Duplicity. Part 15

Come on, Star. You can do this. "I've been chatting to Sin. She's convinced me. I'll do it."

Suddenly, he picked me up and spun me around, and my stomach almost let go of its alcoholic contents. Once he had placed me down, he tugged on Fin's arm and told him the news.

Fin turned to me, cupped my face in his palms, and placed a luscious wet kiss on my mouth. "I'm so proud of you right now." Before I could reply, he turned and walked away with purpose. I watched as he disappeared through the hordes of people dancing to someone's rendition of Kiss' "I Was Made For Lovin' You". He disappeared from sight, and I figured he had gone to buy another round of celebratory drinks.

I turned back to Tom, who was hugging Sin. She glanced over at me, and I couldn't help but smile at her face-splitting grin.

The audience cheered as the pseudo Paul Stanley left the stage, and I wondered absently who would be up next. A familiar gruff voice broke through my thoughts, and I spun toward the stage once more.

"This goes out to my s.h.i.+ning Star." A simple piano intro began, and a s.h.i.+ver travelled down my spine. The familiar lyrics to Hozier's "Take Me to Church" began to fall easily from Fin's full lips. A lump formed in my throat, and once again, everyone else within the room disappeared, and my shy, reluctant rock G.o.d bravely locked his gaze on me and sang as if showing me that stepping out of his comfort zone was getting easier thanks to me.

Commanding the stage as he always did, the crowds of people stopped chatting amongst themselves and watched in awe, as did I. Something profoundly moving about the lyrics and the way he sang them to me made tears well in my eyes, and I observed in wonder as he once again told me his innermost feelings through song.

When the song was finished, Fin jumped from the stage and made a beeline for me, avoiding all of his well-wishers. Without speaking, he slipped his hands into my hair and crushed his mouth to mine in a kiss that took my breath-and my heart-away.

Fin We arrived back at my place after a really fun evening. I was relieved Tom's enthusiasm over her art hadn't made Star run for the hills, and I was so excited at the prospect of seeing her work displayed for everyone to see. But all I had wanted to do from the moment I stepped off the stage was to bring her home and make love to her.

Once inside my flat, I pulled her flush with my body, and without speaking, I gripped her bottom and lowered my face to cover her mouth with my own. The taste of her was like a drug to me now, and I was highly addicted. How the h.e.l.l I had fallen so quickly was beyond me, but I wasn't about to fight it anymore.

After moving away from her briefly to flick on my iPod in its dock, I led her to the couch and laid her down. As the original version of the song I sang to her earlier in the evening played in the background, I wors.h.i.+pped her body with mine and we made love slowly, relis.h.i.+ng in our connection and not caring about art exhibitions, band rehearsals, or how fast things were moving.

As I moved inside her body, I locked my gaze on her, desperate to say the words that were on the tip of my tongue. But it was too soon. Or at least I thought it was. And so I mumbled words of affection and told her how good she felt beneath me, in my arms, and around me.

Sliding my hand between our sweat-slicked bodies, I found her sensitive flesh with my fingers and watched as she soared, clenching around me, pulling me closer until the sight of her ecstasy brought me my own divine release.

We lay in each other's arms for a long while after, just holding each other close until a loud rumble from my stomach made us both break out into giggles.

She pushed herself up and gazed down at me. "I think maybe we should eat."

I trailed my gaze over her smooth tattooed skin and became aroused all over again. I couldn't get enough. But she was right. My empty belly was protesting and I need to sate it, and not just my s.e.xual appet.i.te. But I allowed myself a few more seconds of taking in the astoundingly s.e.xy sight of her nakedness above me.

A blush spread from her chest to her cheeks, and she wrapped her arms around herself. "You're staring, Hunter."

I nodded slowly. "Oh, I'm well aware of the fact. You're so much more beautiful than any photograph I've ever seen. Even your own, and that's saying something."

The pink in her cheeks intensified and she slapped my arm playfully. "I think hunger is affecting your eyesight. Go eat." She slid off me and dashed to the bathroom.

I pulled on my boxers and T-s.h.i.+rt and went to find something...anything edible in the kitchen. I was distinctly lacking in the grocery department and plumped for cheese on toast. I prepared the meagre meal whilst I heard the shower running and waited for Star to return.

We sat at the little kitchen table and munched away on our Welsh rarebit, silently contemplating...well, whatever.

"Oh, my boss would like us to meet him and his wife for drinks in the city next week. He thought you might feel more comfortable knowing more than just me at the ball."

Her eyes widened. "Your boss? Oh s.h.i.+t, really?"

"Really. He's a great guy. You have nothing to worry about."

She pushed the crumbs around on her plate. "I suppose it's sweet of him to want to put me at ease."

