The Player Ch 04 Celebration

The Player

Chapter 4 - Celebration

It would have been nice to have been woken by Rose seeking early morning sex. Or by Rose bringing early morning coffee. Or just drifting awake with her body wrapped up in Rose's. This friends-with-extreme-benefits arrangement was so much better than her old casual hookups when it came to sleepovers.

But it was none of those things. It was her phone, which seemed especially shrill after the previous night's workout. Michelle would have silenced the phone and turned it off, but the name on the display was the band's manager.

"What the fuck, Joe?" she asked, hitting answer as she slipped out of bed. A rustling of sheets told her she was waking her lover. Feeling guilty, she padded naked to the bathroom to avoid disturbing her further.

"Morning, babe. Did I wake you?" came the gravelly voice. Joe hadn't smoked in two years, but the damage to his vocal chords had been done.

"Yeah! Why the fuck are you calling at..." she checked the phone for the time, and deflated. "Oh. Nine-thirty. Sorry. Had a late night."

"I bet," he said, a knowing grin showing in his tone. Of course, he'd seen who she'd left with.

"Yeah, and fuck you too," Michelle said. "So why are you calling?"

"Got some news, and I figured you needed a heads-up," Joe said. "Your festival slot has been moved to Friday."

"Joe! What the fuck?!" Michelle yelled. "We worked our asses off to show the organizers we deserved the Saturday slot. What the fuck?" she asked again. "Who did we piss off? Why did you agree to it?"

There was a tap on the bathroom door. "You okay in there?" came Rose's voice. Michelle realized she'd been far too loud.

With a sigh, she opened the bathroom door, and nodded at Rose, holding up her phone. "Getting bad news," she said.

"I wouldn't say it was all bad," came Joe's voice, as she moved the phone back to her ear.

"Coffee," mouthed Rose, and left for the kitchen. Michelle's eyes tracked her naked form. Hair in a sex-and-sleep-caused tangle, not yet quite steady on her feet, she still tickled Michelle's libido. Maybe rage-fueled sex was on the table after she got off the phone.

"How is it not all bad?" Michelle asked, her anger still sharp, even if she had the volume of her voice more under control. And why did Joe sound so calm about this?

"We're doing the organizers a huge favor," Joe said. "Gotta be worth points, right?"

Michelle was going to ask what points were worth if they weren't getting their Saturday slot, but he continued before she could interrupt.

"They dropped a band. Singer got caught fucking a sixteen-year-old. She's in custody, and even though she'll be out by the festival, publicity's already a nightmare."

"Joe, you're making no sense. It's too fucking early. Why is a sixteen-year-old rape victim in custody?"

"No, babe," Joe said. "The singer's in custody. The sixteen-year-old is a local boy."

There was an edge of amusement to Joe's tone. She was missing something important here.

"So, still..." she began. Jesus. If it was a female-fronted band she must know them. There weren't that many. In the festival, there were only... "Wait. Fuck me, wait. They canceled the

headliner

?"

"Oh, didn't I mention that part?" Joe drawled. He sounded like the proverbial canary-devouring cat. "Yeah. You're gonna headline Friday."

Michelle dropped to the toilet seat, the plastic cover sticking to her bare ass. She didn't care.

The culmination of the festival was Saturday, and the headline band was a major national act. Way out of their league. But while the bands on Saturday were generally better-known than those on Friday, the Friday headline act was second only to the big guys. The band they'd be replacing was huge on the state level. This was mind-fucking-blowing news.

"Holy shit," Michelle said.

"See, I told you it wasn't all bad," Joe said. "I mean, you've got to know that you're probably higher on the replacement list because replacing a female-fronted band with an all-dude group wouldn't have gone down well. But you wouldn't be there if the organizers didn't think you could hack it. They were at the show last night. I met with them for a couple of hours. They'll need a bigger set list. No covers." After a pause, he continued, in a more serious tone than he'd used so far, "This really is the break you all have been waiting for, babe. It's fucking huge. I know you won't waste it. We could be looking at recording contracts, state-wide gigs." He chuckled. "We'll have merch at the show. And you're going to have a new influx of groupies. Just don't get caught with a sixteen-year-old."

"You know I won't fuck anyone under eighteen," Michelle said.

Rose had returned to stand in the doorway while the coffee brewed. Her eyebrows rose at that comment. She was still stark naked, and Michelle took time to enjoy the view.

