Midnight Sun, page 3
part #1 of Mortal Heat Series
I lounged, eyes closed, while she painted her latest masterpiece on my face. It was convenient having my own, personal makeup artist. I just bought whatever basics she told me I needed, and all the glittery crap was her financial burden. I never had to worry if an eyeshadow would work for me, she already had it and could apply it expertly to my face if I wanted to try it out. Checking the mirror when she finished, even I was impressed. The colors around my eyes resembled my shirt, blue and aqua that glimmered and brought more light to my hazel irises.
“Wow, Em, good work,” I commented. “I look like a mysterious fairy or something.”
“You look gorgeous, gorgeous. Now shut it and finish your drink so we can go! I want to beat the crowd.”
Em never wanted to beat the crowd. She always preferred to make an entrance when the place was full of people to watch her walk by. My eyes narrowed as I studied her, humming to herself while she touched up her flawless face. She bustled into our tiny kitchen, returning with two shot glasses and a bottle of flavored vodka.
“Ugh, Em you know I hate that crap. It does NOT taste like birthday cake,” I grumbled.
“Whiny whiny whiny, when did you become some a whiner?” Em asked, tossing back her first shot. I downed the rest of my drink while she threw back her second, and then we raised matching glasses of the faintly pink liquor. “To another great night with my bestie!” Em saluted me with her glass, then poured it straight down her throat. I copied, trying to ignore the burning heat of alcohol and focus on the light vanilla notes in the aftertaste.
Grabbing my scarred motorcycle jacket, I turned to find Em scowling at me. “You know, I didn’t pick out the perfect shirt just for you to cover it up, Lucy.”
“Hey, if I’m venturing out in the cold again to be your DUFF, I get to be comfortable,” I retorted.
“Lucy for the thousandth time, you are not my ‘Designated Ugly Fat Friend’. If you’d just give one of those guys a chance, you might realize they actually like you. Did you ever consider that possibility?”
I pretended to consider it. “Nope, not really. It’s just so their friend can try to get in your pants, and that doesn’t exactly make me want to take mine off, either. I mean,” I continued, “I don’t mind, you’re my best friend and I love hanging out with you. I just think if I’m going along like a good little chaperone I should get to be comfortable. Fair?”
“Fine, just don’t be antagonistic, okay? You tend to be aggressive when you’re in that jacket like it’s some sort of armor. Be nice, have some drinks, make friends, have a good time. Okay, Lulu?” Em smiled sweetly at me. She only used that nickname when she was being diabolical to get her way.
“Okay, Em, I’ll be nice, I promise.” I sighed. Emily strikes again.
“Alright, let’s go already!” She dragged me out the front door just as our Uber arrived, and night was falling. We rode through the city streets and I watched the sky fade from blue to purple to black as we closed in on our second round of Mortal Heat.
ROCK CITY
IT WAS OUR first time at Rock City, so I paused a moment inside the door to look around. Em and I had our favorite spots, and we never felt the need to stray to the other side of the city just to go to a bar. Well, before tonight, I amended mentally. Just another item on my list of things weird about Emily since she met Todd Benson.
Rock City was just like every other music club I’d seen. There was a stage, a pervasive sour odor, a bar, and a lot of colorful lights. They seemed to have taken the theme seriously, though; someone had painted a dark cityscape on the walls, complete with sparkling squares of glitter to represent lit windows in buildings. The club was mostly empty, being several hours before the band would to perform. People were slowly trickling in and making their way to the bar.
Em clutched my hand tightly, looking around for whoever was supposed to meet us with the passes. She was anxious, uncharacteristically fidgeting with her hair and dress. “Lulu, this is the right place, right? Todd said he’d have someone meet us with passes, but I don’t see anyone. Did we get the place wrong?”
“No, Em, this is it. There are flyers for Mortal Heat on the doors, and look, that’s their drum set on the stage,” I pointed.
“Then where is he? You don’t think he changed his mind, do you?” With her enormous heels on Em was almost my height, and she met my eyes nervously.
