Cocktails, Rock Tales & Betrayals

by Archer, Julie

  “Bottle of champagne, please.”

  Again, he ignored her, busying himself with wiping down the bar.

  “Excuse me, I'm waiting to be served.” Her voice grew indignant.

  Edie turned around, looking for someone in authority to complain to, and came face to face with Caro. “Your bar staff need to learn some manners,” she said. “I've been waiting to be served and he's completely ignoring me.”

  “Good work, Simon,” said Caro. “I'll make sure you get a decent tip for that.”

  She took Edie's elbow and steered her towards one of the tables in the corner, out of earshot of the majority of people in the bar, leaving Minty on her own. Edie extracted her arm from Caro's grip and sat down, Caro taking a seat opposite her.

  “He's not serving you because you're not welcome here,” said Caro. “In fact, you're barred.”

  Edie was taken aback. She had never been barred from anywhere, especially not a seedy little club like this. “What?”

  “You heard me, I don't want you in here,” said Caro. “And neither does Alik.”

  “Oh, darling, I'm sure he's very upset having found out about your sordid affair in Mallorca, but he should know I'm here for him.”

  Caro smirked. “I know you found out about Josep with the intention of splitting Alik and I up. But I beat you to it, Edie. He already knew. I told him last week.”

  Edie's jaw dropped. That had been the true motive behind her interview. She had found the news reports online and simply pointed the reporter from The Goss in the right direction. She had hoped that Alik would find out that his beloved new girlfriend had also cheated with someone and wouldn't want anything more to do with Caro. Just like he had with her.

  “It's not very busy in here tonight, is it?” she asked. “I imagine people will have read about you...”

  “Edie, it's Tuesday. It's never busy on a Tuesday,” said Caro. “And if you think that a silly article about something I did years ago is going to influence the type of people that come in here, you're wrong. I doubt many of them have ever even come across The Goss.”

  Edie sat back, knowing she'd been defeated.

  “I think it's time you found somewhere else to drink, don't you?” Caro turned on her heel and walked away.

  Edie stared after her, shooting daggers at Caro's retreating back. “It may not have worked this time, but I will find a way to ruin you.”

  Chapter Fifty

  “Now are you sure you can't see my pants?”

  Poppy twirled round in front of the mirror, twisting this way and that as she examined her reflection in minute detail. The delicate, off-white vintage wedding dress had an intricate lace overlay that covered her shoulders and chest, with a fitted embroidered bodice. In contrast to the top half, the ruffled peplum waist draped into a waterfall hemline that fell beautifully to the floor. Peeping out from beneath the hem were Christian Louboutin heels. Her hair was half up, half down, with soft curls pinned into the back with the rest of it trailing loosely over her shoulders. The last-minute changes she had made to her outfit, despite everyone else thinking she had gone loopy, were justified. She looked gorgeous and completely natural.

  Caro laughed. “No, babe, you definitely can't see your pants. As if we'd let you have VPL on your wedding day!” She wasn't anywhere close to being dressed, prancing about the bridal suite in her own underwear, occasionally swigging from a champagne bottle. The hair and make-up woman, who was one of the official suppliers to Montgomery Hall, sighed heavily as she tried to get Caro to sit still for five minutes so she could finish her work.

  Lucia, who was managing the day to the absolute second, popped her head around the door. “You have around thirty minutes, ladies. People are already starting to arrive. You look amazing, Poppy, very you. And Caro, unless you're planning a new career as a glamour girl, then I suggest you hurry up and get dressed.”

  Caro plonked herself on the chair in front of the mirror and the hair and make-up lady finally pounced on her. “Not like I haven’t had those offers since Edie’s article in The Goss,” she said. “And some of the fees were quite tempting.”

  “You won’t make a scene today thought, will you?” Poppy’s face radiated concern.

  Caro shook her head. “Of course not. I simply intend to ignore her.”

