Just an Illusion - Encore

by D. Kelly

  “Such a brilliant idea for the in-person ticket sales. TicketMaker is talking about doing this again for more bands in the future. It’s made a huge difference in fans getting into your shows without paying thousands for a ticket from a person or agency who was able to buy them all up.” Steve’s comments catch my attention.

  “That would be awesome. Some of our best times were spent waiting in line for tickets with Dad. Right, Noah?”

  Noah smiles and nods before wincing. “Yeah, they sure were.”

  Steve leans forward and clears his throat. He’s the big gun out of this group. The rest of these guys wish they had as much pull as him and are likely hoping to take his place one day. God help whatever band falls into their clutches. Steve is the only standup guy in the bunch. “Have you guys given additional thought into putting out more music in the future? We know you’re set on retirement, but our PR team has thought up lots of ways to spin it if you’ve changed your minds and decide to stay.”

  “Nope,” I answer for everyone, but as Steve scans their faces, the rest of them give the same response. None of us ever want to be under a label again, and with our status, we don’t have to be.

  “Fair enough. What about solo careers or playing with another band? Have you considered that?”

  Noah speaks up, finally reaching his frustration point. “I know we’ve had this discussion already, but let’s clarify it one last time. We’re not kids anymore. Darren has a baby on the way. I’m engaged. Wyatt is married. The time to enjoy life is now. Maybe we’ll come back to music, maybe we won’t, but I think I speak for everyone when I say solo careers and touring with or teaming up with other bands are not options. We always have been and always will be Bastards and Dangerous. The band isn’t going anywhere or breaking up. We’re just taking time to enjoy our families for a change.”

  Steve picks up his drink and leans back in his seat. “We figured as much, but my boss wouldn’t have been happy if I didn’t at least try asking.”

  The conversation shifts to tour-related topics, and I swear I feel a collective exhale between the five of us. Even Warren is ready to wrap it up at this point. A waitress brings a new round of drinks, practically purring at me as her fingers brush against my hand when she passes me mine. I flash her my signature smile, and she licks her lips. The elevator doors open and the girls step off, drawing my attention to them and rendering the waitress a memory.

  They look fantastic, especially Princess who’s in a tight, black skirt and a royal-blue silk top. Her hair is curled to perfection. I take a long draw from my whiskey and try paying attention to this meeting and not the image of me pulling her hair as we fuck that has invaded my mental space.

  After they’ve joined us, Anna scowls at one of the women who is perched close to Wyatt. Wyatt laces their fingers together, and Anna kisses his cheek to repay his attention. The other woman huffs as she storms off, and Anna catches my eye, smiling triumphantly. That’s my girl.

  Mel, on the other hand, looks uncomfortable, and when I follow Noah’s gaze, I catch Bob leering at her. Instead of taking his leave with Warren and the rest of the executives, he sticks around. One by one, the others leave to mingle and get drinks, but I stay in case Noah needs help. Soon enough, Bob launches into a story about knowing Mel’s parents and talking to her a little too personally. Noah scowls and leans forward, looking ready to give Bob a piece of his mind, but Mel puts Bob in his place all on her own.

  When Bob takes the hint and walks away, I follow and invite him to the bar for a drink. Stupid fucker takes me up on it too. With waitresses working the suite and Darren and Wyatt mingling, the bar area is relatively quiet.

  “Whiskey on the rocks,” I tell the bartender and drop a fifty into his tip jar. “Keep ‘em coming please.”

  “Yes, sir.” He turns toward Bob. “And you?”

  “Old Fashioned.” Bob drops nothing into the tip jar. Cheap fuck. Instead of taking the stool next to me, he remains standing to my right, still looking back toward Noah and Princess. Without consideration of any personal boundaries, he throws his arm over my shoulder and nudges his head in their direction. “She’s a hot piece of ass.”

  Gripping my glass tightly, I shrug out of his embrace and turn around. “Who?”

  “Mellie Sunshine.”

  “You know damn well that’s not her name.” I toss back my drink, and there’s another in my hand instantly.

