Blackout: A Romance Anthology

by Stephanie St. Klaire

  “Not even a girlfriend back home?” I ask, trying to be playful and make the best of this shitty situation.

  He chuckles lightly. “Someone might have worn a sweatshirt or something like that, but I think you’re the first to wear my pants.”

  “And I like these pants. You might not get them back.”

  A sense of hope glitters through my body. Not even an hour ago, I was scared out of my mind, having no clue what to do, but now, sitting here with him, I feel protected, secure in my surroundings even.

  I take in what’s happening around us. People are starting to enjoy themselves and have a good time. I don’t see the fear that was once etched on everyone’s faces.

  I no longer hear screams or people crying. Music is blaring, and when a few girls enter the middle of the circle, dancing next to each other with the car lights glowing around them, I feel even more at ease.

  If they’re not scared, I need to breathe and also believe that everything is going to be okay.

  Maybe it is just a blackout or solar flare like the guy in the hallway stated, and there’s nothing malicious happening.

  Jason takes in the partiers, assessing the situation, before turning to me and saying, “This night is turning out to be way different than I expected, but fuck it. Want a drink?”

  I’m supposed to be getting ready for a concert, yet here I am, with this stranger, about to join a party in the middle of a Vegas parking lot with the only lights and sounds coming from cars.

  How much weirder can this night really get?

  I shrug, ready to give in to the night and leave it all up to fate. “Why not? I’d love a drink.”

  I open the door, step out, and head toward the front of his truck. When he meets me there, reaching out to hold my hand, I grip his, and we head toward the area where bottles of liquor are set up with cans of soda and red Solo cups.

  My fear is waning, but I’m not totally okay yet, so having him next to me fills that last bit of anxiety creeping its way up.

  I’m surprised to see a few guys standing behind the table, making sure everything stays safe and is distributed in a controlled fashion. Seeing all these strangers come together, making a bad situation good, fills my heart with pride for humankind.

  Jason pours us both Cokes but holds up the rum bottle in question for mine. “You want some of this?” he asks.

  “None for you?”

  “Until I know where I’m going to be for a while, I never drink, just in case.”

  Seeing him be responsible, even in this outlandish setting, makes me feel even more comfortable being with him.

  “Then, yes, please, just a little to help calm the last of my nerves.”

  He winks and pours a shot in my cup, and we stroll back to his truck. I lean against it, and he stands in front of me in this protective manner that is sexy as hell. He seems to be staking his claim. Surprisingly, considering the turn of events tonight, I’m more than willing to allow it to happen.

  As he sips his drink, he stares at me over the rim of his cup. His eyes crinkling at the sides. I know there’s a smile underneath that drink, and it’s stirring something inside me.

  “What’s that look?” I ask.

  “What look?” he asks, bringing his hand down so that I can see his face better.

  “That look you’re giving me. Like you can’t quite figure out what’s going on in my head.”

  “Because I can’t.”

  I bark out a laugh. “I’m not a puzzle. I’m a woman; you’re a man. We’re in a blackout. It can’t get much simpler than that.”

  He chuckles into his cup, hiding his laugh. The sound hits me to my core. His voice is deep, deeper than I would expect just from the looks of him. Glasses and messy hair don’t match the baritone I’m hearing right now, and it’s messing with my head.

  How can a laugh be that sexy?

  “It can get much more complicated than that,” he says, stepping one foot closer.

  “It doesn’t have to be. Don’t you find it odd that we kept running into each other?” I tilt my head to the side.

  “Well, you were staying across the hall from me when you literally ran into me.” His lips curl up in a sexy grin.

  I feel his warmth and smell his woodsy scent.

  “Nice, thanks for bringing that up again. But what about the other places I saw you?”

  “What about them? The restaurant across the street? The club at the hotel we’re staying at? All pretty close in proximity.”

  “What about the museum? That was across town. Don’t you ever think things happen for a reason?” I lean into him, suggestively raising my eyebrows.

