EFFA
It’s so eerie here this time of night. Everything’s dark and deserted. There’s no sound now. The life that thrived here earlier this evening is long gone, replaced only by the banging of a door in a weird breeze. I’m not sure if Mercs is even here.
I’m beginning to feel a little like an idiot for coming back when I could have had a great night at the after party. Maybe there was something peculiar in that joint that made my thinking patterns go haywire.
“Effa, is there a reason we’re walking around the stadium in the pitch black by flashlight?” Raoul asks in a hushed tone.
Swallowing hard, I gnaw on my bottom lip and look up at him hoping his night vision is exceptional if there’s anything lurking in here because it’s certainly making my skin tingle. We round the corner, and we both stop as I notice the crew room light is on.
“Wait there. No one should be here,” Raoul demands in a deep aggravated tone.
“Raoul, I think it’s—”
But it’s too late, he’s taken off down the hall, pepper spray at the ready as I tense up.
Trying to keep my footsteps light, I run off down the hall behind him, but the clunk of my thigh high platform boots are making it impossible to keep quiet.
“Put your hands up,” Raoul calls out as he rounds the doorway, and I hear an “oomph” sound.
“What the fuck!” Mercs’ deep-toned voice calls out, and I race harder and faster running into the crew room to see Raoul behind Mercs, bending his arm behind his back and pinning him to a bench.
“Raoul, stop!” I yell.
He looks to me as Mercs turns his head slightly, which is firmly planted on the bench. His eyes bug out of his head as he takes me in and he lets out a massive huff.
“What are you doing here?” Raoul asks, and I wince, as he yanks on Mercs’ arm a little higher making him screw up his face.
“I’m staying here instead of the hotel. Geez…” He lets out a long groan. “Effa, will you get your goon off me?” Mercs calls out.
I rush up to them and rest my hand on Raoul’s arm. “Raoul, it’s okay. This is Mercs. The new Lighting Director.”
Raoul drops Mercs suddenly, his body slumping onto the bench as he rights himself and stands up sluggishly. “Shit, sorry. I thought you were a crazed fan sitting in wait or something…” He scrubs his hand through his hair. “Can’t be too careful with my girls.”
I half-smile as Mercs rubs his shoulder and nods. “Nah. It’s okay, man. I understand. Why are you here?” he asks.
Raoul looks at me obviously wondering the same thing.
My lips turn up into a bright smile. “Well, that’s the thing, we’re here for you actually.”
“We are?” Raoul asks.
“You are?” Mercs questions at the same time.
“Yep. Tank said you might be here, and I didn’t want you to miss out on all the fun, or be on your own. So I wanted to see if you’d come back to the party with me?”
His lip turns up as he swivels his body away from me and walks over to the sofa taking a seat. “Nah, but thanks for the offer. I’m not really the party type.”
Throwing my hip out to the side, I huff. “Okay, well then, at least come back to the hotel. Let me get you a room, a comfy bed, somewhere nice to sleep?”
Mercs looks around the crew room and shakes his head. “This suits me fine.”
Pursing my lips, I walk over to the sofa and take a seat next to him, the cushions dip and bow beneath me, and I can tell the sofa is not the most comfortable in the world. He’s going to have a hell of a stiff neck in the morning sleeping on this.
He looks at me, his brows furrowed assessing me. “Why are you sitting down? Shouldn’t you be getting back?”
Shaking my head as I lean back into the sofa, I take a deep breath and cross my leg over the other getting comfortable. Well, as comfy as I can on this monstrosity of a sofa. I tilt my head. “I’m my own person, and I say… who needs an after party in the VIP room? Let’s have one here.”
Mercs’ breath catches slightly as he looks me up and down and I realize how that sounded.
I let out a small laugh and shake my head, putting my hands up in surrender. “Hold on, cowboy. I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that I’m not going to let you spend a night here on your own. If you’re not going back to the hotel, then I’m staying here with you.”
He jolts his head back in apparent shock. “What? Why?”
