Fighting Faith (7 page)

The first thing she did was call Sarah. The call went to voicemail, and Faith remembered it was still early. She waited for the beep: "Hey, Sarah, I'm going to stay home today. I, uh, got caught in the storm last night and I think I might be coming down with something…anyway, I'll talk to you later."

The next thing she did was text Eric, "Ty."
Maybe that will save him from his crazy
paranoia.
Then she went back to bed. Her mind was much clearer this morning, especially now she knew how the prior evening’s events affected him. Maybe it was clearer because she hadn't slammed her head against anything for the last few hours. Banging her head against the table with such force as she searched for her clothes made her drive home a dizzy one. She raised her hand to touch the soft, swollen lump left behind. It occurred to her Eric hadn't returned her panties with the phone; the other thing she missed in her blind search.
They must be under his
bed or something, or maybe he just threw them away, or maybe
…The idea of him hanging on to them as a keepsake made her blush, but it also made her wish she'd chosen nicer ones; they were never meant to be seen in the first place. It didn't matter. She was done with him.

Two days of paranoia and no sight of Faith or any law enforcement had Eric almost back to feeling normal. It should have been good studio time with the guys, but he couldn’t focus.

Couldn’t play, couldn’t listen to what they already had down, and couldn’t come up with any lyrics that didn’t involve raunchy sex and selfish fantasies— they all involved Faith.

“Alright, I’m ready to call it a day,” Tim said, turning off his amp and setting his guitar down. “Let’s go get a beer or something. Maybe tomorrow will be better.” Jose looked at his watch. “Sarah is meeting Faith at Bernie’s Grill at six. We could meet up with them.”

Everyone agreed and then looked to Eric for an argument. He had none. It was as good a time as any to face the enemy— get it over and done with. “Sounds good,” he said, turning away from the soundboard. “I’ll even buy the first round.”

“I would hope so,” Jose said. “You haven’t been good for much else lately.”

“Yeah, like you’ve never had an ‘off’ day or anything.”

“We’ve all had off days, but you’ve been in more of a tailspin these last few days than
off
. Is it that time of the month?” Jose turned to receive his knuckle pound from Daniel for the burn.

“Screw you. All of you,” Eric said, wagging his middle finger as he walked to the door.

***

Bernie’s was busy, but Sarah and Faith had secured a large booth. They all squeezed in.

Eric peeked over at her, but thankfully, Faith wasn’t looking in his direction. She was wearing make-up, something she didn’t normally do. Hoping to find some action, maybe? Something to take her mind off of their recent wet-dream-nightmare? He couldn’t blame her for trying, but if she was in the same shape he was, it wouldn’t work. No. She wouldn’t be in the same state of mind. While he was in hellish turmoil, she was probably angry with him and full of self-loathing for coming to him in the first place. Was she wearing it for him?

It didn’t take long to find out.

“You’re looking really nice tonight, Faith,” Daniel said. “I’ve never seen you wear make-up before. Got a hot date?”

Her face turned a deep shade of red, visible even through the heavy foundation she wore.

She shook her head and dropped her gaze to the table.

Sarah spoke for her. “She got caught in that hail storm the other night and got some bruises on her face. When people see women with bruises, they assume someone’s been beating on them.”

The shame for his part in her storm damage didn’t surprise him, but the relief she wasn’t out trying to get laid, did. He had to say something, something so the others wouldn’t be suspicious of their silence and something that didn’t make it sound like anything changed between them. Had it? He wasn’t sure where they stood with each other, but he wanted to find out.

“Who would ever want to beat on Faith?” He laced the comment with sarcasm, but when she looked up at him, he hoped his eyes conveyed a message of regret.

She grinned back. “Anyone who tried it would wind up a sorry puddle on the ground, so go ahead, give me your best shot. I dare you.”

Eric held up his hands in surrender. “I have no doubt you’d kick my ass in the end, but I would never even try to hurt a lady, or you.”

“Don’t you two even start that shit,” Sarah said, her brow creased in frustration as she slammed her beer mug on the table. “Can we just enjoy a few drinks in peace?”