  “No,” he quips.

  Obviously, I hit a sore spot. Memories of the Medical Center visitor badge flash through my mind, and I bite the inside of my lip. If he’s going through something right now, it’s hard to see the reasoning when you’re in it, especially if it’s bad.

  “Well then, tell me why you’re in Vegas.”

  “Why is anybody in Vegas?”

  “You seem to do that a lot.”

  “Do what?”

  “Deflect. You don’t like to answer questions, do you?”

  He turns his head to the party where music is blaring from someone’s trunk, and more people are dancing.

  When he’s back to facing me, his expression is somber. “I just have a lot going on, is all.”

  “And you came here to escape?”

  He stuffs his hand into his jeans pocket, bringing the other one holding the drink down to his side, and drops his head back, letting out a deep breath. “Yeah, I guess.”

  “From a girlfriend?”

  “Nope.”

  “Job?”

  “What about you? How come you’re here on a Tuesday night?”

  I grin, seeing again how he deflected my question, but I give him this out. “Less people than a weekend.”

  He nods slightly. “Yep. That’s why I’m here today, too. Most places like this have their slowest days on a Tuesday.” He briefly brushes against me as he places his empty cup on the truck.

  When he pulls back, I have to close my eyes and get my brain right.

  “So, we both don’t like big crowds, look at that, we have something in common,” I say breathlessly.

  He barks out a laugh. “Probably not as much as you think.”

  “Now, why would you say that?”

  “Just a hunch. You said you’re here to celebrate your sister’s divorce, but what about you? Any exes hiding in your baggage?”

  “My baggage?” I chuckle. “Never heard it stated like that.”

  “Everyone has it, especially the older you get.” He shrugs like this is a constant problem with him.

  “Well, no. No exes I would consider who lugged me down like that anyway.”

  “You?”

  “Nope. No female baggage.”

  I lift my eyebrows up in question. “Is there male baggage then?”

  He laughs, shaking his head. “No, none of the male kind either.” He turns to the crowd again before holding out his hand to me. “Do you want to dance?”

  A grin fills my face as I slip my fingers into his and place my drink next to his on the hood of the truck.

  Leading me to the makeshift dance floor, he swings me around, taking the hand that he’s holding and pulling it up around his neck before letting go and sliding his hands around my waist.

  We’re nose-to-nose as he guides my body the way he wants. I move effortlessly to his lead, feeling in sync with his movements.

  The techno bass drops low, and he brings me closer, opening his hands wide and running them down my hips. Moving me exactly how he wants me, he opens his legs and slides my right one between his, pulling me against him more.

  Even when the beat picks up, he keeps us there, moving faster but in the same motion.

  His fingers dip into my skin, making my heart pound.

  Lust creeps its way up my chest, and a desire I haven’t felt in months
longs deep within. I knew this guy was hot, but holy hell, feeling his body against mine is unreal.

  I grip my hands tighter around his neck, pulling him even closer to me.

  His head tilts, moving side to side in the most teasing way. Our noses swipe against each other. I hold my breath in anticipation of what he’ll do next.

  The warm air escaping his lips tickle my senses and when I inhale, smelling his scent my eyes instantly close so I can enjoy the overload he’s causing to my body.

  Just when I think he’s going to kiss me, he says, “How did we get here?”

  “I guess a blackout isn’t as bad as it sounds,” I whisper.

  His breath hitches, and he moves back ever so slightly, like I broke the spell he was under with my words.

  Sirens ring close to us, and we both stop, searching for what’s going on. More sirens come from other directions, and I grip his hand, hoping it gives me the support I need right now.

  My sister and friends pop into my head. I was beginning to feel secure, like nothing was happening around us, but instantly, that fear comes rippling back in.

  “What do you think happened?” I ask.

