Message of Obsession (Duff McKagan)

7: The Phonebooth

 At 9:00 that night, I stepped out of my room in another corset top and red snake scale pants, hoping they came up high enough to hide Duff's marks. I smiled brightly at Steph, who was wearing basically a bra and jeans. She knew what she was going for that night, and I kind of respected it.

"Ready?" She asked, keys swirling her finger as they always did.

"I guess so."

Her car was rickety, a hunk of shit from the 60s' that had somehow survived years of puttering around in the LA heat. It hardly made to the building she decided to park behind. She grabbed my hand as I stepped out of the car, making me stumble in my heels. "The Whiskey? I wasn't expecting a concert tonight, Steph."

"Oh, you should have been. Tonight's my revenge, babe."

I looked at her, confused until I saw multiple people in line wearing Guns N' Roses shirts. "Oh, no."

She grinned, pulling me into line. "Oh, yes."

"Stephanie."

"Ivy. C'mon, he'll be so jealous!"

I felt my skin turn icy with fear. "No. Steph, this is really bad. This is such a bad idea. Stephanie," I hissed in her ear as she stood confidently.

"Oh, relax. Shit, you have something-" She halted, swiping at my neck. "Well, someone had a fun night last night." She continued swiping, revealing all of the marks. "Wow. Jesus, I thought you would never have fun in your life! When can I meet him?"

"This is not the time, Stephanie," I mumbled through gritted teeth, handing the bouncer my door fee and shoving myself through the door. There was nothing more that I wanted to do at this moment than evaporate into the floor. Because she made really bad decisions all the time. And I had just gotten roped into possibly the worst one.

The Whiskey was electric, words buzzing into the air. I was immediately at the bar, ordering a whiskey on the rocks for me and a vodka soda for Steph. My eyes scanned the venue anxiously, praying to God Duff wasn't out here to see me, or worse, who I was with. I returned to her side just as the lights started to dim.

"Listen," she shouted over the crowd, "you don't have to stop being friends with him."

"Wasn't really planning it."

"Just, y'know, don't shove him all in my face until I have someone to shove in his. Speaking of..." I watched her eyes wander to the other side of me, and then she began to immediately push past me. I knew that was probably the last time I was going to see her that night. She was almost right in front of the stage now, just a few people back. I decided to move myself to my usual spot, just in front of where Duff would be, but further into the crowd.

As he bound on stage, his eyes did a quick scan of the crowd, then settled on me. He grinned even wider, giving a small wave near his leg. I blew a kiss, then watched him notice my neck. His face turned crimson red. His eyes continued to rake the crowd as he began "It's So Easy", my favorite song they had written. I watched his face fall a bit as his eyes hit the center of the crowd, presumably on Steph.

God, she was making a fool of herself. She was all over a guy she had probably not said a word to yet.

His attention flicked back to me when the verse kicked in, and all I could do was shrug, bopping up and down to the beat. I watched him laugh at me as I loosened up, dancing around with my glass in my hands.

When the set ended, Steph came up to me, looking heavily intoxicated with the man on her arm. "Hey, I'm going home with this guy, I'll see you in the morning?"

"Hey, woah, wait up. What are you doing with the car?

"I'll drive it to his place."

I shifted, a bit worried. "Alright, just call me when you get up." She smiled, kissing me on the cheek before disappearing out the door. I sighed, shuffling out back and lighting a cigarette before walking home. I watched the girls hover around the back, again hoping to be asked to party afterward by a roadie or just get taken home. They all looked the same, either blonde or black hair down to their waists. My short brown hair stuck out like a sore thumb.

I watched the band file out one by one, first Steven, then Slash and Izzy, and then Duff, followed by Axl. Duff looked thoroughly disinterested in the girls around him, quite contrary to how he was. I could see he was still wearing makeup, eyeliner and eyeshadow smeared on his eyes. He caught me as I was walking to a payphone by my back, pushing me into the booth and emitting a squeal from me.

"Guess who?"

"Duff, you asshole! I thought it was some random creep!" I spun around, back pinned to the glass. Still holding me by the waist, he hoisted me up a little, planting a firm kiss on my lips.

"You came."

"Alright, I was not planning on coming here. We were supposed to just go out to a bar and she wanted to come here instead. Something about, I don't know, making you jealous? She's absolutely whacked out of her mind, that o-"

He planted another kiss on my lips, this one making me snake my arms around his neck. He pulled back, smiling. "You talk too much, Jackson."

"You look good with makeup on, McKagan. Really brings out those cheekbones," I said as I trailed a thumb along his cheek.

"Let me drive you home."

"As long as I actually get home this time."

He scoffed. "Alright, fine. I see how it is." He let me out of the booth, hand around my waist as we walked to his car. I was secretly freaked out at how public this all was, but at the same time, it couldn't hurt. Steph left already, Ivette. Relax.

The car ride home was silent, but as soon as he pulled up in front of my building, our lips were attached over the center console, hands wandering the other's body. He pulled back, observing my neck again. "I would leave more, but-"

"You really like these hickeys, don't you, Duff?"

"What can I say? I like marking my territory."