"Let's get together today, if we can," Michelle said. "Everyone."

"I'll take care of it, babe," Joe said, and the line went dead.

"Not such bad news?" Rose asked, curiously.

"Great news," agreed Michelle. She followed Rose to the kitchen. "How about I tell you about it in the shower? Then I think celebration sex is in order."

"Shower sex followed by celebration sex? I guess I know what's on

your

mind today," Rose said. "I'd have to cut the celebration short, though. I'm working at noon. Could you put your appetite on hold until this evening? I'll need to cancel a date, but it sounds like a worthwhile cause."

"Shower still on?" Michelle asked, her eyes still roaming the naked woman's body.

"Oh, yeah," Rose breathed. "We're definitely sharing a shower."

~~~~~

The whole band was ecstatic at the opportunity. The four of them spent an hour figuring out a solid set list, with a few items as placeholders for any new work, but serviceable if there was nothing. Michelle would really like to debut at least one song from each of Jon and Sydney. They were going to want to schedule a lot more practice and maybe a couple of gigs before the festival. The next few weeks would be grueling.

But Michelle was in a much better place, post-divorce, and after her rescue from the doldrums by Rose, with guest appearances of Sandy and Brianna. Even if Rose dumped her tomorrow, and even though Sandy and Brianna were now off limits, her

musical mojo

was back.

Michelle had bought a couple of bottles of cheap champagne for the band meeting. She had a couple of bottles of slightly better bubbly for her later celebration with Rose.

~~~~~

Rose had brought home Moroccan spiced lamb pita sandwiches from her place of work. Even cool, they were delicious. Michelle was sure that sparkling champagne wasn't the best accompanying drink, but it was what she wanted for her celebration.

Rose was wearing a silky white tee which was slightly too tight over her chest, but draped over her belly. Braless, her pointed breasts swayed slightly as she moved, The thin lustrous fabric stretched between them, rippling with each movement. Michelle recognized the lightweight drawstring shorts she'd worn at the coffee shop. She was barefoot, the sight of her long legs making Michelle shudder with anticipation.

"Here's to the first album," said Rose, raising her glass.

"We're far from that," replied Michelle, with a grin. "But it might happen. We even have a track list mapped out. We need some new music though, since everything we have is already available online."

"I told you about my ex when we first met," Rose said. "He said you were the best band around. He was wrong about everything else, but I don't think he was wrong about that."

"Ten thousand groupies can't be wrong," Michelle said.

Rose laughed. "You

wish

it was ten thousand."

"Ten thousand, all over twenty-one," Michelle agreed.

Eyebrow raised, Rose asked, "You're raising your age limit?"

"We can't afford to be in the same position as the band we're replacing," Michelle said. "I mean, I'm sure she knew what she was doing, but it would be easy to fuck up. I'm gonna want to see ID, too. 'Take me home with you.' 'Sure, as soon as I see your drivers' license.' What a buzzkill."

"Better to kill the buzz than the band," Rose said. "It won't be as bad playing bigger venues. You won't be going out into the crowds. They'll be coming back to find you. Make a strict ID check on visitors to your dressing room. That isn't limited to potential bedmates. When a girl catches your eye she's already been vetted, so no buzzkill."

"Huh. I like the way you think," Michelle said.

"

Thinking

isn't the thing you like most about me," Rose said, her voice drifting into sultry territory. The tone seemed to resonate all the way down to Michelle's sex. She stood and gestured toward the couch. Michelle rose from the table and moved to sit on the right-hand end of the couch, depositing her purse and champagne glass on the end table beside her. As an afterthought, she collected the open bottle, settting it also on the table.

Rose followed, sitting beside her, then turning to stretch her legs along the cushions, knees slightly raised, as she lay back into Michelle's lap, her head nestled into Michelle's right arm. She took another sip of champagne.

"You have to admit, last night's entertainment was too young for us," Michelle said.

"I don't admit any such thing!" Rose objected. "Just because

you're

too old for the under-twenties doesn't mean I am."

"And I don't think we did them a favor by pushing them together."

"We just opened their eyes," said Rose.

"By letting them start a relationship with a foursome?" Mireille asked.

