Page 14 of Stolen Hearts
Thirty minutes later, I’m finally up onstage. My eyes are fixed on Brian, the closing lines of Carly Simon’sYou’re So Vaincoming out of me and into the microphone. The effects of the MDMA are clearly kicking in. Brian’s sparkly green eyes have pulled me under his spell.
I’d thought it would be funny to sing the song and focus on Laura, but with everyone in the bar singing along, aside from Laura, I start pointing around the room and repeat the lineDon’t youto various cast members before finally returning to Brian, who continues to sing the lyrics back at me.
“Encore, encore!” Alfonso shouts and then wolf whistles.
The crew high-fives me while I struggle to make my way back to the table. The room is slightly blurry.
“That. Was. Amazing,” Brian says and slides his hand down my thigh as I sit on the bar stool. A chill races over me at his touch.
“I’m sure you say that to everyone,” I say, pushing his handaway from my thigh. He returns it, out of sight to everyone else but Laura.
“No buddy. That was amazing. I fucking love you, bro.” He removes his hand and grabs my head with both hands, kissing me on the forehead.
“What’s up with you two?” Laura’s arms are crossed, her brows furrowing.
“Can’t two guys have a bromance without you getting jealous?” Brian pulls back, grabs his beer, and downs it in one.
“Last orders!” the bartender calls out as he rings the bell above him.
“Let’s get out of here.” I motion with my thumb to Brian and sip the last of my soda lime through the straw. I ignore Laura and squeeze Brian’s thigh.
Laura’s already up and near the exit. Brian follows and offers her his flannel shirt to protect her from the rain that’s falling outside. She declines and he shrugs as if to say,Suit yourself.
Rob comes up behind us and opens the door. The flashing lights of the cameras momentarily blind me as Rob guides us into the shuttle van.
“Were they aliens?” Brian leans up against the dark-tinted window. Bright lights pop on the other side.
“What are you talking about?” Laura opts to sit between us, rather than in the row in front, as Rob shuts the door and jumps into the passenger seat next to the driver.
“The lights. Are they trying to beam us up?” Brian leans across Laura and pulls my head toward the window. The flashes come faster and more frequently as figures push one another and the van pulls away.
“No. They’re zombies. They’re trying to eat us.” Panic rips through me at the thought.
Sunday
Why is one of the condoms inside out?
I strain to see under the fluorescent lighting in the bathroom as I reach over from the toilet seat to retrieve it from the trash can beside the sink. I instantly regret my decision and fling it back when I feel the stickiness against my fingers.
My vision is still blurry as I lift myself off the toilet and rest my hands on the sink, noticing a load of makeup strewn across the countertop.
Wait.
Are we not in Brian’s room?
A glimmer of light breaks through the curtains when I reenter the bedroom, producing a thin line across the bed. Brian is still in the middle where I’d left him, but Laura is to his left, passed out. An exposed breast peeks out from the covers that conceal the rest of her body.
What the actual fuck?!
This can’t be possible.
I try to piece things together through the overwhelming shock, but I can’t think straight. The events of last night refuse to come to me.
Brian is straight, and there’s no way I’d sleep with Laura.
She’s not my type.
Womenare not my type.
