Releasing Rhythm

by WEST, T. J.

  June can’t make the party but instead is going to her own party with Phillip. Faith, Harmony, Lyric, and Melody came along with us. The women look exceptionally hot tonight. Unfortunately, I’m the only one without a date. My fault but it’s for the best. Though, not having Peta by my side and ringing in the new year together makes my dick pissed off at me. Sorry bud. I know it blows, big time.

  After our meal, a few celebrities hit our table and introduce themselves. Sloane Crow, Lyric’s oldest brother comes around and talks with us for a few minutes. He’s one of the few celebrities I like. He doesn’t act all high and mighty, like he’s better than everyone else. We recently found out we’ll be writing a song for an upcoming film of his. We’re pretty fired up for it and can’t wait to get started. While talking to Sloane, Justin Heart, lead guitarist from SINical joins us, along with his bandmates. They’re an amazing group of guys. Justin is down to earth and one of the coolest dudes I’ve met in a long time. They’ve been around for over ten years and in their prime. They fucking rock. Before his band goes on stage, we have a shot of whiskey to toast to the New Year and good luck. Going on tour with them this summer is going to be badass.

  While waiting for our turn to play, I can feel the many eyes roaming around me. Turning my head at our table, one sweet, hot looking chick with long blonde hair and killer bod is gazing her eyes up and down at me. She’s standing near the stage in a fucking hot skimpy ass dress, biting her bottom lip. She takes a drink of her fruity cocktail then licks those sweet lips to gather my attention. She’s got it alright. However…a woman with dark red hair and green eyes stops me from going to that girl. I know I need to get over her, and maybe fucking a new woman will help…God damn, no it won’t. I’ll only feel guilty. I…I…hell, I can’t even say it. If I even think of those three words and say them out loud, I’ll never find my way back to being a drummer who enjoys getting laid by groupies. Right now, I need to stay focused on our number. We’re almost up.

  Throwing my jacket off, I place it on the back of the chair, roll up my sleeves, untie the bow from around my neck, and unbutton the three top buttons of my shirt. Then I get out a cigarette from my front pocket and ask Lucky if he’d like to go with me for a quick smoke out front. I get fucking hyped whenever we perform so a good smoke is a must; helps my muscles relax before a big show. Once outside the building, Lucky doesn’t try to get any information out of me about Peta. He can see it on my face. I miss her, God damn it. After our smoke, and while walking toward the stage, I see that chick again. She smiles at me as she starts coming my way. But I’m choosing to be an ass so I ignore her. I walk past her and proceed to get ready. My focus right now needs to be music.

  I’m sweatin’ bullets up here. The crowd is infectious and it only makes me want to play harder and better. Who knew a bunch of celebrities would get a kick out of JINKS. They may be a crowd I don’t normally wanna hang around with but I’ll play for them anytime. My arms are on fire. My back is dripping wet. My hair is flinging off moisture, hitting the tops of my drums. Lucky sounds insanely good and causing all the women to wet their panties, no doubt. They’re screaming, singing, dancing and having a good time. The energy of the room explodes and I feel fucking great! Pound after pound, bang after bang to the beat of my own drumming never gets old. I live for this shit. There’s nothing like giving your life away to music. Nothing. However, the moment I see the woman who haunts me every day and night, in my vision, with her arm wrapped around Brock Crow’s arm, I almost miss a beat. Fucking all to hell. What is this? Just keep playing! Ignore her until you’re done. But once the final beat of the song ends, and we’re through for the night, I throw down my sticks onto my stool, raging mad. Like a bat outta hell, I traipse over to Peta.

  Pushing my way through the drunken crowd, I spot her alone drinking a glass of wine. She looks fucking phenomenal and drop dead gorgeous in a short black, shimmery tassel dress. Just thinking of watching her dance in that number, the tassels flapping around with her every move…my cock springs back to life. Her hair is done up in this over the shoulder, low braid, which I believe is called a fishtail. Long, dangling silver earrings droop from her earlobes down to the tips of her collarbone. The silver heels on her feet must be at least four to six inches, glorifying her sexy legs. To feel them wrapped around my waist again…the beast inside me needs her like it needs its last breath.

