This Is Forever

by S. A. Price

  She considered his question. Toro had a thing for sappy chick flicks on the tour bus, and iconic coming of age high school flicks from the nineteen eighties, so she had seen so many of both genres her head spun. She rooted through the miasma of thought, trying to answer truthfully, and then smiled.

  “I wouldn’t say best, but one that’s didn’t leave me emotionally drained. You know how Toro likes his bullshit drama.”

  Winter nodded. “Spill.”

  “I watched this lovely little flick, Mirror Mask.”

  Winter grinned. “I’m a very important man, I’ve got a tower.” He recited a line from the movie.

  Her eyes grew wide. He had seen it?

  “It’s one of Rachel’s favorites,” he offered, mentioning his cousin, the Shades merch girl. “Damn good flick.”

  “I agree. It stayed with me. Not the story, I mean it was good. But the imagery, and Valentine, of course.” She sighed. She loved Valentine. As a hero he was seriously lacking but he more than made up for it with his wit and charisma. Even if he was wearing a mask the entire time.

  Winter smirked. “And the song at the end. Her voice reminded me of yours.”

  “Really?” she shrugged. “I had designs on doing a cover, though odds are people wouldn’t know it was a cover. It’s not like you can find the damn song outside of the credits.”

  “I think you would do a beautiful cover of it. Her voice is much like yours, but yours is so much better, raspier when you hit those low notes.” He drummed his fingers on his thigh and then picked up a cupcake with a ton of green icing on it.

  “My favorite. Pistachio with Pistachio butter crème from Harlot’s Cupcake Emporium. Don’t even think of eating it.”

  Winter grinned and started to unwrap the cake portion and she gasped. He looked at her with mirth in his eyes “Oh? Your favorite? And here I am with it… What are you going to do about it?”

  She knew better then to snatch it outta his hand, but decided to risk it, she moved, and he squished the cake in his fist, frosting and cake oozing between his fingers. He cocked his head and smirked. “Now what fool?”

  There wasn’t a shot in hell she was letting that go to waste. She frowned and leaned in and her hand grabbed his wrist. She moved her mouth closer to his closed fist. Just as she was about to touch his sugar covered skin with her lips, she opened her mouth and licked instead, grabbing a huge glob of the cake and frosting. She knew what the action would do to him, and kept her eyes on his the entire time. His gaze never left her mouth, or what her tongue did, and he almost whimpered. She felt him stiffen, his entire body going rigid next to her. She took another pass, gathered a bit more cake and then pulled away, a satisfied look on her face. One that was not mirrored by Winter.

  “Shitty trick Lo. Aren’t we supposed to be friends?” he said through clenched teeth. He reached down and grabbed a cloth napkin and wiped the remnants of the confection off his hand, not meeting her eyes. “That was uncalled for.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re just pissed because you can’t control yourself.” She said, pleased by his reaction. She hadn’t meant it to be blatantly sexual, and if she was honest with herself, she had forgotten her own decree of just friends in the time between her making it and her actions. Shit, this was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

  He cut his eyes at her and in a flash was on her, pressing her down on the couch, his hard on proving his point.

  “Of course I’m pissed. That was the fucking hottest thing I have seen in years, and you’re not going to do anything to fix this,” he said, grinding his erection into her pelvis, “And you’re sure as shit not going to let me do anything to alleviate it so…”

  Betraying her own thoughts, she arched and gasped, the feel of him so close, the only barrier their clothes. Lightning bolts zinged to her core and she barely caught herself from rubbing against him like a cat in heat.

  But Winter caught her reaction, and grabbed her just under the knee and lifted her leg, giving him more room to maneuver.

  “Or maybe you will.” He murmured and leaned down. “You know, I can feel how hot you are for me Lo, I bet if I slipped my fingers inside those barely there panties they would get drenched. I’m right, aren’t I? Shall I test it?”

