Chapter 11 #2
Jess tracked down April and ordered a beer, then headed to join the crew.
Chrissy gave her a hug as soon as she saw her.
“How was your game?” Jess asked. She knew Chrissy and Shay had won their match.
“Oh, good!” Chrissy started to share a few details of their win, but Jess quickly lost focus when Vivienne climbed onto the stage.
The performer smiled as she finished the verse, then she vamped for a bit as she welcomed Vivienne. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Vivienne,” she purred into the other mic, like she’d been doing this her whole life.
“You ready for the chorus, Vivienne?”
“I’ll give it my best!” Vivienne said, the way a star might promise to do its best to twinkle.
Everyone look at me, Jess thought with a bitter sip of her beer. Perfect Vivienne, gorgeous and put together all the time, and … Oh, huge shocker, also an amazing singer?
“It was our first kiss,” they sang together,
It was a slow kiss.
It was a drinking coffee underneath the stars kiss.
It was a soft lips, cool night, hot kiss.
It was a never let me go cause you’re my life kiss.
The second time through most of the audience joined in too, Jess’s toe tapping all on its own, then the singer took Vivienne’s hand and lifted it high while the patrons of Maggie’s cheered.
Vivienne was greeted by further applause and whistles when she rejoined the group, flushed and smug.
Jess tried to ignore her.
That got harder when Vivienne propped herself against the high-top next to Jess.
Vivienne leaned over to stage-whisper, giving Jess a healthy glimpse of deepened cleavage. “You know what the secret is to getting up there?”
Jess tried not to roll her eyes. “Picturing everyone naked?” she guessed, the old cliché.
Vivienne scoffed. “Nah. I imagine I’m naked.”
“You…” An image flashed before her eyes of naked Vivienne onstage. She shook her head to clear it. “How does that help?”
Vivienne fanned herself with a coaster. “It gives me confidence, because I look damn good naked.”
Jess couldn’t help but laugh at the logic, despite herself. She pushed her hair back, and then her heart stuttered.
Her stomach dropped.
Her throat closed.
Because there, across the bar, looking beautiful and glowing in the light from the sunset spilling through the patio doors, was a woman in a gauzy white dress with blue hair.
Skye.
Fuck.
Jess ducked her head out of Skye’s eyeline. Fuck. Fuck. FUCK. Her heart pounded, cheeks hot.
“What?” Vivienne swiveled her head around. “Who’s—Oh, it’s Skye.” She turned back to look at Jess.
Jess tried to wipe whatever was showing from her expression, but she wasn’t fast enough.
Vivienne furrowed her eyebrows for a second, then understanding swept across her face. “Ah. So … it didn’t end well?”
Jess’s cheeks burned. “No. No, it didn’t.” She fiddled with her drink. “She … well, she slept with me and then brushed me off.” Her pulse hammered in her temple. She was about to either shrivel up and die or actually explode, it was hard to say which was more likely.
“Shit.” Vivienne turned to peek at Skye again, chewing on her lip, then looked back at Jess. “Hey, just breathe. It’s okay.”
Apparently, Vivienne had realized Jess was panicking before she did. Tears threatened under Jess’s eyelids. “We play her tomorrow,” she scratched out. How was she supposed to actually face Skye on the court if she couldn’t even handle seeing her in a bar?
“Right. Fuck.”
Jess risked her own peek over the crowd, then her heart stopped entirely. “Oh my fucking God, she’s coming over here.”
Skye was locked on them like a tractor beam as she edged through the crowd.
Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck.
Every cell in Jess’s body screamed to run while at the same time was frozen in terror.
Vivienne took Jess’s hand.
Jess stared at their interlocked fingers, confused. “What are you—?” Jess’s instinct was to yank her hand away but, again … frozen.
“Just go with it,” Vivienne whispered. She stepped closer and pressed her whole body up against Jess.
“Wha—?” But the rest of that sentence evaporated into the ether when the sensation hit her.
Vivienne’s warm weight on her torso. Vivienne’s breasts swelling under Jess’s.
Vivienne’s sweet vanilla scent filling her nostrils.
Vivienne’s deep, dark eyes, only inches from hers, peering deep into her soul. What the f—
The corner of Vivienne’s mouth lifted. “Is she watching?”
Skye was almost there, gaze determined. “Yes,” Jess gasped.
Vivienne shifted even closer, her nose drifting under Jess’s jaw. “Lean down so I can whisper sweet nothings in your ear.”
A brief pause while Jess’s brain lurched into gear. She dipped her head down.
“Close your eyes, like we’re about to kiss.…” Vivienne’s breath ghosted over Jess’s cheek. Her hand was an ember, hot on Jess’s hip.
Skye arrived. “Hi, Jess.”
Forming words was difficult with Vivienne’s body—hard and soft in all the right places—still fully pressed against her and her scent permeating the air.
Luckily, Vivienne was up to the task. She responded without even looking in Skye’s direction. “Can we help you?”
Jess’s eyes met Vivienne’s again. They twinkled with delight. She was definitely enjoying fucking with Skye.
“Vivienne, right?” Skye said.
“Do I know you?” Vivienne drawled, in the most uninterested voice possible.
Jess risked a glance at Skye.
The tentative smile on Skye’s face flickered. “Are you two … together?”
Finally, Vivienne turned the full force of her gaze on Skye.
Skye visibly shrank.
“Are we together?” Vivienne repeated, as if Skye was the dumbest person on Earth. “What do you think?”
Skye folded her arms, but it was defensive, not angry. “Look, I just want to talk to Jess.”
Vivienne frowned, lips full and shimmering. Jess wondered if they were as soft as they looked. “Do you want to talk to this person, babe?”
Babe. “Um…” Did she want to talk to Skye? No … no, she fucking didn’t, actually. But was that immature?
Vivienne now had her hands on both of Jess’s hips. One of her thumbs started to circle.
Jess looked at Vivienne, trying to read her eyes. If anyone would know what the right call was, it was Vivienne. What would she do?
Jess took a deep breath, Vivienne’s weight against her comforting. She looked at Skye. “Thanks, but I’m good.”
Skye’s face fell. “Yeah. I get it. Good luck tomorrow, I guess.” She turned and began to push her way back through the crowd.
“I bet that felt fucking good,” Vivienne murmured into her ear.
Jess shivered. It did. It felt really fucking good.