by Mj Fields
***
I wake up and open my eyes. Tally is standing at the foot of my bed, staring at me. She isn’t saying shit, only staring.
I look over at my phone, and it says three in the morning.
“Tales?” I sit up, and she mumbles some incoherent shit then sighs, yawns, and sits down.
“You still fucked up?”
She shakes her head.
“You wanna play around?” I ask, grabbing her hips and pulling her closer to me as I sit up.
“Sleep.”
“Couldn’t sleep?” I have no clue what she is doing, but when she is dead weight, I know she’s asleep. “Tales?”
Nothing.
Da fuck? I think.
I lay her down, go take a piss, wash my hands, brush my teeth—just in case she wants a little something-something—and then lie down and pull her closer.
She mumbles something more, then falls into what must be a comfortable place, and I hear soft, little purrs.
I push my nose against her hair, trying my damnedest to figure out what it is that makes her smell so damn good while she sleeps peacefully in my arms.
I wake when her body jolts as if lightning struck her.
“What? What is going on?”
She’s like a deer in the headlights, and she scared the shit out of me. Hell if I know what’s going on, I just want her back in bed. “It’s five in the morning, girl. Climb back in here and—”
“Oh, wow.” She looks around.
“Wow, what?” I pat the bed, beckoning her back.
She shakes her head and sighs.
“Care to tell me what you’re thinking?”
“Sometimes I take walks at night.” She crosses her arms. “Sorry.”
“You mean sleep walk?” I smirk because of the way she says it.
“No walks.” She yawns.
“Right, well, ‘toh-may-toh,’ ‘toh-mah-toh.’ Come on. I was comfortable.”
“I can’t.”
“Tell me you weren’t too fucked up to remember our talk last night.”
She looks down and slowly shakes her head.
“Good. Now that you’re sober, climb back in here.” She hesitates. “Tales ...”
She looks up at me. “It’s a bad idea.”
“It’s a damn good idea.”
“I don’t know.” She sighs.
“Then come back when you straighten it all out in your head.” When she hesitates again, I pull the covers back and pat the bed one more time. “Just let me spoon you.”
She sighs again, then takes the first step back. She sits on the edge of the bed, and I am quick to pull her down and into my arms.
“I’ll spork you later.”
She gives a silent chuckle. “This is a bad idea.”
“Does it feel bad right now, Tales?” I ask, rubbing her back over her shirt and not her fine, fine ass like I want to.
“No.”
“Why do you sound so sad, then?” I question, as I inhale the scent that calms and ignites me at the same time.
“I don’t want to hurt Madison.”
“Me, either.”
“She will be up at, like, nine.”
“Just stay another hour, maybe two?”
“Will you make sure I’m awake?”
“Sure will.”
She yawns, and even her breath smells sweet.
What the fuck am I doing?
Minister Priest, I repeat over and over in my head until I fall asleep.
***
“What the hell?” I hear Madison’s voice, and both Tally and I are instantly all sorts of tangled and trying to jump up. It’s a mess, a complete fucking mess, and there is nothing I can do except laugh.
“Morning, Mads.”
“I … I …”
“Did you?” Madison shrieks, charging at me.
“No,” Tally gasps in a disgusted tone that quite frankly pisses me off, but it stops my crazy-ass sister.
“Madison, get out!” I snap at her and immediately regret it. However, I’m a little pissed.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Tally scolds, and here I am, the innocent in this.
“She walked in here and decided to take a fucking nap,” I defend. “I didn’t drag her by her hair, so you can—”
“Oh, my God, are you sleep walking again?” Madison gasps.
Tally shrugs. “I guess so.”
“Why?”
I think it’s an odd question, but I know damn well I want the equally as odd answer.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re having bad dreams again?”
Tally shakes her head, glances at me, and then quickly looks away.
“You only do this when you do.”
“Everything’s fine.”
“Not really.” I stand up and look at both of them. “What the hell would have happened if you had walked out in the street or, worse yet, into River’s room?”
“River’s room is worse than the street?” Madison laughs sarcastically.
“Depends on how fucked up he was, yeah.”
“Well, she’s managed to stay alive all these years and—”
“What if it happens at school? What if she ends up in some guy’s room, and he—” I stop when I see the look exchanged between the two of them. Fuck it has already happened! “Spill it.”
“It’s really none of your concern, brother dear.”
“Da fuck it’s not.” I am livid. “Did you get—?”
“No, Memphis, no. Okay, geesh, sorry I wandered in,” Tally says like it’s no big deal.
“Why didn’t you wake her up?” Madison asks, her brows shooting up and her hands on her hips.
“’Cause I like the way—”
“Madison,” Tally interrupts, “I’m not easy to wake up. Think about it.”
“Fine.” Madison seems to give up. “But next time, you come get me.”
“Why? Do you think you—?”
Madison narrows her eyes. “I’ll cut you.”
“You’ll fucking what?” I gasp.
“She’s joking.”
“Maybe I’m not.”
“I’m your fucking brother. Shit, Mads, what would be the big deal if I was into Tally?”
She covers her ears and starts “la-la-la-ing” like she did when she was a kid.
