Front Man: The Complete Trilogy (Three books in one volume)

by Bell, Adora

  “Jack, look, I'm grateful, it's just -”

  “Don't worry, I can get you on the next flight. You'll be back with plenty of time to get to the office. Maybe it's best if you stay at the airport hotel tonight, it's an early flight, you don't want to get stuck in traffic. You get dressed, I'll call you a cab.”

  “Jack, for god's sake, why are you being like this? I'm sorry, I do appreciate the offer, we can still make this work!”

  “I put myself out there for you. I let you in, and I don't let anyone in. Because I thought you felt the same way I did...I thought you were special. Turns out you don't even care, you'd rather stay at home and live your boring little life, and tell your friends about that one time you banged some guy from a band. Well, good luck with that.”

  Tears sprang to Sara's eyes. She couldn't wrap her head around his sudden change of attitude; five minutes ago they were happy, and now he was attaching her. She hadn't realized he could be so cruel. Running to the bathroom, she dressed quickly. When she came back out, he was fully dressed, sitting on the edge of the bed staring fixedly at the television.

  “Well, I guess I'll be going then,” Sara said softly, stifling a sob.

  “I think that's best. Thank you for coming. It was nice to see you again.” Sara stared at him, but Jack's expression was blank, no trace of emotion on display. Her heart ached. Why was he doing this?

  “Goodbye, Jack. Thanks for everything.” Sara shut the door behind her and took the long walk back to the elevator, tears streaming down her face.

  ***

  Jack lowered his head into his hands. For a minute he was silent, until he was sure Sara was really gone. Then the howl started in the back of his throat, rising up to become an all consuming wail of misery. He sobbed until his eyes were sore and his head hurt, until at last he couldn't cry anymore. It was the right thing, he told himself. Sara was right; she had a life to go back to, a good, happy life. He couldn't drag her into this craziness. Couldn't weigh her down with the mess of a man he had somehow become. Maybe one day he would finally get his shit together, and be the kind of man that a girl like her deserved. But until then, he knew, it was kinder to let her go. Sinking in to the luxurious mattress, he tried to quell the aching emptiness inside him. He had let one woman in his life down, but he wouldn't repeat the mistake. Sara would meet someone who could give her a real life, and really make her happy. That thought comforted a little, and he saw Sara's face in his mind's eye as he finally fell asleep.

  Front Man 3: Full Frontal

  The concluding part of the Front Man series.

  Adora Bell

  Sara’s eyes flickered open. The room was in complete darkness, save for a dim lamp with a doo cracked shade in the far corner. What the hell was this place? Sara’s head ached, her mouth was dry and she felt like she might throw up. As she attempted to sit up, she quickly realized that her hands and feet were bound, and a wave of panic made her stomach clench. Shit. Whoever did this meant business. Sara felt tears well up, but she fought them back down. Crying wasn’t going to get her out of this mess. She wondered how long she’d been held captive . The room seemed to be windowless, so there was no way of knowing. At least she’d told Erica where she was going. While Sara guessed they’d moved her from the strip club after they’d knocked her out, at least that would be a starting point. Erica knew enough about her mission to raise the alarm. Sara exhaled, feeling at least a little relieved. She’d never been so glad to have confided in her best friend. Hunched on the floor of this cold, dark dungeon, it was hard to believe only twenty-four hours had passed since they were curled up on the couch, sharing a bottle of wine…

  ***

  “Oh my god, I am so glad we finally got to do this! I feel like I never see you anymore.”

  “Erica, we live together, you see me pretty much every day.”

  “Yeah, but not properly. You’re always working, and since Jack you just sit in your room and mope the whole time…”

  “Hey! That’s not fair, I’m not that bad. I just haven’t felt like partying, that’s all.”

  “Look Hun, I wasn’t trying to be mean. You do what you gotta do, I’m just worried about you. And I miss our talks. Matt’s great and everything, but when it comes to helping me choose outfits, he may as well be completely blind.” Erica giggled, reaching over to top up Sara’s glass.

  “Oh shit, I’ve been a crappy friend, haven’t I? I’m sorry. I guess I’ve thrown myself into work so I don’t have to think about the whole Jack situation. I didn’t mean to shut you out too. “

  Erica smiled and threw her arms around her best friend. “Don’t be an idiot, you haven’t done anything wrong. I just want to be there for you, you know? “

  “I know. Thanks Erica. I didn’t realize how much I needed this.”