  I’m fucking angry as hell though that Peta had the nerve to show up with Brock. She promised me she’d cut him loose. Fuck. That was before I kicked her to the curb. Yet it still kills me she decided to drag him along, knowing I was going to be here. The douchebag is nowhere near her, probably sucking face with another chick so this will make things much easier for me to throw her across my knee.

  Peta sees me marching over to her. She lifts her chin up in defiance, eyes narrowed and ready to “fight.” Be ready, baby. Poker Face is comin’ for ya. Anger must be seeping through my sweat. I can feel it running down my back. Grabbing her by the arm, I whisk her away and outside the banquet room. No way do I wanna cause a scene and be on the front of TMZ.

  Around the corner is a darkened space. Pushing her up against the wall, which is a common thing between us now, I cage her in with my arms on either side of her. With my nose barely touching hers, I say to her in a low, almost growl voice, “You bring Crow here to throw him in my face? Never thought you’d stoop so low.”

  Her eyes widen with surprise. “Are you fucking crazy?” She raises her voice then pushes at my chest to make me take a step back. “Brock invited me.” She points a finger at herself. “Me, Jason. I didn’t even know JINKS was performing until I walked in.” Then she points a finger at me, with narrowed, angry eyes. “So don’t you dare put that sort of guilt on me. You’re the one who dumped me, like all the others before you. You made the choice to forget about me, to throw me away. You have no right to do this to me. No right!” She stomps her heel onto the floor and places her hands on her hips. Sassy, beautiful, sexy babe she is.

  Whether or not I believe her, her thinking I threw her away like all the others is fucking wrong. She has no idea what I’ve done for her. Slowly, I shake my head. “I haven’t forgotten about you, Fireball. It’s the complete opposite. And I didn’t throw you away, I was saving you.”

  “Saving me? Saving me? Ha!” She laughs humorously. “You had a great way of showing it.” She takes a step forward and sneers at me. “The only thing you were saving was your massive ego. Now fuck off!” Oh, hell to the no did she just say that to me.

  In a flash, I grasp onto her wrist then yank her slinky body up against my chest, seething through my teeth. “You better watch that filthy mouth of yours, baby,” I tell her.

  “Get your paws off me, you son of a bitch.” She grunts trying everything she can to get out of my grasp. Ain’t gonna happen.

  Her breath heavily lands on my cheek. I inhale her scent and get a high from it. Smells like the fruit from her wine. Intoxicating. I told myself I needed to stay away from her but she’s like the drums I play. I can’t get enough. I’ll never get enough. Right now, all I can think about is sinking hard up inside her pussy.

  Still squiggling to detach from me, I lead Peta back to the wall, holding my hand lightly around her neck so she can’t move. I’m not harming her, just letting her know what she does to me. Then I use my knee to separate her legs apart so I can gradually take my other hand and slowly drive it up inside her dress. She’s panting as my fingers get a hold of her thong underwear. Easily, I slip a finger inside her drenched pussy, causing her to whimper. She feels excellent and so ready for me. Her panting escalates as I drive my finger deeper and use my thumb to rub her nub. Oh, she likes that. Her eyes are closed with a creased brow, biting her bottom lip like she’s in heaven. She’s trying to fight me yet it’s impossible. I’m good. So fucking good. She knows she has it good.

  Still finger fucking her luscious, dripping wet pussy, I grind my covered cock against her. Feels so amazing. For a brief second,
I moan against her lips along with her. There’s just no way I can leave this space and not fuck her. She has to know what she’s doing to my cock. Against her lips, I whisper, “You’re fucking beautiful, you know that? Your tight little pussy is begging for me.” My fingers are still working their magic. Her hands grasp onto my biceps, squeezing them tight.

  Her voice comes out breathy when she replies, “And your cock is aching for it I bet.” She moves her pelvis to the groove of my fingers; like the beat to a song.

  My voice also comes out breathy. “Got that right, baby.” One more lick to her lips and I’m thrown overboard. Darting the end of my tongue out to touch hers, I go in for the kill. Our mouths collide, exploring the other as if it were our last meal. I hungrily kiss the hell out of her. She’s fucking edible and has the best set of lips I’ve ever kissed. I’ve missed them. I’ve missed her. God damn I need her.

