“Has he always been like that? Is that why he’s so protective of me?” she whispered, asking herself more than she did Wade.
“Well, put yourself in his shoes. As the oldest with three sisters to watch, I’m sure he’s had to fight off a pre-pubescent teen a time or two. You shouldda heard the stories his mom told me,” Wade chuckled. “He was always in the principal’s office more than he was in school.”
“Yep,” Wade continued, “Growin’ up like that gives you an advantage. Joe may be small, but he’s got fight in him - if you give him a reason to show it.”
Wade’s answer explained a lot and after so long, Chris felt a sense of closure. Not only about Os, but with Joe. Now she realized why he did everything he could to make her feel like his own flesh and blood. Chris felt extremely warm on the inside when she realized she had a home - with a real family.
“Why do you always cover your face when you smile?” Wade asked out of nowhere.
Chris shrugged as her eyes fished over the table to avoid Wade’s penetrating stare.
“Joe told me to. He says I look too much like a girl when I do.”
Another wave of guilt came over Wade. He kept forgetting how much Chris sacrificed for the group.
“He just wants to make sure nothing happens to you. He cares a lot about you and so do I.”
Wade shrugged his shoulders casually but then his face grew hot. He felt a little strange about the words that came out, but he couldn’t take them back now. But then, he lifted his beer to squash the awkwardness.
“To sacrifice.”
“To Heretic,” she corrected.
Then, they both lifted their bottles and chimed them together in a small toast.
As Wade killed off the rest of his beer, he noticed a figure swim into his vision. And it wasn’t the bartender.
“O-Oh my god! Y-You’re Wade Griffin, aren’t you!? From Heretic?!”
Unable to get her bearings in time, Chris nearly gagged on a mouthful of beer.
A young, gorgeous, and very shapely blonde approached their booth and stood right next to Wade. She sported a slinky black dress that was much too tight and her long hair came in waves over her shoulders. Her golden skin gleamed even more under the bar’s dimmed lights while she battled her thick eyelashes at Wade.
Panic-stricken, Chris reached for several napkins in an attempt wipe her mouth clean from the beer. She clutched her chest while she coughed violently into the flimsy napkins. Unable to stop the trickle of suds that went down the wrong pipe, she sat helpless as her eyes watered, yet she fought to hide her face within her hoodie. She even situated it several times, hoping their surprise guest couldn’t see who she really was.
All the while, Wade sat amused at Chris’ fumbling gestures to hide herself.
“Why, yes. Yes, I am,” he said smiling, unable to look away from Chris. “And what can I do for a lovely young woman such as yourself?”
She giggled stupidly and ran one of her hands through her hair. “M-My name’s Jessica! My girlfriends and I just got back from the clubs! Wow, they’re never gonna believe this! I just love your songs! I’m a huge fan!”
“Oh, well, glad to hear it.”
Wade struggled to put on his best shocked face despite his inward cringe at hearing ‘I’m a huge fan’ hundreds of times a day.
“Will you please sign this for me?”
Jessica brought out a pen and a piece of paper that resembled a receipt from her matching black purse and put it on the table in front of Wade.
“Absolutely.”
Wade couldn’t help but smile, but not at the girl who openly flaunted her enormous cleavage and full breasts. He put every mental brake in place to keep himself from laughing hysterically at Chris’ continued efforts to hide her face. After all, he never allowed anyone to get so close to her. But the alcohol was making him devious and he smirked as he handed his chicken scratch back over to Jessica. But by now, she already seemed to recognize Wade’s company.
“No way…” Jessica gasped, fanning her face with her hand. “I-I don’t believe this! You’re Chris Rebman! Wow! My brother totally digs your style. He wants to play just like you!”
Wade chuckled at the situation and continued to stare at Chris as if seeing how much up close and personal time she could take. Chris gestured for his help under her hoodie, but Wade remained a smiling drunk.
“Oh gosh, I-I hope I’m not asking too much, but…can you sign this too?”
