Between a Rock and a Hard Place (4 page)

Angel’s surprised gasp turned into a provocative chuckle.  “You vamp!”  He returned the blow with his bare hand on her behind.

It sent an unexpected jolt through her body, and she fell back onto one hand.  Angel quickly reached out to her, concerned that he hurt her, but it was the rush of endorphins that knocked her off her knees and blinded her.  She took his hand, and he pulled her up.  She circled her hands around his neck and whispered in his ear, “You can hit me like that any time you want.”

Tommy strained his head in their direction.  “If you two are going to put on a show, you’d better untie me because I want a front row seat.”

Oh how she wished there was truth in Tommy’s statement.  One day, she kept telling herself, one day Angel would fall and delve into the forbidden fruit between her legs.  Since she stopped pursuing him, the limited interactions they shared were spontaneous and passionate and often at Angel’s initiation.  His interest in her had advanced a great deal since he first joined their bed.

Jessi crawled up to Tommy and offered him her breast.  He leered at her nipple but didn’t take it.  “I’m not allowed to have any until you untie me.”

She reached for the sash.

“No,” Angel scolded.  “He’s not ready.”

She rubbed her breast against his shoulder and her nipple traced a small trail down his back.  By the time she got to the two small dimples just above the curve of his butt, her nipple pulsed from the friction of skin against skin.

Angel pulled Tommy to his knees and rubbed his cock against Tommy’s bottom.  He was breathing almost as loud as Tommy.  “Untie him.  I can’t wait any longer.  I’m about to explode.”

The satin scarves fell to the bed with little effort.  As soon as Tommy’s hands were freed, he grabbed hold of Jessi’s breasts which were dangling in front of him.  He sucked one while he rolled the nipple of the other one between his fingers.  Sensations traveled down her body and tickled her pussy into a spasm.  She couldn’t wait either.  There was no time to fiddle with the blindfold.  She straddled his face and hung onto the headboard.  He curled his arms around her thighs and buried his face and tongue between her legs.  He sucked her and moaned almost as load as she did, but she fought her orgasm.  She wanted to experience the pleasure that was mounting inside her.

The bed moved in waves and Tommy grunted several times.  She didn’t need to turn around to know that Angel was preparing Tommy, but she wanted to.  She peeked over her shoulder just as Angel wiped his fingers clean on a tissue and guided his cock into Tommy.  Angel and Tommy both let out a loud moan at the same time.  Angel’s head fell back and his eyes rolled up to the ceiling.  She watched the bliss that spread across Angel’s face, then looked down at Tommy between her legs.  His lashes flickered and his mouth licked and sucked her.  She was defenseless against the orgasm that she tried to stave off.  It overtook her without a fight.  Her body convulsed and twitched while she struggled to breathe.

Angel pumped Tommy hard from the other end.  It made Tommy’s mouth work with extra fervor.  She was dizzy and had to hold onto the headboard.  She was done, but Tommy wouldn’t release his hold on her legs or his mouth on her body.  The three of them bounced on top of the bed. Light gasps of air sent a cool breeze between her drenched thighs.  She tried to lean back and grab Tommy’s cock, but she could barely reach it.  She felt Angel’s hand on top of hers.  It caught two of her fingers as he stroked Tommy, and it didn’t take long before both of their hands were covered in wet sticky fluid.  Angel fell on top of Tommy first, then Tommy’s grip on her legs softened, which sent her backwards on top of Angel.  She rolled off of him with Tommy still holding onto one of her legs.  Exhaustion prevented Jessi from moving, and seconds later, her eyes fluttered closed.

Chapter Three

Returning to The Quadrangle made the journey to fame seem surreal.  It felt like an ordinary Saturday night, until they got to the venue.  The back room, which formerly wasn’t more than a room with a couch, transformed into a full-fledged dressing room.  There was a small bar stocked with top shelf liquor, staffed by a bartender, and a security guard at the door.  The ratty old couch was replaced by a plump sofa and a glass coffee table.  They were treated like celebrities.

The large flat screen TV that hung on the wall was another new addition, and Angel wondered if all of The Quadrangle’s renovations and improvements were done because of their return.  He looked closer at the television and realized it was a closed circuit TV which broadcasted the opening band that was on stage.  He recognized them as a group of local indie musicians.  He turned up the sound so he could listen to them.  It reminded him of his years of hard work, playing venue after venue, hoping for the big break that he was sure was just around the corner.  He remembered the first time Immortal Angel played at The Quadrangle when they were first starting out.  They had been budding musicians with an average guitar player and big dreams.  It made him realize him how much the band had evolved since then, both musically and professionally.

Tommy’s arm slipped around Angel’s shoulder.  “They’re good.  That was us not too long ago, remember?”

