny with huge floppy ears, could muster a scowl as she began singing the lyrics to Fur Face. And the crowd loved it as they sang along. But when Tiffany stood at her mic and did her rap, the crowd went wild and rapped with her.
After the last verse and chorus, the stage went black. They were still chanting “Fur Face” when the spotlight found Teri seated at the concert grand piano playing the introduction to Bach’s Concerto for Cello and Piano. Everyone listened.
Then, a spotlight found Tiffany sitting on a stool, her long, beautiful legs wrapped tightly around her electric cello. You could have heard a pin drop as five thousand people sat, watched, and listened to her performance.
A third spotlighted Lisa as she sang the lyrics to their new song, Chances. The audience heard every word as the piano and cello accompanied her. The sound of Zoe’s feedback began rumbling throughout the silence of the hall. As she walked to the front, eyes were on her as she swayed and played.
When Teri’s guitar and Tiffany’s roaring bass joined Gina pounding her drums, Chances became a hard-rocking song played by five true musicians. As Lisa screamed and shouted the words, forming a fifth instrument, the crowd was enjoying something new and crazy.
But just as it started, soon, all that was left was Zoe still playing her loud rock. When she stopped, Teri was back at the piano playing Chances as if Bach had written it himself. People gasped when Tiffany returned to her cello and played. When Teri’s part ended, Tiffany played the most beautiful ending to Bach’s Concerto for Piano and Cello.
When she stopped, she just sat there until the roar of the audience consumed her. She stood, curtsied, and the light went out.
When all the Cats appeared back on stage, they played the remainder of their songs, ending with Summer Song and Show Me Some Love. When they walked off the stage, they all knew they were coming back for an encore.

When the band returned, Lisa talked about their new album of live and studio songs. She explained that everything except Chances and Bach were on there. “You’ll have to wait for Chances because it’s a song for the movie coming out this fall with Brad Pitt and George Clooney. And another guy in it was the lead singer of Eaten By Raptors. But EBR is so long ago that nobody probably remembers those guys.”
As everybody cheered and chanted E-B-R repeatedly, Teri began the introduction of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels hit version of Devil With A Blue Dress and Good Golly Miss Molly! on their synthesizer. As he did, a guy walked out on stage wearing jeans, scuffed boots, and a pressed, white Western shirt. He picked up the mic and began to sing.
The audience recognized the voice from nine years ago because their hits were still playing all the time on the radio. Lisa shouted out, “Smith Walters, Smith Walters!”
As Smith sang, the Wildcats became the Detroit Wheels, playing and singing backup until Zoe played that recognizable guitar intro to Good Golly, Miss Molly! Lisa and Smith shared the lead in the song.

“You know your sister isn’t going clubbing with us, not with Smith here.”
“Yeah, I figured that. I even wondered if clubbing was even a guy thing.”
“It’s more of an age thing for him. But you didn’t hear it from me.”
“Hey, are we still going?”
“Sure. But watch. Zoe’s gonna bail next.”
“Baby?”
“Uh-huh.”

Teri, Gina, Tiffany, Travis, and Leon all walked into the club together. Gina slid two fifties into the bouncer’s hand as he waved them through. As they weaved through the mass of dancing bodies, Teri held Tiffany’s hand firmly and looked all around. She couldn’t hear anything, and the music overwhelmed her senses. Travis led them to a roped-off section, and they all sat down at a table marked reserved.
The Wildcats all stared at him.
Travis blushed. “I went to school with the owner’s son.”
Tiffany said, “High school?”
“Uh, grad school.”
Tiffany was shocked. “How old are you?”
Travis blushed. “Twenty-five. Engineering. That’s why I wanted to work with Phil. And my dad knows Mr. Wiggins, so they put in the good word.”
“You need an advanced degree to move amplifiers?”
“Sure. After years of classes, touring is awesome! He looked up to see a waitress standing there. “Beers?”
Teri made the mistake of drinking hers too fast. Realizing that she should have ordered water. After emptying her bottle, she put both hands on the table and stood. She shouted above the music, “Who wants to dance?”
As they all downed their beers, Teri followed Tiffany to the dance floor. People opened up a hole as the tall blonde danced her way to the middle of the crowd. The five of them formed a circle and started dancing. Teri took all her cues from Gina and Tiffany until she felt the rhythm and just let loose.
Her eyes were closed when she felt a tap on her shoulder, and Tiffany said, “Bathroom.”
It was a lot quieter inside the tiled room until the door opened. Teri concentrated on her hair. Tiffany had insisted she pull it all up in a massive ponytail and create curled bangs on her face for the show. She’d also insisted on a red stain on her lips for tonight.
“Red is a power color, baby. And you’re powerful tonight.”

