The Last Thing

by Gaitan, Briana

  “You guys go on ahead. I’ll catch up with you later,” I told them. I set my beer down on a nearby glass table before scanning the room for my next game. I didn’t see her anywhere, so she must have ran outside.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Barrett warned.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I saw you and Quinn talking earlier. Ginger has been chatting non-stop about her for weeks. She just moved here, and Ginger is very insistent that no one screw with her.”

  “I’m not gonna screw with her,” I said with a disgusted tone.

  “I’m just saying. I don’t wanna go down that path.”

  “What path? I just wanna see what her problem is.”

  Barrett shrugged and put an arm around Tucker’s neck. “Your loss, man. Catch you later.”

  They both must have strutted off, but I wasn’t paying them any attention. The only thing I could focus on was getting outside. Before I could make it, another obstacle presented itself.

  “Are you Chase Crowley?” said a girl with a short blonde pixie cut and a knockout figure.

  “Yeah. Do I know you?” Normally I wasn’t rude to pretty young ladies, but everyone at the party was frustrating me.

  “No, the name is Melissa. I just wanted you to know what a huge fan I am of yours. Hey, maybe we can get out of here?”

  Not so subtle and so not happening tonight. Actresses annoyed the living hell outta me. My eyes trailed up her figure and then down. No. The blonde wasn’t doing it for me. I twirled a piece of her hair between my fingers. Such a shame, she was cute too. Too bad girls like her were so boring.

  “Maybe some other time. Go try the hot tub out back. You’ll have better luck out there.”

  As I walked away, I could almost hear her mouth hitting the floor in shock.

  I stepped outside into the cool, crisp summer night. It took a few moments, but finally my eyes adjusted to the darkness. There she stood, leaning against a tree while looking up into the sky. I couldn’t explain it, but at that moment she looked so alone and so helpless that I needed to make sure she was okay. Her hot accent was a bonus. Not too many people talked with a southern drawl on the West Coast.

  I hesitated. I was Chase Crowley, and Chase Crowley didn’t care about girls’ feelings. Nonetheless, her presence drew me closer.

  Quinn

  I needed a moment to gather my thoughts. My heart begged me to feel something. Anything. This attraction to Chase, I didn’t want it. I turned my eyes up to the night sky, hoping to get a glimpse of something to calm me, but I couldn’t make out a single star. All of the smog and city lights smudged out each burning ball of gas. I heard the doors open from behind me, but I didn’t know if it was Ginger or Chase. Maybe it was a random partygoer. I turned around to find out who it was and sure enough, there stood Chase with a confused look on his face. He walked closer to me.

  “Everything okay?” he asked. I rubbed my arms as goose bumps appeared on my skin. He searched my face for an answer, his coffee colored eyes melting into mine.

  “Yes.”

  His smug expression disappeared into concern.

  “Why did you run out here?”

  “What’s with all the questions?” I snapped, immediately regretting it. Lucky for me, he didn’t seem offended. I didn’t want him to know that I’d run out of the party because I was attracted to him, and that no matter how wrong it was, I just wanted to wrap my legs around him and run my tongue over his sweet body. “It’s just that I’m trying to figure you out,” he told me. “You practically eye-fucked me back there and then run off the moment I come near you. Why is that?”

  “Excuse me? I wasn’t eye-fucking anybody. I was just standing there, trying to enjoy a drink.”

  “No, you were undressing me with your eyes.” He nodded all matter-of-factly.

  “I assume you get that a lot? Girls undressing you with their eyes?” My eyes traveled down his body and they did undress him. Damn. I turned my head away in embarrassment.

  “Hey, I’m not complaining….so do you live in town?”

  “Just got into town yesterday.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think you lived around here. Your accent is pretty thick.”

  “I don’t have an accent!”

  He chuckled. “You do, but it’s hella cute.”

  I closed my mouth and scowled.

  “Did you come alone or with a friend…boyfriend?”

  “Why do you ask so many questions?” I crossed my arms in front of my body and tapped my foot along the ground.