  “Someone just arrived from the strip, and they were saying it’s pure chaos down there. People looting, partying more than they should. I’d assume these are units coming in from surrounding areas to try to bring order,” a man who’s standing next to us says.

  “I wondered how long it would take for them to get here,” Jason states.

  The sirens get closer, and before we know it, police cars go zooming by, but one slows down and enters the parking lot where everyone has gathered.

  “That’s our cue to leave,” Jason says before he interlaces his fingers with mine and takes me away from the group.

  CHAPTER 7

  When we get to the truck, he opens my door, and I stop before I get in. “Um, where are we going?”

  He doesn’t respond right away. His eyes are glued to what’s going on with the group. The police officer has exited his car and is telling the guy with the music to turn it down.

  When he notices the police officer walking in the opposite direction toward the bar, he responds, “I was supposed to visit my friend tonight in Henderson. Power isn’t out there. He runs a bar, so we can go hang out there.” He steps closer, gripping my hips the same way he was earlier. “Do you want to come with me?”

  Gah, of course I want to go with him. If I can get that feeling back we had five minutes ago, I’d jump off a bridge with him. Okay, not really, but still. I have to remember to be smart.

  Nothing of this night has made sense, and I’ve been good so far. I’d rather be by his side than out here by myself; that’s for damn sure.

  My mind and heart are so conflicted. Henderson is a half hour away. But what are my options? Being somewhere with electricity is better than being here. And I bet their cell phones are working there, too.

  Sam has me on her Find My Friends app, so if something happens to me tonight, I want them to have a clue as to where I am and that only works if there’s cell coverage.

  I internally chastise myself for thinking it’d be better to end up murdered if I were somewhere that at least had cell coverage. What am I getting myself into?

  I take a deep breath and give in. “Sure. Why not? Let’s go to Henderson of all places.”

  He smirks and helps me get into his car, shutting the door once I’m fully secure.

  Once he’s in the driver’s seat, I motion to the front of us, which is still blocked. “Um, how do you plan on getting out of here?”

  He winks, puts the car in reverse, places his arm over the back of my seat, and drives backward, over the sidewalk and curb, dropping down to the street with ease.

  I grip the door as the front tires meet the pavement, and he puts the car back in drive.

  “Well then,” I say sarcastically.

  “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

  I laugh as he reaches over to turn up the radio and slyly removes the visitor sticker, hiding it in his hand. I’m thankful for the darkness that surrounds us as I pretend not to see a thing. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to talk about it or for me to see it, so I’ll give him that.

  Static sings through the speakers, and he clicks it to another station. “They must broadcast out of Vegas. This one, I think, is in Henderson.”

  “How would you know that?” I stare at him in question.

  He takes a deep breath. “I used to live here,” he says, and I can tell he’s not sure if that’s something he actually wanted to share.

  A man’s voice comes over the speakers. “In case you’re tuning in from a car somewhere in Vegas, boy, are you screwed.” The guy laughs, not making the situation better. “Word is, the entire town is out of power.”

  Another man’s voice speaks, and I can tell this is a dual-DJ type of radio program. “Now, really, how does something like this even happen? I get the little shops along the strip or the smaller diners and such but the casinos? Come on, man. What’s going on?”

  “Wouldn’t you and everyone else like to know?” the main guy speaks again. “Cell phones are out, too. We’re just getting word because people are leaving the city and calling us only when they have cell coverage back.”

  “Has there been some kind of attack?” the other guy asks.

  The main guy laughs, like something of that nature would be funny. “How would we know? All communication and electricity is out. There could be a huge massacre happening right now, and no would know.”

  “Oh, come on. That’s harsh. You really think it’s something like that?”

  “I don’t know what to think. Obviously, this was orchestrated in some way. There’s no way all those generators failed at the same time. You know those casinos have state-of-the-art systems.”

  “So, what is it then? Hackers?”

  “Hell yes, it’s hackers. It has to be.”

  “But why? What are they after?”

