Walking over in my direction, he threw himself down lazily on the chair, and stretched a leg over the arm. The over-familiar way he regarded my apartment used to bug me, but not anymore. Lennox was like a big brother to me.
Meeting by pure chance, Lennox West had changed my life. Smiling appreciatively, he had approached me after hearing me play on the demonstration drum kit in a local music store. Striking a conversation he’d asked if I did anything else, and when I said I played the guitar and sang a bit, he asked if I wanted to try out for his new band. Initially, I had wanted to play the drums but that was his instrument.
After hearing me sing “Sex On Fire” by Kings of Leon as one of my audition numbers, Len listened then asked me to sing “Superheroes” by The Script. When I finished, I was offered a trial as lead singer. Ever since Lennox, me and the rest of the band have been water-tight.
That Saturday was almost two years ago, high school dropout and now at nineteen I was a full time musician in our band M3rcy, and earning a decent living by playing in bars around town and in some of the adjoining cities.
Lennox squinted at me and smirked in his cock-sure manner, the one that always managed to piss me off. “Remember that scout that came to see us in Culver City that one time?”
Of course I did, that was a huge deal; a scout from a record company sitting in on one of our bar gigs. We were ecstatic that he wanted to talk to us afterwards and kind of built up our hopes that he was going to do something amazing, like whisk us all off to his personal New York recording studio and help us hit the big time.
“Not ready.” When he uttered those words, I was devastated. My heart sunk down to the pit of my stomach. Being rejected like that was a major body blow to my nineteen year old ego. Shrugging off that painful memory, I stared back at Syd without acknowledging he’d spoken, and saw Lennox’s face break into a huge grin.
“Wellll…guess what? Six months later and he’s coming back. So get your ass into some kegs and let’s get down to Beltz to practice. The rest of the guys are meeting us there.”
I didn’t need to be told twice and was ready to go in less than fifteen minutes. Just as we arrived in the bar parking lot, there was a massive clap of thunder and the sky was lit brightly by lightning. Rain lashed heavily from the sky and grabbing my guitar, I ran for cover behind Lennox. Simon and Mick came running at us from the other direction, all of us arriving at the bar door at the same time.
By the time I got inside I was soaked to the skin and began shaking the cool rain from my hair. When I glanced across the bar, she was there. Chloe I think they called her. Sweet and innocent looking girl she was and she didn’t seem like the other girls at all.
Something strange happened to me when I looked at her, which was too difficult to explain, but every time I got with a girl she never failed to show up in the wrong place at just the right time.
My fault really, I was so pumped after performing and I openly admit, at nineteen I was addicted to sex and was ready to have it anytime, anywhere. Performing and sex were my lethal combination as far as my self- control was concerned.
The previous night’s encounter was the worst. Seeing Chloe walk out of the restroom almost crucified me and I nearly threw the girl that was bouncing on my dick off me.
In a split second I figured she hated me after what she’d seen anyway, and as I’d already been caught, I may as well finish. Angry feelings about spoiling any chance of knowing her made me more aggressive in how I was taking that blonde girl. I never did get her name.
Then again, I never got any of their names. That wasn’t how the groupies that hung around me worked. All they were interested in was fucking a musician with a big dick.
It was hard to shake the look Chloe gave me that night. Staring at me like she did is something that will be embedded in my brain forever.
The disdain on her face told me she hated me and everything I was about. I couldn’t blame her really. As young as I was, I’d been around a lot of women but until that point, no female has ever looked at me with disgust the way she had.
Standing still, she was staring out the window and watching the rain streaming down. It was clear her mind was somewhere else. Nico and Vinz, “Am I Wrong,” was playing on her tablet playlist. She turned to look at us and she looked amazing. Then I realized she was taking in my soaked appearance, so I said the first thing that came to mind. “Any towels for a drowning man over here?”
Being a lead singer in a band I was used to being objectified, but I wasn’t used to this weird feeling about her looking at me. I watched her eyes tick over my wet clothing. Chloe was obviously thinking about what she was looking at.
