Releasing Rhythm

by WEST, T. J.

  We take the shot and resume eating, talking bullshit and discussing what lies ahead for the week. I was having a great time relaxing, getting a good buzz until I unexpectedly see Peta inside the house. Fuck, she looks so sexy. She takes the breath out of me every time I make contact with her. My cock is beginning to harden just by thinking about our kiss last week. What I’d give to have her on that cabana bed riding me like cowgirl. But unfortunately, my dick goes down rather quickly when I see who just came up by her side and snaked an arm around her shoulders. It can’t be who I think it is!

  “What in the fuck is Brock Crow doin’ here?” I mutter under my breath. More so than the night I saw Peta dancing with him…I’m fucking livid.

  “Whoa…I don’t remember Lyric inviting him,” Slim says.

  “He and Peta are together?” Wayne asks.

  Wayne has no freaking clue, but Slim seems to see right through me. “You okay, Jason? You seem ready to do some serious damage to pretty boy over there.”

  “Pretty ain’t the word I’d call him.” I’m seething through my teeth. This shit’s gonna go down.

  “You really have it bad for Peta, don’t you?”

  Not having a good enough answer for Slim, I ignore his question. Fuck…do I really have it bad for that redhead? What the hell is gettin’ into me? “Gonna get another drink.” Up and leaving the rest of the guys, I possibly am making them believe I really do have something going on with Peta after all. The truth is…I do, and that son of bitch Brock is getting in the way.

  OUR EYES MEET THE SECOND I look outside. He has a deep scowl on his face showing me how displeased and pissed he is, possibly because Brock is standing next to me with his arm across my shoulders. When Lyric invited me to her housewarming party, I was pretty stoked. Hanging out with June’s friends, meaning JINKS, made it impossible for me to say no, and since Brock’s her brother I thought it would be cool to have him tag along with me. I mean, wasn’t he invited too? The answer was pretty obvious when Lyric didn’t seem all that thrilled when I asked her if I could bring him. She didn’t say no, but I could tell Brock wasn’t her favorite person. Very strange. I know in the last year he’s been in the media about his immature behavior, but in my presence he’s been a nice guy. However, maybe bringing Brock wasn’t the brightest idea and I should hightail it before Jason…oh crap, he’s coming over. Yep, bad idea.

  After greeting Brock and me, Lyric immediately moves out of the way when Jason steps in front of me with his arms crossed. His eyes are cold, dark, and angry. What the hell? “Fireball. A word,” he says in a spine-chilling tone.

  Not wanting him to think he’s scaring the ever loving crap out of me with his creepy approach, I cross my arms and put on a smile for him, with a little bit of attitude to go along with it. “Hello to you too, Jason. You know Brock right?”

  “How’s it going, man?” Brock extends his hand out, but Jason doesn’t respond or move his eyes away from mine.

  He must be clenching his teeth together because his jaw muscles keep flexing. “Peta…now,” he orders me gruffly.

  My throat is super dry when I swallow down his order. If I don’t want this to become an unwanted scene in front of his friends, I’ll have that word with him. The big jerk. Slightly turning, I place my hand on Brock’s chest and tell him, “Uh…go and get us a drink. I’ll be out in a minute.”

  “Want some grub too?”

  “Sure.” I smile. Without so much as a glance behind me, I swiftly walk down a hallway toward…I don’t know where, I’ve never seen this place before and stop at the end where there’s a door located.

  Turning around, I’m ready to give him a piece of my mind. “That was so rude–” But I don’t get the chance because he pushes me up against the wall and begins to give me a deep-throat kiss like he did the night of the Grammy’s party. As much as I hate him for cutting me off, I embrace it and immediately lace my fingers through his thick, spiky-gelled hair and deep-throat kiss him back. Forcing my legs apart with his knee, Jason grabs my ass and leans further into me, setting off some serious fireworks down below. The beating of his heart against my chest spirals me out of control. Jason’s one hell of a kisser. He’s passionate in more ways than one, biting my bottom lip as if it were his last meal. I can taste the lingering smoke on his breath along with the alcohol he’s consumed, and seriously…I freaking love it. I’ve never been one who personally liked a man who smokes, I’ve never dated anyone who did, but Jason…this jerk and complicated man has me in a whirlwind, and I gotta say…I love every taste inside and outside of him. Holy shit, wait. He’s taken control of the situation! Doesn’t he know what it means to have a conversation? How dare he put me in this position without talking to me first. This needs to stop. As hard as I can, I push at his chest to separate us. “You asshole! You don’t…” I touch my lips, out of breath. “You don’t get to do that.”

