by J. S. Lynn
Melody shrugged and Kara looked a little defensive. “What? You saw those guys at the club. I just wanted to see some real men.”
Ana groaned. Sometimes she really hated being the older, responsible one. She marched through the swinging double doors and looked around for the blonde. She was sitting in a back booth, with a guy pawing on her. “You guys shouldn’t have left her here!”
Walking up to the table, she banged her hand on the surface. Angel opened her eyes but only for a moment, not really focusing. “What did you guys do to her?”
One mean-looking guy started to stand up and she stopped him with her hand. “Tell me or I will just call the police.”
“Nothing. She may have drank too much and took a couple of pills, but she took everything on her own free will.”
Ana tried to pull her up but she was dead-weight, not helping at all. “Well help me get her into the car.”
Kara came forward and covered up her nipple that had slipped out. Ana was disgusted, but knew that Angel had prior issues with police officers and the last thing they needed was the cops poking around. She slapped her face a few times after they got back in the taxi. Angel was still not coherent, but her eyes were following Ana and that made her feel a little better.
“Let’s just take her to the hotel.”
Ana looked down at her and her breathing was so shallow, she wasn’t so sure. “I think she needs to get checked out.”
“But what about the show tomorrow night?”
Ana shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. We need to make sure she is going to be okay.” Ana tried not to hold the comment against Kara, but she would probably never look at her the same again for suggesting they dump her at the hotel. Kara was too worried about the band to remember that they were friends in college first. Ana cared about the band of course, but it wasn’t the first and foremost thing on her mind. Making sure that the silly girl was going to be okay, was.
She had the driver take her to the local hospital and said nothing when Kara left to go back to the hotel instead of staying and seeing about her friend. It could be dealt with after the tour, if they made it through. Angel was their drummer and without her, she wasn’t sure what was going to happen. But if she was okay, it was okay. She kept repeating to herself.
After a long night, the hospital finally released her. Angel’s stomach was pumped and she looked knackered, but Ana was just happy to see that she was okay. They all headed back to the hotel, save for Kara who was already there. Melody stayed with Angel while Ana finished up the paperwork. It was daylight when they got back outside and her whole body screamed for sleep.
“I’ll stay with her.”
“Thanks Melody. Can you make sure to get some sleep? We have a gig in a couple of hours if she can make it round, if not, I think we may be headed back to Oregon in the next couple of days.”
“You going to call for a wake-up?”
“Yeah, I will. See you in a bit.”
She sighed and walked down the corridor. It was quiet then, no more music playing, but the carpet showed signs of wear and trash was strewn about. No wonder they didn’t stay at nicer places. Finding her key card, she unlocked the door and moved in. Stopping, she saw legs on her bed and the man from the night before, Carl.
“Hey, what are you doing in here?”
“It was quiet and I was waiting to see if your friend was okay. Kara came back last night, but she didn’t seem to know anything.”
Ana walked in and locked the door. “She is a traitorous friend. All she was worried about was today’s gig. Wanted to not even take her to the hospital.”
“Well, is she okay?”
“Yeah, they pumped her stomach. She was probably given too much or something got slipped in her drink. I tell these girls you have to always watch your drink.” Ana pulled her dress off for the second time and went out to the balcony, the sunshine not making it near as desirable as the night before.
“What are you looking for?”
“My box.”
“This one?”
“Yes.” Taking it from his hands, she laid down on the bed. “Well, I would love to put you on the wall, but I’m tired and don’t think I would be up for it.”
“Pity.”
Lighting the end of her smoke, she handed it to him. “I don’t know. We may be going home soon anyways if Angel can’t play tonight.”
“The blonde one?”
“Aren’t they all?”
“The drummer. Sweet girl but a bit on the crazy side after a few drinks.”
He handed it back to her. “I could help if you need me to.”
“What, are you going to play for my man-hating band?”
“Sure.”
“What do you want for doing it?”
His eyes flashed fire and she giggled. “We’ll see if she wakes up ready to go. Life on the road doesn’t suit us it appears.”
“Suits you just fine.”
“Yeah, perhaps.” She handed it back to him and turned on her side. She felt him move up against her and they laid like that for some time, his arm moving under her to cushion her head. It was strange to be able to sleep so easily with a stranger.
***
Ana woke up with a jostle from behind her. Her eyes went to the clock and she jumped up. The man in bed watched her. He was dressed and his hair was still wet from a shower. “Damn, I have to get ready.”
“I wanted to let you sleep, but I figured you needed to get up at some point.”
“Thanks.” She started to walk towards the door and he made a noise. She looked back at him questioningly.
“You um, aren’t really dressed.”
“Damn. Why do I keep doing that?”
“I don’t know but it pays to be around you.”
She made a disparaging noise as she tossed her slip back on and went out to wake up the other girls. It was obvious to her that Angel was not ready, nor would she be in the few hours that they needed to play. Ana cursed and stalked back to her room. Being in the band was quickly turning into a babysitting job. She didn’t bother talking to Kara, though she knew she was probably up curling her eyelashes, or whatever it is that she did for hours on end in front of the mirror. Ana really couldn’t be bothered half the time.
