Chapter 8

Michelle opened with a single 'G' note played through 24 bars at 4/4 time. For the last eight, Karen accompanied on the shakers and Mick came in right at the last as Karen cracked a double rim shot on her big floor toms. The intro to their first number had been revised, improvised and distorted out of recognition. It was all a suitable fanfare for the entry of the star, Anna Kuznetsova, in an outfit that looked sprayed on.

The spot hit her as she clacked onto the stage with authority. She wore high heeled black boots, violet long socks rolled up to her knees, achingly tight tights, a long unbuttoned black coat over a brief violet top. A good six inches of midriff was laid bare to the delight of the fans and a fake jewel sparkled from her navel.

A succession of large shows had honed the band's act to near perfection. They'd figured out what delighted the crowds and blatantly played to the lowest common denominator.

But Anna was the star and whom the crowds had turned out to see. From the underground fringe of the music scene, The Curse had crashed the mainstream with a vengeance. For the crowds that turned out for the Town Hall concerts weren't just the trendies and students, but the office workers and the panelbeaters - the people Mick had always insisted they needed to reach.

Publicity had pretty much taken care of itself. The tour had been widely reported in the media with wild scenes, typically exaggerrated, of frenzied fans storming the stage. Their second single had hit number one in the charts inside a week and the CD was going out the door as fast as the shops could order more in. It was set to go gold and possibly platinum inside a month.

In Mick's opinion, all this was happening way too fast for anybody's good. The band had all but exploded onto the scene in the space of two months. The pressure was liable to distort their careful planning. It threatened to be a rags to riches nightmare and none of them would be the same again.

Mick had seen artists crack under the pressure to become addicts, alcoholics and, eventually, pathetic destitutes. He thought Anna was the most vulnerable with, perhaps Karen, ironically the youngest, best able to deal with it all with a career through the other side. Absolutely no-one could have predicted this. It was a freak and he hoped it was a short term one.

During 'Darkside' the band could have left the stage and gone home. The crowd sang along so loudly the band stopped and listened - the audience carrying the tune till the last bar. 'Indigo' followed and another, a new one called 'Minds of Children', which was one of the stronger songs off the CD. Two encores barely satisfied the crowd and the promoter had to go on stage to urge everyone to leave.

Anna was, indeed, starting to show the strain with increasingly wide mood swings and bouts of bad temper. She could be haughty and arrogant one minute then the life of the party the next. Terry worried about her constantly lest she lose the plot completely.

After the final hometown gig, however, she was in good spirits. The Caltex Lounge was a functions centre not far from the Town Hall and Flyblown, and the local promoter, had laid on a buffet and drinks for the band and crew. Security barred the entrances and the invited were ushered in through a back exit. Even Karen couldn't slip out unnoticed. Fans were still outside and liable to pounce on anyone leaving.

The Curse T-shirts were in abundance, as anyone who had any role to play acquired themselves one. A local had run them off to his own design, blatantly ripping off the band's name. Mick realised he had to seal up the merchandising deals or more of this was liable to happen. A lucrative revenue stream for the band was going into the pockets of people who had no connection with The Curse.

The Curse held court in a well protected corner of the lounge. There was Junior at one end, with his arm around Karen, who looked nervous. Freddie sat between her and Anna, looking stern and unapproachable. Terry guarded Anna on the other side, then there was Michelle and lastly Mick. Flyblown sidekicks ensured their privacy protecting the perimeter while invited newshounds phoned their copy in on mobiles. The crew sat in a knot on the other side playing drinking games with the seemingly inexhaustable supply of liquor. Someone started the traditional food fight and soon sausage rolls and cream cakes were winging backwards and forwards between two warring factions.

The band felt good tonight. Partly it was relief they could now finally take a break. Also, they felt close, that only a kind of siege could induce. The band gathered around to protect Anna and she almost wept with the emotion of it all. The Curse had done good, tonight, and they were justifiably proud of their performance.

Security saw them out the back exit into waiting cabs and back to Freddie's for the night. Everyone felt the same - they wanted to remain together for this last night.

It was another six months before Karen made the move out of her sleep-out. A business acquaintance of her parents was selling out and moving to the Gold Coast of Australia. They had a nice house in the Eastern Harbour overlooking the beach and they offered it to her at a very good price.

CD sales had garnered the band a tidy, if not a massive, profit, but, the shows in Japan had handed them a windfall. Extensive airplay of 'Darkside' and its follow-up had ensured simply astronomic crowd attendances.

