Meant to Be, page 18
Slater shook Chris’s hand, the two of them shared a one-armed brotherly hug. “Congrats man. It took you long enough.”
“Yeah,” Chris let out a short laugh. “Says the man who took ten years to marry the woman he loves.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Alex asked with anticipation.
“Are we allowed to talk about it?” Mona asked.
“Of course,” Alex replied. “Why wouldn’t you be allowed?”
“Well, I don’t want to steal your thunder.” Mona kept her voice hushed as Slater and Chris spoke behind them.
“No thunder stolen,” Alex assured her. “I almost told him right when you arrived, but I’m taking that as a sign that it’s best to wait until we’re alone tonight.”
“Ladies,” Chris interrupted their private conversation as he slipped his arm around Mona’s waist. “You two can discuss wedding details in the limo. We need to get going.”
“Just let me grab my other bag, hang on!” Alex rushed into the bedroom, slightly stressed with how unprepared she suddenly felt. “Mona!” she called over her shoulder. “Check and see if I have my new Chanel gloss in my purse.”
“Which color?” Mona drawled. She sifted through Alex’s purse and unearthed three similar shades.
Alex rushed into the living room and took her purse and her lip glosses out of Mona’s hands. “All of these. Trust me.” She playfully stuck her tongue out at Slater when he rolled his eyes. “I need all of them. I can keep my bags in your dressing room, right?”
“Yeah, baby. You can keep anything you need in there, let’s go.”
They left the suite together. Mona slipped her arm through Alex’s as they walked toward the elevator. Alex rested her head on Mona’s shoulder while they watched Slater and Chris walk in front of them.
“Tonight is just full of happy surprises, isn’t it?” Mona whispered.
“Yeah,” Alex said quietly. “He suspects something, but he hasn’t made the connection. I haven’t been acting normal around him.”
“What have you been doing?” Mona wondered.
“I’ve been eating like crazy-”
“The sudden appetite has him curious, I’m sure,” Mona interrupted.
“I’ve been emotional.”
“What else is new?” she muttered, then giggled when Alex bumped her hip against hers.
“I’ve been falling asleep at the drop of a hat.”
Mona kept up the game. “Lazy bitch.”
“And I can’t get enough sex,” Alex whispered fiercely.
“Whore,” Mona snickered.
“No, seriously Mona.” Alex’s voice was somber. “I thought seeing him and being with him would whet my appetite, but it hasn’t.” She sighed softly as she tilted her head and checked out Slater’s backside in his jeans. “Look at his ass. I want to bite it. Again. God!” She shook her head in frustration. “These hormones are driving me crazy! Ok, enough about me.” Alex changed the subject and reached for Mona’s hand to admire her engagement ring once more. “When’s the big day?”
“We’re thinking Vegas maybe, somewhere along the tour.”
“Ooh!” Alex exhaled dramatically. “You’re killing me! Really, Vegas, where I can’t drink and join the party? Can’t you wait six months?” she asked in a hushed voice.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Mona promised with a pat on Alex’s hand.
The four of them stopped at the elevator and waited for it to arrive. Alex stood directly behind Slater. The simple act of being next to him had her wanting him again. Her nipples hardened in response to his presence and pressed tightly against her bra. Her body was wet with desire, her breathing quickened. Unable to resist, she reached for him with both hands and squeezed his butt while he spoke to Chris about the concert in just a few short hours. Slater looked at Alex over his shoulder with a grin. He reached behind him and pulled Alex close to him while the elevator chimed its arrival. Still talking to Chris, he jolted slightly when Alex shocked the hell out of him as she slid her hand over the front of his jeans and squeezed him gently.
“Whoa.” He jerked back a step. A move like that from Alex was completely out of left field. “What the fuck?” He turned to Alex and raised an eyebrow when she gave him a smoldering look and bit her lip. “Allie?” he questioned.
“Five,” she demanded. She took his hand and pulled him away from the elevator.
