by Faith Starr
Wow. I had a big decision to make. A ginormous one.
40
Joey
The four of us were in the studio, laying down more tracks. The guys were going to shit when I told them I’d asked Teva to join us on tour. Dani, I wasn’t so worried about.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Logan tore his gaze from his guitar, and glared at me.
Trevor sat quietly behind his kit. He said mum.
“We actually have a bedroom on the bus during the next leg of our tour, which means you and Teva would take it. Uh-uh. I want part of that large bed as well. Why should you be the only one getting lucky in it?”
Logan was rapidly working himself up over nothing.
“It sure would be nice to have female companionship on the tour.”
It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to notice the wheels turning in Dani’s head as she contemplated the thought out loud, ignoring Logan’s comments altogether.
“I thought maybe she could help you out with the meet and greets and other stuff. I basically offered her a job, since she’s quitting hers at the hospital. She’s been through a lot. I think this will be good for her.”
Dani smiled.
Trevor had his foot pressing the pedal of the bass drum. “Look, bro, I’m happy you found someone and fell in love. I think it’s awesome. But offers like these need to be discussed with the band before they’re made.”
Trevor spoke the truth and was absolutely right in his rationale. But I didn’t want Teva to begin a manhunt searching for a new job without my offer being on the table as one of her options. I prayed she would take me up on it.
“I hear you.” I sat on the stool in front of my keyboard. “I’m sorry I didn’t bring it to you guys first. I think I went into panic mode because I know she’s quitting her job and needs to find something new. If I didn’t think this thing between us was real, you know I would’ve never put it out there. When have I ever done something this crazy?”
Logan glowered at me. “You’ve done a ton of crazy shit, bro.” He softened. “But I’ll give it to you on this one. I do see a change in you since you’ve met Teva, and it’s definitely for the better. We’ll always be brothers, so if this is what you want, I’ll back you. Just next time, ditto for what Trevor said. Please bring it to us first before making a decision that affects the entire band.”
Trevor nodded in agreement, not adding anything more to the conversation.
“The more I think about it, I could use some help before the shows. Sometimes I don’t know where to run first. It would also be nice to have someone on board who has our best interest at heart rather than a stranger.” Dani had become engrossed in her thoughts and spoke them aloud.
“It’s not a sure thing. I told her to think about it.”
And that was it. We got down to business, this time practicing Dani’s new tune. Thank goodness they had all agreed to allow Teva to climb aboard the bandwagon, a major relief. Now, I had to get Teva to agree.
The minutes in the studio turned into hours, days, weeks. Teva still hadn’t given me a definitive answer as to whether she had decided to join us, causing me to get antsy as the time passed. We were scheduled to leave in three weeks. I knew Camilla would be a pain in the ass when she found out about Teva joining us. That is, if Teva agreed to.
Either way, I needed an answer because shit would have to be straightened out beforehand as far as logistics, job description, as well as a bunch of other stuff.
The guys and I had finished recording the new album. Our first release, “Hold Me,” the song I had written for Teva, had already received rave reviews and plenty of airtime. It steadily climbed the alternative charts.
Teva had given three weeks’ notice to her supervisor, with this one being her last. I thought she should’ve given two. I worried for her safety every time she worked a shift, but she didn’t want to hear any part of my rationale. She wanted to do the right thing and leave on a positive note. I got it. She didn’t want to burn any bridges.
We spent any and all of our free time together. The guys and I had tight schedules, doing promo interviews and such to get ready to go back on tour, and Teva worked twelve-hour shifts. But we made it work. She would either sleep at my place, or I would sleep at hers whenever possible. I hoped our busy schedules would persuade her to take me up on my offer to travel with me. Sometimes we went days without seeing each other. Not that we didn’t talk on the phone or text on a constant basis. But for me, those days of not seeing her felt like years.
I offered to take her out for a celebratory dinner after she finished her final shift. As usual, she looked angelic when she opened the door. She wore a sexy little sundress, the same one she’d worn the day I went to her place and spilled the beans to her about my father. We had come such a long way in a short period of time.
“You’re ravishing.” I pulled her in for a hug, the smell of her hair intoxicating me.
“Uh-uh. This time we’re going out.” She giggled.
Yup, my cock had made its presence known. Hey, it had been a while.
“I’ll take that rain check you promised me long ago.”
She eyed me playfully. “I think I’ve already given you that rain check, multiple times, probably too many to count.”
“I didn’t think those times counted as the official rain check, so that means I’ll need a rain check on the rain check.”
“I think I can comply with that request.” She snatched her purse off the kitchen counter, locked up her apartment, and off we went.
We ate at a seafood restaurant located on the Bay, the moon reflecting off it. The slight breeze made the humid air bearable. We sat at an outdoor table, set off from other diners. My request when I had made the reservation.
“What is this place, it’s beautiful?”
I never had a chance to answer Teva’s question because our waitress approached, recognizing me on the spot. So much for privacy.
