Howie surveyed the outside of the tiny bar in a state of disbelief. He glanced over at Annalise and AJ and frowned.
"Could somebody please explain to me why we're here?," he asked.
"I already told you," Annalise answered, "because Jade called this morning and told us to meet her here tonight. And she specifically told me to bring you. I think she just wants her car back." She nudged him playfully as she spoke, but Howie simply wasn't in the mood.
Why in God's name would Jade want to spend her 26th birthday at this place? And why did she want him there? Was she still mad at him? Annalise had adamantly refused to let him go over there, according to Jade's wishes. Sighing heavily, and tired of trying to figure this whole mess out...he yanked the door open and stepped inside, with AJ and Annalise following him. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, he gradually became aware of his surroundings. A long, polished bar was to his left, most of the room was crammed full with tables and as many people to occupy them. Most were college kids, he guessed.
But it was the husky singing voice that captured his attention, drawing his eyes to the stage, where a scantily clad woman was writhing suggestively to the music...as if she were in a fit of ecstasy. Erotic lyrics fell from her lips in a throaty purr, a sound that sent blood coursing through his veins in a mad rush. This woman had commanded the attention of every person in attendance...every eye was on her. Howie let his eyes trail up her body...taking in her revealing ensemble. Her skirt, if it could be called that, was actually nothing more than two pieces of heavy red velvet, held together at her hips on either side with a fine silver chain, leaving the creamy skin of her legs completely bare. The two pieces of velvet were long, hanging to her ankles, but they did very little to cover her legs , especially with her right one propped up on the monitor in front of her.
She wore a matching halter top, made from the same velvet material. Her back was bare, save for the three silver chains roping across it, holding the material to her body. The top was short, it left her pale belly exposed, her cute little belly button peeking out at the world. Black make-up lined her eyes, deep red stained her lips. Her hair was left loose, forming a bright halo around her head beneath the lights. Silver bracelets with tiny bells dangling adorned her wrists, heavy silver rings glistened from her fingers. Her bare toes wore matching rings of silver. Howie had never seen anyone quite like her before. She seemed utterly confident in her nearly bare appearance, he couldn't seem to make his eyes leave her as her body moved with a hypnotic grace.
This woman was simply mesmerizing. She was incredible...a goddess of mythological proportion. Her voice sounded like honey...deep and powerful, it dripped with sensuality, exuded sexuality. Howie felt his mouth go dry as he watched her. She was fire, she was mystery, she was light and beauty, she was dark and exotic, she was, oh God she was...Jade. Howie's eyes widened with recognition. That was his Jaybird up there...her melodic purr filling the ears of the small crowd before her. He could only stare in amazement...he'd never known that Jade could sing like that. Or look like that. She looked like a gothic gypsy princess...her little body swaying, her full lips curving around each word she sang.
"Oh my God," he heard AJ mutter. Howie turned to find his best friend just as entranced as he was. AJ turned to look at him,saying, "What the hell is wrong with you D? Look at her...what are you still doing with Susan man?"
Howie just shook his head, not trusting himself to speak at the moment. He felt dizzy, as if the entire room was revolving around him.
"Come on," he heard Annalise say, her voice reflecting quiet awe. "Let's go sit down." He felt her hand on his arm, let her lead him to a table near the front.
Jade knew when he was there. It was something she couldn't explain, she just knew. When she saw him sit down with Annalise and AJ, her heart began beating faster. Up until that moment, this had been the side of her that no one ever saw. She was suddenly nervous. Sometime during the previous night, she had decided that if she were to go through with her plan, she wanted it to be at a time when she felt free...confident. The only time she ever felt sure of herself was when she was on the stage in Randy's bar. With that in mind, she'd called Annalise and invited them all to come tonight. Guilt was tearing her up as she thought of the way she'd thrown herself at AJ...and she fully intended to have a long talk with Annalise. But right now she had more important things to worry about...namely the olive skinned beauty gaped at her from the front row.
When she finished the song, the applause trapped in the small room was deafening. Jade smiled and spoke into the microphone, thanking everyone, and announcing that she was taking a short break. Making sure that Howie's eyes were still on her, she stepped off of the stage...right into Spencer's waiting arms. She hugged him tightly, hoping she was making the specticle she wanted to, for its intended audience of one person.
"Remind me again why I'm doing this," Spencer grumbled in her ear. "There's this really cute blond over there and-"
"Shut up and make it look convincing," she muttered, kissing his cheek for appearance.
Howie's eyes narrowed as he watched Jade practically hang all over Spencer. Jealousy exploded inside of him, raw fury gripped him like a steel vice.
"Ugh...who's the old guy?," Annalise asked, voicing her disgust.
"Her ex-husband," Howie replied, through clenched teeth.
"Her what?!"
Howie glanced at Annalise, noticing her eyes wide with surprise. "She never told you?"
Annalise shook her head. "She never told me she was married."
"She was married to him for 6 years...the biggest mistake she ever made."
"Looks like she's making it again," AJ commented, sipping his drink.
