One Night Stand with the Rockstar (With the Rockstar #1) (rockstar romance series) (4 page)

Look
at her eyes! Look into her soul! Look beyond the pain! Look... just look...
you’ll see, I know you will.

.6.

Jessica had been listening to Ashes
in Vain straight through for over twenty-four hours. Even during her trips to
the bathroom, to get a drink, or to get a quick bite to eat, she still listened
to the music. She couldn’t get enough of it. She couldn’t stop picturing
Slader. The way he looked at her. The way he came at her.

Her boss, Mr. Plink, had called her
three times already. She only listened to one of the voicemails. The excitement
in his voice was obvious. He knew she had been backstage. But Jessica didn’t
have a story for Mr. Plink. Not unless she tried to force a story that would be
riddled with cliches about a demented rockstar hell bent on controlling the
world. There was more to Slader than that... and it left Jessica wondering what
she would do to find out how much more there was.

Jessica heard the sound of John
leaving and smiled. For a guy that complained about Jessica’s music being too
loud, he certainly didn’t care if Jessica heard him grunting while he had sex with
Carrie. The grunts weren’t even sexy. They sounded more like John was trying to
go to the bathroom than fuck Jessica’s roommate.

A minute or so later, Carrie
knocked on the door.

That little, innocent knock.

“Come in,” Jessica called out.

Carrie opened the door, wearing
something quickly thrown on. Jessica shook her head. It was like Carrie wanted
to hide herself. Jessica didn’t care if Carrie enjoyed sex. That was okay. That
was important in life. But what about self hate? Self regret? Confusion?
Because that’s all that went through Jessica’s mind.

“Are you okay?” Carrie asked.
“You’ve been in here for a long time.”

“I should ask you the same,”
Jessica said and sat up.

“Why’s that?”

“Well, you and John were really
into it.”

Carrie blushed and looked down.
“Sorry.”

“No need. Hey, did you know your
lip is bleeding?”

Carrie touched her lip and gasped.
“Oh... sorry...”

“Why are you sorry? If it’s that
good, good for you,” Jessica said. “I wish...”

Jessica couldn’t finish her
sentence. She had her chance at that, didn’t she? She could have let Slader
touch her anywhere he wanted. He wanted to fuck her and Jessica walked away.

“What happened with your
interview?” Carrie asked.

“Nothing,” Jessica said.

“He wouldn’t talk?”

“He didn’t want to talk,” Jessica
said. “He wanted something else.”

Carrie’s eyes lit up. “Whoa.”

“Yeah. I was caught off guard.
He’s... he’s amazing, Carrie. He’s captivating. He’s commanding. He makes me
nervous and turned on at the same time. It was a set of feelings I never felt
before.”

Carrie walked to the bed and sat
next to Jessica. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

“You know, he said he was going to
keep playing there until I showed up. There was something about the way he
looked at me, Carrie. Something that was so intense, it almost scared me. He
looked at me like he knew me. He looked at me as if he knew that I would give
it all up to him. For him.”

“Why didn’t you?” Carrie asked.

“Could I just do that?” Jessica
asked. “What about my job?”

“What about it? You could get a
night with Alex Slader and get a story that would pay you. That’s kind of
win-win, isn’t it?”

“Just one night with Alex Slader?”
Jessica asked. “I don’t know if that’s possible.”

“Says who? He’s a rockstar.”

Jessica opened her mouth and
thought about it. Slader was a rockstar. Would he want more than just one
night? The way he acted towards Jessica, he acted like he wanted to snatch her
up and steal her.

Maybe for one night.

“He’s just so intense,” Jessica
said. “It’s like nothing else matters when you’re there. Time. Life. Purpose. I
didn’t even take out my tape recorder. I didn’t take out a notebook. A pencil.
A pen. I didn’t have a single fucking thought. I just stared at him. Wanting
him. Desperate for him. Maybe he sensed it. He came towards me...”

“You’re in awe over a rockstar,”
Carrie said. “That’s kind of cute.”

“It’s not cute,” Jessica said. “You
wouldn’t say
cute
if you ever met him.”

Carrie looked away and nodded. She
looked concerned and maybe hurt.

“Sorry,” Jessica said. “I didn’t
mean to hurt your feelings.”

“It’s fine,” Carrie said. “I just
wanted to check on you. To try and pry you out of this room.”