  Ignoring me, he continues, “What I wouldn’t do to slide her tight little pussy over my cock.”

  “Do you have a cock, Bob? I mean I know you have one, but rumor has it that it doesn’t work well and it’s smaller than my pinky, even with the little blue pill.”

  Bob chokes on his drink and takes a step back. His cheeks redden with embarrassment and maybe a bit of anger. “Why are you being a dick, Weston?”

  I jump off my seat and back him up against the wall. Thankfully, we’re in a corner, and the only person who can see us from where we stand is the bartender, who I’ll tip even better for his discretion.

  “Listen, Bob, I’ve put up with a lot of shit from you over the years. You’re an over-eager, condescending piece of shit with little man syndrome. Even still, I’ve tolerated you to keep the peace. You just crossed a line. You’re on the clock, at a work function, and you’re leering at the fiancée of one of the men you work for.”

  “I don’t work for you,” he spits out, and my condescending laugh only pisses him off more.

  “Don’t fool yourself. You work for us, and I guarantee, before this party is over, you’ll receive a call letting you know just how much pull I have over you. You should be careful who you run your mouth to, Bob. The wrong person can put you in a world of trouble.”

  “Is there a problem here?” Mac growls, ready to kick Bob’s ass.

  “N-n-no, no problem at all,” Bob stutters as his skin tone begins returning to its normal pasty white.

  “Keep an eye on him tonight, Mac. Bob doesn’t seem to know when he’s crossing a line when it comes to Amelia.”

  “That so?” Mac steps closer and crosses his arms as Bob flinches and takes a step back.

  “I gotta take a leak.” After excusing myself, I storm off and duck into one of the bedrooms, locking the door behind me. Then I pull out my phone and call the number I’ve only had to use twice in ten years.

  “Sawyer, what’s going on? Aren’t you supposed to be surrounded by gorgeous women right now?”

  Ryan Meadows is the owner of our label, and unlike Bob, his business is his priority, not getting laid.

  “There are plenty of women here. In fact, I’m calling about a particular one. Amelia Greyson.”

  “Of course. How is that working out for you guys?” I can hear his smile.

  “Great, except tonight. Listen, you need to get Bob off our account. Move him, or whatever you have to do. Although, if you’d like to avoid a lawsuit, I’d fire his ass if I were you.”

  “All right, Weston, you’ve got my attention. What happened?”

  I spend the next few minutes filling him in on Bob’s shit. Even going back to how he tried pushing Noah to perform after his accident. Ryan lets loose a string of profanities on the other end of the line.

  “Consider it taken care of, Sawyer. I’ve wanted to fire him for a while now but needed cause to back it up. You’ve just given me more than enough ammunition. Keep this between us for now, please. I’m going to dangle a position in front of him, one he’s been salivating over for a long time. Not only will that get him to leave the party but it’ll bring him back to the office so I can fire him face to face. I’ve been waiting a long time to do this.”

  I take a seat on the bed as the tension seeps out of my body. “Sure, I’ll keep it quiet. Thanks for taking care of it.”

  “No problem. Need anything else while you have my attention?”

  “That’s all. Thanks for taking my call.”

  His boisterous laugh greets my ears. “As if I’d let my number-one star go to vo
icemail. Have a good night, Sawyer, and enjoy the party.”

  I lean back on the bed and blow out an exhausted sigh. There’s not even a minute to relax before someone is knocking on the door and I have to plaster a fake smile on my face once again.

  “Oh, thank God!” Belle pushes past me.

  “Need the room?”

  Darren laughs as she calls out over her shoulder. “Need the restroom. My poor bladder!”

  Darren shakes his head in her wake. “Why are you locked in here? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine now. Just got off the phone with Meadows. He’s about to fire Bob.”

  “No shit?” Darren flashes a wicked smile. “He just bolted out of her grinning like a fool and saying something about a new promotion.”

  “Yeah, Ryan wanted to tell him in person. Apparently, he likes Bob about as much as we do. That fucker said some extremely inappropriate shit about Mel tonight. I’d had enough.”