As Jessica went to hand the piece of paper over to Chris, Wade grabbed her wrist and stopped her, but not to protect his drummer. Rather, he felt like a drunken idiot and wanted to have some fun with the situation.
“Oh! Jessica, was it?”
"Mhm!"
“I’m so sorry, babe! But I’m afraid he can’t sign this for you.”
Wade pulled off his sad and solemn response with great effect. Already, he could see the troubled faces from both women and he could barely contain himself.
“Oh, really? Why not?” she asked.
Wade took a deep breath and went for it. After all, the opportunity was ripe and he didn’t know when he’d come across a golden moment like this again.
“Because he only signs tits or ass.”
Mortified, Chris’ expression settled on one of pure horror and from under the table, she loosed a fierce kick – connecting it with Wade’s shin.
“Tsss! Ouuuch!”
Wade’s eyes shut in pain and they watered, but he was sure it was worth it. He broke into a wide grin and stared at Chris while he rubbed his injury.
But the groupie, not knowing any better, thought Wade was joking and broke into hysterics.
“You guys are so funny! Thanks so much anyway,” she smiled. Then she stuck Wade’s autograph into her purse and turned to leave. “Bye guys!”
She bumped into a few tables on the way out, but when she finally left, it was just the two of them again. Even the bartender’s gaze was still fixated on the television and he didn’t seem to notice anything.
“Damn, that hurt!” Wade winced, rubbing his shin. “What was that for?”
“Don’t give me that, bullshit!” she seethed. “You saw me squirm the whole time!”
“Would you relax? She was so strung out on booze and drugs, you could’ve been dancin’ naked on the bar and she wouldn’t’ve noticed.”
“I can’t believe y-! Wait, what?” Chris went from anger to confusion. “How can you tell? You’re not psychic.”
“Don’t need to be. I could tell by the way she was walking.”
Chris was lost for words. She tried to peek out to the hallway to where the groupie had disappeared to, but she was long gone.
“She looked fine to me.”
“Really? I could get her number for you,” Wade wink.
Chris was mortified.
“I could kick you in the nuts,” she retorted.
Wade whistled. “Please don’t. I might be drunk, but I can still feel pain.”
Chris chugged more of her beer in an attempt to fight off the panic attack. She was perspiring so much, she thought she could swim in her clothes.
“Could…could you really tell all that? Just by how she was walking?” she asked after her heartbeat returned to normal.
“Of course. It was no different than the way I could tell you were a girl when you walked in for your audition.”
Chris stomach dropped. “Huh? What? H-How could you possib-?”
“Like I said. It was the way you were walking. You should’ve worn heels and saved everyone the trouble,” he snickered, taking another drink from his longneck.
Chris studied him as best she could through narrowed eyes. “You’re lying.”
“Nope.”
“But, if you knew…then why did you let me play?”
Now that a whole other can of worms had been opened, Chris leaned over the table, hanging onto Wade’s every word all while he remained cool and collected.
“Because. I may have known you were a girl, but
I also knew you could play,” he explained. “You had it in the way you carried yourself across the stage. You were confident. And you had me sold before you even hit the drums.”
“You never told the others?”
“Should I have? Joe wouldn’t have cared one way or the other, but Os wouldn’t have listened to a single note if he knew you were a chick. They needed to hear you first before they knew the truth.”
“That’s why you told me to take off my hoodie,” she stated.
Wade said nothing, but grinned and nodded, confirming her theory.
Chris stared at her empty beer bottle almost stupidly but she felt a sense of closure when she knew the answers to the questions she had. And even to some she didn’t.
“S’cuse me, folks?” came a voice just beside them. Chris jumped in surprise, but found it was only the bartender. “I’m sorry to have to do this, but I have to close up. It’s 3 a.m.”
“No worries, man,” Wade said, tipping his empty beer bottle in his dirction. “Thanks for everything.”
“Not a problem. Hey, you folks take care now.”
As the bartender went to work cleaning their table, Chris’ eyes became heavy as if he’d placed a spell on her by giving the time. She began rubbing her eyelids until she saw spots.