  The girls clinked glasses. Erica had outdone herself, stocking their little apartment with Chinese food, wine, chocolate, and a selection of romantic comedies on DVD. All the ingredients for a perfect girls’ night in. Sara would normally still be at work at this time of the evening, burying herself in the extra projects she had volunteered for. Each night she would come home, exhausted, stuff some food in her mouth without tasting it and collapse into bed. Even then, in the quiet of her room, she couldn’t stop her thoughts from turning to Jack. Goddamn Jack Carter. He had got under her skin, sucked her in with his sob stories, and then kicked her to the curb with no explanation. Just when she had started to think that their connection might be real, that he felt the same way she did…he had cut her out of his life. When the papers had broken a story that accused him of being involved in dealing drugs, Sara had been there for him. He had flown her to Paris in the middle of the drama, and while Jack seemed like a man on the edge of a breakdown, Sara had been his rock. Somehow, though, Jack had come out on top, while Sara was left heartbroken. The scandal he thought would end his career had put Jack back in the spotlight. Fans warmed to his honesty, the way he refused to hide from the press. As he opened up to TV interviewers about his troubled past, the death of his parents and the loss of his little sister, press and public alike lapped it up. Almost overnight, he’d gone from complete pariah to national hero. Compass albums were flying off the shelves; they had 3 singles in the top ten downloads, and had added extra dates to the tour. Every time she switched on the radio, or surfed the TV channels, it seemed to Sara that Jack Carter was everywhere. She tried hard to be pleased for him, but all she could feel was anger and disappointment, mixed with confusion. She wished she could at least get some closure. But Jack hadn’t responded to her email, and she was too proud to go chasing after him.

  “Since you mentioned Jack,” Erica said carefully, well aware that she was on a sensitive subject, “have you heard anything from him at all?”

  “No,” Sara said mournfully. She felt herself blush. His rejection felt so humiliating. “But I mean, what did I expect? He’s a rock star. I’m sure he has a different chick at every hotel. It’s my own stupid fault for thinking I was special.”

  “Shh, you are special, dummy. He’s clearly just an idiot. I mean, he flew you half way around the world, he must like you! I guess he just didn’t know how to handle it. That’s men for you. The minute they get close to something good, they freak out and screw the whole thing up.”

  “I don’t see Matt screwing anything up. He seems pretty devoted.” Erica and Matt had been dating almost six months now – it was the longest Sara had seen her best friend stick with anyone.

  “Aw, Matt’s a big old softie. He looks after me. I guess I’ve always gone for bad boys, but having someone who actually seems to care what I think…well, it’s a nice change.”

  “Good for you. You deserve it,” Sara said, trying hard to make her smile more convincing as she raised her glass to clink against Erica’s.

  “Yours will get here sweetie, I know it,” Erica said, taking a swig from her glass. “In the meantime, drink up! There’s more where this came from!”

  A few hours, a lot
of wine, and one very bad movie later, the girls were sprawled on the carpet, leafing through a stack of glossy magazines.

  “Have you seen what she’s wearing?” Erica squealed, pointing at a very unflattering picture of a forty-something actress.

  “ Oh my god, seriously? That’s terrible, does she not even have a stylist?” Sara giggled. Between the wine and the company, she was feeling better than she had in ages. She flicked to the next page, and felt her heart sink a little. It was a full length black and white shot of, who else, Jack Carter, his tight t-shirt highlighting every ripple of his toned torso. The article focused on his ongoing search for his missing sister, and despite herself, Sara hung on every word.

  “What’s that? Let me see…oh. It’s him. Bummer.” Erica slurred. “Wait, what’s that chick doing in the magazine? I know her.” Erica pointed to the smaller picture, inset over Jack’s image.

  “Erica, you don’t know her. That’s Jack’s sister, Laura. The one who’s missing.”

  “Bitch, she’s not missing. I’m telling you, I saw her last week. I may not be the smartest egg in the basket, but I never forget a face.”

  Sara had to admit the truth of that; Erica had an uncanny knack for recognizing people she’d met only once, and putting names to faces. They’d always joked she’d be the perfect witness to a crime.

  “Erica…there’s no way she’s still in town. I checked all the hostels, the missing persons websites…” Sara trailed off, embarrassed.

