Sweat hung in the air. Warm bodies pressed in waves as the crowd surged forward, giving just enough time to catch a breath and brace for the next swell. The music pounded up through the floor into their chests. The lights blazed in a dazzling kaleidoscope of colors that shot out into the darkness of the concert hall. The singer belted out her melody and the crowd in front of her screamed it all back to her.
Hayley was screaming with them. She was reaching towards the goddess that stood on the stage a few feet in front of her. She'd gotten there early to get as close to the stage as possible. She pressed into the metal railing that separated the fans from the siren before her. Still, Hayley desperately stretched out to meet her, hoping beyond hope that she'd be able to brush her fingers against the black leather of her boots. As she stretched, Hailey thought she could just touch her fingertips when the song ended and Audrey Stone stepped back upstage.
Hailey screamed her joy with the rest of the crowd as the band began to play their next song. As the drums crashed and the guitar rang out, the crowd pressed forward again. Hailey braced herself for the impact of the metal against her chest, but when it came it was accompanied by the feeling of hands gripping her breast and ass. Hailey tensed and felt the hands drawn back with the crowd. She turned her head around to try and see who it was but couldn't identify the groping fingers from the crowd around her.
Hailey felt her pulse quicken. The air seemed suddenly thick and suffocating to her. It was too hot, too dense, too much. Her eyes darted for escape. She realized she was no longer where she had been at the front. Her distraction in trying to find her molester had lost her her place and now she was inside the swarm. The waves of people pressed in on her again, compacting her against all of those around her. Her heart beat faster still as fear began to grip her. She started to make her way to the bar when a hand cupped her shoulder.
"Hey, are you Ok?" A boy she didn't know asked turning her towards him. He had to shout to be heard over the music.
"I'm going to get a drink." She said turning back to the bar.
"Did you want me to come with you?" The boy asked, trying to be heard above the speakers.
Hailey was already pushing herself through to the bar and away from him. "No, I'll be fine!" she shouted over her shoulder before diving deeper into the crowd. When she finally made it out to the bar, she took a deep breath and felt herself begin to calm down.
The air was cooler here. Not as packed. The stage drew the heavy crowd to it like a moth to open flame, leaving the bar as an oasis of calm among the turbulent seas raging behind her. Hailey ordered a sloe screw as she took her seat. When the bartender handed it over to her, she greedily began drinking. She felt the cold drink move down her throat and push out the anxiety-filled heat that had overtaken her. Now that she was away from it all, she felt less frightened and more irritated that she had lost her spot because some asshole couldn't keep his hands to himself. She'd never be able to get back up there now.
As Hailey sat and nursed her drink, Tori plopped down on the stool next to her. Her jet-black hair was tied back in a pony tail and she was wearing a black tank top that was already covered in sweat, much like the rest of Tori. "Hey," Tori said weakly waving over the bartender, "can I get a white claw?" The bartender nodded and then returned with the familiar white canister. Tori popped the lid and began to drink.
"Phew!" Tori said setting it down, "It's a fucking madhouse out there! Fucking awesome. But what's up with you? You look ready to crack some poor guy's head open."
Hailey sighed and rolled her eyes, "Lost my spot to some handsy perv in the crowd."
"Fuckers." Tori said taking another drink, "See who it was? Maybe we can get them thrown out."
"No, I couldn't find him," Hailey said, "I'll probably head back out in a little bit. Just taking a minute to cool off."
"Fair enough," Tori said. She finished her drink and then looked to Hailey, "You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Hailey said still sipping at her drink.
"Okay," Tori said hesitantly, "If I find your molester I'll deck him for ya?"
Hailey smiled noncommittally. The crash from her previous adrenaline began to creep in on her as Tori melted away into the crowd. Hailey pressed the cold drink to her forehead and felt the oncoming tightness begin to ease slightly. As she closed her eyes, she felt the vessels in her head throb. Then, something seemed to draw her attention, like a fishing hook stuck in her brain to reel her in. She opened her eyes and followed the pull and found a man stepping out of the crowd to take a seat a few stools away.
"Old fashioned," he said to the bartender. As the drink was being made he turned to rest his back and elbows on the bar and stare out at the stage. He was in a black button-up and vest, his shirt undone to expose the top of his chest. Hailey thought he looked like a bartender himself. Maybe he was off on a break and decided to join the crowd. His sleeves were rolled up showing off a wide array of tattoos. As he leaned, he arched his back and pushed out his chest, giving a hint of the lean muscles that hid beneath his clothes.
