The Final Act (11 page)

“All right.” He repressed the feeling he’d just sold out Cara. “I’ll call and welcome Renée to the show and have her fly out as soon as possible.”

As he hung up, Phil put aside his reservations. Renée would be an asset to the show, and he’d do everything he could to promote Cara at the next opportunity or use her again in another show. He called Kurt Peters to give him the news of the new casting.

Act Two: On Tour

Scene One: St. Paul

Jake gazed at Gretchen instead of the movie. The light from the screen cast her face in shifting lights and shadows. It shone off her fine, golden hair, inviting him to touch it. He reached over and fingered the soft strands, pushing them back from her face.

Gretchen glanced at him, smiled, and returned her gaze to the movie.

Slipping his arm around her shoulders, he settled back into his seat and tried to concentrate on the film, but all he could think of was the girl next to him. She was on his mind constantly, and he was ready to have her in his bed.

He’d taken his time with Gretchen, wooing her slowly and respectfully, a new experience for him. At first he’d been so shocked at winning her attention he hadn’t wanted to scare her off by coming on too strong. As weeks passed, he’d found an unexpected pleasure in delaying sex, pursuing her the old-fashioned way a girl like her expected. But they’d been dating in this polite 1950’s manner for too long and he didn’t know how much longer he could take ending his evenings by jacking off. If Gretchen was willing, he wanted to end this afternoon’s date buried deep inside her.

The movie was a period piece that looked like it was going to sprawl over a good three hours at the rate it was going. Jake leaned in and kissed Gretchen’s cheek, then moved his mouth down to nuzzle her neck.

She laughed and clamped her cheek to her shoulder, shutting him out. “Tickles!” she whispered.

He sat back in his seat. His feet stuck to the soda-coated floor when he shifted them. Removing his arm from around Gretchen’s shoulders, he took her hand in his and traced little circles with his thumb on her soft palm. Pressing his finger against each fingertip, he tested the new calluses developing. He loved the way her hand looked wrapped around the neck of his guitar when he was giving her lessons, and often imagined it wrapped around his cock instead.

The woman in the movie stood on a cobbled street, tears and raindrops streaming down her face. “You’ve ruined me! Where can I go after this?” she asked the man who had promised to love her forever.

“I’m sure it is no concern of mine, my dear.”

Jake sighed. He wished a carriage would come careening around the corner and bowl both of them over, ending their agony and his. He released Gretchen’s hand and reached into his pocket. Pulling out a small pillbox, he removed two tablets and dry-swallowed one. He slipped the other into Gretchen’s palm.

“What is it?” she leaned over to whisper.

“Take it now. Enjoy it later.”

“But what is it?”

“Ecstasy. Trust me, you’ll like it.

Gretchen hesitated then swallowed the E with a sip of Coke, before leaning back toward him. “What will I feel?”

“Everything. It heightens your senses.”

“How long does it take to work?”

“Not too long.”

“Sh!” the woman behind them hissed.

Jake moved his hand to Gretchen’s bare thigh and rubbed lightly up and down. His hand drifted higher, beneath the edge of her skirt, and his finger slipped under the elastic of her panties. He glanced at her profile, and she was smiling, so he explored higher, touching soft parts of her he hadn’t yet touched. Gretchen wiggled in her seat as he tickled the edge of her pussy. When he dipped his finger between her folds, she was wet.

His cock throbbed and his heart beat faster. He’d like to tease her until she came right here in the theater. He ran his fingertip up her seam, searching for her clit, and knew he’d found it when she moaned softly.

She leaned toward him again and whispered, “Do you want to leave?”

“Only if you want to.”

“Sh!” The woman behind them pushed against the back of Jake’s seat.

They stared at the screen for another couple of seconds then Gretchen turned toward him again, “Want to go now?”

“Yes!”

The woman gave an annoyed “tsk” as they stood, crouched low, and quickly exited the theater.

The lobby was full of people waiting for other shows or queuing up at the concession counter. The smell of popcorn and sugar perfumed the air. Gretchen and Jake paused at the doors, looking out at the rainy afternoon.

St. Paul in June was wet and cold. That was Jake’s impression of the city. Maybe it was a fluke and the place was usually sunshine and roses, but it seemed like it hadn’t stopped raining since they’d arrived. This was the first stop on the tour, and the unending gray skies, coupled with lower box office than expected, cast a pall of gloom over the whole company.

