“Rory, will you turn that crap down? It’s giving me a fucking headache!” Twenty two year old Aurora James, in the middle of her head banging, pressed stop on her CD player. Her Trapt CD was temporarily silenced as she sighed inwardly. One of her room mates was not happy about the abundance of rock being played lately.
“What?”
“I said turn it down!” Aurora headed out to the kitchen where one room mate was fixing some breakfast.
“What’s wrong, Sandi? Trapt too rock for your sensitive pop attuned ears?”
“No,” Sandi said. “I’m just sick of hearing that fucking CD. You’ve been playing it over and over since you bought the damn tickets to the concert.”
“Hey!” Aurora protested. “The concert is today.”
“Yes, Ror, I know that the concert is today. How could I forget? I think even your dentist knows the fucking concert is today.”
“The word of the day must be ‘fucking.’” Aurora commented dryly. “Besides, I should get to listen to my favorite band on the day that I will be attending their concert. So fucking sue me.”
“Whatever.”
Aurora grabbed some fruit and headed back to her room. When it came to music, Sandi was a hopeless case. A hardcore N SYNC fan, she hated the fact that Aurora blasted Trapt twenty four seven. Anything that wasn’t N SYNC was shunned by Sandi.
Aurora was into rock music, black clothes and gothic makeup. Trapt was her favorite band and the fact that she was going to see them was enough to make her want to squeal with sheer joy. Her best friend Jenni was already at the venue, securing a place in line. One could never arrive too early.
She went through the painstaking process of finding a suitable outfit to wear to the concert. Aurora finally decided on a pair of low riding flared gray pants, a tight black t-shirt, and her black tennis shoes. She looked casual, yet rockerish.
Her eyes were lined with stick and liquid black eyeliner, dusted with black eyeshadow, and topped off with black glitter. Confident she looked hot, Aurora went to get dressed. It was her signature look, and Aurora knew she looked good.
The shirt, baring a small strip of skin, showed off her fairy tattoo. She curled her hair under, making her hair fall in funky, soft and bouncy waves. Her hot concert look was complete and she was ready to go.
Aurora said goodbye to Sandi and got into her car. Jenni, her other room mate and best friend, was waiting for her at the venue. It took an hour and a half to drive to the venue, but the time was well spent as Aurora blasted Trapt through her speakers and sang at the top of her lungs. It was all worth it.
Sure enough, Jenni was already in line. There were four or five people ahead of her, but a line was already starting to form behind her. Aurora waved and took her place in line next to the will call window. She was the first in line. Her headphones were put on her head, allowing Chris Brown’s smooth voice to fill her ears.
The time flew by as Aurora listened to Trapt and watched the different (read: scary) people walk down the street past the Ogden Theater. Aurora took off her headphones when she saw an interesting group of guys standing by the door that was next to her. They were glancing at her, and Aurora smiled.
“So who are you here to see?” Aurora looked at the man standing closest to her, with some sexy looking “sleeves.” One arm had ink all down it, save for a few stars. The other arm had flames dancing on the forearm.
“Trapt,” Aurora replied. “My name is Aurora. Are you part of one of the bands?” The man smiled back.
“I’m Eric, the lead singer for Strata. This here is Hrag and Adrian. Ryan is around here somewhere.”
“How cool! I wasn’t sure exactly who you guys were. It’s nice to meet you.” She stood up and shook their hands.
“It’s good to find new fans,” Eric replied. “I hope you enjoy our set and the show. Trapt does a good live show.”
“I might see you later,” Aurora said. “Backstage passes. I can come talk to the other bands and then hang out of Trapt’s tour bus.”
“Cool. We’ll see you around then.”
The clock above the Greasy Monkey said 6:00 and the ticket window behind her opened. With a huge smile on her face and tickets in hand, Aurora joined Jenni at the head of the line. Her best friend gave her a knowing smile.
The bassist for Strata, Hrag, was by the door as Aurora and Jenni went in. They headed directly to the floor and managed to get spots directly center stage, right against the barrier. Aurora and Jenni had never been to a rock concert, but they knew that things could get a little rowdy.
