Stripped (10 page)

“Wait a second,” Ann said and grabbed her arm.  “You and Gunnar fooled around?”

“I wouldn’t call it fooling around,” Emily said.  “He commanded me.”

“Holy fuck.”

“Yeah.”

Emily left the bathroom, Ann behind her.  She realized it was the first time in all she could remember that she led the way.  It was something small and probably insignificant compared to all the events in life, but Emily noticed it and looked to the stage to see Gunnar holding the mic, taking the song into its final verse which would go into the chorus again and end. 

What had Gunnar done to her the night before?

Talking about it in the open with Ann didn’t just bring it back to life, it gave Emily a whole new life of her own. 

Emily took her spot back at the bar, now with a smile on her face, staring at Gunnar, waiting for him to make eye contact with her.  When he did, she could feel it.  The rush of excitement, the control of his eyes, and the hope that last night wasn’t just some random hookup. 

After all, Gunnar had insisted she come back tonight, right?

The song came to its end, Gunnar singing the last chorus directly to Emily.  It wasn’t just coincidence or that the lead singer of a rock band just so happened to be looking at someone.  Gunnar sang to Emily, his hands reaching out.  It was so obvious that people started to look back, looking for whatever Gunnar stared at.

That’s when Emily began to feel uncomfortable.  Compared to the hundreds of skinny, beautiful woman in the club - including someone like Ann who knew everything about Gunnar and Down Silent - it didn’t seem fair that he would choose Emily.

Why her?

And Emily thought that too.

Why me?

When the band finished playing and the crowd started to cheer, Gunnar grabbed a guitar.  He came to the mic as the rest of the band looked confused.

“I’m not finished with that one,” he said, and started strumming the chords.

The guitar wasn’t nearly loud enough and after a few seconds, Gunnar looked to his left and said, “Hey, help me out here, come on.”

A moment later, someone ran on stage with another microphone, positioning it right at the guitar.  This brought the acoustic instrument to life, allowing it to be heard through the speakers in the club.

Gunnar started to whistle, running through his version of the guitar solo.  It sounded perfect.  Dangerously perfect.  Emily had chills and when Ann grabbed her arm, she knew this had to be something special.

Gunnar sang the last verse and the chorus, the entire time spent looking at Emily.  By the time he decided to end
‘
Whispering Memories’
, it felt like the entire crowd stared at Emily.  Her entire body felt like it was blushing. 

The hottest rockstar on the planet was singing to her.  And only to her.

He strummed the last chord, letting it ring out, and grabbed the mic.

“Never let her go.  Even if she begs...”

He laughed as he stepped away and Emily had to sit on the barstool.  Her body felt like jelly.  She oozed, throbbed, and ached for Gunnar.

Ann stepped in front of her, amazed.  “I can’t believe he did that.  You’re probably going to go backstage...”

“You come with me,” Emily said.  “Then you can talk to him.”

“Excuse me...”

The voice was deep and the man towering over Ann looked familiar.

It was one of the bodyguards from before.

Ann looked over her shoulder and scoffed.  “Coming to throw us out again?”

“No.  I’m going to take your friend.  Gunnar has requested her appearance in the dressing room.”

“What?” Emily yelled.

“Come on,” the big man said. 

He tried to touch Emily and she wiggled away.  “Don’t touch me.”

She looked at the stage and saw Gunnar slithering his way back to lead off another song.  He threw his arms out and the crowd went wild.  Then he looked at Emily and let out another laugh.

Gunnar knew what he was doing.

So did Emily.

“I’ll come if Ann does too.”

“She’s press,” the bodyguard said.  “Gunnar will throw a fit.”

“I don’t care.”

“I do.  It’s my job.”

“I’ll sneak in,” Ann said.  “I’ll follow and sneak in.”

“I don’t think so,” the guard said.  “Tough luck, chick.”

“Chick?” Ann asked.  “Who the fuck...”

“Stop it,” Emily said.  “I won’t go.”

“Yes, you will,” the bodyguard said.  “I don’t care if I pick you up and carry you out of here, you’re going.”

“Fuck you,” Emily said.

“Just go,” Ann said.  “Seriously, Em, go.  It’s fucking Gunnar from Down Silent...”

“But it’s your story...”

“Don’t worry about me,” Ann said, offering that devious smile that Emily generally hated.  She could practically read her friend’s mind.  Ann wanted Emily to get close to Gunnar.  Then through Emily, Ann could get to him.

“I hope you know what you’re trying to do,” Emily said.

“I hope
you
know what you’re trying to do,” Ann winked.

