I wrote out a really long forward explaining a whole bunch of crap but I have since scrapped it. I'm going to let the story speak for itself. I do not have a beta-reader so I welcome constructive criticism. Go ahead; correct my spelling and grammar mistakes. So excited to be back to fanfiction after several years! This story is my NaNoWriMo project so I plan to have it completed by the end of the month. Most of all, I really just want to hear from you readers if you like it or don't. And I love to read Jem and The Holograms Fanfiction as well so please send me recommendations for any good ones out there. Happy Reading! - PC
"I'm going to be in my office for a while. Please make sure I'm not interrupted." Jerrica called to Mrs. Bailey. Entering her office, Jerrica closed the door and making sure it was locked, let out a sigh. Spending the entire day as Jem prevented Jerrica from spending time at her work for Starlight Music. It was nearly 7 o'clock and she still had at least four hours of work to complete in preparation for the next leg of the Jem and the Holograms Totally Outrageous World tour. Jerrica was determined to start this one off smoother than the last.
After BaNee's farewell party an uneasy and unspoken truce had settled among The Holograms, The Misfits and The Stingers. For a time there was no feuding or further shenanigans. It wasn't much, given their track record but it was enough for Jerrica to agree to let The Misfits sign on as their opening act. Her reasoning was that The Holograms were embarking on their first world tour riding on the success of their first two albums. They would need a strong opening act to support them. Although the Misfits weren't exactly friends, they had lots of mutual fans and as long as they knew their place (meaning that The Misfits understood they were not the headliner), they put on a good show. Jerrica was determined to make it work for the future success of Starlight Music.
The problems started when the Misfits were unable to honor their contractual commitments as the opening act. Two weeks before the tour opened, Roxanne Pellegrini checked herself into a rehabilitation clinic citing substance abuse, personal issues, and an eating disorder. Eric Raymond and Pizzazz came to Jerrica stating that The Misfits would not tour without one of their founding members. As much as The Misfits usually seemed to only be out for themselves as individuals, Jerrica respected their united front and released them from the contract without penalty.
With only two weeks to find a new opener, Jerrica approached Stinger Sound with a proposal for the Limp Lizards. (The Limp Lizards remained with Stinger Sound's talent roster when The Stingers took it over from Eric Raymond). Riot refused citing The Limp Lizards' inexperience and lack of material to properly support a tour of such magnitude. He insisted The Stingers fill the void. Because of the time-crunch, Jerrica relented and scrambled to come to a mutually beneficial agreement with Stinger Sound. Hence, The Stingers became Jem and The Holograms' main opener.
The first leg of their sold-out tour across the United States and the up through Canada had been thrilling, rewarding and grueling.
More problems showed up during the first sound check. Synergy started getting interference from somewhere. It wasn't enough that the Jem hologram would be interrupted enough for anyone to notice but sometimes, if the interference was strong, Jem would get a little blurred around the edges - as if she was melting in the sun. Jerrica and Aja ran every diagnostic test they could think of but found no unknown technology that would affect Synergy in that way. As a precaution though, Jerrica started applying Jem makeup under the hologram in the event of a Synergy failure.
Having the Stingers as their opening act proved to be a good decision despite earlier misgivings. A good business decision that is. On a personal level, it was almost a disaster.
The two women, Rapture and Minx, were hardly ever seen or heard from. When not on stage they stayed on their tour-bus doing heaven knows what. Jerrica didn't care if they were knitting scarves for orphans or having S&M orgies with the roadies. They were punctual, polite and always professional. They weren't the problem.
The problem had manifested itself in the lead singer known as Riot. Riot was talented, charismatic and charming. Additionally, he was completely irresistible to Jem. And therein lied the problem. Halfway through the tour, every gossip-monger from the Enquirer to TMZ had Jem and Riot caught up in a very steamy affair. The tabloids had a field day speculating on secret liaisons and romantic getaways. One publication even included a sonogram of a supposed baby on the way.
Truthfully, they had only engaged in harmless flirting, a few shared glances and one earth-shattering, bone-melting kiss.
That kiss was the reason Jerrica was sitting in her office on a Saturday night preparing for a long week of meetings. She had three difficult conversations scheduled for herself over the course of the next few days;
The first with Eric Raymond to secure the Misfits as their opener for the next leg of the tour. Hopefully Roxy's recovery had progressed to a point where this would be possible. Starlight Music needed The Misfits to be ready to join the Totally Outrageous Tour when it resumed in four weeks.
