"Aaah!" Davy yelped. He had been standing back stage at a gig, peeking around the curtain at the crowd, when someone touched his shoulder. He felt like he jumped higher in the air than his own height. His heart was racing, he was breathing rapidly, and he felt shaky.
"Sorry man, I didn't mean to startle you," Mike said apologetically. "I wanted to give you the five minute warning. What are you doing anyway?"
Davy took a moment to collect himself by taking a few deep breaths in and out. "Checking to see if she's out there again."
The 'she' being referred to was Cate. Cate was a fan that had been making her presence known at Monkees gigs for the past few months. Davy didn't think much of her at first. He had noticed her showing to up to quite a few gigs and had brushed it off to her liking the music. Though the more she came to gigs, the more uneasy she caused him to feel. Davy would notice her staring at him solely for an entire performance. Her expression was serious and unblinking, but it would soften slightly when he would make eye contact. Like the way she looked at him was different from how she looked at everyone else. At times, her lips would part and she would lick her lips as if trying to tempt and seduce the Englishman. Sure, she was attractive enough with dark features and alabaster skin. However, it was less about looks and more about the gut feeling Davy got when she was near, it was unsettling.
Last week, Cate had made the bold move to approach the stage while the guys were packing up. "You were amazing," she said eyes glued on Davy.
"Thank you, miss…" Micky answered not noticing that she was disinterested in him.
"Cate," she finished for him.
"Cate, we sure have been seeing quite a bit of you at our shows," Mike said. "It is refreshing to have a devoted fan."
Cate wasn't paying attention to Mike's comments; she was focused on Davy as he packed up the instruments and without making eye contact. "Davy?"
The Brit continued his work without looking up. "Yes?"
"I was wondering if you would be interested in grabbing something to eat?" Cate asked.
And so started the uncomfortable avoidance that Davy was experiencing. Cate continued to ask him out in some way, shape, or form every week; and he continued to rebuff her pursuits with every lame excuse in the book. Now he had taken to scanning the crowd before the show to spot her and then dash off stage afterwards to try and avoid her.
"Of course she's here," Mike said jolting Davy out of his thoughts. "Cate is persistent. I don't think she's giving up until she gets a date."
"Not happening," Davy shook his head.
"Why not? I think she's good looking and I like a girl that goes after what she wants," Micky said.
"Then you go for it. She gives me the heebie-jeebies," Davy answered.
"Why does she make you that uncomfortable?" Peter asked joining the others.
"I don't know exactly. It's just a feeling, hard to describe," Davy replied.
As soon as the group had finished their last song, Davy saw Cate elbow her way through the throngs of audience members. He quickly sprinted to the backstage bathroom to hide out.
"Is this what my life has come to, hiding from girls," he thought.
Davy had been hiding from Cate so often that he had it down to a science. It took the guys twenty minutes to pack up and once they were done she usually gave up. He looked at his watch and casually strolled towards Micky's packed up drums so he could hide behind them on the way out. As Davy stepped outside the curtain, he noticed the drums weren't even packed up yet. Worse of all was what he heard…
"I think Davy oughta give you a chance," Micky said to Cate. "You seem like a lovely girl and his type."
Cate wasn't paying attention though, because as soon as Davy crossed the threshold on to the stage she set her sights on him like a predator stalking its prey. Micky followed her gaze and immediately noticed glaring at him.
"Hey, man," Micky stumbled, "we were just talking about you."
"Yeah, I heard," Davy said through gritted teeth.
"Davy you were glorious, magnificent, gorgeous," Cate gushed.
"That sounds familiar," Peter said. "It almost sounds like when Davy describes…"
Mike pulled Peter away before he could finish, "We are going to give you two a minute to talk."
Davy sidled up to Mike and whispered, "No Mike, don't leave me alone with her!"
"Tiny, I am getting exhausted from this hide and seek game you're playing with her," Mike said. "Now take the time to hear what she has to say, go out with her or let her down easy, whichever you decide. We just need to move forward from this, it's getting tedious."
"Can't you just give her my autograph and tell her I said it was nice knowing her?" Davy pleaded.
"Let's choose fingers to see who will talk to Cate," Mike offered. Mike, Micky, and Peter all chose their index fingers and Davy chose his ring finger. "Oh man, Davy looks like you chose the right finger."
With that Mike, Micky, and Peter went to start moving their instruments to the Monkeemobile.
"I've got you all to myself now," Cate stated as she began to encroach on Davy's personal space.
"Oh…n-n-n-not really," he stammered as he slowly backed away running into various objects as he went. "You see there's the bartender over there and a busboy and you know the ghosts of bar patrons past." He chuckled nervously.
"You're funny," she continued her pursuit.
"Well, no actually not really," he tried to save himself. "This seems like a bad idea, don't you think?"
"You're a bad idea, but I like bad ideas," Cate answered seductively.
"I'm no good for anyone you know. I have a short attention span, one day I'm telling Mary that I love her and the next day I'm telling Sandra the same thing. I can't commit and I think that has something to do with poor decision making skills. It takes a very strong woman to deal with all that baggage. I would only be holding you back. You know come for the accent, stay for the existential crisis," he continued stammering and backing away. "So you see, it's impossible to pin me down."
Davy was now up against a wall with Cate standing right in front of him blocking any sort of escape route. "Okay maybe easier than I thought."
Cate's demeanor changed instantly from a starving wolf to doe eyed bewilderment. "Oh goodness, Davy. You're not afraid of me are you?"
"It all depends on your definition of afraid," he laughed nervously again.
"All I'm looking for is to get to know you," Cate replied with her cheeks blushing. "Just one drink, please?"
"I don't really have a choice, I'm between a rock and a hard place," Davy said. "This wall is cement you know."
Davy headed for the idling Monkeemobile after his drink with Cate. The guys had waited in the car to give Davy some space to really make an effort, despite Micky's protests to spy through the windows. Davy seemed to be in a rush to get in the car and once inside slumped down into the back seat next to Peter.
"How was it? Love at seventh sight?" Micky joked.
"Come off it, Mick," Mike scolded the drummer. "What happened, Davy?"
"She was nice enough," Davy began. "We talked about just general information and things."
"So will we be seeing more or less of her?" Mike asked.
"Oh definitely less," Davy answered quickly. "I made that perfectly clear."
"You just said she's 'nice enough'," Peter offered.
"Nice, yes and also disturbing," Davy continued.
"In what way?" Micky pushed further.
"Well, I asked her how long she had planned to pursue me before giving up," Davy explained. "She told me 'Don't worry. That's just plan A.' I asked what plan B was. And I swear to you she said in a serious voice 'To take you hostage'."
"I think she was just making a joke, and if anyone knows humor it's me," Micky said.
"Joke or not, that combined with the uneasiness I feel around her was enough," Davy said.
"So how do you know we won't see here again?" Mike asked.
"I told her that as lovely as it was getting to know her, I didn't want to break her heart because she's a sweet girl," Davy responded.
"And she bought it?" Micky inquired.
"I sure hope so," Davy replied.