“Are you and Jagger done?”
I sigh, “According to Jagger, we are never done. I don’t want to be with him right now, but you can’t stop loving someone overnight. He’s hurt me a great deal, and I can eventually forgive, but I don’t know that I will ever forget.”
“Just for the record, if you ever get to a better place, I would love to take you out some time.”
I smile, even though he’s making me nervous, “Thank you Kai, I will definitely keep that in mind, but I assure you, you wouldn’t want anything to do with me right now. I am a mess.”
“I would have to disagree with that,” he says.
We ride in silence, and when we arrive, valet takes the car. I take Kai’s offered arm, and we enter a club where there are apparently as many strippers as there are guests. I look for the birthday boy, and when I find him in the center of the room, he is in a circular booth surrounded by naked dancers.
“Hen!” he calls.
I laugh at my crazy friend and make my way over to him.
“Girls, asses on the table, my best friend is here!” he yells.
The girls stand on the table and continue to dance. He stands and pulls me in for a hug. I hand him a gift bag, and he dives in like a little kid, throwing tissue paper over his head, until he comes up with one of his gifts.
“Holy shit woman! This is a vintage Kinks shirt!”
I nod my head, and he throws more tissue paper in the air.
“A vintage Doors shirt! Holy fuck, I will look so hot in these! I mean hotter in these!” he wiggles his eyebrows.
“A vintage Zeppelin and Pink Floyd poster… and… you got a shit load of vinyl! Hell’s yeah! I know what we are doing tomorrow! Thank you so much, Hen.”
He leans in for another hug, and motions for me to sit in his booth, where Rhys and Kai join us.
“Bitches, dance for the goddess!” Kip yells. “And somebody bring my girl a damn beer, it’s my fucking birthday!”
He cracks me up. Kip tells stories of our childhood, road stories, and orders women to dance for the next hour. His guests crowd around and hang on every word because he is an absolute riot. He stands to greet other guests after and leaves me to Kai and Rhys. We enjoy the dancers. After half an hour, Kip returns to the table, with a serious look on his face.
“Nobody puts baby in the corner,” he says.
Oh shit! He reaches for me, and takes me to the middle of the dance floor, which clears for us. I will kill him. “Time of My Life” plays over the speakers, and he approaches me. I am going to strangle him. The large crowd cheers for the idiocy they know is about to ensue.
Kip pulls me to him, then dips me around like Johnny did Baby. He turns me around, places my arm behind his head, traces it down to my body, and then we dance like Johnny and Baby. The crowd cheers and claps. He tries to act all serious when they come nose to nose in the movie and give me seductive eyes so I throw my head back and laugh. He picks me up and twirls me around and then turns and gives me his best Johnny face. He dances over to a booth nearby, stands on it, and jumps off. He dances like Johnny a ways away from me, and the crowd urges this idiot on. He drops to his knees, spins both ways on the floor, and back around, and does the whole head bang thing. Patrick Swayze did it way better, but don’t tell Kip I said so. The crowd dances with him towards me, and I swear I am never watching this movie again. He stops dancing, nods his head at me, and I take off running. I jump slightly right before I reach him, and up in the air I go. I throw my arms out, and laugh like hell. Once he puts me down, we dance with the crowd, until the song ends.
When it ends, the crowd roars in applause.
“Thanks, Baby,” Kip winks.
“Johnny, if it wasn’t your birthday, I would throttle you right now,” I laugh.
“I’m glad it’s my birthday because I have all sorts of things planned for you. You are my partner-in-crime, especially tonight.”
“Someone please help me.”
“I have to go find naked bitches,” Kip says as he turns on his heel and walks away.
I return to the table, and find it empty of my friends, so I find my way to the bar for a refill.
“How many times have you two watched that movie?” he says from behind me.
I turn to see his face, and give him a forced smile, but turn right back around.
Jagger steps up to the bar on my left, “That’s not the smile I am accustomed to seeing on your beautiful face.” He is so pompous.
I ignore him. I can’t tell if he is trying to start something, or if he is genuinely trying to make conversation, you know like all the bullshit that’s went down over the past several months didn’t happen. I don’t know which one pisses me off more.
“I had to watch you at the wedding, and then the bar with Ian, and now you’re here with Kai. You move fast, Hen.”
Ignore him. Do not let him rile you up, Henley, because he wins. Do not let him push your buttons.
He leans in to whisper in my ear, “I still remember what your pussy tastes like. I would give anything to taste you right now.”
Ignoring! Yes, I am ignoring the Sunday church fan my vagina broke out to fan the flames. I hate the effect he has on me.
“You remember what it feels like when I’m inside of you? Every time you come, you arch your back, throw that pretty head of yours back, and just let it all go. I love that I do that to you. I love the sounds you make when you come undone.”
An arm slides around my waist from my right, and says, “Is everything okay here?”
I turn to see Memphis, and the look on his face is challenging Jagger to fuck with him. I step into his embrace, and away from Jagger.
“Have you two officially met?” I ask attempting to break through the pissing contest.
“No, not officially,” Jagger seethes.
“Jagger this is my brother Memphis, Memphis meet Jagger. Jag and I grew up together,” I introduce.