“I sort of regret it now,” Jessica
said. “I was with the lead singer of Ashes in Vain. And I have nothing to show
for it. My mind wants to think of what could have been but I have to become the
assistant now and act like I care about business... when I care about music.
About Ashes in vain. About Slader! I care about him, Carrie, and I don’t know
why.”

“Then find out,” Carrie said.

“Yeah? Where is he?”

“You said he was going to keep
playing the same place...”

Jessica looked at Carrie.

That had to be a joke, right?

Some kind of line a rockstar would
say to keep a woman near him. Jessica grabbed her cell phone and saw the other
voicemails from Mr. Plink. She was due back to work in two days, with or
without a story.

She listened to one of the
voicemails.

Jessica...
what are you doing? Where are you? Alex Slader and Ashes in Vain just surprised
the world by playing the same show again... I heard a rumor he bought the place
too. I hope you’re there. I want a story on this. Call me.

Jessica dropped her phone and ran
to her computer. It took all of two seconds to bring up a fan page for Ashes in
Vain. The band didn’t have a website because Alex Slader didn’t need a website.
He wasn’t out to sell t-shirts and wristbands with the band’s logo on it. He
was out to play music.

And that’s what he was doing... at
the same place.

It was too late to go now but
Jessica saw that the band planned on playing the next night.

And that show Jessica would attend.

You
can’t believe what I saw today. The clock retreating, the hands spinning,
trying to find each other, themselves. They wanted to hug, to find their own
peace, to meet, to know, to never harm again. They’re soulless, or so we
believe, but they face their own time, like a cruel mirror of reflection. The
click, the tick, the tock of its heart. Even when it’s dead... it’s still
alive. You know that, think about it.

Because
it never ends.

And
no, it never heals.

What
I saw today.

.7.

Slader looked at the door to the
same room with the same party still going. Hours became days, but with an
endless supply of needs, there was no care about time. With plenty to drink,
indulge in, and fantasize about, it was pretty obvious Slader would need help
with his shows. That’s why he had Jerry fly in some of his old band members.
While some were getting theirs and enjoying the company of multiple women at
once, the new guys flown in were clearheaded and ready to play. Jerry tried to
warn him about playing the same show over and over, but Slader wasn’t in
hearing a thing about it. The crowd last night was just as big... and tonight,
it would be the same. Slader commanded it that way.

People needed his money.

People envied his power.

But Slader was forced to wait,
something he wasn’t used to. Time was the one thing he couldn’t control. He
couldn’t buy it. He couldn’t own it. That’s why he explored it within his
lyrics and music so much. Because it marveled him. It shocked him. It pained
him.

So he waited.

The scent and aura of rock n’ roll
lingered in the room. The demons alive and well, roaming everywhere possible,
waiting for their next chance to strike. Slader loved it. He loved every second
of it. Because underneath it all, every person in the room was in some kind of
pain. Because everyone suffered, all the time. Just like he did. He liked the
suffering because it took away from waiting.

The door opened and tapped him
against the back. He looked over his shoulder and saw Jerry poking his head in.

“Slader, can we talk?”

“Yes,” Slader said. “It better be
worth my time. I’m enjoying this scene.”

There was a gentle haze in the room
full of small cries and moans of pleasure. The sounds of indulgences that went
beyond anything legal. Slader slipped out of the room and shut the door.

“The band is ready,” Jerry said.
“Just so you know.”

“I didn’t doubt it,” Slader said.
“And if they weren’t... I’d play alone. The crowd would still be mine, Jerry.
They’re always mine.”

“I know that,” Jerry said.

“Is this all you wanted?”

“No. There’s someone here.”

“Someone? I don’t like anyone.”

“This isn’t anyone, Slader, this is
someone,” Jerry said and smiled. “Waiting for you.”

“I don’t like surprises, Jerry,”
Slader warned.

He felt the anger building in him
already. It wouldn’t be hard at all to get rid of Jerry. In fact, Slader
pictured himself grabbing Jerry and harming him. Slader was twice his size.
Jerry was nothing but a mere loyal person... like a dog that could talk and
think like a human.

“Just go,” Jerry said. “Trust me on
this, Slader. I wouldn’t steer you wrong.”

“We’re taking the stage soon,”
Slader said. “Get the band out there to entertain while I... take care of
this.”

Jerry nodded.

Slader turned and left. He hated
the feeling of Jerry staring at him while he walked. Jerry knew something he
didn’t. Nobody should know something he didn’t. That was instinctive betrayal.
Yes. Complete betrayal. Slader made a fist and lifted his right hand.

