Dirty Secret

Invitation

Nikki twirled a drumstick between her fingers, "Ru, lets smoke a bowl." Rufus turned a page in Drum magazine, "Is it that weeping Willie shit?" The twirling stopped, "AC/DC. " Rufus snorted, "Pass." "Pass?!" She sit up, leaning close to him on the sofa, tickling his ear with the drumstick, "What do you mean pass?" Rufus swatted her away, "That strain puts me to sleep Jonesy, I still have rehearsal." Hard Knox had already rehearsed for the show the next night, "Boo, Ru." She muttered, falling back against the couch, "Why don't you ask JAKE to smoke a bowl?" He asked, grinning at his magazine, he was loving teasing her about the kiss since she told him about it the day before. Nikki bit her lip, she hadn't seen Jake since, they had left the next day for Atlanta for the first show of the tour, and Hard Knox had been the first band to rehearse, there hadn't been time. Rufus turned and looked at his best friend, "You okay?" She nodded, "Yeah, fine." Rufus sensed her anxiety, "Why don't you make yourself useful then." She raised an eyebrow in question, "Find the parts room and get me a practice pad." "Seriously?" She groaned, "C'mon, mate, I'm comfortable." Rufus said, shifting his leg over the other. She rolled her eyes and stood, sticking her drumsticks in her back pocket, "Fine." "You're a treasure." Rufus mumbled, turning another page. Nikki walked off from the common room of the giant amphitheater, seeing a couple of guys with clipboards and backstage necklaces, she called to them, "Hey, fellas, you know where the parts room is set up?" The guys looked up and stared for a second, "Whoa, you're Nikki Stixx." One guy pointed, wide eyed at her, she smiled, "In the flesh." The guys still just stared. "So... how about it boys?" They still stared, "Parts room?" One seemed to snap out of it, "Oh! Yeah, it's down that hall, last door on the left!" She nodded at them, "Thanks." She turned, walking down the hall, still feeling eyes on her. She found the last door on the left, with a piece of paper taped to the door reading "parts". She pushed the door open, to see Danny Wagner, holding a pack of drum heads, "Oh, hey, NIKKI." He said, her name a little louder than the rest of his greeting, "How's it going." She smiled at the awkward drummer, "Great DANNY! How are you?" He laughed his nervous laugh, "I needed heads." She nodded, "A Little head never hurt anyone." Danny's eyes widened, "NO! Heads! Plural! With an S!" He held up the pack, "For my kit." She chuckled, patting his shoulder, "Yeah dude, I was kidding." More nervous laughter, "You see any practice pads?" "Yeah, there's a whole stack over there by that window." He said, pointing with his elbow. "Thanks Danny." She said, moving past him into the room, "Yeah, see ya, Nikki." He said, stepping out. She headed for the area Danny had pointed to, but stopping when her ears picked up muted strumming. She turned to the opposite end of the room to see Jake sitting on a stool, his burgundy Les Paul on his knee, looking up at her with a smirk behind vintage aviators. "Hello,  beautiful." He said. His voice. His fucking voice. It gave her chills. "Stud." She greeted, lazily. "Nice shirt." He said, eyeing her Cream shirt with a smile. "Thanks." She said, spotting the pads and walking to them, taking one, "Problems with the Paul?" Jake looked down at it and played a muted blues riff, "The pickup needed adjusted." "You rehearse yet?" She asked, walking over to where he sat, "No, we're the last to go, I think" he replied, resting his arm on the guitar body. "I've got some great AC/DC and a jar of apple pie moonshine, if your interested after." She said, leaning against a table. Jake raised his eyebrows, "Yeah? Okay... where?" She shrugged, "My room?" They were all booked at the same hotel in Atlanta. "345." Jake grinned, "We're on the same floor." The door opened again, Sam Kiszka walking in, "Sup." He said, going over to the string packs, and flipping through them. "See you later then." She said, pushing off from the table. Jake playfully puckered his lips at her. Damn. He wasn't getting the upper hand this time. She stepped towards him and slowly leaned down, cupping his chin and catching his mouth with hers, she felt his lips part and she slipped her tongue against his, and he responded, kissing back. It felt like explosions. Heat. Electricity. Fucking angels sang. She ended the kiss with a tug at his bottom lip, slowly pulling away. He stared up at her, his face a mixture of shock and delight. She straightened, smirked, turned on her heel and walked past a stunned Sam, his mouth agape to the door, exiting the room. Her heart was pounding. She couldn't believe she just did that. Her face on fire and grinning like an idiot, she made her way back to the common room. Rufus hadn't moved. She plopped down next to him and tossed the pad in his lap. "Thanks." He said, not looking up from his magazine. "My pleasure." She said, still grinning, Rufus looked suspiciously at her, "What did you do?" She giggled and fell back against the sofa, proceeding to tell her best friend what she did.