Waiting in the Wings

by Melissa Brayden

  “Ms. Kenyon, I want you to relax tonight. Can you do that? Wipe every single negative thought from your mind and just float.”

  “Float?”

  “Exactly. My favorite remedy for a long day.” I opened the bathroom door and watched as Adrienne entered and looked around. The bathroom light had been turned off and small purple, lilac-scented candles had been strategically placed around the darkened room. The garden tub was filled to the brim with hot water and bubbles.

  “Oh my God, I could live in here forever.” She walked in further, turning in a circle.

  “Take some time and relax,” I said on my way out the door.

  “Wait! You’re not staying? There’s plenty of room in that tub, you know.”

  “Entirely tempting, but if I did that, I think we both know tonight would take a very definite turn. I’ll be out here when you’re done. Come find me.” I left her alone, knowing she needed a little respite from the world. I found my iPod, set it to play some mellow instrumental jazz from the dock, and took a little time to relax myself. I stretched out on the bed and stared at the ceiling, letting the smooth sounds of the saxophone work its magic. I’m not sure how much time passed before I heard the click of the bathroom door. I propped myself up in time to see Adrienne emerge from around the corner, looking all warm and snuggly in the hotel robe I’d laid out for her. She stopped and leaned against the wall surveying me. “That was absolute heaven. You were right. I needed that. Thank you.”

  “I told you. And for the record, I’m often right. It’s a gift.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Indeed it is. See? You’re getting the hang of it already.”

  Adrienne laughed and climbed on the bed, cuddling next to me. She was warm from the tub and smelled beautifully of lilac soap. She wrapped her arms around my waist and leaned in for a slow yet simple kiss. I took a moment to breathe her in. “Are you hungry?”

  She thought for a moment. “Not overly. But I could go for a snack. We could order room service.”

  “How would you feel about ice cream?” I kissed her nose.

  “Ice cream sounds amazing right about now. I wonder if they have any. Do you have a menu around here?”

  “I have better than that.” I crossed the room to the petite refrigerator and extracted the pint-sized carton I’d picked up from the convenience store on the corner. “Will this work?”

  Her jaw dropped. “It’s cookies and cream. I love cookies and cream. How did you know?”

  I smiled triumphantly. “I Googled you.”

  “You Googled me?”

  “Well, not tonight, but a couple of weeks ago. I was curious to know more about you and, well, too shy to ask. I read an interview you did in which you listed a few likes and dislikes. Let’s just say I took notes.”

  “Wow. A girl who does her homework. Impressive.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Now could you and the ice cream make your way back over here? I’d rather not be apart from either of you any longer.”

  I climbed back onto the bed and we spent the next half hour devouring the ice cream and relaxing to the music. I was keenly aware that Adrienne hadn’t brought up Sienna or the fact that most of the free world was now in the loop regarding our night together, despite her very simple request that we remain discreet. I decided it was best to get it out in the open. “So as you probably know, I ran into Sienna this morning.”

  “Yeah, I heard. I’m sorry if that was awkward.”

  “Nothing I can’t handle. I wanted to apologize though, for blowing our cover.”

  “No, it’s not that.” She scooted her body closer to mine on the bed, putting her hand on my hip. “I’m not an overly secretive person. It’s just that when you’re on the road like we are, every detail of your life is inevitably shared with everyone else. Today is a perfect example. I guess I wanted to keep this to myself for a little while. Does that make any sense at all?”

  I nodded. “It makes perfect sense. But for the record, I don’t care what anyone else thinks about us. I care about what I think about us, and what you think about us.”

  She paused a moment before speaking. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For being this amazing breath of fresh air. For taking care of me tonight when I didn’t even know I needed to be taken care of. But you knew.”

  Adrienne had a way of looking at me. Just looking at me, and she was doing it right now. It was disarming but at the same time incredibly sexy. I noticed goose bumps on my arms and she must have too. “Are you cold?”

  I shook my head. “I’m good. But it might be a tad bit warmer if you were closer.”

