With or Without You (John Taylor)

FOUR

"All I'm saying is, we should get lunch or go for a walk, even. Are you still without a car?" Corey questioned, static in his voice. Vada twined her feet together as she laid on her bed, propped on her elbows. Her heart fluttered at his persistence. "I don't know, Corey. I really think we should-"
"Come to the window."
"Excuse me?"
"I said come to the window." Corey chuckled under his breath before hanging up the phone. Across the street at a payphone, he stood cast in rugged jeans and a black blazer over a white t-shirt. His round wire-rimmed glasses balanced off of the tip of his nose. His weight now pressed against a cherry red 1980 Lotus Esprit, he waved up to the window. A flood of emotion pile drives her heart becoming face to face. "You're crazy!" She yelled with a smile bright enough to be seen around the world. "Crazy for you, Vada Jane!" The name melted out of his mouth like liquid sugar. She threw on a pair of slippers, bursting through her bedroom door. Celeste followed in disbelief, being the rational thinker of the situation. Corey abandoned her in a time of need, unable to care for Vada through her mother's death. Celeste would not let it go that easily. "You need to take this slow." Celeste grabbed her arm in the hallway before he could weasel his way into her heart. "I'm serious, Vada. He hurt you. Don't just go out there willy-nilly ready to forgive him." Vada nodded, unable to focus.
"God, I missed you every minute I was away." Vada faded in his arms. She needed one of his hugs after the roller coaster she'd been on this week. Corey pulled her closer, resting his chin atop of her head. "It's nice to see you, Celeste. Thanks for keeping an eye on her." Corey gave a sincere smile with a wave.
"It was the least I could do when you left her here in pieces." She folded her arms and leaned against the threshold of the complex doors. Celeste was known for her blunt honesty and ability to hold a grudge. Conveniently, after Vada's mother's passing, Corey needed to take a "soul searching" trip along the east coast. Corey was drug for Vada; a temporary fix for a permanent problem. He would swoop the brunette off of her feet, only to throw her into withdrawals soon after.
He ignored the remark, unsure of what to say as Celeste took a drag off the cigarette between her fingers. "D- Do you wanna come inside?" Vada offered, looking up over thick lashes.

"Your room still looks the same, are you still working at the hotel?"

Corey walked around her quarters, observing everything on the shelves from makeup to photographs. Vada nodded, "It's not so bad." Vada would do any job to get out of this small apartment. The two girls had saved up nearly enough for a down payment on a house. "I'm keeping my promise y'know? When I marry you, I don't want you working. I will take care of you." Vada rolled her eyes, hearing this line far too many times. Corey was a smooth talker, sure. But some things she saw right through.
"I'm serious." Corey took a step closer to Vada, looking down into her eyes. Hidden emotions floated to the surface, tensions at their boiling points. Deep down, this wasn't what she wanted, it was what she needed to get over John. Thus, her temporary fix to a permanent issue.
"Prove it."