“Alright, we’ll be good,” said Faith, looking into her beer, attempting to hide a coy smile.

Eric nodded and scooted out from his end spot. “I’ll grab us another pitcher.” Things were back to normal, maybe even better, and as he squeezed through the crowd to get to the bar, he couldn’t conceal the smile that spread from his heart to his face.

***

After that night, Eric’s muses returned with a full agenda. He couldn’t get the songs down quick enough, and the long hours spent in the studio flew by. No one complained.

“If a few off days can lead you to this, you have my permission to take as many as you need,” Jose said, his face glowing in exhilaration. He shook his head, “I think this is your best song yet. I can’t believe we got it down so quickly, just incredible.”

“Yep, definitely, this is the one that’s gonna put us on the map,” Tim said.

Eric thought it was too, but he was reluctant to take full credit. It didn’t even feel like he wrote it, more like something took him over and he was just the vessel used to transfer the message. “We’ll see.”

“Since we’re going to be rich and famous, would it be okay to take a quick break and run over to the burger joint? The last thing I ate was a hardboiled egg this morning,” Jose said.

Although his stomach rumbled too, Eric was reluctant to leave and lose the newfound groove. “Yeah, go ahead. Bring me back a burger and fries.”

“You’re not coming?”

“No, I want to listen to the track a few times and see if there’s anything we need to add or lose.”

“Faith, you coming?” Daniel asked.

“No, thanks. I want to review the footage I got.”

Eric’s pulse raced. He hadn’t been alone with Faith since their encounter, and though she was never far from his mind, he’d been able to ignore the fact, throughout the week, she’d never been far from him physically.
Maybe I should go with them. What if she wants to talk? What if
she rips me a new one while we’re alone? No, we’re past that now— she’ll just act like I’m not
here.

“Want us to bring you something? A burger?”

Faith was focused on her video screen. “Huh?”

“Do you want anything?” Daniel repeated.

“Sure. A cheeseburger,” she said, never taking her eyes off her video.

They left and Eric sat at the soundboard, donned the headphones, and started the song from the beginning. There wasn’t really anything he wanted to add or take away from the track.

It was great as it was; he just wanted to listen to it a few more times. Had they really recorded such an incredible song? Everything was there— all the right percussion, the harmonies were soulful, the guitar riffs were solid, and the little bit of piano added in just the right places, made it perfect. It had a heartfelt earnestness he never imagined they could achieve.

His eyes flew open and he grabbed at his headphones when his chair rolled away from the console, and he felt a hand slide up the inside of his thigh. Under the soundboard, Faith crouched with a wicked smile. She eased her fingers along his zipper, up to the button of his jeans. While she worked it loose, Eric looked around in a panic to make sure no one had come in while he was transfixed to the song.

“Faith, what are you doing? I thought we decided this wasn’t such a good idea.” She already had the head of his growing penis in her mouth, her tongue working around the ridge. He had no control over his physical reaction to her. “I thought you wanted to go through your video?” Had his voice just squeaked?

His dick bobbled as she released him. “Do you want me to stop?” Her eyes dared him to refuse.

Shaking his head, he drew in a jagged breath and gathered her hair in his hands. Strong lips locked around his cock, while her tongue explored the tip, swirled around the head, and worked its way down the length of him. The nerves in his core jumped as though experiencing a sudden drop in altitude as she took him deep into her throat. Her mouth twisted around him, up and down, gripping and loosening, gripping, loosening. Eric’s hips moved of their own accord, bucking and pressing her to continue as waves of pleasure spread through his body. Her tongue flexed against his pulsing vein, and the building pressure moved from his core to his cock. His eyes squeezed shut as the eruption neared.

“Ohhh—” his breath exploded from his lungs in a moan, and Faith returned the cry, her mouth and tongue vibrating around him, sending him over the edge. Bursts of light filled his vision as the pressure released. He grasped the arms of the chair and pressed his feet to the floor as his seed fired into her mouth. Tingling waves pulsed through his body as the intensity of his orgasm subsided. He opened his eyes to find Faith wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

She winked at him and smiled, and then there were voices outside the door of the studio.

