I blinked hard at the people around me. There were a dozen of them and I was the only female person there. They were all buffed and muscular men, mostly bald headed and tattoos spreading down their arms. Holy shit I feel small. I was probably the shortest person there and having the longest hair.

“Morning guys, as always we’re gonna start our day with some workout at the gym for 30 minutes and at 11 we have NAMM today. Remember the fans can be vicious at times. Do not, I repeat, do not let them get near the guys unless they allow it.”

A huge black guy wearing a canvas jacket started talking. All of the crews nodded their heads and I followed suit, not knowing a thing.

“Oh, before I forget. We have a new crew member. Let’s welcome Miss Addison Wayne to the family.”

They applauded and I smiled, gritted my teeth.

“As you can see, Miss Wayne. You’re the only girl in here. I don’t know why Larry accepted your application but I’m gonna assume that you’re really great in what you do.”

“I am sir. I have black belt in karate and-”

“I’m sure you do. But we don’t use martial arts here. Well, not that much. We just secure their paths, make sure that they won’t be harmed by the people and sometimes help them with stuff.”

“Got it sir.”

“And please, call me Big T.”

I smiled at him. “And you guys, just call me Addie.”

~*.*~

There was this guy, one of the security crew who called himself as Dan the Body. He was the most arrogant jerk I’ve ever seen. I knew he wanted to somehow impress me – since I’m the only girl – because he went over to the dumbbell area and put on a few kilos of plates while his eyes sneering at me. What was he thinking? That I have to work out with these buff men and they expected me to just drool at their six pack abs? Hell no bitch.

I rolled my eyes at him and just went to the nearest treadmill. I searched for my iPod in my pocket but I can’t find it. Oh God, did I leave it somewhere? Fuck it, I ran 3 miles this morning so I will just run a few more here. But I just can’t concentrate without music. Not that I am a big fan of music but listening music while running, makes you feel good.

Plus, I’m learning to about Avenged Sevenfold and my whole iPod contained songs from their early screaming days to the now. I prefer their current album, if you ask me. And as I read a lot about them, I found out that the album was dedicated to the loss of their drummer, Jimmy. The guy in Brian’s painting and also his best friend.

“Yo dude, what’s up? Adding some fucking pounds today? Nicee.”

I heard some faint sounds of greetings from behind me and I automatically turned around while still running. It was yet another muscular guy, short haired, shirtless and only wore a jersey shorts with tattoos all over his arms down to his front.

I recognized him. It was Matthew Sanders or M. Shadows, the singer of Avenged Sevenfold. He wasn’t at Brian’s sister’s concert last night so this is my first time meeting him. I saw Big T saying something to him and he laughed out loud at it. I ignored their conversation and just continued to run.

“You’re alone, M?” I heard Big T asked him.

“I only succeed in dragging this motherfucker here. He needs to shape up.”

“Man it’s been a long time.”

My head jerked up. I recognize that lazy voice. But I refused to turn my head around. God, please don’t let him see me. Don’t let him ask about me. Please, please, please.

“Damn, baby.”

Suddenly I heard his voice sounded so close to me. I slowed down the speed of my treadmill and turned my head around. Boy he looked so shocked his eyeballs almost popped out.

“Addie..?”

I faked a smile and turned to the front again. He walked around my treadmill to have a better look at my face. I noticed he was wearing a deep V neck white tshirt that revealed the famous FOREVER tattoo on his upper chest.

“What..what are you doing here?”

I stopped running and turned off the machine. “I-”

“Oh, Syn! That’s our new crew member. Her name’s Addie.”

I was about to answer him when Big T cut me off. I glanced at the group. Matt raised his arm and said hi to me. I waved back at him. When I turned back to Brian, he was staring at me with his mouth dropped open. God, I can’t hide my blushing face from remembering our kiss this morning.

“You’re part of the security crew?”

“Yep.”

He leaned back, resting his elbow on the handle of the treadmill. “So you don’t need someone to save you anymore?”

“Looks like it.”

He smirked and licked his lips. Like an invitation to roll back to a certain memory from this morning. Suddenly Dan cut in between us, landing his palm on Brian’s chest.

“Woah, Syn. You have so many chicks around you, dude. Spare this one. She’s mine.”

I frowned at him. What the hell? Since when?

