This Is Forever (3 page)

FOUR

New York City unfolded beneath
Winter in three directions, the sunshine just snuffing out as the city came alive with light and neon. It was one of the things he really liked about it, how vibrant it was at any given time--- How alive. He watched the buildings from his room on the 2oth floor of the W hotel, imagining it breathing, as if it was a living entity.

Darkness, for as much as it was held at bay in the city, came on swift wings, making the night beyond, and the Hudson river an inky black mess in the distance. New Jersey lay just beyond, its lights a pale comparison to the vivid splendor of the city.

They had touched down a few hours before, met at the airport by screaming fans, and an entire contingent of Feathers. For the most part, they made it out with minimal fuss, and thank the air gods, all their luggage had made it to NY with them. It would be another day and a half till the bus got to New York, so until then they had some time on their hands.

Rhys and Saffron went to her new loft in
Soho, spoils of her ridiculously generous salary from Will It! Records for putting up with all their shit on the road. Chandler had ducked out soon after coming in with two of his best friends, Los and Lissa, who both were in college at NYU. That left Winter, Nyx and Tosh to hit up the W alone, which was fine by him. He had plans anyway, and knowing that Nyx and Tosh would be engaged in each other helped to cement them. Or so he thought.

“Did you hear me
Winter? Stoli is downstairs with Gatsby. Should I send them up?”

Winter
looked over at Nyx who was standing just inside the doorway to his suite. She was holding his cell phone in her hand, and looked to be reading the screen.

“Oh. Um…”He sighed.
Stoli and Gatsby. No they weren’t the girls’ real names, but they were the nicknames they adopted, like many girls in the scene did. They were more than hook ups to him, which was why Nyx was asking. Normally he spent his time in New York with them, as they were seriously fun girls, both in the bedroom and out.

Did he really wanna open that can of worms? With all his planning involving Lola, he hasn’t stopped to think about the girls he would be seeing, his regulars, in the different cities they would go on this tour.

But Stoli and Gatsby weren’t just girls. They were friends…

“Yeah.”
He gave Nyx a smirk. “Why are you in here answering my cell and not riding Tosh?”

Nyx gave him a jaundiced look. “I think we are both beginning to think this was a bad idea…”

Winter frowned. “Why?”

She sighed. “We both want different things.”

Winter knew that was code for Nyx wasn’t ready to commit. She had used it countless times. He felt for Tosh, not that the guy wouldn’t bounce back, he always did, but for him to want more… who knew the outcome of that debacle?

He watched as she pressed the touch screen of his phone and then smiled at the ding she heard.
“Beauty. They are on their way up.”

“And what are you going to be doing if you’re not rocking Tosh
tonight?”

She shrugged. “Hitting Times Square with X and Dante.
Probably Hitting up BARCODE for some drinks and Skee-ball.”

Winter
nodded. “Well then enjoy,”

She dropped his phone on his bed and then turned. “You too.
.. Don’t hurt them…”

He chuckled.
If she only knew. Those girls were a force unto themselves.

As she gained the door he heard two familiar voices coming from the hallway and smiled.

“Damn Nyx you look amazing!”

“Where is that tall drink of water Tosh?”

The conversation was muffled by what he assumed were hugs and kisses and then Nyx said her goodbyes and the girls walked in. And the air in the room got sucked out.

He was never sure why the
uber hot ones dug him, but here were two of the sexiest girls in New York, dressed like a present for a back alley rapist, standing in his suite. And he wasn’t going to do a thing about it.

Stoli, a tall blonde with green eyes, far too much, if artful, eye makeup and two stunning sleeves of gorgeous ink grinned at him.
“Hey there stranger. You look… Strange.” She frowned and then looked over at Gatsby. “I don’t think we are getting laid tonight.” Her voice was husky, thick like she was a pack a day smoker without the grit.

Gatsby, a very pretty lithe creature with white blonde hair and black tips cocked her head. “No
…” she said in her wisp of a voice, “I don’t believe we are going to. At least not by our lovely Winter… What’s wrong sweetness? The Feathers make a play?” she grinned.