  Darren eyes me cautiously. “You sure that was your call to make?”

  “She’s our employee above all else. Someone had to take care of it. Besides, it’s obvious Noah isn’t doing well tonight. He doesn’t need another thing on his plate.”

  The water turns on in the bathroom, and Darren pats me on the shoulder. “Be careful, Sawyer. You’re walking a fine line right now.”

  “I’m not going to do anything stupid. This was necessary.”

  Belle joins us, and as they walk away, Darren turns back around. “Try to remember that later when you’re drunk. These parties always bring out the worst in you.”

  He’s right, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing it. Being rid of Bob for good has me feeling fan-fucking-tastic right now.

  “Yes, dad. I’ll be on my best behavior and be sure to use my prophylactics.”

  “Sarcastic fuck.”

  “Always,” I reply and follow them back out to the party.

  Nothing Good Happens After Midnight

  I couldn’t tell you how many drinks I’ve had tonight. Or begin to count how many different women have draped themselves over my body at one point or another. Typically, I can lose myself in these women without a problem, but not tonight. I took the self-punishment route and sat at the bar with Noah and Mel in my direct line of sight.

  They stayed in that dark nook all night, and although it was more than evident Noah began to feel worse as the night dragged on, it didn’t stop him from caressing every inch of her delectable body he could reach. Not that I can blame him. If it were me, I’d probably have gotten her off in front of everyone. The image is clear in my mind: me stifling her sexy moans with my tongue and then licking her sensual release from my fingers one by one. My cock stiffens at the thought, and the woman in my lap takes it as an invitation to lick my neck and whisper sexy obscenities into my ear.

  She’s going to be the one to shut down this party with me tonight. As I pull her closer to me with both hands on her ass, Noah and Mel gather their things and head our way. My dick jumps even more at the sway of her hips and the way those heels make her legs seem to go on for miles.

  “She’s hot, and I’m bi. Think she’d be up for joining us?” the girl in my lap whispers. For a moment, I let the image of Princess and her together invade my thoughts. As they get closer, I quickly rein in those thoughts.

  “As much as I’d love to see that, they don’t like to share.”

  “Too bad,” she muses, and I dip my finger into the whiskey shot on the counter and let her lick it off. The way she sucks me, I have no doubt my dick will be receiving stellar treatment later.

  “We’re going to get going. I’ve got a killer headache,” Noah nearly whispers.

  If I weren’t so drunk, I’d feel bad for the inappropriate thoughts I was just having about Mel. But if I can blame it on something other than myself for a change, I’m not going to worry about it.

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “Nah, you stay and have fun. Just … you know, be careful. Warren and Sam already told us you’ve got everything under control, but call me if you need something, okay?”

  He doesn’t want me calling him for the one thing I need. “Yeah, of course. If you get worse, let me know.”

  “I’ll take care of him, I promise.” Mel slides her arm through his, and Darren joins us.

  “Can you guys wait with Veronica and Belle? I need to talk to Sawyer for a minute. I can meet you at the limo if you want to head down.”

  Noah pats Darren’s shoulder. “Sure, we’ll meet you at the car. The sooner I can get out of all this noise and light, the better. See you tomorrow, Sawyer.”

  “Later.” I don’t hesitate to watch Mel’s luscious ass as they walk away. The girl in my lap isn’t paying one bit of attention as she blazes a trail of kisses down my neck.

  “Sweetheart, would you mind giving us a moment while we talk?”

  She eyes Darren like he’s her favorite midnight snack. “What about him? I wouldn’t mind having both holes filled tonight.”

  “Sorry, babe.” Darren flashes her his fan smile. “That might have happened six months ago, but I’m taken these days.”

  She shrugs and slips off my lap. “Your loss. I’m going to use the restroom.”

  “She’s hot.”

  “She’s all right,” I mumble before tossing back a shot. “She wanted to fuck Princess and me. Do you know how sexy that would be?”