“Em, no man in his right mind would change it about you, trust me,” I reassured her. “Maybe we’re just earlier than he expected. Why don’t we get a drink and we can ask the bartender—”
At that moment, I spotted a familiar figure approaching us from the stage door. All in black again with his blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, Mick crossed the empty dance floor toward us. His bright green eyes practically glowed in the flashing lights, and he smiled warmly at Em before directing his attention to me. “Welcome, ladies. Hello again, Lucy.” The rich timbre of his voice sent a small surge of pleasure through my chest before I remembered why I was surprised to see him.
“I thought you worked at Midnight Sun?” I accused. “What are you doing here?”
“What, a guy can’t have two jobs?” Mick teased. “Actually, I am off the next few days and the guys invited me to hang with them and help out. The bonus is that I get to see you both again.” He flashed a charming smile and Emily responded in kind, going instantly into ‘alluring’ mode.
“Well, aren’t you sweet? It’s nice to see you again too, Mickey,” she purred. “Are you here to escort us backstage?”
“It’s just Mick, and yes I am. After you,” he gestured for Em to lead the way and she strutted off. He paused, and glancing my way again gave me a slow once over, raising an eyebrow when his eyes landed on my converse sneakers.
I crossed my arms defensively. “What?”
“You look good,” he responded, his smile reappearing. “It suits you. Sexy.”
Well, that was unexpected. “Oh, thank you. Mini skirts and heels aren’t really my thing. My feet still hurt from last night,” I was rambling now, and aware I needed to cut it off. I bit my lip and shoved my hands in my jacket pockets, looking at the scuffed floor.
“Shall we?” When I looked back up, Mick was offering his arm like I was a lady in evening wear. Deciding to be gracious I accepted, wrapping my hand around the proffered elbow. His black button-down shirt strained at specific points, the bulge of his bicep one of them. We walked together towards the stage door, where Em was waiting with a hand on her hip, foot tapping.
“Well?” She gestured angrily at the bouncer who was watching her with mild disapproval.
“It’s fine, Anthony, they’re here by special invitation of the band.” Mick’s voice betrayed a note of amusement. Anthony shrugged then opened the door, allowing Emily to slip inside. Mick pulled his arm from my grasp, sliding his hand into mine and guiding me through the door.
I found myself in another long, abused, black-painted hallway. This one was lit by naked green bulbs and had peeling laminate floor instead of carpet. Emily hustled down the hallway, her walk slightly wobbly on the uneven surface. She reached the door and waited for us instead of bursting in the room alone, so she turned and tipped her head excitedly. “Come on, Lulu!”
Mick was still holding my hand, which was nice, if a little strange. He didn’t thread his fingers through mine like a boyfriend would. Instead, he had my hand cupped on top of his loose fist, again reminding me of an odd formality I associated with films starring Ginger Rogers. I half expected that at any moment a thirty-piece brass band would start a snappy tune and Mick would begin tap dancing, expecting me to follow along.
When we reached the door Em fluffed her hair one more time and tugged on her strapless bra, then positioned herself directly in front. Mick released my hand and reached forward to knock twice on the door, then opened it when a muffled, “Come in!” sounded from inside.
This green room was larger and more luxurious than the last. The furniture was ivory leather and less abused-looking than the seedy couches as Midnight Sun. My assumption was correct that Matt, James, and Eric already had girls in tiny skirts occupying their laps. Todd stood as Em walked into the room and caught her when she stumbled into him. He smiled seductively and kissed her in greeting, then guided her back to his sofa.
Em was giddy, but less anxious now that Todd’s hand was wrapped around hers. Todd looked up and welcomed me, then turned his attention back to Em. Everyone else was occupied and didn’t bother. Sigh.
“Well, would you like to sit?” Mick’s voice made me jump, I’d forgotten he was behind me. He gestured to an unoccupied couch, a sexy half-smile curling his lips. The luminous emerald of his eyes was striking, and I was momentarily without words. “Lucy?” He prompted.