“Hardly.
And how do you know you’re not getting any?” he asked, not liking how well they could read him.

Gatsby shook her head and sat, then reclined on the large bed. “It’s in your eyes. So who is she that’s got your nuts in a twist?”

Stoli sat next to Gatsby and petted her shoulder. “Yes, tell us. If we can’t engage in our usual when your back in the city, the least we can do is listen. Maybe help?”

Winter
shook his head and chuckled. It took a special kinda girl to understand the kinda lifestyle he lead, and an even more special kinda girl to not freak out when the guy they were all up on was clearly interested someone else. But these girls, Stoli and Gatsby, knew the drill. They were above the petty groupie, they were friends, friends with benefits, and friends that if Lola wasn’t high on his mind right now, he would be indulging in, like in times past.

He knew if he told them the score, they would be supportive, not like the bullshit Rhys had to go through after he and Saffron went public. Stoli and Gatsby would support his decision, and while they would all mourn their past relationship being over, he knew they wouldn’t be too broken up about it. He was but one of many in their stable. They were collectors, first and foremost.
It was how it worked.

“So?” Gatsby said and unzipped her boots, slipping her dainty feet out of them. She scooted back onto the pillows and got comfortable, Stoli following suit, cuddling into her friend.

He took a breath and leaned against the wall. “You guys coming to the show?” he asked in opening.

“Up to you
pookie…” Stoli said. “You offering AA?”

He smirked. “Haven’t I always?”

Stoli nodded. “So what’s that have to do with it.”

“Our tour is with Strange Angels.”

“Yes, we can read a tour poster and online listing on the site Wint. Get to it maybe?”

“Me and Lola…” he sighed. “
We have history. Like
history
.”

Gatsby grinned. “And you got the itch again?
Understandable. She’s a fucking beautiful girl. I’d do her. Twice. And buy the t-shirt.”

Thoughts of Lola and Gatsby locked in a sweaty embrace went straight to his cock. He was a bad
, bad man. He chuckled. “And that visual will remain with me the rest of my days…” he murmured and pushed off from the wall and then plopped down on the bed.

“It’s more than the itch.”

Stoli rolled her eyes. “Oh no, it’s spreading! First Rhys and now you!? Oh you were the last we thought would fall to the goddamn love bug.” She pouted. “Well if we are going to lose you, I supposed it wouldn’t be so bad to lose you to Lady Hotness herself. So what’s the score?”

Winter
unloaded about their most recent meeting, and their reacquaintance at Voodoo. He gave them some info as far back as high school, and of course when they broke up. Gatsby gave him a dreamy smile and sighed.

“Oh he’s got it bad. She’s a lucky girl. So she’s the
one then? The girl that broke you?”

Winter
ignored the last question. He didn’t need anyone to know how bad losing her broke him. No other woman in the world meant more to him, and he lost her. Well it was time to get her back. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but after the fucker of mixed signals when I saw her back in NOLA, I’m not so sure.”

Stoli
harrumphed. “That sounds like she isn’t sure dude. Give her a reason to throw those panties on stage. Or on your head, or take them off, I don’t know…”

He
gave her a wry smile. She did have a way with words. “So I have to wait till the show to see her. I’ll be honest, it’s killing me.” He got up and went to his messenger bag, grabbed another tootsie pop and popped it into his mouth.

Stoli smirked. “Candy? Oh lord. And lemme guess, you just decided to get that
sexy little addition in your lip too for no reason?” she pouted. “Makes you more kissable.”

“You know, you don’t have to wait,” Gatsby said and sat up. “
She’s already here.”

Winter
stopped walking towards the bed. “In this hotel?”

The girl shook her head. “No. Strange Angels always stays at NIGHT over on forty seventh. We hung out with Stanton last night.
She’s there, Penthouse suite if I’m not mistaken.”

What were the odds that she was in tonight? He looked over at the girls. “You don’t mind if I bounce do you?”

