Thrilling Heaven (Room 103)

by Sidebottom, D H

  I gazed at him, astounded by this man’s gentility and ability to grasp a situation without being on the front row.

  I smiled a thank you and he nodded before I scurried off to catch up with my wonderful best friend and my arsehole husband.

  Chapter 3

  He threw his car keys on the hallway table and I quietly closed the door behind us. My throat started to close in when he turned the music on, loudly.

  I pulled in a huge breath and followed him into the lounge, knowing I was in for a long night as soon as the music was pumping. There was only one reason he played it so loud, and it wasn’t to dance to.

  It was to drown out the noise.

  “Drink?” I asked, trying for ignorance.

  He laughed manically and my hands started to shake as he turned to me with menace and disgust visibly displayed on his face.

  “Did you want to fuck him?” he spat out.

  “What? No, we were just talking.”

  He ventured across the room and pulled out the whisky from the cabinet, his shoulders stiff and hard as he poured himself a large measure.

  “You have a thing for rockers though, don’t you Jen?”

  “Kyle, please. Don’t do this again, it was nine years ago.”

  “Never quite forget it though, can we? Especially when his mates eye fuck you all night.” He scoffed and I bit my tongue.

  “He was just being friendly Kyle, nothing more.”

  He scoffed loudly before he downed his drink in one and slammed the glass on the highly polished table. My eyes settled on it and I wondered if I would be able to remove the stain with the new stuff I’d bought from Asda last week.

  Kyle turned to me, his eyes fierce and wild as he just stood still and silent, regarding me intensely with his head tipped to one side.

  “I’m gonna go up, Kyle.” I tried quickly as I spun round and made for the stairs.

  I made it up three before his fist gripped the back of my dress and pulled me back. My chin hit the step forcefully as I went down under him and my top teeth sunk through my bottom lip.

  As soon as the first thump hit me I retreated back to the tall grass, its delicate blades blowing against the gentle breeze; Ethan whispering in my ear as his hands explored my body tenderly and as the sun started to set, he slid into me so lovingly it stole my breath.

  By the way… I love you, Jen.

  You are so fucking beautiful, baby.

  God, you feel like silk around me, so smooth and glorious baby.

  Don’t ever leave me Jen, I couldn’t live through it.

  ***

  I swirled the whisky around the glass, staring at the liquid through the dimness of the small corner lamp.

  I refused to cry. The only time I had cried in the last nine years was when Shane died, and I wasn’t about to start now.

  He didn’t deserve my tears. Ethan, yes. Kyle, no. He had taken that part away when he uttered those words and dragged me hundreds of miles away from the man I loved with more than just my heart.

  Ethan hadn’t changed; he still had that cheeky face, his bright twinkly eyes still held you hostage under them. He still wore his blonde hair back in a pony and his chin was still dusted with a couple of day’s stubble. His body still appeared mean and hard and he still looked at me like I was his everything.

  My phone beeped and I squinted at the ceiling, hoping it hadn’t woken Kyle as I scooped it out of my bag and frowned at the text;

  Unknown:

  Hey, you okay little lady?

  I knew it was Bulk as soon as I read the words ‘little lady’ but what I didn’t know was how he got my number.

  Me:

  How did you get my number?

  Bulk:

  Romeo got it from Zoe, hope that’s ok, don’t wanna get you in more trouble.

  Me:

  No, it’s fine.

  Bulk:

  Well?

  Me:

  Well what?

  Bulk:

  You ok?

  Me:

  Yes.

  Bulk:

  Why do I get the feeling you’re lying?

  I didn’t answer him, he was getting too close to the truth, so I left it and pulled my broken body off the sofa and made my way into the kitchen.

  I placed the glass in the dishwasher, wincing at the pain in my stomach when I bent just as my phone rang.

  I groaned at Bulk’s name on screen before I declined.

  I didn’t need to deal with this now, what the hell did he want from me?

  My phone then alerted a text and I rolled my eyes;

  Bulk:

  If you don’t answer your phone, then I’m coming round to yours.

  Me:

  WTF! What do you want from me?

  Bulk:

  The truth, little lady!

  Me:

  I’m fine.

  Bulk:

  Then answer your damn phone!

  Right okay, that’s the way he wanted to play, I rang him.

  I sensed his smug grin as soon as he answered and it brought my own smile when I realised I’d fallen for his trap.

  “Hey.” He chirped at me and I sighed, suddenly relaxing at his calm tone.

  “What do want, Bulk?”

  “Just checking in on you, little lady. Your boyfriend seemed a little… irate when you left.”

  “I’m fine.” I lied.

  “I don’t believe ya’, baby.” He whispered and I swallowed heavily.

  “Look, Bulk, I know you mean well, really I do, but you need to… back off. Kyle doesn’t mess about. You need to ask Ethan about him and just leave me alone.”

  He was silent for a while before his next words shocked me. “I have asked Boss about him and I don’t particularly like what he told me and I’m a little worried about you. Can’t help that, little lady, just how I am. Now you either tell me the truth or I’m gonna come round there and drag your boyfriend out by his fucking hair and rearrange his fucking face. You got me, sweetheart? You understand me now?”

