by T Gephart
I laughed out loud, loving his playfulness. It reminded me of the earlier text exchanges we had had when we first met. I had never been sentimental, but I couldn’t bear to delete those texts so I had kept them all. God, it felt like a lifetime ago.
“Something funny?” Matt looked up from his laptop.
“Private joke,” I smiled as I constructed my reply.
Dear Alex BIG COCK Stone, I can’t believe you are texting me! OMG! I hope the photos don’t cause you too many problems but I am secretly glad you may be single soon. I want to explore anything that involves “sucking” and/or “your cock” Ps your wife is cray-cray if she divorces you. I am your BIGGEST Fan xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
My phone buzzed with an incoming message.
Upon your suggestion, I am thinking of changing my middle name to BIG COCK legally. I believe during the course of this exchange it has actually increased in size. PS Cray-Cray? No, just no!:-P xxx
Oooooooooo I LOVE you and your increasing size. You’re totes turning me on Babe! :-P xxx
OK….let’s go over a list of things you can’t say to me if you want to keep my size “increasing” 1. Cray-Cray 2. Totes PS Did you say you love me? It’s rather sudden considering we just met. xx
Soz Baby! I won’t say those things again. And yes I totALLY love you. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you. I told you I am your biggest fan. You aren’t scared of stalkers are you? PS Screw your wife! Xxx
List has been revised and updated and now includes Cray-Cray, Totes AND Soz. Regarding screwing my wife -I shall ask her about the possibility of a threesome, rumour is she is into them :-P xxx
FUCK YOU >:-|
I rolled my eyes. Of course he went there and despite my angry reply I couldn’t have been further from that emotion if I tried.
Time and place Baby x PS I’d never share you
Good! Now stop bothering me. Shopping for divorce lawyers is actually rather taxing. xx
An incoming inter-office message pinged on my screen. Shifting my attention away from my phone—and my playful, sexy husband—and back to work.
Reminder! Meeting @1:30pm to discuss Stadium tour with Chris and Band. Meeting room 1. PS Saw pictures. Go you!
Monique Donovan
Executive Assistant to Christine Duquesne
I replied quickly.
Thanks for the reminder Monique. Will be there. Uggghhh I’m sure everyone has seen the pictures.
Lexi Reed
Reed Public Relations
I sighed rather loudly as I glanced at the time, thirty minutes. I guess I was skipping lunch. The morning had been so busy that there hadn’t been a chance to get something to eat and there probably wasn’t much point now. I wasn’t missing my first meeting back, besides this was for a stadium tour, a full nine-month outing. The previous tour had been for publicity only, just over two months. Sure they had performed almost every night, but it was child’s play compared to what they were going to embark on. Professionally it was like getting shot out of a cannon. You can prepare and train, but there are so many variables when dealing with so many different countries and people. The unknown edge excited me. It was what drove me into this business to start with. I liked the challenge.
“I have a meeting with the band and Chris.” I grabbed my handbag, announcing to both Anna and Matt my departure. “You both OK to handle the rest of the inquiries for today?”
Matt looked up from his computer monitor. “Of course. Did you need one of us to come with you to the meeting?”
“No, I assume it’s just a preliminary meeting. Date ranges, venues, that kind of thing. I’ll fill you both in when I get back. Besides, it’s going to take all day to clear all the emails about the photos.” I was being optimistic. It was probably going to take longer than just a day, but it wasn’t going to do itself so Matt and Anna were of better use doing that than tagging along with me.
“No problems, Lex,” Matt smiled, shooting me a quick wink. I loved that Matt was here, working with me. It really did take a load off my mind, knowing he was there to watch my back and I trusted him. The business had run seamlessly in my absence. Matt was, in every sense of the word, a rare find.
Anna gave me a tight smile and a half hearted wave goodbye as I shuffled from the confined space between my desk and the wall. I guess it was going to be weird for her and me for a little while longer. Either way, there was no point dealing with it now, dealing with whatever was making her uncomfortable wasn’t going to be a quick fix.