Brian shot a glare at him and back to me. I was still frowning at Dan and didn’t realize that his face had changed as he grunted and joined in to work out at the dumbbell area. Dan winked at me and I just puked in my mouth.

---

“Here you go, thanks.”

Brian handed back a gift card of Avenged Sevenfold’s Nightmare to a fan and smiled. He signed a few posters afterwards and took a few pictures with them but he never took his eyes from gazing at her who was standing beside Dan, her hands across her chest and her long hair tied to a ponytail. She was wearing a white NAMM tshirt folded at the sleeves and he thought she looked cute in that.

Her eyes glazing over the crowd, looking intently at the fans and Brian understood why. What he didn’t understand was, why the hell did she pick this job, of all the jobs created in the world? She will be harmed and worst, injured by people who tend to be violent sometimes. His stomach churned in worry, he didn’t realize he was watching her when a fan waved in front of his face, asking for his autograph.

“Oh, sorry.” He took off the marker cap, signed on the CD booklet and smiled at the fan. He glanced at her again. She was laughing at what Dan said. Damn it, he thought. Why Dan of all people? That guy is an asshole.

Brian wondered whether Addie really had something to do with Dan or did he just forcefully marked his territory on her? Next thing he knew, jealousy had crept up within his body as his eyes piercing sharply on them. He noticed Dan was resting his palm on the wall while facing her. He once saw Dan did that gesture when they were in some bar, picking up chicks. He couldn’t let that happen to Addie.

“Excuse me ladies, gotta grab a drink. My beer’s fucking empty.” He said to some fans in front of him and got up from his seat. As soon as he got up, the crowd screamed his name and wanted to be close to him. They rushed over to him and reached for any part of his body for contact. He had to be patient and endured it since he loved his fans but this was a bit too much. He felt a little bit suffocated.

Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and brought him to the back protectively. He immediately can smell a scent of shampoo as in front of him stood Addison with both of her arms wide open, preventing the fans from touching him. She pulled him until they were at the crew pit while Big T was calming the fans down.

“Brian, just call one of us if you need anything. The crowds are crazy here.”

“I can deal with the crowd. I’ve been with them my whole life.”

Addie looked taken aback. Brian blinked softly at her and took a step closer.

“Okay..then what do you need? Beer? Water?”

Brian stood directly in front of her, his height towering over. His brown eyes hooded down, as he licked his lips, watching her cheeks turned pink in mere seconds. His head however, tilted back like he was wondering something inside his head.

“Why did you take this job?”

Addie raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“You..wanna be close to me? You know you can be our groupie instead of a security.” He smiled crookedly and reduced the gap between them by an inch. Addie took a step back and frowned at him.

“Dude, why are you so full of yourself? The world does not revolve around you, you know?”

She turned her back from him and walked away, leaving him baffled. What the hell? Other girls would jump like a bunch of Playboy bunnies to that offer but Addie? Even after that amazing kiss she’d still resisting?

“Syn, what are you doing? They asked for you.”

Brian looked to his left, it was Dan calling him. He glared at him once and walked back to the signing stage. His eyes scanned around once, and he saw no signs of her anywhere.

Slacking on the job already?

---

I regret kissing that guy. Groupie my ass! Did he seriously think that I have no dignity at all? It was enough that I had to put up with Dan’s arrogant speech about his workout routine for fucking 3 hours of this event, now I have to be around that cocky asshole 24/7? Andy why did you put me in such place?

“What are you doing here?”

I snapped and spun around.

“Don’t turn around!”

I quickly turned back to the front. Oh-kay…Brian Sr was behind me, being his usual obsessive about agents – self.

“Pretend we don’t know each other.” He whispered.

“Right. We don’t.”

“Don’t say it out loud!” he whispered again, but quite loudly. Luckily the crowds were noisy as fuck so only I could hear him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked again. He should really lay low on watching those Bond movies. Doesn’t do shit on humanity, honestly.

“As you can read at the back of my tshirt, I’m one of the security crew.”

He went silent for a while. Until I had to turn around and met his sharp glare towards me.

“That’s actually a genius plan. You know how my Brian is, always busy with his schedule and everything. Good to know someone’s watching over him, finally.”

Wait, what did he meant by that? I was watching over his safety, not his busy life.

“Make sure he eats at the right time. He looks skinny lately. I wonder if something’s been bugging him.”