Carl was still there when she got back, kicked back watching a movie. “Hey, I was wondering if you would still be here. Thanks for waking me up. So, were you serious about last night?”
“About your wall? Definitely.”
She grinned and pushed him back. “No, I meant about playing for us. If you don’t, then I need to call and let the managers know.”
“Yeah, I think I can do most of the songs. Shouldn’t be too bad, but you will have to do something for me.”
“Oh?”
Ana sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes flicking to his pants. “And what is that?”
“Sing a song for me before the tour is over.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. I have been writing something that needs a high-pitched female voice that you would be perfect for.”
Ana nodded, agreeing. “Thanks. You don’t know how much it means to me that you would do that. Do you need some of the music to look at? I think I have some down in the van.”
“No. I listened to your stuff last night. It’s not all man-hating, but I can tell which ones you wrote. You have a distinct way about you and your choice of words.”
“Yes well, I was stoned or drunk when I wrote most of them. I didn’t know you wrote music. Are you planning to stay on with Junked or…?”
“I don’t know. Jerry wanted some time off and I used to play with them back home, so I just jumped at it. Everyone has made their money and most just want to go their own ways. That is the problem with bands, too many personalities trying to do many different things. No one stays the same for that long.”
“Tell me about it. This used to be fun, until I became everyone’s chaperone. Sad thing though is we haven’t even made it big and we are
already falling apart.”
He nodded and they sat for a while in silence. She hopped up. “Well, I need to pop in the shower.”
Carl watched the raven-haired woman walk away, not looking back, though he was sure she could feel his hot gaze on her backside. The slip that she seemed to think was appropriate attire did not cover much, neither had her outfit from the night before. Sex sells albums and Ana used her temptations unknowingly. It was driving Carl crazy, this enigmatic singer that spoke to his soul. She was not what he had expected, nowhere near what he had been warned of, yet there was still more to her. He knew that much.
Chapter 4
Carl left before she got out, not sure if he would in turn make them both late. He grabbed her phone that was on the bedside table and took a picture of himself in her bed. He captioned it and told her that it was ‘for her wall.’ He had actually seen the virtual board and he didn’t even try to count, but couldn’t help but notice the look of pure satisfaction on many. He also noticed that one of the band members that had been so adamant to warn him, was one of the last entries.
He chuckled to himself and played one of their songs on his phone. It was going to be strange playing such different music, but the beats were all the same to his ears and he was quickly guessing the next sound correctly. Writing a bit more on the song he had been working on, it was quickly time to get to the arena for the second show in town, before they took off towards Washington.
He wasn’t sure why, but he found himself constantly thinking about Ana. Before last night, he had never heard of the band or of Ana Servo. Now she was all he could think about. It wasn’t like he didn’t have other offers, women were easy to get when you played in a band. Carl was looking for just anyone though. He was looking for the one.
A few people gave him hell about where he spent his evening, but he just ignored the ribbing and tried to pretend like he didn’t wish that he had been doing exactly what they suggested he had done. Instead of a wild night of tantric sex, he had waited for her and then snuggled with most of their clothes on. It wasn’t the evening that he had wanted, but it was somehow even better in a way. He knew that there would be more than great sex. Not that it wasn’t wanted, but good sex could be found almost anywhere. The girl that he wanted to wake up the next day with was harder to find.
“Mark, wasn’t that your face?”
He gave him a dirty look and Carl started to laugh. It seemed that he wasn’t the only one that Ana had left her mark on. The older singer had found himself in her bed and like all others before him, she laid him out well. Mark had passed out and still wanted her to take her wall down. It would get him in trouble if it ever found the light of day.
“I was thinking of playing for them tonight. Their drummer is sick or something.”
“Yeah we saw her dragged in this morning. I don’t care, as long as you play that new song I heard you singing. Did you give Mark the music for it?”
“Not yet. I want Ana to sing it.”
Another round of laughter. “You got it bad mate. You get one night, so you better enjoy it.”
“One night?”
“That’s all you get with Ana. You will want more but she will shut you down.” Mark grinned, though there was almost sadness in his eyes. He had known her for a time in the independent circuits and he would have been embarrassed if they would have known how bad he had it for her. There was just something about the girl, though Carl was not worried. He doubted anyone else knew why she had it to begin with. Carl was feeling determined to tear down her wall, in more ways than one.
“Don’t get your hopes up, Carl. One shot is all you get.” Mark was trying to impress upon him the seriousness, but Carl wasn’t listening to it. He didn’t hear him after the first bit. While he had new love, he still seemed a bit upset about the one that got away.
***
“I thought you said he was going to be here?”
“I did and he will be. He said he would be here in a bit. Don’t be a bitch, Kara. He is helping us out or we would all be out of a job.”
