Room 212 (7 page)

“I like the way you think.” His smile was genuine and I felt a little less guilt over openly lusting after his friend. I was human after all. Seth had to know he was the one I truly wanted.

When the set was finished, I did my ridiculously loud whistle with my pointer and thumb while Seth clapped over my head. They truly did sound great. I wish I had actually listened a little more closely instead of concentrating on the man behind me and the ways I wanted him to touch me.

“Sup,” Paul said, walking down the two shorts steps from the stage and approached us.

“Hey, that was awesome,” Seth said, clearly impressed with his friend.

“It really was,” I chimed in.

Paul only seemed to notice me when I added my two cents and once he did, I felt Seth tense behind me again. He scanned me from head to toe and back up, smirking as if he was assuming he already had me where he wanted me.

“And who is this?”

“Laura,” Seth said, wrapping a protective arm around my waist.

“Thanks for coming out, Laura. Do you mind?” he asked, grabbing the fresh beer Seth had just brought me from the bar and drinking half of it before giving it back.

“Don’t be a dick, Paul,” Seth snapped, annoyed.

“Sorry, baby, you made me thirsty.” I felt Seth’s anger radiate through him.

“Come on dude, I have an open tab, go get yourself one. And get her another.”

Paul smiled at me with menace in his eyes and sauntered off with more than a few appreciative looks from the women in the crowd. Half of them seemed to be waiting for him to look their way.

“What a dick,” I spewed out without thinking. I felt Seth’s chest rumble behind me.

“Yeah, he is, but it’s just the way he is. We grew up together and he has always been that way. But would you believe that we are as close as brothers?”

“Well, then you are the good apple.” I turned to look at him and he gave me a wink. A group of people finally left one of the tables and we grabbed it quickly. I lit a cigarette and Seth immediately grabbed it from me and put it out in his beer.

“What a damn waste.”

“You got that right.”

“I mean my stogie and your beer.”

“I’ll drink yours.” He grabbed and finished the rest of my beer as Paul delivered three fresh ones to the table.

“So, Laura, what’s your story? You and Seth, huh?”

“Well, that’s not my story and as far as me and Seth, he will do,” I said playfully, tugging Seth’s shirt.

“Oh, really? Already hooked? Well, watch out. He’s a ladies man.”

“Funny, he just said the same about you.”

“He’s a liar. I’m a one woman man.” Just as he let the statement out, two girls approached him taking a seat on each of his legs.

“Yes, I have no idea how I could ever believe him,” I replied sarcastically.

“Pure as the driven snow, I’m telling you.” He whispered a sweet nothing to one of the girls and her eyes widened in surprise as she giggled in response.

“Paul, we can’t stay for round two. I have to work tomorrow. But it really was one of your best.”

“We have a game on Wednesday, you making it?” Paul asked, seeming surprised by Seth’s sudden announcement of our departure.

“Yeah, I’m there,” he said. “I’m going to close out. I’ll be right back.

“I’ll come with,” I said, terrified of being left alone with Paul and his eager groupies.

“You’ll be fine. I’ll be right back.”

“Soooo, Laura. Did you like the show?”

I wasn’t sure if he meant the one he was putting on now or the one he had just finished.

“The band really is great. I hope you get to where you want to go.”

“Oh, I will.” He grabbed the waist of both girls and pulled them tighter to him. They giggled together in response and my stomach turned. God, if I had any hope of liking this guy, it just went out the window.

“Ready?” I felt Seth’s fingers thread my hair softly and in response, and I have to admit out of spite, I looked directly at Paul and replied, “Definitely.”

Paul simply smirked at me in response and briefly grabbed his best friend’s hand in a goodbye.’

The walk to the car was a quiet one. When we got in, I wanted desperately to get that intimacy that we had shared all night back, but he seemed distracted. I wanted it and I wanted it now.

“Seth? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I shouldn’t have brought you here to meet him. I’m sorry.”

