Page 5 of Deck of Scarlets

The band began to change their tempo, a slower sound than the chaotic one we heard when we first arrived. Jeremy put his arm around me, lifting a lighter in the air. Nickie leaned closer to the stage, exposing her lady parts to all. Josh would look at them occasionally, eyeing her up and down, utterly aware of her goodies out on display.

With his brown hair pushed back from the sweat on his forehead, Josh knelt right in front of Nickie, putting his finger under her chin, singing to only her. Her eyes sparkled as if she saw the stars for the first time.

“Looks like she’s taking another home,” I told Jeremy. My voice was laced with jealousy.

“Are we surprised?” He snorted, completely missing the venom in my words.

No, I wasn’t. And I didn’t know why that bothered me so much.

Maybe he realized my drug trip and didn’t want to take advantage of me. Or they thought I was a total mess and refused to get caught up in my scandalous ass, which was probably for the best.

Josh grabbed Nickie by the hand to help her on stage. The crowd began to cheer uncontrollably, and Nickie adjusted as she stood, smoothing out her short, black skirt, taking one step forward to the mic, waiting to sing. Suddenly, a familiar tune began to play, their voices filling the room as they sang, the crowd losing their minds.

It wouldn’t be a SummerFest if Nickie didn’t end up on stage. And it also wouldn’t be Nickie if she didn’t go home with the lead singer. Jeremy and I began to cheer, calling her name, whistling like crazy. Lost in a haze of colors and odd shapes in the air, I let the music take control, basking in the company of my best friends.

As they continued their duet, I scanned the rest of the band members, shifting through the bright, zigzagged patterns until my eyes landed on the bass player. His copper hair was soaked with sweat like the others, and his fair skin flushed from the stage lights as his fingers moved effortlessly over the chords. He made wearing all black look hotter than ever, and I swore my stare was hypnotic when he finally looked directly at me. My heart jolted in the best way. The waves of colors flowed like the ocean between us, with Josh becoming nothing more than a bit of a hiccup.

He understood the hormones I projected, and a heavenly smirk displayed on those lips I knew I would kiss right after the show.

“Another bass player?” Jeremy snickered.

I nudged him playfully. Indeed another, and they were always so mysterious; I could never get enough. No harm no foul in finding someone else to suck face with. Besides, I had every right to have fun with no strings attached.

The show continued, different bands switching in and out, the music getting louder and darker. The ‘drugs’ hadn’t worn off yet, and I thought I would be in a never-ending loop of tripping out. The flask was finally empty by midnight, a clear sign for us to start heading back before our parents found us plastered on the side of the road. Thankfully, we all lived within walking distance and were close to each other’s homes. But I wasn’t ready to leave just yet; I had someone I needed to meet first.

After Gods Sacrifice’s set, I’d followed the hunky bass player all night, watching him mingle with other people and drink a few beers. He moved his body effortlessly and was carefree when friends approached him to talk, as if he were too cool to be there. But I wanted to be right next to him. To hang onto every word that left those lips that seemed to be in a constant pout. How he gripped his bottle of beer, played with the cap on the bar table, and laughed when someone said something funny. I became feral just watching him.

These drugs were making me unbearable.

Finally, God heard my obsessive thoughts as he began to pack up his instrument. He moved confidently; the whole room wanted his attention, including me. Hugging a few girls goodbye and giving his bandmates high fives, he slipped out the back door, my cue to sneak right by as the rest of the band was distracted by their groupies, one of them being Nickie, drooling over Josh as he slipped his arm over her shoulder.

I slipped past and was welcomed with a blast of muggy air, somewhat unbalanced as I checked my surroundings, trying to find the man I’d been obsessing over all night.

Chapter Three

The alleyway was dark and deserted, and the smell of decaying mice and week-old garbage made the setting super romantic. The sky above churned a pale purple from the city lights, hiding the constellations from view. A few people lingered, standing in a circle, sharing a cigarette. Cars rushed by, heedless of what was occurring in the dark.

I had just passed the rusted dumpster when two strong hands grabbed me by the shoulders, pinning me against the brick building, the jagged edges stabbing my skin. The sensation trickled throughout my body, the high of the drug feeding into the pleasure of being handled with such force.

A smile crept onto my face. “It’s not every day a girl gets handled by a strong man.”

He chuckled, the sound giving me goosebumps. “It’s not every day a pretty girl stalks that strong man.”

I bit my lip, letting the high of the drugs take control of my motor skills, and gripped the back of his neck, kissing him greedily. My hands flew to his hair, wanting to feel the texture between my fingers, still drenched in sweat. I pulled him deeper into the kiss as he set my skin ablaze with his touch. His hands traveled south to my waist, thrusting his body to mine, and a soft moan escaped my lips, feeling complete bliss from our interaction. His teeth caught my bottom lip, biting down hard. It was so hot. His hands slipped under my shirt, cupping my right breast, until his fingers slipped inside my black bra, the palm of his hand grazing over my nipple. The sensation had me grinding my hips against him.

“Get a room!” someone shouted. We ignored the comments directed at us, caring more about where our hands were traveling.

The more we kissed, the more intense our actions became. Gripping, squeezing, pulling, our movements mirroring each other’s. He eventually grabbed both my legs and hoisted me up, wrapping them securely around his waist, my back against the jagged brick wall, my dress riding up to my ass, ultimately evaporating thoughts of Josh and Nickie being together.

I tugged at his jacket, desperate for it to come off, when suddenly, an alarm sounded inside his pants, vibrating on my thigh. He leaned his clammy forehead against mine, our breathing mixed together, lips grazing just to savor the taste.

He eventually untangled himself from our embrace and placed me down gently before retrieving a phone from his front pocket.

“Damn it,” he murmured. His voice, breathless and hoarse, had no right sounding that hot. I gazed down, the bulge in his pants frantic to escape. My insides tingled with pleasure at the sight.

“Does Cinderella have to go?” I teased, breathing heavily, trying unsuccessfully to avert my eyes away from his constricted erection.

He laughed. “Unfortunately.”

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