“Joey Fine? Holy shit! I can’t believe you’re sitting here, in my station. This is crazy. I absolutely love Steam! And your new song is to die for.”
The waitress had to be in her early twenties. She bounced up and down, resembling a giddy teenager. Teva smiled in appreciation.
“Thank you very much for your kind words.”
The server glanced at Teva. “And is this the beautiful woman you wrote ‘Hold Me’ for?” She covered her mouth, waiting for my reply, her body bobbing side to side.
Teva eyed me quizzically, clearly unsure of how I’d answer the question. I took her hand in mine and kissed it. “It is.” My eyes remained fixed on hers, but the spastic waitress’s jovial antics broke our moment.
“Wow! I know I shouldn’t ask, but can I have a picture with the two of you?” She begged with her hands clasped together in front of her.
Teva sat up taller, staring at the woman with wide eyes. She was used to fans taking my picture but not used to the spotlight being on her.
“Teva?” I wouldn’t proceed without her permission.
She shifted uncomfortably, but she’d better to get used to it. This was how things would be from here on out, especially when fans learned I wrote the song for her as it gained popularity.
The poor waiter taking an order nearby got dragged away from his table by our waitress. She asked him to take the picture. When the guests sitting at his table realized the reason for the spectacle taking place, they joined in the fun and asked for a picture as well.
The waitress stood between me and Teva. Of course the waiter wanted one too. That picture had me standing in the middle. I didn’t want another man’s hands on her. The couple from his table wanted one alone with me.
Finally, everyone left us in peace, and the waitress went to get our iced teas.
“I’m baffled. I don’t understand why the servers wanted my picture.” Teva took a sip of her water.
“Welcome to the life, baby. Everyone’s going to know ‘Hold Me’ was written for you.”
&nbs
p; “How so?”
“Because we’re together. Steam’s fans aren’t used to seeing me with one woman. They’re going to know.”
She smiled and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “I’ve made a decision about the tour.”
My heart skipped a beat. “And?” I stared at her, trying to determine if her expression would reveal her answer. It didn’t.
When she frowned, a jolt of pain shot through my heart, actual pain.
“I’ve decided to come with you.”
I did a double take. “What?” She had set me up for a different answer.
“I’m coming with you!” She cheered, her face lighting up.
“You just took ten years off my life. Get over here.” I pulled her off her seat and onto my lap where I kissed her like there was no tomorrow.
So that was it. Teva had agreed to come with me. If someone would have told me months ago that I’d meet the girl of my dreams at a meet and greet, of all places, fall in love, and ask her to join me on tour, I would’ve laughed in his or her face. Not anymore.
Sometimes I had to pinch myself to make sure it all wasn’t a dream. But lo and behold, Teva was real in every sense of the word, and I couldn’t have been happier or more grateful. Sometimes painful beginnings did get the happy endings they deserved. I was living proof of that.
Epilogue
Teva
Tonight was the first show of the tour. Dani and I worked the meet and greet with ease. The two of us made a great team, similar to me and Joey.
Working with Dani ended up being so much fun—something completely different and totally out of my comfort zone. I enjoyed it. Maybe different was a good thing after all.
During the show, I took my place sitting in “my chair” on the side of the stage. I never got tired of watching Joey perform. I knew every word to every song, for the most part singing along to all of them.
The last time I’d seen him sing live for a sold-out crowd at an arena, I had also sat on the side of the stage. The night I met him. Crazy how things ended up sometimes.
The show went on without a hitch, and the guys closed with “Hold Me.” By this time, I had lost the chair behind me and swayed to the music. It astounded me to peer out into the audience and see phone after phone held in the air, flashing make-believe lighters. I wasn’t even performing, yet I felt the magic. I now understood why Joey did what he did.
Every word he sang filled my heart more, to the point of overflowing.
By the time he finished singing it, tears flowed down my face. To my surprise he gestured for me to join him on stage. The crazy man. I shook my head. I had no desire to be the center of attention, especially with tearstained cheeks.
“Hey Steamers. You know what? My beautiful girl is hiding out right now, too chicken to come out and say hello to all you wonderful people. But I bet if you ask real nicely, she’ll agree to come out and see how amazing you guys are for herself.”
The fans roared wildly, chanting for me to show my face. Joey wore a devious smile and reached his hand out for me.
Ugh! He knew how much I hated the spotlight.
Dani shoved me forward. I grunted and gave her a dirty look. She laughed.
My heart pounded during my trek across the stage, baby steps the entire time. Joey kept his hand extended so I’d come to him.
As soon as the crowd saw me, they cheered louder.
Joey pulled me into his arms and kissed me for all to see. Talk about feeling weak in the knees. The shyness overtaking me as well as my stage fright while standing in front of thousands of screaming fans overwhelmed me, but not more than my overwhelming love for Joey.
Joey
I rolled onto my side to face Teva in bed later that night. We were holed up in a hotel, since we had two shows to perform in the same city. It was a fantastic way to start the tour.
“The fans loved you.”