  “Sawyer … maybe you should come back to the hotel with us. I don’t like leaving you this fucked up by yourself.”

  “Why all the hovering all of a sudden?”

  “Nothing good ever happens after midnight,” he replies, using a line my dad has used since we were old enough to try breaking curfew.

  “You and I both know that doesn’t apply to rock stars.”

  Our phones go off at the same time. It’s a text from Mac telling us the suite is clear except for me, Darren, and the girl in the bathroom and that he’s heading to the limo with Noah and the girls.

  “It especially applies to rock stars. Don’t do anything stupid tonight. Please.”

  “You mean like drunk dial her and tell her how I feel?” His eyes widen, and I pat his shoulder. “Don’t worry. Even I wouldn’t do that. You’re lucky I like Belle so much, or I might try to convince you to stay.”

  “You know, maybe Belle and I should stay in one of the rooms. Let me get her and we’ll come back up. That way—”

  “I don’t need a babysitter, and Belle doesn’t need to hear me fucking a groupie just like I don’t need to hear you and Belle. If I need anything, you’ll be my first call.”

  “You promise?” he asks, but his relief is already written all over his face.

  “Promise. Get out of here and go spend time with your girl.”

  When the elevator doors close behind Darren, I grab the bottle of whiskey and debate another glass. If I drink much more, I’m going to regret it. My heart and dick are at odds with each other right now, though, and I need to drown out my heart.

  “Are we alone now?” a voice calls from the bedroom, and for once I wish I could remember her name.

  “We sure are, sexy.” Taking a drink straight from the bottle, I make my way to the couch and take a seat. When she comes out of the bedroom, she’s completely naked. I rake my eyes over her incredible body and know I chose well. She is by far one of the hottest girls here tonight, even if she’s not the one I want.

  “You’re wearing far too many clothes,” the woman purrs as she confidently strides toward me and straddles my lap.

  I slide my hand between her legs. She’s already wet for me. I bring the bottle to my lips for another drink, and when I’m finished, she takes it from me. Our eyes lock as she rims the opening of the bottle with her tongue, teasing me with good things to come, but my dick isn’t responding.

  She leans over and places the bottle on the table and slides her mouth to mine. I turn my head; I don’t want to kiss her. I’m not even sure I want to fuck her. I should pr
obably make up my mind since I’ve spent the last few minutes mindlessly fingering her.

  “I want to fuck you.” Her soft voice caresses my ear as she works to unbuckle my belt.

  Suddenly, this is the last thing I want to be doing right now. “Look, I’m sorry. I think … I think I had too much to drink.”

  She drops her hand to my cock, trying to pump it the best she can through the denim of my jeans.

  “You have got to be kidding me.”

  “Sorry, babe. It happens sometimes.”

  She flashes me an evil glare and pulls my hand from her pussy. “You bastard. This isn’t whiskey dick. I fucking know whiskey dick. You’ve got some sick fucking obsession with your brother’s fiancée. Does he know?” She scrambles off my lap and looks down at me, her arms crossed over her chest.

  “There’s nothing to know.”

  “Bullshit. Maybe he should know. Maybe I should blast it to all the social media tabloids I can find. Sawyer Weston’s dick only rises for his soon-to-be sister-in-law. If that isn’t some shit.”

  “I said I was sorry, and I meant it.”

  She storms into the bedroom and comes back fully dressed.

  “You know, you should consider yourself lucky that I have a high level of self-esteem. Before you had your hand deep in my pussy, you were hard as a rock. And even though I think you’re a son of a bitch, I’m going to give you some advice. Tell your brother how you feel because this won’t end well if you don’t. The longing in your eyes when you look at her is pathetically obvious. Do yourself a favor and get this off your chest and out of your system before you do something incredibly stupid like fucking your brother’s wife.”

  Her eyes flare furiously, but she’s right. I should talk this out with Noah. Tonight.

  “I’m going to be more of an asshole, so forgive me in advance. What is your name?”

  She huffs and crosses her arms. “Oh my God, seriously? Why does this even surprise me? My name is Grace.”