  I swallowed heavily and stared out of the kitchen window. “Why?” I whispered.

  I heard him inhale deeply as though sorting through his next words before he sighed again “Meet me tomorrow?”

  “What, why?” I asked with confusion. What the hell did this man I barely knew want from me?

  He was pushy and too shrewd but there was something about him that made me like him and want to trust him.

  “Fine,” I relented “will you leave me alone then?”

  He laughed a little and I couldn’t help smiling at the deep rumble. “Sure, but I doubt you want that as much as I do.”

  I rolled my eyes at his overconfidence. “Right, when and where?”

  “Uhh, Madeline’s? Twelve?” he asked and I agreed before ending the call.

  What the heck are you doing Jen?

  If Kyle found out, his shit would hit the roof.

  “Just make sure he doesn’t find out then Jen.”

  So simple.

  Chapter 4

  Bulk gave me a wide smile when I scoured the room of the small café as I looked for him. I smiled back and made my way over to the corner table he was situated in.

  I barely recognised him with the peak of his cap low and his coat collar high, but then I realised he was trying to hide his famous face from the public.

  “I take it you slipped?” he stated immediately as I reached him and I frowned in confusion.

  His eyes dropped to my split lip and I rolled my eyes at him. “Yeah, tripped on the stairs last night” I told him as I gently lowered myself into the chair, desperately planting a smile on my face to hide the pain.

  “Uh-huh, and I take it you bust a rib when you tripped as well.”

  Fuck this!

  I stood back up hastily and turned to walk away. “Sit the fuck down. Now!” he hissed but I snatched my bag from the table and strode away.

  Jesus, even my best friend didn’t grill me like that and I hardly knew this m
an.

  He caught up with me and grabbed my arm. “You either turn round right now and sit that sweet ass down or I get Boss on the phone and tell him what’s going on with you” he warned low in my ear.

  I halted immediately and turned to him with wide eyes “No, you can’t involve Ethan in this, Bulk. I mean it, this stuff between Ethan and Kyle, its serious and I don’t want Ethan dragged in.”

  He nodded faintly. “Then sit the fuck down and talk to me. We can talk about the weather or the shit food they serve in here, anything you want, but sit down... Please.”

  “You promise not to delve?” I asked him cautiously.

  He narrowed his eyes on me but nodded before he led me back to our table and the waitress approached us immediately, probably desperate for our order before we took off again and left her tips low for the day.

  She squinted at Bulk, as if figuring out why he looked familiar so I grabbed her attention. “I’ll have a latte and...” I turned to Bulk who gave the waitress a killer smile.

  “I’ll just take whatever you recommend, honey.”

  She beamed at him, giving him a flutter of her eyelashes and I swallowed back the laughter.

  “Coming right up, handsome” She purred before she walked away, swaying her hips provocatively at Bulk.

  His eyes met mine and the twinkle in them made me chuckle. “I’ll just take whatever you recommend?” I mimicked, “what are you gonna do if she brings you something resembling yesterday’s slops?”

  He shrugged. “Little lady, I will devour absolutely anything. Slops, yesterday’s slops or even last week’s slops. When you live on the road as much as we do, you learn not to look but taste.”

  I grinned at him as he waggled his eyebrows at me. “So, real sunny out there today.” He smirked and I nodded.

  “Absolutely glorious for May, yeah.” I agreed.

  “I’m glad we’re back in Britain, I missed the weather.” He stated as our waitress returned with our drinks and some swill in a bowl for Bulk.

  He lifted his eyes to me as we both peered into the bowl and I sucked on my sore lips at the fodder presented to him.

  “Shit, yeah. Maybe not.” He scowled as he pushed the bowl to one side and I lifted an eyebrow at him.

  “You’re not even gonna try? After all, it’s not what it looks like but what it tastes like” I taunted.

  He scrunched up his face and took a slurp of his coffee, grimacing faintly as it went down. “Holy hell, what is this place?” he grumbled as he placed his cup back down and I cringed as I took a sip of mine.

  “Jesus Christ.” I blew out a breath hoping to settle my stomach as it swirled manically against the liquid that was now inside it.

  “You wanna take a walk instead?” Bulk asked and I nodded.

  “Yeah.” I replied, still fighting the urge to puke back the sludge.

  He stood and held out an elbow for me and I hooked my arm through his as he chucked a twenty on the table and escorted me out.

  I knew he was secretively giving me his support for my damaged body and I silently thanked him for not mentioning it as he led me across the road and into the park opposite.

  He grinned like a Cheshire cat as soon as he spotted the ice-cream van and pulled me over to it.

  We settled on a bench, both of us engrossed in childhood memories as we licked and scooped at our cones and I smirked at Bulk when he seemed to have more ice-cream in his piercings than in his mouth.

  “So, how long have you known Boss?” he asked eventually.

  I eyed him warily, wondering where his line of questioning was going.

  He held up a hand and shook his head “Don’t panic, Jen. I’m not gonna ask about your boyfriend.”

