One
Three days. I’d been waiting three days for my own mother to ruin my life. Holding my breath and expecting the worst. Praying that the few times we did talk got through to her. That she would stay quiet and not tell anyone about my lapse in judgment. My whole ability to have this career on my own terms rested in her hands. All because I took my eyes off of the prize once. I let my guard down. I decided to let my nether regions control me for just one night and, of course, managed to mess up everything.
After my mother and manager caught me post-amazing between-the-sheets marathon of fun with Rick, I threw them both out of my hotel room, locked the door, drew a scorching hot bath, and sat there until my fingers and toes were prunes and I was shivering in the cooled water. I cried a little and cursed a lot. At Rick for being ninety-nine percent asshole and one percent irresistible sex god. At my mother for being so shitty at parenting that I assumed she’d be emailing gossip blogs in the elevator.
But my real anger was saved for myself. Risking everything for what? Sex. Crazy good, I can die happy now sex, granted, but still. Not worth the potential disaster.
I was a less than two weeks away from the most important day of my life. The first show of the nationwide Bright Dark Dreams Tour. My tour. Basically. The label billed it as three co-headlining acts, but everyone knew the truth. Playology and I were opening for Dream Defiled, one of the biggest bands in the world right now. One with a sexy drummer I couldn’t stop thinking about. Remembering the way his hands felt on my skin. His lips against mine.
This was not the time to be thinking about Rick. I had to get dressed and head downstairs for a meeting. A meeting I’d rather jump off of the balcony of my hotel room – thirty stories above the Las Vegas Strip – than attend. But, I had no choice. I’d managed to dodge her for three days. Having my new backing band arrive helped a lot. Hours and hours locked away with them, going over songs again and again until we sounded like we’d been playing together forever. It was grueling, but wonderful.
And now, my reprieve was over. I twisted my hair into a messy bun and slipped into a sheath dress that skimmed my abundant curves. If you can’t feel good, you should at least look good, I figured. Some quick touches of makeup and a pair of killer heels and I was ready to face the evening.
I left my room and rode downstairs on an elevator with a middle-aged couple who both stared at me the whole time. I didn’t notice at first. After getting trapped in one with Rick I was still wary of letting the doors close me in, but I certainly couldn’t walk all the way down, so there was no choice. I just held my breath for most of the ride. That is, until I felt the eyes of the woman on me. She was attractive in a sharp, brittle way. All thin lips and skin stretched tight over her severe bone structure. And glaring at me like I owed her money.
Flashing a half-smile, I nodded in her direction, but her frown just deepened. I glanced over to her husband to see if I’d lost my mind, and noticed his eyes glued to the low neckline of my dress. That explained the look.
I wanted to say, “Lady, I’m sorry I have big boobs and I don’t hide them under turtlenecks all the time.” But, of course, I couldn’t say that. Instead, I arched an eyebrow and slumped against the wall as if bored. Man, if the greedy eyes of men old enough to be my father and disapproving stares of their wives was the worst of my problems I’d be a happy, happy girl. As it was, I rather appreciated the distraction from my now not so little issue with claustrophobia and growing dread as we descended to the public spaces of the hotel.
When the door opened at the level I wanted, I smiled broadly at both of my companions before exiting. “You folks have a wonderful evening,” I cooed before sashaying out with an exaggerated swing of my hips.
The woman
Three days. I’d been waiting three days for my own mother to ruin my life. Holding my breath and expecting the worst. Praying that the few times we did talk got through to her. That she would stay quiet and not tell anyone about my lapse in judgment. My whole ability to have this career on my own terms rested in her hands. All because I took my eyes off of the prize once. I let my guard down. I decided to let my nether regions control me for just one night and, of course, managed to mess up everything.
After my mother and manager caught me post-amazing between-the-sheets marathon of fun with Rick, I threw them both out of my hotel room, locked the door, drew a scorching hot bath, and sat there until my fingers and toes were prunes and I was shivering in the cooled water. I cried a little and cursed a lot. At Rick for being ninety-nine percent asshole and one percent irresistible sex god. At my mother for being so shitty at parenting that I assumed she’d be emailing gossip blogs in the elevator.
But my real anger was saved for myself. Risking everything for what? Sex. Crazy good, I can die happy now sex, granted, but still. Not worth the potential disaster.
I was a less than two weeks away from the most important day of my life. The first show of the nationwide Bright Dark Dreams Tour. My tour. Basically. The label billed it as three co-headlining acts, but everyone knew the truth. Playology and I were opening for Dream Defiled, one of the biggest bands in the world right now. One with a sexy drummer I couldn’t stop thinking about. Remembering the way his hands felt on my skin. His lips against mine.
This was not the time to be thinking about Rick. I had to get dressed and head downstairs for a meeting. A meeting I’d rather jump off of the balcony of my hotel room – thirty stories above the Las Vegas Strip – than attend. But, I had no choice. I’d managed to dodge her for three days. Having my new backing band arrive helped a lot. Hours and hours locked away with them, going over songs again and again until we sounded like we’d been playing together forever. It was grueling, but wonderful.
And now, my reprieve was over. I twisted my hair into a messy bun and slipped into a sheath dress that skimmed my abundant curves. If you can’t feel good, you should at least look good, I figured. Some quick touches of makeup and a pair of killer heels and I was ready to face the evening.
I left my room and rode downstairs on an elevator with a middle-aged couple who both stared at me the whole time. I didn’t notice at first. After getting trapped in one with Rick I was still wary of letting the doors close me in, but I certainly couldn’t walk all the way down, so there was no choice. I just held my breath for most of the ride. That is, until I felt the eyes of the woman on me. She was attractive in a sharp, brittle way. All thin lips and skin stretched tight over her severe bone structure. And glaring at me like I owed her money.
Flashing a half-smile, I nodded in her direction, but her frown just deepened. I glanced over to her husband to see if I’d lost my mind, and noticed his eyes glued to the low neckline of my dress. That explained the look.
I wanted to say, “Lady, I’m sorry I have big boobs and I don’t hide them under turtlenecks all the time.” But, of course, I couldn’t say that. Instead, I arched an eyebrow and slumped against the wall as if bored. Man, if the greedy eyes of men old enough to be my father and disapproving stares of their wives was the worst of my problems I’d be a happy, happy girl. As it was, I rather appreciated the distraction from my now not so little issue with claustrophobia and growing dread as we descended to the public spaces of the hotel.
When the door opened at the level I wanted, I smiled broadly at both of my companions before exiting. “You folks have a wonderful evening,” I cooed before sashaying out with an exaggerated swing of my hips.
The woman
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