Strata were the first band to come on. Eric waved to her and she grinned, hearing the catty comments from the girls behind her. He was rocking out, looking sexy and hot. Aurora knew she had found another cool band.
“If there’s a rule against crowd surfing, then fucking break it!” Eric yelled. They rocked out to Strata, Eric touched her hand, and then their set was all over. During the intermission, Aurora chatted with the lady next to her about what to expect concerning crowd surfers.
Finger Eleven was the next band to come out. Aurora had only heard one song by them, so she couldn’t sing along to anything. In her opinion, she could take or leave Finger Eleven. There wasn’t much about them that impressed her.
Smile Empty Soul came on next, and Aurora focused only on the shirtless, gorgeous drummer. He was all sweaty, looking yummy and lickable. The crowd surfers really started then and Aurora got kicked in the cheek. It stung, but Aurora just kept on rocking.
By the end of that set, Aurora was sweaty, aching and her throat hurt from screaming so much. It didn’t matter. When Trapt came on, all her aches and pains went away as she took in the sexiness that is Chris Brown.
Chris, lead singer/guitarist, looked even fucking hotter on stage than he did anywhere else. He did almost all eleven songs from their album, giving Aurora a chance to head bang and really rock out. Chris and his band generally kicked ass.
Chris even stood up on the barrier, allowing her to touch his leg to help hold him up. Chris also touched her hand, making Aurora’s night complete. She could have died right then, and died a happy woman.
And then it was over. As quickly as it had begun, Trapt left the stage. It officially ended the show. Her first rock concert was over and she was sweaty, cranky, aching, and just plain bitchy but Aurora had had the best time of her life. She pulled out her pass, the one that would get her backstage and went up to one of the security guards.
“I’m going to be reviewing the show for one of our newspapers,” Aurora explained. “I was given a pass to get backstage.”
The security guard ushered her backstage, and quickly left her.
The area backstage was not as nice as one might be expecting it to be. It was crowded, bustling with dozens upon dozens of people who were trying to keep things running smoothly while members of the four bands were lounging around coolly, just chilling.
Eric and his band mates waved before heading outside where they could greet more fans. Strata had a small, loyal fan base already, but greeting fans after the concert always helped the base grow and afforded Eric with many good looking women to look at. Aurora looked around, taking it all in before she spotted Chris. He was no longer sweaty, having dried off and changed shirts but he still looked hot and sexy.
“Are you supposed to be back here?” Chris asked, looking at her suspiciously. Aurora smirked, before flashing him her pass.
“I have a pass,” Aurora said, waving it in front of him. “I’m allowed to be here. Is that any way to greet a fan?”
“Cool. I’m Chris.” He made a move to hand her a bottle. “Sorry for being so pissy. Want a beer?”
“I’m Aurora,” She told him, grabbing the bottle. “The show was awesome.” Chris smiled.
“Yeah? It’s always a great show when we play here. Every show has kicked major ass.” He paused. “So how’d you get the pass?”
“Radio contest,” Aurora replied. “I had to run around downtown naked.”
“Really?”
“No,” Aurora said, laughing. “I’m just joking.” Chris laughed, and Aurora smiled at the glimpse of his gorgeous white smile.
“I think I like you.”
“Good,” Aurora said decisively. “Cause I like you too.”
“Hey Chris,” A voice behind her said. “We gotta get to the bus. Fans are prowling all over.”
“I guess that’s it then,” Aurora said, looking from Chris to the offending prick who was intruding on her time with him.
“We’re gonna have a party on the bus,” Chris told her. “Why don’t you come along?”
“Really?” Aurora said, unable to keep the girlish squeak out of her voice. “You want me to go party with you?”
“Yeah.” Chris paused. “So you want to or not?”
