Momoko fussed with the hem of the skirt. "How about this one?" she asked, stepping out from between the racks.

The guys, who were sitting in the living room area, all looked attentively.

"You looked better before you put it on," Jude noted with a quirk of his eyebrow.

"Second," Tommy agreed immediately.

"You're no help," Momoko complained. "I can't perform at BoB in my underwear and you know it. Kay had all these beautiful racks of clothes sent over, so help me pick something, dammit!"

"Calm down, calm down, Peaches," Dane begged, shooting Jude and Tommy a look. "That dress looks really great on you, for sure. Do you like it?"

"I kind of do, but it's really tight in the back." Momoko turned around, smoothing it down. "Do you think it makes my ass look too big?"

"Not possible," Sully assured her. "Your ass is gorgeous, no matter what you wear, for sure. Tommy knows this better than anyone, since he gets to look at it for most of every show, don't you, Tomás?" He glared at Tommy.

"Actually, yes," Tommy said, getting serious. "You know I speak from the bottom of my ass man heart, Momoko, when I say your ass looks like round perfection in that dress."

"Okay," Momoko said, mollified. "But there's this other outfit back here that I want you to see, it's really cool, hold on a sec--"

Momoko disappeared back into the racks again, and the guys once again were craning their necks, trying to catch a glimpse of her in her underwear.

"How--about--this one?" she queried, stepping out as she zipped up the side zip on the pink suede skirt.

"That's really cute," Tommy enthused. "I like the sparkles."

"Yeah? It's not too schoolgirl?"

"No. I mean it is, but that's what makes it work," Tommy answered.

"With your lucky pumps, you'd kill," Sully offered.

"Your boobs look outstanding in that top," Jude contributed.

"Thanks for that," Momoko answered, shaking her head. She looked critically at herself in the mirror on the side of the bookcase. "I like this," she said, tilting her head. "I think this is the outfit," she declared. "This is what I'm going to wear when we win Battle of the Bands," she told the guys, turning around to smile at them.

"Wonderful. Now that's sorted, can we eat? I've been smelling that casserole for ages, and I'm fair starving," Jude complained.

"Yes," Momoko said, emerging from between the racks in her jeans and bra, holding her T-shirt.

"Wow, you look great," he said, hugging her and letting his hands roam up her smooth back. "You have the most beautiful scanties I've ever seen."

"And it's worth running around in them just to hear you say the word 'scanties,'" Momoko told him, patting his cheek.

They sat to eat, everyone talking at once about the upcoming Battle of the Bands, which was the next day. Sound check started at seven in the morning, and every member of every band had to be all checked in by then, or they were eliminated on the spot. Their crew was coming to the loft at six AM sharp to pick up their equipment, and they were Ubering over shortly after.

"So we agree, then? No movie, no activities, everyone early to bed?" Momoko asked as they ate their dessert.

Everyone nodded. "Although seeing getting dressed and undressed did kind of put me in the mood," Dane remarked with a grin.

"Aww, that's sweet," Momoko responded. "Just imagine how horny you'll be tomorrow night, after we win, though. And we can come home and screw our brains out, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan," he said happily.

So they retired to their respective rooms, and even managed to sleep a little.

💫 🎸 💫 🎸 💫 🎸 💫 🎸 💫 🎸 💫 🎸 💫

"Peaches, hurry the fuck up," Tommy said, his voice more filled with amusement than annoyance.

"Coming, coming!" She called, flying out the door and nearly falling down the stairs in her haste. She was holding her garment bag in one hand and her huge purse in the other. "Sorry sorry sorry, I'm here. I could've just taken the subway and still made it in plenty of time, you know," she said as she clambered into the car across the boys' laps to her seat.

"No, and risk being late?" Sullivan was horrified. "You get there one minute past seven and we're eliminated, right then and there, you know that!"

"Okay, relax, grandma, I'm here," Momoko teased. She leaned across Dane and chucked Sully on the chin.

They pulled up to the venue, relieved to see Ken, Bill, and Ronny were already there and unloading their equipment. "Ready? Let's do this, guys," Momoko said, smiling all around.

They were heartened to see security guards at every entrance to the convention center, beefy men and women who were actually armed. They had to show ID to get in, and their names were checked against a list on a laptop before they were given the final clearance.

