Audrey's Awaening

Eddie Van Halen's guitar suddenly permeated my senses. My eyes flew open as my phone's custom ringtone dragged me from a blissful sleep. I grabbed the phone quickly, hoping not to disturb Audrey who was nestled so beautifully in my arm beside me. But, for as quickly as I could stop the ringtone and answer the phone, she groaned and stirred beside me. Fuck. "Sorry," I offered lamely.

"Hey, good morning," said Jo cheerfully when I answered. Hearing her voice, I smiled despite the mild annoyance of being awakened. "I hope I'm not waking you guys up."

I laughed softly, "Good morning, Jo," I said, hearing the sound of being barely awake in my voice.

Audrey raised her head from my shoulder, her eyes closed, and her hair disheveled from sleep. "Good morning, Jo," she reiterated, laying her head back down in the crook of my shoulder.

Jo giggled girlishly, "I DID wake you guys, didn't I? I'm so sorry. I was hoping you might be up by now, it's after nine."

My eyes widened, holy crap. I should have been up an hour ago. "No," I said, shaking the fogginess from my head. "I'm actually glad you called; I've slept in far too long as it is. What's up?"

"Oh, God, Jessie, I hardly slept at all last night," she said.

"What's going on?" I responded with sudden concern. "You okay?"

She snorted a soft laugh, "God, I hope so," she replied. "I'm hoping with all my heart that last night wasn't just some figment of my fevered imagination and that you and I are REALLY going to work together as Nightingale."

I laughed, turning my head to kiss Audrey on the forehead. "It wasn't a dream, Jo. Nightingale is going to happen and I'm especially proud and happy to be a part of it."

"God, it makes me so relieved and happy to hear you say that. But that's only part of why I'm calling you, Jessie. A lot of things are happening right now. I kind of made an executive decision on my own last night...and I really hope you'll be all right with it."

"Okay," I said, hearing a note of concern in her voice. "I'm sure it'll be all right. What's it all about?"

She sighed heavily, "Okay...when I got home from your place last night, I had a message to call the Stratosphere HR department bright and early this morning. Apparently, the powers that be here got wind of the fact that Danny and I are parting ways, and that I have a new partner."

"Uh-oh, is this going to be a big problem?" I asked, suddenly wide awake.

"Well..." she said hesitantly. "Sure...I mean, I guess, maybe it COULD be an issue. They say they want to hear us before committing to the twelve weeks they had promised me and Danny for next year."

"Oh, shit," I said. "When do they want to hear us?"

Jo laughed softly, "Well...that's the executive decision part, Jessie. I told them we'd play for them tonight. You and me together...a guest set. What do you think, Jessie? Can we do it tonight? I don't want to put this off and maybe have them decide against keeping us for next year."

My mind raced, we had already played two songs and could certainly repeat those. I was vaguely aware of the material she and Danny did, and I already knew a great many of the songs. "Of course," I said, trying to sound positive. "Can we at least manage a bit of rehearsal time to run through a few things first?"

"Yes," she said, "the dining room is open and available until six o'clock when they open for business."

"Whew," I said, hoping we would be able to pull it off and at least sound reasonably professional. "We certainly have our work cut out for us."

"To tell you the truth, Jessie, I'm not all that worried, because I'm sure that as soon as they hear us, I know they're going to love us. And, just so you're aware, the entire executive board for Golden Entertainment, the parent company, is going to be in attendance tonight to audition our set together." She laughed aloud at my stunned silence, "No pressure, or anything, right? But I want our set to really stand out and be special."

"Okay," I said, my mind racing. "What time shall we meet up there?"

Jo laughed aloud. "Would you believe I'm already down at the Stratosphere right now? I'm going through the material I've got and trying to figure out what we can play together. If you can get here by noon, or twelve-thirty, it should give us enough time to work out a decent enough set."

"You're the boss," I said. "I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"Ooh," she responded seductively. "Careful what you promise, baby. I may hold you to it."

I laughed and shook my head, "Promises, promises," I returned.

"Anyway, I've been working most of the night and have come up with a setlist of songs that you already know that you can sing and have some charts and things for my songs."

I felt a pang of guilt for having spent the night in Audrey's arms while Jo was left to do all the preparatory musical work on her own.