Wordlessly, Aurora followed him out the back door of the Ogden Theatre. Throngs of fans were waiting outside and tried to ambush Chris for autographs and pictures. He signed what he could, making his way across the busy Colfax Avenue to where his tour bus was parked. Aurora could not hide her surprise at the fact that she was parked just in front of Trapt’s tour bus.
The bus driver opened the door for them, and she followed Chris up the stairs. It was roomier than what she expected, various people lounging around, drinking and laughing. It got quiet when they saw her with Chris.
“Who’s the chick?” One man asked.
“Guys, this is Aurora. I met her backstage. She didn’t pull any of that teenybopper fan shit, so I asked her to come party with us.”
“She looks cool enough,” The girl next to the door
commented. “I love the fairy tattoo.”
“Thanks.” Aurora said, sitting down next to her. “I have a butterfly on my ankle, a rose on my back, and the Chinese symbol for peace on my right shoulder blade.”
“You need to talk to Eric,” The girl said. “He’ll let you know all about tattoos.”
“Hey,” Chris said. “I have a couple too.”
“Yeah,” She agreed. “But not as many as Eric.”
“Eric has cool sleeves,” Aurora replied. “And he’s really nice too.”
“You met him before the show, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m Stacy,” The girl finally offered. “I’m Simon’s girlfriend.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“You know, for someone who dresses like a rocker, you sure do act all polite and shit. You’re among friends.”
“So what did you think of the show?” Stacy asked, sipping a strawberry wine cooler. “SnoCore always fucking rocks. I mean, it was more awesome this year because of the combination, but the tour always rocks.”
“I loved it,” Aurora replied. “Probably the best fucking concert I’ve ever been to.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Until about a year ago, I was into all that pop shit. Used to be a hardcore Backstreet Boys fan.”
“And what changed?” Chris asked. “It’s not often we have former pop fans who come to see us. That’s a pretty big jump, too. To go from upbeat pop to rock like this tour.”
“A friend of mine is completely into hard rock. She loves Smile Empty Soul. She kind of got me hooked on all of it, and then that was it. Threw out all my preppy shit, started shopping at Hot Topic and now here I am, happier than ever.”
“Rock on,” Stacy said.
“It was my first moshing experience. And, I swear on my mother’s grave, this is what I said to the security guard in front of me. I said, “Sir, I’m a mosh pit virgin, so please protect me and,” she dropped her voice down to a whisper. “‘Don’t let them pop my cherry.’”
The entire group of people burst out laughing, making Aurora feel good. Chris was looking at her with sparkling brown eyes and she grinned. Stacy gave her a high five and Chris nodded his head.
“I think Aurora is officially one of us.” He raised his beer to hers, and clanked them together. “Welcome to the group.”
“Hell yeah!” And that was the moment that the party started.
*****************
Many of the fans that had been milling around outside, once they had met Eric and the rest of Strata, decided to leave. Many had long drives back to the city; some lived right around the venue. Jenni Perez, who had fallen hard for the drummer of Strata, was waiting around outside, lazily puffing on a cigarette.
“Can I bum a smoke?”
She casually turned around to see the lead singer of Strata standing behind her. Once her eyes connected with his, all thoughts of their drummer flew out of her mind. His hand brushed hers as she wordlessly held a cigarette out to him, and sparks shot down her body.
Damn, he was hot.
Even the fact that he was wearing eyeliner did nothing to detract from his hotness. If anything, it made him even hotter. He had sleeves, tattoos that covered most of his right and left arms. She cocked her head to the side, and raised one eyebrow suggestively.
“You’re the lead singer of Strata, aren’t you?” He lit his cigarette and nodded, noting the Strata t-shirt that she was wearing. She had bought it on a whim, falling hard for Strata’s music.
“I’m Eric.”
“Jenni.”
“I see you bought a t-shirt.” She nodded. “That’s good. It helps us out, you know. We’re not, like, rich rock stars or anything.”
“Glad I could help.” Jenni held out her ticket. “Will you sign this?” He grabbed the small ticket and scrawled his name in silver pen. Again, when he handed her the ticket, their hands brushed.
“So did you like the show?”