  Yes that sounded like a fine idea. She whimpered and then caught herself. No! Friends first! Until she got a hold on what the barrier spell could handle, she had to keep it as friends, had to know what she could endure before starting something with him. There wasn’t a shot in hell she was going to let Shesha experience him, or fuck up what she was trying to rekindle.

  “Don’t.” she breathed. “Friends, remember?” she barely bit out.

  “Newsflash Lo, we were never just friends.” He leaned in and kissed her, hard. She let him, the feel of his lips on her crushing, the sexy little piece of jewelry sliding across her lip as he moved. She did arch into him then, reveling in his treatment. She waited, waited to feel stirrings of Shesha, but nothing came. No, the barrier was holding, and all she felt was the delicious push of his stiff prick against her core, the slow grind of his hips. Gods the man was talented. And he had all his clothes on.

  He broke the kiss and pulled away a frown on his face. “Friends Lo?” he scoffed. “That’s not going to fly, not when I can feel how badly you want me. But you know what? I’ll play your little game.” He pushed back from her and walked over to the other side of the couch where his messenger bag was sitting. “I think if we are going to be just friends, then I should go.” He grabbed the bag and his hoodie. “It’s safer.”

  Lola frowned. Was he going back to his room to see the little tarts that were waiting for him? Were they going to reap the benefits of what she had done to him? She didn’t think he could do that to her, but then again, history had proved he made some very stupid mistakes in the past.

  She had to think fast. “Whatever. Go back to your play things. I’m sure they can help you with...” she motioned to the fly of his jeans. “With my compliments.”

  His eyes narrowed at her and he shook his head. “And mine to your vibrator.”

  She laughed. “You think you were the only one busy while traipsing across this great country of ours?”

  Heat bloomed in his mahogany depths, flashing at her. “So just throw that in my face.”

  “Isn’t that what you just did with your admirers?”

  “It’s not the same thing.”

  “Uh huh. Do they put you in jammies and read you a bedtime story?” she picked at her nails. “You know what, I don’t fucking care. This entire thing was a bad idea.”

  “The tour? Or rehashing us?”

  “Both.” She sighed. She knew the only way she was going to be able to snatch him and keep him was to reject him. Again. “I think we need to leave the past in the past Winter. We have different lives now.”

  Once again anger flashed in his eyes. “You would rather screw about then explore what we could have now?”

  She shrugged though it killed her to do it. “Maybe. It doesn’t matter. I think you should go.”

  Winter balled his fists and shook his head again. “Fucking tease.” He said and laughed. “And to think I thought we were ready.”

  Seconds later he was gone and she was alone. The deafening silence in the room hit her, making her sorrow more palpable. She sat up; trying hard to make sure the tears didn’t come. She lost the fight, letting them trail down her cheeks as she hugged her legs to her body.

  It might have been the right thing to do in the first place, but she didn’t like to see the look of defeat on his face. Not again, not for a third time. After the last time when he found her in Rhys’ bedroom, she thought he would never speak to her again. And now she had to push him away just enough to keep him close, until they could figure out how the fuck to get rid of Shesha. It was a precarious position to be in, and she only hoped she didn’t drive him over the edge completely.

  SIX

  Sunlight streamed through the glass of
the windows of his hotel room, hitting him dead in the face. He cracked an eye, then the other, and groaned, throwing his arm over them to shield them from the growing light.

  He was achey, stiff and it wasn’t from anything remotely good. Well it depended how one would look at it. The night before was not an exercise in his better judgment, and more proof that his stupidity might still have the largest claim on his already tenuous hold on reality.

  He had stomped back to his room to find both Stoli and Gatsby in his shower and figured, after sporting a hard on the entire way back to the room, that it should be taken care of. So he got naked, grabbed a condom and went to greet them. Three hours, a box of condoms, several hard surfaces, one bed and a window fucking he was sure was going to get the attention of TMZ later, he still had a hard on. The girls were exhausted and he had yet to get off.

  What the fuck was wrong with him? But he knew, without a doubt what the issue was. Neither of them were Lola. Neither of them felt like her, or moaned like her and all he really wanted was her. And he had made one fucker of a mistake hooking up with them.

