by A. A. Dark
“Well, this isn’t my instrument…” she trailed off.
“Miss, do you think I’m going to know the difference?” He smiled, picked up the mandolin, his huge hands dwarfing the tiny instrument, and handed it to her. She looked into his eyes – they exuded warmth, even though they were a cold crystal blue. She held his gaze and smiled at him as she reached for the mandolin. Her fingertips brushed his and Olivia felt a surge of adrenaline rush through her from head to toe. She knew that her face was flushing beet red and she scuffed the floor with her boots to try to avoid his gaze.
Her body switched on its autopilot, her subconscious knew that she wasn’t going to be able to speak or look at the man, so it started doing the thing it knew best. Playing music. She plucked away, slowly at first, and the clear unmistakable high mandolin tones rang out through the barn. She closed her eyes and did her best to transpose her knowledge of the mandolin into something remotely melodic.
When she opened her eyes, she was afraid to look over at Blaine. Playing music was something she did well, but this was the first time that it had made her feel vulnerable. She took a deep breath and turned to face him. He was staring at her and smiling. His legs were spread wide on the little stool and his elbows rested on his knees. She started to speak, but he reached out and took her face into his hands and pulled it to his. When his lips met hers, she quivered. The kiss was gentle but lingering. Olivia brought her hands up and rested them on his. His lips were soft, and everything around her melted away as she felt his breath mingle with hers.
The barn door slammed and Olivia and Blaine jumped apart like they had been caught stealing. Steve was in the doorway, clearly unimpressed. His hands were on his hips and he was stamping his well-worn Birkenstock on the barn-board floor.
“And what’s going on here?”
“Steve, Hi. I was just, um, stopping in to say hi,” Blaine stammered.
“Oh really, Brother? Is that how you say hi to everyone? Where’s mine, man?” Steve tossed the rag in his hand onto the floor.
Olivia had never seen Steve agitated before.
“Are you ok, Liv?” he looked at Olivia with concern in his eyes.
“Yyyyes,” Olivia whispered.
“Blaine, man. Let’s go outside and have a word.” Steve dramatically opened the door with one arm and motioned for Blaine to exit with the other.
Blaine squeezed Olivia’s bare shoulder and let his hand run down her arm as he walked away.
“Now, Blaine,” Steve yelled.
Olivia jumped. She had definitely never heard Steve raise his voice before. Blaine broke into a light jog and disappeared out into the sunlight. Steve let the door slam. Olivia crept to the door and peered out through the worn slats. She could hear Steve shouting, but they were too far away for her to hear what they were saying. From his body language, it was clear that Steve was upset. He waved his arms and shook his head. Blaine stood stoically in front of him, his arms crossed, nodding his head. The conversation continued for a good five minutes before Blaine turned and walked out of her eyesight. She saw Steve returning to the barn, clearly in a huff. She ran to the stool and picked up the mandolin, pretending to be occupied with tuning the perfectly tuned instrument.
Steve walked in and slammed the door.
“Goddammit!” He yelled and kicked at the door. It shuddered on its hinges.
Olivia froze. She didn’t know what to do or say. Steve was pacing and muttering to himself, “Fucking guys, think that they can do whatever they want.”
“Steve,” Olivia whispered.
Steve kept pacing and muttering like a caged lion. “Steve,” she said a little louder. He still didn’t acknowledge her.
She stood up, walked over to the drum kit, grabbed a well-worn drumstick and smashed one of the cymbals with all her might. “Steve!”
The abrupt clatter caught Steve’s attention, and surprisingly calmed him down.
“Sorry, kiddo. I hate for you to see me like this. Seems like there’s going to be a biker festival here this fall,” Steve said with tears in his eyes.
“Why here?” she queried.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said, wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.
“And, what did I walk in on here? You need to stay far, far away from that man,” Steve said, as if suddenly recalling the tender moment he had interrupted.
“It was nothing,” Olivia murmured.
