Sequel: Second Heartbeat ›
Radiant Eclipse
Viva Mexico
"Have I told you guys lately how much I love you?!"
Ash told the guys, as they waited for their luggage. A few days prior, on Christmas Day, they sat around the table with Larry eating leftovers, when the guys dropped one more surprise on the girls. December 27th, the day before Ash's birthday, they were all going down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico until New Years. Johnny just rolled his eyes at her, and kissed her forehead before he went to grab their bags off of the luggage carousel.
Over the last few days, the two bassists had really taken the time to work on their relationship. So much that, Johnny spent every night since Christmas at Zack's and only went home to pack for Cabo. Once everyone was sure they had everything, they walked towards the exit, where a driver waited outside a van holding a sign with both their bands names on it. After making sure that everything and everyone was packed into the van, they were off to their hotel.
"HOLY DAMN THIS PLACE IS HUGE!"
The girls all squealed, when the van pulled up to their villa. The hotel they were at, consisted of several guest villas, instead of just one huge building.
"Mr. Larry asked me to inform you, that you have this villa to yourselves until the second of January. And to please, not do anything to get arrested. Also, if you go onto the beach out back, on the thirty first, the hotel is having its annual New Year's Eve beach party, with fireworks at midnight. Is there anything else I can do for you right now?"
"As a matter of fact there is. Where's the nearest club?"
While Jimmy got that information, everyone entered the villa to explore, and choose their rooms. Not only was it right on the beach, it had an opening in the middle, with a garden and a sitting area, with a private pool and hot tub, in case no one wanted to walk the twenty feet to the beach.
"DOES ANYONE WANT TO TAN WITH ME?!"
Ash opened her door, and yelled out into the clearing. She was greeted with choruses of opened doors and yes' from her bandmates.
"Not now Jonathan."
She groaned, as he had started to run his hands all over in torso, in appreciation of the bikini that she wore.
"But ..."
"Help me with this sunscreen, and be good today, and maybe you'll get lucky later."
Defeated, Johnny helped spray the sunscreen over the areas Ash couldn't reach, and accepted a kiss from her for his help. He watched her join her bandmates outside, but not before he smacked her ass on her way out.
"Can we do this for all our birthdays?"
Anne asked, as they laid their towels out in a row.
"I am more than okay with that."
Jess replied, as she stretched out on her stomach, and laid her head down. The girls laid there for nearly an hour, before deciding to get into the water. Just as they finished reapplying sunscreen, and went to approach the shoreline, they were all grabbed from behind and hurtled into the ocean by their respective boyfriends. Screams and laughs echoed about, as the girls screamed in shock, then tried to wrestle the guys in the water.
"Shit man, this is the life."
Zack mumbled, as he laid on a raft with Jess in one arm, and a drink in the other.
"I could definitely live here."
Said Jimmy, as he spied a bird in the distance, swoop down onto the ocean's surface, and fly off with its claws clutching its dinner. It wasn't long before everyone decided they were hungry, and wanted to go explore a little bit, before going out for the night. After everyone was finished showering and getting dressed, they asked at the front desk for directions to the nearest market and set out on foot. They stopped at the first food stall they found, and filled up on tacos, quesadillas, carnitas and tamales.
"Oh my god, this food is heaven."
"Can we bring it back to California with us?"
Corinne and Mateja chorused, as they polished off their tamales. After everyone finished eating, and took a few to let everything digest, they got up and browsed the artisanal stalls of the marketplace. The guys immediately started to wish they hadn't come, when the girls started finding all sorts of handmade crafts that they wanted to purchase and bring home. Half an hour later, they finally managed to convince the girls that it was time to head back to their villa.
"Those are so pretty!!!"
Anne cooed, as the girls spotted a stall that was selling handmade clothing. Everyone was hand woven, dyed and embroidered. After some deliberation, each girl got a few dresses and tops, plus a shawl, a wide brimmed hat, and a pair of leather sandals from the next stall over. When everyone finally reached their villa, they all went to their separate rooms for a nap.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Johnny whispered, as Ash quietly traced his tattoos with her fingers.
"I'm just thinking."
"Everything. Us. Life. What it would be like if my daughter were still here. Would you still want me if she was?"
"Of course I would."
"Are you sure?"
"Babe, despite everything that's happened between us, I am damn sure. I fell for you, and everything about you. Every part of you. And she was a part of you. And you best be assured, that I would have cared for her as much as I do you."
"Thank you."