Slater looked between Chris, Mona, Alex, and the elevator doors that slid open in invitation. He linked his fingers with Alex’s and nodded his agreement. “Five!” Curious what was going to greet him when they made their way back into their suite, he rushed ahead of Alex as she ran to keep up with him.
Alex glanced quickly behind her to see Mona drop her head to Chris’s shoulder with a laugh. The two of them watched as Slater stopped at the door to their suite. He attempted to unlock it when Alex pulled his shirt over his head, took the key from him, and swiped the key card successfully on her first try.
As she pulled him into their room, Slater looked at Chris waiting by the open elevator and informed him with a satisfied grin, “We’ll meet you there!”
Chapter 14
With Slater, Chris, Mark, and Drummer all tucked away in their dressing rooms getting ready for the pending concert, Ben gave Alex and Mona a tour of the venue. It was due to start filling up with anxious fans within the hour. Upon arrival, the two women were presented with lanyards and wrist bands for full access. Not that they needed those items. Everyone knew exactly who they were and what connection they had with the band.
“Wow.” Alex stood at the sound stage set up in the middle of the arena floor and turned in a circle in awe at the number of empty seats. “This is sold out tonight?”
“Yes.” Ben nodded and glanced at the seats with her. “In under an hour, this place will be busting at the seams with around twenty thousand people.”
“Holy shit, that’s a lot,” Mona said.
“We’ve had bigger crowds,” Ben replied with a shrug.
“Wow,” Alex repeated. “Between A Step Ahead and the movies I’ve starred in, I know I’ve reached crowds like that, but not all at once. Not right in front of me, at least.”
“It can be pretty intense,” Ben agreed. “But this isn’t even the biggest crowd they’ve seen. Some places hold up to fifty thousand.”
“That’s crazy,” Alex murmured. Her eyes scanned the empty seats. She tried to picture how the house would look when it was full. She could only imagine the kind of energy Slater would have to perform for that many people.
Mona walked to the soundboard and looked at all the bells and whistles. “I’ve seen equipment like this in editing and in the studio when we did the duet, but this is insane. What are all these buttons for?”
Ben stepped to her side. He looked out of place as sound and stage crew bustled about. Most of them wore jeans, boots or sneakers, and Heart & Soul shirts. The band’s manager looked professional in a suit and tie. “They’re all personalized for each member of the band, for vocals and instruments.” He pointed to the buttons labeled with names and pointed to another section. “These are levels programmed for the backup musicians and singers. And these.” He showed them another set of levels. “Are for the effects added to the show. This one will control what’s shown on the Jumbo-Tron and this one will control the pyrotechnics.”
“And I thought they just showed up and jammed for the crowd,” Mona mused.
“Not quite,” Ben said with a shake of his head. “There’s an absolute science about it all. A choreography. It’s all staged and timed, but the engineers have to plan for the spontaneous side of the band. If Slater suddenly decides to work the crowd on stage right, but it’s planned that he’ll be on stage left, they have to act quickly to make sure the lights are just right and the sound levels match where they were supposed to be. The band isn’t the only one performing tonight,” he said with appreciation for the crew.
“Oh, I’m so excited!” Mona clapped her hands together and hopped up and down with joy.
“Me too,” Alex agreed. She blinked quickly to fight off a new wave of fatigue.
“You ok, Alex?” Ben asked as he watched her stifle yet another yawn.
“Yeah, I’m good, just a little worn out from traveling today.” She forced brightness and energy. “We’ve seen backstage and now the house. What else do you have to show us?”
“What you two will probably think is the best part of all,” he said with a grin.
“Do tell,” Mona said anxiously.
“Come with me, ladies.” He walked backward with a quick wag of his fingers. “To the merchandise room.”
Slater tied a bandana over his long red hair to complete his look for the stage as he thought about how happy he was to have Alex with him again. He glanced at the clock and wondered where she went. She said she would be right back and that was nearly an hour ago. The opening act was ready to hit the stage. He turned as he heard her voice outside the dressing room door. When he opened it, he found Alex posing with Mona for the band photographer as he got candid backstage shots.