Stoli laughed and shook her head. “Fair warning, Gatsby and I are having sex in your bed. Someone has to.”

Winter
shrugged. “Whatever. I’ll see you guys in the morning.”

Gatsby grinned. “Don’t worry we will send you a few
candid’s.”

“You guys are so good to me.” He grabbed his messenger bag and was out the door seconds later.

The girls in his room wasn’t anything new… And they would deflect anyone looking for him. Also, it would keep up appearances, less someone outside of the band and his friends find out what his plans were. The last thing he wanted was groupie issues for Lola to contend with.

He hit the elevator with a solid plan in his head, and grinned when he dug his phone outta his pocket when it vibrated. He clicked it, seeing a rather explicit picture of Gatsby posing naked on the bed in his suite.
He texted back.

Don’t hurt her too bad Stoli.

Stoli answered seconds later.

She likes it. Miss you here with us. Go get your girl.

He signed off as the elevator hit the bottom floor, and put his hood up on his
hoodie and made tracks to the taxi stand beyond the doors. If he was lucky, Lola would be in her room, and his plan could go into action.

FIVE

Lola sailed through the lobby of Night, her usual New York home away from home and made it to the elevator to her suite in seconds. How she managed to get through the fans that were milling about was anyone’s guess, but she was grateful for the ability as she was in no mood to play the “Sexy lead singer”. Sometimes she just needed to herself, and after the insane dinner with Toro and Stanton at Max Brenner’s, where they consumed more chocolate then should ever be possible, all she wanted was a hot cup of tea, her comfy pajamas and her book. Maybe a bubble bath in the amazing tub her suite had.

Yes
she thought, yes that’s exactly what was in order. She was feeling like a slug, the sugar shock taking over. Some time to relax was exactly what she needed, to reconnect, and re-center now that she felt more like her old self.

Decided she slipped through the doors of the elevator as it opened on her floor and stopped dead.

“I’m pretty sure you need a key card to get to this level,” she said as she walked forward, her eyes on Winter, who was leaning against the door of her suite, head down, hoodie unzipped, messenger bag slung over his shoulder, and hands in his pockets. Yes he looked unassuming, which was probably his intent, but she knew him just by the way he was leaning. Winter Tulane did relaxed like he wrote the book on it.

She waited for him to answer her, taking in his entire being. His jeans were dirty washed, fitted but only in the right places, where things were supposed to fit snugly. Old school puma’s in baby blue, bullet belt, the exact one she bought for him once upon a time. His
t-shirt was non-descript, and in the light looked burned out in places, but then again it was the style.

He pulled a hand out of his jeans pocket, fingering a key card, spinning it thought his fingers.

Lola stopped walking forward. “How? And how the fuck did you get up here without anyone stopping you?”

“How did you?” he asked and looked up.

Eyes the color of maple syrup fixed on her, and she stifled a shiver. Any time the boy’s eyes were on her she felt raw, exposed, like he was seeing to her soul. The intensity of his gaze wasn’t any different now, but it was more refined, if that was even possible. He smiled, the left side of his mouth lilting just a soft inch higher than the right. It was the lopsided grin that got her forever ago in the park, and it seemed it still worked.

“I have my ways,” she asked and motioned to the card.
“And that?”

Winter
’s eyes left her and fixated on the card he was still twirling. “Abby at the front desk. She’s a fan. I bartered. Two VIP passes for a key to the penthouse.”

Lola raised a manicured brow.  “One of your girls?” she asked, trying and succeeding in keeping the venom out of her voice.

Winter shook his head. “Tosh’s from out first tour out this way. Like I would hit up someone I nailed to get up here to see you.”

“Please…
let’s not get all mushy.”

“Mushy?” he asked and slipped the card back into his pocket. “And that means?”

She ignored his question. “Why are you here? Wasn’t my behavior enough of a hint at Sally’s?”

Winter
chuckled. “You think it’s that easy to stop this…” he motioned between the two of them, “You got another thing coming.”

“There isn’t anything between us
Winter. Not anymore.”