  “Sorry, you did what? You’ve been looking for this chick?”

  “Ugh, okay, try not to yell at me…I don’t know, I was curious. I couldn’t get in touch with Jack, I kept thinking about how sad he looked when he was talking about her. They grew up, like, five miles from here. So I guess I started making a few inquiries.”

  “What, you thought you’d find his sister, Jack would take you back and you’d all live happily ever after in a mansion somewhere? Sorry, that sounded meaner out loud than in my head, it’s just…that’s a pretty strange way to get over somebody.”

  “I know. I know it was dumb, I gave the whole thing up a couple of weeks back. I suppose I thought , if he could just get her back, then he might not be so screwed up about life. Maybe he’d be ready to give us a shot. Besides, she was just a kid when she disappeared, god knows where she ended up. She might need help.”

  “Well I know exactly where she ended up, and she could probably do with a ticket out of there. She’s waiting tables at the Pussy Parlor.”

  “That gross old strip joint out at 47th? I thought they closed that place down?”

  “Nah, some new guy bought the place, jazzed it up. It’s actually pretty swanky inside now…for one of those bars, anyway.”

  “You’re sure that’s the right girl? Those places are dark.”

  “She served us for like, three hours. She’s a little older now, I guess, but…man, I’m so sure that’s her.”

  “Erica, what the hell were you even doing at a strip club?”

  The normally unflappable Erica blushed. “Um…well, Matt really wanted to try it. Said his buddy takes his girlfriend all the time and it really, you know, spices things up. I thought it sounded like fun. “

  “And was it?”

  “Hell yeah. I was worried, thought it might be gross or full of really creepy guys bothering the girls. But it’s all young guys in suits, big groups of girls and couples. And the girls were awesome. The things they can do with a pole…I mean, seriously, they must have incredible thigh muscles. It was actually really hot.”

  “I’ve always wondered what that might be like.”

  “Me too! Until last week I mean. Man, this one chick, Destiny…she came to our table for a private dance. She’s flirting with Matt, grinding on him a bit, getting him all hot under the collar. Then she comes over and straddles me. She’s wearing this tiny little g-string, completely topless, and her breasts were just insane…if those were fake, then I want to get myself a pair, you know. She’s wiggling her ass and cupping her boobs in my face, and then she leans over and whispers in my ear, “You can touch if you want. Those rules are just for the boys.”

  “Holy shit! Did you?”

  “Of course I did. She was smokin’ hot…she grabbed my hands and put them on her breasts, Matt’s eyes were practically popping out of his head. She was all oiled up, I don’t know what they use but it smells incredible. She was guiding my hands all over her, and her skin was so soft, but she had such a tight body…man, it’s getting me wet just thinking about it.”

  “Erica!”

  ‘What? I get horny when Matt’s away. I have needs. No offense, but you must be feeling pretty needy yourself by now.”

  Sara felt her cheeks flame, but she nodded. It had only been three months, but it felt like forever since she’d been touched. She had started having increasingly erotic dreams, waking in the middle of the night panting , her panties soaked with her own juices.

  “Maybe we should just go lesbian,” Erica giggled, “who needs men anyway? Not when we have our battery operated friends.”

  “Yeah, maybe I should just give up waiting and get a vibrator.”

  “What?!” Erica shrieked, sitting up suddenly, “ you don’t own a vibrator?”

  “Never have,” Sara admitted. “I always kinda wanted to try it, but I felt weird buying one. I know you can order them online and stuff, but then the postman might see it…”

  “Oh Sara, you are a crazy person. You seriously don’t know what you’re missing. But today is your lucky day buddy, come on!” Erica got to her feet, giggling and a little unsteady, and dragged Sara to her bedroom. Holding on to her dresser for support, she rifled through one of the drawers. Sara slumped down on Erica’s double bed, feeling suddenly way too drunk. Erica soon joined her, triumphantly brandishing a small, pink box.

  “Here we go. Matt bought me this for Valentine’s Day, but I already owned the same model. He knows me so well! I never even took it out of the box, so it’s yours if you want it.”

  Sara examined the vibrator through the cellophane window. It looked slightly terrifying, covered in bumps and grooves, with a control panel that boasted several different settings.

  “Those little bits sticking out are to stimulate your clitoris,” Erica pointed out, “and boy oh boy does it do the trick. I don’t think I’ve ever come so hard in my life.”