  With her hands, she suddenly pushes at my head, yanking our kiss apart then pulls my finger from her pussy, immediately thereafter disarming my hand from around her neck. “Then I wish for you to hurry up and fuck me…hard,” she tells me gruffly and throaty. So fucking hot.

  I smirk. “Your wish is my command.”

  Our little hideaway gives us the privacy we need. We’re in a deep corner where no one would even suspect anyone doing the dirty. It’s the perfect spot. Doing it right this time, I pull out a condom from my wallet, unbuckle my belt, slide my pants down then my briefs, and allow my cock to spring free. I sheathe myself. Even though I hear the beats of the music pounding through the walls, I feel like we’re millions of miles away from everyone else. A wicked grin plays on Peta’s face. She’s liking what she sees. How can I blame the woman? My cock rocks.

  As I finish covering myself, Peta lifts the hems of her dress up to her waist until her panties are showing. She sashays them down until they’re dangling on one ankle. All I see in this fireball princess is eternity. She’s everything I’m not and never will be. She’s everything I want but can’t have. But for now, I’ll ignore all those everythings and fuck her like it’s my last day on earth.

  Lifting her up, I push her up against the wall, holding her tight so I don’t drop her. Her legs securely wrap around my waist just tight enough so I can guide my dick in. One fast thrust and we both quietly moan in ecstasy. It’s been so fucking long since I’ve felt this connected to another human being. It’s been too long since Peta’s pussy has been caged around my dick. Way too fucking long. Together we move in a motion that’s too awesome to explain. I kiss her neck, feeling the pulse on my lips then move them back up to her lips. She groans inside my mouth as we make our own beat to our own kind of music. We fit like a glove. It’s amazing how two people are meant to be together yet never stand a chance at making it a go of it. Shit always gets in the way of the good. It’s fucking not fair. It’s not fair I’m fucking the woman of my dreams only to leave here without her. My life ain’t peaches and cream so I’m not leading her into it.

  Oh yes, she feels so hot and so good. The harder I push up inside her, the more I feel her pussy clenching around my cock. The more clenching the more I know she’s ready to burst. I wanna hold this moment out for as long as possible. I’m not ready to come yet. I wanna feel her heat forever but my dick is telling me to go now before I fall deeper in love with Peta. Fucking all damn to hell. As we come together like two shattered beings, I hear, “Happy New Year!” from the banquet room. Happy fucking New Year, my ass. This year may turn out to be a great one, because of our tour, but without Peta in my life…it’s gonna suck.

  Peta slowly slides down, breathing heavily just as much as I am. My head stays buried in her chest. “Shit…this was wrong, so wrong,” I say then end with “but felt so fucking good.”

  Since I’m now weak and my dick is turning limp, Peta pushes me away, pulls up her panties, then shimmies down her dress. Without getting the chance to stuff my junk back inside my pants, I’m struck in the chest with her finger. “Stay away from me, Jason. You hear me? Stay. Away.” If I heard her correctly, her voice was shaken, probably distressed, and on the verge of crying. Way to go, asshole.

  Fucking all damn to hell.

  I’VE BEEN COMPLETELY OUT OF my mind since the New Year’s Eve party. It happened last week, and I still can’t get rid of the memory of our fucking each other in that dark corner. Jason and his domineering, sexy ways; how he can piss me off to no ends then take control of my vulnerability in a matter of seconds. I hate him for that. I’m deeply torn and conflicted. He took advantage of me when he knew what he did to me in his apartment killed me. He’s playing with my head, and it’s a dirty game. I can’t forgive him for pulling my strings until I can no longer think straight. My heart can’t take it anymore.

  A couple of nights before the party, Brock called me and asked if I wanted to go to this celebrity bash in Hollywood. I’d been in such a slump since before Thanksgiving that I jumped at the chance to spend an evening out with other people. Hiding out at home or working more double shifts, just to pass the time, hadn’t been doing me any favors. It has only buried my feelings and turned me into a hermit. I haven’t even wanted to hang out with Sandy. I’ve been that bad. So getting dolled up, feeling beautiful and spending the evening with my friend sounded like a great idea.

