Chasing us, p.13
Chasing Us, page 13
Deciding not to argue, I allowed Brandon to pull me into the shop where I ultimately purchased the dress. After another few hours of sightseeing, which consisted of visiting a few museums and shops, Brandon and I made our way back to the hotel where we both began to get ready for his evening performance.
Back at the hotel, I prepared my outfit and make-up while Brandon took a fast shower. I was super jealous at how little effort and time it took for him to get ready, yet he somehow managed to always look incredible.
Once I had my turn to get ready, I tried to rush so we wouldn’t be late. Leaving the bathroom after showering, curling my hair, and applying my make-up, I stepped out into the room in a skin tight beige dress that revealed more than I was comfortable showing. I felt more like my best friend than myself in this dress, but from the way Brandon’s mouth fell open and his eyes widened at the sight of me, I knew he was pleased with how I looked.
“Do you like it?” I asked, as I stepped further into the room. I walked up to the full-length mirror stationed on the back of the bathroom door and began applying my favorite shade of Bombshell LipSense.
“Uh, yeah,” Brandon said as he watched me through the mirror.
He stepped toward me and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into him. With my hands on his chest, I pushed my body closer to his, making sure he could feel just how I felt about his touch.
“If we stand here much longer, I am going to blow off this concert and show you just how much I like that dress,” Brandon growled. “In fact, if we are in this hotel room for even a minute longer, I am going to tie you to that bed and never let you go,” he finished, a wicked smile covering his beautiful face.
My body tensed under his words and I could feel the warmth radiating from between my thighs. I wanted nothing more than for Brandon to tie me up, to bind me to him and never, ever let me go. But, the stupid rational side of my brain was screaming that now was Brandon’s chance to prove he was good enough to make it as a singer. Stupid rational voice.
Smiling, I teased him by running my hand down the center of his chest, and stopping just above the zipper of his loose jeans. “Ok, then we need to go,” I said, pushing myself away from him and turning to walk toward the hotel room door.
Hanging his head, Brandon followed behind me like a lost puppy and I smiled the whole way to the car.
Once we parked the car in front of the club, Brandon and I made our way again back to the club. Inside, Brandon put on another flawless performance. At the end of his short session, Brandon jumped off the stage and rushed to where I was waiting in the shadows in the back of the bar. I watched several women watch him walk away, carefully noting the swag of his hips and how his tight gray shirt clung to his perfect abs.
Kissing me, Brandon smiled as he held me in his arms and listened as the music blared out of the doors. “Let’s go back to the hotel,” he offered as he threw his arm around my shoulder.
“Excuse me,” a voice broke through as I wrapped my arms around Brandon.
Turning, I noticed the manager of the bar and I quickly released my hold on Brandon.
Extending his hand, the manager shook Brandon’s and thanked him again for his performance. “Seems like the crowd loves you,” he complimented in a strong southern accent.
“Thanks,” Brandon said.
“I’m really excited that you will be playing out in Austin. I talked with the record scouts the other night and we all agreed that Jakes Juke Box would be a perfect fit for you. I think the crowds at that bar would really dig your sound. It might also be a good place to meet some more talent scouts.”
Smiling wildly, Brandon stood almost afraid to speak. “Thank you,” he managed to say.
“Anytime. I know talent when I see it. I will have him book you for this upcoming weekend. Best of luck to you both,” he said as he nodded his head toward me.
It was great to hear someone else confirm what I had been saying all along. I always knew he was talented, but to hear others who really knew what they were talking about say it, just proved what I always had known.
We walked back to my car in silence as we both smiled. In that moment, I knew things were exactly as they should be. I needed to live in the moment and I was finally doing that.
Chapter 12
Somewhere outside of Little Rock, Arkansas, Brandon and I found ourselves in a tiny motel that rivaled something you might see in a horror film. Once Brandon had blown everyone away at the club, the manager had offered Brandon another paid gig in a bar in Austin, Texas; the same bar the record executive had referred him to. Apparently, in the music industry everyone had connections. After we had left the club, Brandon had called to thank the manager one more time for his kindness. Shocked in the moment, Brandon had been too stunned to really express his gratitude. As he spoke with the manager, he learned that the bar he would be performing at would have record executives there too, something about an amateur night that always brought the big timers around. Overjoyed, Brandon and I had thanked the manager one last time, then set off on the road. We only had three days to get to Texas so we knew we would have to focus. We would still be on track to get to L.A. by the end of the week. Along our route, I had found two more publishers in Austin and after calling one, they had agreed to let me speak with an assistant editor who would give me ten minutes to pitch my idea and show her my manuscript. Without hesitating, Brandon and I had jumped in our car and never looked back. After driving for almost fourteen straight hours, we decided to stay at the first motel that came up. Unfortunately for us, that included the Bates Motel.
Upon entering the tiny room, I was glad for my obsession with cleaning sprays. Taking my Lysol out I sprayed down the entire room and took the bedspread off of the bed and placed it in the corner of the room. I had heard too many horror stories about what lurked on the outside of a bedspread of a motel room. I didn’t need that kind of fear in my life.
