Chapter 21 – Riser
Chapter Twenty-One
Riser
The bar is packed, but we get served pretty quickly once the fans start recognizing me. The bartenders work for tips. They don’t want the bar blocked with people who aren’t ordering.
The couch Lumen and I were on for a while is taken, so we stand at one of the high-top tables. I got multiple bottles of water, so everyone would be set for a while. One trip to the bar was plenty for me.
I’m just about to ask Lumen if she wants to dance when Parish and Tennyson saunter over.
“How many of these have you had?” Parish asks, plucking the fruity cocktail out of Lumen’s hand.
“That is my first,” she says, trying to grab it back. “And I barely got a single sip.”
“That’s a good thing.” Parish spins away, takes an obnoxiously long swig, and puts it down on the table.
“You can’t have what I’ve got if you’ve been drinking,” Tennyson says, chuckling darkly.
“And what’s that?” Malcolm asks, sliding up behind Lumen. His tattooed hands come to rest on her hips, and he smirks as she leans back against his chest. “Damn, baby doll. That dress is killing me.”
They’re a sexy image, and I fight the urge to pull out my phone to snap some pictures.
“Oh, you’re nice and sweaty,” she says, peeking up at him over her shoulder.
“I’m so fucking ready for winter.” Mal smirks. “All right, Ten. Fill us in. Whatcha got that’s making you grin like that?”
“You can call me the candy man,” Tennyson says, pulling something out of his pocket as he glances around.
“My buddy special delivered these. He tested them out this past weekend and saved us enough that we’re going to have a real good night.
” His thumb runs over the clear baggie, and just by sight, I can tell it’s molly.
My chest flutters with anticipation.
I don’t crave much.
I’ll do a line or smoke a blunt if it’s around, but I fucking love rolling.
That love probably comes from the fact it made me forget how much my life sucked when I was still dealing with everything that went down with my ex.
There was nothing like the old-school raves I used to go to back in the day with Andrew.
Three hundred people packed into a warehouse, just as lit and loving life.
Do we have enough time before we need to be clear for the show tomorrow night?
Yeah, I’m sure we do.
I’ll still pass if Lumen is going to skip it. I don’t want her to have to be the only sober one.
“Did you know Ten grew up around here?” Parish asks, laughing. “I didn’t, but apparently, we’re headed back to the hotel to party with ten of his closest friends.”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “You never tell us anything about you.”
“A couple are close friends. The others are people they brought with them.” Tennyson chuckles, shaking out the pills. There are two colors—orange and teal. “But I wanna be somewhere comfortable when these hit. So, pick your poison, and let’s get the fuck out of here.”
Malcolm reaches around Lumen, grabbing one of the bottles of water. “You good with that, Lulu?”
She licks her lips and nods. “Yeah. I’ve only tried it twice, though.”
“You stick with one until you’re good and sure you’re ready for another,” Tennyson says, his face deathly serious.
“Damn,” I mutter, holding out my hand. “I wish we had tomorrow off.”
Parish and Mal echo their agreement.
Where the hell is Kincaid?
I’m ready to get the hell out of here.
“Did you two find a lady friend for tonight?” Lumen asks, glancing between Parish and Tennyson.
Parish chuckles darkly while Ten glances at a group of people I don’t recognize.
“Not yet.” Tennyson finally looks back at Lumen, saying, “But I’m hoping luck will be on our side.”
Sometimes I feel bad for the people who stay at the same hotels we do.
I’ve always wondered if the label blocks off the floor under us, or maybe the hotel does it for them to avoid noise complaints.
Our shows bring in a ton of revenue for whatever city we’re playing in, but it’s still shitty for people who just want a night of sleep while they’re on vacation.
Techno plays through Bluetooth speakers that Ten or Parish brought with them.
Tennyson had this party planned well in advance. It’s not just his friends. At least another handful of people followed us over from the bar.
Lumen dances with Malcolm about ten feet away. Mal’s hands slide down her back, cupping her ass as they move together.
I’m not jealous.
At least, not exactly.
I think I feel left out.
Which is dumb.
If I went over there, I bet they would let me join them.
I’ve become one with the couch cushion. I’m a puddle of everything feels incredible and getting up seems like a fuckton of work.
Kincaid leans against the wall near the balcony, watching Lumen and Mal just as intently as I’ve been. I don’t have telepathy, but it seems like he’s experiencing the same types of feelings that I am.
One of the women who knows Tennyson comes over, sitting directly next to me on the couch.
She rests her head against my shoulder and runs her hand down my arm. “Whoa, your skin is crazy soft.”
My head rolls around the couch cushion, and I snort. “That’s the material of my shirt.”
“Oh,” she says sheepishly. “Well, it’s still soft. So, you know Ten, huh?”
“Yup,” I agree. “You do too, right? But from way back?”
I fight the urge to bounce my shoulder to give her the hint to get off me. Being touched feels nice, but I want those touches to be from Lumen.
“Unfortunately,” she says, popping the material of my shirt in her fingers. “Is he as much of a dick on the road as he’s always been?”
“Pretty much,” I admit with a laugh, my eyes migrating back to Lumen. She’s got her back to Mal’s chest as they grind together.
“Is that your girlfriend?”
