In the Dark

The first run of this story was rushed, and it showed. (Jun 09) I have rewritten it, and hopefully it will be better received. Please leave comments/feedback. I enjoy hearing from readers. As always, constructive criticism is welcomed.

*

The concert over and a little time before they leave on the band's bus for the next show; Jackson leads his younger brother Jesse down to the basement of the concert hall. The two brothers are members of a rock band called Fusion Point. Jackson plays drums, while Jesse does the singing.

"There's something I want you to see Jesse, I know how much you like these old buildings, you gotta come see this room." Jackson says as they walk down the corridor.

"So what's in this room?" Jesse asks, watching as his brother pulls an unfastened lock away from a clasp on the door.

"You won't believe it. It is sooo cool." He turns the doorknob and starts to open the door, but stops, "You have your phone with you? You might want to take some pictures."

Jesse digs down into his pants pocket, bringing out his camera phone as Jackson pushes the door open. "Thank you." Jackson says and quickly snatches the phone out of Jesse's hand, then gives his little brother a shove into the room. The less distractions Jesse has, the better this plan will go Jackson thinks to himself, quickly closing the door and securing the latch.

Surprised at the sudden shove Jesse stumbles into the room. The room... turns out to be a storage closest. Shelves full of cleaning supplies, mops, buckets, paper products, and other miscellaneous items are stored within. A pallet of folding chairs are piled up in one of the corners. In the center of the room is a tiny table draped with a cloth. A bottle of wine and two plastic cups are on the table. Along with a small loaf of bread, a plate of cheese cubes, a bowl of strawberries and a box of chocolates. The room is illuminated, just barely with a single candle stuck into an old wax-dripped bottle. Two folding chairs are open and placed on either side of the table. The room is clearly all set up for a romantic interlude.

Jesse rolls his eyes at the sight before him, moaning and quickly turning, pushing his hands up against the door before Jackson can close it, but he's too late.

"Sorry man. You'll forgive me later." Jackson chuckles, tucking Jesse's phone into his back pocket. The doorknob wiggling in desperation.

"I'll forgive you when I kick your ass, now let me out of here." Jesse says, his voice muffled by the closed door.

The door shudders as Jesse throws his weight against it, using his shoulder to try to force it open. The replaced unlocked lock, rattling against the clasp. Jackson rubs his hands together, very pleased with his plan, he was off to get the second unsuspecting candidate. The pounding on the door fades as Jackson walks away.

Jesse presses his ear to the door, listening, hearing nothing but his own heart beat whooshing in his ear. He growls and tries the door again, pounding and kicking on it. He doesn't like being set up, not like this. He hits the door with the side of his fist, frustrated that his brother isn't opening it up, and without his phone he can't call one of the other guys to come help him out. Damn it, Jackson. The thought of what might be coming next brings a frown to Jesse's face. Shit.

Jesse turns around and looks at the room again. Shit, shit, shit. Who was Jackson setting him up with? If he wanted to ask somebody out, he'd do it himself. He didn't need his big brother doing it for him.

Jessie lets out a long sigh and walks towards the table. Just go with the flow Jesse tells himself, picking up the wine bottle and reading the label. His mind flicking back over the bevy of beauties that had been backstage and all around. Who could it be? he wondered. Maybe it was that chick from the front row, the one that had constantly waved her arms and shook her boobs at him. She had screamed real loud whenever he came near and she sang along with all the songs. She had definitely shown her enthusiasm for him during the entire show.

Jesse plops a strawberry into his mouth and pulls the cork out of the wine bottle, pouring himself some wine. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. His brother knew what he liked, maybe Jackson was going to bring that girl. He had seen her backstage and was just about to approach her when Jackson had stepped in front of him, insisting that he come with him. Practically yanking his arm off as he dragged him down to this room. Yet why go to all this trouble, he could have just told Jesse about it and let Jesse bring the girl down here himself. Then again Jackson could be strange. Sometimes Jackson's ideas of romance differed from his own.