“Where have you been?” Slater asked. Amusement was on his face as he saw what she had on.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “Ben gave us the full tour, then he let us sift through all the merchandise.”
He looked her up and down. “Are you wearing all of it?”
Alex glanced at her clothing with a giggle. “Pretty much.” She adjusted the Heart & Soul baseball hat on her head, straightened the leather jacket with logos and tour dates splashed across the back, and held up a large shopping bag. “What I’m not wearing is in here. I got one of everything. It was fun shopping for stuff that has my husband splashed all over it. You guys thought of everything, didn’t you?” She dumped out the bag and perused the contents. “Key chains, buttons, a lighter.” She flicked the flame and held it over her head. “Is this for those sexy ballads?”
“We figured if people were going to hold lighters up during songs to set the mood, might as well make a buck off of them.”
“Like you’re not making enough?” she teased, as she rifled through everything. “Program.” She flipped through the glossy pages. “Great pictures! I can’t wait to sit and look through this. Guitar picks with Chris and Haze’s autographs. Sorry, Mark, not Haze.” She tilted her head in thought. “I know he’s trying to get out from under that stoned image, but he’s pretty much branded as Haze, isn’t he?”
“Yeah.” Slater nodded. “He’ll figure it out eventually. Those guitar picks are new and not for sale. Chris and Mark toss them into the crowd. Drives the fans nuts.”
“Socks.” She lifted the hem of her jeans slightly to show him the pair she had on. “They’re cute. I haven’t worn socks with heels since I was a teenager, but I couldn’t resist.”
“You’re cute wearing all that merch.” He smiled with her, impossible not to feel her excitement. It had been a long time since he had looked at all the items they put out to their fans. It was quite an experience to see it through Alex’s eyes.
“Temporary tattoos with the band logo. I’m totally applying those to either my boobs or my butt,” she snickered. “Pens, necklace and earrings for the ladies, wrist bands.”
“You like everything?”
“For the most part.”
“What does that mean?” Slater asked, mildly offended.
“Well.” Alex took off the hat and shook back her dark hair. “The hat is sturdy, I like it. Sweatshirts are nice.” She held up some additional garments from the bag. “T-shirts are good quality. The jacket, I love. I can only imagine how happy the person is who comes to a concert prepared to spend a couple hundred on this baby. Ben told me there are a limited amount.”
“Makes them covetable.”
“Nice touch.” She swiveled and modeled the jacket for him. “A collector’s item one day. I love it.” She took off the jacket and held out the front of her t-shirt to admire the personalization once more. “I’ve been getting a lot of compliments about this.”
Slater smiled at her. “I’m glad you like it.”
“And Mona,” Alex said with a shake of her head. “She’s parading hers around like a proud parent, telling everyone the news. I think she likes showing off her boobs, but that’s just me.”
Slater selected a beer out of a small refrigerator in the corner, held up a small bottle of wine, and offered it to Alex as she continued to peruse her haul. Oh, I’m really going to miss wine! She thought to herself and sighed wistfully while she gave him a negative shake of her head. Avoiding eye contact with him, she critiqued the merchandise and didn’t notice Slater’s look of confusion that she had turned down the chardonnay. He drank his beer and leaned against the vanity counter as Alex continued.
“Just about everything here is good quality, but there are a few things that need work. These.” She held a plastic card with earrings and a necklace attached to it. “How many of these break before the end of the concert?”
Slater reached for the jewelry and felt the materials. “Not the best quality, I’ll admit.”
“People are paying twenty bucks a pop for this set? They really should be made to last. I’d be pissed if I spent my money on that and it fell apart an hour later. It’s a cheap piece of crap.”
“Hey!” he protested.
“What? It’s not like you made it. I’m just saying, Ben should find a different manufacturer for this.”
“Ok, the jewelry is crap. What else do you not approve of, Alexandra?” he asked, his voice testy.