Hailey must have been staring because she soon had his attention, "Can I help you?" Haily looked away embarrassed and mumbled some sort of apology. He chuckled and leaned over to her, "You enjoying the concert?" He asked above the music. He seemed to have a smooth accent, not British per se, but more like Australian, Hailey thought. But she couldn't be sure over the music.
"Yeah, they're one of my favorites," Hailey said, noticing herself becoming more self-conscious around him.
He nodded and said, "Mine too." He turned and took a sip of his drink.
Hailey sat there a moment trying to think of what to say. She wasn't sure why she needed to say anything at all. And yet, something seemed to be tugging the words out of her.
"What's your name?"
He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow, "Ian." He said before getting out of his chair and moving closer to her, "Yours?"
Hailey swallowed. Now that he was closer he seemed to have gotten taller. Probably because Hailey was still sitting on her stool while he stood in front of her. She felt a blush radiate across her face. "H-Hailey," She said looking up at him. Her nervous stutter seemed to make him smile and Hailey felt her heart begin to speed up. When she told him her name, it was like some part of her seemed to reach out to him.
"Hailey," Ian said as he brushed some hair behind her ear. Where his hand touched her Hailey seemed to feel a warmth spread out. "Such a beautiful name." His hand lingered on her cheek and the two began to lean in, the space between them slowly vanishing.
There was a small part of Hailey's brain that still functioned enough to ask what she was doing. This wasn't like her. Hailey never hooked up with guys she just met. She barely hooked up at all. She didn't even trust Tinder. And here she was about to start making out with a guy at a concert?
But that little voice was no match to the magnetic pull that drew her into Ian's arms. Soon their lips touched and Hailey seemed to melt into him. Even that pestering voice was silenced under the radiant heat of him. When he broke the kiss, Hailey opened her eyes and thought she saw a hint of red in the iris that was staring back at her. Just a trick of the light.
"Come with me," Ian said leading her back into the crowd. Hailey followed as if in a daze.
The crowd seemed to part for him as he led her through. The bodies pressing against each other seemed to slow down like they were moving through a thick, viscous fluid. Even the music seemed to be further away from her. All that seemed real was Ian, leading her gently through it all.
They came out the other side and Hailey saw they were in a back corner of the venue. With the show and the bar drawing away most of the fans, this spot seemed vacant and empty. No one seemed to notice when Ian pulled Hailey to him in a passionate kiss. Hailey wrapped her arms around him and began to run her fingers up and through his hair. She could feel his fingers dig into the fleshy parts of her, gripping her waist and ass as he pulled her ever closer. Hailey responded by gripping the back of his neck and pulling his lips to her, deepening the kiss as much as she could.
His hand began to move up her shirt and she could feel the intense heat on her back as he moved between her shoulder blades. She moaned as he scratched his nails down her spine. His other hand began to dip into her pants and Hailey heard that little voice reawaken in her mind. It desperately tried to get her to think and consider what was happening. But the pleasure drowned it out. She let him force his hands between her legs and start to rub at her already wet slit. She moaned and ground against him.
He broke off their kiss to begin biting and kissing at her neck, each time eliciting a deeper moan from her. She felt him rubbing at her through her panties, desperately wanting more, needing more. Just when she felt she couldn't take the teasing any longer, his fingers slipped around the thin fabric and began to rub at her clit. It was like he could read her mind, the wayu he moved to her desires before she even knew she wanted him to.
His fingers danced along her, hitting her clit and slit in just the right ways to send waves of pleasure pulsating through her body. Still, she craved more.
She gripped his black vest white-knuckled as he slid two fingers inside her, her breath coming out in labored gasps. She could barely stand on her own and held on tight to him to avoid falling to the floor. He pumped his fingers in and out, massaging the inside of her as he did.
"Fuck, fuck!" She said into his ear, "Right there, right-Fuck!"
Her entire body tensed against him as he pulled her into a deep kiss. She came, soaking his fingers that were still moving inside her. Hailey quivered and shook as she fell against him. He took his hand out of her pants to catch her fall, and Hailey gave a disappointed moan. Ian just gave a wicked smile and bent close to her ear.
