I take a step towards her. And she takes a step back, holding her hand up to stop me.
“One kiss. That was the deal.” She says, her voice wavering.
“Cadence.”
“One kiss. First and last.”
“If that’s what you want.”
She doesn’t say yes. But she doesn’t say no.
This is insane. I run my hand through my hair to stop from grabbing her around the neck and pulling her lips to mine again.
She takes a step back, and I’m almost thankful for the physical distance.
“Wh- where’s the ladies room, please?”
I point her to the half-bath in the adjoining room. And she walks off, my eyes glued to the gentle sway of her ass as she leaves.
This woman is driving me fucking crazy.
I grab the largest glass on the bar and fill it with cognac, downing it in one drink, welcoming the distraction of the searing heat down my throat and churning my stomach.
I hear the tap turn off in the other room and I grab my jacket, waiting for her at the door.
She comes out, and there’s no sign of our kiss except for my softening cock and the way her eyes can’t meet mine.
“Come on then,” I gesture to the door with my head. She responds with a look of confusion.
“You wanted to audition, let’s go get you auditioned. The guys are in the rehearsal room down the hall.”
I open the door and she steps through it, adjusting the belt on her dress, and I try not to notice how it sits just on the curve of her ass, her firm but cushiony ass that was just in my hands.
This is going to be an interesting ten weeks.
CADENCE
It’s a silent walk as we walk down the long, softly lit hallway of the Shangri-La Hotel to the band’s rehearsal room. I’m a little too afraid to speak in case I either beg him to kiss me again or tell him the deal is off. Five minutes in the bathroom was really only enough to touch up my lipstick and do a silent scream to let out the frustration of not jumping him there and then. I can’t remember when I have had such a physical response to someone. Sex has always been paired with an emotional connection for me, but after only knowing him for a day, surely there’s no emotional connection to be had here, I simply want to fuck him. Every time he looks at me with those marbled green and brown eyes, I feel hypnotized, like at the click of his fingers, my body is his to do with at his bidding.
Before I came here I thought the contract would help us both stay on track, but that was before I knew what I would be missing. Now that I do, I wonder what I’ve set myself up for.
Which I imagine was just his intent.
Dick-knuckle, indeed.
“Cadence.” I hear him say my name and I stop. He’s standing at a door a few feet back, I hadn’t even noticed him stopping.
“They’re in here.” He cocks his head and smiles. “You ready?”
“You make it sound like I should be scared.”
“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to audition. Not my fault they’re like piranhas picking off lousy musicians-…”
Fuck, what’ve I gotten myself in for? “Wha-?”
“I’m just kidding! They’re gonna love you.”
He doesn’t give me a moment to rethink before he opens the door and gestures for me to enter the room.
Sebastian closes the door behind me and we step into the lounge of a similar room to his, except that there are instruments and audio equipment everywhere. Amongst it all are five males, three I recognize as part of the band, an older man about forty-five and a younger guy in his late teens.
“Guys, this is Cadence.” Sebastian waves in my direction, and sits down on an empty spot on the couch.
I feel like I’m on display, with the five sets of eyes staring me down. I wring my hands and they feel cold and clammy.
“Er, yeah, hi, guys.” I hear my voice speak out and I do a lame wave. Yeah, that’ll impress them, my inner bitch voice snickers.
Sebastian chuckles a little, obviously sensing my discomfort and I want to wring his neck. I throw him a look which must convey my desperation, because he gets up and stands next to me again.
“Cadence is here to audition for the piano part that we need in those new songs we’re doing for the album.”
“Oh,” Jez stands up and comes over to me, “I thought he was introducing you for another reason.” He winks and I realize he remembers me from last night in the alley.
“Oooh, what other reason? Do tell!” A guy I recognize as the violinist draped on the love seat pipes up. “We love us some gossip.”
“There’s no gossip!” I snap defensively and the violinist grins back at me.
“Ignore him,” Sebastian says to me and pushes me gently over to the keyboard. “It’s not a Steinway, but it’ll do what you need.” He says softly to me, trying to relax me, except that his proximity is doing the exact opposite.
I sit down and run my fingers over the keys, testing their sensitivity and working the pedal.
“You’ve got the job!” Jez calls out, and I have to laugh, smiling at him appreciatively for breaking the tension. “Ha, just take it easy, none of us are piano players here, so you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Hey! I play a little piano!” Brad says, sounding insulted.
“You need a repertoire ranging more than chopsticks and “Frere Jacques” to be considered a true piano player, ballsack!” A fourth voice speaks up from a corner way in the back.
“That’s Marius, he’s our violinist, when he’s not sitting on his head and preaching veganism while eating a chicken drumstick.” Sebastian explains.
“Fuck you! I said I was going to convert… one day!” Marius counters.
I rub my hands together and let their banter sink in and relax me.
“Um, what do you want me to play?” I ask.