“Of course. It kicked ass. I expected nothing less from Smile Empty Soul and Trapt. I hadn’t heard anything of yours. It did kick major ass though.”
“Good.” He took a sip of the energy drink he had sitting on the ground beside him. “I hate the way they fucking taste. They taste like piss but I can’t stop drinking them.”
“I practically live on the things,” Jenni commented. “Gotta get my energy somehow.”
“Ah, caffeine addict,” Eric commented. “The thing is, I have a heart palpitation so drinking these could like kill me at any minute. But it’s good to know that I’m not alone in my caffeine addiction.”
“Born and raised. I’m more of a coffee addict, though. I should own stock in Starbucks.” There was a lapse of silence. “Do you want to go somewhere and get something to eat?”
“No,” Eric said, and Jenni’s face fell. “I mean, I have to get to the bus. If you want to come with me, I’ll eat something with you there.”
“Okay.” Jenni shrugged her shoulders.
Aurora wasn’t the only one who got to have some fun.
**********************
They broke out more beers, wine coolers and eventually, some drugs. Chris wasn’t into them, but there were several people on the bus who were. Soon, Aurora was laughing and drinking, having the time of her life. She had only had a beer and half a wine cooler, but she could feel a buzz starting. Aurora was a moderate partier, so she knew how to handle her liquor.
People on the bus were already passed out and they hadn’t even left yet. Aurora wasn’t sure exactly what was going to be happening after that. For a split second, she wondered what was happening with Jenni and felt a little bit bad at leaving her all alone. But, the little voice inside her head said, it wasn’t everyday that you got to party with your favorite rock star. Jenni would understand.
Chris was in the back of the bus, inside a cramped recording studio, and Aurora headed back there to see him. The sight of him still made her breath catch in her throat. He wasn’t recording anything; he was practicing a song that Aurora had never heard before. It was always nice when she heard new music; it gave her new appreciation for his profession.
She took a seat next to him, listening to his velvet voice slide over her. His eyes were closed in reverence, like he was completely absorbed in his music. With his talent, it was easy to see why. He gave everything he had to his craft, the entire reason why he was so successful. Aurora had noticed it when she had seen him perform that night, the energy he gave to his performance.
“Hey,” He said softly when he realized she was sitting there next to him. “Didn’t realize you were there.” The resounding cords faded, leaving the two of them in complete silence.
“What’s that song from?” Aurora asked, running her hands over his keyboard. For a long time, Aurora had played piano. “I’ve never heard it before, but I like it. I pretty much like all your music.”
“It’s from The Punisher soundtrack and it’s called “Lost in a Portrait.” Have you seen the movie?” Aurora shook her head.
“I’ve wanted to, but haven’t had a chance.” Chris leaned forward, arms on his knees. “I like the song though. It’s very deep, like someone is searching for something inside of them.”
“What is it that you do?” Chris asked. “Are you into music? Did you go to college?”
“I’m a writer.” Aurora sighed. “At least, I will be. I graduated from college just a few months ago, with a degree in English/Creative Writing. I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I’m sort of a groupie on the side.”
“Groupie?” Chris said, laughing. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m serious. I follow bands wherever I can, especially you and Smile Empty Soul. I love going to concerts. I’ve taken half of my college courses online so I can travel and see bands. Needless to say, my parents were not thrilled.”
“Where do you get the money to do that?”
“My parents are well off. I just don’t tell them where their money is going or the things I’m doing. I think they would murder me if they knew their money was funding my concert addiction. They always thought that their money was going to something college related. Aren’t they dumb?”
Chris handed her another wine cooler and she sucked down half of it, suddenly very thirsty. One part of her brain knew that this was not good, but she drank the rest of it anyway. He raised one eyebrow and took a swig of his beer. Aurora was starting to feel tipsy and didn’t even mind it. Nothing about the evening was bothering her. She was in the company of a hot guy, drinking good drinks and having a fucking blast.