  Caro knew that despite Poppy's bravado, she was nervous about the whole day. The majority of guests attending were Nate's friends and family, and when Poppy's mother had refused to come - they couldn't afford flights for the whole family, and it was either everyone or no-one - Poppy had been in pieces.

  There didn't need to be any more drama or upsets.

  * * *

  “Mate, have a drink,” said Alik, as he watched Nate pace around his room. “You know she's going to turn up. In fact, you know she's already here.”

  Both men were dressed in traditional morning suits, with a contemporary slimmer fit, a French navy fabric in a lightweight wool and mohair mix, although they were now regretting the stiff collar and cravat ensemble. Being a slightly bolder blue, it was an alternative to classic navy, which had looked very dark, verging on black, and hadn't complemented the shade of green that Poppy had chosen for Caro's maid of honour dress. It was all very different to their usual attire, though. Trying to loosen his cravat, Alik wished they had chosen a beach wedding.

  “What if she's changed her mind?” Nate said.

  “Why would she do that?”

  “Because brides have last-minute nerves.”

  “Sounds like it's you with the last-minute nerves,” said Alik.

  Nate and Poppy's relationship had always been straightforward. Poppy had appeared in Nate's life some two years ago, initially as a groupie, but as she followed them around on tour, it became apparent she was more serious about Nate than it seemed on the surface. She had an easy-going nature, able to befriend pretty much anyone, and everyone liked her. She had always made friends with the conquests of the other band members, no matter how long they lasted in the group.

  Alik knew there would be no second thoughts for her at all. Nor for him and Caro.

  He checked his watch. “Come on, mate, it's time to go.”

  * * *

  Alik couldn't take his eyes off Caro while Poppy and Nate said their vows. She looked absolutely ravishing in the jade dress and cream fur stole.

  The ceremony itself was fairly short, and was full of laughter, emotion, and a few tears as they read out the vows they had written themselves. Before long, they were husband and wife. They walked arm in arm down the aisle, to a round of rapturous applause, Alik and Caro behind them.

  “You know,” said Alik, gently kissing Caro's nose. “We make such a good maid of honour and best man that people will soon be asking when we're getting married.”

  She laughed. “One step at a time.”

  “I could very easily already be in love with you,” he admitted.

  She kissed him back, a smile practically breaking her face. “And I you.”

  Alik cast a glance around them, watching as Poppy and Nate were congratulated by an ever moving queue of guests. “I guess we have a bit of time before we have to be the dutiful best man and maid of honour again, don't we?” he said, a cheeky smile crossing his face. “Because I'm desperate to know what you're wearing under that dress.”

  Caro pretended to look shocked, but failed miserably. Alik grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs towards their room, hurriedly pushing her inside and slamming the door shut behind them. She sank onto the edge of the bed, kicking her shoes off.

  “No time for resting,” said Alik. He fell to his knees in front of her, gently tracing her ankle, running his fingertips up her calf, under her dress and along her inner thigh. As he got close to the top, he felt Caro tense and sensed her disappointment when he withdrew.

  “Now, this is a very beautiful outfit and you look absolutely stunning in it, but I think it's time you took it off.” He was already shedding his own suit jacket and shirt,
the inks on his chest at odds with the sharp cut of his trousers, with a pair of Calvin Klein boxers peeping over the top.

  Obediently, Caro unzipped her dress and stood to let it fall to the floor, the material pooling around her feet. She delicately stepped over it, placing the garment carefully on the chair so as not to crease it. Alik watched her every move intently, his eyes dilating at the sight of her semi-naked body.

  “Well?” She pirouetted a couple of times, giving Alik the full effect of the emerald green bra and panties, her hair tumbling wildly around her shoulders.

  His answer was to pick her up and throw her onto her back on the bed. He sat down beside her, tracing the line of her breasts above the cups of her bra before gently easing them from their casing. She looked up at him as he lightly began stroking her nipples, alternating between using his fingertips and his tongue, occasionally sucking or biting them. Caro’s hands moved between her legs.