I made my way down the hall to Meeting room one. I was early and the room was empty except for Monique who was laying out information packs on the large oak boardroom table.
“Oh. Hi Lexi.” Monique tucked her long side-swept hair out of her eyes. “I didn’t hear you come in.” I felt the warmth from her smile. She was a total sweetheart and completely indispensable to Chris.
“Hi Monique. I’m refining my ninja moves in light of the current situation with the press,” I laughed only half joking. I was never one to go out of my way to avoid the press, but I would be giving them a wide berth for the next few days. At least while I waited until Justin Bieber made an inevitable faux pax on Twitter. That kid’s publicist surely wasn’t paid enough.
“Well, I for one thing think you and Alex are adorable. You can see from those photos how hot you are for each other. No wonder everyone is so excited, those images were sizzling.”
“Thanks Monique. I’ll consider making it our Christmas card.” I guess in all honesty the photos weren’t that bad. Other than me being all over Alex’s like face acne on a prepubescent boy, they were kind of hot. I might actually have to save a few for my viewing pleasure. Alex’s hooded lustful gaze in those shots was a complete turn on.
The door opened loudly, announcing the arrival of Troy and Dan who strolled into the room with Jason not far behind.
“Well hello groupie whore.” Dan pulled his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose to inspect me more closely. His wicked smile betrayed how much he was enjoying this. “Saved one of those shots as the background on my cell. I can almost see up your dress.” He proudly held up his phone to display that he was indeed in possession of one of the more provocative shots. Really? Cue my lack of surprise.
“Ignore him, Lex. He’s just trying to get a rise out of you.” Troy greeted me with a big bear hug. “It’s good to see you back. We’ve missed the daily ball-breaking you give us.” He winked, giving me an extra squeeze before releasing me.
“Troy is right for a change, I am trying to get a rise from you. I can already feel things getting hotter… down there.” Dan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“Dan, if you are feeling heat in your crotch I would suggest you go get tested for STD’s and perhaps be more discerning about who you share a bed with. Do we need to sit down and have the open and honest safe sex conversation?” While his suggestive comments annoyed me, it was Dan, so it was somewhat expected. I also loved the confused look that would often follow our friendly exchanges. Poor confused Dan.
Troy and Jason snickered as Jason took his turn to hug me hello. “Hey Lexi, we sure as hell missed you.” He lifted me slightly off the floor while his long arms encased me.
“Wait a second, I never have sex without a condom.” Dan waved his hands in the air to divert our attention back to him. “Not ever. There is no way I want to knock someone up. I don’t even like being called daddy when I’m making a girl come. Freaks me the hell out. And the only time I go bare is with my own hand so there is zero chance anything being wrong with my cock. Other than it being obscenely huge.” He proudly displayed his satisfied grin.
“Hmmm… Interesting preamble to the meeting. Not sure I saw that on agenda.” Alex frowned as he strolled into the meeting room, ignoring other occupants as he walked directly to where I was standing.
He didn’t kiss me though I sensed he wanted to. Instead he gave me a warm hug which was his way of trying to respect my limit of overt PDA’s at work. It’s not like we were trying to hide we
were together anymore – that ship had long sailed—but I still had a job to do which would be seriously hindered by Alex’s hands all over my arse. Regardless of how sexy my husband was, I would not compromise my professionalism.
“It’s Dan,” I smirked as I unwrapped my arms from around Alex. “He only has one thing on his agenda.”
Alex reluctantly shifted as James moved in to give me his trademark Bowden hug.
“Really good to have you back Lexi. We were struggling keeping Dan under control.” James looked genuinely happy to see me. “We missed you.”
“I make no apologies.” Dan continued, “You douchebags have decided to do the one-woman thing so Troy, Jase and I have got to pick up the slack.”
“His strike rate has dramatically increased.” Jason eased himself into a chair at the meeting table. “Not sure that’s a good thing.”