"It is. I've never known anyone like him. He's just so...respectful and respect-worthy. I mean, the people at work just get the job done. No need for cajoling. No shouting. No ridicule and humiliation. It's just the best place to work."

Her responding smile was warm and she reached out and stroked my arm. "That's how it should be. It's what you deserve. And yes, I would love to meet your boss and his wife."

Fin Spending time with Star was by far one of my favourite things to do. Our weekends together consisted of long talks, walks through the city, and pa.s.sionate hours tangled together between the sheets where we learned to please each other in every possible way.

Seeing the city through her eyes was awe-inspiring. Intriguing. She told me she wanted to take me to one of her favourite places, and as soon we had the opportunity, I was excited to discover this place she loved so much. Armed with her camera, she led me through the bustling city on a sunny Sunday morning. Distant church bells sounded, adding to the idyllic day in all its suns.h.i.+ne and glory. For a while, we walked without speaking, hand in hand, content in each other's silence down the Royal Mile towards Holyrood. I watched Star in my peripheral vision. It was fascinating to see the expression of awe on her face as she revelled in the exquisite diversity and beauty of the city-the place I had called home for all of my life. Seeing her joy made me smile.

Since meeting Star and allowing her to show me the place through her eyes, I had started to look at Edinburgh in a whole new light. I no longer walked around with my eyes veiled, but instead I began to appreciate the myriad of architectural styles all around me, seeing something new along each and every well-trodden route. This also applied to the people that graced the city streets. The more I people-watched, the more I realised my fortune at finding Star-of us finding each other-out of all the endless possibilities surrounding us.

We continued to walk along, but it was clear there was purpose to her steps. She evidently had a destination in mind-somewhere she was leading me. We ambled to the bottom of the Royal Mile where the stark geometry of the new parliament building faced us. From here, we turned left, cutting through to Calton Road, the crowds lessening as we moved away from the familiar tourist trails.

Eventually, we walked through wrought iron gates into Old Calton burial ground. Star released my hand and glanced around with a serene smile on her beautiful face.

I chuckled and shook my head. "Well, it's official. You. Are. Weird." I couldn't help thinking that of all the places to go with your new love, a graveyard seemed right up there as a location not to choose.

She shrugged. "Hmm. I think I'd prefer interesting, quirky, or maybe even mysterious rather than weird." There was mirth in her eyes.

"No, Mendoza, you can't sugar coat this. You're just plain weird." I stepped toward her and slipped my arm around her waist before tenderly kissing her head. "But I adore you for it."

Star smiled up at me with a mischievous look glinting in her chocolate brown eyes.

"I love this place," she mused. "It's hauntingly beautiful, and an oasis of calm in such a busy city."

I'd never really thought of a graveyard full of dead bodies as peaceful. But as I said, this was what she did. She made me see things through her eyes.

Although, I couldn't resist teasing her. "Haunting, yes. Beautiful? Hmm, I'm not so sure about that." I cast my a.s.sessing gaze over the mult.i.tude of headstones and mausoleums. She was right about it being an oasis. Even though we were in the heart of the city, it somehow felt like we were somewhere miles away. No road noise, no car fumes, no people. Well, none that were rus.h.i.+ng around us, anyway.

She let out a wistful sigh. "I love coming here. The atmosphere of the place changes throughout the day, and some of my best images have been captured here." Enthusiasm radiated from her like sunlight, and I found myself caught up in the moment, appreciating the intricate stone carvings and the loving care that people clearly still took over the resting places of their loved ones.

I mentally went through the catalogue of Star's work that I had seen, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember seeing any pictures of this place.

When her gaze returned to mine, I linked my fingers with hers. "It doesn't look familiar to me. I mean, I don't recall any of your work based around cemeteries and gravestones."

Star released one of her hands and reached out from where we stood on a path that curved around the large open s.p.a.ce.

She lightly ran a finger over the top of the nearest stone. "Ah, well that's because they're a work in progress." She pursed her lips and paused for a moment. "I'm not really sure they'll suit everyone's tastes."

She tugged at my hand and led me farther in amongst the graves. "I love the serenity here. The feeling of time standing still...the history." She stopped and turned toward me. "Have you never been here before?"

Being a native of Edinburgh from the start of my life, I could honestly say I had indeed never been there before. In fact, I was blissfully unaware of its existence.

I cringed, conscious of the fact that she was an interloper here and I wasn't. "Erm, no this is definitely a first for me." I laughed lightly. "Can't say that visiting a graveyard was on my list of things to do before I die." I pointed to our surroundings. "Obviously, when I die, this is my go to place."