“Bullshit. But that’s
Ok; I’m going to prove it to you.”

“Oh please. Is this were you tell me every girl since me
was
me and you need me back?”

Winter
pushed off the wall and stalked towards her. “Fuck no. To be you would mean I would have to respect them, and that’s kinda hard to do when they gladly participate in any depraved thing I can think of. So no, I’m not going to pull that line of bullshit on you. I used them to forget you, or replace you, neither of which worked.”

“Oh yeah?” she said with fake bravado. He was closer now, and she could smell the delicious scent that was uniquely
Winter, all warm sunshine and spice, and her knees were getting weak.

Yes, she was going to let him seduce her now that she could and not have the repercussions, but his audacity, his fucking ego, would have to be put in check. All the girls after her and before now really fed his self importance, but it was his self worth she wanted to touch. She knew he wasn’t lying when he told her he had no respect for them, if he did the stories she had heard about
Winter from the road would never have happened. Of course, the girls were really responsible for letting it happen. What guy wasn’t going to conduct his own personal letters to penthouse if he had scores of willing women?

And the women
were
willing to be his freaky play things. The stories…

Though if half of them were true she was way out of his sexual league, because nothing she had experienced could compare. Fuck half, if
ten of the stories were true she was in some deep shit.

But she wasn’t going to let him know that. Stories of her own exploits were greatly exaggerated, so his could be as well, but something told her…

“Yeah.” He stood in front of her, and bit his bottom lip. “You look amazing.” He whispered and leaned in and planted a kiss on her cheek.

Why was it he could get her to melt with the smallest of offerings?
He moved back and looked her over slowly.

“So you just thought you would pop over and… and what, exactly?”

He stepped back another two steps and grinned. “Honestly? I missed you.” He said quietly. “Thought we could catch up.”

Lola scoffed. “Did
ya now? Or was it that you were alone for the night and just decided to bother with me?”

She pushed past him to her door and slipped her card into the reader and slipped the magnetic key into the lock. The double doors opened with a soft
woosh and she walked though. She smiled to herself when she saw Winter follow as he fiddled with his cell phone.

The doors closed with a soft click, and he walked up next to her and showed her his phone.

The image there was of two girls, wrapped around each other on a bed. Looking at the camera.  “Lovely. I think they were with Stanton the other night.”

Winter
nodded. “Stoli and Gatsby. Just proving I wasn’t alone for the night.” He said and tucked the phone away. “And no, before you get all indignant, I haven’t touched them. True they are in my room at the W, no doubt making some disturbing video to upload on
YouPorn
or something, but I came here the second they told me you were here.”

“How long did it take you to get dressed?” she asked and walked further into the suite.

He laughed. “Lo, nothing happened. They came up, we talked, they told me you were here. I left the hotel to come here and see you.”

She turned towards him and smiled, then moved towards the couch and sat, crossing her legs as she did. She could hear the scratch of her thigh highs as they rubbed together, the weak light glinting off the patent leather of her boots and buckles.
She watched as his eyes went wide for just a second and then settled in his lazy gaze, the one that had set her aflame so many times before. Gods, the smallest thing…

“For what reason?”
She asked and laid her hands on her thigh.

“For any reason.
I don’t give a shit if we talk or fight or fuck. I missed you. Missed your smile, your laugh, the way you fucking laugh
at
me. ” He moved closer and went to his knees in front of her, stopping just next to her knee. “Is that too hard to imagine?”

No, it wasn’t. She missed him. Missed the way he looked in the morning, his hair a mess and the sleepy set of his eyes.
Missed his quirks and they way he drank orange juice out of the container. Missed the way his skin felt when he held her hand. Missed the way he would whisper to her in the night, words of love and need, before he slid into her from behind. Of course she missed him. She loved him. But that didn’t mean she was going to give in so damn easy.

If she was honest with herself it would make things easier on the road starting something up with him again, which was what she wanted, but until
Shessha was taken care of completely, she would have to keep him at arm’s length and she didn’t want to.

“You can’t tell me you didn’t miss me.”

