I learned long ago that the caveman technique of claiming my woman where Jack was concerned was futile. A more subtle approach was necessary. Remaining calm, I walked across the room and sat down next to Lily, then lifted her across my knee. Lily squeaked in surprise and gave me a sexy smile, her face reflected complete trust regarding what I was doing. I planted a soft kiss on her lips and tongued at the seam of her closed mouth. Lily giggled and pulled her head back to look at me. I dragged my mouth away and leaned back to look at her fully aware that both men’s eyes were on us.
“I did. I was out of it for a while, did you sleep okay?” I traced her face with my finger and ran it down her nose before trailing it along her lips while I listened to her reply.
“I did. I was flat out until Rick knocked on the door. He woke Jack up as well. We were all down for the count.”
I was relieved when she explained how long she’d been up because if I’d had too long to think about it I would have begun to imagine her and Jack alone in his underwear and why he was in that state of undress with her.
Before I could think more about it, there was another knock at the door. Rick sat staring at me, and I looked down at Lily. Jack commented he wasn’t going to the door in his underwear in case Mr. Frost pecked his balls off then Rick chipped in.
“I don’t do doors. Never know what crazy fucker is on the other side. It might be a fan.”
Jack started laughing loudly then had a coughing fit before finally challenging Rick on that, “Seriously? A fan? We’re in the middle of fucking nowhere, Rick.”
Jack had no real idea other than the stories we’d shared with him, but I’d had fans who have hidden in the box of a bed, and been delivered to my room in suitcases. I’d even found one knocking on my hotel room window seven floors up, and that was long before we were at the status we’re at now.
Lily stood up and pulled down the hem of her red sweater. She bit her plump bottom lip, her eyebrows bunching together and stared at Rick as if he’d grown a unicorn horn.
“I’ll take my chances,” she smirked before she began heading down the hallway.
Rick’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, and he stared at me shaking his head with a disappointed expression on his face.
“You call yourself a man, and yet you’ll let that sweet girl answer the door in the woods? It could be a fucking bear out there you moron.”
Jack and I belly laughed at Rick because we knew he was trying to get a rise out of me, and I wasn’t in the mood to bite.
“Well, the only reason you didn’t answer was because you know it wouldn’t be pussy, Rick,” I replied, turning to smirk at Jack.
Jack chuckled and gave me a high five. “Good one, Alfie.”
Rick shook his head and smirked knowingly. “Already had that at my door. Dita had to leave to do her job. That’s why I’m sitting here.”
Before Jack or I could respond, Dave and Emily walked into the sitting room, and Rick spoke to Dave like he was his long lost brother.
“Dave, thank fuck you’re here. Any ideas for entertaining a musician in the middle of a fucking forest?”
Dave’s face lit up, and he wobbled slightly on his feet at the sudden attention from Rick because according to Jack, Rick Fars was Dave’s idol. Dave worked as a sound engineer and M3rCy, Rick’s band was his all-time favorite band.
Looking a little awestruck at being put on the spot, Dave looked to Jack then blinked silently as if to say, ‘Did he just say that?’
He looked back at Rick. “Sure I do. What about a drinking game?”
Rick perked up and straightened his back in his chair.
“Sounds like a solid plan. Where’s the alcohol?”
Placing his hands on his knees, he pushed himself upright and began wandering down the cabin hallway to the room Mya and Jack were sharing. He knocked and opened the door when he heard nothing on the other side.
“Mya, get your ass up and out here, honey. We’ve got a night of drinking and debauchery planned. You won’t want to miss it.”
Dave, Jack and I were trying to find the alcohol when we heard an approaching snow mobile outside. Emily peered out the window and relaxed.
“It’s that Dita woman again,” she said calmly.
“Is that so?” Rick glanced over and gave me a salacious smile.
No sooner had she spoken, Dita entered through the front door dragging with her an insulated box. Rick pounced to help her before he came and stood beside me folding his arms, still checking her out.
“Dinner.”
