CHAPTER 15 #2
“You look hot,” Lida complimented as Reese headed for the floor-length mirror.
Reese flashed her a smile before appraising her outfit.
Thank god Lida had insisted they both bring extra outfits in case they ended up going out over the course of the trip.
Reese was a notorious underpacker. She couldn’t count how many times she had been on vacation and needed to stop to buy a toothbrush, a new pair of shoes, or—god forbid—underwear.
Reese smoothed her tight mesh long sleeve and fussed with the silver belt buckle over her baggy black canvas pants.
The black strappy bra she wore was completely visible through the fine mesh, but the bruises on her arms from this morning’s game were mostly camouflaged.
It was a more daring outfit than Reese would have normally worn, but Lida had reminded her this was Vegas after all.
She tousled her hair once more and reached for the tickets in her back pocket.
The evening desert air was cool, leaving a trail of goosebumps sprouting across her arms since the mesh shirt did little to provide any semblance of warmth during the short walk.
Lida strolled next to her, looking effortlessly cool as always.
She wore a cropped leather jacket over a bright orange tank top, black jeans and leather boots.
Her long braids were tied back in a high ponytail that swung back and forth as they hurried down the strip.
Although her hangover had completely worn off by now, she still wore her sunglasses as the sun’s final rays faded into darkness.
Despite the crowded lines, security moved swiftly and the pair were soon inside, tracking down the nearest concession stand.
Loud rock music echoed through the hallway as the opening band began winding down their set.
People jostled in every direction as they ordered comically large and overpriced stadium food.
Lida ordered a vodka Red Bull before turning to her expectantly.
Reese settled for a plain Red Bull in the hope it would help to shake the lingering exhaustion.
Reese handed a credit card to the cashier before Lida could take her own out.
“Did you want to do that thing where you pretend to fight me for the bill?” she teased.
Lida’s eyes sparkled as she narrowed her gaze through impossibly long lashes and playfully snapped, “Nuh uh. I paid for all your drinks last night, babe.”
“Touché,” Reese answered with a giggle. Lida took a giant sip before leaving the counter, taking care not to spill as they shuffled to their seats.
As they walked through the throng of concert-goers, Lida finally spoke up.
“So are you ever gonna tell me where you snuck off to last night?” Reese’s eyes widened as she faced Lida.
The smirk on Lida’s face turned wicked as Reese’s expression confirmed her suspicions.
She shrugged and added, “I woke up and saw the note on the nightstand. I just assumed you were with Jette.” Reese opened her mouth to deflect when Lida continued, “I mean, it was pretty obvious. You guys were flirting all night.”
Reese nervously replied, “I made sure you were okay before I left.”
Lida scoffed and chuckled, “Oh my god babe, I’m not mad about that.” Her warm laughter was loud even over the hundreds of people surrounding them. “So, what happened?” Her voice was bright with curiosity.
Reese’s cheeks blushed as she answered, “Nothing really, we just—” Lida shot her an annoyed look that stopped her in her tracks.
“We made out,” she blurted. It wasn’t a lie.
At least, not entirely. She wasn’t ready to discuss every detail just yet, not when she hadn’t even had the chance to process her own thoughts since last night.
“You made out,” Lida repeated plainly. “All night?”
“I mean, we talked a lot, too,” Reese admitted.
Another half-truth. Jette had fallen asleep on her chest as they talked into the night.
She learned Jette was afraid of subway grates and losing her memory like her grandmother.
She listened to Jette talk about her soft spot for Led Zeppelin after listening to it in the car with her dad on countless road trips as a kid.
Reese listened to every single word Jette uttered until she drifted to sleep, too exhausted to speak.
Lida’s warm brown eyes looked right through her with a flash of understanding and Reese could tell that Lida wouldn’t push the conversation any further.
“Well shit,” she finally said as they descended the stairs to their floor seats.
“I guess that explains all of this,” Lida playfully gestured to Reese with one hand.
“You know…the tattoo, the black clothes, the see-through shirt.” Lida waggled her eyebrows as Reese’s mouth fell open in genuine surprise.
“Oh my god, shut up.” Reese playfully nudged Lida’s shoulder. Her cheeks flushed self-consciously. “Is it too much?” She asked honestly.
“Oh, please.” Lida reassured her before her anxiety could begin to spiral out of control.
Her voice softened. “You look fucking hot and you know it,” she praised.
“Plus, look around. We might be the most modestly dressed people here.” Her head turned side to side as they both surveyed the crowd.
Lida was right. The crowd was overwhelmingly young, female, and unapologetically queer.
Reese finally glanced towards the stage and saw the gleaming drum set directly in front of them.
A few lanky crew members jogged off stage as the overhead lights began to dim.
The crowd went wild as the arena plunged into darkness.
The volume hurt Reese’s ears; she could feel her eardrums vibrating from the chorus of high-pitched cheers.
But as the band quickly filtered onto stage, Reese couldn’t focus on anything except Jette.
Her stride was staggeringly confident with her heavy black boots and long baggy athletic pants.
She flashed a brilliant smile to the crowd and gave a small wave as she sat down behind the kit.
Reese couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.
Jette adjusted the tiny wires coming from her in-ear monitor and casually looked to the crowd, undoubtedly scanning for familiar faces.
When Jette found her, her dark lips pulled back in a beaming smile.
Jette shot a wink in Reese’s direction, leaving the women in the crowd behind them squealing in delight.
Reese and Lida looked at each other before breaking into laughter.
The rest of the band came out singing the opening lyrics of the show and the crowd erupted.
A thousand voices all sang along in unison as the group casually danced around the stage, never slowing or breaking focus.
They moved so fluidly, it almost looked choreographed.
The guitar player’s short and curly mullet swayed into her face as she shamelessly knelt on the ground before the blonde-haired lead singer.
All of the band’s interactions bordered on flirtatious.
Song after song would end with one of them kissing each other on the cheek or blowing a kiss to the crowd, but Reese barely noticed.
Her eyes always drifted back to Jette and her taut forearms as she alternated between standing and sitting behind the kit.
Reese had been to plenty of concerts in the past and had never really paid much attention to the drummers.
But standing here in the arena with her eyes glued to Jette’s face, chest, and legs, she couldn’t believe she had ever noticed anything else on the stage.
The kick drum reverberated in her chest and the cymbals were so loud her eyes flinched involuntarily with every crash.
Reese studied the way Jette’s legs bounced behind the kit and felt something coil in her abdomen.
She couldn’t help but remember the way Jette’s legs felt under her hands.
Out of the corner of her eye, Reese noticed Lida shift.
She reluctantly tore her eyes from Jette and saw Lida studying her.
A smile crept across Lida’s face before she reached an arm around Reese’s shoulders.
“You look fucking happy,” she yelled over the crowd into Reese’s ear.
She squeezed Reese’s shoulder as they swayed back and forth to the music, never letting go of each other.
Reese’s cheeks ached from the constant smile plastered across her face.
Nearing the end of the show, the lead singer, Finley, eventually took a break and introduced the rest of the group.
The bass player, Sav, gave a friendly wave as her name was announced.
And cheers erupted as Paulie, the short-haired guitar player, jutted her jaw when her name was called.