Teri really was enjoying her dancing when another body stepped between her and the circle. She looked at Tiff and Gina, and they both shrugged. So she smiled and danced.
As the music changed, she looked over at her partner. She was momentarily confused as to the sex of the person dancing with her. She had highly teased, bleach-blonde hair, elaborate makeup, and tight, glittery clothing. But under the tight clothes was a boy’s body. She realized that she was having a good time and this person was just enjoying the dancing.
Eventually, Gina whispered in her ear, “Let’s take a break. Invite your friend back to our table if you want.”
Teri impulsively grabbed her arm and led her back to the table. When they all sat down, and she had a chance to study her, she wondered. This person was not trying to fool anyone. She was really all dressed up for the party.
Teri stuck out her hand and leaned in to say, “I’m Teri.”
“Angel. But I know who you are. You’re Terry Nelson, and I love you and the Wildcats. I have tickets with my friends to go to tomorrow’s show. Wait until you see the outfit I picked out!”
Teri was trying to think of something to say, and Angel took that as an opportunity to continue talking about himself. “I know you’re trying to figure me out. I guess they don’t have a lot of femme boys back in Allentown. But that’s me. I totally love everything about you and have followed you for ages. And when I saw you were coming to Detroit, we all had to buy tickets. All of us dolls are coming tomorrow night. And, of course, my boyfriend refused. He paid for my ticket but is shy when I get all carried away in public.”
Teri found herself nodding. She was handed another beer and started drinking. Angel was still talking when the bottle was empty. “Hey, Angel. You wanna dance some more?”
As Angel grabbed Teri’s hand, she looked back. She saw they were all getting up to join them, but Teri felt happy and maybe a little drunk.

When she woke up and looked at the clock, she was surprised to see that it was two o’clock. Afternoon! As she started to get out of bed, she had to wait for the spinning to stop. She was happy she was in a private hotel room and not on the bus.
As she leaned over the toilet, waiting to see if her stomach was going to empty itself out, she realized that she had been drunk and was now hungover. She called room service and ordered black coffee and dry toast.
Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a robe and answered the door to get her coffee. Sitting down to drink it, she saw another text from Don and one from Jenn. She put her phone down and concentrated on keeping the coffee and the dry toast down.

Later on, she called Jenn. “Hey!”
“Hey, yourself, Rock Star. What’s up?”
“The usual life of a teen rock star. Just flying in my private jet and playing with my groupies. You?”
“Seriously thinking about getting a boy toy to have around while my rock star girlfriend is out on tour. Course that’ll happen after she’s gone again this weekend.”
“Yeah. This week, I’ll be in Ohio, Nebraska, Indiana, and Missouri, one night stands, sleeping on the bus. Like a real old-fashioned tour.”
“Well, at least you have your pick of Wildcats to keep you warm.”
Teri refused to take that bait. “How’s your family?”
Jenn laughed. “I’d really forgotten just how dysfunctional they are all. Spending a few hours with them is my maximum. Hiding out and being a ghost groupie on your bus sounds pretty good.”
“Well, I’ve got a suite in Chicago for two nights. So you’ll have a chance to escape. When are you going back to Allentown?”
“I’m evicted from mom’s house. I had to pack my stuff in storage until I got a place in Philly for school. I’m going to start looking after I see you. I have to get a twelve-month place anyway.”
“You wouldn’t just stay out at the band house and commute to school?”
“I thought about it, but I really do need to pay attention to my classes and do well. I’m pushing for some scholarship money.”
“Why? I can pay for everything. By the way, did you get a check from Richard?”
“Yes. Fifty thousand dollars! That’s crazy!”
“Glad you got it. Deposit it and spend it. When it runs out, you’ll get some more.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing you and snuggling under the covers. I do miss you.”
“Me, too. I’m always thinking about you.”

After the phone call, she texted Don and sent a photo of House of Blues in Detroit. She wrote two nights.
When she was dressed, she called up Tiffany. “Hey.”
“How ya doin', Little? You got hammered last night with your new friend, Angel. Did you have fun? It looked like it.”
“Honestly, all I remember is having a second beer and dancing. Did I have fun?”
“You know, Little. If you’re going to go and have fun, you have to stay sober enough to remember what you did. You won’t appreciate your dancing orgasms.”
“Did I have any?”
“You told me you had three dancing with Angel. At least you don’t have to worry about him getting into your pants.”
“Yeah, what is a femme boy?”
“Is that what he said?”
“Yeah. And he mentioned he had a boyfriend.”
“Sounds right. Just a feminine boy who likes to be pretty and be a bottom to a man.”
“Bottom, like in sex?”
“Uh-huh. You’re the femme in your relationship with Jenn.”
“Yeah. That’s what I heard.”
“I was told to pass the word. Dinner at six. Richard is taking us out. Then we head to the theater. We go on tonight at nine-thirty.”

Teri thought about everything while she waited in the dark on the stage. They would go with last night’s set list and feature Smith in the encore. Of course, Lisa might change things up right on stage. They were just cogs in the machine, playing and having fun. No clubbing tonight since they were in Chicago playing tomorrow night. The word was they were going to convoy at ten in the morning.
Before coming to the show, she made sure everything was cleared out of the drawers and ready to pack. She picked out a stage and travel outfits before leaving for the theater. Everything else was prepared to go.
Tonight, she was wearing a mini dress and tights. Everything was dark green, including her boots. She pulled her hair up in a pony again and curled her bangs. She laughed at herself for looking like a girly girl tonight and wondered if that was where she was heading. She might be leaving Joan Jett behind but heading towards a sexy bad girl. She thought about Debbie Harry and Stevie Nicks.
As Gina’s drums started pounding, she flipped the switch and moved into her rock god persona. Her last thought was how cool it would be to be a Vampire rock star.