Page 153 of Cherry Beats

Wraps you up inside

Makes you think you’re worthy

Lures you in to say, ‘you’re mine’.

Her bright red light

It makes you blind

Her taste ain’t sweet

Her soul ain’t kind

She’ll fuck with you

Just wait and see

Boy, you’ve become the Devil’s doormat

And she’ll crush you ‘til you bleed.

Presley’s scowl of concentration was in place, his sticks hitting the drums with a power I’d never seen from him before.

“Woooooo!” Molly cheered. “Fuck, yeah, Presley! Tess, he’s insane!”

I turned to look at her, watching as she became a fan in front of me, and I knew, right there and then, that if I hadn’t had that night with Presley, I’d have been the same way. I’d have been another face in the crowd, seeing him for what he was, and not what he wasn’t. I wouldn’t think about anything else other than his music and how lucky his lover must be to lie down beside him every night.

The song came to a finish with a dramatic end solo from Presley that had sweat dripping from his forehead before he wiped it off with a small towel.

He looked up, gasping for breath, his lips parted as he aimed his focus in the general direction of us.

“He’s looking for you,” Molly cried when she leaned in closer.

“I know.” A small bubble of laughter escaped me, and the cravings I felt for him took over my body.

Next they played Def Leppard’sRock! Rock! (Til You Drop)and made it sound better than the original. Rhett’s voice spun around Milton Keynes Bowl like a Chinese Dragon, curling and weaving its way over the crowd, dragging the women in and making the men wish they were him. Presley couldn’t help but smile as he tore into the beat. Those arms and shoulders I loved so much working overtime.

After that, they played Mötley Crüe’sDr. Feelgood,sending the crowds into an absolute frenzy. Bourbon and I were jumping around more now, taking in the music and the mad skills of Rhett who seemed to be able to change his voice and adapt it to whatever the song demanded of him. Presley was in the zone, and Big D, Hawk, and Coops had huge grins on their faces as they jumped back and forth across the stage, enjoying the very second Rhett shouted, “Guitar!” at them, setting them free to do some particularly awesome solos each.

Then came Led Zep’sRock and Roll, and I couldn’t take my eyes from Presley for a second as I imagined how he must feel up there on that stage playing the same beat as his ultimate hero had once done. He was John Bonham for a few moments, and all the world could see how well he handled it.

He could handle anything.

They performed their own, grittier version of Fleetwood Mac’sThe Chainand blew the metaphorical roof off.

They did the same with Five Finger Death Punch’sGone Away,allowing Presley to slow down as he looked out while playing, his beautiful lips parted, his breath gasping for air and eyes begging for something before he built up to the end and killed it yet again.

“Tess!” Molly shouted at me.

“Yeah?” I called back, unable to look away from the stage.

“If you don’t marry that man, can I?”

Nervous, giddy laughter poured out of me as I raised my hands in the air and began to punch them along to the beat. “Over my dead body, Molly.”

“Murder has never sounded so appealing.” She grinned.

“You guys having fun out there?” Rhett rasped into the microphone as he brushed his hair back and panted for breath. “I can’t hear you!”

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