Page 30 of Your Rhythm
8Hey! Ya, You || The Elwins
MATT
I wake up with a hard-on.I lay there blinking at the muffled glow of sunlight streaming in behind yellow curtains and try to work out where I am and why I all I can think about right now is jerking off.
Hotel room... We’re in Ottawa...
I flip over and see a pile of brown hair splayed out on the pillows of the bed next to mine.
Right. I just spent the night four feet away from Kay Fischer.
She’s facing away from me, the blankets pulled up so high they’re almost covering her head. I smile and for some reason get even harder when I hear that she’s quietly snoring. Lifting my head up, I see the clock says it’s already nine. We’re supposed to be on the road back by ten so we can make it to a meeting with Atlas.
The thought at least takes care of my boner situation. I get out of bed and grab some clothes from my bag as quietly as I can before heading into the bathroom. After stripping out of my boxers and t-shirt, I set the shower as hot as it will go and try to burn away the brain fog. I’m not hungover, but I can already tell that getting only five hours of sleep after a show is going to hit me hard today. I can’t even imagine what a European tour will do to me.
The room is so steamed up I can barely see myself in the mirror, so I crack the door open an inch to air things out before getting dressed. I look into the room as I do and freeze.
Kay’s standing by the window, peering through the gap in the curtains. She’s barefooted, the pale skin of her long legs naked until they hit the hem of my shirt and just a hint of her black underwear underneath it. I can’t tear my eyes away from the curve of her ass.
She turns at the sound of the door and I jump away before she sees me, lunging for my toothbrush and turning on the sink full blast, like that’ll convince her I wasn’t looking. I get ready quickly, still picturing her hair all tangled from sleep, tumbling down her back in the sunlight. She looked like a fucking goddess.
Get it together, man.
I drum my hands on the bathroom counter, trying to drown out the image with a beat, but that just makes the picture clearer. When I open the door all the way she’s fully dressed, coat and all, and sitting on the edge of the bed. My shirt is folded up and lying near my pillow.
“Sleep well?” I greet her.
“Not really.”
“Me neither,” I admit. “They have free breakfast here, if you want it.”
“I’m good. I’ve got to get my stuff at Lily’s and then catch my bus. Besides”—she shrugs her shoulders and glances at the bedside table—“I kind of just ate all of those.”
I look at the pile of wrappers from the little packs of hotel room chocolates.
“Didn’t know you had a sweet tooth, Kay.”
“Maybe there’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
I start throwing things into my bag. “I’m sure that’s true, but there are also a lot of things you don’t know about me, Miss Wikipedia.”
I offer to drive her to wherever Lily’s place is even though I don’t really have time, but she turns me down, saying it’s an easy bus ride. We leave the room together, her heading for the lobby and me to the hotel restaurant. We’re two steps out the door when I spot a guy lying face down on the hallway floor.
“Jesus Christ!” I shout. “Ace?”
There’s a moan in response.
“Oh my god.” Kay’s already rushing to crouch down beside him. “Ace, are you okay?”
“So fucking loud,” he groans. “It’s so fucking bright.”
He rolls over and sits up, letting out a gasp and clutching his head as soon as he does. That’s when I’m sure he’s fine; I’m pretty familiar with what hungover Ace Turner looks like. I let myself breathe again.
“You son of a bitch. What the fuck are you doing in the hallway?”
“I got back this morning. I saw the sock, man.” His voice is hoarse.
“The sock?” Kay repeats, twisting to look at me.