Before she could figure out what she was doing, she was leaning forward and touching her lips to Chris’s. It was completely uncharacteristic of her, but it felt so good. He was taken aback, but found himself kissing her back after a few seconds. The kisses started soft, grew bold. In the cramped recording room, Aurora was making out with Chris Brown.
And it felt hella good.
That certainly hadn’t been her intention. She didn’t start out that day with the idea of making out with Chris. All she had wanted to do was hang out with him. She wanted to talk and get to know him. But, hey, if something more came out of that, who was she to complain?
Soon, they were out of the studio and into the bunk area. Everyone who had been in their company on the bus had passed out from the alcohol or from the drugs. Stepping over people sprawled on the floor, they were heading toward the bunk area. When Chris led her to what she assumed was his bunk, Aurora did not complain.
It was even more cramped in the bunk, but with the continuing kisses, space was not an issue. Aurora was lost in the feelings that Chris was bringing out in her, the way he was making her feel. Chris was lying on top of her, and her hands were sliding underneath his shirt, running fingertips over his abs and pectoral muscles. He was hard all over, a roughness that made Aurora’s head spin. When Aurora dragged her nails down his chest, she was rewarded with a tortured moan.
Chris dotted kisses all along her neck, collarbone and shoulders. Some were sweet and feather light, while others were heavy, demanding and bruising. Aurora’s head thrashed from side to side all on its own, lost in pleasure. There was nothing but Chris and the feelings that he was invoking in her.
Somehow, clothes were removed and they were moving together, slick skin gliding against slick skin and nothing could have been better. It was almost as if they were made for just this. The only damper on the event was that Aurora felt like she was out of her body, like she was watching herself experience the event. Lost in pleasure, Aurora screamed out her orgasm. Chris followed, and together they lay panting, not wanting to move.
“Now you really are a groupie.” Chris commented breathily. Aurora laughed stupidly, knowing she was drunk but not really caring. They spent the better part of the morning having sex, until Aurora was too tired to move and fell asleep. She was dead to the world. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep with Chris’s strong arms wrapped around her midriff.
Aurora was in such a deep sleep that, as the bands had to get to the next city to perform, she did not notice that the bus had started to move sometime during the night. When she woke up next, Aurora was somewhere in Nevada. She certainly wasn’t in Colorado anymore.
She shot up, regretting it when she not only hit her head on the bunk above her but also felt as if she was going to puke her guts out. So much for knowing how to hold her liquor. She had obviously had way too much drink as the events of the past night were fuzzy at best. What Aurora did know was that she was naked, she was in a bunk and she was on a bus that was moving.
“Shit!” Aurora said, madly grabbing for anything that consisted of actual clothing. Her clothing that is. As she looked around for her articles of clothing, she started to realize just what she had done last night. Aurora was really shaping up to be a groupie. That had so not been her intention. Aurora had just wanted to hang out and talk. Getting drunk and having sex with a major rock star did not fit into her plans.
She managed to find her bra and put that on. Aurora had climbed out of the bunk and was madly searching for her panties. She found them under Chris’s shirt, pulled her pants on over them and looked around the area for her shirt. Her movements were crazed, jerky, as she wanted nothing more than to get dressed and get out of there.
She nearly jumped out of her skin when a pair of strong arms encircled her waist and spun her around to face them. Aurora almost screamed, but it died in her throat when she found herself looking into Chris’s laughing eyes. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and smiled.
“Good morning.”
Aurora, who was always cool and hardly ever flustered, actually look down at the floor and blushed. Chris handed her shirt to her and watched curiously as she hastily put it on. Once she was fully clothed, there was an awkward silence on her part. He was looking at her, waiting for some response from her.
“Did we…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish that sentence, partly because she already knew the answer. It was fuzzy, like a picture with the edges blurred but she could just barely remember the alcohol, the music, the kisses, and the sex. She had woken up naked. “Of course we did.”
“Many times,” Chris replied, somewhat cheekily. “You weren’t too drunk to remember it. I know that much is true. I never would have had sex with you if you had been too drunk.” Aurora shook her head.