  “Why do you dodge all my questions?”

  “Why ya still doing it?” I threw my hands up in the air in exasperation. He snickered lightly in response.

  I needed to be truthful, be a new Quinn who wasn’t afraid of what others thought.

  “Look, Chase, you seem like a nice guy and all, but you don’t want anything to do with me. I’m seriously fucked up. In fact, I hate parties. The only reason I’m here is because my stupid cousin dragged me. I hate dresses too, my cousin dressed me up.” I tugged at the tight black fabric on my body.

  “I think you look gorgeous. Like an angel with the moon bouncing off your hair and chest.”

  I laughed it off because it sounded like a pickup line, which it probably was.

  “Do you use that line on all the girls?”

  “I normally don’t need pickup lines, hence the cheesiness of that one.”

  I felt a little more at ease.

  “You’re only attracted to me because of all this crap on my face. This is fake; it’s not me,” I said. I pointed to my perfectly made up face before pulling my hair out of its loose braid. I shook out the waves with my fingers.

  “See?” I told him. I wanted him to know. I wasn’t like the other girls in there. I wasn’t an actor. In my own way, I guess I was trying to warn him. I was broken. Empty inside. He reached up to run his hands through my hair. Softly at first, then moved his hand to my neck and firmly kneaded my most tense spots. I tried to hold back a moan. His fingers felt so good, but I didn’t want him to know how much he was affecting me.

  “It looks better this way,” he whispered softly while taking a step closer to me. His chest rubbed up against mine. He had penetrated my personal bubble. I generally didn’t like anyone getting this close to me, so I was surprised at how comfortable I felt. His dark colored eyes mesmerized me, and as my own traveled down to his full lips, I found myself wondering what it would feel like to have them pressed against mine. I licked my lips in anticipation.

  I don’t want this. Oh, yes. Yes, I do.

  My mind and body tugged at war against each other. My mind, clouded by the whiskey, began to weaken so now my body was winning. He’s an actor, used to getting whatever he wanted. But what if Ginger was right? Maybe the first step was putting myself out there.

  “I’ve heard about you,” I teased. I took a step back and shook a finger at him.

  “And what have you heard?”

  “I heard you don’t date, are an actor, and you’re amazing in bed,” I said, counting off on my fingers. My honesty shocked me. I normally wasn’t this bold.

  Chase grinned. No doubt, his ego had doubled in size. “That would be a yes to all of those. I would love to prove the last one to you.” He leaned in so that his breath was hot against my ear.

  “But I seem to be without a bed.”

  “You should be so lucky,” I said punching him lightly in the shoulder. He jokingly put his hand up to his heart in pain and took a step back.

  “You think you’re funny, huh?”

  I found myself laughing.

  “So Quinn, do you live inside LA?”

  “I live with Ginger for now, but I plan on finding a job and moving out soon.”

  “What do you do for a living?”

  “I was a makeup artist, but now I’ll take anything.”

  His eyes lit up at the mention of my former occupation. “What? Couldn’t handle all the pressures of what color p
alette to go with on the eyes?”

  I didn’t want to tell him the truth so I shrugged.

  “It wasn’t about the makeup or being beautiful. It was about the art, the ability to sculpt anyone into anything. It used to be my life. I guess I just lost my passion for it.”

  He stared back at me with big eyes and a gaping mouth. “How do you lose your passion? Without my acting, I wouldn’t know what to do with my life.”

  “You’re doing the question thing again,” I warned. I wanted to avoid that question at all costs.

  “It’s damn refreshing to meet someone who isn’t in show business. You haven’t tried to name drop or pry gossip from me or anything.”

  I raised an eyebrow at him. Did people do that to him often? “That’s because I don’t care.”

  “Good because I’m not going to give you the name of my agent,” he told me. Then it came, the moment of awkward silence. We both stood there unsure of what to say. Was he going to say goodbye and go back inside or was he going to make a move?

  “I’m gonna go get a drink. Want me to bring you anything?”