Taking Jason’s cue, Troy and Dan slid into chairs around the large oblong table. James also took his seat as he waited for Chris to arrive, sifting through the information folder that had been sitting idly in front of him.
Alex slowly joined the group, taking his place at the table, but his eyes remained on me. I sensed his hesitation as he pushed the folder to the side. We both knew I was ready to be back at work, but it was the tour he was worried about. The road was unforgiving. Planes, hotels, fans, concerts and the pressure of a grueling schedule would push anyone’s limits let alone their sanity. While the words remained unspoken, it was written all over his face. Was I strong enough? Would this break me?
“Ah excellent. Everyone’s here. Lexi welcome back. Now let’s get started, shall we?”
Christine Duquesne’s personal style reflected her business model—clean, smart and sharp. No matter what time of day or night it was, she always looked flawless. Like me, she also had a penchant for designer clothes and heels, though her tastes ran more conservatively than mine. She favoured fitted power suits and classic pumps which was a perfect combination for the tight operation she ran.
I felt Alex relax as I sat beside him. His hand gently grazed my thigh as he moved closer to me. He’d compromised by not kissing me, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to sit there and not touch me. I rolled my eyes as Dan made a suggestive hand gesture. Freaking Dan.
As she was Power Station’s manager, Chris led the meeting. She walked us through the detailed list of countries we would be visiting as well as the stadiums that would house the concerts. It was dry but necessary. The dates were set, venues booked and shit was about to get real. We had two months before we hit the road. In two months the safety bubble would be gone. The difference between this tour and the last, other than the obvious magnitude of it, was that Hannah and Noah would be accompanying us. There was no way James was leaving his family at home, not this time.
“So, any questions? Lexi we’re going to need a tour announcement drafted in the next few days.” I hadn’t noticed Chris’ long detailed run down had concluded.
“I’ll work on it this afternoon. Matt can hit the social media and get the buzz happening. I’ll map out when to make the announcement, we want to hit as many time zones as possible.” I amazed myself how easily I slipped back into business mode. Like a drunkard falling off a bar stool, some things just came naturally.
“Excellent. James? Anything to add?” Chris turned to James as she closed the folder in front of her.
“Thanks Chris.” James took his opportunity to speak. “I’m really excited for this tour. No matter how many times we go out on the road, just playing with you guys… well it’s why we’re all here right? I know it’s going to be weird having my little guy with us, and I know it isn’t very rock and roll, but I’m not willing to be a part-time dad.” James had discussed his family-on-the-road stance with the band before. It had always been the plan, but I guess he was giving the guys their chance to air any grievances now or forever hold their peace.
“Are you kidding? Raising a kid on tour is total rock and roll,” Alex enthused. “Noah is part of this now, he belongs with his dad and with us.” I expected nothing less from Alex, he was James’ best friend. They really were more like brothers and they would always have each other’s back. Given the bond Alex had shared with his own father, there was no chance he wouldn’t support the decision to have Noah be with his father. Besides, everyone was rather fond of the tiny Bowden. He was already a heart breaker with his cute little dimpled grin.
“Just get the little dude some kick-ass hearing protection ‘cause I plan on going full beast on the skins.” Troy’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
“All good here man. Though Dan might be pissed if Noah gets more attention than him,” Jason snorted.
“Shit.” Dan’s head snapped up in attention. “Girls are into babies. They are going to be all over you.” He pointed wildly at James as he pondered a solution. “I think we need to have, at the very least, a rotation system. No point on the residual pussy going to waste and Noah loves his uncle Dan.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Alex squeezed my hand and closed his eyes as he sighed heavily under his breath. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to decipher that this was going to end badly.
“Dan you are not using my son as a prop and he is not going to be rotated. Even if I did agree, which I won’t, Hannah would kill both of us before she’d allow you to use Noah to get girls.” James shook his head in disbelief. He was right, Hannah was a fierce bear with her cub and while she was coming on tour, I expected her to still adhere to her strict parental guidelines. There would be no backstage partying for that tiny tot.