  “My husband.” I rectified on a whisper.

  He turned to stare at me with wide eyes and a deep sigh rattled though him, “Right. Boss doesn’t know this. Do I tell him?”

  I shrugged. “He told you what happened?” I asked hesitantly as I turned to watch some small children play on the swings, their loud giggles bringing a smile forward.

  “Nope” he answered bluntly, “But it doesn’t take a genius to work out the basics. After the way he fell apart in the tat shop and the way he disappeared for three days after, came back blind drunk and shot to hell.”

  I gazed at him as my heart clenched. “What?” I stuttered out.

  He smiled sadly and lifted his eyebrows. “Mmmm. He’s spoke to E about you, I know that much. She had to drag him out of the pub and made him talk, but they’re best friends and she won’t break his confidence. But at the moment, I’m not worried about Boss, I’m worried about you, little lady.”

  I frowned at him, not understanding his motives for being so concerned. “Why?”

  He pulled in a heavy breath and shrugged, “No fuckin’ idea sweetheart, just something about you.”

  I fiddled with the scab on my lip as I wondered how to voice my next words. “Bulk, uhh… I hope you don’t wanna… Well, you know.”

  He frowned in confusion and shook his head, “What?”

  “Well, you don’t wanna… sleep with me.”

  His brows rose high and then he laughed. “Don’t worry little lady, nothing like that, no. Just, I dunno, I kinda like you. And if Boss feels the way about you like I know he does, then that makes you one of us” he divulged as he pulled me in for a side hug.

  I hissed through my teeth and stiffened as I closed my eyes and tried to hide the pain but he reared back and narrowed his eyes.

  I smiled hesitantly at him and picked up my bag. “I have to go” I said suddenly.

  He remained still on the bench, scrutinizing me before he pulled something out of his pocket. “We’re giving a small private gig at The Black Pod tomorrow night, here,” he said as he handed me two tickets “bring Zoe, I know Romeo will be pleased.”

  I stared at the tickets as I took them from him and wondered how I could get away from Kyle for the night. I smiled at Bulk and nodded, “Okay, thanks, I’ll see you then.”

  “Promise?” he asked with a raise of a brow.

  I nodded and smiled, “Yes, I promise.”

  He stood and wrapped me carefully in his arms. “You need to book in for some self-defence lessons, sweetheart.”

  I lifted my eyes to his but nodded. There was no point arguing, he knew and no matter how much I denied it, he would know.

  “You won’t say anything to Ethan, will you?”

  He gave me a pained looked before he sighed then nodded, “Okay, but only if you start these lessons. I can recommend somebody if you want?”

  Could I do that? Stand up for myself?

  “Okay, yes.”

  His huge grin lit his face and he planted a huge wet kiss on my cheek, “Good Girl. See you tomorrow night.”

  I nodded and returned his huge smile before I turned and walked away, and I knew his eyes were on my arse.

  But, that’s men for ya’.

  Chapter 5

  “Where does Kyle think you are?” Zoe shouted over the rock song Room 103 were already in the middle of when we entered the private club.

  “Bingo, you suddenly fancied giving it a whirl.” I winked at her.

  Her brows lifted high as she grinned, “Babe, do I look like a bingo queen?”

  I laughed at her as we placed our orders at the bar and I took a deep breath before I turned to study the group.

  An involuntary smile curved my lips when I spotted Ethan. He always played the drums in a world of his own and tonight was no exception; you could see it on his face, he was zoned out, completely relaxed and relishing every single stroke and beat of the drum and my God, he stole my breath.

  The way he moved with such fluidity and grace was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen; the way he rocked his head to the beat and pulsed with the rhythm of the music and his utter respect for the drum brought the thrum to my lower belly the way it always had whenever I had watched him.

  “Babe?” Zoe nudged me and I realised she was talkin
g to me.

  “Sorry, treacle.”

  I followed her to a corner table and smiled at Bulk on our way over. He gave me a huge grin and a wink as his eyes followed me across the room.

  They were playing one of their old songs, Allure, which had always been one of my favourites and it wasn’t long before me and Zoe were singing along with the rest of the crowd.

  “Jen?” a female said from beside me and I frowned as I looked up at her, her face familiar but I couldn’t place it.

  “E.” She reminded me as she smiled widely and sat in the chair beside me “I didn’t realise you were coming tonight.”

  “Bulk invited me.” I stated, feeling as though I needed to give some sort of excuse for being there.

  Her brow lifted slightly and I realised Bulk hadn’t shared our liaison with her. “Yeah, I saw him yesterday and he gave me tickets.”

  She nodded firmly “I’m glad.”

  “You want a drink?” Zoe asked us both as she rose from her seat. I nodded and handed her my glass as E ordered a beer.

  “I take it Boss doesn’t know you’re here?” She asked quietly and I stiffened slightly at her tone.

  “No.”

  She nodded at me before she turned to her husband on stage, who finished his song with a dedication to her and she blew him a kiss as he winked at her.

  I smiled at their exchange, wondering what it must feel like to be worshipped like he obviously did her.