“Well, make sure it stays that way.” Steve said harshly. “I’m cancelling practice, you need to go home now, ok?”
“Sure Steve.” Olivia stood up and walked to her bike.
“Hey, Liv. I’m sorry for being like this. You know you’re always welcome here. You’re like the daughter I never had.” He let out a huge exhale and sat dejectedly on the floor.
“It’s o.k. Steve. I’ll come back tomorrow and we can play some Doors. Get that frustration out of you.”
Steve looked up at Liv and smiled. “Thanks, Jimi. See you tomorrow.”
Olivia biked through the field and onto the road. She felt a mixture of confusion, fear, and exhilaration. The moment with Blaine, seated on the milking stools, had been the best moment of her life so far. She smiled as the felt the awakening of her body.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN – BLAINE
Blaine walked into the clubhouse and grabbed a beer from the fridge. Skinny and Freddie were flaked out on the couch in the main room sharing a joint. Blaine flopped into the old threadbare Lazyboy. He cranked the handle, reclining his big body back and his legs out in one smooth motion. “Got that down to science,” Freddie noted.
Blaine nodded and smiled. He had spent plenty of time in that old chair. Even though his morning had turned to shit, the kiss with Olivia sure had felt good. There was something about the way she played, something so refreshing about her sweet unassuming presence.
“You’re smiling like the Cheshire cat,” Skinny said, coughing through his exhalation. “You get laid this morning?”
“Something like that,” Blaine said.
“Lizzie finally wore you down, did she?” Skinny laughed.
“Nah man. I’m not touching that whore.” Blaine took a big swig of his beer.
“That’s what Freddie said. Right before she sucked his cock in the can of the Tip Top last week.” Skinny guffawed, in the way only a fat man can, and reached out to punch Freddie in the arm.
“Fuck you,” Freddie said jokingly, easing back into the couch as if remembering the lurid bathroom moment. “If sucking dick was an Olympic event, man, that girl would have a mantle full of medals.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Skinny said.
All three of them looked at each other then broke out into laughter. Freddie was one of the newer full-patch members of the club. He was young, like Blaine, and hungry for the club’s approval. He passed the joint to Blaine, who took a toke and then leaned across to pass the rest to Skinny.
“That’s Steve’s weed, ain’t it?” Blaine asked as he relaxed into the chair.
Skinny nodded and flicked the end of the joint out the open window. There was a warm breeze flowing through the room and it fluttered the battered orange curtains. The room was dark and hazy and felt like home for Blaine.
“Zeb here?” Blaine asked.
Freddie pointed to the office door. “He’s in there with Chrissy and Cindy. I would wait until the door’s open unless you want to interrupt Zebby’s three-banger.”
“I’ll wait,” Blaine said.
The three guys sat in silence, the kind of silence that men who enjoy weed and beer and not talking enjoy. Freddie fired up another joint. They heard some crashing sounds from the office and some very loud moans, followed by some sharp spanking sounds.
Blaine looked at Freddie and motioned for him to turn up the music. Freddie jumped up and ran over to the stereo. “What do you want to hear, Blaine?”
“Anything but that,” – Blaine said motioning to the office door.
Freddie sal
uted and cranked some Foo Fighters.
“Not exactly morning music, Fred – but it’ll do,” Blaine said, smiling. He had to figure out how to make things right with Steve. He also wanted to figure out how to see Olivia again. There was something about that girl that made his cock stiff. Just that little kiss had brought him to half mast. If Steve hadn’t interrupted them, who knows what would’ve happened. Actually, for the first time in his life, Blaine knew that he wouldn’t have tried to push anything. He wouldn’t have even grabbed her tits. He wanted to learn more about her before he did that.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN – OLIVIA
Maddie shuffled into the kitchen in her slippers. She still had her makeup on from the night before and her hair was mussed up like a giant rat’s nest.
“Rough night?” Olivia asked.
“Fuck me,” Maddie moaned and leaned against the counter as she filled up a glass of water. “I hope that I can keep this down.”