She giggled, and my heart skipped at the wonderful sound.

We walked around for another hour or so, Star snapping away every so often when something caught her eye. I watched in awed silence as she tilted her head this way and that, trying to capture the image just right in her mind.

She read many of the stones, telling me, "It's important to read the stones that look a little neglected. These were people too. Loved once. They should be remembered fondly, even when there is no one alive who's connected to them." A look of melancholy graced her features as she spoke, and she stooped to pull some weeds away from one such stone.

I found myself clearing my throat, taken back by the emotion I experienced on listening to her reasons for taking her time to visit the less well-kept resting places. I vowed then and there to return to do just that.

Suddenly she stopped again, and her hand covered her mouth as she gasped. The stone before her was leaning and cracked. "Oh wow, Fin. Look."

I walked over to stand beside her and read aloud the wording on the stone. "Forbes Hunter. Gone but not forgotten. 1889 to 1916. Loving son and brother."

She placed a hand over her heart. "He was only twenty-seven when he died. That's so sad."

I took a deep breath, emotions knotting my stomach. He could've been my ancestor. "I bet he died in World War One, looking at the dates."

"Yeah, maybe. Gosh, Fin, that's the age you are now."

I shook my head and re-read the wording on the stone. Loving son and brother. That was me once. It was clear that no one had tended to the grave in many years, apart from the caretakers at the cemetery. No evidence of flowers left by loved ones. But at some point, he had been loved and missed. My heart ached at the thought that I couldn't say the same about me as far as my parents were concerned. An overwhelming sense of loss tugged at me. What it must have been like to have been loved so dearly. A lump lodged in my throat, and I imagined my own grave looking the same way, but mine would be due to neglect.

Star grasped my hand and tugged me away from Forbes Hunter's final resting place. "Come on. Let's go get some ice cream. I think we need it." As we walked away, I glanced over my shoulder and found myself hoping Forbes' family healed after his death.

We headed for the wrought iron gate once again, and I felt a sense of inner calm that I possibly wouldn't have felt had it not been for Star bringing me to this place. She truly was an enigma. This tattooed, pink-haired American with a heart as big as the world.

Fin Nate from the band called me at home a couple of days after my visit to the graveyard with Star. He announced that Hydde had our first official bonafide gig. His call threw me for a loop and sent my brain into a tumultuous spin. Okay, the band rehearsals had been going great, but the thought of actually performing on stage with the band hadn't been a firm reality.

Until Nate's call.

"So, we've said yes to the show, pal. The guys are all psyched up and ready. And we know you're ready. You've knocked our b.l.o.o.d.y socks off, man. Anyway, extra rehearsals until the gig on Sat.u.r.day if you're free. If not, we'll just go with the flow."

My heart pounded in my chest. "Y-yeah, sure. Sounds great. I...I can do extras."

To say I had been given very little notice was an understatement. I was absolutely b.l.o.o.d.y terrified. Star insisted that was a good thing, that I had less time to dwell on it and build it up into something scary and negative. She did her best to calm me and take my mind off things for the whole week, but the gig came around far too quickly after a run of solid rehearsals.

Star held my face in her palms and gazed up at me, oozing that tangible excitement I was growing to love. "It's what you dreamed of all those years ago as a little kid, and it's finally happening, Fin. I'm so excited and so proud of you. You're going to be amazing, I just know it."

I flared my nostrils as I locked my eyes on hers, wis.h.i.+ng I was as confident in myself as she was. "Yeah?"

She nodded slowly, a wide grin fixed on her gorgeous face. "Oh yeah."

I released myself from her grasp and began to pace up and down my living room. "But...what if I forget the words or...or what if I get stage fright and just f.u.c.king freeze up?"

She folded her arms defiantly over her beautiful b.r.e.a.s.t.s, pus.h.i.+ng them up and momentarily distracting me from my impending train wreck of thought.

She stepped into my path, stopping me in my tracks. "Has that ever happened to you at rehearsals? Or when you've been singing at DeBas.e.m.e.nt, for that matter?"

I scrunched my brow as I thought about her question. "Um...no. No, it hasn't."

She opened her arms once again. "See. No reason for it to happen at all then. Stop worrying. You're going to be brilliant." She slipped her arms around my neck and tiptoed up to kiss me. And for a little while, at least, my fears melted away as her tongue caressed mine and I lost myself in her.

We arrived with the band at the Jekyll and Hyde bar in the centre of Edinburgh an hour before our gig was due to begin. The owners of the bar had been amazingly supportive in booking us for our first live gig, and I think the fact that we were named Hydde endeared us to them.

Our set list for the gig was compiled of covers of our favourite songs. We had started to write some of our own material but decided as this was the first time we'd played to a live audience-that didn't only consist of our families and girlfriends-we'd save the original material for another time.