“He’s a dick and full of himself, but I enjoyed the music. Wasn’t that the point?”

He looked at me with a hint of seriousness. “That’s not why.”

“Well then man of mystery, tell me why.” I chuckled and he followed suit.

He started the car, ignoring my question and turned to me.

“I have to cut our date a little short. I have to work tomorrow.”

“I move into my new place tomorrow.”

“Really, that fast?”

“I have no furniture, but yes I found a cool place. As soon as I’m in and set up, I’ll have you over.”

“Sounds good.”

He held my hand the whole ten minutes back to Dave’s, who was still not home. I saw him look at his watch when he walked me up the steps.

“Do you have to go or can you come in?” My question was innocent, but there was absolutely no good intent behind it. I wanted him on top of me, inside me, all over me.

“Laura, do you want this to go there tonight?”

“What do you mean?” Shit, he can see right through me.

“Answer me,” he said, his voice a command. I instantly came to and decided to give him an honest response.

“Tonight or the next time we meet, it’s pretty damn inevitable don’t you think?” I said in a definite tone that had the corners of his mouth turning up on both ends.

He walked inside the door that I had already turned my key into and panic struck me from head to toe. Okay, maybe I wasn’t ready for him after all. Oh, shit, oh shit. What the hell was I thinking?

He turned on Dave’s living room light and took his shoes off. He sat on the edge of the couch running his arm along the edge motioning me to join him. He must have noticed my panic stricken face or the sweat beginning to pool on my forehead because he instantly started chuckling and motioned for me, patting his hand beside him on the couch. Taking great care to take my sandals of without falling down face first, I cautiously joined him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”

“Seth, I might have jumped the g—“

He took my mouth with a gentleness that had my eyes moist again. Damn it, he kept doing that to me. I immediately gave in. There was no point at all in fighting him. He laid me down beneath him on the couch and kissed me breathless. He kept his hands above me on either side of my face. He kissed me over and over as if it was his favorite thing to do and he had all the time in the world. I squirmed beneath him, heat and need growing rabid inside of me. I was completely beside myself. I kept groping him, while he took his time carefully kissing me. I couldn’t feel his need and it was angering me. I wanted him to be just as desperate. He pulled away, seeing my eyes full of want, and smiled down at me. I was instantly pissed.

“Glad this is funny to you.”

“It’s not. It makes me happy that you want me so much.”

“Pretty smug thing to say, and I never told you that.”

“Laura,” he teased, bringing my strap down, freeing my nipple that was drawn up into a tight bead, “you don’t have to say a word.”

Before I had a chance to protest his mouth was on me. I let out a loud moan and arched my back. My insides were mush. I had to have him and now.

I reached the hard throbbing between his legs and had him freed before he had time to react. I licked my palm and gripped his length with it. He looked down at me, shock and awe on his face. I gave him a smug smile.

“I am not the only one.”

“You. Win.” He managed to get the words out and buried his mouth in my chest, kissing my nipples and throat with an endless hunger. I stroked his length over and over until I felt moisture bead at the top. I made sure he saw me bring it up to my lips and suck it off my fingers.

“Oh, fuck.” He smashed his mouth into mine, making me cry out in pain. My lips were still overly sensitive and up until that point tonight, he had taken special care of them. Finally the reaction I had been waiting for! He rose up quickly off of me and wiped his mouth with his finger. He looked at my face and my chest and shook his head as if to shake the image out.

“What?” I was on the edge of hysteria at that point.

“Your lip is bleeding.”

“Okay, it has been for days. So what?”

“I have to be able to kiss you, baby.” Again, a pain in my chest ran so deep I couldn’t breathe. What the hell was that?

“Okay. Okay.” I gathered my chest back into my dress and straddled him on the couch.

“Laura, I just said—”

“And you don’t run this show. Hush.”