“Hurry up,” the bodyguard said.  “He’s not going to wait and it’s going to be my ass.”

“Aw, poor baby,” Ann said.  She took to her barstool and looked back to the stage.

Gunnar set his attention back to the crowd when Emily started to walk with the bodyguard.

“How about some more music?” Gunnar asked.

Before the crowd could really respond, the lead guitar took control and another gain blanketed riff shredded the small club to pieces. 

And Emily walked, feeling a step ahead of the world, but she knew she wouldn’t be a step ahead of Gunnar.

9.

This time, he double doors were opened for Emily.  The other bodyguard welcomed Emily with a smile and a grin, as though he knew what was going to happen.  Emily smiled back, making it well aware that she would be the one with a rockstar that night.  Whatever Gunnar wanted, he’d get.

The second Emily stepped into the backstage dressing room, the doors were shut.  And locked.  She turned and thought about trying to leave but nothing would come of it.

The room looked similar to the one from the night before, just much bigger.  There were four leather couches with blankets draped over the back.  A table was the centerpiece of the room, complete with bottles of beer and whiskey, scotch, and vodka.  Under the table was a small brown box.  Emily could only guess what was in there. 

She closed her eyes and took a breath.

Was she really going to fight it?  Was she really going to play the good girl about it all? 

Something existed, something erotic and wild within the idea of drugs and sex with a rockstar like Gunnar.  The possibilities of what he could do to her, staying in full control.

Emily’s body ached for Gunnar more than ever.  She walked to a small bar on the back wall and found a mini-fridge stocked half with water, half with beer.  Emily took a bottle of water and drank, hoping to calm herself.  The more she thought, the more it all came to her.  The band was going to come back here.  Not just Gunnar. 

Gunnar and the band.

Down Silent.

Would Gunnar share?  Would Gunnar want to share?  Would the rest of the band be invited to see and enjoy what Emily’s body and innocence had to offer?

As she began to breathe heavy, Emily backed away from the bar and looked around the dressing room.  She spotted a door and hurried to it.  She assumed the door led to another room, or another set of rooms.

Yes.

It had to...

She turned the knob and nothing happened.

The door was locked.

“Shit!” she cried out and kicked the door.

The only thing left to do was kill time by pacing the room, going from the bar to the couch.  The temptation to drink was only beat out by the temptation to look in the box under the table.

Maybe if Gunnar came back and Emily was already done up he’d be impressed.  At one point Emily reached under the table and touched the box but shuddered and pulled away.  Her hands then rested on her legs, trying not to think but she couldn’t help it. 

She still couldn’t figure out what Gunnar really wanted with her.  Emily wasn’t used to getting attention.  Most men didn’t understand nor appreciate her curves.  They’d soon rather drool over Ann than talk to Emily.

But yet Emily was in the dressing room.

The music came through walls with a low sound and when it stopped - for good - the silence that followed made Emily’s heart race.  She breathed slowly and her heart become the sound of a brick being thrown against a stone wall.  The heavy thuds rang in her ears.

The show was over.

They would leave the stage.

Down Silent was coming.

Gunnar was coming.

Emily didn’t have to wait long.  The surge of cheers from the crowd wanted more from the band but they didn’t plan an encore.  She heard the band members when the crowd stopped. 

The double doors opened and in walked five men, dripping with rock n’ roll sweat, sex in their eyes, and a passion that filled the room in seconds.  They all moved towards the table and bar, searching for something to drink.  The drummer dropped his sticks to the floor, trading his grip for a bottle of whiskey.  He threw back what had to be equal to at least five shots, making Emily’s stomach turn.

“There she is,” Gunnar said appearing from the back of the group.

Seeing his blue eyes made Emily’s mouth fall open.  She went to him without his request and the first thing he did was grab her wrists.  He came nose to nose with Emily and took a deep breath.

“I can still smell it on you,” he whispered.

“Oh yeah?  What’s that?”

Gunnar flicked his tongue at her lips.  “Sex.”  He kissed the tip of her nose.  “Innocence.”

His hands touched her sides and followed the intense lines of her curves and he groaned. 

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” Emily said.

“Of course you can’t.  Were you surprised tonight?”

“Yes.  I didn’t realize...”

“Not a fan?”

“No.  I mean, yes.  Wait.  I love Down Silent.  This is...”  Emily looked over her shoulder watching the other band members indulge.  “... like a fantasy.”

“How are your wrists?” Gunnar asked.

“Sore,” Emily said.

“Good.”

The intensity of Gunnar’s voice tonight made Emily feel uneasy.  He had nothing to hide behind or hold back.  This was truly his place, his world, his command.