Taming His Rockstar

by Morgan, Samantha

  “You realize that the whole point is that he gets to tell you what to do and punish you if you don’t do it.”

  She nods. “I just can’t imagine anybody actually liking the stuff. We’re still fighting for equality outside, and they want me to submit in the one place where I can make them eat out of my hands.” She nudges me with her shoulders as she points to the display. “Can you even imagine yourself on the floor like that? I can’t even imagine what you’ll do to the guy who would dare suggest it.”

  “You never know,” I reply with a nervous laugh.

  “Just let me see his balls before you throw them in the fireplace.” Chuckling at her joke, she pulls me away. “Come on, let’s find you a new toy.”

  I end up purchasing pretty much the same vibrator as my last one since it’s the one I feel the most comfortable with. We give our assistant a big tip for all her help, and I leave the store still thinking about that display case and wondering if I’m not being naïve to want something like that. Even my best friend couldn’t imagine me as a submissive, and even though the idea sounds titillating, I know myself enough to know that I’m too stubborn to truly be submissive. If I’m with a lover and I want to go down with him, I doubt I would settle for anything else. I’ve never had to settle for anything else. Would I react like Jane?

  We find the perfect dress for the night plans two shops away. It’s a tight red ruffle dress. And it’s perfect. It shows enough cleavage to be classified as flirty but not too much that it makes me look slutty. Which is a good thing since I don’t do slutty. The opportunity to show the dress off makes me look forward to going out with Jane. Besides, I don’t mind if I do find a nice guy to screw my brains out. Just because I bought a toy doesn’t mean I don’t want the real thing.

  Chapter 6

  We get back home, and after a quick lunch, Jane takes a quick nap. I try to sleep too, but I’m too hyper to rest, so I stay in bed staring at the same page on my novel. When Jane wakes up, we get ready to go out. And right in the middle of slipping on underwear, I poke my head out of the walk-in closet to look at Jane who is already putting on her makeup.

  “I don’t think I want to go out again.”

  She turns around and rolls her eyes at me. “I was waiting for you to say that. And no, you’re not chickening out of this.”

  “I’m not chickening out,” I protest. “I just don’t want to go through the stress of having to talk to someone. And then worrying when they recognize me and start acting weird. How about we see a movie instead?” I suggest brightly, snapping my underwear on and emerging from the bathroom in the pink lacey getup Jane “forced” me to wear. “I mean, we’re still going out. But this time I don’t get to talk to anybody.”

  “Yeah,” Jane shakes her head. “Never heard of someone hooking up in a movie theatre, and that is what this night is about. Getting you laid.”

  “I thought it’s about us having fun.”

  “Sure, and what’s more fun than hooking up? Besides, you got Netflix here, so I don’t see the point of going out if we want to see a movie.” She sighs when I just stand in the middle of the room, giving her my best impression of a sullen teen. “Look, if I was sure this was just about you not being in the mood, I’d be out of this fucking tight dress in a hot second. We go out, have a couple of drinks, and dance a little. And if you find some nice guy who is giving you all the right vibes, then you can hook up. If not . . . I just want you to put yourself out there again.”

  I chuckle uneasily. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  She comes forward and leads me to the chair in front of the dressing room. “I think you do. You seem to have closed yourself off to any notion of having a relationship. You don’t even make the effort to reciprocate when guys ask you out. Remember what you said when I told you Pierce was asking about you?”

  “Yeah, like I’d want to have dinner with that diva.”

  “True. But he’s not the only person you’ve said no to. You don’t even give them the chance to get close anymore.” She picks up the hairdryer. “So, we’re going out whether you like it or not. You’re going to flirt with some cute guys. And if that does nothing for you, I’ll give up and register you to the nearest convent.”

