Jesse was close by, waiting to walk her down the hallway. He was nodding his head to the music as he kept an eye on her. When he saw her look at the floor for a long while, he moved closer. “Maybe you should sit.”
“Um.” She turned to him, her face heating up. “That would be a bit uncomfortable.” She could feel a bit of semen oozing from her pussy, and her legs were damp.
With realization, Jesse bit his lip. “Oh yeah, guess that would be weird. Why don’t we head backstage then, so you can clean up?”
“In a minute.” She smiled at Brandon, who had his eyes closed as he wailed on his guitar.
Brandon had played a lot of Avenged Sevenfold songs since he picked up his first guitar. Synyster Gates created some complicated riffs and solos, which challenged him. He was in the middle of his favorite solo on that album. Barely hearing the screaming audience, he concentrated on getting every note perfect. He wished he had practiced that song more recently, but he knew it well enough to get by with few mistakes.
Scott was still reeling from singing. “Nightmare” had some background vocals, which he and Austin did together as usual, but singing lead felt so good. He missed it. Maybe I’ll ask Jake if I can do a song on the next album. That would be cool.
“Here—drink this,” Jesse urged Mackenzie, handing her a bottle of water. He could tell she needed it by the look of her face. Taking care of her during shows in Canada had allowed him to know her better, although she didn’t remember much of it.
Mackenzie gladly downed half the bottle, a ravenous thirst coming over her. “Thanks,” she shouted. She gripped the chair a bit tighter; almost sure she had overdone it that night. “I can’t wait anymore.” She hoped the music was audible in the bathroom.
Brandon turned to check on Mackenzie. He watched Jesse put a supporting arm around her waist and worry took over. He stepped back quickly, still playing. “Hey, Jesse!” he yelled as loud as he could. When he turned, he mouthed, “She OK?”
Jesse nodded and pointed to the back. He didn’t want to make Mackenzie deaf, by shouting.
Brandon took a deep breath and relaxed. She was fine. He was just paranoid, but who could blame him? She technically died less than a week before. He closed his eyes and finished out the song, no longer worried.
“You done yet?” Jesse called from just outside the ladies’ room door.
Mackenzie was at the sink. “Almost, keep your pants on.”
Jesse thought better of the lewd reply he concocted. She would probably balk at him saying he would rather have them off and her under him. Since the time he saw Brandon banging her in the shower on the bus, he had elaborate fantasies of doing the same. He knew his dick was a good size, and she would probably enjoy it, but he didn’t want to piss Brandon off.
He glanced down. “Great.” He sighed at his body’s response to remembering her naked.
“Wow,” Mackenzie commented, seeing the impressive bulge in his pants. “Didn’t know you were packing.” She had always found him cute, but shy. Since finding out he was her designated caretaker when Brandon and Scott weren’t around, she looked at him differently. She realized if Brandon trusted him when not there, she could trust him.
Jesse blushed and looked down. “Not many get to see it.” His face turned redder. He had not meant to say that aloud. Rarely did he admit he had never slept with a girl. He was shy and unsure of himself.
“Well…” Mackenzie chose her words carefully. “If you lived out by me, I may have taken you on as my personal orgasm provider.” She actually wished he did live in Florida. He was sweet and gentle, something she needed sometimes in a lover. Then she realized what she was thinking. Could I fuck one of Brandon’s employees? Would that piss him off?
Jesse gasped when he got what she meant. She wants to fuck me? He had to have gotten that wrong. “Brandon would beat the hell outta me,” he softly replied, hoping she couldn’t hear him.
She had heard. “Not if I ask him first, but that doesn’t matter. I live in Florida, and you live in California.”
“No I don’t.” Jesse met her surprised eyes. “I live in Coconut Creek. It’s not far from you.” Then he covered his mouth and turned away, thinking she had been joking. How can I even think about nailing her? “Oh, God, I’m a dead man.”