“It’s water,” Olivia said. “Where were you last night?”
“Ugh. After closing up the restaurant, we all sat around and polished off a bottle of tequila.”
Maddie pulled out the chair next to Olivia and gingerly sat down. Olivia could smell the alcohol as it seeped out of her sister’s body. Olivia took a bite of her toast with peanut butter and leaned back in her chair, thankful that she didn’t feel like Maddie. Olivia drank every once in a while, but never to excess, and she’d never been even remotely hungover.
“What are your plans for the day?” Olivia asked.
“Thank god, I have the day off. I’m going to go back to bed and only come out when I can eat something without barfing it back up.” Maddie leaned forward and pressed her forehead into the palms of her hands. “What are you up to?”
“I’m going to practice my pieces for my audition. That’s really all I have on the agenda.”
Maddie did her best to smile, “I admire your dedication. I wish I was passionate about something.”
Olivia was about to respond when Maddie jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Olivia could hear her dry heaving, loudly, through the closed door.
Maddie’s phone blinged and Liv couldn’t help but read the text message that popped up on her screen. It said: ‘U alive? Thx for the gr8 evening gorgeous’. Olivia wondered who had sent it and felt a pang of jealousy. Men tripped over themselves to be with Maddie.
Maddie shuffled back to the table and picked up her glass of water. “I’m going back to bed.”
Olivia handed Maddie her phone, “Someone messaged you thanking you for last night”.
Maddie smiled and slid her phone into the pocket of her pink fuzzy housecoat.
“What, you aren’t going to tell me who it is?” Olivia teased.
“Liv, you wouldn’t understand,” Maddie said.
This intrigued Olivia to no end. “Why wouldn’t I understand?”
“You’re so virtuous. I like to have a little fun every now and again, without any commitments. I just don’t feel like being judged by you right now.”
“I’ve never judged you, a day in your life!” Olivia said defensively.
“Try every day.”
“As if,” Olivia said angrily. “I wish I could be more like you!”
“No, you don’t.”
“As a matter of fact, if you must know, I made out with that biker guy, Blaine the other day. I’m not as innocent as you think I am.”
“Excuse me? What?” Maddie’s eyes perked up. She grabbed Olivia’s hand and dragged her to her to the living room. “Come join me in hangover camp,” she said as she crawled under her duvet on the couch. “I was going to do some Netflix binging, but this is way better entertainment!”
Maddie cocooned herself under the blanket in the fetal position. Olivia picked up the corner of the cover to crawl under beside her but was overcome by a wave of hangover stink, so she sat in the recliner and balanced her plate of toast on her leg.
“So, how did this all happen?”
“I was at Steve’s barn, minding my own business and he just walked in.”
“What was he doing there?”
“I’m not too sure actually, he and Steve really got into it about something though.”
“And he just walked up to you and started making out with you?”
“No.” Olivia laughed. “It wasn’t like that at all. He asked where Steve was and then seemed interested in the mandolin I was playing.”
“Sure. The mandolin,” Maddie said dubiously.
“No, really. He seemed genuinely interested in it. He asked me to play something and then we just ended up kissing. It was really sweet and passionate. Not what I expected at all.”
“Well, don’t judge a book by its cover. The sweetest most docile boys I’ve been with have been lunatics in the sack,” Maddie said. “So, when are you going to see him again?”
“I don’t know. Steve walked in and interrupted.”
“Ha. Ha!” Maddie cackled. “This just gets better.”
“Not really, I still don’t know how to find him. And whether or not I want to,” Olivia’s voice trailed off.
“Well, he’s probably bad news, but all men are. Why wouldn’t you want to see him again?”
“Mads, I’m embarrassed,” Olivia said, looking down at the living room’s worn shag carpet.
“Liv, are you still a virgin?” Maddie asked incredulously.
“Yes. And I’m not proud of it.”
“What? Be proud of it! It’s going to be very special for you and whoever you decide to lose it to.”