  “Wait,” he whispered, circling her wrists with one hand and pulling them away. “I want to be the one to make you come.”

  Alik shifted position, kneeling between Caro's legs and unknotting the bows that held her knickers together, revealing what he really wanted. He bent over, kissing her stomach, the insides of her thighs, every so often his hands reaching up to her nipples again to maintain the perpetual stimulus. He carried on teasing her, conscious of when she was on the brink and lessened off just enough to stop her plunging over.

  “Jesus, don't stop,” she said, shaking. “I'm so close.”

  “I know you are, sweetheart, but doesn't this feel good?” He lapped at her clit again, varying the pressure as she started to spasm beneath him.

  “Oh God, I can't help it!” The strength of her orgasm forced her to collapse back against the covers, panting heavily.

  Alik pulled off the remainder of his clothes, feeling his cock get even harder as Caro unclasped her bra, her voluptuous breasts springing totally free. He started to reach for her, but she turned the tables.

  “I think it's my turn to be in control, don't you?”

  Pushing him onto his back, Caro straddled him, lowering herself onto his bulging erection, just the tip of his cock inside her, tantalising him. He tried to move further inside her, but she stopped him.

  “Remember the video shoot? How hot I got you then? Imagine you're still tied to that cross and I'm there, in front of you, naked and on my knees, waiting to take you into my mouth and suck you off with all those people watching us.”

  Alik stiffened beneath her as his imagination started to work overtime as a real life, fully naked Caro towered over him.

  “Fuck me, Caro,” he groaned. “I need to be inside you.”

  Caro eased herself down, impaling herself fully on his shaft. Alik reached up to cup her breasts in his hands, his thumbs alternately rubbing, tweaking and pinching her nipples, causing her to contract around him. They rocked in unison, Alik thrusting up into Caro as she ground down on him, fingers entwined as they soared towards the peak, Caro clutching at Alik as a second shattering orgasm ripped through her body.

  They lay, breathing heavily, a tangle of limbs and bedclothes until they heard a gentle knock at the door.

  “Caro? Alik? Are you okay?” Lucia's voice came through loud and clear. “We're ready for the wedding breakfast now and need you for speeches.”

  “Sure,” replied Caro in an overly perky voice. “We'll be down shortly, Alik was just helping me with my dress.”

  “Not longer than five minutes.” Lucia was firm.

  Caro laughed. “If she'd have been five minutes sooner...”

  “We could have asked her to join us?”

  “You're incorrigible.”

  “You bring out the worst in me. And the best.” He pulled her towards him, claiming her mouth in a passionate, lust-filled kiss.

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Edie approach Caro after the wedding breakfast. Caro was deep in conversation with one of Nate's teenage cousins. They had been discussing the merits of each member of a famous boy-band and deciding which one they would go for, if the chance ever arose of course.

  “Caro?” said Edie, touching her arm. “Can we talk?”

  Nate's cousin muttered something about going to ask Poppy the same boy-band question and disappeared as Caro turned her attention to her lover's former girlfriend. Having downed what felt like several bottles of champagne, and still on a high from her earlier entanglement with Alik, Caro's head was starting to feel fizzy.

  She eyed Edie with suspicion. This wasn't Edie-like behaviour at all. Since Caro had barred her from the Indigo Lounge, Edie and Billy had barely hung around with the band - except for official, Parker-approved, events or rehearsals. Caro wondered how much that had to do with Poppy binning off the original wedding dress, or whether it had more to do with Alik. Either way, it had been quite nice not to have to put up with her.

  “I don’t think so, Edie. What could we possibly have to talk about? Maybe you’ve found another skeleton in my closet that you want to share with the world,” said Caro. “Or maybe you’re trying to split me and Alik up again. You’re a poisonous witch, Edie, and I have no idea what Alik ever saw in you. Or what Billy sees in you now.”

  Despite her earlier promise to Poppy, Caro was enjoying telling Edie what she really thought. She was about to continue when she saw Olivia heading their way. “I told Poppy I wouldn’t make a scene if I saw you today and I’m true to my word. Unlike some people.” And she walked away.