Mackenzie giggled. “Will you relax?” She put a hand on his shoulder and felt him shudder. “Brandon’s not going to keep me locked up that tight. When he’s away, he said I can play around… if he likes the guy.” She still wasn’t sure how that was going to work out. Looking down at Jesse’s pants again, she felt guilty because he was turning her on. “That sounded so bad. I’m sorry.”
“I get it.” Jesse still could not look her in the eye. His dick was dying to be set free, and his balls ached to be emptied. “He’s gone for months at a time. If I had the opportunity, I’d wanna fuck too.”
She smiled and looked at him sideways. Was he offering up his services? If so, she might want to use them. Then she thought about where he lived. “How did your place survive? Mine didn’t.” She looked away for a few seconds, not wanting to be upset by it again.
“The storm hit south enough that my building didn’t get much damage I’m told. I was in Anaheim already when it hit. My neighbor kept me up to date. My apartment didn’t even have any windows broken. It faces north, so maybe that helped.”
Brandon was sweaty and exhausted, but their set had ended, and he was searching for Mackenzie. He wanted to make sure she was alright. When he saw her and Jesse, he froze, shocked. She was looking him over and even Jesse’s neck showed his blush. He could tell she was interested in him sexually. That didn’t surprise him though. He was exactly her type and maybe he was just the guy to help him with something he hoped he could go through with.
“Hey, you two,” Brandon said as casually as possible. He dropped an arm over both of their shoulders. “What you been up to?”
Jesse’s hands moved over his crotch. “I didn’t do anything.”
Brandon laughed. “I didn’t say you did. Your mind’s making you feel guilty, huh?” He noticed him trying to cover up the desire for his woman. “You and I need to have a talk.” He pulled Jesse away.
“Wait!” Mackenzie called to him, nervous he was upset. “Nothing happened, really.” She chased Brandon and pulled on his arm. “Brandon, don’t do anything, please.”
With a wide grin, Brandon met her eyes. “Tink, I trust you. I know nothing happened. We just need to talk about something.” Just then, Andy came down the hall. Brandon waved at him. “It’s time.”
Andy nodded and rushed towards the exit.
“Baby, what’s going on?” Mackenzie knew she was missing something.
Brandon ran the back of a finger down Mackenzie’s cheek. “Go with Andy when he gets back. I have something planned for tonight.” He walked away, pulling a nervous Jesse with him.
Chapter Twenty Nine
Mackenzie waited in the hallway until Andy came to her, minutes later. He didn’t say a word, just took her arm led her through the maze of hallways. She expected to go back to the dressing room, but they passed that going quickly.
“Hey, where we going?” she asked.
Andy replied without stopping, “Outside.”
They walked towards the buses then behind them, where there was a black stretch limo. A tall man waited at the door and opened it for her. She peeked inside; expecting to see Brandon, but it was empty. “But…”
“Wait in there.” Andy pointed.
She sighed and got inside. Once the door had closed, she looked around. There was a bucket of ice with Jack Daniels in it. She laughed. Only Brandon would do something like that. They both hated champagne. Then she found chocolate covered strawberries and whipped cream. She let out another laugh. He was too funny.
Then she discovered three red roses tied together with a ribbon. There was a card attached to the bow. Her hands shook as she turned it so she could read Brandon’s handwriting. “I hope the tie that bin
ds us never comes undone.” A few tears fell. He rarely was poetic with her. Things were changing fast for them, maybe too fast. She was nervous he was about to propose She wasn’t ready for that yet.
A door suddenly opened, and she turned around. “Brandon!” She hugged him, amazed. Showered and changed, he looked so handsome. “I love that cologne.”
“I know,” he whispered, then caressed her cheek. “This night is all about you.”
She gazed into his eyes, confused. “Why?”
“Because I wanna do this for you.” He smiled at the three flowers she still held, one for each word he had been holding in for so long.
His mouth found hers and the conversation was over. It was going to be hard to stick to the plan, and he knew it. She was trying to get him down on his back already, and his cock was hard as ever. The car was shaking a bit as they traveled to their first destination. He hoped he could make her understand.