“Holy shit. It’s 3 a.m.?”
“Congrats,” Wade said as he moved to get up. “You’re officially an alcoholic.”
“Hardly.”
As Chris did the same, she forgot about the small stoop that stuck out from the booth. She almost tripped in the same way Joe did earlier, but this time, Wade caught her.
“Whoa-whoa-whoa there, newbie. See? I told ya.”
Wade supported Chris around the shoulders as he led her from the booth and out to the hallway. The bartender said his goodnights one last time and already began to turn out lights.
“Jesus…my head won’t stop spinning. I only had a few beers.”
“A few?” Wade snickered as led Chris to the elevator. He hit the button to go up one floor and readjusted his grip around Chris’ waist to steady her. “You had six. And when was the last time you ate something?”
Chris struggled to remember as she was led onto the elevator, but in her state, she gave up trying and switched to another subject.
“Why are we taken’n the elevator? I’m only one floor up - we couldda taken the stairs.”
Wade leaned back on the silver railing just as it chimed to their floor.
“You can hardly stand on your own two feet and now you think you can handle steps? I’d like to get to bed sometime this evening.”
“Are you always such a smart ass?” Chris asked boldly but as she let go of the railing, she lost her footing and fell into Wade again. When he caught her a second time, he laughed outright.
“Only when I’m proven right.”
“Oh, bite me. How the hell’er you even standing? You had twice as many beers as I did.”
“Years of practice,” he answered simply. As he led Chris to the door of her room, he stood there and waited while Chris swayed in her spot. Finally, Wade nudged her shoulder.
“You got your key, right?”
“Oh yeah!”
She reached into all her pockets at least twice before she remembered she placed it in her back pocket. She pulled it out and held it much too close to Wade’s face. He backed up in kind.
“That’s great. Do you remember what to do with it?” he laughed.
“Yes, I do! Smart ass…”
Chris attempted to slide it across the locking mechanism, but she failed several times and missed poorly.
“Wow. Give it here.” Wade snatched the small plastic card easily from Chris’ fumbling hands.
“Hey, that’s mine!”
He took it and slid it into the metal slot just once before it turned green and unlocked.
“Alright, in you go.”
“G’nite!”
She took one step in, turned and waved back, but swayed in her spot and nearly fell over again.
“Jesus!”
Wade reached forward and grabbed her by her thick hoodie – just in time to save her from diving face first into the floor.
“Alright, that’s it,” Wade remarked. “Only Kool-Aid for you from now on. C’mon, let’s go.”
He took one of her arms and wrapped it around his neck. Due to his awkward height, he had to hunch over as he led her to her bed, but as soon as he let her go, she fell onto her back and bobbed on the mattress.
“Hey!” she hiccupped. “Just remember who knocked on my door!”
“Yeah, I’ll never make that mistake again,” Wade remarked.
Chris sat up and leaned forward to try and take her boots off. She messed with her shoelaces, but succeeded only in getting her fingers tangled.
“What the hell’er you doin’, alchie?”
“I’m-m n-not…going to bed…with m-my boots on!”
Wade laughed until tears came into his eyes – more than entertained by her inexperience with booze. Eventually, he collected himself enough to bend down and help her when she became frustrated, gave up, and fell backwards onto the bed again.
“Whadd’ya think yer doin’!?" she giggled.
She licked her lips, but remembered that she had lost all feeling in them ages ago.
“Helping you with your shoes. You want me to read you a story next?”
But as smooth as Wade was trying to be, he had some trouble himself with the bothersome laces. He didn’t want to admit that he was slightly more inebriated than he let on.
“I…I can do it!”
And with that, Chris came forward so fast, she bumped foreheads with Wade with such force, they were both knocked back: Chris onto the bed, and Wade on his back.
“Tsss! Ahhhh!”
Wade rubbed his head vigorously in an attempt to spread out the stinging sensation but to no avail. The shocking pain raced throughout his scalp and it took him a long time to shake off the dizziness.