Corey reached a hand down to her face, pulling her up to meet his.
His tongue explored her mouth, old desired euphoria filling her brain. Vada wrapped an arm around his neck, standing on her tiptoes. Corey stripped his jacket, leaving it on a desk chair with his jeans. His hands directed her hips towards the bed, backing her until the back of her calves rested against it. She pulled him down as his lips searched her neck. Vada reached for long curls to pull, confusing Corey with John. She shook her head, trying to rattle his image out of her brain. Corey pulled at her sweatpants, revealing a pair of white cotton panties. He traced his index finger along the outer seam, making her gasp. "Please," She whined, gripping a hand around his hard bulge. Corey threw his head back, licking lips before hiking her legs up. He slid his body against hers, giving her a wet kiss.
Ghostly fingers gripped the sheets beside her head as he entered her slowly with a throaty breath. "Nice and tight, just like I left you." Vada winced at the roughness. He grabbed a fist full of hair, craining her neck to the side. She'd snuck away with many hotel guests, but no one was ever as inconsiderate as Corey. It shocked Vada that he didn't beg her for oral, as it was his favorite. Corey never made love, it was always about him and then he'd move on. He placed a hand on the small of her back, arching her closer. Vada imagined sex with John as she counted ceiling tiles, finding herself enjoying the thought of him on top of her more. Corey put the last of his strokes in, propping himself on his knees.
He ran a hand through his drenched hair, tucking his limp member back in his white briefs before reaching for his jacket. "Man, I missed that. I could feel my virginity growing back." Corey laughed out of the side of his mouth, cigarette taking up most of the space. It wasn't true, Vada would be a fool to believe he wasn't sleeping with everything in sight while he was gone.
"You can't smoke in here." He looked at the brunette who pulled a cotton candy pink sheet over her bare chest. "Alright, alright. Don't get your panties in a bunch." He smiled. Corey laid beside her, propping his head up on his hand. "You work tomorrow?"
Vada shook her head, rolling on her side to view the blue-eyed wonder. "Me and you, all day. How's that sound?" She nodded. If Corey didn't leave in the middle of the night, that was a win. "You look so beautiful." He caressed her cheek with his thumb, giving her one more kiss as he turned out the light on the bedside table.
She woke with a stretch, her lover's half of the bed empty. It wasn't surprising, Vada expected none the less. She closed her eyes and rolled on her back, regretting the night.
"Hey man! I'm smoking here!" A familiar voice outside the window startled her back to reality. She moved the sheer curtain to see Corey yelling at a stranger in only her sweatpants, holding his notorious morning smoke. A sigh of relief took over every muscle in her body, leaving her with half of a smile. She ran a brush through her hair, tying it up in a bun. "How was your visit?" Celeste eyed the brunette up and down, taking in every detail of the room.
"It was fine. Look, I really don't want some big speech about Corey. Things are different, and if they aren't, I'll handle it."
Celeste nodded as Vada put on jeans and a sweater. This song and dance was nothing new. Vada became very independent when Corey was around. She would crumble the minute Corey left. Unlike anyone else, Celeste would be there to pick the pieces up every time.
"You ready to go, Vada Jane?" She nodded, grabbing her purse. "I'll be back in a little while, love ya." She squeezed her friend's arm with an apologetic smile. "So where you wanna go?"
"I wanted to go to the farmer's market to pick up some flowers, if that's okay?" Corey blinked, mouth open but remaining silent. That wasn't exactly on his fast-paced agenda, but this was about her. "Ohhkay, we can do that." He responded by putting the car in reverse. "Oh hey, I meant to ask how that concert went last week? I didn't forget. Since I was supposed to be your date." He chuckled while placing a hand on her thigh, glancing at her between stop lights.
"It was okay, I took Celeste." Vada tangled her fingers between his, avoiding the details about John. She would save herself the embarrassment. "Y'know they added a show at the Roxy? We could go?" She shook her head.
The thought of Duran being in town another week made her stomach churn. But not as bad as the familiar faces walking around the market. "No thank you, they weren't very good live." Vada lied through her teeth, following the silhouette of the man. "Yeah, that happens a lot with that new wave bullshit." Corey closed the car door, following her onto the sidewalk. The smell of his stale cologne filled the air alongside the lilacs in bloom. If she could play invisible, she'd be able to get what she came for and make it out alive.
Corey inserted his hand in her back pocket as they walked side by side. "These are nice?" He pushed his glasses up, pointing at a barrel full of Peonies. "Pink is still your favorite color, right? I know I wasn't gone that long." He awkwardly smiled, hoping she hadn't changed too much. She nodded, beaming back. She leaned into the barrel, taking in the aroma.
"Vada?" Maybe if she kept her eyes closed, it wasn't real. "Can I help you, man?" Corey responded before she could process. She turned, faced with the bassist himself.
"John."