“Because I’m freaking nice, that’s why.” I beam a smile and he looks to Raoul who’s still standing by the bench.
“Okay, well… thank you? I guess,” he adds not sounding too convinced.
“You’re welcome.”
“I’ll be in the green room if you need me, okay?” Raoul asks.
“Thanks, Raoul, I appreciate this.”
He nods, turning and walking out of the crew room and heading next door to my standard room. As he leaves pressure fills the air. Tension, but not an awkward one, more a type that makes the room feel like everything’s squeezing against me, tightening and enveloping my body, wrapping it up in an emotion I haven’t felt before. I just can’t pinpoint what that emotion is.
Swallowing hard, I turn and finally look at Mercs whose face is taut like he’s feeling some kind of pressure too.
Strange that we’re both feeling it?
“So…” he murmurs, making me smile as I can’t help but look down at his lips. His tongue darts out licking his bottom lip breaking me from my staring, and I look up to his eyes to see them glistening. Like he’s taking pleasure in me gazing at him. “What’s it like being Effervescent, one of the world’s biggest rock stars?” he asks with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
I raise my brow and sit up taller. “Are you mocking me?” I ask crossing my arms over my chest.
He grins. “No. Honestly, I’m a little in awe of you. You’re so… um… tiny, and that voice coming out of you? It’s shocking… but sexy too, if I’m being honest.”
“You think I’m sexy?”
He grins. “I said your voice is sexy—”
“Oh, so I’m not sexy?”
He grits his teeth and tries to hide his smile. “Fuck! I’m in a lose-lose here, aren’t I?”
“Well, that depends. If you admit to thinking I’m sexy, I could tell you something in return.”
The vibe in the air shifts and it vibrates with an electrical charge, pulsing and surging between us making my skin prickle with goosebumps.
He looks into my eyes and his dark blues shine back at me, igniting a fire in my stomach, twisting and turning, sending nervousness through me.
He nods once as our breathing escalates. “Tell me what exactly?”
I reach out placing my hand on his knee. A thrum radiates through my fingertips as I squeeze lightly. “I think you’re sexy as hell, too.”
A slow smile creeps up on his face, and his Adam’s apple bobs up and down with his heavy swallow. “You’re not a shy kinda girl, are you, Effa?”
I shrug. “Where’s the fun in that?”
“You looked great on stage tonight. I found it hard to focus. You were made to be on a stage glittered with lights.”
Smiling, I sink in slightly getting more comfortable on the sofa but leaving my hand on his knee. “Performing comes naturally for me. I was a born entertainer. The singing, though… getting that right. That took a lot of work and a whole pile of vocal coaching. But I had an awesome teacher, and she made me who I am.”
He smiles genuinely and nods finally relaxing on the sofa, the electricity seeming to ebb slightly between us and bubbling to a more relaxed state. “Who was she?”
“Olivia Scott. Well, we call her Livvy. She’s Alana’s mother, and once Livvy became my vocal coach, her and my father became very close. They ended up having a long time affair behind my mother’s back, and my dad left my mother for Livvy. So my mum up and left Nimbin never to be seen or heard of again...” I pause for a second or two before continuing, “I was ten.”
He winces, and my stomach churns feeling the memories flooding back of finding her note on the kitchen bench. I shake my head trying to rid the memory and continue, “Anyway, my dad and Livvy got married and bam… instant family. Me, Dad, Livvy and Alana. One big happy family…”
He gives me a half-smile but says nothing.
“It was rough for a little while, but soon Alana and I figured out we were better off being friends rather than enemies, thanks to the help of my best friend, Kristy.”
Mercs’ nods obviously figuring out that means Kristy from the band.
“So with me singing and Alana already knowing how to play the keys, Kristy said we should try putting our energy into music rather than fighting. Kristy told us she wanted to join in, so she learned drums, and we quickly became a trio… and that’s how Luminous was born.”
He sits back on the sofa. “It always amazes me how bands start. Some are put together, some form from agencies, and then you get the special ones… the ones like Luminous that start from something real, from a place of friendship. These are the bands that last…” Mercs’ forehead creases. “One question, though… what about Andi and Casey?”