Tally gives me a look as if to say, please don’t, and I want to kick my sister right in the ass, just once. The little queen deserves it.
“Conference call. X-man is on,” Finn yells into my room.
“What?” I ask
“Billy sent him the songs.”
“What? When? I’m not even done.”
“Come on, man. He looks happy as hell.”
I walk past Madison and Tally, scooping up my shorts. They stop whispering, and Mads rolls her eyes and walks out. Her being pissed at me is nothing new.
“Probably got dome this morning,” River says, rubbing his hands over his messy ass hair as he walks out of his suite.
I want to laugh, but Tally is looking at me all nervously and shit.
I stop and step into my shorts, waiting for everyone to get out of earshot. I look up to see she is staring at my chest, so I pop my pecs, but she doesn’t look impressed when her eyes meet mine.
“I can’t do this,” she whispers.
“She won’t find out,” I whisper back.
“It’s not her; it’s—” She stops, and her eyes are on my chest again. I recognize the look immediately.
“They’ll be gone in a couple days.”
“Just like the many you’ve shared a bed with.”
“Tales, stop coming up with excuses. You want me or you don’t.” I’m getting really sick of this conversation. “You want me.” I walk past her, unwilling to hear whatever comes out next. Her excuses are bullshit, and my patience is wearing thin, but there is fuck-not that I can do about it now.
I stop and turn back. Apparently, walking away is a problem for me, too.
“Sleep walkin
g. What’s got you worried?”
She huffs and rolls her eyes. “Everything.”
“Okay, let me help you figure out whatever it is that’s not about me. Talk to me, Tales.”
She looks confused, maybe even sad, and then the emotions are gone. “You have a call. I’m fine. Go.”
“Tales—”
“Really, Memphis, go.”
I reluctantly walk out into the living room where X-man is on the smart TV. Technology, I have a love/hate relationship with it.
“Good, you’re all here.” X-man starts. “Finn, Memphis, I am proud as hell of you two. The lyrics are edgy but commercial enough—”
“Commercial?” I scowl as I sit on the arm of the couch.
“But edgy,” he responds. “It’s good. That being said, we need to lay down the tracks and get production rolling because …” He looks behind him.
Taelyn looks over his shoulder. “We have dates, lots of dates. Twenty cities in—”
“Twenty cities?” River grins at her.
“Starting right here, where you left off.” X beams.
“The coolest part, man. Get to it,” Nickie D urges in the background.
“Irish,” X says, looking at his wife. “Your idea, so you tell the band.”
She sits down on his lap and looks into the screen. “The opening acts.”
“No, you’ve got it wrong, Mrs. X. STD is the coolest part.” River winks.
“River, you keep that shit up and you’ll be Def Leppard-ing that drum set. I’ll rip your motherfucking arm off and beat—”
“Enough, Xavier.” Taelyn laughs. “Xavier and I or Nickie will join you all at each city where we’ll hold open auditions for local bands to try out to be opening acts.”
“What’s it pay?” Finn asks.
“Finn.” I nudge him.
“What? I’m gonna do this shit for free? Hell no,” he says, scowling at me.
“Anyone else have reservations?” Xavier asks, and I know he’s trying to keep his cool.
“Will you explain the process a little?” I ask, hoping to chill Finn out a little.
“We’re currently scouring the Internet to find talent that is untouched or—”
“To sign,” Finn interrupts.
“Well, if we all like them, and they’re committed like you four, then yes, of course that’s what we would like to do,” Xavier answers.
“So we become sink or swim. You just throw us on stage and walk the fuck—”
“What the fuck did you just say?” X-man is pissed. “Sink or swim, Finn? Really? Are we not in this together? Forever fucking Steel isn’t just something to lure you in, asshole.”
“All right, Xavier.” Taelyn situates herself in front of her very pissed off husband. “Finn, think about who we are and not what you know of the industry.”
“But?” Finn snaps.
“But nothing, Becket.” Xavier shakes his head. “Are you here for us, too, or is this all about what we can do for you? Because look around. We’ve pushed our asses off because we believe in you four fuck-sticks.”
“Hey, X, he’s a fuck-stick; I am just—”
“Innocent?” X lets out a forced laugh. “STD?”
I can’t help smiling. “Epic name.”
“You guys have four days till you return. I was gonna make you come back early, but my wife reminded me I’m not a dictator, or some shit like that, and I agree. You’ve busted your asses for a year and deserve to have some fun. So think about this, Finn: we aren’t trying to fuck you here. You should know that by now. Okay, STD, keep it wrapped and see you soon.”
“Have fun,” Taelyn says.
“Peace,” Nickie D chimes in. “Out.”
The screen goes blank, and I look at Finn. “Can’t you just trust them?”
“Trust?” he huffs as he stands up. “Wait until you get dicked over just once, and that shit will harden you, too, and not just your cock. Get fucked twice, and you’re stone.”
“You trust us, don’t you?” Billy asks.
“You don’t even want to be here half the time, so I don’t think you’re gonna fuck us unless you leave. River is, well, River, and I know he’s cool.” He looks at me. “You, you are true blue, but the past few days, you’ve been a little—how do I say this?—in your head.”