Dita smiled warmly at us before making eye contact with Rick and blushing. She looked away and began to empty the stainless steel box, placing the foil cartons on the kitchen counter. She stopped to turn on the oven and Rick was instantly by her side; alcohol was momentarily forgotten while he acted like a domestic God. Lily smirked knowingly at me, and I knew it was Rick’s intention to make another play for her.
“Do you have dessert in there or are you dessert?” Rick asked in his thick Southern drawl.
His thinly disguised attempt at flirting with her attracted the attention of the others in the room. Jack snorted and bit back a grin at his corny pick-up line. Rick raised an eyebrow in silent challenge letting Jack know to mind his own business. Jack shook his head and walked away in the direction of his bedroom. Mya still hadn’t made an appearance from her ‘nap’.
“No dessert, only me,” Dita said seductively and with a completely innocent expression on her face.
Rick glanced at me sideways before closing the space between them and slipping his hand around her shoulders.
“Dita. You are all the dessert I need, darling. You’re as sweet as a peach,” Rick responded grinning wickedly.
I knew his chances of a replay would be successful when she placed a soft hand over his forearm that was draped around her neck. For a second, they held each other’s gaze then he took his arm back and Dita once again turned her attention to preparing the food without hesitation.
With Dita’s help, Jack found the alcohol.
“Damn, there’s enough alcohol in this place to induce more than a few comas.”
I strode over to see what the fuss was about, and he wasn’t exaggerating. The room situated next to the main seating area had a stainless steel double fronted fridge with an ice dispenser. Inside was an assortment of imported beers, white wines ranging from dry to sweet, and Champagne. Next to it was a long floor to ceiling glass cabinet packed tightly with spirits and liquors. On the far wall, a darker alcove area was decked out like a small cellar full of red wine and on closer inspection they came from vineyards all over the world.
Cody and Lennon arrived just as Dita was arranging the hot food on the huge table. Chicken, pizza, shrimp, steak and salmon, baked potatoes, coleslaw, salad and sweet potato wedges were a welcome sight; I was starving.
Each of us had at least two glasses of wine with dinner, and we were pretty relaxed by the time Rick and Jack disappeared into the ‘drinking den’, as the room containing the alcohol had by then been renamed. When they reappeared, they were each carrying a bottle of tequila, a bottle of gin and two bottles of white wine. Jack went back and returned with a bottle of Galliano, some vodka and a bottle of twelve-year-old malt whiskey.
When he started going through the cupboards, I thought he was looking for glasses, but eventually he produced a large glass jug and poured half the bottle of vodka, gin, whiskey, Galliano and some wine into the jug.
“Forfeit, jug,” he explained and then set it on the coffee table in the middle of the lounge.
Mya and Lily made everyone another drink, and we all sat on either the sofa or floor, on pillows.
Chapter 10 Revelations
“Everyone ready for the game?” Jack inquired.
“What game?” the girls chimed in.
“Age old one… Spin The Bottle,” Jack replied.
“Lame but bring it on,” Rick and Dave said in unison, then stared in surprise at each other.
“Although if we’re playing college games ‘Strip Poker’ is more my thing,” Rick said, nodding his head.
Jack grinned, “Yeah, Rick, but Mya’s your niece. You sure you want to wave that dick around in front of her?”
Rick looked sheepishly at Mya then turned back to look at Jack. “Spin The Bottle sounds perfect to me.”
“Alright. Truth, dare or forfeit. Do we have any suggestions for rules?”
“No rules. Everyone here is single for the purposes of drinking games,” Rick responded.
Knowing how Rick had a thing for Lily, and knowing how Lily and Jack’s relationship was close, Rick’s suggestion didn’t sit well with me. However, it was only a game, and Lily and I were happy. She’d say no to anything she felt uncomfortable about. And I thought, she’s an adult, and we were secure, right?
“That’s the girls’ call,” I stated, thinking that Lily or one of the other girls would object, but none of them did.