“No, I wasn’t. But it’s fuzzy at best. Pretty damn fuzzy, like I watched myself experience it. But I was buzzed, so I think that happened to impair my judgment a little bit, made me do things I wouldn’t have done otherwise.” Where were these words coming from? “I mean, that’s not the sort of thing that I do. I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t have been drinking.”
“Aurora…”
“Don’t.” Aurora said. She nervously twisted her hands together. “It was great, awesome, but you can’t tell me that it was anything more than it was. I know you’re a big star; you wouldn’t want to start something with some fan from Denver. It was just a great time, some one night stand.”
“I don’t know,” Chris said honestly. “There’s something about you, Aurora. And it’s not like I go around having sex with every fan that happens to party on our bus. I’m not that kind of person. So, I can’t honestly tell you that it was just one night.”
Aurora was just about to tell him that she thought he was full of shit, but her cell phone rang and vibrated, sending vibrations down her leg. Sighing and reaching into her pocket, she fished out her phone. In exasperation, she flipped it open. “Hello?”
“Rory, where the hell are you? You just ditched me after the concert, understandable cause you had a VIP pass, but why aren’t you home?”
“Jenni, it’s a long story.”
“I have plenty of time.” Jenni said petulantly. “Please, explain to me why you aren’t at the apartment right now. I thought you got mugged or were lying in a ditch somewhere.”
“I’m somewhere in…” She turned to Chris. “Where am I?”
“Nevada.”
“I’m in Nevada, Jenni.”
“WHAT?”
“Yep, you heard me. I’m in Nevada. You see, I came to party on Trapt’s bus, had way too much to drink and ended up having sex with Chris Brown.” For his part, Chris looked mortified that she was just blurting this information out. “I fell asleep and the bus left during the night. That is the reason why I’m in Nevada, why I’m not at the apartment right now.”
“You had sex with Chris?” Aurora sighed.
“I knew that’s all you’d be able to focus on. Yes, Jenni, Chris and I had sex. Many times. It was hot, it rocked my world. That’s not the point.”
“Rory hooked up with a rock star,” Jenni said teasingly. “I hung out with Eric from Strata. I didn’t get to have sex though. I guess you can hear about that when you get home.”
“I’ll be home as soon as I can,” Aurora said, and with that, she flipped her phone shut. Chris was looking at her expectantly.
“My best friend,” Aurora explained. “Wondering where the hell I’m at because I just ditched her to come meet you. Although, it sounds like she may have had some fun of her own with Eric from Strata.”
“Understandable.”
“She was so excited,” Aurora shared with him. “That I had slept with you that I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I was just a one night stand. Or listen to her story.”
“How do you know that’s what you were?”
“Because that’s what rockers do,” Aurora replied. “They sleep with willing fans and then the stupid fans never hear from them again. It’s like a given in the rock star handbook or whatever. I knew that. I expected it. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt like a motherfucker.”
“Don’t assume, Aurora, that just because I happen to sing rock music that I automatically do what other ‘rockers’ do. I had you on this bus because I like you; I had sex with you because I am attracted to you. I didn’t do anything last night on the basis of just sex. There’s something here, Aurora, and there will be no denying that. Otherwise, you never would have found your way to my bunk.”
“I have to get home.” Chris looked away. “I’m not going to sit here and attempt to believe this crap that you’re feeding me. I’m smarter than that. I’m better than that and I won’t listen to it.” What the hell was she saying?
“If you don’t want to believe me, fine. When we get to Las Vegas, we’ll let you off. Then you really will have just been a one night stand.” He shook his head.
The way he walked off made Aurora feel like a huge ass. Here was a hot rock star, one who had slept with her no doubt, and she was going off like she had a bad case of PMS. As she was walking after him, Aurora caught sight of her reflection in the mirror above the mini sink.
She looked someone who had spent the night having incredible sex. Her hair was mussed, in what some would call the “just been fucked” hairstyle. Her lips were swollen and there were bruises all along her neck from demanding kisses. Most of all, she looked happy, more happy than she had been in a long time. The happiness shining in her eyes was enough to make her heart stop. Things hadn’t been good for awhile, and the happiness was unexpected.