Chris’ reaction was less severe and she seemed only mildly aware that anything even happened – continuing only to stare up at the ceiling.
“Whoa…I think I’m gonna feel that one later.”
“Fuck! That’ll leave a bruise! Just…just stop moving!”
Wade didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but finished pulling off both boots before she got a wild hair to do something else.
Then, Chris started to sing one of Heretic’s songs and Wade couldn’t help but chuckle as he saw her hands weave through the air as if she were conducting an orchestra.
“Now what’er you doing?”
“You’re not the only who can sing, bud,” she spout off.
“If I were you, I’d stick with the drums. C’mere.”
Wade grabbed a hold of one of Chris’ hands and yanked her up.
“Whoa!”
Chris shook her head and fought off the swirling dizziness as he pushed back her hood and pulled off her beanie.
“Stay still. I’m just checking something.”
As Wade pushed aside a few wayward strands of her hair over her forehead, he found a small red area and gently grazed it with his thumb.
“Tss!” Chris winced and jerked away.
“Looks like you’re gonna get a bruise, too.”
“Well, at least I’ll be able to c-cover my face though, right?”
She laughed again and so did Wade. For some reason his hands felt glued to her face and he couldn’t let go. He stood completely frozen – staring at the face of a girl that he had never seen so close before. Less than twelve hours ago, she was shy, quiet, and socially dysfunctional. But at that moment, Wade didn’t see her as a member of Heretic anymore. Now, he saw a girl with a bright and bubbly personality.
Chris’ eyes were glazed and she was still a bit unsteady as she held onto Wade’s arms for support. It took a while for her to realize that he still hadn’t let go of her face. He was looking down at her and despite the suffocating heat of her thick
hoodie, she felt a chill under his stare.
“W-Whas wrong? Do I h-have something on my face?”
Wade melted when she smiled, displaying a gorgeous set of beautiful white teeth. Teeth from beneath a killer smile that Joe told her to hide.
“I…I uhm,” Wade stuttered, not really sure of what to say.
But Chris, in her drunken state, poked him playfully in the chest.
“Hey now!” she remarked. “Remember…heh. I’m a guy y’know!”
“Yeah. And not a bad lookin’ one either.”
Chris rolled with laughter.
“I bet you never kissed a guy before!”
“Heh. No,” he said, licking his lips. “Not yet.”
Suddenly, Wade’s response caught Chris off guard and she forced herself into sobriety as best she could. All laughter, all joking, stopped and then there was nothing, save for an eerie silence between the two of them. Wade told himself to let go of her face but instead, he saw his thumbs brush lightly over her flushed cheeks. Chris was caught in his soul-penetrating stare until her face reached a boiling point. Then, she swallowed audibly.
“W-Wade? Wh-What’er we doing?”
Chris’ bottom lip quivered from both fear and excitement. She couldn’t help but be captivated by his ocean blue eyes and chiseled jawline – looks that other women swooned over. Of course she noticed that Wade gained his considerable bulk back from the gym, but she never gave it a second thought. Until now.
Wade barely shook his head. “I-I don’t know.”
“Then maybe…we should stop.”
Chris licked her dry lips but wished at once she hadn’t. She saw how they got Wade’s attention in an instant and he couldn’t help but see how pouting and full they had become. If he didn’t know any better, he’d swore he felt heat coming from every pore in her face and then suddenly, the image of her in her thong made his groin come alive.
He remembered the glow of her skin, the smooth curve of her buttocks; he tried to stop the thoughts that threatened to consume him, but without even thinking, he was already half erect. Now it was all he could do to stop thinking about her. He couldn’t stop wanting her. The animal wanted out of its cage.
And it wanted Chris.
“Yeah,” he said, pulling her face closer to his. “…we should.”
But before Wade knew what he was doing, he brought Chris in and locked onto her lips. For a brief moment, he thought that he had gone too far, but Chris made no move of protest as she allowed him to devour her soft lips.
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