The blonde looked taken aback, but Ana had had enough of her. After the way she acted about her friend, there was not much more to be said to her. The little tour had turned them against each other and Ana wondered if they would make it out the other end.
“Well, I think it is nice of him. He is quite cute Ana. How was he?”
She shrugged. “We didn’t do anything.”
“Come on. Everyone knows he stayed the night.”
“He did, but he just held me. It was nice.”
Melody looked at her with a bit of disbelief. Ana didn’t blame her. She would have thought the same thing if it had been reversed. Carl was really cute and if she hadn’t been so tired, she would have assuredly done just what she thought she would do. Kara had stalked off a bit to pout and Ana thought that was just as well. Even a little bit of fame could change people and it seemed Kara was the first. That it had only been a week on the road didn’t bode well for the next few weeks.
Carl came up behind her and grabbed her around the waist. She jumped and squeaked and then upon seeing who it was, slapped his chest for the fright. “Man you scared the crap out of me.”
He rubbed his chest and then moved closer for a kiss. It threw her off even more and it took her a moment to kiss him back. Ana’s arms wound around his neck and he pulled her in against his chest. Her body responded as quickly as his actions. She moaned against his mouth, while his hands grabbed a handful of her firm cheeks and squeezed hard. Their song was starting on the speakers and she pulled away gasping.
Ana was one of the last people on stage, her mind still fuzzy from the man’s kiss. She wiped her mouth off to the bright lights and introduced their drummer for the night. Carl of course got cheers from the crowd that was there to see Junked anyways. He started the first song and the rest jumped in. He played the songs slightly different, the beat a little faster, but Ana just went a little faster to keep up.
The set was always so quick, gone before she knew it. Carl had coaxed her over to him through the last song and kissed her before the lights went out. His hands grabbed her ass again and pulled her closer. “Sit here with me.”
“While you play?”
“Yeah.”
She sat down on his lap and almost immediately got back off when she felt his hardness. There was no way he was going to be able to play with her sideways, so she faced forward and straddled his legs. Mark gave her a nod when he came on stage and though she got a funny look from a couple of the men from the band, it was hard to focus on anything else, but the hard arms embracing her.
“You feel good Ana. Lean back a little so I can see.”
Ana did as he asked, feeling his muscles move underneath her. It was an all-together different experience and she actually got to feel the beat through him. His body moved with each stroke of his arms and she was once again watching his fingers manipulate the sticks. Ana thought herself to madness and she tried to squeeze her thighs together but he growled underneath her. She stopped twitching but now his arms were rubbing against her breasts as he played. She was sure that he was doing it on purpose, but there was no way to stop it all.
Every move vibrated against her and in the state she was in, she had to bite her lip not to moan. Did he know how crazy he was driving her? She was given a moment to breathe as the guitar solo come up. Carl was having none of that though, his hands moving behind the set-up drums and in between her opened legs. The thin material of her pants was too tight to stop the feel of his fingers pressing against her nub. He moved in quick succession against her until she was bent over and then he pulled her up as he had to start. Ana was beside herself and thankful that the lights blinded her once more.
There was no mention made of the extra drummer and when the set was over, she tried to get up and he yanked her back down to him. The lights had gone dark and though they could hear all those people around them, it also felt like they were the only two people there. She
straddled him with her face towards him and they continued the kiss that had started before. He pushed against her, his hips thrusting upwards and she was left moaning into his mouth. Carl felt so good that she wanted to melt against him. His hands were everywhere, driving her to rub herself against him. She couldn’t help herself, like she was in heat. Never before had she been so turned on, with her clothes still on anyways.
“Do you want to go back to the hotel?”
She nodded her head quickly. If they could have done it there, she would have, but it was too open, whether they felt alone or not. He got up and pulled her off of him in one swift movement. Ana started to follow him out the back exit when she saw Kara and Melody waiting for her and stopped to see what she needed. “Let me take care of this, okay?”
He kissed her once more, not wanting to let her go, but he had no choice. Carl waited for her out back and after a few moments, he had a feeling that they were going to have to postpone their play time again. She came out and stopped. “Raincheck?’
“Come on. You have got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not. I have to check on Angel because she isn’t answering the door. You can wait in my room if you want or I will go to yours later.”
“I like the sound of that. Hurry Ana. I don’t want to wait too long.”
Chapter 5
“Hey sweetie, open up. No one is mad at you Angel. It happens to the best of us.”
There was no sound on the other side and after several minutes, Ana started to get worried. It wasn’t like her to not turn up and she hoped that she was still sleeping. Going down to the front, she got a room key from the reluctant front manager and went back upstairs to open the door. Angel was still where she had left her the night before.
For a moment, Ana was afraid for her. She called her name loudly as she walked up and her heart calmed after she moved a little. The doctor’s had given her some medication and it must have really knocked her out. “Angel, are you okay?”
The young woman nodded, her eyes adjusting to the bedside lamp that she turned on. “Damn Ana, is it time to play already?”
