Having
his lips touching hers over and over made her warm and wet. His hands moved
down to her neck, gently touching her. The feeling was almost uncomfortable,
like a subtle domination attempt, but Jessica never spoke a word.
She’d rather just keep kissing Slader.
When he parted his lips and the tip
of his tongue touched her lips, Jessica moaned.
“Yes,” she whispered, opening her
mouth.
Their tongues touched for a second
and then Slader pulled back.
“Everything,” he said.
“What?” Jessica asked.
“Everything,” Slader repeated.
He then knocked on the dividing
window separating them from the driver. A few seconds later the backdoor opened
and Slader climbed out first. He reached for Jessica’s hand and she offered it.
Together they crossed the street and walked into the restaurant. It was quiet
with the gentle murmurs of conversations. Some noticed Slader instantly and
were taken back. The stares. The smiles. Some dared to stand and attempt to ask
Slader for an autograph.
Once one person stood with enough
courage, a small group formed. It was quite the sight to see. Such a formal
looking dining room yet the sight of someone as powerful as Alex Slader turned
everyone into starry eyed fans. Then to Jessica’s surprise, Slader stood and
signed every autograph. She slipped back a little, towards the end of the
restaurant, near the elevators. She watched in awe as Slader signed everything
handed to him. Everyone wanted to be near him. Everyone wanted a piece of
Slader.
Jessica understood that feeling.
She wanted a piece of Slader too. A
piece that would last all night long and into dawn the next day. Jessica
already had it planned... to go straight home to write with everything fresh in
her mind. The story would be sent out and Jessica would finally have her
destiny sealed. The woman who got the full story on Slader. She would drop
hints of their night, the way he signed autographs, how he changed the world by
the second.
When the last autograph was signed,
Slader handed the marker to that person and then put his hands out, empty.
“That’s all I’ve got,” he said. “I
must tend to my other work now. Don’t forget... you never know when I’ll play a
show again. Ashes in Vain is everywhere... everywhere.”
The dining room looked at him and
Slader reveled the moment. He then walked to Jessica and put his arm around
her, taking her to the elevators. They stepped inside and the ride began.
Jessica suddenly became nervous. She watched the small light changing, going to
the next floor... to the next floor... to the next floor...
Before long they were at the top
floor.
The elevator stopped.
“Almost,” Slader said.
He led Jessica down to the end of
the hall. There was a large door that said DO NOT ENTER. It was pretty rockstar
like when Slader opened the door. Jessica almost wished she could have gotten a
picture of the sight. That was everything Slader seemed to stand for.
Beyond the door was a set of steps.
Beyond those steps was another
door.
Jessica felt like she should be on
top of the world by then. She was pretty close to it, realizing when she walked
through that next door where she was.
Slader had taken her to the roof of
the restaurant/hotel.
The skyline was dark excerpt the
soft glow of lights coming from the other buildings in the city. They were like
stars but close to the ground. Above her, Jessica couldn’t see anything but
black. The night sky was like a giant blanket.
And she was with Slader.
Alex Slader.
On the roof.
“Come with me,” Slader said. “Trust
me.”
Jessica followed Slader. When she
saw him step up on the very ledge of the roof, she gasped. He turned and
smiled, reaching for her again. Cast against the backlight of the city
buildings and the ever consuming darkness of night, Alex Slader was something
Jessica never thought he would be, even in her wildest fantasies of life, love,
and lust. She let Slader pull her to the ledge.
She clung to his
Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Martin A. Lee, Bruce Shlain