The word betrayal just made him
shake. He swung his fist and hit the wall. The cheap plaster shattered under
Slader’s immense strength. Slader look at his hand and blew away the white
dust, revealing not a mark on his hand.

Now that was power.

And power could conquer betrayal.

Slader opened the door to his
personal dressing room. He saw a woman standing at the piano. She stood so that
Slader could see her from the side. With her head down, strands of her perfect
hair fell, almost hiding her face. The slender fingers on her left hand touched
the keys of the piano but didn’t press them. No sound. No music. She just
touched. She was intrigued.

Slader’s heart raced.

He felt himself heat up. It was the
kind of feeling that reminded him he truly was alive. She looked at him and
stood tall. Nervous. Using her right hand, she tucked that loose hair behind
her ear. Her left hand still touched the keys on the piano yet she still didn’t
play a note.

“You came,” Slader said. “Do you
still need a story?”

“Yes,” Jessica whispered. “But I
wanted to see you again.”

“Are you going to flee from me? Run
like a scared child worried about a creeping shadow on their wall?”

“You’re not a shadow, Slader,”
Jessica said. “You’re real.”

Slader smiled. “Yes, I guess I am.”

Jessica used her left hand, taking
her fingers off the piano keys, and reached back. She produced a small tape
recorder and placed it on top of the piano. She pressed a red button to start
recording.

Slader felt his lip snarl.

“I want to talk about Ashes in
Vain,” Jessica said. “I want to talk about the music. How you write it. Where
it comes from.”

Slader stared at Jessica. Her
beauty was intoxicating. He felt like he could smell it. Something beyond the
gentle aroma of her hair and the moisture on her skin. She was so nervous...
Slader wanted to lap it up with his needy tongue.

Instead of answering with his
voice, Slader pointed to his head and then to his heart.

“Are you recording any new music
now?” Jessica asked.

Slader smiled and nodded. He
stepped towards Jessica. She tried to step back and hit the stool in front of
the piano. The legs scratched at the floor and Jessica jumped.

“Such nerves,” Slader whispered.

He reached for Jessica and at the
last second, he skipped her. He grabbed the recorder and left it running. He
stared at it.

“You want this to capture my
voice,” Slader said. “My story. Because you can’t understand it. Nobody can.
The pen can’t. The printed word can’t. But my voice can. That’s why the fans
come. That’s why they buy. They listen. They live through it.”

Slader pressed the stop button and
dropped the recorder.

Jessica looked down at the
recorder. Slader smiled at the sight of her face. He then lifted his right foot
and with his black boot, he came down and shattered the recorder to pieces.
Another hard step ruined the tape. One kick sent pieces scattering.

By the time Jessica looked back up at
Slader, she was shaking.

“You’ll never forget a thing,”
Slader said. “You won’t need my recorded words. You won’t need your fast
written notes, Jessica. You came back... you’re ready for me...”

Slader moved at her again. She was
still so nervous. He gently touched Jessica and positioned her at the piano,
facing it. Taking her hands, he placed them to the keys.

“Spread your fingers,” he
whispered. “And relax.”

Slader began to press on Jessica’s
fingers. A few seconds ago the piano stood as a wooden shell... ebony, ivory,
wires... but now it played music. Music created by Jessica through Slader’s
touch.

He was suddenly hard.

Rock hard.

He throbbed in his pants, gently
touching Jessica with himself.

Jessica let out a shaky breath as
Slader continued to use her fingers to play the piano.

Then all at once, he stopped.

He stepped back and said, “Tell me
why you’re here. Tell me the words.”

“You wanted me to come back,”
Jessica said.

“But you didn’t come back last
night. You came tonight. Why?”

“Because...”

The hesitation was like a curse. A
vice to the true emotions in the room.

“Say it,” Slader demanded. “Say it
now.”

“Because I want to experience a
night with you.”

“A night?” Slader asked.

“A night,” Jessica whispered.

“Then you can share your story with
the world.”

“Only the show,” Jessica said. “The
rest is for me.”

Slader touched Jessica’s soft hair,
smelling her as her hair fell from his fingers. “The rest is for me... yes, it
is...”

With a single finger, Slader
touched between Jessica’s shoulder blades and ran down her back. He kept going
past her back to her backside and then around, touching between her legs.

“The rest is for me,” he whispered
and laughed.