When she started to open his pants, he put his hand over hers. “Not yet, Tink. I want you to remember tonight.”
“I remember every night I have with you.”
“Please, let me do this.”
“OK,” she relented, trusting him. She laid the perfect roses on the unused seat next to them.
Brandon moved over and took out glasses. “Try not to get drunk, OK?”
Then he smirked as he recalled the last time they got drunk together. It was in New York City. They stupidly decided the boulders in Central Park were secluded enough to have sex on. The cop watched for a few minutes as Mackenzie rode him buck naked, before Brandon noticed him standing there. Then they were arrested for public indecency.
“No more public drinking, OK?” Mackenzie giggled at the same memory. “Good thing Jake had so much cash on him.” Then she burst into laughter. “At least he waited until you came to handcuff us.”
Brandon handed her a glass of amber liquid. “True. Having blue balls in jail would’ve sucked.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “We been through a lot together. You stuck by me through everything, no matter what.”
“You did the same for me,” she reminded him and touched his face.
He smiled. “Yeah, but I did a lotta stupid things. You were always there to help pick up the pieces.” His hand cupped her chin then he leaned in and kissed her lips softly. “You deserve better.”
“I don’t want someone else.” She pursed her lips and closed her eyes, scared he was ending it already. Teary-eyed, she pled, “Please don’t say that.”
He gasped, understanding. “No. I meant that I need to do better, treat you better. I need you in my life always.” Proposing came to mind again, but he quickly quashed the thought. He took a deep breath. “Things are gonna change. Our lives are gonna change.”
The words were on the tip of his tongue. Can I actually say them? The limo stopped, and he relaxed. That meant he didn’t have to, not yet. He had no idea if he would lose her once he said them. Will anything be the same again? Will she say it back?
Mackenzie took his hands in hers and tried to read his expression. He looked scared and a bit overwhelmed. She wanted to ask what was going on, but knew he had to say it in his own time. Rushing him would make it come out wrong or not at all.
“Relax, baby,” she said soothingly. “Whatever it is, take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
He felt all the tension leave his body. Only she could calm him when he worked himself up. “Thanks, Tink. I will tell you, though. I promise.”
“I know you will.” She kissed his lips. “Take a drink. It’ll help.”
He sat back and slowly drained his glass as she did the same. They held hands as they both allowed the alcohol to work. Just before the door opened, he lifted their hands to his lips and kissed hers. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“You wanna take the chance of getting recognized?” She was surprised. He hated being hassled in restaurants. Some accommodated him, though.
He gave her a crooked smile. “Not part of the plan.” The driver soon climbed in the back and set “to go” bags from a chain restaurant they frequented on the table across from them.
Mackenzie smiled at Brandon. She should have known. “You’re too cute you know.”
“I know,” he joked. “I got your favorite.”
Her mouth watered at the thought of a bacon cheeseburger. She was as simple as he was. Then she wondered if it was too messy. What’s wrong with me? This is Brandon! He never judged her, and she never judged him either.
Soon they were eating and wiping grease off each other’s chins. They kept laughing, which relaxed them both even more. Brandon was starting to think she would be OK with what he wanted to say to her. He was glad he planned several things that night. By the end of the night, she would understand just how he felt and how much she meant to him.
After a while, they looked into each other’s eyes. The atmosphere turned serious again. “I never have fun like this with anyone else,” Brandon admitted.
“Neither do I.” Mackenzie looked up at him. He had ketchup on his lower lip. She couldn’t resist kissing him to get it off. “This is great you know.”
He bit his lip. “It’s only the beginning, Tink.” He planned to romance her every day of their lives from that point on.
After the leftovers were in the mini-fridge, they sat back and held hands again, both with a drink in their other hand. When Mackenzie emptied her glass, she laid her head on Brandon’s chest. “Can we live like this forever? No fans, no jobs, no insanity.”
“I wish sometimes.”