  My stomach turns as I listen to the two radio guys discuss what’s going on. I’m shocked they are making such light of the situation. I guess the term shock jock is very literal, but for them to be so flippant in such a public way rubs me wrong. Thank goodness there hasn’t been some kind of massacre—at least that I know of.

  No matter what though, I’m transfixed on it. This is the first official thing I’ve heard on it.

  When I lean closer, bringing my finger to my lip and tugging lightly in a nervous twitch, Jason reaches up to the dashboard, clicking the Bluetooth button, and instantly, a song plays from his iTunes list.

  “Thank God for syncing your phone, right? I think we need some music.” Jason picks up his phone.

  I sit back in my seat, inhaling and looking out the window. It’s probably better that I don’t listen, as what I thought was going to be okay has my nerves rolling again.

  Please tell me you guys are safe, I say a little prayer to myself for my sister and friends.

  Scrolling through his playlist, Jason settles on the Led Zeppelin song The Ocean. “You can’t go wrong with Zeppelin” he states.

  I smile, welcoming the escape music offers, especially good music that reminds me of happy times of growing up with my dad rocking out in the living room. “Nope, never.” I reach over and turn it up.

  We listen to a few more songs, singing the lyrics out loud and to each other.

  After a few more songs, I turn it down and ask, “Have you ever heard Ann Wilson from Heart sing Zeppelin?”

  He shakes his head. “No. Why would she?”

  “Why would she not?” I ask, appalled. “She does Zeppelin better than Zeppelin does Zeppelin.”

  “How can she do it better than them?” He blows off my statement.

  “Oh, you’re in for a treat.” I grab for his phone, thankful when I see his cell service is back on as we enter Henderson, Nevada. I search his YouTube app for Heart singing Black Dog. I hit play and sit back. “You’re welcome.”

 
He smirks, and I close my eyes, grooving to the sound of Ann Wilson talking about making you groove before her sister, Nancy, rocks out on the guitar.

  Once it ends, he nods his head, admitting, “Okay, fine. I think she does Zeppelin better than Zeppelin does Zeppelin.”

  “Ha!” I laugh out loud. “Glad we can see eye to eye on this.”

  My cheeks hurt from smiling so big as we exit the freeway. I’ve never been so happy to see lights and electricity in my life.

  He parks in front of a bar, and we hop out.

  “Who is it that works here?” I ask.

  “My friend Dylan. He was the first guy I met when I moved to Vegas, and we’ve stayed in touch. He’s actually the guy you saw me having dinner with last night.”

  “Oh, cool.”

  He holds the big wooden door open for me, and we enter a dark room with lights on each table and some more over the bar. Only a few people sit at tables and line the old wooden counter. I wonder where everyone is until I remember it’s a Tuesday, and this place seems like it’s off the beaten path.

  “What’s up, Jason? What happened in Vegas?” a man standing behind the bar, who I’m assuming is his friend Dylan, asks.

  Jason glances my way before shrugging, saying, “No clue.”

  “Hmm …” Dylan says as he wipes off the bar top. “People are already asking about you.”

  I feel Jason tense next to me. “I know I’m later than I said I’d be here, but let me introduce you to Gemma. She was all alone, so I couldn’t leave her in the chaos back there.”

  Dylan reaches his hand out to me. “Nice to meet you, Gemma. You’re pretty lucky this guy just happened to be there, in Vegas, when all the lights suddenly went out.”

  “I am.” I look to Jason, who’s staring at his friend with a pinched brow. I wrap my arm around his. “Jason here is my hero. He swooped in and saved the day.”

  “Eh, he’s more of a Robin Hood than a hero though, right?” Dylan asks.

  “Did they wait for me?” Jason asks, obviously trying to change the subject.

  “Nah. I told them about your brother and how you moved to LA.”

  Jason stiffens again, and I wonder what’s the deal with his brother, especially for Dylan to mention it that way. Could he be the reason he had the Medical Center sticker in his car?