Biting her lip, she looked up and I couldn’t help but smile at her. Raising my eyebrow, I waited for her to speak and when she didn’t, I almost flirted because I wanted to make her feel at ease around me. She had only ever seen me at my worst, some of my behavior on stage and with those girls.
Damn, when her eyes connected with mine she stared, and I could see the pink tinge of pleasure clouding the sclera of her eyes. She was enjoying what she was looking at, and there was this…moment, when there was this fleeting connection. Not used to these silences I grinned because I was self-conscious.
“Did you hear me, babe?” I grinned because she just gave a vacant stare that said she didn’t know what to do. Then I saw that I’d embarrassed her. Blushing she dropped her head, nodded and scurried off in the direction of the office.
Thinking I’d upset her, I followed her down to Matt’s office. Chloe was stretching up into a cupboard to pull down a pile of towels. She was wobbling on her tiptoes, and I reached and caught her by her hips to steady her.
Shit! Her body felt tiny and delicate in my hands and when I pressed my fingertips a little I could feel the bones of her pelvis through her jeans. Chloe might have been cleaning but damn, she smelled awesome. Her light fragrance and maybe some pear shampoo in her gorgeous, shoulder length blonde hair were quite an aphrodisiac. Not sure but whatever it was, I remembered thinking that if I made it to the big time, I wanted shares in that smell.
Looking over her shoulder, her hot minty breath fanned across my face, and our mouths were only a couple of inches apart. My eyes flicked to her lips and her tongue licked between them, then she closed her mouth and massaged her lips together, back and forth.
Looking back into her eyes, they were like this mysterious inky blue color and I knew right then I could easily get lost in them. Dropping my hands, I sighed out loud and tried to do the right thing.
Strange situation for me, I’d never been that close to any woman’s mouth and not able to kiss it before. And although kissing someone wasn’t enough to make me hard anymore, my dick was straining in my pants from our little interaction and I hadn’t even gone that far.
“Shall I take those for you?” Reaching over her hand, I took a hold of the towels. Chloe was still staring back at me like she was in shock, and didn’t respond, so I grasped them a little tighter. When she realized she was still standing there with me, her cheeks pinked up and she almost shoved the pile at me and made her way to the open doorway.
Briefly meeting my gaze once again, she turned on her heel and disappeared down the corridor. I’d had some shitty reactions from people in my life, but I have to say, of all of them, something in the way that Chloe looked at me, was the only one that had ever had a negative impact.
As I sauntered slowly towards the staff room at the end of the hall, she suddenly reappeared, turned towards the fire exit and pushed the door open, allowing it to bang shut behind her again.
Staring at the door for a second, I shook my head. Fuck her. No way was a stupid girl going to mess with my life. No matter how hot I thought she was. Lennox appeared at the end of the corridor.
“When you’ve finished bagging the hot cleaner, we’ve got the performance of our lives in a few hours. Keep your dick in your pants and take your frustration to your throat, your singing has more of an edge when you hav
en’t been laid.”
Singing shook me of my funk and as well as our own material we chose a couple of covers to perform for the set that night to show our versatility, The Maine’s “Everything I Ask For” and thinking about Chloe, the song that came to mind was by Train, “Angel in Jeans.”
Taking a deep breath, I suddenly realized how much I wanted Syd to like us this time. Another rejection would have tipped the scales for me with the band. I was hungry for fame and some money to get my life to the next phase, and if that meant I needed to move on from the guys to do it, then I would.
Still only nineteen, people often took me for several years older. Maybe it was what I’d been exposed to in my childhood and with the band, but I never really related to kids my age and often hung out with the cool guys much older than me.
Playing the drums and guitar in various groups, I had been accepted by them as an equal and no one seemed to notice my tender years. One of the reasons I became promiscuous from the age of sixteen I suppose. Girls were attracted to musicians and no one seemed to think of me as too young. Maybe, the way I was so comfortable and open about sex as well, due to my mom’s not so subtle profession as a hooker.
