Page 41 of Five Summers

The strong liquor immediately triggers a coughing fit as it goes down my throat. He bursts into laughter.

“Come on, Princess, save some for me!” he playfully teases.

A warm sensation rushes through my veins, and my head feels lighter as I return the bottle to him.

Xander takes a drink from the bottle and then hands it back to me. He turns around to grab a pack of cigarettes from his bag.

Placing one between his lips, he lights it.

“Does it bother you when I use the same name your dad used to call you?”

“It did at first, but not anymore,” I say as I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. I hand him the bottle and take the litcigarette from his mouth. “I thought you called me that because you believed I was spoilt or something.”

He nods. “I did at first.”

He watches as I bring the cigarette to my lips, draw back on it, and then start coughing, sounding like a cat trying to clear a furball from its throat.

Zander bursts into laughter. “You’ve never smoked a cigarette before, have you, Princess? But I guess everyone has to start somewhere.”

“And do you still think I’m a spoilt princess now?” I hand him the cigarette and quickly grab the bottle from his hand.

“No, not anymore.”

Taking another sip from the bottle, I feel a burning sensation in my throat, but this time I manage to suppress the urge to cough. Fueled with newfound courage from the alcohol, I turn to face him. There are a few things I’ve always wanted to ask but never had the bravery to do so.

“Can I ask you something?” I inquire, apprehensive about his response.

“Depends.”

“Don’t worry about it then.”

“Nah, go ahead and ask it.”

“But you might not answer. I want you to be completely honest with me.”

“Go ahead and just ask, Princess,” he says, taking the bottle from my hands. “You might want to take it easy on the alcohol.”

I give him the finger before proceeding with my question. “Why Jade and Savannah? Why do you sleep with them?”

“You want to know why I fuck them?”

“Yeah. Why them?”

“Because they’re easy,” he replies, shrugging his shoulders. “Because they’re readily available. I don’t need to put in any effort to get my dick wet.” He raises the bottle, and I find myselffixated on his lips as they touch the rim. As he brings the bottle back down, he steals a quick glance in my direction before handing it over for me to hold. ”Because, honestly, I don’t care about chicks. I never have.”

Upon hearing his words, I realize that being punched would actually hurt less. I get it. He doesn’t give a shit about anyone as long as his needs are looked after. To prevent further emotional distress, I quickly change the subject of our discussion.

“So, where do you see yourself in five years?” I ask, trying to redirect the conversation.

“Well, that’s easy,” he replies confidently. “I see myself playing my songs to massive stadiums, filled with thousands of people. I want to hear them sing along to the lyrics I’ve written, especially since they were born out of the most challenging period of my life. I want it all - the fame, the money, the groupies. But above everything else, I want to prove all those assholes wrong who said I was nothing. I want to show them that I’m something.”

I interrupt him, reminding him of my previous compliments. “But you are something special, Xander. Your music is a reflection of who you are, and everyone will love you and your music. Oh god did I just slur my words? Did any of that make any sense?”

He laughs. “Yeah, don’t worry I understood what you were trying to say. Now it’s my turn to ask a question.”

“Sure, go ahead. Ask away.”

“The blowjob.”

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