  “Sounds awesome…if I manage to switch the damn thing on. There’s more buttons than on my computer.”

  Eric rolled her eyes playfully, and set about extricating the vibrator from it’s packaging.

  “So this one’s the ON button,” she demonstrated, and the device began to emit a low hum. She held it against Sara’s palm so she could feel the vibrations. “Then there’s a bunch of different settings. These buttons control the speed of the vibrations on your clit. I like it on about a 7…feel how strong that is?” Erica trailed the vibrator up Sara’s arm, the movement sending shivers through her. It felt pretty good already, so she could only imagine what it might do to her most sensitive places. “This dial here moves the part that goes inside you. See how these little balls rotate? That’s the bit that’s meant to hit your g-spot.”

  “I’m not sure I have one of those.”

  “Oh, you do honey,” Erica said softly, “it’s just a question of finding it. Man, I bet I could teach you a few things.”

  Sara looked up into her best friends eyes. Erica still had the vibrator in her hand, her other arm looped around Sara’s waist. Their faces were inches apart, and Sara could see the color in her friend’s cheeks and hear the depth of her breathing. But it was still a shock when Erica’s full, wine stained lips were lowered onto her own. Sara couldn’t help but respond as Erica kissed her deeply, her soft lips parting as she eased her tongue into her mouth. Sara had never kissed another woman before. She had no idea it could feel this good. They fell back onto the bed, Erica’s hands sliding under Sara’s pajama top to gently stroke her breasts. Sara felt a rush of moistu
re flood her pussy as her clitoris swelled, desperate to be touched. Nervously, she began to return Erica’s caresses, rubbing the hard points of her nipples through the fabric of her nightgown, until Erica pulled it off and sat before her, naked except for her skimpy lace panties. Erica took Sara’s hand and guided it to her breasts, moaning softly as she squeezed the full orbs. They had seen each other naked a hundred times before, but it had never felt like this. Erica moved Sara’s hand lower, sliding it beneath her underwear, and Sara gasped as she felt the wetness of her friend’s shaved pussy. Her fingers slid over Erica’s clitoris, causing her friend to moan with desire, and Sara rubbed it in slow, firm circles, the way she herself liked it. With her other hand she continued to stroke Erica’s nipples, intent now on giving her friend as much pleasure as possible. Erica was groaning, grinding against Sara’s fingers, her head thrown back, lost in the pleasure of the moment. Gently, Sara slid her friend’s panties down her thighs. Without stopping her ministrations, she moved her other hand to the entrance of Erica’s wet pussy, and carefully slid two fingers inside. Erica moaned deeply as Sara moved her fingers inside her. “Oh shit, Sara, oh my god I’m gonna come, don’t stop, oh please don’t stop.” Sara began to thrust harder, until she felt her friend’s pussy spasm around her fingers, and Erica moaned with satisfaction.

  Barely pausing for breath, Erica pushed Sara into the bed, sliding down her body leaving a trail of kisses in her wake. Sara gasped as Erica slid her pajama bottoms off, leaving her pussy exposed. Erica trailed her fingers up Sara’s long legs, stroking the rubbery tip of the vibrator over the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs. Reflexively, Sara opened her legs wider. Her clitoris was throbbing and her pussy ached to be filled. Erica let the vibrating ‘ears’ of the toy linger on Sara’s pussy lips, and she felt a jolt of pleasure so intense she cried aloud. Erica smiled, moving the toy closer to Sara’s desperate clitoris. As the vibrations hit her most sensitive spot, she was overcome by a wave of sensation. Then Erica slid the toy gently between the slick lips of her pussy, stretching her open until she was full to the hilt. Just when Sara thought she couldn’t take any more, she felt something shift inside her as Erica activated the rotating shaft. Erica kissed her friend deeply as the toy worked its magic, gently pumping the shaft of the vibrator in and out of Sara’s dripping pussy while her tongue toyed with her friend’s nipples. “Oh god, Oh, Oh!” Sara cried as a monumental orgasm ripped through her, making her whole body convulse. She shook from head to toe as the pleasure rushed through her, holding on to Erica as she rode the waves. Finally, they subsided, leaving her relaxed. The two friends lay entwined for a moment, sweaty and tingling, waiting for their breathing to return to normal.