Jesse looks around, the candlelight casting strange shadows on the walls, the shelves and their contents. 'you gotta see this room' Jackson's words repeats in Jesse's head. Yeah, some architecture this room had. My ass! Jesse snorts. Noticing a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling he looks around for the switch but finds none, must be located on the other side of the door out in the hallway. He squints at the light, trying to see if it could be turned on with a pull chain. He feels around with his hand in the air for it, still finding nothing. Just then he hears the doorknob click.

He turns around just in time to see the door open, the hallway light shining in his eyes. Before he can do anything a woman is pushed into the room.

She stumbles in, her hand reaching out for the shelf to steady herself. Confusion clearly on her face as to what had just happened. The door closes quickly behind her, just as it had on Jesse. Her eyes adjusting to the light, as she looks at the room, gasping when she sees Jesse standing there. Instantly she straightens her shoulders and bumps the shelf next to her. A jug wobbles precariously near the edge. Catching it out of the corner of her eye, she quickly puts her hand up to steady the container.

"Take your time kids. Enjoy yourselves. I'll be back after you two have had enough time to... uh... talk." Jackson chuckles through the closed door.

The set up sinking in as the woman looks at Jesse, the table, and then Jesse again. Her lips close tightly into a thin line, as she turns around and tries to open the door, being just as unsuccessful as Jesse had been. She smacks it with palm of her hand.

"Not funny Jack." she says loudly.

Laughter from a group of people beyond the door can be heard. Jesse rolls his eyes, apparently Jackson was not alone with the planning of this little tête-à-tête. Jesse bites his tongue and turns back to the table, pouring some wine into the second plastic cup.

"Jackson you open this door right now!" the woman says. Silence. She curses softly as she jiggles the doorknob. Guess she hadn't been in on the plan either, Jesse thinks to himself as he puts down the wine bottle and picks up the cup, slowly turning around to look at the woman.

This was not the girl he had noticed before. Jesse checks out his 'blind date'. She is slender built, wearing a body hugging shirt tucked into white... oh baby, tight fitting white jeans that nicely hugged her ass. Jesse grins. This could be fun after all. Its not like she has anywhere to go, she's locked in here too, pounding on a door, and knowing Jackson, he won't open it for quite some time. Yes siree, this could be fun. An image of fucking her from behind as she holds onto the shelves for support, flashes briefly through his mind.

"Its useless you know," Jesse says approaching her, "might as well make the most of it."

She spins around at the sound of his voice right behind her. They stand face to face. A charming smile on Jesse's face. He's practiced this smile for years now and its always worked on the girls. Most of them swoon when he get this close and shows his pearly whites. The other girl he had seen earlier, had wanted to meet, would probably have done one of two things. One) screamed and fainted, or two) screamed and jumped on him. His smile turns into a grin, at present moment, he was kinda of keen on option two. He holds up the cup for her.

The woman before him, squints her eyes slightly in the dim light as she looks at him. His face shadowed by the candlelight flickering behind him. She looks at the cup, biting her lower lip as she debates whether or not to take it. Why is she not swooning, he wonders. The thought of seducing her fades away, his smile falters, he suddenly feels like an idiot. He breaks eye contact with her and looks at the cup. Damn it, if she wasn't going to take it he was going to gulp it down himself, his ego starting to crumble.

Just then his eyes focus on her boobs. The body hugging shirt looking just as nice from the front as it did from the back. Except with this view he got cleavage. Amazing, tantalizing cleavage. The shirt was waffled, sorta of like thermal underwear. The neckline was scooped just a little with a line of tiny snaps that went between her breast and ended just above her navel. The first ten or so little snaps were undone, leaving the top corners of her shirt open, exposing skin. Momma Mia! He wanted to reach out give her tits a good squeeze.

Hesitantly her hand moves towards the cup, snapping him out of his reverie. He looks back at her and catches a shy nervous smile on her face. She takes the cup, mumbling thanks as their fingers touch. She glances over his shoulder and slides away, putting space between the two of them.

What made Jackson pick her? She wasn't exactly what he'd call his type. Not to say he was turned off, not by a long shot, as he took another look at her tits, this time with a side view. But blonde hair, that what he liked. If Jesse was going to notice somebody he would noticed the blondes first. Like the one that had been front and center during the show, the one he was heading for backstage before Jackson had detoured him.