He put his arm around her back, glad she wasn’t attacking him again because he wanted to wait until their final destination to take her. He had something on her list he needed to give her, something he wanted just as bad. When a few minutes had passed, he realized she had fallen asleep. He caressed her hair and back, relishing the closeness of their position.
The limo stopped, and Mackenzie jumped. Brandon held her close. “Sssh, it’s OK. We’re here.”
“Where?” She lifted her head off his chest and looked around.
He held her face and kissed her lips. “At my next surprise.” He smiled and pulled her through the open door. She had always liked sea creatures, so when Noelle of Winter Winds suggested he rent the Aquarium for a romantic night tour he booked it.
Mackenzie’s heart beat faster when she noticed where they were. “Is it open?”
“Only for us,” Brandon replied and led her to the front gate.
“Good evening, Mr. Knight.”
Brandon nodded at the man who stood waiting for them. When they entered, he took her hand in his and pulled her to the coral reef exhibit first. He knew it was one of her favorites. Seeing her mouth drop at the first tank made his heart swell. He loved when she was fascinated.
“Baby, look at that!” She pulled him to the next window where a small shark had come out of hiding. “Wow, this is so amazing.” Mesmerized by the beauty and diversity in the huge tank, she touched the glass expecting to get wet. She giggled at herself. “Thank you!”
He had to take a step back when she threw her arms around him. He recovered fast and held her tightly, stroking her hair. “Anything for you, Tink.” That was how he felt. He would do anything to make her happy.
Eventually, they moved on. Almost an hour later, they were at the shark tank. That was Brandon’s favorite. He usually timed his visit to see them fed. They had gone to the local aquarium back home many times, and the shark exhibit was amazing. The one in Boston was different, but still cool.
Sometime later, as they walked through the Rainforest section, Mackenzie glanced at Brandon. “What made you do this today?”
He stopped and wrapped his arms around her. Taking a deep breath, he debated how much to tell her. “Well, truthfully, since you…” He grit his teeth, trying not to get emotional. “Since I pulled you out of the water…” He sniffled. It was hard to hold back the pain. He held her head to his chest so she didn’t see the tears. “Tink… w
hen you took your first breath after, after…”
“I know when.” She ran a hand up and down his back, shedding a few tears. “You thought you lost me.”
He nodded and gulped air for a few seconds. “Yes,” he softly agreed. “You were dead, Tink. You drowned. Scott and I…” The memory of screaming her name made more tears fall. “I knew you meant a lot to me before that day, but now… now, it’s so much more.” He clung to her as he took in a shaky breath. “You mean the world to me, Mackenzie.”
They stood there, in silence for several minutes, both crying. Neither of them had ever brought up how much that day changed their lives until then.
“Don’t ever leave me,” Brandon whispered in her ear.
She sniffled. “Never, and don’t you either.”
“I can’t.” He took a deep breath, finally calm again. “Without you, I’m just a guitar player.”
After checking out the rest of the Aquarium, they headed back to the limo.
Brandon turned Mackenzie so her feet were on the floor and knelt next to her. “Next on my list…” He glanced at her sideways. “Close your eyes and open your mouth.”
She laughed. “A blowjob now?”
“Well now that you bring it up.” He got to his feet, bent over her and opened his pants. Then he grinned. “Just kidding.” He redressed and got to his knees again.
Mackenzie stared at him. “You’re not gonna propose, right?”
“No, just shut your eyes.” He waited until she did. Then he squeezed her cheeks in. “I said open your mouth.”
She held it open and waited, nervously. Then she felt something cold touch her lips and tasted chocolate. The strawberries! She wished she hadn’t been snooping, but she wouldn’t let on she had known.
“Take a bite.” Brandon smiled as she did then laughed as chocolate pieces dropped onto her exposed chest. “You like?” As she nodded, he licked the crumbs off her skin. “Mmmm, so do I.” He then took a small bite of the strawberry. “These are good.” He fed her some more, before kissing her sweet lips.
Wicked End Page 29