Eric pushed his dick back in his pants and zipped up while Faith crawled across the floor back toward her cameras. She didn’t make it before the voices were upon them.

“If you take the Honda emblem off, it’s a Toyota in disguise. Why bother painting flames on it?” Tim said, as he walked into the room. “Eric? What did you do with Faith while we were gone?”

Shit
! They knew. Eric’s face heated and his palms went clammy, before Tim added, “Did you kick her out?”

“I’m over here,” Faith’s arm shot up in the air holding a lens cap. “I dropped my cap and it was rolling faster than I could chase it.”

“Damn, I thought I was gonna get your cheeseburger for a minute,” Jose said as he dumped three bags on the table. “We got it ‘to go’ so you guys wouldn’t have to wait, so you owe us.” He turned to Eric, “Holy shit, buddy, did you just run a marathon? You’re all sweaty and red faced.”

“No,” Eric rose and grabbed his stomach. “Cramps in my gut— I think I better visit the john.”

“Out with the old, in with the new,” Jose said. Faith voiced her distaste with the comment, and Jose grinned sheepishly. “Sorry, Faith.”

In the bathroom, Eric splashed his face with cold water.
Why
? He challenged his reflection in the mirror—
Why did you give in to her? Why didn’t you push her away? Because
you still want her more than anything, in spite of everything. Because you’d do anything to feel
her, taste her, come at her mercy.
His reflection grinned back at him, though he didn’t feel the smile. He ran his trembling fingers through his hair a few times. Why did she even want
him
after the last time? Surely, she was humiliated to the point of never coming near him again.

The last fifteen minutes proved that theory wrong. She obviously felt the same pull he did and had less control over it. Who was he kidding? He would have caved soon himself, but as it was, it made things much easier now that she took the first step. He wouldn’t have to crawl to her on his knees, begging her to give him what he needed. Eric checked his appearance one last time, and went back to the studio in search of his burger and fries.

Faith clicked the TV remote ‘off’ when the last of the credits rolled down the screen. The PBS documentary on Counting Crows was much like what she envisioned for her own documentary for Utopian Society. The last week in the studio sealed their fates— Eric was a man possessed as they cranked out the last three songs for the release. For all his sins of vanity and self-importance, this week, he finally earned the right to own those sins. Oddly, he showed more humility with his recent accomplishments than pride, almost as though he had little to do with it, even though they all watched in awe as he created and lifted the others to a level far above their norm.

Lightning flashed in the distance as she filled the coffee decanter for the next morning. A streak of lightning followed shortly by a low, rumbling sound of thunder made it clear— there was another storm coming. With the coffee maker set for six A.M., Faith checked the thermostat, turned off all but the hallway bath light, and went to bed.

Sleep was hard to find. Her mind replayed the events of the week and her own role in it.

Eric’s songs played in her head, background music to her fantasy of him taking her, taking her like a hungry savage, ripping her clothes off and hoisting her onto the soundboard to plunge into her over and over until she screamed in ecstasy. A sudden noise made her eyes fly open. The central air kicked in and lightning flashed through the window. She closed her eyes again, trying to pick up where she left off, screaming her brains out while Eric slammed into her, even as the knobs of the soundboard bit into her ass.

The air in the room changed as Faith pulled her toy from the drawer of the bedside table and rolled to her back. She froze, vibrator in hand, when she saw his silhouette against the semi-darkness at the end of her bed.

Her breath hitched when he asked, “Can I help you with that?” It didn’t occur to ask how he got in —it didn’t matter— he was here and she was electrified. From his position, he eased the sheet away from her. The slow, sensual retreat of the sheet felt like his hands caressing her skin; her nipples reveled in sensation when the hem of the cover scraped across them. When it was gone, he knelt on the bed and slowly slid his hands up her thighs, spreading her legs as he went.

“Mmmm,” she tried to stifle her moan. Did he know how close she already was to coming? Her hand and vibrator fell to her side as tongue met pussy. Fingers probed inside her as he stabbed at her clit and pulled it between his lips. It took less than a minute of hard sucking, lapping, and finger pounding, and she was crying out her release.