Rose shrugged. "If they were to get together without our help they're still going to remember they saw each other naked with other women. They either get past that, or they don't. But I didn't do it for them. I did it for me. It turned me on to see them come unglued by lust when they didn't even know they had the hots for each other. Remembering that will give me some

heartwarming

fantasies." She tried to gesture, but almost spilled her drink, so she took another sip, before adding, "We

could

have had them lusting after you, and then you have creepy teenage stalkers, am I right?"

Michelle laughed. "So you did it for me? You distracted two horny girls with their own horniness so they wouldn't be horny for me?"

"I'm pretty sure they're still horny for you," Rose said. "I mean, I am, and I'm not even a teen lusting for her idol."

"You say the nicest things," Michelle said. She ran a finger of her left hand down the center of Rose's chest, between her breasts, before returning her hand to her side.

"What do you do if the band never gets the recognition you all deserve?" Rose asked.

"Keep trying," Michelle said immediately. "Bartending will keep me from going broke, and as long as I don't quit I'll have an outlet for my music, even if it's just for the craft beer drinkers at the Englishman."

"That's good," Rose said. "I mean, I think you have a great shot, now, but I'd hate to see you give up."

"Having almost been there once, I'm pretty sure it won't happen again," Michelle said. "What about you, though, Rose?"

"What? I'm not about to hit the big time."

"No, I mean, are you happy with what you do? Do you have any plans?"

"What do I want to be when I grow up?" Rose asked, smirking at Michelle. "I wonder, sometimes," she said, in a more laid back tone. "I mean, being a waitress when I'm sixty doesn't hold a lot of appeal, but right now? I enjoy it. I'm not an introvert. I like being around people. Sometimes I feel like the job is a dead-end, but then I think about all of the people in my life, and I realize that almost every one of them I've met at the golf club. Including you."

"That's true," Michelle admitted.

"And it's not like there are no opportunities. I get... offers... maybe two to five times every month. Some of these guys are the wealthiest dudes in the state. If one comes along with no prenup, I might do it."

"You're serious?" Michelle asked. "No judgment, if it sounded that way, it just seems like it would be very confining for you."

"Oh, hell, I'd have affairs," Rose said. "I'd be discreet, but there's no way I'd tie myself to one person, and he'd have to know that." When Michelle frowned, she added, "I wouldn't be your Kim. He'd know the score, and so would my partners."

"You've really thought about this," Michelle mused.

"I don't think I'd do it," Rose said. "It'd have to be an extraordinary offer. But I have a friend, who's worth... well, let's say if I took my entire income, with tips, from when I started at seventeen to retiring at sixty-five, never spending a penny, saving it with interest... that's probably about where she is in her twenties. And she has that because a super-rich step dad leases wives for a few years. If I could have that, I probably would. True story - I was knocked out of my middle school spelling bee because the word on the card was ethics."

Michelle snorted.

Rose grinned. "And maybe instead I'll end up married to an up-and-coming rock star. But then I wouldn't be at all discreet, because her bad girl wife would buy her so much free publicity. And I'd make myself useful by brewing coffee and finding twenty-one plus groupies to warm her bed. But really, I'd just be using her for her body."

"Oh, yeah?" Michell's tone was ironic. "Have anyone in mind?"

Rose smirked. "Just another fantasy. Who knows?"

Michelle chuckled. "Maybe your next step from waitressing should be writing bestsellers," she said. "You have a hell of an imagination."

Shockingly, Rose's cheeks turned pink. Michelle was absolutely certain she'd never seen her blush. Sometimes her face would flush during intense arousal, or when she was about to come, but Michelle had never seen her color from shyness. Rose didn't

do

shy.

"I, uh," said Rose, "I'm working on a contemporary fantasy novel. I don't see myself writing a bestseller, but maybe I'll be published one day."

"That's great!" said Michelle. "I hope you are! I'll play for your launch parties and seduce the pretentious New York women who show up to bask in your success." She lifted her left hand and brushed the fabric covering Rose's nipple. It moved slightly, but her touch was too light even to feel the surface within.

"Send me some of your groupies and it's a deal," Rose said. Her eyes had darkened at the touch, barely there though it might have been.

Michelle lowered her fingers to caress Rose's belly, over the smooth fabric. "Have you written anything before this?"

The woman in her lap shrugged. Her movement made the tight part of her shirt between her breasts twist. Her nipples were more prominent than they had been.

"I have outlines for a few novels. I wrote one last November for Nanowrimo, but it was crap. I wouldn't try to publish it, or even to clean it up. I did it for the practice. But by the end, I felt that I was finding my way."