I stood in the poster-covered dressing room whilst the guys were tuning up and getting ready. The man reflected back at me from the mirror was someone I was slowly becoming accustomed with. I was surprised at how quickly my hair had grown, and after Alasdair had said there was no need for me to cut it for work, and Star had admitted that my s.h.a.ggy look turned her on, I'd stuck with it. My beard was trimmed, and I liked that I bore no resemblance to the Finlay Hunter of Hunter Drummond & a.s.sociates; all sharp designer suits and material items. I now looked like Fin Hunter, the guy who was daring to believe that dreams did come true, and that comfort zones were meant to be exited every so often.

Before I knew it, the hands on the clock had reached ten p.m. and it was time for us to go on. My hands were shaking and my stomach was knotted. I had already downed a couple of gla.s.ses of Dutch courage, but my nerves were still jangling, and I felt sure I was going to either pa.s.s out or throw up.

Nate poked his head around the door. "You right, pal? We're up."

Oh, f.u.c.k.

Just as I was about to step out of the tiny room, my phone began to ring. My father's number flashed on the screen. s.h.i.+t. Has something happened? Panic and dread washed over me in equal measures, and I hit to accept the call.

"h.e.l.lo?" My voice was hesitant.

My father's voice barked through the earpiece. "Finlay. You really have gone stark raving mad, haven't you?" I pulled the phone away from my head as he continued. "Tell me the rumours aren't true."

I sighed heavily, partly through relief that the old b.a.s.t.a.r.d was still alive, and partly through frustration because the old b.a.s.t.a.r.d was still alive. Talk about a double-edged sword.

With flared nostrils, I replied, "What rumours would they be?"

"That not only are you sleeping with the enemy, and by that I mean McKendrick, but now you've taken up with a bunch of morons and are having some kind of mid-life crisis by singing in a b.l.o.o.d.y poor excuse for a musical outfit."

I clenched my jaw. Could his timing have been any worse? "Ah, those rumours would be true then, yes. All of the above."

His barrage began again in earnest. "Are there no depths to which you won't sink to ruin the family name, Finlay? What makes you think these hair-brained schemes are a good idea? I mean, working for the man who almost ruined our family is a low blow. And I'm guessing it was a deliberate stab at your mother and me. And do you really think anyone wants to hear you caterwauling on a b.l.o.o.d.y stage? You're not a child anymore, Finlay, so why are you acting like one? Prancing around on a stage like a little kid with a hairbrush. Honestly. I've never heard such utter preposterous nonsense. It's evident that you need help, young man. Serious help. You're not a b.l.o.o.d.y performing monkey, you know. Think of your mother. What will people think? You've overstepped the mark this time, Finlay. You've really done it now. What say you?"

His formal tone set the hairs on the back of my neck p.r.i.c.kling in irritation. "Quite frankly, Dad, I don't give a flying f.u.c.k." I hit end call and threw my phone at the wall where it bounced and fell to the floor in a heap of crumpled metal and fractured gla.s.s.

Star I sat clutching my gla.s.s of Jack and c.o.ke in one hand and my camera in the other. I was determined not to miss a d.a.m.n thing. But the drink was kind of a necessity, thanks to my state of nervousness. Fin had been in the dressing room for over a half hour and I had left him to gather his thoughts and prepare. My heart was in my mouth as I sat in the upstairs bar of the Jekyll and Hyde, waiting for Hydde to begin their set.

I knew Fin would be amazing. There was no reason why he would suddenly fail, and I had every faith in him. I just wished he had the same faith in himself.

t.i.tch came out and took his place behind the drums just as Sin and Tom arrived to my right. Tom put an arm around my shoulders, hugged me, and planted a kiss on the side of my head.

"How's he holding up?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Pretty good, I think. Nervous, which is understandable, but I think he'll be fine." I hoped I was right.

Tom sucked air in through his teeth. "He sounded like s.h.i.+t when I rang him today. Totally f.u.c.king freaked out."

I shook my head in vehement protest. "No, no. He's fine, Tom." I think I was trying to convince myself more than Fin's best friend.

Sin nudged Tom and scowled at him before turning to me. "We have a date to propose to you for the start of the exhibition." She clapped her hands giddily, ignoring the look of worry on Tom's-and no doubt my-face.

I nodded and forced a smile. "Oh...yeah. Yeah, great." I tried to sound enthusiastic but failed miserably.

"Two months from tonight," Tom confirmed, joining in Sin's enthusiasm.

I gasped and almost spilled my precious nerve-calming elixir. "s.h.i.+t, that's...that's very soon."