“How can it be special? I won’t know what to do. Especially with a guy like that one – he probably sleeps with strippers.”
“Your body will know what to do. Trust me,” Maddie said. “But I don’t think your first time should be with that biker. It should be with someone that you care about and trust.”
Olivia didn’t want to say anything to her sister, but she already felt a connection to Blaine. She knew that he would stand up for her and protect her, she didn’t know how, but she knew it in her bones.
“But you should probably watch some porn and get some pointers for blowjobs. Those things certainly aren’t intuitive.”
Olivia felt herself blush. She had never had the desire to perform oral sex on anyone, but the idea of taking Blaine’s manhood into her mouth made her body flush with warmth. She realized that she wanted him, all of him. She wanted to kiss his lips, his chest, his stomach, his cock. She wanted to suck on him and make him feel good.
Olivia felt herself blush and tried to change the subject, but Maddie wasn’t having it. She continued, “Be sure to spit, or lick your hand, if that’s how you plan to get him going. And cover your teeth with your lips, although I’ve been with some guys who like a little teeth-drag now and again.”
“Maddie, stop!” Olivia squealed.
“What? If you’re going to do it, you shouldn’t be squeamish talking about it,” Maddie said, attempting another sip at her water. “Oh, and it should be sloppy. As a matter of fact, the sloppier, the better!”
“Noted,” Olivia said in an attempt to end the uncomfortable conversation.
“Oh, and always swallow.”
“Got it. Swallow. What’s the alternative – spitting it out? Where do you do that?”
“Don’t even worry about that. Just swallow.”
Maddie’s phone chimed again. She picked it up and smiled before texting back.
“So, are you going to tell me who you’ve been messaging?”
“My boss, Brian,” Maddie said. She looked Olivia in the eye, challenging her to confront her about it.
“Oh. I see,” Olivia said. “Won’t that make things awkward at work?”
“It hasn’t yet,” Maddie said. “Oh, and he definitely likes his BJ’s sloppy.”
“Ewwwww,” Olivia squealed and threw a cushion at Maddie.
Maddie sat up and turned on the tv. “Hey kiddo, I think I can manage some toast. Will you make me some soldiers?
”
Olivia rolled out of the recliner and went into the kitchen to make some toast. As she waited for the bread to pop up her mind wandered to her day. She knew that she had to start practicing for the audition, and as much as she didn’t want to take her sister’s advice, she knew that she had better start studying some bedroom skills.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN – BLAINE
Blaine’s bike tires crunched on the gravel as he inched toward Steve’s barn. He felt terrible about how he’d left things with the old hippie and wanted to clear the air between them. The sun was already blazing hot and he was sweating through his t-shirt. He took off his leather vest and left it on the seat of the bike. The last thing that he wanted to do was to force Steve into holding the AGM at his property against his will. It didn’t make a lot of sense to antagonize their weed man. Blaine had tried to talk some sense into Zeb, trying to appeal to the businessman in the President, but Zeb remained resolute.
He caught a glimpse of Steve’s straw hat bobbing up and down the rows of corn and strode toward him.
“Steve!” Blaine yelled.
He saw the rise and fall of Steve’s shoulders as he exhaled heavily, before turning to face Blaine. “Hey Blaine. What can I do for you today?”
Blaine ran his hands through his tangled hair, “I need to apologize for the other day,” Blaine said after clearing his throat.
Steve set down the wheelbarrow he had been holding and kicked at a straw pile with his rubber boots. “Yeah man, this isn’t cool. You guys are really stepping on my toes here.”
As much as he wanted to, Blaine couldn’t throw Zeb under the bus. When he approached Zeb about the possibility of finding another location for the AGM he shot him down. The only thing he had to offer Steve was a potential change of date.
“Right now, the AGM is scheduled for September tenth. What is the earliest that you can harvest the big field?”
“Well, mother nature has been good to me so far this summer, but it’s still only July. If things keep going the way that they are I could wrap things up by the first of October.”