"We just need to run through a couple of things so that we sound...well, cohesive."

"Understood," I responded. "Tell you what, if you're already there, to hell with noon. I'll be there as soon as I have a shower and gulp down some coffee."

Jo laughed, "Perfect," she said. "And tell that beautiful woman there with you that I'm sorry for monopolizing your time today."

Audrey raised her head again and smiled, having heard most of our conversation. "No worries, Jo," she said, the sleepiness still in her voice. "I'm kicking him out the door in twenty minutes at the latest."

Jo laughed aloud, "That sounds great. I'll see you when you get here."

We said our goodbyes and I signed off. Audrey rose onto her side and leaned over to kiss me warmly. "Why don't I order some coffee and bagels while you shower," she said, kissing me once more.

I smiled and nodded, "That sounds great."

"Wait," she said, pulling me back as I attempted to get out of bed. "There's something I need you to do for me first."

Less than two minutes later I was writhing in pleasure as Audrey plunged her head rapidly onto my cock, taking me deep inside her mouth, her tongue and lips pulling so exquisitely it brought me to orgasm almost before my cock was even fully erect. I cried out that I was going to cum, but Audrey never pulled away. I erupted into her mouth and she took everything I had to give her, moaning softly in her throat as I let go.

"Just wanted to get your day off to a good start," she said as she pulled her head from my cock with a broad smile.

"What about you?" I asked as she then began to push me out of the bed.

"No time for me right now. Jo's waiting. Let's just say..." she said with a smile and a sly raise of one eyebrow. "That you owe me...big time."

"I won't forget," I said with a smile as I sat up and put my feet on the floor.

"See that you don't," laughed Audrey playfully swatting my ass as I stood to make my way to the shower.

Showered and dressed, I left the bathroom to find Audrey waiting for me with a carafe of coffee and a plate of bagels. I quickly ate and, after a warm embrace and a kiss, made my way to the Stratosphere.

True to her word, Jo was there and totally prepared. She laid out everything she had been working on, and we began to run through the material. I'll not go into great detail, but suffice it to say, because of Jo's due diligence, things came together at an astonishing rate, as if she and I had been together for months instead of hours. In a matter of three hours, we had well over two sets worth of quality material, with no toss-offs or fillers. Having my own guitar and effects rig would have been ideal, but Danny's borrowed equipment was more than adequate.

Feeling pleased and confident, we took a break and Jo got us some coffee from the kitchen area. Even in baggy sweatpants and a floppy pullover, Jo looked fabulous. She wore no makeup and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. I marveled all over again at her stunning good looks with her high cheekbones and her dark almond eyes.

"You know...not many women can pull off going without makeup and still look as beautiful as you," I said, giving her a serious look.

Jo blushed slightly and shook her head, "Thank you. And I'll sure bet Audrey would be one of those women also."

Indeed, she could, and I nodded with a smile.

"Speak of the devil," said Jo, returning my smile as she nodded toward the elevators.

I turned my head to see Audrey entering the dining room with several shopping bags under her arms and smiling broadly as she approached. Jo secured more coffee and we moved to a table.

"Looks like you've been busy," I smiled, indicating her shopping bags. "Did you leave anything for all of the other tourists to buy?"

"Barely," she responded with a good-natured laugh. "And I have a little something for each of you." She opened a bag and withdrew a medium-sized box with the word Versace emblazoned on the top. She smiled and handed the box to Jo. "For you, my dear. And I can't wait to see how you look wearing it."

Jo's jaw dropped and her smile faded as she realized what must be in the box. "Oh, no," she said, her eyes wide as she gaped at Audrey. "Please tell me you did not buy that dress."

Audrey laughed softly, obviously enjoying Jo's discomfiture. "But, if I told you that, it would be a lie," she smiled, watching as Jo gingerly opened the box to find the same dress she had admired in the store. The same style that Audrey had worn the previous evening.

"No," she gasped, touching the material gently with her fingertips, her breath little more than a whisper. "Audrey, I...I can't accept this. This is too much. I know what this dress cost you, and I can't let you buy it for me."