She looked towards him, his arms now leaning on the cushion she was sitting on so he could lean closer to her. If nothing else, he was charming.

“That’s not the point.”

“So you
do
miss me.”

She sighed.
“On stormy nights most.” She said softly, visions flashing in her head of several of the nights they spent together before fame grabbed them both, making love on the balcony of her parents plantation house. She could almost hear the creaking of the wicker love seat as she rode him on it while the storm raged, tossing the old oaks branches to and fro.

Winter
leaned in and grinned. “I miss that too, though not as much as I just miss you. Everything else is icing, I miss us.”

She nodded as there wasn’t anything she could say. True she wanted him to know how she felt, but stressing about it,
unneeded, could possibly set a crack in her new barrier, and right now was not the time to have that happen. No, she was going to have to play this coolly, and ignore how badly she wanted to be in his arms.

“
You’re stuck with me tonight Lo, I’m not going back to my room and I don’t care if I have to sleep on your couch or in the hallway, I’m spending the night with you come hell or high water. So what do you say we watch a movie and just hangout? I’m sure we can get some drinks sent up. Have you eaten?”

She shook her head. “I don’t drink anymore,” and hadn’t since that fateful video shoot, “And I just got back from dinner with Stanton and Toro.”

“Oh,” he said and leaned in and grabbed her hand. “So scratch that then. Movie?”

She looked down at her hand in his, reveling in the warmth that was suffusing her skin from his body. “I…Ok ground rules.”

Winter raised a brow.

“First, I don’t know about us
Winter, I just don’t. You want to be friends again, I can do friends, but friends don’t hold hands, friends don’t make out and friends certainly don’t eye fuck each other at every turn.”

He laughed. “Sweetheart,
if I saw you on the street I would eye fuck the shit outta you. It has nothing to do with you being my friend, and has everything to do with you being a down as fuck woman who gets my cock hard.”

She frowned.
“Friends Winter. Like we used to be. And no sex talk.”

He shrugged. “You know damn well that wasn’t sex
talk, that was me being honest. My pillow talk has evolved sweetness… but if you don’t want to be exposed to it yet, then fine.”

She relaxed. Sex talk would get her all revved up, close to the tipping point.
Winter could read the phonebook and she could get off just from hearing the dark, rusty timbre of his voice, so leaving the hot button words he loved to use on her out would be a saving grace.

He grinned.
“Friends. Like we used to be.” He said and pulled her forward by the hand. She doubled forward and he kissed her. The world exploded around her. God, how she missed the feel of his lips on hers, firm, but ever so yielding. She pushed to the back of her head thoughts of the other girls his lips had kissed since they broke up, pushed the fear that this slight touch would end her further back. She needed this, needed to feel him again.

Oh sweet heaven she missed him. She let a slight moan escape her lips, trying hard not to lose herself in the sensation of his lips when he took the initiative and slipped his tongue past her teeth to spar with her own.

And holy shit, could he ever kiss. It was possible that she had forgotten, but more believable that he had gotten better. Once again thoughts of other girls roared to the forefront, but she pushed through, her entire being focused on the petting her tongue was getting from his.

And he didn’t move, just kissed her long slow and deep, as if he was making love to her mouth.
She slipped into the feeling more and groaned when he ended the kiss and pulled away.

“Friends.
Just like we used to be.” He winked and got to his feet and her eyes followed with a tilt of her head. He walked behind the couch to the sideboard where the phone was sitting.

“So? No drinks, how about some dessert?”

Dessert? He just kissed me like that and he’s talking about dessert?
  She mused as she hid her thoughts behind a smile. “Sure. Tell them to send up the Lola special.”

He raise
d a brow and quickly parroted her words to the person on the other end, and added a six pack of Perrigino orange flavored sparkling water and a pot of mint tea. She smiled to herself. He remembered she drank mint tea at night to keep her voice trained.

“Ok so that’s done,” he said as he hopped over the back of the couch and plopped down on the couch next to her.
“Movie? Horror? Comedy? Action?”