  I nodded, unable to speak. He left for a moment leaving me alone in the dark. He returned within a minute just as I’d talked myself into walking home.

  “I didn’t know what you liked so I brought whiskey.”

  He held up a full bottle of Jack Daniels and two glasses.

  It was too late. My body had won again. I was staying.

  He filled our small cups and held out his glass.

  “To us.”

  Our glasses clinked together and I greedily finished the whole glass.

  “Careful now. You drink a lot?” he asked

  “Naw. Fill me up.” I held out my cup and he refilled both of our glasses. Being out here alone wasn’t the smartest move, but the more I drank, the more comfortable I became.

  After we had finished our second glass, Chase put the bottle and glasses on the ground.

  “I better cut us off.”

  I could barely stand, so I leaned against him.

  “Whoa!” Chase stumbled as well but kept a firm grip on my arms so that I didn’t fall.

  He brought his hand up and cupped the side of my face. He stared at me silently for a few moments, and I squirmed beneath his gaze, wondering what he was thinking.

  “There’s just something about you,” he told me. He didn’t wait for me to say anything. He covered my mouth with his and my legs began to weaken from the pressure of his lips. His body pressed up against mine, and warmth quickly traveled down between my legs. I hadn’t been this turned on by another man in so long. I reached out and ran my hands down his biceps. They were hard and I could only imagine what all he hid under that black shirt. I’m sure it was all chiseled and perfect. Chase swirled his tongue against mine making me shiver in delight.

  This feeling was so hypnotic and different from what I had with Bash. I rubbed my legs together, as the pressure in between them began to increase and make me uncomfortable. He broke our kiss only to continue them across my face and down my neck. Oh, he smelled so good. Like after dinner mints.

  “Did you feel that?” he asked me bringing his face back up to mine.

  My mind warned me to stop, but there was no way I could do that now. My body protested with all its might. His hands traveled down my shoulders and past my hips stopping firmly on my butt. I gave out a small yelp of surprise as he lifted me up, causing me to wrap my legs tightly around his waist. My short dress had moved up my hips, and I hoped that no one came outside. It was exciting though, doing this out in the open. His hardness rubbed against me, which caused me to press against him as he continued to lick and kiss my tingling skin.

  “Chase….” I moaned. It had been so long since I’d felt anything remotely close to this.

  He walked further into the shadows before roughly pushing me up against the concrete wall that surrounded the perimeter of the house. He took the opportunity to slip his hands under the bottom of my dress and grab my hips. I gasped as he pushed himself in between my legs.

  “Do you want to stop?” he asked. I shook my head against his shoulder.

  “No, I need this.” I reached down and tugged at his jeans. He leaned back so that I could wiggle them down his hips.

  That was all the confirmation he needed. The next thing I knew, he tore my panties away. I gasped at the shock of a man actually tearing my underwear off. The sound of the fabric ripping freed me, as if I could finally breathe. Finally feel. Good thing I’d worn a tiny black thong. As his hands explored my body, I relaxed. Chase is a stranger. You need to stop this! I pushed the annoying thoughts from my mind. I was just going to enjoy this. He brought his face up to my ear and sighed. His hot breath caused a shiver to run down my spine.

  “Dammit. I don’t have any protection.”

  What? What kind of guy walks around without a condom in their wallet? I whimpered in frustration. He didn’t even offer up any explanation. No way, I was this close to a moment of pleasure. I couldn’t let him walk away. I was on birth control. One time couldn’t hurt, right?

  Bad idea, Quinn.

  Shut-up!

  “It’s okay. I’m on the pill.”

  Chase seemed to be having an internal struggle with himself as to whether to continue. Before I could comprehend what was happening, he entered me. It had been a while, but my body greedily accepted him. I cried out in shock, but quickly buried the sound in his shoulder. My body was already wet and waiting for him. He held still for a long minute, and it almost had me whimpering in anticipation. He filled me up; stretching me beyond the brink of anything I’d ever experienced before. Digging my teeth into his shoulder each time he moved inside me, I forgot each initial doubt I had about our hook up. The pleasure intensified as it grew from within and I angled my hips slightly so that I could finish faster.

