Page 39 of Take My Place

This is how the other half lives.

The muffled sound of cheers filters through the walls. The second half of the show is starting.

I take a large swig of wine to drown out the butterflies dancing around in my stomach.

“Take it easy, Ivy!” warns Declan. “I don’t want to have to carry you onstage.”

“Why did I agree to do this?” I wail. “I should have told Mr Metcalf I lost my voice.”

“Don’t be silly. This is what you were born to do, Ivy. Everyone else can see it. You just need to relax.”

He comes around behind me and massages my shoulders. I close my eyes and lean back into him. He certainly knows what he is doing, I can feel some of the tension melting away under his touch. My nerves aren’t completely gone, but he certainly helped.

His hands move down my front, lightly caressing my breasts.

“Mmmm.” I moan, loving the way he is making me feel.

“Does this take away the stress?” he asks.

“You know it does!”

I can sense Declan’s grin as he fondles my breasts, lightly running his thumbs over my nipples, teasing them into being erect.

“Oh, god…”

I arch my back, leaning into him to give him easier access as he continues to play with me through my clothes. There is something incredibly erotic about the thought that anyone could walk into the room at any time and catch us like this.

“Feeling better?”

I pout with disappointment, as Declan stops touching me and comes back around to take another sip of his wine.

“Why did you stop? I’m all frustrated now.”

“Exactly.” Declan clicks his fingers and points at me. “You’re frustrated, not nervous. Your mind is a million miles away from the audience waiting for you and your channelling the sentiment of our lyrics. You’re in the best possible place to give the audience what they want.”

“But I’mreallyhorny.” I wriggle about in my chair, desperate for him to come back and finish what he started.

“Sorry, Ivy. I can’t help you with that.” Declan grins wickedly, clearly enjoying the fact I am desperate to be with him. “Or at least, not right now. There’s nothing to say we can’t hook up later…”

“I like the thought of that.”

Yes, it is wrong. Yes, I have a fiancé and it should have been him I turned to when I needed my physical needs fulfilling. But I still haven’t seen Declan naked. He has a hold over me that makes me want to know what it feels like to have him inside, filling me completely, sending me to ecstasy as he enjoys himself over and over…

“Ivy! Ivy!”

I snap myself out of it, having lost myself in a daydream where Declan and I spend all day in bed together.

“Sorry, Declan. What is it?”

“We need to go stage side. We’re on soon.”

I gulp down the last of my wine and grab my guitar while Declan fetches his. A little rush of nerves runs through me, but it isn’t as bad as it was, thanks to Declan’s unusual relaxation technique.

We take our places by the side of the stage, listening as Nate, one of the other students finishes up a dramatic monologue. He is actually pretty good, which is a change given how bad some of the acts have been.

When he is done, he takes a deep, dramatic bow before walking off stage towards us.

“I warmed them up for you,” he grins. “You’re welcome!”

---