Glancing around the room there were too many obstacles for me with Lily. Rick, Jack, Cody, Lennon. They all had some kind of ‘thing’ for Lily. Rick was enamoured the moment he’d set eyes on her. She loved Rick, but I had figured out it was in a big brotherly way.
Cody—well, he’d been with Lily since her first performance with their band, always telling her what she needed to hear; instilling confidence in her in a way that only he seemed to be able to do. I knew that Lily thought the world of him and as for Lennon, they were also tight. He was her protector and organizer when they were on tour. Although Lennon was a reserved guy, he had Lily’s ear. So in my view I had my reservations about all of them around my girl.
And then there was Jack. Jack Cunningham was Lily’s ‘other half’ as they put it. They had been and would always be friends forever. That statement had been tested to the extreme, and they were still able to overcome issues that would have torn other friendships apart. The best I could take from this ‘game’ would be to test the waters with these guys and Lily once and for all.
“Okay, then I guess if the girls are cool with this, I have nothing to fear. Everyone is unattached for the duration of the game. No one is fucking Lily. I draw the line at that.” I stated flatly.
I really wanted to give a long list of ‘don’ts’ but I figured just going for that would be enough of a warning shot to all of them.
Lily’s mouth dropped at my blunt statement, “Like I’d allow that, Alfie.”
Lily glanced over at Jack and looked embarrassed. I wondered if she thought it was directed towards them, but it was a general warning to all of them.
Dave pushed forward and brought an empty bottle to the center of where we were sitting. He told everyone to sit clear of each other so we could be sure who the bottle was pointing at when it stopped.
Smiling at Emily, Dave’s eyes met hers and he winked reassuringly before he spun the bottle for the first time. It did one and a quarter turns and stopped facing Lennon. There was a brief silence while Lennon deliberated over his choice.
“Truth,” Lennon said, sounding confident.
As Dave had spun the bottle, he was the one to ask the question.
“Hmm…I’m not sure what to ask you, Len…let me think,” Dave said as he scratched his head then raised an eyebrow when he’d figured out what he wanted to know.
“Have you had sex with more than one person at a time?”
Lennon blushed slightly and nodded. “Yep. More than a few times,” he confessed looking a little uncomfortable at disclosing that in the presence of all of us.
Jack had to ask, “Male, Male, Female? Male, Female, Female? You can’t leave us all hanging, man.”
Lennon looked a little more uncomfortable. “Everything.”
Lily and Cody’s jaw dropped, and Rick chuckled.
“Rock star,” Rick stated pointing at Lennon.
Lennon avoided eye contact with everyone and crouched down to take the green wine bottle in his hand. He looked relieved his turn was over. He grinned and looked embarrassed when he met Lily’s gaze. Len spun the bottle again and the thought crossed my mind: It’s the quiet ones you have to look out for. This time the bottle stopped pointing at Emma, one of the few single people in the group.
Emma chewed the side of her mouth and looked nervous about what to choose.
“Truth,” she huffed and rung her hands together. Her eyes flicked from one person to another seeking some comfort from her friends.
Lennon didn’t hesitate asking his question. “Have you ever fantasized about kissing anyone in this room, and if so, who?”
Emma’s face was immediately scarlet red proving she had indeed had that thought more than once.
“I’ll take the forfeit,” she mumbled softly, lowering her head to hide how mortified she felt.
Surprisingly Lily and all of her London friends ganged up and tore into Emma for trying to avoid the question. Emily and Lily were the most vocal.
“Emma, you know that’s not how we do this. If you pick a choice, you have to see it through. We’re all friends here. You can say what you want, and none of us will be offended or jealous. You chose a truth question, don’t buckle on us now.”
The struggle Emma went through about sharing her secret fantasy was very real. I watched her breaths become more rapid and shallow. Her anxiety level rose as she reached for the courage to say what she was thinking. She couldn’t sit still.
“Yes, and there was more than one?” Her answer sounded like she was questioning herself and her cheeks flushed again.
“Alright, more than one. Come on, Emma.” Lennon chuckled and continued to press her for names by waving his hand back and forth.