  I chuckle, silently admitting that she’s right. I stare at myself in the mirror, wondering how to explain to her that I don’t see the point in going out and coming back with some guy who’s happy to leave me to call the shots. Even she has been unable to imagine me taking orders from anyone, and I’m tired of it. But she’s my friend, and I know she’s genuinely worried about me. So, I’ll go out with her. We’ll have a couple of drinks. We’ll dance a little. I may even get lucky and meet an interesting enough guy. But I have no hope that this night will somehow revive my interest in having a relationship. As far as I’m concerned, that ship sailed the instant I decided to become a badass rich chick with a boatload of money and no apparent need for a man in my life.

  “All right.” I give her a smile. “Let’s do this.”

  * * *

  Five seconds after we walk into the club, I know my dress is a success. That’s because I can feel heads turn in our direction and pause as multiple eyes follow our journey to the bar in the front of the club. Of course, that could also be because Jane has gone for a silver-sequined pantsuit that sparkles even brighter than the lights in the club. My makeup is dark and smoky, and with the low light in the club, it will be hard to recognize me unless one looks closely. Usually, I simply tell people I’m a very close lookalike. And most times, they buy it. I mean, why the hell would I deny being someone as awesome as me?

  We go to the bar, and almost as if we command it, the crowd parts for us, and we immediately get to sit right at the front of the bar.

  “I think that dress is lucky,” Jane whispers to me as she giggles.

  I glance down at the hint of cleavage showing above the dress. “More like lucky breast,” I smirk as I try pulling the dress up.

  Jane slaps my hand away. “Stop that. Remember, we want them drooling.”

  I glance around me and roll my eyes as I see several people quickly look away, and several still meet my stare boldly.

  “I think that task has been ticked.”

  “What are you lovely ladies going to have?” the bartender asks, giving the both of us a smile that is way too good for someone restricted by the counter of a bar.

  He should probably be standing in the middle of the room. On a pedestal and the lights trained on that face. Or maybe even a billboard outside the club. Yeah, his smile is that great. I bet he’d have ladies pouring into the bar nonstop. Then I notice the number of ladies standing at the bar staring at him with puppy eyes and realize the counter is probably to protect him. Realizing I’m staring dumbly at him, just like the other weirdoes at the bar, I immediately scowl and look away.

  “Why don’t you surprise us?” Jane leans close to read the name on his nametag. “Dan.”

  He glances at the both of us, turns his head to the side as if he’s analyzing something, and then nods. As he prepares our drinks, Jane leans into me.

  “Look around, Katie. I swear I’ve forgotten how great it is to sit at a bar and bask in the adoration of the men around me. Come on, look around, and tell me if anyone tickles your fancy.”

  “No.”

  “No, what? No, nobody tickles your fancy, or no, you’re not looking around?”

  I pretend to look around and turn back to her. “No, no one here tickles my fancy.”

  Jane sighs. “That’s because you’re not even trying. Look, there’s a couple of cute guys at that table over there, and I swear they’ve been eye-fucking us ever since we walked in. I mean, they look like they’re probably still in college, but who cares?”

  “Gross.”

  “I bet you’ll change your mind once you’ve gotten a few drinks in your system. Me, I can’t wait to flirt again. The things you give up when you get married.”

  “Sure. I mean, you get a guy who l
oves you to pieces and two beautiful kids. But it’s such a sacrifice to give up flirting with a couple of drunk fools who probably only laugh at your jokes because they want to get in your pants.” I know from the way she looks at me that my reply had been meaner than I want it to be. Sighing, I cross my legs and lean on the bar. “I’m sorry for being such a bitch.”

  Jane stares at me. Then she shrugs. “Don’t worry. I guess you’re right, and I have no right to complain . . .”

  “Hell no,” I retort immediately. “I was an asshole, is what it was. Look, of course you miss some parts of being single. I mean, it’s kind of amazing. Maybe I’m just being a little bitter because I just realize that what I want is what you have with Travis. The stability of knowing I don’t need to go through any of this again.”