Tears unexpectedly sprung to her eyes when she headed to the front of the bus. Didn’t he just finish telling her that she hadn’t been a one night stand? Didn’t she think enough of herself to think that he would want it to be more? Most of all, why couldn’t she convince herself to stay? Didn’t she want it to be more with him? Most girls would jump at the chance.
Chris had sat down at the front of the bus, and was staring out the window. A sign outside the bus said that Las Vegas was only 30 miles away. She sat down and looked at him expectantly. When he finally turned toward her, his face was a mask of indifference.
“Chris…”
“Don’t,” Chris said. “I can’t believe that you’re the kind of person that could just…have a night like that and leave. And contrary to what you seem to believe, that’s not me. I will not sleep with a woman and then just ditch her. If you’re in such a hurry to get home, Aurora, then go. But know this, I will not forget about you. Last night may not have meant that much to you, but there was something there for me. I won’t just forget about it.”
It took less than a half an hour to get to Las Vegas. The bus driver stopped in front of a Holiday Inn and Aurora made sure she had all her stuff. Before she stepped off the bus, Chris grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug. When Aurora pulled away and got off the bus, she had a piece of paper in her hand.
I’ll never forget. Keep in touch.
He had left his home number and his cell phone number. Could he really want to be with her? In more of a relationship way? No fucking way. He was some big star, and the night before had been just sex right? Just a night to forget.
But know this: I will not forget about you.
Yeah, sure. So when he’s touring all around the world, meeting all kinds of women after the concerts, he wouldn’t forget all about some girl he’d screwed for one night. Millions of women were more than willing to sleep with him and he was going to remember one night with Aurora? Okay, sure. Like Aurora was really supposed to believe that one.
It was a good thing she had brought some extra money when she went to the concert, otherwise she would have been shit out of luck. Aurora also had her emergency credit card, and went into the hotel. She didn’t want to stay in Vegas and decided to seek out a bus station.
“Do you have a bus station around here?” Aurora asked the concierge. He looked at her like she had some sort of disease. She had to admit that with her rock outfit on, she looked suspiciously like a prostitute. She just wasn’t in the mood to be dealing with people who thought she looked like a whore.
“Yes,” He said carefully. “Just down the street.”
“Thank you.” Some walking down the street rewarded her with the station and she looked into getting back to Denver. Stupid night of wild sex. Now she was in Las Vegas, getting a bus ticket to get back to Denver. Her favorite rock star had just driven off. And she didn’t stay with Chris…why?
Because she was stupid.
She was stupid enough to believe that maybe he wanted to be with her. Stupid enough to believe anything concerning Chris. Aurora was stupid enough to talk herself out of staying, stupid enough to want to believe. He was just a rock star filling her head with lies. She was stupid enough to want more with him. She was stupid enough to just be stupid.
Aurora flipped open her cell phone and called Jenni while she looked at the bus times. Just her luck. The next bus wouldn’t be leaving for another hour. Jenni picked up while Aurora paid for her ticket and sat down on the bench to wait.
“So you’re on your way home?” Jenni asked after listening to her recount her experience and the note that Chris had given her. Aurora sighed.
“Yes, on some stupid Greyhound bus.” She eyed the vagrant man in the corner warily. “Tell me why I didn’t stay on his tour bus with him, Jenni. Tell me why I was stupid enough to get off that bus.”
“Because you’re a dumbass. If some hot rock star had told me that he liked me, I would have done everything possible to stay on that bus with him. I would have made sure that he really never did forget me.”
“I was just a one night stand, Jen.” Aurora said softly. “Nothing more, nothing less. It was a good time. I mean, he’s got tons of women after him. What is he going to remember about last night?”
“He’s going to remember the fact that you fucked his brains out, it was hot, and that he’ll never be able to be with another woman without thinking of you because you weren’t a fucking one night stand.”