  Quickly backing me up against the wall again, he cages me in this time by placing an arm above me. He bends his face downward, touching his nose to mine and then ferociously whispers against my lips, “I can and will, because anytime you’re with that douchebag…” He grabs my hand and roughly places it over the fly of his jeans. I can feel his hard cock straining against the material. “You’re gonna wanna remember what a real man feels like.”

  As much as I love that cock of his and will always remember what his cock did to me and how it made me feel, I yank my hand away. What a fucking ego! “You’re a pig,” I practically growl at him. Briefly, his bleak, dark eyes shift away from mine, until I poke a finger at his chest. He backs up a little to give me some breathing room. “You know, a real man…Jason, is someone who actually wants to sit down and get to know me without groping me to get a point across. A real man isn’t someone who wants to play head games to get a rise out of me. I’m too old for that sort of shit. So grow up and learn to verbalize like a real human being.”

  Leaning into me again, Jason grasps my arms and creases his brows together when he replies, “Okay, then how can I get my point across that I don’t want you with him?”

  Why won’t he just come out and tell me he’d rather have me all to himself than acting like I’m his prey? “There’s not, because I’m not with him. He’s only here because I asked him as a friend. If you haven’t noticed, he’s also Lyric’s brother. And even if I was with him, it’s none of your damn business.”

  “Friend my ass. He’s not looking to be just your friend.”

  Tilting my chin up, I blurt out, “Maybe I’m not either.” Jason’s body becomes still. He then blinks a couple times. Clearly I just opened my big mouth to spite him. Look who’s playing head games now. Such a fucking hypocrite. But I continue to open my big mouth by telling him, “Maybe I want to be more than just a friend. He’s fun to be with so if you’ve got a problem with that…deal with it.” I try to push myself out of his grasp, but he won’t have it.

  “Go out with me,” Jason murmurs.

  Whoa! This is a total shocker. “What?”

  Looking anywhere but at my eyes, he repeats himself softly, “Go out with me.”

  His head is turned away from me, so I won’t answer his questions until I see those milk chocolates. “My eyes are over here. Ask me by looking me in the eye.”

  Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath. This is harder for him than I thought it would be. Either he’s afraid to show me his true feelings by making eye contact, or he’s never been told and guided into learning this simple, yet hard skill.

  When he finally looks at me, his jaw flexes. “Go out with me, Fireball,” he whispers. The faint smell of tobacco from his breath sets me on a high.

  How can I say no to this gorgeous poor soul who is desperately trying to overcome a challenge he probably never had to work on? “Yes, I’ll go out with you, but…” I hold up a finger. “I’m not exclusive. I’m still here with Brock whether or not you approve. Got it?”

  He leans into my ear and says, “You’re not making this easy on me, bab
y.”

  “Good. Maybe it will help you realize next time that I’m a woman, not some toy you can bounce around any time you wish. Now please let me by.” It takes a couple seconds, but Jason bows his head and removes his hands. I can finally walk away from him with my head held high, knowing I fought through another difficult moment. Jason is hardly an easy man to deal with, so I feel good about this and seriously can’t wait to go on a real date with the man.

  Once I make it outside with the rest of the gang, I sit next to June under the patio and find an untouched bottle of beer on the side table along with a plate of chips and salsa. Where’s Brock at? I look around the backyard to find him drinking and talking with Lyric. From where I’m sitting, their conversation doesn’t look too happy. Definitely a bad idea to bring him. I hate seeing my new friend upset when this day should be a happy one for her.

  Just as I’m about to take a drink of the beer, that’s most likely the one Brock got for me, I get a whiff of stale smoke blowing past me. Ignore, ignore, ignore. Getting my attention is exactly what he wants, but he needs to learn his little lesson. Besides, he got what he wanted, we’re gonna go out. Shaking my head, I smile to myself. He played right into my hands like a dream.

