Man Candy

by Ingro, Jessica

  For a brief moment, I was tempted to look around and see if Tanner was hiding somewhere just to pull one over on me. Jump out from behind a curtain and scream, “You’ve been punked, bitch!”

  I grabbed a waiter walking by and ordered two more shots. My earlier hesitations about drinking were now gone. I was going to need all the alcohol I could get.

  “You aren’t mad are you?” Meredith asked from my side.

  I shook my head and gave her a sidelong glance. “I just wish you would have told me on the phone the other night.”

  “I honestly didn’t think about it. Look, the authors who have models here all have a bet going as to which one of you guys is going to win. The pot’s up to two grand. So if you could... you know... shake what your momma gave you or something that would be great.”

  Even annoyed, I had to laugh at her request.

  “I’m serious!” she exclaimed and slapped my shoulder. “All the women have been drooling and taking covert pictures of you since you got here. You’re a shoe in. You’re far hotter than Drake Dunn. He won last year and thinks his shit doesn’t stink. I know for a fact it does and I’d love nothing more than to knock him off his pedestal.”

  “I’ll do my best, but I’m not promising anything.” Nerves started working overtime at the prospect of what was fifty short minutes away from happening. The room began to feel small and confined. And where the hell was the waiter with my shots?

  “Thank you so much!” she squealed and threw her arms around me for a hug.

  “Don’t thank me just yet. You can thank me if I win.”

  *****

  “Oh hell no.” I attempted to push my way through the throng of women standing in front of the door that was my only escape from the evil things they had planned. Instead of breaking free, I was pushed back into the room where three other male models were getting ready for the show.

  “Yes. You said you’d do it,” Meredith reminded me as she stood in my way with her hip cocked and her arms crossed.

  “You didn’t tell me about this,” I argued. And she hadn’t. She so hadn’t. I would have never agreed to lip-sync to KISS if she had.

  “If the pussy doesn’t want to do it, Red, then don’t make him do it,” the slimy model Drake told Meredith.

  “I’m not a fucking pussy,” I spit out getting in his face. This juiced up monkey had been making comments ever since we came backstage. With his slicked back black hair, cold, dark eyes and massive bulk, he looked like a creep of the biggest variety. His attitude just cemented that observation.

  Meredith wasn’t kidding when she said Drake thought he was the greatest of the great. Apparently that translated to having a hard time stepping aside and letting someone else be center stage. For as much as I didn’t want to be his replacement, I wasn’t going to let him knock me around either.

  “You sure are acting like one.” Rather than backing down, he took a step closer so we were toe to toe.

  “All this testosterone is making me horny,” a woman who I learned was named Amy spoke from behind me.

  “It’s making me nauseous,” Meredith countered. “Listen guys, Ben is playing Paul. That’s just the way it is. We’ve already agreed on it. Now go jerk off in the corner until it’s time to go on, Drake.”

  “Woman,” he growled and turned from me to her. “I’m sick of you telling me what to do.”

  “You seemed to like it just fine when we were in bed,” she threw back.

  “You fucking bitch!” he snarled and took a menacing step toward her. I quickly inserted myself between them and pushed on his chest to stop his advancement.

  “Dude, come over here before you get yourself kicked out or arrested,” another model named Calvin told him. Grabbing Drake by his bicep, Calvin pulled him away from where we stood, defusing the volatile situation.

  “You slept with that joker?” I asked her in disbelief.

  “Please don’t remind me,” she said in disgust. “Look, Ben. I know this is awkward for you, but I already committed to this and don’t want to go back on my word. I’m sorry if you were caught off guard, but I need you. You don’t understand the cliques and politics in the author world. I’ll lose all credibility if this doesn’t go well.”

  Gripping the back of my neck, I stared at the floor for several beats before looking up into her pleading eyes. I was always a sucker for a woman in distress. Especially a pretty one.

  “Fine, but you and Tanner owe me. Big time.”