Smiling, I tilt my head and relive the memory. “Well, Alana, Kristy and I were doing well, but we weren’t quite there. We played the pub scene and tried our best. We were young, and no one took us seriously.” He winces slightly. “We were fifteen-ish, and little did we know when we were playing a gig in Byron Bay that an agent was in the crowd. At the end of our set he came up, introduced himself, said how much he loved our sound and how gifted we all were, but the band needed a little more. We needed a deeper bass line and a better leading guitar so I could concentrate on my vocals. If we did that, then we’d be amazing. But until we filled out the band more, we’d get nowhere.”
He lets out a bemused laugh. “Wow! Harsh.”
Shaking my head, I sigh. “No. He was absolutely right. We needed more. So I put up a flyer in Lismore, there’s more population there than in our small town of Nimbin, and it took ages. We thought we weren’t going to get anywhere, and we nearly gave up. Then one day Andrea rang. She sounded gruff and curt, and I wasn’t sure she was going to be a good fit with us girls, but she said she was a bassist and her cousin played lead guitar, and they are both girls which was a plus for us. We weren’t against having men in our band, but we liked the idea of an all-girl group.”
Mercs nods. “I like that you’re all women. It’s different and kicks some serious ass.”
“Yeah, we think so, too. So they came along. We were, at first, a little worried ‘cause Andi is four and a half years older than us, which might not seem like a lot, but when you’re fifteen, and she’s practically twenty, yeah… that’s a big difference. Even Casey is two years older than me, Kristy and Alana. But we all worked really well together, and Andi kinda takes on the mother hen role, and we love her for it. Even though she’s a grumpy bitch sometimes.”
“Well, I’m just glad I get to be a part of your little family for a while,” he expresses.
“Me too… so what about you? Do you have a big family?”
He weakly smiles shaking his head. “Nah. It’s just me, Gran, and my kid sister, Kiera.”
That’s all he says, nothing about his parents, so I’m not sure if they’re just not in the picture or if they’ve passed on. Either way, I think it’s a sore point for him, and he isn’t into sharing.
Nodding, I sigh. “Where in the States do you come from?”
“Pennsylvania… a small town called Ligonier.”
Excitement bubbles through me, and I clap my hands together. “Oh great. We can call in there when we do our concert in Pittsburgh.”
His eyes open wide and he shakes his head slowly. “Oh… umm… it’s a quiet town, I’m not sure they’d like a whole rock crew coming in and tearing up the place.”
I scoff. “Oh dear Gaia. No way… not everyone. Just me. I’d love to meet Gran and Kiera.”
His brows scrunch as that buzz filters through the air again, pulsing back and forth, electro-charging as we stare at each other. “You want to meet my family?”
Smiling wide, I reach out for his hand, and warmth invades my body as my small hand barely fits around his. “Of course, I want to meet all the people in your life, Mercs. I want to know everything about you. I’m not sure why yet. I’m not even really sure why something drew me back here to spend the night on a lumpy, uncomfortable sofa with you, instead of in my five-star luxury hotel, but I just want to get to know you…” Pausing, I glance up at the ceiling and then back down. “Is that okay?” I ask hopeful.
He looks deep into my eyes, almost looking back and forth inside them for something. I’m not sure what. But I don’t look away as his intense blue eyes assess me. His chest heaves, and he brings his hand up smoothing a lock of hair away from my face which sends a shiver down my spine but in a good way.
“You’re not sexy, Effa,” he murmurs making my face fall into a frown. “You’re breathtakingly beautiful.”
My breath catches, and I feel my stomach ripple with butterflies, who are dancing the tango. That’s probably the sweetest thing he could have said right now. My cheek nuzzles into his palm, and we gaze into each other’s eyes for probably a pass too long. His cologne mixed with the stale smell of the residual smoke machine odor is a toxic combination for me. I always love the smell of concerts, but blending the natural aroma of Mercs in with it, is heightening my senses into overload.