“James, you’re a business man. This is smart business.” Dan tried to clarify his stance. “There’s some kind of full on chemical reaction that happens when a chick sees a baby, they get crazy horny. It’s like some throw back from nature so that they mate. It’s scientific, pretty sure I saw it on the Discovery Channel. You can’t squander an opportunity like that.”
“Dan, could you be any more offensive?” Chris glared. Apparently no matter how long you knew Dan there was no desensitization. I guess in a small way Dan was right, our evolution depended on it, but only Dan could simplify it so crudely.
“Indeed. In case you hadn’t noticed there are two women currently in the room that are resisting the chemical reaction that happens when we see your face. It too is like some throw back from nature and makes us want to kick your arse.” I added coolly as I straightened in my chair. Alex raised his eyebrow, surprised I had remained calm during this little discord. Huh, maybe therapy was working? Or maybe my anger had been redirected these days?
“Numb-nuts, you should probably shut up right about now.” Troy smacked Dan across the back.
“Geez, everyone is so fucking sensitive today. I thought this was a rock band not a freaking knitting club.” Dan slouched down against the back of his chair.
“On that note, I would say that concludes our meeting.” Chris stood and smoothed out her jacket before turning to me. “Lexi I have some additional information for your press packs if you have a minute.”
“Of course.” I closed my folder and gathered up my personal belongings.
“Gentlemen, email me any concerns. Have a good afternoon.” Chris nodded, signaling to the band that they were free to leave.
“Rehearsal at mine?” James offered as he rose out of his chair. “Han’s taken Noah to see her folks.”
“Sure, all this talking of touring has got me itching to play.” Troy cracked his knuckles as he pushed his chair away from the table. “Bye Chris, Lexi.” He winked as he moved to his feet and made his way to the door.
“Yeah, sounds good brother. Just got hit a gas station and fuel up the ‘Stang then I’ll head over.” Jason ambled his way to where Troy was standing. “See ya Lexi, see ya Chris.” Jason waved goodbye.
Dan simply shrugged, following Troy and Jason’s lead and took his exit. “I got nothing better to do.”
“Thanks Chris.” James smiled as he turned to me. “Thanks L
exi, let me know what you need from us.” His goodbye was his standard hug. “Get D to drop you off at my house. We’ll be jamming for a while and Hannah would love to see you.”
“I’d love to see Hannah and Noah.”
Alex lingered as he watched James release me. He slowly stretched out his body as he stood. A sliver of his toned abdomen was exposed under the hem of his well-worn tee, the same toned skin I had playfully licked this morning. Chris cleared her throat, no doubt to remind us that there was no time for shenanigans and we once again had an audience.
“I’ll uhem… let you guys say goodbye,” James chuckled and motioned for Chris to follow him to the door. James awkwardly attempted to give Alex and me some privacy as he closed the door behind them while he and Chris stepped outside.
“That wasn’t obvious at all,” Alex wrapped his arms around my waist, his eyes intensified as his lips brushed mine. “Not that I care about anything other than being alone with you right now.”
“Feeling playful Alex? I’m pretty busy, not sure I can fit you in.” I linked my arms around his neck allowing my body to press up against his.
“You didn’t seem to have any issues accommodating me last night, or this morning.” He nibbled at my ear, his hand suggestively roaming down my back.
“Don’t you have a rehearsal to get to? We wouldn’t want you going out on the road with your playing below par.”
“I don’t think we have to worry about anything being below par when you are around.”
“Are you being cocky or are you making fun of me?”
“Can you say the word cock again?” he punctuated by grabbing my arse and pushing me firm against his…well, cock. I had to hand it to the man; he knew how to capitalize on a statement.
“OK, get out, I have work to do.” I pointed to the door, but my smirk belied the faux annoyance of my tone. I loved playful Alex and it was so good to have him back.
“So bossy.” His lips covered mine, kissing me. His tongue invaded my mouth as his kiss intensified. Maybe meeting room sex wasn’t such a bad idea? We could be quick? I mentally tried to calculate the number of windows in the room.
