Coach Love(57)

Helen ran over and tugged her forward. Cara tried not to get pulled into the fray but Helen insisted, her boozy breath in Cara’s ear as they sat her in a chair smack in front of the stage. She averted her gaze from Dominic’s crotch, encased in some kind of black shimmery underwear that resembled a woman’s bikini bottoms. The men carried on, evidently unable to see beyond the bright lights shining at them from above and below.

Kieran’s familiar chest had some kind of sparkly glimmer to it. His hair shone in the spotlights and he could hardly walk from nervousness, or possibly drunkenness, she couldn’t tell. The other two seemed fairly natural at the hip-thrusting dance moves. He followed them around, smiling blankly, awkward, and more hilarious by the minute. She giggled then couldn’t help but break into cheers when Dominic danced around the pole in the middle of the stage. For a split second, she fixated on his tattoos as a sickening sort of déjà vu hit her.

Gripping her chair when the ladies ran past her to the stage, shaking dollars at the men she sensed her ears burning, which meant her face must be blazing red. When the men all crawled toward the edge of the stage she shrank back, praying Kieran wouldn’t spot her, the momentary confusion at the sight of Dom’s body art forgotten. The disco ball spun, sending shimmery dots of light everywhere, while the women pawed at, stuffed money into, and blatantly stroked the front of their underwear. With a cry of protest, she shoved her way forward, blind with jealous rage.

“Hey, cut it out!”

“This one’s mine!”

“Ow! Bitch!”

The protests filled her ears. But she remained intent on her goal. Kieran was on his knees now, thrusting his pelvis around. She saw the sweat beading on his forehead and noted how hard his hands were shaking. Latching onto some woman who had her fingers creeping up the inside of his thigh she pushed her into some other bitch who had her whole palm on the man’s black satin-covered dick.

“Get off,” she growled.

“Wait your fucking turn.” The last woman practically bared her teeth and kept her palm planted on Kieran’s junk.

“Plenty to go around ladies,” he slurred.

“Kieran Francesco Love.” She snagged his ear and yanked his face down close to hers. “Get your bare ass off that stage right now.”

He goggled at her, and stretched his arm forward as if to crawl towards her. Women kept pulling at her, cussing her, and demanding she let them at the hot redhead. The music deafened her to them but when he pitched forward, having run out of stage to crawl across he fell right on top of her, knocking them both to the smelly carpet. She landed on her elbows with a cry of pain. Kieran’s entire body pressed against her, making her skin zing in response. The room quieted, and a circle formed around them.

“Okay now, ladies,” a voice boomed over the loudspeaker. “Come on to the stage and dance with the boys!” The women scrambled away, leaving the two of them sprawled and glaring at each other.

“Get off me,” she said through gritted teeth, her face hot with rage. He didn’t move. If anything he ground his hips down harder, miming sex in front of the crowd.

“You don’t get to have a say about me anymore, remember?” He pressed his lips to hers before she could speak then got lost in the scrum on the stage to the delight of the women. She scrambled to her feet, breathing heavy, chest tight with anxiety. Someone’s strong grip on her biceps kept her from stomping to the door.

“He’s almost finished, hon,” an attractive older woman dressed in a slinky red dress told her. “You can wait in the back if you want.” She steered Cara away from the simulated orgy on the stage. “Sorry, I didn’t know Red had a sweetheart.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine. I’m not...I mean….”

“Come on.” The woman propelled her behind the stage and into a dressing room lined with mirrors and filled with girls in various stages of naked. Embarrassed and averting her gaze, Cara followed her into a cramped office and got pushed unceremoniously down on a butt-sprung couch. “Wait here. I’ll send him to you.”

“No, it’s all right. I’m...a friend.”

“Whatever, honey. Wait here, k?”

Cara glared at the door a few minutes then paced the length of the small office. Finally, it creaked open, revealing Kieran, re-dressed in his real jeans and a dark T-shirt. Something in her released at the sight of him. Tears streamed down her face as she fell onto the sofa. He waited in the doorway, silent, immune as always to her blubbering. She opened her mouth, fully intending to tell him everything, including the fact that she had a sickening suspicion about Kent’s love interest.