CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Before the show starts, Jewel and Alyssa are standing around with the crowd at the front of the stage. From here they can hear a couple of fangirls that are standing somewhere behind them. Alyssa taps Jewel on the shoulder as the fangirls talk so that Jewel can listen too.
“I wish I could sleep with Ash. Oh, that guy... he’s just so wild. I can only imagine that he’s just as wild in bed. Like a lion ready to eat me alive!”
“You can have Ash because I want Vincent. He’s not so wild, a good balance between normal and not. Which is just my style. I don’t know how you can handle crazy guys like that. Besides, guitarists are hot… everyone drools over the lead singer, it’s so cliché.”
“Everyone drools over guitarists too, you ditz. But musicians are just so sexy. It turns me on so much when they can do more than just the usual… you know, missionary or whatever. Like, come on. Wild guys are amazing and musicians are just that much better.”
The girl hesitates.
“You wouldn’t even know. You’ve never tried a wild guy.”
“You’re crazy. You’re probably into bondage or something. Whatever. Vincent is so fine. I’d have his baby any day.”
The fangirls continue to talk about the band members, how they wish they could sleep with them and what they would do if they had the man they wanted. For a moment it gets weird and the girl swooning over Ash starts talking about her sex life, which is some pretty kinky stuff, but the other girl shuts that down pretty quickly.
As their conversation continues on, they talk about how they know friends of friends who have gotten with Ash and Vincent. The females talk about how those friends had come back to try to get with Ash again and were turned down for a round two, even if the sex was absolutely amazing.
The fangirls giggle as they talk about how eventually Ash will find a girl that he wants to sleep with more than once and it would ruin their chances. The conversation becomes more excited as they talk about the possibility of being the one that one of the musicians would want to settle down with. They start talking about their houses, the rocks that would be on their fingers, and their children.
Alyssa taps Jewel and gives her an “I told you so” look. Jewel just glares at Alyssa, knowing that there will be time for an “I told you so” look in return. But the conversation doesn’t reassure Jewel. Instead, it reminds her that she doesn’t want Ash to sleep with any other woman, and that makes things complicated… the same kind of complicated that she tried to avoid in the first place. She huffs.
A guy enters the conversation, but only to tell them that they should stop dreaming If they want to have some fun tonight, he and his buddy are available. They could even grab drinks after the concert. While Jewel and Alyssa listen to the new turn in the conversation, they give each other inquiring looks. They’re both wondering if what the guy said would actually work. They’re relieved when the girls scoff and their conversation ends. Jewel guesses that one or both parties walk away because she can’t hear them anymore, but she doesn’t bother to look.
A guy in a neon green hoodie and dark grey pants walks up to them and interrupts. “You looking to buy?” he asks as he shoves his hand into his jacket pocket. His eyes are shifty and he seems questionable at best.
“Be more specific,” Alyssa responds flatly.
“Coke,” he responds in a hushed tone.
Jewel and Alyssa look at each other before responding with a definite “No.” They wait until he walks away before they say anything.
Once he’s gone, Alyssa mouths the word “Oh my god” to Jewel with wide eyes. Jewel nods. Slowly, they both back away, making their way through the crowd to the back stage.
Vincent and Ash are back there. Jewel can hear them discussing ideas for a new song before she sees them. They stop talking when they see Jewel and Alyssa enter the room. Ash eyes Jewel, looking at her the way he usually does, and Jewel can feel herself melting under his gaze already. Somehow, it works every time.
She breaks away from her trance and takes a second to look at Vincent, whose eyes are locked with Alyssa’s as she walks up to him. He puts his hand around her waist and she kisses him on the cheek. Jewel remains where she’s standing and doesn’t look back to Ash.
Alyssa runs a hand down Vincent’s chest. “You know, there are a ton of girls out there calling your name,” she says as she looks up at him. “You too, Ash.”
He doesn’t notice her though. His eyes are still on Jewel. When she finally returns her gaze to his, he gives her a wink. She can’t suppress her smile.
Dammit, she curses to herself. Whatever. Get laid, go back to work.
“Yeah, as usual.” Ash responds, disinterested as he closes the gap between himself and Jewel. As Ash takes the last step up to Jewel he grabs her by the waist and pulls her into him. Jewel feels her breath escape as it turns her on.
“There’s everything a girl could want out there. Daydreams of rock stars, good beer, even drugs,” Alyssa says as she gives a small laugh, poking Vincent’s chest.
“Drugs?” Both Ash and Vincent ask, suddenly serious. Alyssa straightens up, looking a bit confused.
“Well, yeah,” Jewel continues, “some dude tried to sell us cocaine.”
Ash looks Jewel in the eyes. “Who?”
“I don’t know him.” Jewel responds, giving a shrug as she resists the urge to put her hands on Ash the same way Alyssa is with Vincent.
“Me neither. Just some junkie with goofy clothes,” Alyssa chimes in.
“What’d he look like?” Vincent probes.
“Uh. Neon green jacket?”
“And grey pants. His hood was over his head though,” Jewel adds.
“We’ve got to talk to Wolfe,” Vincent says as he kisses Alyssa. He takes a step back, waiting for Ash.
Alyssa and Jewel exchange a confused glance about the whole proceeding before shrugging it off.
Ash nods. With that both men walk away. Jewel is left with a feeling of unquenched desire as she stands here without Ash. She mumbles to herself, “That was completely unfair.”
Alyssa begins to poke Jewel teasingly, whispering to her, “Ash doesn’t sleep with a girl more than once, and he was just proving to you that he still wants you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jewel mumbles, trying to suppress the desires that Ash elicited.
Jewel gets Alyssa to stop teasing her for a moment. Their exchanges go back and forth as they make their way back to the front of the club.