“Um, yes, sitting sounds good,” I answered, over-compensating for my muteness by babbling in response. “This is nice, leather couches. Much nicer than Midnight Sun, honestly I was kind of grossed out to sit on those.”
“Yes, it is nice,” he agreed. “Probably easier to clean, too. Leather you can just wipe off.” Mick touched the beat up leather of my jacket. “Well, if you take care of it, that is. This jacket looks like it’s been through a few wars. How much blood have you cleaned off this thing?” His tone was teasing, but he used the excuse to run his hand along my shoulders and the contact sent a shiver down my back.
“None of mine,” I admitted. “I got it in a second-hand shop. It was already worn in and fit just right. And it was cheap. I guess no one wanted it because it was so roughed up.” Normally I was proud of this purchase, but right now I wasn’t into talking about my amazing thrift shop find. I knew Mick was attractive, but I was suddenly hyper-aware of just how handsome he was. The short pony tail held his dark gold hair back at the nape of his neck, with a few strands escaping. His cheekbones were high, his face almost too symmetrical, and his lips looked pillow soft, with the tiny flaw of his top one being larger than the bottom. Combined with his well-formed physique it was like sitting next to Michelangelo's David, and my blood was racing through my veins at his proximity. I was immediately warm in my heavy leather jacket. I was also suspicious about why this exceptionally handsome man was sitting calmly on a couch with me when there were plenty of bejeweled groupies piling into the club. Surely that was more the type for a gorgeous guy who worked in a bar?
“It was a good find,” Mick agreed, continuing without noticing my mood shift. “Although you could probably make up any story you wanted and people would believe you. It has an... authenticity to it. This jacket looks like it could tell a few stories.” His gaze had been trailing down the scars on my jacket, but his eyes traveled back up to mine and caught me staring at him. His irises did that liquid blue/green thing again and I was mesmerized; I couldn’t have looked away if I wanted to. My earlier cynicism disappeared—the rest of the room faded to a blur and the sounds of the surrounding party became muffled. I was alone with Mick in a hazy bubble, sitting close together on an ivory leather love seat. Mick stared back at me with intensity, and I found myself closing the distance between us without making a conscious decision to move closer.
“...Lulu?” Em’s voice broke through the haze, snapping me out of my trance and drawing me back to a room very much filled with other people.
“Yeah, Em?” I dragged my eyes away from Mick’s to find Emily standing next to us, holding shot glasses filled with amber liquid.
Emily giggled. “Here, Space Cadet!” I took my glass and Mick took his. Emily grabbed hers from the coffee table, then raised it to the group who had apparently all been holding their drinks and watching me make an ass of myself. Heat flooded my cheeks. Great.
“Cheers!” Em sang.
“Cheers!” We echoed in sync and downed our shots before slamming the glasses back on the table. The warmth of the sweet, vanilla-flavored liquor trickled through me. Overheated now, I shifted forward to slip off my jacket. When I settled back in my seat, I found a muscular arm resting on the back of the couch in the perfect position to cradle against my neck.
Mick smiled at me, his eyes bright and emerald once more. “This okay?” His warm hand lightly rested on my bare shoulder, tracing lazy patterns on my skin.
“Mmhmm, yeah, it’s okay,” I answered, goosebumps rising on my skin. The touch of his fingers was sending shoots of electric warmth down my arm. I flushed with pleasure at his attention, despite having been uncomfortable a minute ago. I couldn’t imagine why I had been suspicious before, it seemed silly now. Mick was handsome, and interesting, and liked me, I should enjoy it. I deserved it. I didn’t give myself enough credit, I was every bit as pretty as Emily, when I wanted to be. Clearly Mick thought so. I gazed up at him, watching slivers of aqua light dance across his face; reflections from the sequins on my shirt. Maybe that was what made his eyes look different earlier, they were green now.
“Lulu,” Emily’s voice interrupted again. “Round two!”
Pleased with my conquest, I reached out and took both glasses from Em, then handed one to Mick. He took it with his left hand and his right stayed wrapped around my shoulders, which pleased me as well. I snuggled a little closer into him, subtly feeling the solidity of his hard body against my arm.