  “That’s interesting. You mean like this close?” She climbed over me and settled her body on top of mine.

  “Yeah, that’s pretty close, I’d say.”

  We stared at each other, barely breathing. Her mouth slowly descended on mine and my nerve endings began to tingle. Her lips were soft and full and achingly wonderful. The kiss was hungry. I was getting lost in it, feeling my body begin to take over, but knowing what to do when the voice of reason interrupted. I pulled my mouth from hers begrudgingly. “Nope. No more of that. You’re supposed to be relaxing.”

  “This is anything but stressful.” She kissed my neck and up to my ear. “Now put your hands on me before I go crazy.”

  I didn’t need any more reassurance than that. I resumed the kiss and let my hands wander underneath the robe and over her breasts. I rested my hand over her heart, gratified to find it beating rapidly. I felt her hips begin to slowly rock against mine and the stirring between my legs began to skyrocket. Adrienne took control, removing her robe in one quick motion before assisting me with the last of my clothes. She settled back on top, a position she seemed intent on this evening and began kissing down my body. My hands went into her hair, gently stroking as her lips, tongue, and teeth explored my breasts and stomach. Finally, she moved back up the bed, finding my mouth once again.

  Adrienne gently pushed my legs apart, settling her hips between them. She pushed up onto her forearms and looked down at me, brushing a wayward strand of hair from my eyes. My body was on fire and ready, but I was too in awe of how beautiful she looked above me to press the point. She began to move against me, holding my gaze with an unmatched intensity. As she picked up the pace, her lips parted and a small whimper escaped from her mouth. God, she was intoxicating. I matched the rhythm of her hips, pulling her closer to me as she buried her face against my neck. When I felt she was close, I reached a hand between us to cup her breast tightly. That was all she needed as her body tensed and she called out my name. I felt the orgasm tear through me as well, reaching all the way through my body and taking hold. As it radiated through every inch of me, I threw my head back and closed my eyes, clinging to Adrienne as tightly as I could. As the last of it subsided, she collapsed against me, kissing my chin, exhausted.

  I marveled at what I’d just experienced…again. Up until this point in my life, I would have classified myself as a person who has had good sex. I knew what good sex was. But this was other worldly good. It wasn’t just the physical magnitude of it either. It was this intense feeling of connection to Adrienne. I was experiencing so many feelings all at once it was a bit overwhelming. But I knew one thing. This was good. It felt really, really good.

  I met her eyes, brushing my fingers through her hair, our bodies still intertwined. She shook her head, her face mirroring the wonder I was feeling. “What is this thing between us? I feel like…” She paused, searching for the right words. “I feel like I can’t get enough of you. It’s crazy. There’s this electricity that just…”

  I shook my head. “It’s not crazy. It’s real, and that’s the problem.” I gently moved her off me and sat up on the side of the bed. I hadn’t wanted to discuss what I was feeling with Adrienne, but this evening made me realize I wanted things between us, no matter what they were, to be nothing short of honest.

  She sat up b
ehind me and rested her chin on my shoulder. Neither of us said anything. “It’s not an affair, is it?” she asked, breaking the silence.

  I shook my head solemnly, finally turning to meet her questioning gaze. “Not for me. I’m sorry, but I’m feeling things I wouldn’t term completely casual, and that’s exactly what we said we wouldn’t do. This is not just about sex for me.” She didn’t answer. Shit. The silence lingered, and I now felt stupid and embarrassed. The mood in the room had definitely shifted. I reached for my clothes, strewn about the floor in various locations, and began the process of dressing. Adrienne watched me in silence, pulling on her robe from the bed. The look on her face was simply blank. I had no idea what she was thinking and it was disarming. I headed to the bathroom to collect my thoughts.

  “Let’s try, Jenna.”

  I stopped and turned around. Adrienne was still facing the window where I couldn’t see her face. “What?”