Michelle's fingers continued to caress the other woman's belly. The pattern of taut fabric that she made was fascinating to watch. Rose's breasts rose and fell as she breathed, her nipples twitching with the pull of the shirt as Michelle's fingers moved.

"I've signed up for a writing class at the community college," Rose continued. Her cheeks had colored lightly again. "I start in a few weeks. I think I'm at a point where it would be helpful."

Easing her right arm out from under Rose's head, Michelle picked up the bottle and refilled Rose's wine glass, then her own, before sliding her arm back into place. Rose nestled back into Michelle's hold. "That sounds like a great idea," Michelle said. "Will you let me read your book?"

Her friend shook her head sharply, causing fascinating ripples in her shirt. "Maybe later. Much later."

Michelle ran a finger out to Rose's waist, then up her body to her ribs before continuing over the side of her breast, which yielded slightly to her touch. She circled her nipple. "Will you tell me what it's about? Vampires?"

Rose chuckled, which Michelle felt as a quivering against her finger. "No vampires. They're overdone." She took a sip of her champagne, careful to avoid Michelle's hand. "Heather told me about her friends' comic," she said. "It's very good. I guess it inspired me, but I'm not writing anything like that."

"I know it well," Michelle replied. "The artist is a good friend." She continued to circle her fingers around the nipple, which became more distinct against the shirt. "If you recognized me from O'Neill's you've probably seen him there, too."

"About your height, dark hair? Narrow face? Kinda hot?" Rose asked. Her eyes had become the sea green they seemed to change to when they darkened with arousal.

"That's him," Michelle agreed. "So what is your book about?"

Rose licked her lips. Her eyes dropped to Michelle's fingers on her nipple for a moment. "It's about a working-class witch. Trying to protect her family from demons while holding down a third-shift job."

Michelle closed her finger and thumb lightly over the nipple she was touching. She moved them around, feeling the cloth slide against the firm nub. "For young adults or adult adults?"

"I haven't decided," Rose said. "I'd thought it should be a teen story." Her breath seemed to hitch. Her nipple was hard beneath the sliding cloth now, and Michelle released it, running her fingers over the taut shirt to touch the other. "But so much fantasy is written for teens, and I think there should be sex."

"Of course there should," said Michelle.

Rose took a sip of her champagne. Michelle considered topping her glass up again, but she didn't want to move her arm from under Rose again. Her friend seemed lost in thought.

"What is it?" Michelle asked.

"I've never told anyone about the writing," Rose said. "It feels too private, but somehow I feel okay telling you."

"It's the champagne," Michelle said. "You're relaxed. You lowered your guard."

Rose glanced down at the fingers on her breast. "Not just relaxed, I think. But I think it's more than that. I feel... what we have is more romantic than I expected."

"Now I know you've had too much champagne," Michelle said, still caressing her nipple.

"No, I mean it," Rose said. "And I like it, but I feel like maybe it

should

bother me some."

"I like being with you," Michelle said, running her fingertip out to the edge of her breast, then circling back in. "But I'm not going to try to seduce you away from your other lovers, and I'm not looking to become exclusive."

"Yeah, I know," Rose said. Her eyes moved to Michelle's fingers again, "If I ever need more from you than you're willing to give, I'll back away. Until then, I kinda like the romance."

"Alright, I am definitely cutting you off," Michelle said.

"You can't," Rose stated, holding her glass out for a refill. "You're not on the clock." As Michelle worked her arm free to take the bottle, she asked, "Why? Because I said I like romance?"

"No," Michelle said, emptying the last of the bottle into her friend's glass. "Because you think you would need too much. You're maybe the least needy person I know. Plus, please don't do anything like that without talking to me." She set the bottle back down, moved her arm back under Rose's head, then stroked her nipple with her thumb. "I

like

what we have. And when I say I won't try to seduce you from your other partners, that doesn't mean I won't try to seduce

you

."

Her friend turned her eyes up to Michelle's. They seemed to hold not only the color of the ocean, but its depth. "I'd say you were doing a pretty good job," she breathed.

Drawing her hand back, Michelle said, "Good to know." She took a long sip of her champagne, then stroked Rose's neck, drawing back when Rose tried to capture her finger. "Last night. Having you inside me at the end was amazing. I'm glad I didn't just go to sleep. Also, you looked really hot." She lowered her hand back to caress Rose's belly through her shirt.