This woman was pretty, had a nice enough looking face. She had long dark hair, long enough to grab onto when things got really hot and heavy you and wanted to hear a scream. Was she a screamer he wondered? She certainly had a great body, one of those bodies that you just wanted to bend in all sorts of directions, that could easily maneuver into any position. Well blonde or not, his libido was getting aroused. Maybe it was just the room setting. Candlelight and a bottle of wine could make things appear differently then if you were meeting at a coffee shop.

Jesse watches as she stops at the table and sets her cup of wine down.

"Did you know this was being planned?" she says, turning and looking at Jesse.

He raises an eyebrow, "Did I know Jackson was going to lock me in a closest with someone? No." He crosses the room and stands before her, the table between them. "Did you know I would be here?"

Her eyes flick back and forth over his face. "No." she finally says after a few seconds. "No I didn't."

"So what reason did Jackson give for getting you down here?"

"He said he had found a room, that was the original part of the building, and since he knew I liked old architecture he thought I'd enjoy seeing it."

The same reason he was lead here. "How do you know Jackson?"

"I met him after the show in Detroit."

Detroit; that was their third show for the tour. Jesse racks his brain trying to place her at the concert, but nothing comes to mind. Its at this moment he notices the blue backstage pass hanging around her neck. Blue passes were for the roadies, friends of the band and family members. It was understood that blue passes were not to be given out. There was enough people involved with this tour that it could become a mad house with a bunch of fans running around with blue passes. Which had happened a few years back on the last tour. The band did not like finding fans; male or female hiding on the bus, or in the green room, waiting to spring out at them. There were other color coded passes. Red had the show dates on them and could be bought for each show. A lot of the fans wore red passes. Gold passes were for radio stations or concert promoters to give out to contest winners. Then there were the white passes for the building personnel and security.

Apparently Jackson considered her friend enough to give her a blue pass. Why was he just now meeting her, and why this way?

"He gave you that pass in Detroit?"

She smiles and touches the pass, "Actually he gave it to me in Miami and told me to wear it to all the shows."

"All the shows?"

"Yeah, I've been to every show since this tour began in the US. Am I not suppose to wear it?" Looking worried, she fingers the pass.

Every show? Wow, she was a fan girl. How come he had never noticed her before?

"Actually its for family members or roadies, and Miami was the fifth city for the tour and we're now like on the tenth or eleventh. So I'm... well I'm wondering why I'm just now meeting you if you've been to every show." What was Jackson thinking by setting up this kind of arrangement with her. His brother could be mischievous at times.

"Oh, yeah, that, well Jackson wanted me to meet you, but," she trails off.

"But what?"

"Hmm, you were busy, with other, hmm," she searches for the right word to say, "people." Satisfied with that word she continues, "You were busy with other people. I really didn't want to, intrude."

Jesse knew by other people she was really meaning girls. "Okay." he nods his head. "Well apparently Jackson has gone to great lengths to set this little meeting up between us, and like I said earlier we should make the most of it. I'm Jesse, but then you already know that." He politely extends his hand.

She smiles at him, "Tave."

"Tave." He repeats it, with the long 'A' sound, like suave. They shake hands. Hers is strangely cool.

"That's an usual name. Does it mean anything?"

"No."

Like a gentleman he comes around and pulls the chair out for her so she can sit. Smiling amusedly, she sits down. She smells like licorice he thinks, taking a deep whiff of her perfume, which causes his stomach to growl. Embarrassed he quickly moves away, sitting down in the other chair. he looks around for a knife to cut the bread, but finds none.

"Would you like some?" he asks, tearing a piece away with his hands.

"No thank you."

"So... you've been to every show now this year, huh? What, did you win some contest that gave you tickets?"

"No. I've been saving up. I told myself that when I retired I was going to follow a rock band around while they toured. And well, I'm a huge fan and everything, my retiring and your tour, well it just worked out all at the right time."

Jesse looks at her, she had to be his age, she certainly didn't look old enough to be a retired person. "You're too young to be retired."

She smiles at the compliment. "I have a good investment broker."

Jesse chews on a piece of bread, "I'd like to get the name of that investment broker, maybe he could do something with my portfolio."