Placing our bags by the bathroom door, Brandon reached for my hand and led me to the bed. We were both completely exhausted and even though I was grossed out by the disgusting room, the bed was beckoning to me. We both lay on the bed, cuddled up together in each other’s arms.
“Are you having a good time?” Brandon asked through a yawn.
“Yes,” I said as I felt my eyes beginning to close and succumb to sleep.
Kissing my forehead, Brandon squeezed me tightly to him and let out a sigh. Something about the way he held me and the rigidness of his body, suddenly made my body alert and forget the exhaustion that drove us into this hell hole.
“Are you alright?” I asked, turning my head to face his. My head was in the crook of his neck, a spot I had claimed as my own.
“Yes, I just...” his voice trailed off as he stared at the ceiling above.
Sitting up now, I didn’t like the awkward tension filling the small space between us. “What?” I asked, my voice shaking with fear. I thought things had been going well between us, but by the way Brandon was acting so nervous now, I wasn’t sure if I had done something to change the way he felt about me.
“Did I do something wrong?” I asked, trying to think back to anything I could have said or done to upset him.
Sitting up too, Brandon placed my hands in his and his face seemed to soften. “No baby. I just have been thinking lately and I wanted to talk to you about something but...”
Again, he trailed off leaving me nervous and questioning everything.
“Just say it,” I almost shouted. “If I’ve done something, please just tell me.”
“You have it all wrong,” Brandon began, but I cut him off before he could finish.
“Look, I know I can be annoying and bossy and stubborn. If this is all too much for you, I can leave or get another room.”
Laughing, Brandon squeezed my hands. “Baby, why do you always go to a doomsday scenario? You have done nothing wrong. In fact, everything has been absolutely perfect. That’s what I am trying to say. I want to tell you something, but I don’t want to freak you out or make you feel obligated to say anything back,” he said, his eyes searching mine for understanding.
“Then just say it,” I whispered.
“I love you, so much,” Brandon said, his voice strong and full of a love that I felt. “I want to marry you one day. I want to have babies with you and buy a house somewhere and live together as we both follow our dreams.” His words were rushed, but I could feel the love and longing laced on each letter.
Attacking him, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. The sudden movement caught Brandon off guard and he fell back onto the bed as I lay on top of him. “I love you too!” I exclaimed. “I want to be with you forever. I want it all; babies, a house, our dream.”
As the words tumbled out of my mouth, I didn’t have time to think about what I was saying. Sometimes my word vomit would get me into trouble, but now I was thankful for the impulse. Yes, I had been terrified that at some point, my relationship with Brandon would end. I had even been preparing my heart for the downfall that I was sure would come. What I hadn’t prepared for, was the idea that Brandon would fall in love with me the way I had fallen for him.
“Really?” He asked, almost sounding shocked by my reaction. “I know it seems like we are moving way too fast, but I have wanted this with you for so long. And, now that I have you, I don’t want to lose you. I want to claim you as my own so that everyone knows you belong to me. You are mine.” he said, his voice laced with a seductive power that had me tingling all over.
“Yes,” I stated as I paused while I considered my next words carefully. “I am yours, and I think I always have been. You are who I want to be with and forever doesn’t seem long enough to have you.” I leaned down, my hair sweeping over his cheeks as I kissed his lips. “We might be crazy, but I just don’t care anymore. Time shouldn’t matter when it comes to love. Hell, I was with Jamie for years, and neither he nor I truly loved the other. Being with you makes me feel like love is real and possible,” I finished. I was shocked by my own confession but proud that I finally had the nerve to speak what my heart was screaming.
Rolling over, Brandon shifted our positions so that he was now on top of me, dominating me. Pushing my hair away from my eyes, Brandon allowed his palm to linger on my cheek. He stared down at me like I was a fragile gift and something he wanted to keep preserved. I still didn’t understand his love for me, or why out of all of the beautiful women in this world he chose me, but I was eternally grateful for his love and admiration.
“If I could turn back time, I would have told you how I felt long ago so neither of us would have had to experience pain or heartbreak and could have had this love sooner.” His voice trembled as he spoke.
Tears pricked my eyes as I tried to hold back the raw emotion building inside of me. “I’m glad we both experienced pain. My relationship with Jamie makes me appreciate and love you more,” I admitted. “I now know that you can experience different levels of love in your life. Sometimes I feel like Jamie was placed in my life to teach me what I really want out of life and how to appreciate when someone like you comes along,” I said, through tears.
Kissing me, Brandon crushed his lips to mine in a rush that had my head swimming. His tongue opened my lips and quickly invaded me. I could taste his sweet taste as our tongues began a magical dance. My hands began to move, covering every inch of his hard abs in my exploration.
“When I am inside of you, I feel like we become one and I never want that feeling to end,” Brandon breathed as his hands continued to caress my breasts.