  She got up and walked a portion of the distance toward me. She shrugged her right shoulder and offered a hopeful smile. “You make me laugh, and you make me nervous and excited and thoughtful and a bunch of other things. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have feelings for you beyond sex. It’s not what we planned, but it’s what’s happened. If you’re up for it, I say let’s give it a shot, for real this time. No guarantees, but there never are.”

  I thought back to everything she’d said in the preceding days, specifically the conversation with Sienna that made me feel about two feet tall. “You told Sienna in your dressing room that she had nothing to be jealous of. I’m sorry I eavesdropped, but I heard your voices from the hall and couldn’t resist. You wrote me off as a road fling to her this afternoon, just hours ago. It was clear you didn’t—”

  “I wasn’t about to tell Sienna how I feel about another woman, especially one she’s already on a warpath against. I have to show a little discretion when dealing with an ex.”

  I leaned against the wall, letting the information sink in. “So you like me? As in like-like me?” I asked, exaggerating the words.

  Adrienne rolled her eyes. “Yes, you little brat, I like you.” She closed the remaining distance between us and leaned her forehead against mine. “Is this completely crazy of us?”

  “It’s a little crazy. What about our jobs?”

  “We can’t let them suffer or compromise the integrity of the cast. If things don’t work out with us, we handle it professionally. Agreed?”

  “Agreed.” I grasped the opening of her robe and pulled her into me. “Now what?”

  “Now we sleep. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been so exhausted.”

  I was still unsure of protocol but I knew what I wanted to ask. “Will you be staying?”

  “Only if you want me to.”

  “Settled,” I answered, pulling her playfully by the arm back to bed. “And no more talking from you. I’m serious. I need my rest.” Adrienne chuckled as she snuggled against me and we settled in.

  *

  The rest of our time in Chicago was a blast. Our new favorite nightspot was the Gotham City Bowling Alley where superheroes adorned the walls and comic books were sold in the pro shop.

  We were in the midst of our third game of the night and Adrienne was doing her damndest to take down the competition, aka, the rest of us. She’d won the first two games, but Ben and Kyle were closing the gap steadily. My own embarrassing showing had put me in dead last on the leader board and I’d therefore shifted my role to “extra supportive cheerleader” for the real contenders. Adrienne was up next and we all knew she needed a strike to maintain her position on top. She offered Ben a do-or-die stare and threw her first ball. A four-ten split.

  “Ouch,” Kyle said with mock pity. “That’s gotta hurt.”

  Adrienne didn’t acknowledge the rib but instead focused on the pins. It was cute to watch her brow furrow in concentration when deciding how to best pick up the split. Finally, she made her approach. Her form was flawless as she released the ball. I held my breath as it careened easily to the four pin, knocked it down, and veered sharply to the ten, missing it by an inch.

  “Almost had it,” Ben said supportively. He offered her a consolation fist bump that she reluctantly returned as she sat next to me. She coolly surveyed the action as each of the guys took their final turns. I was becoming more and more aware of the fact that Adrienne took winning way more seriously than I realized.

  Ben choked, falling to third but Kyle had an amazing tenth frame, throwing three strikes in a row. “Nicely done,” I said. We all cheered and high-fived him as he celebrated his way back down the approach. Well, almost all of us.

  “Lucky bastard,” Adrienne mumbled.

  “Oh well. You can’t win ‘em all, Age.” I elbowed her arm good-naturedly.

  She stared at me coolly, unblinking. “Well, that’s just stupid.” And I knew she meant it.

  I wisely decided to change the subject. “Ready to head back?”

  “Yeah, but I think I’d rather stay on my own tonight. In fact, I’m going to head out now. See you tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” But she hadn’t waited for my reply. It seemed even Adrienne could be moody, and losing gracefully was definitely not her strong suit. It may sound odd, but I liked discovering a flaw or two about Adrienne. It made her a genuine person and someone I understood. No one was perfect and it was nice to get to see the real her, flaws and all.