"Nonsense," quipped Audrey flicking her hand as if shooing a fly. "You don't have to worry, Jo. I did the shopping, but it was really my cheating husband's credit card that bought the dress for you. I like to think of it as a small part of his reparations package to me."

Jo moved her mouth as if she was trying to say something, but no words came out.

"Please," said Audrey, reaching over to place her hand on Jo's arm. "Let me do this for you. I love that you and Jessie have connected so beautifully and... well, doing this little thing for you helps to make me feel like I'm a part of it all."

"Oh, God, Audrey," sighed Jo with a smile of begrudging resignation. "This is hardly a little thing."

"Don't worry," she said with another dismissive wave. "Besides, it's not just you that gets a reparation gift from my husband." She reached back into her shopping bag to hand me another Versace box, larger than the one given to Jo.

"Open it," she responded eagerly with a wide grin. "I figured that, if you were going to share the stage with this gorgeous woman, you're liable to need a little something to help you stand out to let the audience know there's actually someone else on the stage with her."

I opened the box to see yet another incredible sports jacket. It was velvet and a burgundy color so dark it almost appeared black, but in the lights, it would radiate its color.

"Oh, my God, Jessie," Exclaimed Jo, leaning close to admire the jacket. "It's gorgeous...and I have a burgundy dress that will look amazing with it. You HAVE to wear it tonight."

"There, you see," smiled Audrey, beaming with satisfaction as she leaned back in her chair with her arms folded over her chest. "This makes me feel like I'm part of the team and contributing to your opening night."

"Oh, you surely are," said Jo as she wrapped her arms around Audrey's neck. The women embraced affectionately and, to my surprise, kissed briefly on the lips as they looked meaningfully into each other's eyes. As they pulled apart, I stepped in. Audrey stood and we also embraced and kissed warmly.

"Thank you," I said, my face close to hers. "If it weren't for you, none of this thing between Jo and I would have ever happened."

She cocked an eyebrow and looked at me with a frown. "If you even THINK about intimating anything about how we owe some great debt of gratitude to Ken for putting all this in motion...so help me, I'll kick you where it hurts the most."

Jo giggled as I smiled, holding my hands up defensively as I stepped away from her, covering my crotch with my hands.

"So?" Said Audrey, looking at both of us with a broad smile. "Who's hungry? I'm buying dinner."

***********************************************************

I will not go into any great detail about our performance that night, other than to say it went miles beyond anything Jo or I could have ever expected or hoped for. I wore my new burgundy jacket and Jo arrived in a sequined burgundy mini dress that, along with her matching burgundy stiletto-heeled shoes, literally took my breath away, as it did with every other male in the room.

We began our set with "Reeling In The Years", one of my more signature guitar pieces. People swarmed onto the dancefloor, some danced, but most just stood and watched us. It stayed that way for the entire set, and Jo just kept looking at me with her eyes wide and smiling. I thought it a very good sign when the kitchen staff, bartenders, and waiters also stood and watched and applauded each song.

The executive board in attendance that night met with us immediately after our set in the VIP section of the room. Not only did they give the okay to the twelve weeks Jo had already booked but also offered us four additional weeks. They were effusive in their praise and said they wanted to move Nightingale from the dining room at the top of the tower to a much larger nightclub/showroom just off the casino floor on the ground level. Also, and I suppose to sweeten the deal and guarantee we would agree, they also arbitrarily raised the wage offered from twenty-two hundred per week to twenty-five hundred.

I was silent and allowed Jo to attend to all of the business negotiations. She was very poised and businesslike during the meeting, and I was exceptionally proud of her no-nonsense approach. Later, after the meeting, when Jo and I had a private moment to talk things over, she literally burst into tears and hugged me so fiercely I could hardly breathe.

"We did it, baby," she said with a broad smile. "You and me. We fucking DID it!"

As Jo and Danny still had two more sets to perform that night, Audrey and I bid them both a good evening to make our way back to the Bellagio. Jo promised to meet us in our suite once they had finished, to celebrate our success.

As soon as we arrived at our Bellagio suite, I phoned room service and ordered two bottles of iced champagne to be delivered after midnight when I knew Jo and Danny would be finished for the night.