  “And you’ll find it,” Jane replies, staring at me with a gentle expression. “Look at Travis and me. It’s not like I went searching for him. The idiot crashed into my life, literally.” I chuckle, remembering clearly the first day Jane and Travis met. Jane had turned a corner and crashed into him. “But,” she continues, “even though I wasn’t looking for him, I wasn’t closed to the possibilities. If I was, I wouldn’t have said yes when he asked me to come to his trailer later that night.”

  “So, you’re thinking that I can find the hookup that will turn to my own forever?” I ask with a smile.

  She smiles back. “That’s one way. But no. I just want you to be open to the thought of it. Your Mr. Right could be standing in front of you right now, and you’ll miss him if you aren’t open to the idea of it.”

  She barely finishes speaking when Jake, the bartender, slides our drinks in front of us. “Ladies,” he says with that devastating grin of his. Like seriously, dude should charge a fee for that smile.

  I stare at mine. It’s red and has a straw sticking out of it and a slice of lime wedged on the rim. Jane’s is pink and delivered in a champagne glass.

  “Why is mine different from hers?” I ask curiously.

  He grins at me and shrugs. “Her drink is for someone who’s down to have some nice fun. Yours is for someone trying to work up the courage to have fun. In other words, your drink is stronger.”

  Jane bursts into laughter, and even I can’t help the smile that appears on my lips.

  “For that, you’re going to get one hell of a tip,” she says as she reaches for her purse.

  Suddenly, a card appears out of nowhere.

  “I’ll be paying for that,” a smooth voice says behind us. “And two dirty martinis for my friend and me.”

  Jane and I turn around. Two men stand behind us, one of whom is holding the card. Jane immediately gives them a smile.

  “Thank you,” she says with body language that has me rolling my eyes and encourages the men to move even closer.

  The man with the card edges closer to Jane and the other to me.

  “Hey,” he says with a grin. “What type of world would it be when girls as beautiful as the both of you have to pay for their drinks?”

  “A tad less misogynistic one,” I want to tell him. But I know I would just be bitchy if I said that, so I grab my drink and take a long sip.

  “I’m Dan, and this is my friend, Ryan,” the guy who paid for the drink introduces.

  Jane replies to him, “Hello Dan. I’m Jane, and this is my friend, Katie.”

  “Hello Jane.” Dan sits on the chair next to Jane, and Ryan takes the one next to me. “You come here often?”

  “So . . . Katie?” Ryan smiles at me. “That’s short for Kathrine?”

  I give him a small smile and nod. He looks nice enough, even though he seems a little nervous. It’s been a while since I’ve been in one of these situations, but I can’t help feeling a little sorry for him. Jake arrives with their drinks and hands one to Ryan and the other to Dan who seems to have struck a very interesting conversation with Jane. And again, I wonder how it is that I got stuck with the dull one. Almost as if I’m emitting pheromones that attract them. Feeling guilty for my thoughts, I quickly turn my attention to Ryan.

  “Ryan, what do you do?”

  “Uhm, I’m a tax accountant,” he replies and gives me a small smile. “I know. It’s probably the most boring job ever. Sometimes, I wonder if I should lie and say I’m a surgeon or something like that.”

  I smile. I can’t help myself. He’s funny, in a cute kind of way.

  “If you’d said that, then I’d show you my sixth toe and or the mole on my back and ask if I needed surgery.” I waggle my eyebrow at him. “Think about that. You’d get me to take my shoes and clothes off without even having to spend two hours trying to get me drunk enough to.”

  He smiles and blushes. “So, alcohol is the key. And here I was counting on my collection of knock-knock jokes.”

  I grin. “Whatever works?”

  He shakes his head. “No. But I figure it’s more the audience than the material. If I can find that girl who would just swoon at my feet when she hears them, I’d be vindicated.”

  “All right.” I lean in close. “Do me.”

  His eyes widen, and his face turns beet red. I mean, seriously, the guy is just so darn cute.

  “You realize ‘do me’ means tell me a knock-knock joke and not take me to your studio apartment and have your way with me, right?”