“You wanna give me what?” I laugh, standing up.
“In your wildest dreams,” he snaps.
“You wouldn’t?” I joke. “If I really needed it?”
“Not if we were the last people on Earth and armless so I couldn’t jerk off.” Finn gets up and walks back to his room.
“Going to shower,” River yawns. I know he’s not, though; he’s going back to bed.
Billy takes off, too.
I look around and see Tally standing in front of the stainless, walk-in, industrial-sized fridge.
I get up and walk over. “Where is the queen?”
“Shower,” she says, turning to look up at me, not showing a bit of awkwardness. “You need to be nice to her.”
“Ask me nicely.” I can’t help putting my hand on the base of her elegant, long neck and using my thumb to turn her chin to the side. “Your neck is pornographic.”
She sighs, and I see her emerald greens roll.
Mesmerizing.
“Fuck, Tales, you are a very, very sexy young woman.”
She moves her head back, looks at me, and clears her throat. “You have a lot coming up, huh?”
“So do you, right, Tales?” I hold eye contact, not backing down. She is gonna give me another excuse; I know she is.
“Well, then I guess we should just get this out of the way so you can move on with your life.” She grabs my face in both hands and pulls it toward her, but I pull back. She looks stunned and embarrassed, but she’ll get over it.
“When I kiss you, it’ll be from head to toe, in a very private setting, Tales. It won’t be in the kitchen or hurried. It will be slow, hot, wet kisses that, regardless of where they are placed, will cause you to feel it just about…” I put my hand flat to her stomach and then push my fingers below her waistband. Her body quivers, and her eyes close as her mouth gapes. “Tonight, we’re all going out to dinner, but I want you to sit next to me and pretend the same fucking thing I will be—that the dinner is a prelude to a kiss and to what is about to … come.”
“Memphis.” She stops my hand’s slow descent.
I hear a door open, and Memphis slowly moves his hand away and winks at me. “Prepare yourself.” He steps away, leaving me in a state of disarray.
I watch as he lifts his hand to his nose and inhales deeply before licking his fingers, one by one, as he continues walking away.
Prepare myself? Prepare myself for what?
“You guys wanna play?” I hear Memphis from around the corner.
“This early?” River asks.
“I am pumped up, feeling inspired, ready to fuck shit up,” Memphis says in his sexy rasp.
Dear Lord, prepare myself.
I walk in the room to find Madison sitting on the bed, wrapped in a towel.
“Talk to me, Tales,” she says as she looks at me curiously.
“I just have a lot going on.”
She is sitting on a towel, knees open a bit wider than they should be, and I must look shocked because she laughs.
“Bikini area.”
“What?”
“Hair removal lotion. Two more minutes and then I get to rinse, Tales. Then you’ll be less uncomfortable.”
“I’m not uncomfortable,” I say in the most uncomfortable sounding voice on the planet.
“Okay.” She laughs. “Sleep walking again?”
“I guess.”
“To Memphis’s room?”
I nod.
“Thank God he knows I’d de-nut him if he ever touched you.”
“I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t do that; he’s your brother,” I say, before I even think about what I’m saying.
She looks at me oddly
.
“Madison, I’m not as innocent as I used to be,” I say as if it’s no big deal.
“I know, but guys like Memphis—”
I should shut my mouth, but I can’t. It’s Mads, and even though I am not telling her what is … not going on, I can’t shut my mouth.
“Memphis isn’t all that bad, really. I mean, he has been decent to me. I threw up on him, sleep walked into his room, and well, he was nice.”
I am knotting my shirt as she looks at me as if she knows. Dear Lord, she knows.
“Tales, I know my brother, and I know you.” I expect more, but she remains silent.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re going through a lot. Even though you won’t talk about what is bothering you right now, you need to. I feel like you’re projecting. You’re going to make rash decisions. You’re fixating.” She swallows back emotions, and my heart cracks a little. “I am not judging, Tales. I’ve been there.”
Madison never gets like this. She never gets emotional.
“I think you need to talk to me. Tell me where it is you’ve been.”
She smiles and it’s a sham; I know it is.
“I need to rinse this stuff off before I get a rash or something.” With that, she leaves the room.
Warning from Madison or not, I have had feelings for Memphis Black for a long time. Be it annoyance, a crush, a fascination, or a fixation, I am going to explore them.
I look over at the bottle on the nightstand, then pick it up and read the information.
Prepare yourself? That I will.
When Madison comes out, she smiles. “Let’s do something fun today, just you and me.”
“Sounds perfect. I’m gonna shower first.”
“Then come meet me outside?” she asks.
“Of course.”
I walk into the bathroom with the lotion tucked under the bath towel.
***
“We can all go,” Memphis says sternly to Madison, “then come back here, and we’ll all go out to dinner.”
“I’m sure the guys don’t really want to go shopping and then to dinner with your sister, Memphis,” she replies with an exaggerated eye roll.
He looks back at them, and despite the aviators they are all wearing, I can tell she is right.
“I’ll go,” Billy offers.
Memphis’s head whips around, and in a gruff tone, he says, “Thanks.” He looks at me, then at Madison. “See? It’ll be fun.”