Merely a few hours ago this place was packed out, filled with the roar of thousands of screaming, adoring fans at my beck and call. Now, sitting here staring at Mercs, all I want is to know what one man is thinking. What he is feeling. Whether a rush of emotion is overwhelming him like it’s overwhelming me. He’s come into my life unexpectedly, and without knowing him at all, there’s something about him—a calm, a presence—and I just want to know more. He appears different to everyone else. He doesn’t seem into the lifestyle—the parties, the fame. He’s his own person—a free spirit, and I like that.
“So, how wild was the after party?” His voice is low, almost a whisper, as I continue to look into his eyes, his searching as if to find something in mine.
“Just a typical Luminous party, nothing special… dancing, drinking, a few recreational behaviors.”
His hand drops from my face as he lets out a small sigh. “I know Casey’s into the harder drugs, I saw her use before the show. Do you?” He lets the question hang in the air.
I squeeze his knee again as I shake my head. “I’m more of a herb girl. I only tried the white stuff once, and it really messed with my head, so I don’t fancy that. But I do smoke the herbs, it helps me wind down, and it unleashes my creativity… that, and energy drinks.”
He frowns, and his eyes finally leave mine in a show of disapproval. I get it, not everyone’s a fan of drugs. I understand it’s illegal, but it’s what us rockers do. Not only that, we grew up in the drug capital of New South Wales, hell, probably of all of Australia. Nimbin’s practically a hotspot for new age social activities, political discourse, feminism and is pretty much a libertarian hippy commune. So I was bound to be pro whoopie weed.
Smiling wide, I shift closer on the sofa toward him and bump into his side. “Right, so there’s no television or anything in here to keep us occupied for the rest of the night, so what do you say we catch an early night?”
He looks down at his watch and lets out a bemused laugh raising his brow. “Effa, it’s nearly three in the morning.”
“I know, I have at least another three hours left in me. But alas, we should get some shut-eye. Especially, if we’re gonna be sharing a sofa.”
He glances down to the sofa we’re both sitting on and then back up to me. “And how are we gonna both sleep on here exactly?”
I have to admit the sofa is kind of small in width, and it’s going to be a tight fit, but we’ll manage. “You’ll just have to keep a good hold on me so I don’t roll off. Do you have a long shirt I can borrow? I don’t really wanna wear this to bed,” I ask looking down at my tight leather dress.
He looks me up and down and shakes his head like he’s in shock, but stands from the sofa and grabs his backpack, pulling open the zipper and rifling through it before pulling out a long grey Zoo York T-shirt. He sniffs it and tilts his head in approval and then throws it to me. Catching it with both hands, I smile as I place it to the side and bring my foot up to pull off my thigh high purple boot. I start with my right, yanking it off, the pressure of wearing the tight boot is alleviated, and I moan in relief once my foot is finally free. Then I swap to my left foot, pulling it to freedom too. I throw them to the floor, and Mercs chuckles slightly as they thump on the concrete.
“Don’t know how you can stand in those things.”
Giggling as I rub my swollen arches, I shake my head. “Lots of practice.” Standing up. I reach around my back for my zipper, but can’t quite reach it. “Urgh, stupid thing,” I murmur.
Mercs steps up behind me, placing his hand on my hip to steady me and swiping my hair from my back, sending a shiver down my spine. “Here, let me.” His voice drops to a low tenor, and my thighs clench together to dull the ache developing between them at his sensual voice. His other hand moves up and he slowly unzips the back of my dress.
That buzz is back, the surge floating through the room as the heat from his palm on my hip sends a bustle of energy straight between my legs. My breathing hitches as my chest rises and falls quickly with the slow, torturous movement of his hands on me as he opens my dress.
Mercs finally unzips me completely, revealing my panties and bra to him. He clears his throat as he takes a step back, and I turn around to face him. His eyes lock with mine as I cling to the front of my dress and decide to just go for it. I let my dress fall to the floor between us, and his eyes don’t leave mine while I stand before him in my bra and matching purple panties. His Adam’s apple bobs up and down, but the rest of his body is dead still like he’s scared to move an inch.