  He grins abashedly. “Sorry. Guy here. We hear things like that, and our minds first have to process all the ways that could be meant in a dirty way before we reluctantly push them into the trash.”

  “So” — I waggle my brows seductively — “do me.”

  Somehow, my glass is now empty, and he motions for Jake to fill it again before facing me with a mischievous smile.

  “Knock-knock.”

  “Who is there?”

  “Robin.”

  “Robin who?”

  “Robin you. Now give me your heart.”

  I can’t help myself; I burst out laughing, and he chuckles along with me.

  “I can’t believe you’ve never scored with those lines,” I remark as I nod at Jake as he drops my new glass in front of me.

  Ryan picks up his drink and takes a sip before setting it back down. “It’s nice of you to say that. Even though we both know that it’s not that big of a surprise. Knock-knock jokes are only good for college boys trying to pick up chicks at frat parties.” Then he gives me this small smile. “And I also think it’s nice of you to accommodate me like this even though we both know nothing is going to come of this.”

  I sit up blinking. “I don’t know what you mean.” He simply gives me a look, and I give up the ruse. “To be fair, I really was enjoying your company.”

  “I know.” He grins at me. “I’m a nice guy who is kinda funny. But I know I’m not your type. At least, not the type you’re looking for.”

  “You can’t know that,” I protest, wondering what the hell is wrong with me. This is a nice, cute guy. He’s funny and seems intelligent. And still, I can’t muster the energy to even lie to him convincingly. Maybe Jane is right, and I have really shut myself off from the possibility of finding romance.

  “Sure, I can,” he grins and takes a sip of his drink. “Plus, if I was really here to hookup, I would’ve gone for her.”

  He nods at a blonde sitting at the other end of the bar, and even though I have no right to, I can’t deny feeling a little jealous.

  “Because she is all alone?”

  “No, because she came here specifically to hook up,” he replies with a grin. “Look,” he says, and I turn around to look. “See how she is swiping across her screen? She’s probably on Tinder or some app like that.”

  “If you’re not here to hookup, what are you here for then?”

  “Dan had a fight with his girlfriend, and so we are here so he can prove to himself that he’s still got what it takes to get another girl if he wants to.”

  I chuckle as I take a sip of my drink. “You sound like you’ve done this before.”

  “Yeah, ’cause I have.” Ryan g
lances over at his friend who has somehow gone from joking and laughing with Jane to having a pretty relaxed if not serious conversation with her. “He fights with her, and they break up. She runs to her friends, and he runs to a bar or club to flirt with women. Then after his second drink, he realizes he loves her too much to leave her, and he calls to apologize. Then they have crazy monkey sex all night long. And I know that part because even though our walls are by no measure thin, I can still hear them doing it.”

  I turn back to him with a grin, suddenly seeing him in a new light. “God, maybe I do have impossible standards. Here you’re nice, funny and intelligent. And somehow, I can’t seem to make myself want you.”

  “Not how it works,” he replies as he picks up his glass. “And now that we’ve covered my life, how about you? What do you do?”

  “A little bit of this, a little bit of that,” I give him the standard reply I do when I go out like this. “You could say I’m a freelancer.”

  “So, you pretty much sleep without an alarm?”

  “Never actually needed one,” I reply with a grin. “I’m an early riser.”

  “Really? Good for you then. I don’t think I could muster the energy to get out of bed if I really didn’t have to.”

  “Why? The thought of tackling tax reports not exciting enough for you?” I wag my brows at him.

  He wags his back at me and makes me laugh.

  “Funny enough, they do.” He chuckles at my facial expression. “I know, right? Shocking that I could love numbers and balancing them out. I figure I became just a tad bit more boring in your eyes now.”

  “Not really. If anything—”

  “Ryan,” Dan suddenly interrupts us, and from the look in his eyes, I can tell he is about to call his girlfriend, whoever she is.

  Ryan gets to his feet and gives me a knowing grin. “I guess this is where we say goodbye. It was nice to meet you tonight.”