Razzo turned out to be one of those girls who went from zero to a thousand in the course of a second. My very innocent kiss woke the princess and woke her libido. Her nails dug into my shoulders and she kissed me back as if she was a starving person who hadn't eaten for years.
All thought of Rhoda flew out of my mind. Julie's legs wrapped around me and I had two perfect heels pressing against my ass.
The girl was limber. And a moaner. In my eagerness, my hands accidentally slipped the little tank top down and I face planted into her bare chest. The heavy sound of her pleasure was a total turn-on. My tongue made a slow, wet circle around her nipples before I took one gently between my teeth.
"Nick," she gasped. Her body wiggled underneath mine. I didn't want her to ever stop wiggling.
I couldn't remember why I had never noticed how sexy she was before. Sure, I typically had an eye for blondes, but this chick...this chick was hotness redefined. She clawed up my shirt and chucked it halfway across the bus.
She had a great arm, but I couldn't really focus on the arm. I couldn't focus at all. She had a great body she had been hiding and I really wanted to be in it. Her hand stroked over my bulge and I was pretty sure I began to foam at the mouth.
We weren't being quiet, but then again we were the only two people on the bus. I was getting ready to strip her completely when the door to the bus banged open. AJ strolled up as if he didn't have a care in the world.
"Whoops," he said unconvincingly .
Razzo let out a shriek and slithered behind me. I froze for a second before I threw my belt at J. It went a couple feet and just plopped on the floor.
"Gee, I'm sorry," AJ added. He shielded his eyes with a rolled up newspaper but he was smirking like no tomorrow. "I'll let you and Julie get back to...whatever."
He backed down off the bus.
I growled and took a couple breaths. When I was sure he wasn't going to do anything else to piss me off, I turned around.
"Where were we?" I asked with a grin.
Julie didn't look amused. She had her tank top pressed against her boobs.
"Why did he call me Julie?" she asked.
My mouth opened. "Well, um..."
Her eyes narrowed.
"You know my name, right?"
Crap. Shit. Fuck. Damn.
"Of course I do," I said. I reached for her, but she slid to the side.
"What is it?" she demanded.
I swallowed hard. "Well, y'know we've never been formally introduced..." I said awkwardly.
She let a laugh, but it wsa the type of laugh that women use when they're about to explode. She pulled her shirt away and for a second I thought she was going to let me head dive back into her rack. Instead she wiggled the badge that she always wore clipped to her shirt.
I had never noticed it before, but it had her name on it.
Who would have thunk?
"Lauren," I read dumbly. I glanced up at her and smiled. "Do you know that's my favorite name? That's--"
I wasn't prepared for the slap I got. I grabbed my face in shock while she scrambled up off the couch. She tugged on her shirt and stomped around. It was so sad; she was still hot when she was mad.
"How could I have been so stupid?" she shrieked. "It all makes sense. Rhoda's just tugging your dick around so I was second choice. And you didn't even know my name."
"Let me explain--"
"No, I'm done. D-O-N-E."
I opened my mouth to argue, but she stormed off the bus. I fell back against the couch hard. For a long while, I just stared straight ahead.
This was all J's fault. I should have known when he said 'Julie' that he was setting me up. I cracked my jaw angrily.
The whole competition with Rhoda was really just fun and games. I mean, I could have already won her if I really was trying. But this...
This was...was...so mething worse than war. I don't know what that would be, but it was going to be bad.
When Lauren - as it turns out her name was, thanks to Howie for the knowledge - came off the bus she was still tugging her shirt on over her head, her mascara running and her hair off kilter. Nick came out in boxers after she’d already stormed off between the buses. "Ju- Raz- I mean - Lauren! Please!" He thundered down the steps, "C'mon, you gotta admit, it's a honest mistake! Just a'cause..."
But she was already gone.
"Fucking A," Nick muttered. He covered his face with his hands and lowered to the cement, his knees hitting the pavement. I lingered by the side of the bus. Something deep within me sank. I felt like a giant frozen-hearted craphead.
I mustered the balls to admit to this failure. "Nick, I'm sorry," I said quietly, "I didn't mean to make her --"
"You." Nick shot upright and turned around in a motion so swift I'm not even sure I saw it coming. He was suddenly in my face. "Look, dickwad," he hissed, "Rhoda is one thing but Julie --"
"Lauren?"
"Crappin' hellfire kittens!" Nick shot away from me like shrapnel and slammed the bus door behind him.
I sniggered to myself for but a moment, before I realized that, in the silence of Nick's absence, I could hear someone crying softly. Lauren, I realized, my heart pounding. I inched around the front of the bus and found her on a curb behind a bush. She looked freakish - like Amy Winehouse - her mascara had gone wild.
I felt a twinge of guilt.
"It happens a lot," I stammered.
She looked up. "Go away," she said.
I didn't listen. I sat next to her. "He forgets Brian's birthday, you know. Every year for 17 years he's messed up the date..." I grinned. "In fact –“
“Just shut up AJ,” Lauren said, turning her body away from me. She struggled to her feet. “He didn't forget my name - he didn't care enough to know my name to begin with. I’m stupid for letting him put his hands on me. He obviously is only interested in me because he can’t get Rhoda. He doesn’t actually want me, he wants sex.”
“That’s not true,” I muttered, “Nick doesn’t –“
“Sleep with random women?” Lauren snorted, “Oh AJ, don’t try to lie for him, okay? I know perfectly well he has a manwhore past, okay? Trust me. I’ve photographed it.” She held up her camera. “I’m not stupid. I’m not Rhoda.”
“Rhoda isn’t –“
Lauren snorted, interrupting my words. “No, you’re right – she isn’t. YOU and – and –“ she looked towards the bus. “You two are.” She shook her head, “You have no idea what’s right in front of you and him… well…”
“Aw c’mon Raz,” I said slowly, “Give him another chance. You’re gonna see him like everyday anyways.”
She shook her head. “I got offered another band.”
“What?”
“My editor offered me a new band to cover, so I’m leaving. I was coming to say good-bye when I found Baylee, actually.” Lauren frowned.
I stared at her. In the time that she’d been stalking us around the tour, we’d come accustomed to having her ugly man-frame lurking. I had to admit, though, she had gotten a lot better than we’d expected her to. There were times recently that we didn’t even know she’d been there to see until she wanted us to know. The whole stealth thing was starting to work for her.
“You can’t leave,” I stammered.
“I am, AJ…”
“But who’s gonna take our pictures? And who’s gonna annoy us?”
“Maybe you could buy Rhoda a camera,” she retorted. Lauren turned and walked away. I glanced up at the bus as her frame disappeared around the corner. Nick was staring out, anger written all over his face. He raised one finger.
It doesn’t take much imagination to guess which one.