Lifting my glass, I was ready for the ‘Cheers!’ when it came, and my eyes never left Mick as I brought the glass to my lips. Without understanding why, I felt satisfied about the turn of events this evening. More than that, I was excited about what the rest of the night had in store.
***
Em and I danced in the wings for the entire show this time, accompanied by Mick and the groupies from the green room. Mick didn’t dance, just stood with his hands in his pockets and watched us with a sexy, bemused smile on his handsome face. Well, he wasn’t watching us; he was watching me. I was confident now, he wasn’t interested in Emily in the least. I twirled and made eye contact with him occasionally, making sure he continued to watch me.
Em and I enjoyed ourselves like we had at all of those fraternity parties, dancing together and giggling, cheering, and singing along with Mortal Heat. Todd glanced our way more than once and caught eyes with Em, his brilliant blue irises captivating in the stage lights. Em smiled back at him, glowing in his open admiration.
For my part I basked in the feeling that was coursing through my body. It was heady, the tingly sensation of being seen. I felt Mick’s eyes on me; I felt his admiration like it was a warm summer rain, trickling down my skin and lighting my nerves in a delicious trail that began on my head and ran to my feet, repeated a thousand times. I was electrically aware of his presence, his solid, warm existence. I glanced at him often, and always met his eyes watching me, faintly glimmering in the darkness of the wing.
When the show was over, we ended up back in the green room, continuing the party where we left off. The guys were amped up, thrilled with how their performance had gone and talking about a major record label executive they thought they had seen from the stage. Mick and I shared a love seat again, and I settled under his arm with zero hesitation this time. I smiled up at him, his clear admiration bolstering my mysterious confidence.
I didn’t know where it came from, but it was as if I was suddenly Emily. I was charming and confident. I told jokes and everyone listened attentively then laughed with true amusement. I was sitting with the most handsome man I had ever met and he had eyes only for me, despite there being several other women in the room in much more revealing clothing. It almost felt like a parallel universe where I was Emily and she was me, except tonight we were both Emily. A tiny voice in the back of my mind said this was wrong and I should be concerned. But it didn’t feel wrong, and I wasn’t worried. It felt wonderful, and I was determined to hold on to this feeling. I glanced up at Mick again and he smiled, pressing a soft kiss to the side of my head that sent tingles down my neck.
When the others began to disappear in pairs then reappear a short time later, I didn’t pay attention. When Todd slipped off with Emily I wasn’t concerned, I knew she was fine. When they reappeared it was just like last night: Em was clinging to Todd, happy and love-drunk with a dreamy smile on her face.
I didn’t worry until Todd suggested we go home, indicating a nearly asleep Em on his lap, and she abruptly got angry.
“No!” Em shook her head. “I’m fine, I’m not going anywhere.” She demonstrated this by standing and trying to pour another round of shots, but the bottle was empty and she didn’t appear to realize that fact. She looked confused about why the glasses were still empty despite her pouring motion.
“Love,” Todd said gently, “It’s time for all of us to go home. It’s almost dawn.”
“Then I’ll go with you,” she insisted stubbornly.
This snapped me out of my moony haze. Emily never went home with a guy. Never. If we went out together, we went home together. It was part of our code, and no matter how drunk she was she never abandoned me.
“Em,” I spoke up. “I think Todd’s right, we should go home. I’ll order us an Uber.”
“No, Lu, you go on home. I’ll be fine. I’m staying with Todd,” she smiled at him, faltering slightly when he looked at me and gestured for me to call our ride. I pressed the button on my phone and started gathering our things.
“Todd, baby, don’t you want me to stay?” Her voice rose an octave, and she sounded slightly hysterical. My pulse rose in response, concern for Em shrouding my earlier feelings of contentment.
“I think you need your rest, Love,” Todd answered in a low voice.
I looked around the room and realized it was just the four of us left. Somehow the other three members of the band and their ‘dates’ had slipped out without my noticing. Strange, I wonder when that happened.
