Free The Beats in Rift by Ker Dukey Page B

at her feet is her suitcase.
    “I came straight here, I haven’t checked into my hotel yet.” She smiles then falters. “Oh, shit. I haven’t checked in yet!”
    I laugh at her panicked expression. “It’s fine, you can check in anytime,” I reassure her, and her smile reappears.
    “Ok” She comes back around the bar and holds up a red piece of material. “This okay?”
    “Fuck yes!” Max says.
    My mouth has gone dry.
    “Okay, turn around you two.” We both turn towards the bar like whipped school boys. I watch in the mirror that spans the entire length of the bar as Meadow lifts her top from her body. Her black lacy bra hugs her perfect tits, her skin is flawless, a golden tone of smooth silk. I shift to accommodate my growing erection and watch as her fingers fumble with the buttons on her shorts. She manages to unzip them, shimmying them down her thighs. Her little black panties cling to her like leather to skin on a hot day; she’s pin-up worthy.
    “Oh my God, I need to get laid,” Max groans next to me, and it’s then I realize I’m not the only one getting a show. She slips her dress over her head.
    “Done, you can turn arou…damn! You can see me in the mirror! Justin!”
    I have to laugh; she’s so cute when she’s drunk. I haven’t seen her this carefree since before Jared left the first time.
    “You told us to face away, Med. We did as we were told.” I try to keep a straight face.
    “For what it’s worth, Meadow, I think you should lose the dress and just come clubbing in your underwear,” Max informs her.
    She pouts. “You don’t like my dress?”
    Max looks at me and then back to her and we all break into a laugh. “Should we tell Drew we’re leaving? He might need to lock up?” she asks.
    I shake my head and lead her outside.

 
     
    LAST NIGHT’S EVENTS keep replaying in my mind as I’m waking up. My memory’s foggy, and then completely blank after Max asked Justin if Jared was coming to the wedding and Justin said, “No, he’s settled down with a girl. He has no reason to come back, there’s nothing he wants here.”
    That hurt and that was what led me to drink multi-colored cocktails at Club Ruby. The ice I had formed the day I walked out on Justin, evaporated into a puddle when I saw him. It had served me well, never allowing any man to chip away at it. I was the ice princess and happy to wear that title until every pep talk I had given myself before coming back blew away on the wind of the tornado that was the Jacob twins. I was back to being the girl completely consumed by the need to love them. Justin was comfort, my body automatically soothed when he spoke to me. I vaguely remember Max dry humping some girl in the corner of the bar, and Justin and I giggling about it like we were in high school. I remember Justin asking me why I was so happy and free. I told him it’s because I refuse to love again and it’s freeing. It wasn’t exactly true. I just refused to love anyone new.
    I moan, strangely aroused. My mind comes more into consciousness, telling me there’s a hand between my thighs. I react on instinct, and my hand goes down on top of the hand that’s down there to still the movement. My body stiffens. I slowly peel open one eye, and staring back at me is the golden glow of Justin’s eyes.
    “Hey beautiful,” he says, kissing my neck. A million questions race through my mind: ‘Why is Justin kissing me like we’ve never been apart?’
    ‘How the fuck did I end up here?’
    ‘Where is here?’
    ‘Why am I naked?’
    ‘Oh, God. Did we finally have sex and I missed it in a drunken stupor?’
    “I want to hear you moan again before we have to leave this room,” Justin says into my neck. So the answer is yes; I clearly blacked out sex with Justin. God, my life sucks. I can’t believe I put out so easily, and to Justin! We haven’t even talked about the way we left things.
    The phone rings and saves me from having to decide whether to bolt or let