“I’ll be home as soon as I can.” She flipped the phone shut and waited impatiently. In her head, she was singing Echo and envisioning Chris singing it and looking gorgeous. She could see the way his eyes closed in passion as he sang his music, the way rough hands softly strummed his guitar.
The picture turned to rough hands whispering patterns over her body as they made love. They weren’t rough to the point of hurting her; it was just enough to heighten the pleasure, enough to make her melt. His hands were the focus of a lot of Aurora’s daydreams at that moment.
Damn, she had it bad.
When the bus finally came, Aurora was tired and just plain cranky. The idea of what she had just given up made her feel nauseous. She boarded the bus, found a seat in the back and rested her head against the window. The jostling bus started up and Aurora was on her way back home.
As she watched the scenery roll by, a single tear slipped down her cheek.
*****************
“Where did that hottie go?” Monty asked, finally emerging from his bunk where he had fallen asleep. “Don’t tell me she left. You didn’t let her go, did you Chris? If I had someone like her on the bus, I never would let her go.”
“She did leave,” Chris said tersely. “And I had no say in it. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about what went on.”
“You two got your groove on,” Monty replied. “The early birds heard the early morning sounds loud and clear. Quite a few times. The little minx was quite the screamer.” Chris glared at him. Peter looked up from strumming on his guitar.
“Hey, Monty,” The drummer looked at him. Peter said softly, “Just leave it alone, okay?”
“Okay, we had sex,” Chris said. “It was amazing, it was hot, and she believes that she was just a one night stand. I couldn’t convince her to stay. I tried to explain to her that I don’t do the whole one night stand thing, but I couldn’t convince her to stay. She practically jumped off the bus.”
“Ouch.”
Chris had picked up a guitar as well, plucking the first few chords of Echo. “I don’t get it. You know I’m not the kind of guy to just sleep with a woman and then cast her off.”
“No,” Monty agreed. “You’re more into the whole relationship thing. I don’t think you’ve ever had just a fling. You have to go all the way, the whole relationship shebang. I mean, look at Kierstin…”
“Not the subject to be getting into right now,” Chris said menacingly. Chris’s ex girlfriend, the one he had dated for four years, was not something to bring up at that particular moment. “Kierstin is not a topic of conversation. Aurora was in such a hurry to leave, like she couldn’t fathom the idea that I might want something more from her.”
“Do you?” Peter asked. “Could she be long term? Short term? Anything more than just one night? She looked like the type of woman who would want something more than just one night.”
“I don’t know,” Chris said honestly. “I believe she could be. She was just so easy to talk to, was into music and didn’t fawn all over me like I was a sex god or something. It was refreshing to see someone like that.”
“I think you’ve fallen, man.”
Chris did not have a reply.
Had he fallen for her in the few hours they had together? After all, he had been possessed to give her his home and cell phone number, hadn’t he? He obviously felt something for her. That put her in the more than a one night stand category. But what exactly did he feel for her?
Chris had never been more relieved than when the bus driver pulled up to his house and he was able to get out. The house was a sight for sore eyes, and all he wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep for years. It had been way too long since Chris had been home and it felt good.
He said goodbye to the guys, and headed inside. Everything was just the way he had left it, collecting a coat of dust, when he left months ago. Chris was thankful for the success of the tours he had been on, but sometimes he wished he could just stay at home for more than a week at a time.
The light on his answering machine was blinking and as he pressed the play button he had to admit that he was hoping that Aurora had called and left a message for him. He was praying that she had called, had figured out that she meant something much more to him, even after only knowing her for a couple of hours.
She didn’t.
There was one from his mom, one from his manager, and one from the friend who had been watching his house while he was on tour. So Aurora hadn’t called. Based on their conversation before she left, Chris had the vague feeling that she wouldn’t be calling any time in the future. Chris sat down on his couch, looking around at the empty house. He really wouldn’t be seeing Aurora again.
Despite his best intentions, Aurora had become the one night stand she had thought she was.
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