Cherry Bomb

“Lukas, where the fuck are we going?”

I looked back, balancing my cigarette between my lips and teeth with a perfected ease at Bambi, who was manoeuvring her way around a drunken couple of teenagers laying slumped on the pavement. Her heels must have been at least five inches, and I rolled my eyes at her tottering steps. Why did women wear those dangerous contraptions? Didn’t it hurt, balancing on the balls of their feet for hours….and half the time they complain about the pain in their feet the whole fucking night. Wear fucking normal shoes then!

A breeze rustled down the street and Bambi let out a small shriek as it blew her white dress around her legs in a classic Monroe moment. I laughed to myself, averting my eyes from her small, perfectly tanned and toned legs. A rush of heat burst through me and I cleared my throat, moving away from my friend.

“I don’t know. Ask Noel. He seems to be the one fucking leading us.”

I whistled sharply between my teeth, causing Noel to look back at me and Bambi from where he was flirting with his date, Francesco. Noel nodded to me, “Just a bit further Luka, come on.”

I rolled my eyes and gave the finger to my best mate. He knew not to call me Luka, but he still did it. I had made the mistake of talking to my ancient, senile grandmother in front of him, and she called me Luka affectionately, in memory of my grandfather, also called Lukas. Of course, half the time, she actually believed I was him…and the hundredth time your grandmother makes strange cooing noises to you…it really turns your stomach. Trust me on that one.

“Fuck sake Noel. Just pick a fucking joint. I want a fucking drink!” I shouted at him, and Bambi clutched my arm tightly as my temper once again, got the better of me.

“Ssh Lukas.” And then she whimpered as she tripped on a rogue stone and almost broke her fragile little ankle.

I rolled my eyes, and then taking a last drag of my cigarette, stubbed it out, discarding it on the already butt filled ground, and acting quickly, grasped Bambi around her slim little waist. She squealed as I swung her over my shoulder with ease, and part of me was quite proud at this macho show. I was carrying a girl, over my shoulder. Call me Batman.

We reached a street that was littered with pubs and clubs and music filtered out from several. I whooped theatrically, kicking Noel in the ass causing him to swipe at me. I jumped back, causing Bambi’s legs to swing and I smacked her ass as she began to struggle in my grip. I let her down and she hit my chest with her weak wrists. I just smirked at her, and finally caught her wrists in my own hands, stopping her attempts at hurting me. I bent down so I was level to her eyes and smiled at her, as if to say, ‘that all you got?’

She stopped struggling, and froze. Her eyes on mine, and I think her breathing quickened. Something flashed through me. A cold shot of fear. I’d seen that look before on girls before. It meant they liked me. And Bambi wasn’t suppose to like me, she was my friend. She was always suppose to be on the fence.

I stepped away from her, clearing my throat. And just as I was about to say something to break the awkward silence, something caught my eye. A flash of red.

I looked around at where I had seen it, and there she was. Rosalie. Smoking quite gracefully outside a bar. She was on her own, her legs…god those legs, clad in tight ass leather leggings that had drool pooling in my mouth. Her lips were as red as ever, and her hair fell like a scarlet ocean around her shoulders.

I poked Noel in the shoulder, “This one.”

Noel looked at me, “Luka, that’s a karaoke bar? You hate karaoke.”

I shrugged, “No, I don’t. Come on. This one.”

Not bothering to see if they followed me, I adjusted my jacket and strolled over to her. She rose her eyes to meet mine as I came nearer, and rolled her head to one side, smoke drifting lazily out of her half open lips in a way that made me want her then and there. She smirked, and let her cigarette fall from fingers and she stubbed it under her large black heels. I knew she wouldn’t complain about them…or stumble like Bambi. Rosalie needed no help like that.

“Lukas.” She stated and then her eyes dancing with mine, she turned away, stepping back into the bar. I followed her, knowing she had extended an invitation.

This was a different type of karaoke bar than I’d ever been to. It was nosier, louder, raucous, it was rock ‘n’ roll.

My eyes followed Rosalie, and I watched with a grin as she reached a group of leather clad people, all with several piercings and crazy colours in their hair. I watched with a certain jealousy as she grind her body against a man with a turquoise Mohawk. Noel came beside me, looking around with a grin on his face that said he approved. “Who is that?” he asked me

I looked down at him and then at Bambi on my other side who was scowling, not impressed. I just grinned at Noel, “that’s Rosalie.”

That was all the explanation I needed to give and I made my way through the crowd to get at her.

She turned as I came near her and she winked, “you’re eager.”

I stopped, and then stammered for a moment. What the fuck was I to say to that?

She laughed and grabbed my hand, and I smiled at the contact. “Come on, let’s choose a song to sing.”

She stepped onto the stage whose previous occupants were exiting, and I tried to look cocky as cheers were thrown in my direction and a few women wolf whistled. I looked at the screen Rosalie was looking at and then I saw the perfect one.

“This one!” I shouted into her ear, and pressed it. She gave me a look but rolled her eyes, smiled and laughed. She handed me a microphone and the music started.

‘She's quite a mediator, a smoother operator you will never see
Said, "See you later", you know, one day I disobeyed her openly
She knows music, I know music too, you see
She's got the power, my teen queen, Rosalie
Rosalie
Rosalie
Rosalie
Rosalie’

Her friends began to cheer as they recognised the Thin Lizzy classic and I grinned into the microphone. I knew how to sing and I knew I was good. Rosalie was smiling at me, her eyes held mine. She was holding the microphone but I knew she wasn’t going to sing. I was to sing to her.

She's got her blessing; she comes from all the corners of another world
So fantastic, she's everybody's favourite little record girl
‘She knows music, I know music too, you see
She's got the power; I got the power, Rosalie
Rosalie
Rosalie
Rosalie
Rosalie’

I sang the whole song to her, at at the end, I grabbed her. She looked at me, daring me…and I accepted her dare. I kissed her, long, deep and hard on the middle of the stage. The crowd loved it, cheering and clapping, and she laughed into my ear as she broke away, pulling me from the stage and back into a wall, so she press her lips against mine one more time.

I savoured her, the taste of the beer and smoke on her lips. The way her tongue seemed to write my name in my own mouth. The way her little gasps for breath in between the kissing caused my knees tp shake with desire. It was only this morning I had seen her in the water, dripping wet and calling my name. And now I wanted her like that, in a whole other sexual way.

“Come home with me,” I murmured into her ear. “Now.”

She grinned at me, and taking her hands from mine, walked away, turning before she exited the door to wink at me. She’d be waiting.

I grinned and turned to Noel, who had seen the exchange and waved his hand to me. I grinned and raced to the door. Tonight I’d finally have her. In my bed. God, I wanted her so much.

But she wasn’t there when I got outside. I cursed, looking up and down the road and my mood darkening, I took another cigarette and lit it. I looked at the ashtray on the ground, my foot kicking it slightly, and frowned as I noticed something underneath it. I bent down picking it up. A simple white tissue, with a red lips printed on it, fresh…and ‘maybe next time’ written on it with a black sharpie. A simple elegant ‘R’ was the signature. And one ‘x’.

I grinned. Maybe next time Rosalie.