  “I know,” she readily agreed with an enthusiastic nod of her head.

  “I mean huge.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Five minutes,” came the warning from behind the door.

  “You’ll do great!” she told me.

  With a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, Meredith and her posse left me staring at the door, while I pictured myself sneaking out and hiding in my room until the weekend was over. Unfortunately, I knew that wouldn’t solve anything.

  Looked like I had no choice but to go through with this crazy nonsense.

  The four of us men stood on the darkened stage a few minutes later waiting for our cue. Dread filled my gut as the seconds ticked on. I did a tour in Afghanistan for Christ’s sake. Why the hell was I so nervous to get up on stage in front of a few hundred people?

  The second the first note of the song played, the bottom dropped out of my stomach and I fought the bile threatening to rise up my throat. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath just as the curtain rose and the spotlight hit my face.

  Showtime.

  “Mmm, yeah!” I lip synced into the microphone standing in front of me.

  The others followed with the do, do, do’s.

  “Tonight...”

  When the first verse of “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” by KISS started, I threw caution to the wind and decided to give it my all. If I was going to look like an ass, I might as well try and be the best ass I could be. Of course the multiple shots I downed before stepping up on stage went a long way to getting me in the mood as well.

  Each of us channeled the singers we were playing as we shimmied and sang across the stage.

  Drake flicked his tongue out in true Gene Simmons style, humping the air and making the women scream.

  Calvin and Jase worked the crowd, moving from one side to the next as pairs of panties came flying onto the stage.

  Remembering Meredith’s bet, I realized I needed to turn my game up a notch if I wanted her to win. The others had lost their shirts as well, but I decided to take it one step further. Whipping my t-shirt off, I spun it around and threw it into the audience. I watched as a small group of women all dove for it.

  Tempering my fear that I would never see my shirt again along with my desire to laugh at how crazy it all was, I turned around and shook my ass from side to side.

  My date to the prom had once told me that dancing was basically like mimicking sex. Using that advice, I closed my eyes and gyrated and moved my hips pretending to make love to a woman.

  The crowd roared in approval and instead of being embarrassed like I thought I would, I felt a swell of pride move through my chest. Between that and the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I felt untouchable. Like I could do anything.

  By the second verse, I was surprised to find I was actually enjoying myself.

  As the sweat trickled down my spine, I spun around and dipped low onto the stage channeling my best Magic Mike impersonation.

  I crooked my finger at a pretty little brunette in the front row. She came closer, taking my hands, and I lifted her up onto stage with me. Standing behind her, I drew her left arm up, hooking it around my neck. My fingers danced up and down her soft skin as I pressed my hips into hers from behind. Using my free hand on her hip, I moved her body with mine sensually.

  Grinding against her and lost in the moment, I dipped my head to her neck and inhaled her sweet floral scent. Between my adrenaline rush and the alcohol zinging through my veins, I couldn’t help but take a quick tas
te of her salty skin.

  “Oh God,” she muttered when my tongue made contact.

  Things between us went no further though when we were joined on the stage by several women with leather whips.

  What the fuck?

  When the background music sounded like a whip, each woman cracked theirs at the floor by our feet.

  Fear shown in Drake’s eyes when the woman next to him almost made contact with his boot.

  Jase continued to ham it up for the crowd, completely oblivious to the dominatrix display going on around him.

  It was Calvin though that used it to his benefit. He bent over, welcoming the woman to strike him across his ass. When the whip came down, hitting his jeans, he didn’t even wince. If anything, he looked more eager than before.

  The crowd was eating up his display. If I wasn’t so disturbed by his antics, I might have been concerned that I wasn’t going to win the contest for Meredith.

  All too soon the song ended and I had to help the brunette in my arms off the stage. A red lace bra landed in front of me as I turned to walk backstage. I picked it up with a wide smile on my face, held it up in a thank you and tucked it in my back pocket.

  “That was fucking awesome,” Jase exclaimed as I joined the three guys backstage.