Gretchen stared at the rain pelting the glass front of the theater. “Looks like we’re going to get wet walking back.”

“I could call a taxi.”

“The hotel isn’t that far. We won’t melt. My God, I sound like my mother!”

They stepped outside into the pouring rain that washed the cars in the parking lot. Streetlights and headlights shone blurrily through the mist. It was the kind of afternoon made for lying around in bed with someone and taking your time, Jake thought. There was no point in running since they were going to get soaked anyway. He turned his face to the sky and held out his hands, palms up, collecting the cold drops.

Gretchen threw her arms around his neck, laughing. “Wow, this is really wet. It feels so…wet on my skin. Wetter than I’ve ever felt. I love rain. It makes everything feel clean.”

Jake looked down at the droplets clustering on her eyelashes, her hair darkened to almost brown and clinging to her head. He slid his hands around her waist and leaned to kiss her damp lips, cool and warm at the same time.

Gretchen made a small sound, and her mouth opened beneath his. Her hands curled around the back of his neck and wove through his hair. Her breasts pressed against his chest.

Jake pulled her even closer. His cock was erect and hungry between them, nudging into her belly. They kissed for long, breathless moments on the rain-soaked pavement with traffic whizzing past, splashing up jets of water.

Gretchen finally pulled away. “Mm. This feels too good. Are we going to make it all the way back to the hotel?”

He took her hand. “Come on.”

As they crossed the busy street, a truck swept by, hit a pothole full of water and drenched them. Gretchen shrieked, squeezed Jake’s hand tighter and darted for the sidewalk, pulling him along. They raced down a couple of blocks and entered the hotel lobby, panting and shaking water from their hair and clothes.

Gretchen’s thin cotton top was molded to her body so Jake could see the shape of her bra beneath it. He grabbed her and held her wet body close to his as he pressed the button for the elevator.

“You’re freezing.” He couldn’t wait to warm her up. His room was unoccupied and would be for the rest of the afternoon, since Rashid was gone. No matter what city they were in, Rashid found plenty to do. He was a social guy with a network of friends that seemed to extend everywhere he went.

Inside Jake’s room, Gretchen went into the bathroom and emerged with towels. She handed him one and dried her face on the other. “This terrycloth feels so rough. Wow, I’ve never noticed before.” She paused, staring at the towel and then at her hand.

He dried his hair, threw the towel on the floor and swept her into his arms. The E was kicking in for him, too. Her mouth had never felt softer or tasted sweeter. The air chilled his skin and made it prickle. Their wet clothes clung to their bodies, but underneath the clammy fabric, Gretchen’s heat steamed. Jake felt every inch of her pressed against him, her soft flesh and hard bones and every place their skin touched. As he pinned her against the wall and covered her mouth with his, pleasure swelled through him in waves. He pressed his erection into her and thrust lightly. All the weeks of hand-holding and polite kisses were over, and raw animal need surged to the surface.

Gretchen moaned and clutched his shoulders, kissing him just as fiercely.

Jake cupped his hands under her ass and lifted her. She clasped her legs around his waist and held on. He dipped his head to her throat, kissing the column of her neck and licking her damp skin. It felt like velvet and tasted like salt and spring rain.

“Jake.” Her fingers slipped into his hair, holding him to her.

“Hm?” He paused, giving her a chance to slow him down if that was what she wanted. His erection felt like a fucking flagpole, and blood coursed through his veins like molten lava, but he pulled back and met her gaze.

Smiling, she shook her head. “Nothing. Everything just feels like so much…more than usual. Go on.”

He carried her across the room to the bed, but didn’t dump her onto it, instead setting her on her feet. Gretchen peeled her wet shirt over her head and stood clad in only her bra and goose-pimpled skin. Jake stripped his shirt off, too, while gazing at the swell of her breasts above the cups of her bra. He traced his fingers over her collarbones, then bent and licked a line along the hard ridge. His body trembled with need, all of his senses alive and attuned to every touch, and the smell and sound and sight of her. She filled him completely and now he wanted to fill her. But he held back, sensing some tension in her.

“You sure you want to?”