Playing gigs and being around her and her colleagues exposed me to so much pussy that by the time I wasn’t a minor any more, I had experienced most sexual scenarios.
Knocking on the edge of the bar drew my attention in the direction of the noise. Syd Jones was early to the party. Thinking he was going to show up at the gig, he’d caught us out by turning up several hours early.
“Hey guys sorry, but I’m on my way back to New York this afternoon for an important meeting, but I didn’t want to let you down. So if you can do your set now for me I can fit you in.”
Mick gave a quick what-the-hell look at Lennox and Simon’s eyes widened at me in a subtle panic. Lennox put his sticks down and eased himself around his drums. “Hey Syd glad to see you, we’re ready. Thank you for coming. Okay, guys, let’s do this.”
Len slapped my back, nodded at Mick, and pointed at Simon, our bass player, to start the intro with Mick while he slid back behind the drums.
For the following ten minutes I sang for my life, imagining the crowd was there spurring us on and not just the same two regulars who were actually there, sitting at the bar, who I had often wondered if they ever went home. Vocals I never knew I was capable of impressed even me, as I gave my all to the guy that held my future in his hands.
We’d sung two original numbers and were half way through the second of our two covers when Syd looked at his watch and held his hand up. Panic gripped at my throat like a tightening hand, and I almost spoke up to tell him he couldn’t possibly have made up his mind based on what we’d done.
Syd stood up, shoved his hands deep into his pockets and sauntered towards the small stage with his head down, deep in thought. Suddenly, he jerked his head up and looked me right in the eye.
“Alright, I liked you six months ago, but you weren’t ready.” He put his hand up to stop anyone from protesting and continued, “Now, I know some of you were pissed when I said that, but I didn’t get where I am today by signing half assed bands.”
Drawing breath I was about to argue our cause, when I felt a hand on my shoulder silencing me. Giving me shoulder contact, Lennox stood tight to my side and held my wrist behind my back. Squeezing it, he was telling me this moment was not the time to let my impetuous nature take the lead.
Syd turned a chair around back to front and slung his leg over it, sitting himself down and leaning his elbows on the back of the chair.
“Right. I think this band is definitely ready now. Even the young one here.” Syd pointed his nicotine stained finger at me. My initial thought was, fuck you, but then it sunk in. Syd Jones from Zuul Records was going to sign us.
Trying to behave in a professional manner until Syd left was fucking difficult from there on out. Inside my head was buzzing with the conversation he had just had with us; about the where, when, how, and who was going to take care of this and that. By the time he left my head was ready to explode, and time had gone so quickly that we were only fifteen minutes away from gig time.
Holding our breaths, we all watched him weave his way through the tables and disappear through the door. Lennox spun around to look at me and punched the air, while Mick ran at me, jumped up and wrapped his legs around my waist. Simon was still staring at the door as if Syd was going to reappear any minute and shout, only kidding. He didn’t, and he wasn’t kidding. It was the real deal.
CHAPTER 5 - TAKING IT IN
Gibson
Scanning the room as I walked onto the small raised stage at Beltz, the first person I noticed was her. Right in front of me was Chloe. Strange that I had never noticed her anywhere else, except for all those times when one of us seemed to be in the wrong place and the wrong situation; for her anyway.
I would have taken responsibility for that, but there were a few times when my sexual encounters should have been private and unseen from other females as far as I was concerned. Places like in my own car, the male restroom and down in the bar cellar. Not places I’d have expected to be interrupted by another girl, but she had anyway.
Seeing her sitting on a guy’s lap, I wasn’t surprised she was already taken. Strange but I definitely felt disappointed about that. Actually, if I’m honest, I felt pissed about it. When I thought more about it, it was probably for the best though, because I doubted she was the kind that would ever have got with me, after seeing me with all those other girls.