  He growled as he continued to pump into me repeatedly. With each thrust, waves of desire moved through me. I never experienced anything so wondrous. Even with Bash, I’d never felt this kind of excitement. Chase was different, more experienced. He knew exactly what he was doing with his body and how to use it to benefit us both. He moved us away from the wall. Holding me carefully, he hurried over to a small bench and sat down with me on top of him.

  “You’re so beautiful.” He reached up to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear.

  “I want to watch you come,” he whispered in my ear.

  I giggled; this was something Bash had never been interested in doing. Chase removed his hands from my hips and brought them up to knead my breasts in rhythm with his tongue on my shoulders. I moved up and down his shaft. Slowly at first, until the pressure built up once more. Each time I came down on top of him, he made a noise to let me know how good it felt. I threw my head back and closed my eyes as I fell over the edge. Rocking against him, I screamed out loud. I could feel his body twitching beneath me. As he grabbed my hips and pushed himself deeper inside of me, we both came together.

  “Fuck…” he groaned. Out of breath, I opened my eyes and leaned forward to rest my head on his shoulder. That had to be the most fantastic, mind-blowing sex I’d ever had.

  Maybe it was the forbidden nature. Maybe it was my lack of sexual activity in the past year. Whatever it was, it scared me. I wasn’t this girl, and to pretend to be her for one night satisfied each longing in my heart. Especially the longing I had to move past all the hurt. Chase’s hands trailed up my body, stopping to explore each curve along the way. His lips found mine again, but this time his kisses were soft and sweet. He pulled his lips away for a brief second. “Quinn, Who are you? Why do you feel so good?” he asked.

  “I’m nobody,” I told him, and I hoped it would stay that way. I pushed our lips together so that he couldn’t talk. I knew what he was going to say. He had already made it clear that dating wasn’t an option. The next day he’d forget about me and go on with his glorious life.

  Chapter Three

  Five Weeks later

  Chase<
br />
  I stepped out of my dressing room ready to finish my remaining scenes. As I walked past the snack table, I snagged a bag of potato chips and made my way back to the set. My stomach growled in delight as I emptied the bag into my mouth. We had already worked an eight-hour day, and from the looks of it, we would be there for a few hours more.

  “Let’s hurry it up people. We may get out of here in time for a late dinner!” an assistant yelled out. A few of the other cast members grumbled, but I didn’t care. I needed something to keep me busy.

  It had been over a month since my night with Quinn, and she had yet to return any of my calls. It was somewhat annoying, and I now understood why girls got so pissed at me when I never called them back.

  My character on Timelines had come back from the dead to avenge his killer. Cheesy, but I wasn’t going to be on the show much longer. I’d just been cast in a highly anticipated movie, and, according to my agent, my B class movie days were almost over.

  I walked back onto the set and waved at a few young female interns who winked at me. Blonde, big boobs, and easy, just my type. Typically, I wouldn’t let an opportunity to flirt with a girl pass me by, but I wasn’t in the mood today. Much to my dismay, one of the interns walked up to me. I couldn’t remember her name, but it had to start with an A or something. Ashley? Amy?

  “Hi Chase,” she said. She flipped her blonde hair behind her shoulders and leaned into me. She let her hand graze the front of my thigh. Yeah, so easy.

  “Hey, Ashley, right?” I guessed.

  “It’s Amy. Want to come over tonight?” she asked. Wow, talk about getting straight to the point. Her offer was tempting. It had been too long since I’d hooked up with any girls. Everyone after Quinn had felt bland. After a few lame attempts, I’d given up.

  Quinn was stuck in my mind. She had been so real and honest. Everyone in show business only looked out for number one. If she didn’t want to be with me fine, but ignoring me completely was rude. With her sweet southern accent and witty tongue, I figured she wouldn’t blow me off. Yeah, fuck Quinn.