  They had left a little after dawn, Both disheveled and seemingly satisfied whereas he was so far from it he couldn’t even see it on the horizon. Once they left he had hit the shower, again, and taken matters into his own hand. The hot water, his fist pumping his already abused cock and thoughts of Lola and her reaction to him got him off not three minutes into it. It was there, and the threat of blue balls was gone, but the pleasure was a ghost of what he felt merely kissing her again.

  And gods was that kiss hot. She was always responsive to him, hell he taught her what she liked once upon a time, but this was beyond that. This was a woman desperate for his touch, his attention. So why the fuck was she pushing him away?

  His phone started ringing and he frowned. Only one person had the “Annoying Song” ringtone, someone that demanded he have his own theme song on Winter’s phone forever ago. No matter how many phones he had changed over in the past four years, Toro always got his favorite Butthole Surfers song.

  Winter rolled off the couch he had passed out on after his shower and crawled over to his discarded jeans to fish his blaring phone out of them. Why the hell did the lunatic have to have such a fucking horrible song as his ring tone?

  “What?” Winter growled and frowned. “And what fucking time is it?”

  “Goodmorning to you too Puddin…” Toro’s insanely effeminate voice came across the airwaves. He heard the other guy exhale. Odds were he had just lit up. “How was your night?”

  The question was asked with a snotty riff to his voice. No doubt he knew Winter had visited Lola earlier in the evening and he was calling to chew him out.

  “I’m still not sure—good? Bad? All the fucking same. What can I do for you T?”

  “Lunch? I’m thinking Maison, two blocks from your hotel. Half hour. Yes?”

  There was only one reason why he would want to have lunch with Winter: to chew him out in person. Toro was not a fan of how things ended with him and Lo the first time, which was Lola’s fault, and then was a snotty cow after the issue with Rhys came to light the second time. It only made sense that the third time, he was going to the horse and vent his spleen to Winter up-close and personal.

  “Look T, if this is to yell at me…”

  “It’s not. Just meet me, kay?”

  Winter growled, his voice still thick with the dregs of sleep. “Just you?”

  “Of course silly. See you in a bit.”

  The line cut off and he rolled on his back and stared at the ceiling. Whatever Toro wanted, he wasn’t a liar, so it was a safe bet he wouldn’t be yelled at in public. Then again, he could have info on Lola and how to fix this situation. He went to sit up when he got a text on his cell.

  Hope your ok. Sorry shit went south with Lady Hotness. Hope whatever you needed last night you got. Neither of us can walk. Thanks for the seeing-to. Call if you need to talk. Love ya.

  Gatsby. He laughed. Leave it to his girls to understand everything he didn’t about last night. And regardless of his personal reaction, he didn’t have to turn in his sex god card. He swiped his finger and then answered her back.

  Always a pleasure. See you guys at the show. Passes at the Box office.

  Done, he levered himself off the floor and padded toward his suitcase in the closet to grab some clothes that didn’t reek of sex and sweat. Fifteen minutes later he was showered, dressed and out the door towards the elevators and meeting Toro.

  A short walk once out of the hotel found him in front of Maison, their huge burgundy umbrella’s obscuring the façade of the building. He entered, the large awning like coverings creating a very gloomy area between that was perfect for early morning eating. He looked around and didn’t see Toro so decided to go inside, as he knew Toro was always early when he made a ‘date’.

  “I’m meeting someone?” he said to the girl at the hostess stand.

  She looked up, her eyes wide, and then nodded. “Right this way…”

  It was a safe bet she knew who he was and or was a fan so he just followed quietly as she lead him to a back booth. Terrence Maisby, or Toro as he preferred to be called, stripped of makeup and his normal accessories, sat with a carafe of what Winter knew was Earl Grey and a menu. He looked up and smiled at the girl.

  “Here you are.” She blushed and grinned. “I’m a big fan.”

  “Oh Honey anyone with ovaries is…” he said of Winter. “Ask for an Autograph later yeah? We have business.”