Emma swallowed and dug deep then almost spat the names out.
“Promise you won’t hate me?” She cringed.
“Emma just tell us for goodness sake.” Lily admonished.
“Alfie, Jack and Rick.”
Lily and Mya smiled, and I saw a silent smug look pass between them like they were V.I.P’s in some special club. Rick leaned down from the sofa toward Emma, who was sitting on the floor to his left. Placing his hand under her chin he turned her face and angled it up to his. Shy and nervous, I watched her hold her breath and appear stunned that Rick was even touching her. Rick reached his hand behind her neck, smiled reassuringly at her then dropped his gaze to her mouth.
“Do you mind?” he asked.
Emma stared speechlessly up at him and shook her head painfully slowly as if trying to shake herself out of some hypnotic trance. Her eyelids drooped as the need for Rick’s kiss took over. Emma’s breathing became shallow in anticipation of Rick Fars from Cobham Street acting out her fantasy in front of her friends.
Rick leaned down and stroked her nose with his, which struck me as quite an intimate gesture considering this was a game. He then began to devour her with a greedy, passionate kiss. A long low moan tore from Emma’s throat.
Suddenly, Jack, Dave and Cody were cheering them on. After a minute, Rick broke the kiss, and I watched Emma as she tried desperately to catch her breath. She swayed unsteadily before placing her hand on the floor to anchor her where she sat. A deep sigh escaped her throat while she struggled to compose herself.
Glancing up at Rick, I saw him slide back into the back of the cushioned sofa. He adjusted his junk in his pants and chuckled, “Jesus, Emma. I’m happy to mount an action replay of that kiss anytime you feel the need, honey.”
The cabin’s main door banged shut, and I realized that Dita probably saw what just happened. Rick looked completely unfazed if he realized that. Jack, Emily and Lily began hollering; clapping in support of Emma, and Dave sat silently staring in awe at her for a moment.
“Emma, you just kissed my idol and for a split second there you had me wishing I was a fucking girl.”
Emma giggled self-consciously then became bashful at all the attention she was receiving and she looked at the floor.
Waving her hand back and forth on the deep grooves of the wood, Emma was ob
livious that Rick’s eyes were boring a hole in her back. She then moved onto her knees and took the bottle in her small hand, her slender fingers molding around the curve of it.
Glancing up she made eye contact with me and blushed again. I recognized she was feeling embarrassed at admitting she had thought about kissing me as well. I gave her a small smile and looked away as if I’d forgotten she’d ever said that.
When the bottle stopped next time it was at me. My eyes quickly flicked to Lily, and I watched her swallow down her nerves about what I was going to choose. I already knew what I had to do. The others had chosen the ‘truth’ option, and the forfeit jug looked lethal, so I heard myself say, “Dare.”
Lily looked at Emma, and I could see something pass between them and thought Emma would pick something very tame for my turn. No way would she do anything to put me in the line of fire with another female in the room. She was all too aware of the feelings Lily and I had for each other.
The tension in the room was noticeable while Emma thought of something to ask until Dave pushed her for an answer.
“For fuck’s sake, Emma. You aren’t deliberating over some important peace treaty get on with it.”
Emma stared pointedly at Dave then took a deep breath.
“Okay. I’ve got one. Alfie Black, I just found out what it’s like to kiss a rock star, and I think you should have that honor too.”
When she giggled, I smiled at Lily, as she was the only other female rock star in the room, then Emma continued.
“We’ve all noticed the tension between Alfie and Rick on occasion, right? Now, what I want to get to the bottom of is whether it’s just a bromance or is it really sexual tension we witness? So, Alfie I dare you to kiss Rick.”
I shook my head vigorously and shuddered at the thought of going mouth to mouth with Rick. God alone only knew where that mouth had been in the past.
Cody and Lennon were particularly vocal about my dare. They goaded me into completing it in a timely manner by shoving my shoulder playfully and suggested that they knew this was a secret desire for both Rick and me. I smirked and thought I got this.
Everything Is Yours (An Everything Novella) Page 7