“Excuse me, Brian. I mean, senior. I’m here to look after his safety, not his well-being.”

“Well, while you’re at it. So I don’t feel like I’m wasting my money just for his safety but he died from hunger.”

I rolled my eyes. He’s a big boy for fuck’s sake!

“Anyway, do you want to know anything about his killer?”

Still I’m facing the front while talking to him who stood behind me, waving at some fans, pretending to just stand there leisurely.

“Yeah, what do you know?”

“He’s a Cerician. The king’s right hand man. He wanted the throne because he’d been promised to.”

“Holy shit. My father just gave out his throne to some peasant?”

I shrugged, while my eyes continued to observe the crowds. I was away from Brian’s view so I felt a little bit secured because I can see him from here. Only he can’t see me.

“And just so you know, he’s really sick. You should really visit him.”

Suddenly Brian Sr scurried to in front of me, making me startled for a bit.

“He’s dying? Well, what do you expect, he’s 94!”

“Senior, I suggest you go back and see him for the last time. He’s still your dad.”

“He’s a pain in the ass.”

“All dads are.”

He scowled at me. Well, I was just stating the truth. My dad is also a pain in my ass but he’s still my dad. I still love him. Oh shit, now I miss him.

“Fine. I’ll see what I can do. Have you caught the killer?”

I scratched my head and sighed. “No. He got away. But we caught the other.”

“What other?”

“Another attempt of killing Brian occurred last night. Different guy, but same motive I think.”

“Two already? You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”

I didn’t realize that the signing was over as I saw Brian Jr was heading towards our way. The crowds immediately wanted to swarm over him and I moved, started to do my job. I ignored Brian’s stare that drilled to my head and went over to Big T and Dan who was holding the fangirls from getting out of control.

“Addie, you go and take Syn to the conference first. I’ll handle Zacky and Johnny.”

“How about..the others?” not that I was concern over them, since I only needed to protect Brian, but asking didn’t hurt, did it?

“Matt has Greg already and Arin will go with him. Syn’s open! Come on, Addie!”

I turned around and saw Brian was surrounded by a group of fangirls, asking for a picture with him and what not. I quickly went over to him and stopped them.

“I’m sorry, Mr Gates can’t entertain you right now. He needs to go.”

“Bitch, it’s just a fucking picture! We’ve been here for six hours!”

I blinked at the fan. She called me what?

“Addie, it’s okay. I can handle a picture, right girls?” Brian smiled his charming smile and those fangirls just melted with him. I rolled my eyes and watch as he flirted with them. I saw Big T was looking at my way and pointed to his watch, indicating that Brian had to go. He had this conference thing about launching his amplifiers or something.

“Sorry, girls. He needs to leave now.”

“Oh come on!! Syn, since when do you have bitch for a girlfriend?”

“Excuse me?”

Brian smirked and I can tell that he enjoyed watching me snapped. “I’m really sorry girls. I gotta go. You guys can come to the conference too if you want. I’ll be at the Schecter booth until 3.”

The girls giggled and screamed in such squeaky voice that I wanted to just slap the shit out of them.

“Let’s go.” Brian linked his arm with me and pulled me away from there. His leather jacket felt cold when it rustled against my skin, but at the same time I can feel the heat of his body too. Wait, who’s protecting who now? I saw Brian Sr entertained those fangirls but they didn’t even have the slightest interest in him.

“Brian, let go of my arm. Your fans are watching.”

“So?”

“I’m your security crew, not the other way around.”

He stopped walking, but his arm still wrapped around mine.

“You said that I’m full of myself. Now I’m protecting you. The world does not revolve around me, but my world – has started to revolve around you.”

I froze right there, not having anything to say as a comeback. What did he actually mean? Why does he have this power over me? He can make my heart go ballistic just by his simple words and stare. And damn he can make my knees quiver like jelly and still be cool with it.

My mouth opened and closed, searching for the right words to say but I still can’t find any.

“Mr Gates! You’re starting in 15 minutes. Come on!”

One of the crew who was wearing a black Schecter tshirt called him from behind. He nodded curtly at him and turned to look at me. With trembled body I let him raised my hand and kissed the back of my palm while his eyes still pierced on mine. He’s being a gentleman now?

“I gotta go, Addie. See you later.”

After that he left me with wondering thoughts and heart beating fast like drum beats in my chest.

Notes