“And then he broke your heart and humiliated you. I may not have been her brother long, but I’m still her brother. Stop fucking with her,” he orders.
Oh my.
“I don’t see where it is any of your business, brother,” Jag says.
“That’s where you are mistaken. I’ve missed out on twenty-six years of her life. I always wanted a little sister, and now I have her. I have twenty-six years of being a big brother to make up for, and I take my job really fucking serious. Now, if you don’t mind, fuck off,” Memphis says with an evil smile on his face.
He turns me away from Jag and finds another small bar to buy me a beer.
“Thank you,” I say.
“I meant it. I haven’t gotten to hang out with you much, or get to know you, but you are my sister. I plan on being a big brother even if you are already a grown ass woman. He won’t fuck with you as long as I am around.”
“I was attempting to ignore him,” I laugh.
“How about we go out back? There are places to sit, and it’s quieter. We can talk and get to know each other,” he suggests.
“Sounds great, brother,” I nudge his shoulder, and he smiles.
We sit in a corner with our beers, and each light up a cigarette.
“Why’d you come to the audition?” I ask.
“You don’t want to know,” he answers.
“I do.”
“I thought you all knew about me, so I wanted to prove I was just as good as you and Koi. I was an asshole, and I’m sorry about that.”
“You are… as good as Koi and I.”
“That means a lot coming from you,” he says.
“I mean it. I don’t blow smoke up people’s asses or sugar coat things. You blew me away at the audition,” I confess.
“I am well aware you don’t blow smoke up people’s asses. I’ve read every interview you ever gave.”
“Are you saying you are my fan?”
He laughs, “Yeah, even though the anger and resentment, I w
as always a fan.”
“I’m glad you are joining the band, Memphis. I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing with us.”
“I’m ready to get into the studio in a couple of days. I hear Kai Scott is the shit.”
I nod, “He is.”
We talk for the next half hour. We talk about his mom, and how it felt discovering that his father wanted him his entire life. He thanked me for sending the truck and spoke about the emotions he experienced over the three weeks he went through the items. Apparently dad sent pictures of our entire family, our milestones, and he confesses he connected with us by the time the truck was empty. He isn’t currently speaking to his mother, who he believes robbed him of most of his life. I can only imagine how betrayed he felt.
We head inside for another beer and find Kip. He is at the booth I originally found him at, and his eyes are studying the inside of a stripper’s legs. I sit beside him; he doesn’t take his eyes off his temporary muse, but throws his arm around my shoulder, and pulls me closer.
“Now that, my friend, is a pretty pussy,” he says.
I laugh, and it catches his muse’s attention. She turns around to face us, steps off the table with her five-inch stilettos, and places them on either side of my legs. Here we go, she’s an attention whore. Some women like to interact sexually with other women to make men turn their heads. She winks at me, and she knows I know her deal. I wink back with a smile and decide I will play her game.
She drops down to my lap, and dances on me while kissing my cheek sensually.
“Holy fuck,” Kip says.
Told you.
Lil Wayne’s, “God Bless America,” blares through the speakers, and she dances on me. She doesn’t dance for me, and there’s a difference. She is dancing for all the money in the room. She turns her back and grinds on my lap. Her hands touch the insides of my thighs, and I can’t see a damn thing through all of her hair, but I can hear the whistles, and string of tightly wound expletives. She turns again and bends her knees until she is almost to the floor. She kisses the inside of my thighs, and I smile wickedly
“Fuck me,” Rhys says from somewhere close by. “I wish I had a vagina.”
She winks when she hears him, and I continue to smile, thoroughly enjoying our little charade. Her hands rest on my knees, and when she’s reached the end of my leg not covered by dress, she pushes her hands up the top of my thighs, and pushes herself up from the floor to straddle me again. She places my hands on her lower back, and leans back, dancing to the beat.
“I think I’m in love,” I hear Brent from Fallen Men say, and it takes everything I have not to laugh. Men are so damn predictable.
I press my hands in her back as she works her torso back to me. Her teeth graze my lips, and then gently bites my bottom lip pulling it down, not letting go until her teeth can’t pull it any further.
“Grab my ass, hard,” she whispers in my ear.
I run my hands up the outside of her thighs, and when I reach her ass sensually splaying my palms across it, and then give a sudden and rough squeeze which makes her body jump. I’ve never grabbed another woman’s ass, but damn, it’s pretty hot. I’ll never live this down.
“My dick is so hard,” Shaun says, and once again I have to try not to laugh.
The dancer feels my laughter, and we both hide under her expansive amount of hair to mask our giggles. The song ends, and she leans down to kiss me. I let her do it, although I wasn’t expecting it whatsoever. I hear male voices cheering, and I giggle again.
“You are so hot,” she says.
And it dawns on me, “You aren’t straight, are you?”
She pulls her G-string on, smiles back at me, “Nope. Thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome,” I say as I stick a hundred dollar bill under her garter.
“I knew you were a dyke,” Sam says from my right.
She sits down as the dancer leaves our area.
“You wish.”
“No, I don’t, but many lesbians do. You’re a fucking tease,” she says before she takes a shot of tequila.
