The cell phone in my purse began to ring for what must have been the hundreth time. Again. I swear those things were invented just to irritate people.
My name is Stephanie. I juggle jobs as a music journalist and events coordinator. Actually, I think the unofficial description should be "person to yell at the second things go wrong"--which believe me, they do. Today's crisis: organising the first New York appearance for Australian grunge bands Regurgitator and You am I; never mind that most people in New York probably couldn't give a fuck who either one of them is, and wouldn't give up their hard-earned money to see them both together. And oh yes, I had to interview Tim from You Am I. Who said rock & roll was a glamourous business?
The phone continued its incessant whine. I finally pressed the "send" button and snarled into the receiver: "Listen, Mark, I'm doing everything I can for the Regurgitator/You Am I show, and frankly, if you think I'm scouting out every hotel in town just for a ten minute conversation, you can really shove it up your--"
"Whoa babe, calm down," said the Australian-accented voice on the other end, "It's just me."
I was thrown off for a second before managing to regain myself. "Daniel? Is that you?"
"I'm glad I'm not Mark, that's for sure," he answered. I laughed.
"Are you in town?" I asked.
"You didn't know? We're here for three days!" I hit myself on the head. Of course! Savage Garden was playing a sold-out show. I had been so swamped with work--summer is the busy concert season, after all--I had completely forgotten.
"You just got here?"
"You know where I am. Same hotel as always. No wait, better yet--I'll meet you tonight; you sound so frenzied. Oh, and I have a surprise for you."
"What? Daniel, I can't take any more stress," I sighed.
"Okay. If you must know--I found someone to play with us."
"You're kidding!" Daniel and I had a crazy relationship--crazy by so-called "normal" people's standards anyway. Though we were both wild about each other, we were far from monogamous--the time and distance from each other couldn't afford us to be. We were free to date anyone we wanted to, free to experiment with anyone, anything we wanted to. Our only rules were to always be honest with each other, and to always play safely. On the occasions we did get together, we would tell stories of things we had tried, boys and girls we had tried them on--we were both bisexual and proud of it--and end up in steamy encounters. I smiled, maybe even flushed a little thinking about it.
"So who? Tell me who!"
Daniel chuckled. "I'm not revealing that much, babe. Meet me down in the Village tonight. I'll tell you more then. Meanwhile, I think you have your hands full with some other things. Tell the boys from Regurgitator hi for me."
"Ha ha. Actually, I have to talk to Tim Rogers."
"Okay, then tell Tim I said hi. Love you."
"Love you too. I'll see you tonight." I clicked the "end" button and threw the phone back in my purse. It immediately started to ring again.
I got off the 4 train and bounced up the stairs, checking my makeup one more time as I headed toward St. Mark's Place, and the little cafe Daniel and I always redezvoued at.
Daniel and I had a really hot sex life, but the one thing we couldn't agree on was finding a submissive we could both really enjoy. Daniel himself could never be like that; and me? Well, I did enjoy his making love to me with those silken bonds around my wrists, and I couldn't deny those blissful moments of being his slave, totally at his beck and command. But I couldn't live permanently as a bottom; it would make me beserk, and Daniel knew it. The obvious solution was to find someone who would enjoy the double domination, the total surrender of free will. Naturally, this was easier said than done. Neither of us knew anyone like that, and we were both too cautious to take on just anybody.
The cafe was within my sight. It was a warm midsummer night, and many tables were set up outdoors. A blues band was playing inside.
"Right here, love!" Daniel shouted, and my eyes found him. Darren was seated across from him. My heart skipped a beat. Though it was Daniel I truly loved, I had to admit I had an extreme crush on Darren. Well, why not? With his innocent looks and sweet voice, he was no less than an angel. A pure angel.
Now that's ridiculous, I would tell myself, there's no such thing; he's a human being with faults; nobody's perfect--for example, he can be quite egotistical at times.
It never could convince me--Darren would come into view, whether in person or on television, and I would think sweet, sweet angel.
Daniel knew of my attraction too; I never told him; he just knew somehow.. But instead of being repulsed when he found out, he became very turned on. I remember him putting headphones on my ears while he told me to lay back.
"What's this?" I recalled asking.
"Just press play. And close your eyes."
The first sensation was of the pounding beat and Darren singing "I Want You" in my ears; the second was of Daniel's velvety tongue touching my insides. Instantly I was brought back to my fantasies of Darren breathing heavily, talking so dirty, as I absorbed those words that first made me fall in lust:
Daniel was working magic between my thighs. He softly bit my lips while sucking my clit, his tongue separating the folds, lapping up the sticky wetness. When I heard "chica-cherry-cola" for the second time, I felt the first wave crash over me; by the time "Truly Madly Deeply" came on, I was screaming to be fucked.
Now I knew why Daniel was letting me listen to the cd: he wanted me to pretend he was Darren, singing those songs that had become my personal soundtrack for my hunger, my obsession...
My legs were wrapped around Daniel, my nails sinking into his back, screaming as he slammed me, his music and Darren's sweet voice swirling around in my head. The fantasy and reality combining, colliding as Daniel's mouth came down over mine, the climax washing over us, knowing that my dream had come true in ways of sorts...
chapter two