  “Everything okay with you and Jason?” June asks.

  Oh boy, if June noticed the tension between us, I’m sure everyone else has too. Great. “Yeah, Jason’s just…he’s just…” Not knowing what else to say, I stop there.

  “I get it.” She laughs. “He’s a complicated person.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.” Chuckling, I tip my head back to take a drink.

  A minute later, Brock comes over and sits down beside me when June quietly says something for my ears only, “I thought you called it quits after that one night stand.”

  I can’t let Brock overhear this. We may not exactly be an item, but he’s here with me and the last thing I want him to hear is about my rendezvous with Poker Face behind me. “Now’s not the time to talk about it, obviously.” I cock my head toward Brock.

  “Right, so let’s grab dinner this week. We have a lot to catch up on.”

  “You have time to get together? Aren’t you crazy busy?”

  She grabs my hand. “You’re like family. I always make time for family.”

  June is such a sweetheart. We met at a concert many years ago, and ever since then we’ve become really close. “Sure. I’m up for dinner this week.”

  Her pretty light blue eyes and bright smile always makes everyone feel good. “Cool. I’ll make arrangements.”

  As the hour rolls on, Brock is up and down every few minutes, getting a new drink or more food to eat. He can’t seem to sit still and engage in any conversation. At one point, Lucky and Danny went over to join Brock, who was sitting on the edge of the bed underneath the cabana. A few words were exchanged between the three, but other than that Brock pretty much stayed away from the guys and his sister. If I had known it was going to be this way, I wouldn’t have brought him. But why would he even say yes to coming if he didn’t get along with Lyric? Whatever, not my problem to solve. I already have one special case I’m working on, two cases would be pushing it.

  I’ve been talking with Faith, Harmony, Lyric and June about Faith’s upcoming wedding. Harmony works at the hotel alongside Faith’s mom, Helene. I’ve seen the parties she’s put together for book signings, baby showers, birthday parties, business conferences and weddings. She’s quite the creator and does an amazing job. Between her and Helene, they’re the best party coordinators in Southern California. So by next year, Faith will be married to Lucky– one of the hottest lead singers around. She totally scored on that dude.

  Melody just walked outside to join us. Where has she been? I was told she came in like a storm announcing her unplanned pregnancy. She wasn’t exactly thrilled, and I can kind of see why. She’s been working on her first album, which is supposed to be out by next year, and I hear touring around the country is in the works as well. I guess having a baby right now is bad timing. But really, when is it ever a good time to start a family? After having four boys, and five years after my mom’s last son, I was born. I was an unplanned surprise– a good one though. My mom was ecstatic to have her first and only daughter. Anyway, Melody and Wayne love each other so much they’ll figure things out.

  Harmony sits down beside her sister, grabs her hand and starts trying to cheer her up. Melody laughs at something Harmony says for her ears only, and suddenly Melody’s face becomes less pissed off. Wayne comes over and kisses his wife on the lips, takes her by the hand, and then leads her toward the cabana. They’ll definitely work things out, I have no doubt.

  Another hour goes by and it’s now dark outside, yet the tension between me and Jason hasn’t diminished. From the back of my head, I can still feel the heated energy from his eyes. He doesn’t even need to say a word, I know he’s been focused on me the entire time. Maybe it’s time to get out of here.

  As if Brock had just read my mind, he leans down from behind me and says, “How about we head on out and make some magic?”

  “Okay. I’ve been thinking the same.”

  “Cool, because I’ve had enough of this so called party. There’s a nightclub I’ve been dying to go to.” He presses his lips closer to my ear and whispers, “Seeing your pretty ass rubbed up against me again…” He growls. “I’m ready.” Damn. That was sort of hot.

  Keeping it cool, so I don’t give off any mixed signals, I tell him, “Sounds fun. Let me just say goodbye to everyone first, okay?”

  Lyric’s the last one of the girls I say goodbye to. She stands up to give me a hug. I really like her. She’s funny, smart and can handle a bunch of horny, sometimes arrogant, group of guys like it’s nobody’s business. She rocks.

  “Lyric, thanks for inviting me.”