  * * *

  Drawing back her shoulders and composing herself, Edie headed off towards the ladies, determined not to let anyone see she was shaken. Pushing open the door, she was relieved to see that only a single stall was occupied. She pulled out her compact, dusted a little more blusher across her cheeks, and reapplied her lip gloss. As she was about to leave, she saw Poppy coming out of the stall.

  “Nice dress,” she said. “Although I doubt it cost the three and a half grand I parted with in Broadkeys.”

  “You're right, Edie, it didn't. But when I found out what you'd done to Alik, I couldn’t wear it. It didn't seem right that I should accept a gift from someone who doesn't rank loyalty amongst one of her top five things in a relationship.”

  Edie laughed. She expected this from Poppy. “You could say the same about your maid of honour as well.”

  “Caro has nothing to do with this,” said Poppy. “It was my decision to change the dress. I didn't want something that had been paid for by someone who was looking to buy my friendship.”

  “Poppy, we've never been friends.”

  “You're right about that. I just tolerated you for Alik's sake, like all the other groupies he'd been with. I don’t know why I even agreed to let you come today.”

  Edie's tone was saccharine sweet, but laced with underlying venom. “Does Caro fall into that category too? Another little groupie for you to tolerate?”

  Poppy shook her head. “Caro was more of a friend to me in the first few minutes we met than you ever have been. Everything has to be about you, doesn't it? Even now, you're here feeling sorry for yourself because I'm wearing a different dress to the one you thought I should be wearing.” She headed for the door. “Get over yourself, Edie.”

  As a gaggle of drunken women entered the room. Edie leaned against the wall, Poppy's words washing over her. She knew that there just might be an element of truth about what the bride had said.

  After a couple of minutes, she went to look for Billy. He was sitting outside on the grass, a bottle of beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

  “Don't you think you've had enough to drink?” Edie asked. Blood Stone Riot were due to play a short set as part of the evening's entertainment, and it wouldn't be good if the bassist were drunk. Again.

  “When did you become the nagging girlfriend?” Billy spat.

  “I just thought...”

  “Well don't.”

  Edie sighed. “Can I get you another drink instead?”

  He
nodded and she went to the bar, where Alik was also waiting to be served. She saw him take a sparkling mineral water and down that in one before asking for another.

  “Hello,” she said.

  He barely acknowledged her, merely nodding in her direction.

  “How are you and Caro doing?” she asked.

  “What do you care, Edie?” he said. “I know what you tried to do. And that was low, even for you.”

  “It must have been awful for you, finding out about her affair.”

  Alik narrowed his eyes. “I could compare it to finding my so-called girlfriend on her knees with one of my best friends. But I won’t. What Caro did was in her past and she had the decency to be honest about it.”

  “Honest? Ha! Maybe if you’d been more honest with me, then I wouldn’t have had to fight for the affections of someone more interested in a guitar or another woman.”

  “If that’s the way you want to look at it, Edie, you do that. I hope you are Billy are very happy together.”

  And he stalked off without a backwards glance.

  * * *

  Alik decided to try the gents one last time in the hope of finding Billy before they were due to play. He didn't want to let Nate and Poppy down over some stupid argument with his ex. He flung open the door and glanced in, unwanted memories of finding Edie and Billy at The Indigo Lounge filling his head.

  “Billy, where the fuck are you?” he said, yelling over the top of the one cubicle door that was closed. He hoped he wasn't in for a repeat performance.

  There was silence in response. He stalked over to the door and hammered on it with his fist. The door swung open to reveal Billy bent over the cistern, shopping big fat lines of coke.

  Billy turned to look at him, his eyes bloodshot and red. He smiled lazily, clearly off his face. “It's good stuff, man, you should have some.” He lifted a bottle of beer to his lips and took a hefty slug, before resuming his position and lifting the rolled up twenty pound note to his nose again.