The air is crackling, sizzling, and bursting with tension as I lick my lips and look him dead in the eyes. The energy between us is scorching and I inch closer to him as he flares his nostrils seeming like he might be losing his self-control. Both our chests are heaving with the tension buzzing through the room as we stare at each other.
Suddenly, his hand snaps up, grabbing the back of my head, his fingers threading through my hair tightly as he lunges forward, yanking my lips to his. My lips tingle and pop as we connect. His kiss is strong as he takes me by surprise, but fuck do I like it. His other hand snakes around my waist pulling me to him. Tingles riddle my entire body as his mouth opens and his tongue enters with mine, dancing in perfect rhythm together, jumping to a beat all of their own.
Kissing Mercs feels like everything and nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life before. It’s all rainbows and butterflies and fucking unicorns dancing in cotton candy, it’s that freaking exciting.
He tastes like my berry water, and my body tingles as I ignite inside while he kisses me. It feels like fireworks are exploding all around me. My heart expands with excitement at the adrenaline coursing through my veins.
Mercs’ fingers dig into my hair, holding on tight in a show of dominance which makes my knees feel weak as he kisses me harder. My clit starts to tingle as a deep groan echoes from his chest while my hands slide up his arms holding onto his biceps, his muscles flexing with his strength.
The kiss is intense, hot and so deeply sexy as he grinds into me, making me melt into him before he begins to ease the kiss and pulls back from me, releasing my hair and looks into my eyes. We stare at each other panting for breath as I lick my lips. My hands still on his biceps while his hand on my hip loosens, and he takes a slow step back, putting a small distance between us.
Wow.
Neither of us say anything, nor acknowledge the kiss we just shared as I smirk at him and look to the sofa. I don’t think this should go any further tonight so I bend down, grabbing the T-shirt, and pull it over my head. It slides over my skin like a warm blanket. The cotton feeling at home against my flesh, a softness in contrast to the leather that’s been encasing me for the last few hours. Plus, it smells of Mercs, and that’s giving me a comfort I didn’t know it would.
His lips turn up into a small smile as I look at the sofa.
“So… time for bed?” I ask.
He takes a deep breath like he’s trying to gather himself. “You’re quite an extraordinary woman, Effa.”
I giggle with a shrug. “I like to think ordinary is boring. Now get on the sofa,” I demand.
He chuckles, turning, and lying down on his side, his front facing out. I turn my back to him and slide in against him, my back to his front, while his arm loops around my waist pulling my body tight to his, so I don’t fall off the side of the sofa.
I smile, liking the closeness of this situation. “Do you get morning wood?” I ask abruptly.
Mercs bursts out laughing as he shifts uncomfortably behind me. “What kind of question is that?”
I turn my head to look at him, but his face is merely an inch away from mine. “I just want to know what I’ll be waking up to in the morning… I’m preparing myself.”
He pulls me closer and lets out a heavy sigh. “Sometimes. I have no control over my dick.”
I giggle and move my hand over the top of his hand that’s holding onto me, running my fingers through his.
It sends warmth through me.
“It’s fine. It’s only human nature, Mercs. I wouldn’t hold it against you. Plus, I’m kind of grinding my ass into your cock right now… so you know it would make sense.”
He laughs, and the vibration rattles through my back. I like this, the comfort, the ease of us lying here in each other’s arms. This feels kind of normal, and in my life, nothing is normal. Hell, I don’t really know what normal is anymore, or if I’ve even known it. But maybe having Mercs around will start to bring me back on the right path.
The right side of normal.
“Goodnight, Effa,” he murmurs into my ear as he lays his head on the sofa arm.
“Night Mercs,” I reply, closing my eyes and relishing in his warmth.
Somehow this feels like a safe place. Like I’m meant to be here, in his arms, in his embrace.
I’m not sure if I ever want to wake up.