  Assuming this was just another celebrity party, I never asked who was going to be there. Strolling into the banquet room and seeing JINKS performing shocked the hell out of me. I felt sucker punched. Wanting to crawl into a hole, I grabbed a glass of wine and intently stared at Jason playing his drums. He was so fucking hot up there. It was definitely hard to look away. I could feel his eyes penetrating into mine even though he was far away from the entrance of the room. We have a connection we can’t deny, that’s for sure.

  Aside from my gazing at Jason and blocking out everyone around me, Brock immediately left me standing on my own. He wasn’t acting like his usual fun self when he came to pick me up. He was quiet, his eyes looked stoned, and he’d been sniffing a lot. I’m no fool. I know a drug user when I see one. Brock was definitely up to no good and that makes me worried for him. I’d hate to see him go down the wrong path and do something stupid. But Lyric had warned me that he’s been making some bad decisions lately. Wish I could do something to help but it’s not for me to do.

  A week later and I’m still in a moping mood. How I feel like such a loser right now. I’m drowning in my own misery, crying too much, not eating, not sleeping. I’ve been miserable and it needs to fucking stop. But I don’t know how to make it stop. Still not feeling well and totally exhausted, I accepted a job at Faith’s hotel. One of her bartenders is out sick and she needed an extra hand. June knows me too well, and told Faith I’m looking for more hours. What would I do without my friends?

  Working throughout the night and into the early morning, I’m ready to hit the road and go straight to bed. I have no idea what I was thinking of taking on this overnighter gig. My body is telling me to slow down and sleep yet my active brain won’t shut the hell up. I know I need a good night’s sleep but every time I close my eyes, Jason’s face haunts me. I’m fucking sick of it! How do I shut it off for crying out loud?

  Grabbing my purse and jacket from behind the bar, I see Faith walking toward me with a beautiful smile on her face. She’s always so pristine and put together; never a hair out of place, and she always has the best pant suit or dress on. I’d so love to see a glimpse inside her bedroom closet. “Hi, Peta. How’d everything go?” Faith asks, resting her arms on top of the bar.

  I sling my purse over my shoulder, smiling back. “It went great.”

  “Good. Thanks again for stepping in. Christina was way too sick to come to work.”

  I shrug. “No problem.” Then walk around to the outside of the bar toward Faith. “I’m happy to help. If you ever need me for anything, I’m your girl.”

  “Absolutely.” She stands up straight, clasping her hands in front of her. “Too bad you don’t work for me full time tho
ugh. I’d pay you double, give you benefits, and a place to stay in one of my suites.”

  Did I hear her correctly? “You’ve got be kidding. Seriously?” I chuckle.

  “I’m very serious.” She didn’t even crack a smile. Wow, she’s totally serious. She then continues. “You’re not just a bartender, Peta. You’re my friend. Plus, you have mad skills making drinks, you’re great at parties, and you definitely know how to work a busy crowd. You’ve seen it upfront how crazy this bar can get.” She motions her hand toward the bar. “You’d be very useful here as the bar manager.”

  Manager? Manager! “Manager.” I breathe out. “Wow. I don’t even know what to say.”

  Faith takes hold of my hand. “Just say you’ll think about it and get back to me. No rush or pressure.”

  I’m speechless. All I can say is, “I will. Thanks.”

  “I know it’s been a long night, and you’re probably ready to get home but would you like to sit down and have a cup of coffee?”

  I may be damn tired but a cup of coffee sounds great. “I’d love some,” I say, followed by a yawn. Following Faith over to an empty table, I place my purse and jacket on the back of my chair. One of the waitresses fills our cups with dark, rich coffee. I like my coffee black so my first taste has me moaning out loud. It’s so delicious. “Damn. This coffee…” No other words can describe the taste. I’ve been turning into such a sap lately. It doesn’t make any sense but anything and everything has been causing me to feel like I’m in a trance of some of kind. This coffee is doing that to me right now.