The second conversation would be with Riot, The Stingers leader on stage and in business. Jerrica faced the daunting task of informing Riot that Starlight Music would not be renewing The Stingers' contract for the European leg of The Holograms' tour.
The third conversation, the most overdue conversation and the one that had her stomach tied up in knots was with Rio. It was time he knew the truth of the Jem identity.
Taking a deep breath and sighing loudly again, her thoughts turned to the previous tour…
∞
"Thank you, Toronto!" Riot waved to the crowd. Minx and Rapture followed suit, blowing kisses as they ran off the stage.
Jem was sitting at her dressing table putting the finishing touches on her makeup when she saw the trio run down the corridor in her mirror's reflection. "Hey, great show you guys!" she shouted over her shoulder.
Riot stopped when he heard her voice. "We warmed them up for you, Jem. They are all yours!"
Jem put down her makeup brush and swiveled on the stool to face him. Riot stepped in her dressing room doorway and leaned against the doorframe. His long blonde hair fell over the collar of his leopard print jacket and stuck to his bare chest. Sweat glistened on his stomach and Jem couldn't help but let her eyes follow the trail of dark hair down, down to the waistband of his fitted leather pants that were slung so dangerously low that his hip bones were showing. He advanced into the room toward her. Jem's heart skipped a beat although she remained cool. "I swear 'Destiny' gets better every time you play it!"
The Stinger lead singer had an unwavering self-confidence she had only known in two other people - her father, Emmett Benton, the founder of Starlight Music, and Rio Pacheco, her boyfriend. No, not her boyfriend. Jerrica's boyfriend. At least he did have that confidence until Jem had come into the picture. Since then it seemed everything had gotten more complicated. Jem grimaced at the thought and shook her head.
"Hey, where did you go just then?" Riot crossed the room and lifted Jem's chin to meet his gaze. "Your features are marred with worry, my love." Jem's eyes glanced away though his hand held her face steady. Usually she would object to those words - she was not his - but something stopped her this time. His touch should not feel this good, this easy, this...familiar. Riot closed the space between them until it was all but nothing. "Jem, my perfect flower." He whispered. And then he was kissing her. Gentle at first, soft lips pressed against hers, nipping at the corners of her mouth. Then more aggressive, sucking at her top lip, teeth grazing her bottom lip. His hand moved to the back of her neck to deepen pressure, demanding a response. Once the initial shock subsided she did respond.
She opened up to him, inviting his tongue to flick against hers. She tasted him, darting her tongue in and out of his mouth. It seemed as though all of her senses somehow recognized him. She arched her back, and pressed her breasts against his bare chest, making him inhale sharply. She moaned as his mouth left hers and trailed tiny nipping kisses down the side of her check to the sensitive spot below her ear.
"Rio." she breathed, running her hands up the length of his lean stomach. Her lightest touch making him shiver. Her fingers brushed against his taut nipples and rested there. "Yes" he breathed into her ear. His mouth returned to hers, devouring her lips, her tongue, her breath. "Oh Rio." she moaned again.
Pausing, he pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "No, not Rio, my lovely. It is I, Riot."
Jem's eyes popped open and she gasped audibly. He released his hold on her causing her to stumble backwards and knock over the stool in her attempt to regain her balance. Her back thudded against the wall and she pressed her body against it for stability. Bringing the back of her hand against her mouth she stared at him wordlessly.
Without taking his eyes away from hers, Riot fingered the pendant on his necklace and pushed his hair back. From somewhere down the corridor Rio's disembodied voice filtered into the room. "Huddle in
five, people!" referring to The Holograms' preshow ritual. Her eyes darted towards the voice with a hint of alarm and then back to rest on Riot. With a slight bow and a thin smile, Riot swept through the
doorway.
Seconds later Rio popped his head through the same portal. His eyes searched the room until he spotted Jem still sagging against the wall, hand still covering her mouth. He seemed to look through her as he asked "You okay?" She nodded, still silent. "Good." he replied. "Huddle in 5." he repeated while checking his watch. "Uh, make that three." He said absently. Something from outside the room caught his attention and he disappeared from her sight.
Jem clambered to her feet, set the stool upright, took a seat and stared at her reflection. She re-applied lipstick to her swollen lips and, quelling her swirling emotions, quit the room.