"Over my dead body," Howie replied, standing up. AJ turned to Annalise as they watched Howie's retreating back.
"This could get interesting," he said, grinning.
Howie didn't think as he reached Jade. He simply cleared his throat and waited for her to detach herself from Spencer's embrace. She didn't...she just turned around and looked at him, questions in her eyes.
"Can I talk to you?"
"Um...let me think...no," she said. "Did you bring my car back?"
"Yes I brought your damn car back," he replied, his eyes riveted to the place on her back where Spencer's hands were lightly tracing a pattern over the bare skin there. The other man looked quite content in his position, yet even so, Howie saw the older man's eyes travel as he openly gawked at another woman....right over the top of Jade's head. Howie saw red...this was the exact reason why he was opposed to Jade being with Spencer. She couldn't trust him. She knew that...what was she thinking? How could she do this to herself? Without another word, he grabbed her arm and tugged her away from Spencer. "Come on," he said, "I need to talk to you...now."
"I don't think-"
"Now Jade."
Jade almsot grinned as she stared up into his eyes. They were alive with jealousy and fury...just the reaction she had hoped for. She smiled sweetly at him and pulled her arm from his grasp, then sauntered over to the bar, knowing that he was right behind her. Once there, she hopped up on a bar stool and crossed her legs, leaving an insane amount of skin exsposed.
"Well?," she asked when she realized that he wasn't speaking.
"What are you doing?," he demanded. "Have you lost your mind? I thought you had more sense Jay..."
"Like I said...it's none of your business," she replied flippantly, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
"I'm only telling you this because I'm worried about you," he insisted. "I don't want to see you get hurt again Jay."
"I'm a big girl Howie...I can take care of myself."
"Will you please just listen to me? I care too much about you to let you do this again," he pleaded, no longer angry at her...just concerned.
"You don't have a say in it. I don't tell you how to live your life, so don't tell me how to live mine."
"I'm not telling you how to live your life...I just want you to think for a minute. Spencer isn't good for you...he never has been."
"That's not for you to decide, now is it? Now...if you'll excuse me, I have to go sing." She hopped off the bar stool and pushed past him, brushing her body against his as if by accident. His eyes followed her movements as she took the stage again, smiling at the wild applause. Finally he went back to the table and joined Annalise and AJ, feel worse than he had before. Jade seemed hell bent on ruining her life...again. His thoughts were wiped away when she began to sing. He could hear nothing else but the soothing tones of her voice.
"You always said I was a liar
But we burn like a house on fire
No matter what you know that to be true
And everything you gave to me
Changed everything I used to be
Much more than anyone I ever knew..."
Howie's eyes widened as he listened to the lyrics. Her blue eyes met his for a brief second...and he knew. She was singing for him...no...she was singing to him. These words obviously held important meaning to her. He knew why when she launched into the chorus.
"I don't need a hero
I don't need a soldier
I did when I was younger
But now that I am older
I don't need a father
I don't wanna be your mother
It's just that anyone of us is half
Without another one is you..."
She was right. Had he really been acting that way? Trying to shelter her? Play hero and rescue her from herself? No wonder she was mad at him...he realized that indeed he had been trying to tell her what to do with her life. She was a grown woman. What right did he have to tell her who she could see? In his heart he knew the reason...he didn't want to see her with anyone.
"The colors of that piece of time
Are still so fresh inside my mind
And it makes the movie
Of my life seem pale
And all the games I've had to play
I got to give a lot of me away
But the part with us
Will never be for sale..."
Jade poured every ounce of emotion she had left into those words...words she had written about them. As she repeated the chorus, tears stung her eyes, and blurred the faces before her. It didn't matter, her eyes were glued to only one of those faces.
"The words of love have been confused The ways of love have been abused Is this a lottery we win or lose? I don't know It's an endless circle over time The place where I hold and find Your sweet and happy music in my soul..."
Her powerful voice quivered as she sang the last verse...the most important one. Those words told him everything...told him exactly what she felt. That no matter what, she would always love him. When the last notes of the song drifted over her, she left the stage in tears. She had to get away...as far as she could. She'd just exposed herself more than she cared to admit...now her only thought was to flee as fast as she could. She didn't stop until she reached the parking lot. She carefully dried her eyes and leaned against her car, wishing she had the keys.
She stared up into the night sky, where thousands of stars stared back at her, twinkling against the black sky. She knew it was just a matter of time before Howie found her...so she waited, with butterflies dancing in her stomach. Finally he came, walking across the parking lot until he came to stand in front of her. They didn't speak...they just stared at each other with watery eyes. Neither was quite sure what to say, not when Jade had just so clearly laid everything out on the table. Howie was torn between conflicting emotions. One was the desire to take her in his arms and kiss her full red, mouth. The other was to get as far away from her as he could. He knew he had to say something. Jade knew it too...she waited with baited breath for his words. Words that she knew would shatter her heart to pieces all over again.
**Author’s Note: the lyrics used in this chapter are from Concrete Blond, “I Don’t Need A Hero”.
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