There was never any discussion that Junior would move in with her. He'd become a fixture in her life and the house wouldn't have been complete without his loping presence.

There was a lot of Freddie in Junior, Karen decided. He was quiet and dependable, with a practical sense that catered for her emotional needs as well. First, he could fix just about anything. If he didn't know how something worked he'd pull it apart until he figured it out. Often he'd then set about redesigning it. He'd bring her roses or other little gifts on appropriate occasions and could remember everyone's birthday. Junior was the stereotypical support person and Karen could wish for little more as a partner.

Did she love Junior, she'd asked herself many times? She'd been raised in a family where such pronouncements of affection were considered pointless. Her parents were reserved and if they'd ever uttered such words she'd never heard them. She figured Junior sort of assumed because he'd never bothered to ask.

He was a touchy-feely kind of person, who'd sneak a kiss now and again. If she'd appear in any way minus items of clothing, Junior couldn't resist copping a feel. Mostly, Karen didn't mind being molested in that way unless she was preoccupied and he imposed onto her thoughts.

Sex wasn't something that had preoccupied her. Perhaps she'd been in denial, but intimacy was always likely to happen one day with her chosen partner and would pretty much take care of itself. As she grew closer to her bandmates, Michelle and Anna, their apparent comfort with the subject had unsettled her. They'd tease and joke in a way that Karen found mildly obsessive.

Not that she considered herself prudish or subscribed to the whole 'sex only within marriage, ' thing. To her it had always been a private matter - something you kept to yourself. But to be idolised and desired by Junior took some getting used to and required a whole new revision of her attitude.

She needed to relax, she'd told herself, and accept the gift Junior was prepared to give. Poor self image around her physical desirablity was still there, even though it didn't seem to bother Junior.

Her breasts were too small, her shoulders too wide and arms muscled. Karen was too short and hips too wide. She didn't have long slender legs like Anna nor a pretty, mischievous face like Michelle. Whereas her bandmates were outgoing and confident, she tended towards introversion and shyness. All of the above was something Junior accepted in her, of course, even though she'd often wondered why.

Junior was gangly - as if he'd reached for the sky forgetting to fill out. Karen either had to get used to looking at his chest or risk neck pains trying to see his eyes. His body was hard and stringy and there was scarcely an ounce of fat anywhere. She'd few doubts about his stamina, she thought with a smile.

Whereas she'd successfully avoided the subject, Junior obviously hadn't. There'd been too many 'boys' talks' and ogling smutty magazines, she'd concluded. Some of his ideas were a little fanciful, but others were a lot of fun. That Junior had brought joy into her life was something she'd always feel grateful to him for.

Junior was never insistant or demanding when it came to bedtimes. Okay, he could be 'persuasive' when he was in the mood, which was a good deal of the time, but if all she wanted was to cuddle, Junior was respectful.

They played around for a few weeks doing most things possible short of full intercourse. Karen could see, however, where this was likely to end up and put herself on the pill. Only when she felt safely protected from the unexpected did she feel confident enough to allow Junior to go further.

That had been one night after a gig. She'd often arrive home still pumping and it took a couple of hours before she could sleep. It had been a wild show and they were both bouyant and happy.

She remembered that she'd needed to change out of her stage clothes and, perhaps, shower. Afterwards, she sat by the dresser wearing just a towel as she scrubbed the last of the black eyeshadow off they'd all lately taken to wearing.

Junior had been in a frisky mood and wouldn't leave her alone. Eventually, he jammed himself into the stool behind her and put his arms around her, head resting on her shoulder. He kept whispering how sexy she looked before his hands started to roam.

After a bit of kidding around, he had the towel pushed down and was playing with her nipples. Karen could feel him stiff and erect and began to feel a little horny herself. At some point the mood turned serious and they became locked in a real clincher.

The next thing she remembered was being laid on her back on the bed. The towel had disappeared and Junior was throwing off his shirt. At some point he'd lost his pants and his balls were tickling her pussy. She'd then rolled on top and was grinding herself along his length when it occurred to her there was little to stop her slipping his dick inside.

She had to laugh at his surprise and delight when she held his knob at the entrance to her vagina and rubbed herself with it. Then he was in, up, or whatever you call it. It felt weird and exciting to be connected to Junior by this prong of flesh. He'd grabbed her butt and tried to get her to bounce around, but she just wanted to lie for a while and enjoy the sensation. After a while she'd wriggled around a little, just to see what it felt like.