Taking control, I found the zipper to Brandon’s jeans and slowly unzipped them, freeing him and allowing him to fit perfectly in my hands. As I rubbed up and down his hard length, Brandon’s head fell back as he let out a loud moan in pure bliss. I continued my descent as I pushed his jeans further down until they were now on the ground and Brandon was quickly stepping out of them. Dropping to my knees, I took him inside of my mouth and allowed my tongue and hands to move in a rhythm that caused him to close his eyes and his legs to buckle. I circled my tongue around the tip of his cock and then began licking all the way up his shaft. Taking his balls in my hands, I began to massage them while I continued my journey of sucking him and licking the tip. While I performed my act, I looked up at him, watching the various erotic emotions cross his face until he finally released into my mouth. His hands were in my hair and once he regained his composure, he lifted me up into his arms and then threw me to the bed where he removed the rest of my clothes and made sweet love to me for the next few hours.
***
Leaving me alone in the room, Brandon set out to find us something to eat. Instead of getting dressed, I voted to stay in the hotel room. Occupying my time, I reviewed my text messages and looked at the various pictures of Brandon and me over the course of our trip. It was like seeing a visual timeline displaying the growth of our love and relationship.
Suddenly, my phone began to ring and upon looking down at the screen, I saw a number that made me cringe. Jamie was calling me. Biting my lip, I fought within myself on whether or not to answer the call. The curious side of me won as I pressed the tiny green button accepting the call.
“Hello,” I said, my voice much angrier than I had anticipated it to be.
“Leigh?” Jamie asked, confused by my tone.
“Yes, what do you want?” I snapped back a little too harshly.
It was strange hearing the callousness of my voice and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. This was a man who I had once loved and pictured a future with. Now, his voice was like nails down a chalkboard to me.
“Hey, it’s Jamie. I just uh...wanted to check on you.” He said, and I swear he almost sounded like a stranger.
His voice sounded soft and sincere, but he wasn’t fooling me. I had learned the hard way that Jamie was like a wolf in sheep's skin. He appeared to be caring and good on the outside but underneath his exterior lurked someone cold and evil.
“Yes, Jamie. I know it’s you. Why are you checking on me?” I asked. Confused as to why he would suddenly care.
“Leigh, please don’t be like this,” he began.
“Okay, Jamie. Thanks for calling. I am going to hang up now.” My voice was full of venom and I hoped my strike had hit him hard.
I knew the games that Jamie played and how he always seemed to make me feel like the bad guy and him the victim and with things finally working out in my life, I wasn’t willing to play along anymore.
“No! Please don’t hang up,” he begged and for a brief moment, I thought I actually heard a hint of a human.
“Jamie, I have moved on and I am living my dream now. I refuse to allow you to pull me back down into a dark path. Tell me quickly what you need to say so we both can move on with our lives.”
Sighing, I could hear Jamie moving around his apartment as he tried to form the words to say. “Leigh, you sound different, so much stronger,” he began. “It sounds good.”
Surprised, I was taken aback by his compliment. “Thanks.”
“Look, I heard you left town and were submitting your books to publishers. I really do think that is great. I’m glad you are finally going for your dreams,” he said, his voice laced with a sweetness that didn’t sound normal from him.
“Thank you, Jamie.”
“I also heard you left with Brandon.”
Here it was, the real reason why he was calling. Of course, Jamie wasn’t just calling to check on my safety and to tell me congratulations. With Jamie, there was always an ulterior motive.
“Yes, I did. Why do you care?” I barked out.
“Leigh, I understand it is not my place anymore to care about what you do, or who you are with. But, I feel like it is my place to warn you.”
Laughing, I almost dropped the phone onto my sheets covering my naked body. “Warn me? Jamie, do you realize how crazy that sounds? You of all people have no business warning me about anything.”
“Leigh, stop being so stubborn and just listen to me. I have known Brandon practically all of my life and you have known him for the last few years. Brandon uses women. He always has and if you would stop and think about it for a moment, you know I am right.”
Shaking my head, no, I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the pain building inside of my heart. “Brandon is different now. He loves me. We are doing this together.”
Laughing, Jamie snickered into the phone. “Leigh, you are a smart girl, but you tend to not see things right in front of your eyes. I mean, look at our relationship. You believed the best in me, even when I was out hurting you and destroying your trust. Trust me, Brandon may be saying all of the right things to you now, but how many girls have you seen crying after Brandon promised them the world? How many broken hearts has he left behind? How many girls are still calling and texting him? You may be important now, but once reality sinks in, he will drop you just like he has every other girl.”
I wanted to scream and cry and throw my phone across the room. Jamie’s words were cutting through my heart, and what was even more painful was the fact that he might be right. I refused to let Jamie destroy my happiness and push those haunting demons back into my mind. The intimacy of the moment wasn’t lost on me as I sat naked in the bed where we had just made love. I could still feel Brandon inside of me as Jamie explained my worst fears to me.
“You are wrong,” I cried.
“I guess we will just have to wait and see,” Jamie said. I waited for the laughter or for him to mock me, but he never did. “Leigh, when this all explodes and falls apart, you can come to me. I will be there for you.”
Hanging up, I couldn’t listen to Jamie anymore. I had to believe that what Brandon and I had was magical and real. I had to have faith that something in my life would work out. Too much pain had been given to me for this to all end, too.
As I threw my phone onto the floor beside the bed, I heard Brandon unlock our motel room door and smile as he walked inside carrying a large pizza box. Looking at him, I wanted to both jump into his arms and cry at the same time.