  “I hope this doesn’t take too long. I want to catch up with that dark haired beauty brandishing a whip. She was fucking hot.” The stupid look on Calvin’s face was unsettling.

  “You’ve got issues,” Drake said with a shake of his head.

  “All right, ladies. Help me get our studs back out on the stage,” a sultry female voice echoed over the speakers. In turn, the crowd roared with catcalls, screams, and whistles.

  I grinned at my feet and shook my head. This was all so surreal. Especially the fact that I was enjoying it more than I probably should be. If asked, I might have even done another song.

  The spotlight shone brightly on our sweat slickened bodies when we walked back on stage.

  Center stage without my shirt on, I felt slightly exposed now that I wasn’t performing, but there was nothing I could do about it at that point. Hooking my thumbs in my belt loops, I planted my feet wide and waited for the noise to die down.

  “Phew... certainly some great man candy up here for us to look at. Right, ladies?” The voice amped the crowd back up to deafening levels.

  I spotted the brunette who danced with me up front and gave her a smile that she returned with one of her own. She tucked her wavy hair behind her ear and bit her lip, letting me know she was prime for the taking. I hadn’t been looking for a hookup this weekend, but I couldn’t deny that she tasted delicious earlier.

  “All right. It’s time to vote on which one of these studs got your blood pumping, your panties wet and your mouths drooling. All you ladies need to do is show some love for the one you want to see win VIP status for tomorrow night’s party. That means a special throne for our guy to reign over us all and free drinks the entire night. First up ladies is Calvin! Calvin step forward, honey. Don’t be afraid,” the hidden woman teased.

  Calvin stepped to the front of the stage and crossed his arms, making his biceps strain against the fabric of his t-shirt. On cue, the crowd applauded for him. It was a good showing, but I had a feeling it could be better.

  Next up was Jase, who sauntered towards the front of the stage and flicked two fingers out at the crowd from his brow, making everyone cheer. He took his shirt off and flexed the muscles of his pecs a few times. When the applause started for him, it was definitely louder than Calvin’s.

  When Jase moved to the side where Calvin waited, Drake stepped forward. He slowly lifted his tank top, teasing the women with glimpses of his abs. The applause started off slower than Jase’s but quickly built when he encouraged them by waving his arms.

  Shit, his tactics were going to be tough to beat. My shirt was already off so it wasn’t like I had anything to tease them with. If it were Calvin or Jase with the best reaction, I wouldn’t have minded. There was no way in hell I was going to lose to this fucker though.

  “Next up is Ben. He’s the body from the hottest book cover I’ve seen all year!”

  The crowd already started whistling and catcalling as I stepped forward into the spotlight once again. Feeling slightly self-conscious, I nervously ran my hands over my chest causing a fresh wave of sounds to echo through the crowd.

  Huh. That was easy and it gave me a great idea to kick Drake’s ass.

  When the announcer told the crowd to vote for me, instead of urging them on the way Drake did, I decided to try a different tactic—exploit myself for the greater good. Normally, I’d be mortified, but it was as if another person had taken my place when I reached for my belt buckle and began opening it.

  The noise in the room immediately began to die down, and I panicked. This wasn’t how I saw it going. When I fingered the button on my jeans and started to slip it through the hole, I was rewarded when the noise level went through the roof. It was like sitting near a speaker at a rock concert.

  “Well, there you have it!” The announcer shouted over the noise. “The VIP of Philly’s INDIE-pendence Author Signing is Ben Harris!”

  My hand moved from my now unbuttoned pants and gave a short wave to everyone before I took a bow.

  Glancing over at the other guys, Calvin and Jase were both clapping. Drake looked angry enough to spit nails. It was evident in the glare of his eyes, the thin line of his lips and his rigid stance. I desperately wanted to laugh at how ridiculous he looked.

  One of the women whipping us earlier came out with a tray of shots for the four of us. We clinked our glasses before raising them to the crowd. The whiskey coated my throat on its way down, releasing a slow burn in its wake.