She stared at me, her pink negligee teasing me with its lace positioned in just the right spots, which revealed the perfect amount of flesh.
The back of my hand caressed her cheek. “Do you trust me?”
You’d think I had asked her for a kidney or spoke in a foreign language with the look she gave me.
“Of course I trust you.” She ran her hand through my hair.
“Good. Remember when we spoke about experimenting in the bedroom?” Seriousness flooded her features along with a bit of fear. “All you have to do is say stop, and I will. My gut feeling, though, is that you won’t. I’m about to knock your socks off, pretty girl.”
She smiled. “You knocked my socks off the first time I laid eyes on you.”
“Keep that thought.”
I jumped off the bed and got to work. She watched me. I wanted this to be good for her. I had secretly ordered some toys online I knew she’d be fond of before hitting the road. None of them were hard-core—they were just the right balance between good and evil, naughty and nice.
She eyed me suspiciously during my approach. I had a set of handcuffs hidden behind my back. I brought them in front of me. I wanted her to know exactly what I planned to do to her, so she wouldn’t be afraid. I expected her to feel pleasure, no fear permitted whatsoever.
The cuffs were covered in faux black fur to provide comfort around the wrists.
“Give me your hands.”
Her gaze remained fixed on mine. She raised her hands above her chest, keeping her wrists together.
“Good girl.” I wrapped my hand around each of her wrists before cuffing them. I lifted her arms and rested her bound wrists on the pillow above her head.
She watched me pull something else out of my overnight bag with curiosity. I held up silk bondage ties so she could see them. Her chest rose and fell with a bit more energy.
“These are for your ankles. They are soft and won’t pinch your skin.”
I proceeded with the first tie, securing it to her ankle. With my hand on her shin, I bent her leg at the knee so the tie would reach the headboard. Thank goodness the wrought-iron design had grooves in it, or else I would’ve had to be more creative. I did the same with the other ankle.
She wore a look of both anticipation and a bit of hesitation, allowing me to mold her body into the shape I wanted. I gazed down between her open legs. Mmm, fun would definitely be had in our hotel room tonight.
“How does that feel?” I checked in with her to make sure she was still on board. By the pink heat filling her cheeks, I had my answer before she even uttered a reply. Desire filled her eyes.
“Good.”
Her lip licking did a number on my cock. It twitched, knowing what would soon take place.
Another goody from my bag of tricks got displayed. “This is a flogger. This one in particular has feathers on one end and leather strips on the other. I want you to feel the sensations of both, but I promise not to hurt you. Do you understand?”
She nodded.
“Good. I’m going to blindfold you now.” Her eyes opened wide. She jerked in surprise when I sat on the bed next to her, holding a black silk covering. “You said you trust me. Trust that I’ll make you feel good.”
She nodded again, but this time with a hint of uncertainty. Those feelings would take a hike in a moment’s time.
I raised her head slightly off the pillow, covering her eyes and securing the tie behind her.
Now came time for some music. I played Scorpions Gold Ballads on my phone. Those classic rock songs did a great job of heightening the mood for me. I hoped they’d help Teva as well.
“Still Loving You” played first, forever a winner in my book.
With the flogger in hand, I started with featherlight touches against the top of her foot. She immediately responded, wiggling it around. I put my hand on her calf to indicate I didn’t want her to move. She got my message instantly.
Slowly, I caressed above her knee and upper thigh with my hand.
Using the feather part of the flogger, I teased the path my hand had just traced.
Her hips began to move, and her breaths became deeper. Her body begged for me. She’d soon learn good things came to those who waited.
I was about to test her comfort level. I gently swatted the leather strips of the flogger against her thigh, close to her sex but far enough away to create impatience.
She jumped at the unexpected sensation and moaned. She never ceased to amaze me. I would never have thought in a million years she’d be so responsive. She typically kept herself controlled and tightly wound.
“Please.”
“Soon.”
One more surprise. I pulled a small plastic tube out of my bag, flicked the cap open, and squeezed some of the clear liquid into the palm of my hand. I again teased her with the flogger, this time on the other leg.
Ever so slightly, I tickled her skin with the feathers then swatted her with the leather strands. Her body reacted magnificently to the change in sensations.
Scooting between her open thighs, I spread them farther apart.
She knew my destination. She tried to bring her hands down to touch me but the handcuffs prevented her from doing so. A perk to having her bound.
The frustration on her face had me grinning wide. I knew she’d be pissed if she could see me, which made it more difficult to hide my amusement.
“This is cherry-flavored lubricant. I’m going to eat you alive with a cherry on top.”
Her lips curled up at my choice of words.
I massaged the lube into my fingers then covered her swollen clit with the palm of my hand. I skirted my fingers between her folds, getting her nice and lubed for what was yet to come.
She bucked her hips in offering.
“Under the Same Sun” came on, more of a make-love song, but I’d take it because when it came to Teva, I cherished it both ways—fucking and making love, both resulting in the same happy ending. Warmth filled my heart. What a pussy I had become.