He was still hard beneath me and I couldn’t resist. I lifted my dress and ran my soaking wet throbbing center onto him. The panties were completely useless at that point. I saw his eyes widen and his breathing escalate. He thrust himself under me and I cried out. I began to move my hips, meeting his thrusts, and we both cried out together in frustration.

“Fuck, this is torture,” he snapped, lifting me off of him, pulling himself back into his pants.

“I thought it was fun.”

“I haven’t been this hard up since high school.” I laughed at his remark and realized quickly that he didn’t mean to say it aloud. Thank God. One point, Laura.

“Well, I had a great time tonight. And I won’t see you again until my lips have healed.”

“Who says I want to see you again, tease? You order lobster, you’re rude, you make eyes at my best friend and I’m leaving with this?” He pointed to the hard outline in his pants and laughed despite himself again.

“I never said I was a nice girl.”

“No, no, you warned me you were a mad bitch.”

“I will be tomorrow, too.”

His fingertip caught me by the chin and he carefully pecked my lips. “And I look forward to it.”

He walked out the door, leaving me there, wanting him.

Without thinking, I quickly threw open the door and ran into his back, tackling him onto the grass. I knew how desperate I seemed, but damn it, I had never felt so good with a man in my life. If I never saw him again he needed to know.

He yelped, crashing in the yard and laughed hysterically. I turned him over to face me, straddling him again, and quickly made my statement.

“That was the best first date of my life. Thank you for all of it.”

His laughing stopped immediately. His eyes grew soft and serious.

Oh shit, Laura, you went too far!

“What I meant was you were nice and I don’t get—”

“You said exactly what you meant.” His voice was hoarse and I couldn’t read his expression. I said a silent prayer that I hadn’t screwed this up. He reached up, grabbed my neck and pulled me to his chest. We lay on Dave’s lawn for a few minutes. He stroked my back with his fingertips until I finally came to my senses and let him up.

“I know you have to work. I’m sorry. You know what a bitch I am without my sleep.” He brushed the grass off his shorts and gave me one last kiss.

“Goodnight, baby.”

“Night, Seth.”

I had managed to get a couch—a black leather love seat—by Wednesday. I was officially moved in the minute the delivery guys set it down. I was able to buy a few more important things: a shower curtain, a blow dryer, toothpaste and shampoo. I felt like a queen, but quickly got bored. I only had a couch because it was all I could afford. I had no TV and no way of decorating the place. My alternative was to pick up a shift every night that week. Kill two birds with one stone; I needed money and I needed a bed. By the end of my shift, I would have both.

I hadn’t heard a word from Seth since our date on Sunday. I assumed I’d scared him away. I pushed it to the back of my mind. I had too much to look forward to. I wasn’t looking for anything serious and he seemed a little too busy to be able to give his time away anyway. We didn’t have much in common. Maybe that was what he had decided. Either way, I was taking my new place seriously. I would have another month’s rent by the end of next week and enough money to get a phone and TV. The thought made me smile as I entered the bar.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Callie, what’s up?”

“Long day, too much coke, not enough sleep.”

“I’ve got the late shift. I need it.”

“Thanks. Should I line us up?”

“Oh yes, please!”

She grabbed two shot glasses and quickly shook us up some Royal Fucks. I downed the shot and it went down smooth so I knew I was in for a good night. My first drink always determined whether or not I would have another. The shift flew by and by 1 A.M. I had decided to triple my tips by spending a few of them.

“Gary, this is enough for ten wells!” I stuck the money in the drawer and climbed on top of the bar. Gary nodded. He loved it when I did my party tricks. I motioned to the DJ to mix in my song and quickly scanned the bar. There were more than enough men lined up salivating over Callie. I heard my song
Battle Flag
come on by the Lo Fidelity Allstars and slowly began to dance. The guys talking amongst themselves quickly turned my direction. I gave Callie the ‘pretty please’ look as my favorite line of the song came on urging me to manipulate for the greater good and cleanse my karma.