Besides, I was getting out of town and I had no chance with that one anyway, she was way too innocent and proper to hook up with anyone, especially me.
Seeing her sitting in the guy’s lap, like it was going to be some kind of deterrent for me to have fun with her, was never going to work. If the All-American boy even was her guy. From what I saw of how he acted around the feisty brunette at the bar earlier, I had my doubts.
As soon as I laid eyes on her I was transfixed by her little diamond piercing just above her belly button. Her waistline was slim and she was showing an incredible toned, tanned section of skin that was so fucking tantalizing.
I watched his hand gliding back and forth, All-American boy was stroking her back and I was fucking envious he was getting to touch her so intimately.
When I looked up for her reaction I was hit with that stunning pair of inky blue, lust filled eyes staring back at me. With a wicked smirk, I raised my eyebrow playfully, and licked my bottom lip, which was suddenly very dry.
Wandering over to the mic stand slowly while Mick was playing the intro to our first number, I gripped the mic, taking it off the stand. Chloe’s eyes widened and continued to stare into mine and I couldn’t help but smirk wickedly at her.
There was a definite attraction stirring inside her, even if she would never have admitted it. Not one ever to pass up an opportunity with a girl, I decided to keep flirting with her. Fuck the challenge of the guy she was sitting on.
Staring back at her intensely, I could see that she was unnerved by my attention. The way her gaze always dropped to the floor when I looked at her as I sang, told me she had no idea how beautiful she was, and there was just something about it that got me.
Chloe wiggled on the guy’s lap and he took the opportunity to maximize that by pulling her ass closer to his groin. Exactly what I’d have done in his circumstances, and I bet he was busting out of his pants with the feel of her on him. I know I was just from watching her.
I didn’t think she was being horny though, because remembering how awkward she was when I spoke to her earlier, it was probably because I was making her uncomfortable. Shame I didn’t have more morals because I was the one that should have been uncomfortable; the girl had caught me hooking up so many times it was unnatural.
Obviously I pushed it too far and she couldn’t take what I was doing anymore, so she rose up off her guy, and then leaned in and spoke close to his ear, and giving me a prime view of her a
mple perfect cleavage. Straightening up she began weaving her way to the back of the bar and out of sight. Damn.
When she did that it kinda threw me off for a couple of songs, but I figured there was no use in crying over spilt milk and tried to focus on a girl I’d had a couple times before to take my mind off her. Plus and knew she’d be willing to do whatever I wanted when the gig was done.
Second to last song was when Chloe reappeared, moving gracefully back to her group, tucking a blonde lock of hair behind her ear in a very feminine manner, she sat down on a chair that time. Another couple had joined their group by the time she came back.
A short dark haired girl had positioned her seat exactly in line with where Chloe’s seat was blocking her from my line of vision as soon as she sat down. Feeling kinda weird about how she reacted, I became annoyed with myself, because I figured I’d been targeting someone who was clearly struggling with who she was, and perhaps, sexually quite innocent. That didn’t sit well with me so I knew I had to drop it and move on.
Strangely enough, after that, I didn’t really feel like hooking up that night and I left the bar alone to head home. I could see before I got to my car that Sian, the girl I’d bagged a couple of times, was sitting on the hood of my car.
Her short skirt rode up, showing her white panties even in the low light of the car lot, and she was smiling seductively at me.
Once when Simon was moping after breaking up with a girl, Lennox had told him the best way to get a girl out of your head was, “to find yourself another piece of pussy and hit it hard.” So with that in mind, Sian became my fuck-it-and-forget-it ride for the night.
Breaking my own rule, I went back to her dorm, which was very unusual for me. Normally, I bagged the girls close to the venue we were playing, mainly because for one, I wasn’t interested in knowing anything about them. And not spending the night meant there was no awkward morning after conversations to struggle past.
Romance: Gibson's Legacy ( New Adult Contemporary Erotic Romance) (Last Score Book 1) Page 4