“Of course I remember, mi amor.”  It was the stage that saw the beginning of their romance.  Their flirtation played out in front of everyone in a series of semi-erotic exploits.  The crowd at The Quadrangle was the first to publicly learn of their relationship, and it was met with favor and approval.  “Let’s go out front and greet the fans before the show.”

No one was prepared for the uproar of the fans at The Quadrangle.  It was mass hysteria as soon as Immortal Angel appeared from the back room.  Security quickly came to their aid and surrounded them.  The crowd was comprised mostly of the same fans that used to attend Immortal Angel’s monthly stint, but the band’s rise to fame now commanded a greeting that befitted rock stars.

The circle of people that surrounded them tightened, and Angel bumped shoulders with Tommy.  They both shook their heads with disbelief.

“I don’t know why you’re surprised,” Jessi told them.  “You’re hometown heroes now.  You lived the American dream.  You started from nothing, worked hard and made it big.  And you returned to where it all started.  You didn’t forget the loyal fans that supported you before you were famous.”

Angel always knew he would play The Quadrangle again, but he hadn’t planned on a show so soon after the national tour ended.  Jimmy’s suggestion was for the fun of it, but playing the local venue was an excellent marketing strategy and rewarded the fans.

Security was unable to hold off the swarming crowd, and they were forced to head back to the dressing room.

A few minutes later a husky security guard poked his head in.  “We installed a railing so it’s safe to come back out now.”

Security huddled them in a tight circle, even though the crowd was secured behind a metal barricade.  Voices called for Angel, Tommy, Damien and Jimmy.  They were the familiar voices of the leather clad punk rockers that saw Immortal Angel rise to the top.  Angel would never forget their loyalty or diehard enthusiasm.  He owed them everything.  They deserved a spectacular show, and he was planning on giving it to them tonight.

Angel spotted Audra and Kira, dead center behind the barricade in the front of the stage.  He headed directly toward them, and as soon as he was within reach, they both threw their arms around his neck.  They were back in fan girl mode and he laughed at their exuberance.  “Why are you in the middle of the crowd?  Why aren’t you in the VIP section?”

Audra turned toward the velvet ropes at the side of the stage.  “It’s all the way over there.  We want front row.”

“Besides,” Kira glanced at the people around her, “we want to experience the energy of the crowd.  Look at how excited everyone is!”

Angel surveyed the audience.  They pushed at the railing and competed with one another to get the band’s attention.  Jimmy was signing a girl’s naked breast.  Damien was signing a CD.  Girls hoarded toward Tommy and threatened to topple the barricade.  Jessi was busy taking photos of them with Tommy. That’s why they loved her.  She was never the jealous wife and loved to socialize with the fans.  Alyssa was the exact opposite and hated the spotlight.  She preferred the privacy of the back room and rarely engaged in crowded interactions with the fans.

Angel watched the road crew still clearing away the opening band’s equipment.  He couldn’t wait to perform on that stage again.

Someone cut the music on the juke box, signaling that Immortal Angel was about to take the stage, and the room erupted in a unanimous round of screams and whistles.

Tommy looked back at Angel, Les Paul in hand, and waited for the cursory nod of his head.  Once Angel gave the OK, a spark ignited behind Tommy’s eyes.  It was that jolt of energy that quickened the heart and made the blood surge in your veins before a performance.

Tommy played an intricate, spontaneous guitar riff and bounced out before the crowd.  As soon as they saw him, they let loose with an ear splitting roar.  Angel barely heard Jimmy count off four beats on his drum sticks, but Tommy and Damien never missed a cue and the raunchy melody of
Cyanide Sensation
bellowed back at the audience.

As Angel sang the first lyric, the newly added stage lights came alive in shades of red, yellow and blue.  He strutted to the front of the stage and took in the welcome he received from the animated fans.  He knelt down and leaned into the audience, but they were just out of reach.  Their outstretched arms and howls beckoned him into the crowd.  He jumped down into the space between the railing and the stage and ran past the fans.  He slapped their hands along the way and they grabbed at his cropped leather jacket and almost pulled it off his shoulders.

He tried to jump back on stage, but his tight leather pants limited his movement and threatened to part at the seams.  He extended his hand up to Damien, but Damien was lost in the low, seductive notes of his new Ibanez bass.  The security guard hoisted him from behind and pushed him onto the stage.  Angel was halfway through the first song and already drenched with perspiration.  He let the leather jacket fall to the floor, exposing his tanned, bare chest, which caused a loud squeal from the crowd.  He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel and threw it in the audience. A group of girls scrambled for it, and it was lost in the shuffle of hands and arms.

To Angel’s right, Tommy sent a spellbinding wail of incredible notes through the amplifier and into the hearts of the crowd.  Their feet stomped on the floor and they shouted so loud that it competed with the music.

Angel watched Tommy make love to his precious Les Paul.  This was what Angel loved the most – sharing the stage with Tommy, making music, sharing a dream that they both worked toward their entire lives, but couldn’t be accomplished without the other.