  Good stuff.

  Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

  THREE

  “You were amazing!” Meredith squealed and launched herself at me.

  Wrapping her up in my arms, I lifted her off the ground and spun her around.

  “My turn!” Fiona yelled and plowed her way through the group of women surrounding me.

  I set Mer down on her feet and let Fiona pull me into an inappropriate hug. Her hands traveled down my back, reaching into my jeans and gripping my ass.

  “Hey,” I said and tried to pull her hands free.

  “God, you have such a tight ass. I bet I could bounce quarters off of it.” Her nails dug into the muscles, forcing me to pull on her harder.

  Unsuccessful in getting her off me, I gave up, hoping she would eventually find someone else to molest.

  “Shots!” Meredith shouted when a waiter brought over a tray of pink colored shots. There was no way in hell I was putting one of those to my lips.

  “Come on,” she cajoled when I refused to take one. Before I could refuse again, hands covered the entirety of my upper body, pulling me down into a chair, while Meredith came at me with a shot. “Do it,” she demanded while putting the glass to my lips.

  Wanting to get this over with, I parted my lips and let the sweet, sticky fluid flow over my tongue and down my throat. The women surrounding me cheered and Fiona leaned over, running her tongue along the seam of my lips.

  Meredith pushed her out of the way, and I took the opportunity to clamber up from my chair and away from Fiona’s grasp.

  “Ben! I bought you a drink!” a woman I didn’t know said as she thrust a glass in front of my face. “It’s a Sex on My Face.”

  “Um, okay.” I shrugged and took a tentative sip. With a hint of coconut—my favorite—I realized it wasn’t half bad. Tipping my head back, I downed the rest and swiped my hand across my mouth. “Thanks.”

  “I got you a Redheaded Slut,” an auburn haired girl said from my side. I turned to see her holding a drink out to me. While taking it from her grasp, I idly wondered if she was trying to tell me something about herself. Was she giving me a proposition with her drink choice?

  The question was on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed it quick
ly along with a sip of brown liquid. Jägermeister. Nice.

  Drinking this one a little slower, I conversed with her about her job in telecommunications. The conversation flowed easily and with all the extra booze I ingested, I found myself feeling loose and sluggish.

  “What are you drinking?” I asked when she picked a big martini glass up from the table next to where we stood.

  “Mmmm,” she breathed after a sip. Licking her lips, her eyes rolled into her head and a look of ecstasy crossed her face. “Suck, Bang and Blow.”

  Something about the pout of her lips as she said it did dangerous things to my body. My muscles clenched, and my dick stirred.

  “Oh yeah?” I croaked out past a suddenly dry throat.

  “Yep. It’s delicious and,” she leaned in conspiratorially before whispering in my ear, “I’m very good at it.”

  “I bet you are,” I murmured to her cleavage where my eyes had drifted down to.

  “I could show you,” she offered. Her hand stroked down my chest and slid underneath the waistband of my jeans. Even in my lust and drunken haze, I knew she was making sloppy work of finding her target. It wasn’t as if it was a small one.

  I stepped back causing her hand to slip out of my pants. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  “Ben!” Meredith shouted to me, thankfully saving me from the protest I could see forming on the vixen’s lips.

  “What’s up?” I semi-slurred when I joined her a few feet away.

  “We were just discussing what type of sex toys men like to use in the bedroom. Of course we have the vibrator, the dildo, nipple clamps and the cock ring.” Meredith ticked each one off on her fingers. “We wanted to know what you thought of butt plugs and anal beads. Do you believe in starting out small and working your way up? Or just going for the gusto?” She blinked up at me in earnest when she finished her tirade.

  My head was spinning with thoughts of vibrators and cock rings.

  Was it suddenly really hot in here?

  “I... uh... I’m not sure what to say to that.” My hand automatically went up to loosen my collar and I belatedly remembered I wasn’t wearing a shirt.