“I didn’t start that shit, tell her Kip,” I say to my left.
“True story,” he croaks out. “She didn’t start it, but sure as hell finished it. Fuck me, why didn’t I record that shit? I still have a raging hard on.”
“She won’t be able to help you with that, friend. She’s gay.”
He sputters beer out, “Did you know that?”
“Yeah, about the time she put her G-string back on,” I confess.
“That somehow makes it so much hotter,” Rhys says.
“Where did that little cunt-tease go?” Sam asks as she exits the booth.
“Put a hurtin’ on it for me, Sam,” Kip says.
She winks in agreement while she saunters off towards her prey.
I am bombarded with male attention instantly and look for someone to save me. Rhys and Kip are still so impressed with that charade; they will throw me to the wolves. Fuck!
“Let’s dance,” Shaun says.
My hero!
Shaun and I dance to a slow number.
“That was some show,” he smiles.
“I didn’t start it! Jesus, everyone will think I’m a lesbian now. I’ll never get laid again.”
“I assure you, your straight status is secure amongst the male species, however, your sexual appeal just skyrocketed to a level never seen before,” he jokes.
“Great! All I need are more assholes,” I say with a half-smile.
He spins me around as we dance and smiles at me. I remember the sexy dream about him when he smiles at me, and my vagina wakes up and takes notice. No, down girl, you’ve been bad enough tonight. Actually, you’ve been bad period. When his hand rests on my lower back, and pulls me in closer, I fight the sexual waves he gives off.
“Henley!” Memphis yells, and I quickly find him off the side of the dance floor with a worried look.
without another thought and hurry to Memphis.
“It’s Koi,” he yells over the music, and grabs my hand as we rush through the crowd to the outside area we drank in earlier.
When we enter the threshold, I see Koi and another guy with Jessica in between them. Guests are holding both men back, and Jessica is screaming at Koi. I run over to my other brother.
“What the fuck is going on?” I ask.
“He was hurting her!” Koi screams, his eyes full of dark rage, and I know if they let him go he will probably kill the other guy.
“What happened?” I ask Jessica.
“He was trying to come on to me, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Koi pulled him off, but I can’t get him to calm down,” she says with worry.
I step in front of my brother and place my hand on his cheek.
“Look at me,” I say softly.
He refuses at first, and I give him time to struggle through it.
He finally looks down at me with so many emotions warring with one another, “It’s okay. You protected her, she’s not hurt, Koi. She’s okay.”
He looks over me to Jessica, his emotions stop their battle, and anger takes over when he sees her.
I speak softly enough so that only my brother can hear me, “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but I know what it feels like. You are really angry, your adrenaline is pumping, so don’t say or do anything you will regret. Let’s take a walk, just you and me, yeah?”
Koi struggles with me, eyes still on Jessica, eyes filled with terror and hurt. He finally nods his head. I ask several men to take the other guy out of another exit and put him in a cab. Once he’s gone, I ask the guests holding Koi to let him go. I put my arm in his and lead him towards an exit in the vicinity.
We walk the streets, and he quietly fumes.
“For once, it isn’t my drama,” I snort.
“Is this what it feels like, Hen?” he asks.
“What?”
“To have someo
ne you love hurt you over and over again?”
“You love her?” I ask.
“I always have.”
“You want to tell me what she did?”
“Same thing Jagger does to you, I guess. She tears my heart out, and then moments later she has me all wrapped up in her again. I can’t breathe sometimes. When I’m with her, it’s hard to breathe, because the way I feel is so fucking overwhelming. But when we’re on the outs, I can’t breathe because I worry about her. I wonder where she is, and if she thinks about me as much as I think about her. I miss her touch, and her smile, and the way she makes me laugh. I sound like such a fucking pussy.”
“No, you sound like a man in love.”
“She’s killing me,” he says.
“I do know that feeling,” I sigh.
“How did you do it? How did you finally walk away? How did you stop it from hurting?”
“I didn’t.”
“You did.”
“No, I didn’t. Jagger walked away. Jagger slept with someone else and brought her to one of my best friend’s weddings. Jagger hurt me, again. I just needed time, and I guess he couldn’t wait. It never stops hurting, Koi, at least not so far. It hurts for me to breathe too sometimes. I told you outside the studio the night I picked him up at McGully’s; I don’t know what I will do when I don’t have the studio to keep me sane. My heart aches every damn day.”
“And Ian?” he asks.
“Ian makes the ache subside enough to where I can stomach waking up every day. He’s my friend. I know our relationship is confounding, but we really are just friends. He knows how tormenting a broken heart can be, and sometimes it’s easier to suffer together. Sometimes we try to heal the other just a little by taking our minds off of it.”
“No emotions involved?” he asks unbelieving.
“Of course there are emotions involved. You don’t know each other as well as we do, spill your heart out, and know how to put Band-Aids on one another without there being emotions involved. We aren’t in love with each other if that is what you’re asking. We love and respect each other. He’s always felt like a kindred spirit. He gets me, Koi, but he isn’t the one I gave my heart to, and I’m not the one he gave his heart to.”
Guitar Face Series Box Set: Books 1-4 Page 46