"I'll get his number to you."

"So... how are you getting around? Are you following the buses?"

"I fly."

"On a plane?"

"No. With my cape." She smirks at him.

He smiles back at her. A smart aleck, huh, just like he could be at times when someone asked what he thought was a silly question. He liked that she was bold enough to do that to him. He also liked her eyes. They were pale in color, green perhaps, it was hard to tell in this low light

"A cape, wow. Where can I get one?"

"I know a good investment broker."

Jesse laughs reaching for a strawberry.

"No really, how is it you can fly. The band can't even afford to fly, that's why they have us in a bus."

"I'm retired from the airlines. Free plane tickets."

"Cool. You still don't look old enough to be retired." he tells her, washing down the bread and strawberry with his wine, which he finds is almost gone.

"You must have one hellva investment broker." He reaches for the bottle and pours himself some more. He was going to refill her glass but notices she has barely touched it.

"No school to pay for, no kids to raise, I managed to buy a few investment properties, and along with advise from my broker on where to put my hard earned wages. I am now retired."

"Very impressive." He puts the bottle down and picks up his cup, "Here's to retirement and doing whatever the hell you feel like." he holds his glass up to her.

She picks her glass up and he leans in, touching the sides of their glasses together. He takes a drink and watches her very closely as she takes a very small sip. He sighs, slightly disappointed that she wasn't a big drinker, but then he'd had his share of drunks at the concerts. Hopefully this meant she wouldn't be throwing up on him later.

"So, what shall we do until they let us out of here?"

She slowly shakes her head, "I don't know. What does one do when locked in a room with a stranger?"

"Good question." he mumbles drinking a little more of the wine as she sits there quietly, her hands folded in her lap, looking extremely prim and proper. He knew exactly what he'd like to do. The thought of spreading her out on the floor and pulling those jeans off come to mind. He smiles to himself.

After a moment or two of silence she leans forwards, "Jesse?"

His heart jumps wildly to his throat at the sound of her voice. Could she read his mind?

"Yeah."

"Are you afraid of the dark?" she whispers, her lips curling up at the corners of her mouth.

They look at each other for a second, her eyes twinkling in the candlelight. With a what he would later remember as a devious smile on her face, she blows the candle out. Pitch blackness instantly fills the room. Jesse sits up straight, surprised by what she has done, his eyes straining to see anything, his ears perking up at the slightest noise. Silence. Oh boy, this is not what he had expected. Sure he had hoped something like this might happen, but he would have preferred a light on when they got to making out. When he undressed her and ran his hands over her body. To see the look on her face when he made her come. His heart starts hammering, his body break out in sweat. The darkness, the silence wrapping around him. No, this was not what he had expected, not exactly.

"Tell me a story." Her voice says softly from the darkness.

His eyes are adjusting to the dark. A thin narrow strip of light just beneath the door catches his eye.

"What?"

"Tell me a story."

He shifts uncomfortably in his chair. He wanted to get up and move, but he was afraid of knocking the table over, or running into something.

"What kind of story?"

"Any kind. Real, make believe, doesn't matter."

"I don't know what you want? What do you mean?" He was glad the room was dark now, she couldn't see that he was starting to freak out a little bit. This was weird, this whole situation. It was weird and exciting in a perverted kind of way.

"Just talk. Tell a story. Tell me about your first day of school. Your first time on stage. Your favorite Christmas present. Tell me... anything. Make something up if you want. I don't care."

"You go first."

"No." It was a firm answer, something told him not to press it.

He shifts in his chair again, sitting up straight, he scratches the side of his face with his fingers, feeling the stumble on his cheek, his chin.

"Uh," He laughs softly, finding himself in the hot seat for a change. "I don't know."

"Anything that happens in this room, anything said in this room will stay in this room. It will never be repeated, never be mentioned, of that you have my word."

She sounds sincere enough, but still he wasn't sure about the whole thing. He could imagine the headlines now, 'SINGER LOCKED IN CLOSEST WITH STRANGER: JUICY DETAILS INSIDE'

After a moment of awkward silence she says, "Tell me a ghost story Jesse." Her voice was very soothing, very relaxing.