  “Sure, of course. Any friend of June’s is a friend of mine.”

  “She’s got great taste in friends.” I laugh.

  Lyric laughs as well. “That she does.” She walks me to a secluded spot away from everyone. Crossing her arms she says, “So…uh, you and my brother…”

  With a wave of my hand nonchalantly, I tell her, “We’re just having a good time, nothing serious.”

  “Okay, well I guess that’s good because…I’m sure you’re aware he’s been in the spotlight a few times in the last couple of years, for things he shouldn’t be proud of. It hasn’t been easy on the family. I’m not trying to discourage you or anything, just giving you a heads up, that’s all.”

  “I appreciate it, but I’ll be fine. He’s fun to hang out with and has a lot of energy. I like him.” He was loads of fun on the dance floor the night of the Grammy’s. I can’t forget it, so going to a club with him tonight seems like a great idea. Dancing has always been one of my favorite things to do. Raising sons who played football and baseball, my mom couldn’t have been more happy and excited that her little girl had taken up dancing. I danced all the way up until I was out of high school. Going to college and majoring in dance was a dream of mine, but that’s all it was…a dream. Money was an issue so affording college in New York or in Los Angeles never happened, not even a scholarship. It broke my heart. Becoming a waitress instead was where my life took place. I never imagined being a waitress for so long, but once I got my bartender’s license and meeting June, my life started to mean something to me again. New dreams had developed.

  Lyric then says, “As long as you’re happy and having fun, then I certainly won’t get in the way.” Even though she gave me her blessing, I can still see and hear the uncertainty in her voice and eyes. I’m now wondering if hanging out with Brock is a good idea. Oh well, I need to shake it off and takes things as they go.

  “Thanks again for the invite. Let’s hang out sometime?” I suggest.

  “Absolutely. Thanks for coming by. Have fun tonight.”

  “I’ve enjoyed my time, and thanks.”

  After giving each other one last hug, I walk over to the guys. They’re huddled
around in a circle, drinking and playing music. Lucky and Danny have their guitars, strumming to some song I haven’t heard before. These guys are so damn good, I love their sound.

  “Bye boys, have a good night. See ya next time,” I announce and wave. Everyone but Jason say their goodbyes. He’s looking down at the bottle of beer in his hands, obviously not happy I’m leaving with Brock. I mean, seriously, what can I do? I asked Brock to this party and I agreed to go out with him tonight. Jason is just going to have to suck it up and get over me having a life without just one man. I’m tired of these men leaving me and bringing me down– just like Travis had. No more. I’m going to have fun tonight whether or not my feelings toward Jason are more than friendship. I see him hurting me more than any other man I’ve been with, I can feel it. So in the meantime, I need to live a little and enjoy myself.

  The club Brock brought me to was a freaking blast! It was a club I haven’t been to before, but heard it was the bomb of clubs to go to. Downtown San Diego is definitely the place to have a good time if you’re looking for a night out on the town. It has some of the best restaurants, hotels, and nightclubs around.

  Once we got to the club, everyone pretty much turned their eyes toward Brock. They all knew who he was and started snapping pictures of him with their phones, even so much as asking him for a selfie. He ate it up like ice cream, and no doubt loved the attention. I didn’t mind him getting the attention, I knew it was inevitable. He’s a movie star for God’s sake, and a son of two very high profile parents who are movie stars themselves. Actually, his entire family is in the showbiz industry.

  While Brock kept busy talking with his fans, I headed for the bar to get myself a drink. A couple times I got hit on by a few young hotties, but being hit on by a twenty-one year old who can’t even grow a decent beard…that’s cutting it just a tad too young for me. A strong, badass of a man with major tattoos all over, and who’s been around the block a few times, now that’s my kind of man. Shit…that man is Jason. Quickly downing my drink, Jason was gone from my mind and I decide to take myself to the dance floor. Even though I was surrounded by a bunch of twenty-something year olds, I dance my ass off. The music was awesome, the beat and energy coming off everyone was amazing, but once Brock started dancing with me, things got even better. The man can totally dance and make it look fucking cool as hell. He’s got some serious moves. At one point, another girl stepped in and started dancing with both of us. It was pretty hot, therefore I had the best time ever.