Mirage saw Mr Rich enter the dance studio in the mirror as she finished the track with her backing dancers. It was like being stabbed in the gut with an icy blade for him to appear so unexpectedly, cheerfully greeting those in her crew that he knew from previous tours, casual and easily confident, as if he had every right to be there.She took a drink from her water, and wiped herself off on her towel, ignoring him until he crossed the dance floor to her. “F-k off,” she told him, without looking at him. “You shouldn’t be here.”“Now, that is a bit hostile,” he replied smoothly. “You have had a bit of a bad attitude over the last twelve months, as your music demonstrates. Become a bit sour. You know what they say, sugar catches more flies than vinegar.”“I am not interested in flies. Buzz off.”“I am here as a favour, you would be wise to be more polite,” he leaned against the wall. “My car is out front. Join me for a meal, and we will talk business.”She rounded on him. “You think I a
She took her time in the shower. She was a bit sore from dancing she thought as she dressed in tracksuit pants and one of Vice’s t-shirts that she had taken a fancy to, and that he had given to her as a result. She could hear the men talking as she came down the hall between the bedrooms and the living area. As she entered, they fell silent, standing around the kitchen bench with open beers in their hands. “Drink?” Victor asked her. “I shouldn’t,” she said. “I need to lose a couple of kilos. You guys are really bad for my waistline. But pour me a red, please. What were you all talking about?” She slid onto one of the tall stools that lined up on the outside of the kitchen island. “The label has asked for a meeting tomorrow,” Aaron said to her. “Oh, gawd, no,” she rolled her eyes. “Just what I need. What about this time?” “I am thinking your contract renewal,” Aaron replied. “Ugh,” she pulled a face. “They haven’t issued any terms.” “No,” Aaron turned his beer thoughtfully withi
Alexei was the biggest man she had ever seen, Mirage thought looking up at him from under her eyelashes. Victor was big – broad shouldered and tall – but Alexei’s biceps were thicker than her thighs, and he was at least half a head taller than his brother. His black t-shirt with the logo of his company on the left breast and back, was stretched to its limits on him. He had a handgun holstered on his hip, and an earpiece permanently installed in his left ear. His blonde hair was cut military short. He caught her looking at him and grinned. “Alright?” “All good,” she looked straight ahead, flushing. Caught checking out her boyfriend’s brother, she scolded herself. At least it had not been the leery sort of checking out, more the holy shit, you are big, sort of looking. Her mental self-talk was not helping, but she reasoned it was better embarrassed about being caught gawking then nervous over the meeting. The limousine pulled to a stop, and Alexei stepped out first, standing at the d
She laughed breathlessly, her ability to draw in a deep breath limited by the constriction of being slung over Victor’s shoulder. He turned his head and bit her behind, making her shriek and giggle like a maniac. “Shit,” he said. “The door is closed.” He released his grip on his jeans so that he could open the door, and they slid down to his ankles. “Oh, goody,” she seized onto his arse. “Someone skipped their underwear this morning.” He laughed, stepping out of the jeans, and kicking them into the room. “I went for a swim,” he told her. “They are out on a chair, drying.” He lowered her onto the bed and laid his body out over hers, as he kissed her, his tongue stroking against hers. “I do like it when you wear skirts,” he reached between them, pulling her underwear to the side so that he could slide against her intimately and she drew in a shaking breath. “I probably need a shower,” she said. “I have been dancing all afternoon.” “You taste salty,” he dragged his tongue along her
She slid into the limousine and felt a twinge. Three days so far, she thought with a small smile, at the memory, and her body had not forgotten them. Just the thought of it made her hot, despite her exhaustion. She lay out along the seat as Alexei slid into the back.“You really shouldn’t lie like that when he is driving,” Alexei commented as he put on his seatbelt. “If there is an accident, you would get seriously injured.”She groaned and dragged herself up before dropping into the seat on the other side of the car to Alexei, leaving the middle seat empty. She put on her seatbelt and dropped her handbag onto the spare seat. “So tired,” she told him, leaning her head back against the headrest and closing her eyes.“I am not surprised,” he replied with sympathy as the limousine driver started the engine. “Your schedule is pretty hard core. Radio interviews in the early hours of the morning, photo shoots and TV appearances midday, sound checks in the afternoon, and then the show from e
Alexei opened the door to her room and did a quick tour of the interior. “All good,” he told her.“Thanks Alexei,” it no longer seemed odd to have him check her room before she entered it. “Where is the damn light?” She felt for the light switch and could not find it. It seemed that every hotel kept their light switches in different places, designed to baffle her in the darkness.“Here,” he turned on the switch. “Ah, no that is the bathroom one.” At least she was not alone in her bafflement.“It is okay, hotel lighting always makes my eyes funny after a busy day,” she told him. “I will just be brushing my teeth and going to bed anyway.”He shrugged. “Alright, I will see you in the morning?”“Thanks. Goodnight,” she saw him to the door and waited until he got onto the elevator before closing and leaning back against it with a sigh. It had been a gruelling day that had begun very early in the morning with a red-eye flight, followed by radio interviews for the commuters on their way to
Victor was woken when his phone rang at eight am. He groaned. Less than four hours of sleep was torturous, he thought, but it wouldn’t be the first time that he and Vice had worked under such deprivation. Mirage was still out, he noted, the sleeping pill still working to keep her in the oblivion of unconsciousness, but he saw Vice’s eyes open a slit and close again as Victor moved. Mirage’s head was on his bicep, so he rolled onto his back and felt blindly for his mobile. Aaron’s name appeared on the screen. He accepted the call. “Hey.” “It is me,” Aaron told him. “I am downstairs.” “It is Aaron,” he said to Vice. “He is downstairs. I will call the concierge to bring you up,” he said to Aaron. “We will order room service. Vice and I are going to need a lot more coffee than this kitchenette holds.” “I have got go cups here,” Aaron said. “I love you,” Victor said easing his arm out from under Mirage. Vice had his arm over her, and he snuggled in closer with a sigh, which was, Vict
The seating arrangement was meant to be cosy and confidential. To the viewer it probably looked so. There were fake walls on three sides to give the impression that they were in a sitting room and not a studio, and she was certain that the green screens behind the windows would be filled with a pretty garden view and the sound-track augmented by birdsong by the time the show aired. The couches were possibly the most uncomfortable ones she had ever sat upon, Mirage thought. But maybe that was in her head because of her dread of the topic she was there to discuss. Kelly certainly appeared to be comfortable on them. But Mirage was glad that Vice had selected trousers, and not a skirt, for the interview, as the angle of the seats was such that she would have been fighting to keep her hemline decent. The last thing she needed was to flash a camera whilst she was there to discuss a sex crime committed against her. The combination of clothing that Vice had thrown together was stylish, rela