“My, aren’t we touchy? You throw my middle name in there, and you’re going to be in serious trouble.”
“You don’t have a middle name, you got rid of it years ago.”
“Good boy. I’m just pointing out the obvious. The jewelry should be better.”
“And?” Slater inquired. He casually hooked a thumb in his pocket and wondered what else she was going to insult.
“And.” Alex kicked her shoes aside, unzipped her jeans and slipped them off, then removed her socks. She crossed her arms in front of her, tugged at the hem of her “Mrs. Heart” t-shirt, and pulled it over her head to reveal a scant bra and panty set with strategically placed band logos on the garments. “This.” She waved a hand in front of her body. “This is cheaply made.”
“The body’s not.” Slater shook his head as he looked her up and down. He had no problem at all with what she had on. The bra and G-string combination had recently been added to the merchandise selection. He thought it was funny, something the fans would get a kick out of wearing. He looked at Alexandra Lorraine, now Alexandra Heart, his wife. She stood before him in nothing but two very flimsy scraps of material displaying the band’s logo and fully enjoyed the way it looked on her.
“This bra barely covers my nipples.” Alex pulled and stretched the triangular top, she tried unsuccessfully for more coverage.
“I don’t have a problem with it.” Slater looked her up and down again, his gaze intent as she modeled the get-up for him.
“I’m sure you don’t. Leaves little to the imagination. Might as well be naked.”
“Works for me,” he said simply.
Alex turned to the side, checked out her profile in the mirror behind him, and arched her back slightly, sticking out her chest and her bottom. “Do girls in the crowd really wear these bras?”
“Some of them do, yeah.”
“Hmm.” She turned to give him a view of her backside and looked at him over her shoulder, all innocence. She knew what she was doing. Once she saw the set, she knew immediately that she was going to model it for him, turn him on and have herself some hot, hormonal sex with the lead singer of Heart & Soul. “Now this.” She ran her hand over her bottom. “There’s basically nothing here.” She ran her hand down her flat-for-now stomach and hooked her thumb under the front of the panty. “Another thin scrap of material, held together by elastic bands. I appreciate a good thong, however... This is just a scratchy piece of elastic between my butt cheeks, and this...” She was satisfied when she saw the glow of lust in his eyes. “This is just blatantly sexual, now isn’t it?”
“Explain,” Slater said quietly. He took another sip of his beer. Want for her stirred his blood.
“The Heart & Soul logo nicely placed over one’s pussy,” she giggled as Slater coughed on his beer, shocked at her use of the word. “Is blatantly sexual.”
He licked a drop of beer off his bottom lip. His eyes were wide with surprise. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me.” Alex walked closer to him, took the beer out of his hand, and placed it on the vanity behind him. Moving the bra triangles to the side, she exposed herself to him. She took his hands and placed them on her body. Her eyes closed as he caressed her breasts. She inhaled sharply. Her breath became heavy when he lowered his head and took her nipple into his mouth. He sucked on her with just a hint of roughness. The new tenderness of her breasts enhanced the sensations. Alex slipped her fingers into his hair and pressed him closer with a moan.
Slater lifted his head. His hands replaced his mouth on her body. “Say it again, Allie,” he demanded quietly.
“No,” she said softly as she opened her eyes and looked into his. “Touch me, Slater.”
Slater did as she requested. He slid his fingers under the thin material and into her hot, wet body. He moved against her, felt her hands grip his shoulders as the orgasm shot quickly through her. Alex’s chest heaved with each breath she took. He was incredibly turned on as he made his wife climax and once more lowered his head to her breasts held captive by the tiny bra.
Alex so rarely took the lead when it came to sex. She happily obliged when he wanted it, had rarely turned him down. It was a nice turn of events to seduce him. She felt powerful and sexy. It was a heady sensation to show him how much she wanted him. She vowed to herself right then and there, pregnant, or not, she was going to make this more of a habit. “I need you to do something for me, Slater.” She unfastened his jeans, slipped her hands inside, and wrapped her fingers around his hardness.