As I turned from the phone, Audrey stepped up to me and slipped her arms around my neck and kissed me warmly. "I was so proud and happy for you and Jo tonight," she said. "I can't believe how well this whole weekend has worked out for all of us."

I took her by the hand and led her to the sofa. "The whole idea was to have this weekend work out well for YOU," I said, stroking her cheek lightly with the back of my fingers. "This is supposed to be your birthday celebration."

Her eyes flew wide, "Oh, but it HAS been," she exclaimed with a broad smile. "This has absolutely been one of the best birthday weekends of my entire life. And it's all because of you."

I returned her smile with a sigh, "Listen..." I said. "Finding Jo and making a career change is pretty much a life-altering circumstance. But, being able to spend this weekend with you, and realizing the fantasies I've carried about you all this time, has been one of the best things to ever happen to me."

She pressed her lips together and her eyes welled with tears as she turned to take up a tissue from the end table.

As she turned, I took a moment to admire the way she looked. The only thing sexier than Audrey in her incredible dress was seeing Audrey sitting down in her incredible dress with her legs crossed. The tiny dress rode up almost to the top of her thighs and showed off her incredibly shapely legs to perfection.

I moved a little closer and put my arm around her shoulders, kissing her as she turned back to me. We kissed again, mouths opening, tongues mingling, and I felt the heat rise in her lips as she responded. I reached up and cupped her breast, thrilling all over again at the heavy pliancy of her flesh beneath the sheer material.

I dropped my hand to her legs, sliding my fingers up along the outside of her thigh. Audrey groaned softly, taking my face between her hands, and uncrossing her legs to give me access. I shivered to find her already copiously slick and wet and probed lightly with my fingertips between her lips.

With a soft cry, she pulled away, breaking our kiss, and pushed my hand from between her legs. "Um...as much as I love where this is going, I think maybe we shouldn't get too carried away with company about to arrive."

I nodded, seeing the wisdom in her words, and loving the hot flush that had risen to her cheeks.

"When we get home," she said with a heavy sigh. "And the likelihood that Ken and I might be able to find a way to resolve the issue of his infidelity. I think it will be a struggle for me to ever...go back to being intimate with him...after what he's done, and especially after being with you."

I looked at her thoughtfully, "You know, every time you bring up the subject of Ken, it sounds more and more like you are resolved to making things work out."

Audrey nodded thoughtfully, "I suppose I am," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "Even though I was so hurt and angry I couldn't even think straight, now that I've had a chance to cool down and reason things out pragmatically, it occurred to me how much I wanted to keep my family together and, hopefully, to eventually be able to come to my own terms with what Ken did."

"Um...yeah, and about that," I began hesitantly. "Listen...I guess I had always assumed that, if and when I ever made my separation with Laura a permanent thing, that it would be really kind of awkward for me to still be living in her family's home. Especially if Ken is still in the picture. I mean, at best he only ever tolerated me because of Laura. And then, of course, there's Laura who's liable to cast a very dim view of me living in your house after we've split."

She leaned forward and took both my hands in hers, "Listen to me, Jessie," she said. "First of all, let ME worry about Ken. If I even ALLOW him back into the house, it will definitely be on MY terms. If he wants to attempt to make amends and keep our marriage together, he's going to have to cater to my wishes about absolutely everything. That dog is going to have a... new leash on life," she concluded with a self-satisfied smile.

I returned her smile, appreciating her play on words.

"And, as for Laura, I'm sure she'll have all manner of pouty, foot-stamping hissy fits, as she always does whenever she doesn't get her own way. But she's made it abundantly clear lately how much she dislikes being around me and living at home. And I'm not likely to ever forget the last time she stormed out of the house. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm fine with her being that way, as long as you're okay with it too."

"Yes, but..." I interjected.

"There are no buts about it, Jessie. To me, you'll always be a part of my family and I can't imagine my life without you in it, and especially so after this weekend together. So, please...stay with me, no matter what happens with Ken...or Laura."

"I will," I nodded, taking her in my arms and kissing her. Her lips parted and I found her tongue with the tip of my own. She sighed heavily and returned my kiss passionately.

She pulled away with a laugh, pushing my chest with the flat of her hand. "Once again...we're about to have company. I'll be only too happy to continue this once we're alone for the evening."