  The girl looked at Toro and laughed. “Of course.”

  She left without a word, her ass shaking, an action Toro felt the need to comment on.

  “I might bat for the other team, but I know a solid ass when I see one. So? Sit? Eat? Tea?”

  Winter slipped into the other side of the booth and shook his head. “I have no idea how you drink that shit without losing your teeth.”

  “This isn’t seventeen seventy six Winter…” he scoffed and motioned to someone. Seconds later a waitress came over.

  “Are you ready to order?” she asked them and smiled at Winter. This one was older, probably a mom, and wasn’t going to be a problem with the gushing.

  “Not yet Doris, but my compatriot would like coffee.”

  She looked at Winter who nodded. “And cream if you have it. That half and half shit is foul.”

  She grinned at him. “No problem.”

  She walked away and Toro checked out her ass too. He shook his head. “Not even if I was drunk and she was butch. So what looks good?”

  Knowing how Toro handled issues, Winter played along. In Toro’s eyes it was civilized to order and make small talk before he got to the heart of the matter. Which didn’t really matter to Winter as he was famished. Fucking two girls for going on four hours tended to take a lot outta a guy. Regardless of Toro’s sexual orientation and how he presented himself to the world, he was a southern gentleman and would treat every situation he was in with both aplomb and quiet grace. Or not so quiet. You really could never tell.

  Winter’s coffee came and they ordered. Winter looked at Toro, a bit unnerved that his normal makeup wasn’t in place. When a guy didn’t have eyebrows, it freaked him out. And yes, his normally drawn in ones were creepy too, but at least they completed his face.

  So instead of eyebrows, Toro wore horn rimmed glasses, framing his grey blue eyes, giving a modicum of illusion to the whole effect. His hair, which was shaved in several places down to peach fuzz, was alternating Black and Blonde where it actually had length, but was lying on his head haphazardly. His clothes, while normally a cross between a gimp bondage costume and the “Every day is Halloween” wear he and Lola had both sported since High school, were simple. Faded Jeans, a faded hoodie and a white t-shirt. Hell, his nails weren’t event painted, something Winter hadn’t seen since their graduation day. Granted it wasn’t exactly keeping a low profile but it was as close to as Toro would ever come.

  Their food showed up, a giant spinac
h omelet and bacon for Winter and waffles with fruit compote for Toro. They tucked in, eating in silence for about fifteen minutes. It wasn’t until after Toro finished his first waffle Winter finally heard his voice again.

  “So, what’s up with you and Lolo?”

  Winter rolled his eyes. “What do you mean? Nothing, sadly.” He said the last grudgingly. It stung she rejected him last night, regulating him to friend zone.

  Toro cocked his head, his hand twirling the fork he was holding. Another thing about Toro, the man had enough nervous energy to kill a mutant.

  “What? Why? If you must know, and I’m sure you already do, she rejected me again last night.”

  Toro sighed. “I swear to everything decent and holy the two of you are going to give me an ulcer.”

  Winter’s face twisted up in confusion. “Pardon? What the fuck does it have to do with you man?”

  The other man took a bite of his now cut up waffle and chewed thoughtfully. He swallowed, took a sip of his cooling tea, grimaced and then looked at Winter. “I like you Winter. I like that you have always made her happy. It was shitty that you broke up, it’s shitty that till now she’s been miserable and if stories about your antics on tour are true, so are you.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about? I have been fine.”

  Toro scoffed. “The only time a man engages five girls at a time is when he’s trying to forget one. Newsflash man, you won’t. She’s one of a fucking kind, and she belongs with you. Now, the question is, do you have the stones to fight for her?”

  “The fuck are you talking about T? Seriously man. What am I supposed to do when she pushes me away?”

  Toro sighed and rolled his eyes. “Winter, really I think you have fucked all the brains in your head right outta your cock.” He shook his head and then took a sip of his tea. “You know what your problem is? You haven’t had to work for it in too long and think she’s just going to hop on and ride the wild hunt all over again after all the shit you have been through.”