  *

  The sun streamed in through the window of the bus as we made our way through hour four of our six-hour bus ride from Chicago to Columbus. The cast and crew were scattered about the less than glamorous tour bus, engaged in a variety of activities to pass the time. I lifted my head from where it rested on Adrienne’s shoulder and smiled. It seemed she had finally nodded off. We’d spent the first part of the trip again playing Twenty Questions and swapping embarrassing childhood stories. However, I didn’t feel all that tired myself. I left Adrienne with the travel blanket we’d been sharing and made my way up to Lanie’s seat.

  “Hey you,” she said happily.

  I plopped down next to her. “Hey yourself. What’s new?”

  “Other than Satan’s bus ride, you mean? Well, Kyle and Craig aren’t speaking because Kyle saw Craig checking out the counter guy at the lunch place we stopped at and called him a man-whore. Craig took offense and is as furious as Kyle is. It’s quite dramatic and I think they might totally break up for a few hours. What’s up with you?”

  I was consistently amazed at the amount of information Lanie could somehow get out of her mouth in a very short time span. “Not as much, it would seem.”

  “Really? You two look pretty cozy back there.”

  “Yeah. I don’t want to jinx it, but can I just say it feels good?”

  “Aww, you’re all cute when you light up like that, like a little lantern. Everyone pretty much agrees you look hot together. You should do car wash commercials or something.” I rolled my eyes at her. “But in seriousness, there’s something different about you since you’ve been seeing Adrienne. A lightness to the way you carry yourself. It sounds cliché, but it’s almost as if you’re glowing.”

  “I think I know what you mean. I feel different. Does that make any sense at all?”

  She nodded and I knew she understood. I casually bumped her shoulder in a show of affection. “I have to admit though, it’s a strange environment to start a relationship in. We’ve known each other for a few weeks, but it feels like the equivalent of six months in the real world. Everything is intensified here—the amount of time you spend together, the scrutiny of others, and then there’s the fact that we work together.” I searched for the right words. “It’s a whirlwind of so many variables. But I don’t think I’d want it any other way. I’ve never met anyone like her, Lanie. She’s amazing.”

  “Jen, it sounds like this might be serious. Are you?”

  I took in her words, knowing in my heart it might be true. What I was feeling for Adrienne was nothing I could compare to
anything else I’d experienced, and it seemed to grow day-by-day. I’d never been in love before, but my feelings for Adrienne might be heading in that direction. “Huh. That’s interesting.” I nodded and stared at the seat back in front of me, running my fingers across the upholstery as I considered this new idea.

  Lanie placed her hand over mine. “Whoa. I don’t want to freak you out. You just have that look about you.”

  “No, it’s fine. It helps to talk to you. It really does. Thank you.”

  “Any time, kiddo,” she said before putting her headphones back in her ears.

  *

  There was a buzzing. A very distinct buzzing that wouldn’t seem to quit. I shook my head trying to get it to stop, but nada; it persevered. I rolled over and stared at the red numbers glaring back at me and slapped the alarm clock so the hideous noise would cease. Eleven a.m. Time to get up. Damn. Before I could give in, an arm snaked its way around my waist. I smiled. The arm continued up my stomach, finding its way to my right breast. I inhaled sharply at the sensation. I felt Adrienne’s warm breath reach the back of my neck before she kissed it. “What city are we in?” she asked sleepily. I absolutely loved her morning voice.

  I turned over to face her. “I believe this is Louisville. Well, at least for three more days it is.”

  “Right, Louisville,” she answered lazily, studying my lips. “Louisville looks pretty amazing today.”

  I traced the outline of her jaw. “It does. It’s an alluring city.”

  “That it is.” She rolled me on top of her and I gasped as her leg pushed its way between my thighs. “Good morning, baby.” All I could do was nod mutely in response. We spent the next half hour how we spent many of our lazy mornings on the road, ravishing one another.

  Spent and satiated from our lovemaking, I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. Adrienne propped herself up on her elbow and looked at me contemplatively.