Gretchen nodded, her lips trembling and teeth chattering. “Absolutely. Have to do something to get warmed up. My nipples are so hard I could stab somebody with them.” Her smile lit her face and made her eyes sparkle.

Jake could never get enough of her smile. He’d been with many women, but none with a smile like that. Her joy spilled over him and made him warm and glowing inside.

“Besides, I’m an almost twenty-two-year-old virgin. I think it’s more than time.” Gretchen’s hands dropped to Jake’s fly and began to unbutton.

He stepped back from her. “Wait. You’re a what, now?”

She followed him, reaching for his jeans. “I said I’m almost twenty-two. My birthday’s next month.”

“No. The other part.”

Gretchen rolled her eyes. “Oh please. You’re not going to make a big deal out of it, are you?”

Jake grabbed her wrists and pulled her busy hands away from his zipper. “If it’s not a big deal, why didn’t you say something before and why’d you mention it now?”

“It’s no big deal.” She broke from his grip and pressed her palms against his bare chest, stroking up toward his shoulders. “Really, Jake. I’m ready for this. I want to have sex with you. Believe me, I’m more than ready. I’ve
been
ready for a while now. And after that hit of E, I’m
really, really
ready.”

Jake wasn’t at all sure he was. “I don’t want to be responsible for—”

“What? Deflowering me? Don’t be so old-fashioned.” She laughed and slid her hands around his neck, pulling his face down toward hers and rising on her toes to kiss him.

Jake closed his eyes and surrendered to her probing tongue. Warm and insistent, it melted his resistance away. When Gretchen pulled back, he opened his eyes and looked down into crystal blue pools. Her eyes could mesmerize him for hours.

She smiled. “Now let’s get under the covers before we both catch pneumonia.” She stripped off the rest of her clothes.

Jake gazed at her body’s pale perfection: the full breasts topped with light pink nipples, the sparse golden hair at the apex of her thighs, her generous hips and long legs. His gaze lifted to her face and Gretchen’s eyebrows were raised.

“Well?”

Jake fumbled with his fly and struggled clumsily out of soaked jeans, the denim sticking to his body. When he stood naked before Gretchen, he felt suddenly self-conscious. His cock jutted out like before him like a weapon, and the idea of using it to plow virgin turf freaked him out despite her apparent nonchalance.

Gretchen stared at his dick for a moment, making him even more nervous, then reached down and took it in her hand. “It’s not like I’ve never handled one of these before, but this is a lot bigger than I remember Ryan’s being.”

“Ryan, the high school boyfriend?”

She nodded, stroking the length of his shaft, her thumb gliding over the swollen head. “And beautiful. I love the way it feels, all smooth and soft but solid at the same time.”

Jake’s stomach muscles jerked. He inhaled sharply. His cock throbbed in her hand, and he wondered if she could feel it pulsing.

Gretchen encircled his shaft and pulled more firmly. His eyes closed and he groaned. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering, from nervous excitement more than cold. He suddenly felt like a virgin himself. Doing this with Gretchen would be a whole new experience, and mean more to him than all the encounters he’d had in the past.

Taking Gretchen’s hand, he led her to the bed. He drew back the covers and they slid beneath to lay huddled, face to face, Gretchen’s softness pressed against his hard angles. He thought he could be happy staying just like that, but his dick had other ideas. It rubbed against her warm thigh and grew even harder and hungrier.

Her hands rubbed his back. “I love the way your skin is so soft, but all hard muscle underneath.” Her words were muffled against his shoulder. “Mm. And I love the way you smell. Your sheets smell like you.”

Jake kissed her damp hair and gripped her ass in both hands. He pressed his dick into her leg. He’d love to rush through the preliminaries and go straight to the part where he was inside her, but he was determined Gretchen would be completely ready for him first. Pulling away from her embrace, Jake pushed her onto her back, kissed her lips once, then moved lower, kissing a path down to her breasts.

He lifted one breast, sampling its texture and weight with his hand. His tongue swirled around the other hardened nipple and areola, pebbled from the cool air. He flicked his tongue over the tip before drawing it slowly into his mouth and sucking. The Ecstasy sent waves of stimulation crackling through his nerve endings. Her body felt like an extension of his own and he could hardly tell where he left off and she began.