“Nah, but I like her a lot,” I say, smiling like an idiot. “Like a fucking lot.”
“Aww, that’s cute.” The woman laughs. “She doesn’t look happy to see me touching you.”
She raises a hand, waving Lumen over.
She’s right.
Lumen has been all smiles, but that has faded to an impressive glare. She brushes Malcolm’s hands off her waist and skirts around the coffee table, coming to a stop near the couch.
“I was just trying to get dirt on Tennyson,” the random woman says, pushing herself off the sofa, then pointing at me. “You should touch his shirt. It’s really soft. He likes you.” With that, she takes off.
“I did say that.” I laugh, shaking my head.
“Jesus, you’re handsome when you smile.” Lumen sways forward, climbing onto my lap. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you really smile. Not until now.”
My hands fly to cup the backs of her thighs as she holds herself up on her knees.
Her soft fingers dig into my jaw as she cradles my face in her hands, studying me.
Her pupils are blown, and I bet mine are too.
“You’re so fucking pretty,” I murmur, running my thumbs over her soft skin. I could use being blitzed as a solid excuse for my loose tongue, but I’m always attracted to Lumen.
“That’s crazy.” Her head tilts, and a lopsided smile breaks out on her face. “I was just thinking about how handsome you are. Do you ever put hoops in your snake bites?”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Not often, but sometimes I swap them out for a curved barbell or horseshoe and tuck the other ball over the top of my lip.”
She drags her thumbs over my forehead and down my temples, brushing the tattoos that disappear into my hairline.
“I never thought I would be attracted to face tattoos, but I love these.” She moves lower, and I shiver with how incredible her touch feels.
“And how these peek up onto your jaw from your throat. Oh my god, your stubble is so pokey. I love it.”
I laugh, my head falling back against the couch cushion. Euphoria hits, and warmth pulses through my veins. Whoever picked the music deserves an award.
The couch bounces, and I open my eyes to find Malcolm hovering next to Lumen. He has one knee on the cushion next to us and a foot on the floor.
“You absolutely have to try this,” Malcolm says, shoving something up my nose.
“Jesus, man.” I laugh, pulling my hand up to block my other nostril.
“What is it?” Lumen asks.
“Heaven,” Malcolm says seriously. “It’s one of those mentholated inhalers. People use them when they’re sick.” He swaps to my other nostril, and my brain short-circuits as I inhale.
It’s like I can feel the music rushing through my veins, and I have the urge to get up and move.
“Do not blow that shit in anyone’s eyes, even if they ask,” I hear myself say. “People love it, but I’ve heard stories of it causing serious damage.”
“Uh, yeah, got it,” Malcolm says. “You good, baby doll?”
She shivers, falling to sit on my hands. “Mm-hmm, so good. Jesus. I want to dance, but also to cuddle. I want to do it all.”
“You’re so fucking perfect,” Malcolm says, wrapping his hand around the side of her neck and pulling her in for a kiss.
Their tongues dance in the air six inches from my face. My heart thumps, and that damn warm, fuzzy feeling pulses in my nerve endings.
Lumen is still figuring shit out after breaking up with her ex, but Malcolm will be good for her.
He’s as loyal as they come.
I have no doubt that if I called him at three in the morning, he’d hop out of bed and bail me out of jail or show up with no questions asked.
When he cares about someone, he does it with his whole chest. The main problem is that I’ve never seen anything or anyone hold his interest for more than a couple months. Well, outside of playing guitar and making music.
And who says she’s even looking for anything long term? She might just wanna have fun for a while before she heads back to her real life.
Malcolm pulls back from their kiss. “Fuck, baby doll. You’re killing me.”
Lumen moans, grinding over my lap.
“I’m going to grab some supplies.” Mal pops up close to my face. “You’ve got her. Right, Ry?” He brushes his nose against mine, and even that feels euphoric. He climbs off the cushion and says, “She said she wants to dance.”
“Or we could cuddle,” Lumen says, her fingers digging into my shoulders as she pushes up onto her knees.
I finally realize I can pull my hands from under her and nod. “We can dance.”
Lumen squeals, shoving her mouth to mine.
There’s not even any tongue, and my cock still perks up. I weave my fingers into her hair. It’s soft and feels nice against my skin, but the brush of Lumen’s tongue over my lips is even better.
I open for her, and she moans, shoving her tongue into my mouth.
The music pulses in the background, amping up every sensation, and time loses all meaning.
Everything feels more meaningful, almost like I can sense her soul tangling with mine as we kiss.
It’s a beautiful experience.
Even though I need to breathe, I refuse to be the one to end the kiss.
She pulls back, and our chests heave.
My nose tingles with the menthol every time I inhale, but her pears and roses scent sneaks up on me.
“Whoa, Riser,” she whispers, blinking at me as she settles on my lap. “You’re a really good kisser.”
“Yeah,” I agree, grinning like a fool. “I mean, you too. You still wanna dance, or should we cuddle?”
“Dance, then snuggle.” She nods very seriously. “Oh my god. I forgot about the giant tub in my bedroom. We should dance, then take a bath, then snuggle.”
I can’t help but laugh.
After seeing her so heartbroken, I’d do literally anything to make her happy.
“You got it, beautiful.”