"See, that crazy ex of yours hasn't a chance of getting to you here," Jude said, pressing a kiss to Momoko's temple as they entered the vast space.

Momoko nodded with relief. She hoped with all her heart it was true. At this point she wasn't even concerned with herself; she just didn't want him to ruin their performance.

They went to get checked in, and received laminates with their names on them to wear around their necks which would give them access to backstage. Their soundcheck was fairly early, which was good, because it would give Momoko a chance to rest her voice before the show.

The electricity in the air was palpable, a crackling energy that stretched across the stage and filled every corner of the convention center.

"Oh my god, you guys, this is so exciting," Momoko declared, looking all around her. "I should've brought my autograph book."

At the looks they gave her, she said, "I'm kidding, I don't actually have one, but you know what I mean. I recognize a lot of these people from clubs I used to go to when I was in college."

"I don't get it," Tommy said. "You've known who was going to be in the competition, right?"

"Yeah, but it's different from seeing them in person, you know?"

They went to take a look at the front of the house, and it was huge.

"Wow," Momoko said, her voice echoing through the space. "This stage is gigantic! And look at the pit!"

"I think that's where the judges sit, right over there," Jude said, gesturing to the left, where an elevated platform was set up. "And that's where the DJs will be."

"DJs?"

"Yeah, this is being broadcast live, live-streamed, whatever, you know," Jude said. "They're sponsoring this competition. And see up there?" He pointed. "That's where the VIPs will be, the record execs and managers and people like that."

Momoko shivered. "This is really real, isn't it?"

"You bet your sweet ass," Tommy said, grinning.

They had to clear the stage, as soundchecks were beginning, and they soon realized that even these usually low-key events were fraught and said something about the hierarchy of the bands. When some bands did their soundcheck, no one really cared, and everyone just sort of hung out backstage and continued to do their thing. When some other bands did their soundchecks, however, people were scarce backstage and the pit filled up with all the other band members, as everyone wanted to hear them, even if it was only for the few minutes of the check.

When Mangled did their check, for example, their reputation, plus their new singer, caused the backstage to empty as everyone wanted to hear the odds on favorite to win the competition.

"Have you heard their new singer?" Momoko heard someone ask someone else as they all headed to the pit.

"No, they've really been keeping him under wraps," someone else responded. This conversation was happening in front of her as they walked.

"I heard McLoskey was pissed, though, had no clue he was getting the boot. Tried to go back to Peppermint Silk, but they're all sewn up with their new singer."

"Oh yeah, the super hot chick? Really good singer?"

They turned to see Momoko and Jude listening to them.

"Oh, hey," the first speaker said with a grin. "I guess we'd better be careful who we talk about around here, huh?" He was tall, with red hair. A crucifix dangled from his ear.

"That's okay," Momoko responded. "I'll listen to talk like that all day long."

They all gathered in the pit and craned their necks as Mangled took the stage and prepped for their sound check.

Momoko's eyes widened as she saw a young woman come onstage and start fiddling with the mic. She looked over at Sully and Dane, who were looking back at her. Lots of people in the pit were looking back and forth; apparently, no one had known that Mangled's new singer was a woman.

Hmm.

And as their soundcheck began, it was obvious that she was very good.

Momoko looked around at the guys again, this time with worry. Mangled had definitely widened their appeal and their range with the addition of this pretty young singer to their lineup.

They waited until they were backstage to talk.

"Wow, what do you think?" Momoko asked as the guys gathered around her so no one would hear their words.

"I don't know," Dane responded. "They're still more rock than us, and she's still nowhere near as good as you, Peaches."

"But still, they really pulled a rabbit out of their hat, didn't they?" Tommy said, hitting his sticks on his leg.

Jude nodded as he rubbed Momoko's shoulders.

They grabbed some food, and then they heard themselves being called to do their check. As they headed to the stage, they were gratified to see backstage emptying as everyone headed to the pit to listen.

"We're pretty popular," Sully noted.

They'd agreed not to do any of their new stuff during the check, and to check their levels using songs that had already been performed in public before. Dane knew which songs were similar, so it was all good; Momoko was good enough, however, that when their turn onstage was over, they got a round of applause from the gathered crowd.

They waved to everyone as they left.

They went backstage to the waiting area, where there were sofas and soft drink machines set up, along with charging stations and snacks.

Everyone flopped down and pulled out their phones.

Now there was nothing left to do but wait.