Ash softly kissed his cheek, then put her head back down and finally fell asleep. It would be about an hour and a half before creatures of any species, would stir in the villa, wondering what time it was and if there was any food left.
"Coming down here was the best idea ever."
Jess cooed, as they all sat in the massive hot tub.
"And I'm completely prepared to stay here. Too bad we can't."
Ash replied, as she downed the rest of her mimosa.
"We should go out and do something."
"Like what?"
Jimmy replied to his girlfriend.
"Eat. Then find a club or a bar. Enjoy the nightlife!"
After briefly weighing their options, everyone agreed and went back to their rooms to get dressed. Ash wore one of the dresses and shawls she had purchased earlier, along with the leather sandals.
"What's this?"
She asked Johnny, who had handed her a small box.
"It's from me and the guys. Just open it."
Ash opened it to find, a handmade, leather and bead jewelry set, which had her birthstone woven into it. She squealed in excitement, as she threw her arms around Johnny, then asked him to help put everything on. Ash thanked the rest of the guys, as they walked to the nearby bar. As it was an open air bar/grill, they enjoyed their dinner and drinks right on the beach. They were entertained by the mariachi band that roamed the grounds, and had so much fun that they hadn't even noticed it turned to midnight.
"What's going on?"
Matt asked, as Jimmy walked back over to the group with a tray of tequila shots and the mariachi band.
"Well, it is now after midnight and is officially someone's birthday. And these guys wanted to say happy birthday in style."
The smile and blush never left Ash's face, as the band played and sang happy birthday to her, and everyone around them joined in, then took the shot once they were done. As a treat, the bar sent over enough sweet tamales and raspados (shaved ice) for everyone, on the house. Once they were done, an hour later, Matt and Brian settled the bill, and they headed back to the villa.
"And what do you think you're doing?"
Ash mumbled, as Johnny started to kiss her neck and run his hands under her dress and over her thighs. They were back within the confines of their room, with nothing but the moonlight shining through the sheet curtains.
"I would like to think that I'm showing my girlfriend a very, happy birthday."
Johnny turned her around, and pressed his lips to hers, before lowering her onto the bed. He climbed on top of her, and they continued to enjoy each other, like they hadn't since Johnny's birthday the month before. It was just after twelve noon, when the members of Avenged Sevenfold and Radiant Eclipse began to stumble out of their rooms. Once they were all together, they walked down to the hotel's main building, which had a kitchen and continental breakfast.
"I never thought that bacon and eggs would taste so good."
Ash whispered to Anne, as they moved down the table, piling different things on their plates.
“What's with the scarf? We're in Cabo, not Toronto.”
Anne asked, as she referred to the scarf that Ash had tied around her neck. When Ash failed to reply, and tried to avoid her gaze, Anne reached for the edge of the scarf and briefly pulled it down, seeing the huge marks that trailed the base of her neck.
“Are you dating a gnome or a vampire?”
The girls giggled, as they grabbed a small fruit bowl each, and headed back to their table. After breakfast, they all headed back to the villa, grabbed the necessities and each couple set out on their own, for a day of exploring, before they would hit up the club later that night to further celebrate Ash's birthday. They all gathered out front as they waited for their activity pick ups. One by one, each couple left, until only Ash, Johnny, Brian and Anne remained. Corinne and Matt went on an ATV'ing adventure, Jimmy and Mateja went ziplining, and Jess and Zacky, were going on a mini-sub adventure, in which they would ride in a mini sub to explore the waters of the beaches off the Cabo coast. It was while they waited, that the four which remained, found out they were all going on the same shopping and city tour.
“Why were we so sure that going on this tour was a good idea?”
Brian whispered to Johnny, as they listened to their girls discuss the activities that were on the days agenda, and what things they were hoping to purchase.
“I don't know about you, but I agreed to it, in the hope that it would lead to me getting laid.”
Brian busted out laughing, before he quietly told Johnny that he agreed to it for the same reason.
“You scared babe?”
Jimmy asked Mateja, as her turn down the zipline approached.
“Pfft. I got this.”
Mateja replied, as the instructor made sure that her harness and safety gear was secure, before he gave her the okay to go. She screamed in excitement, and once she got to the bottom, laughed when she heard Jimmy's screams as he followed.
“Are you okay?!”
Matt asked, when Corinne nearly fell off her ATV, as the person in front of her stopped suddenly.
“Yeah, I'm fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“YES!”
Corinne placated Matt, the tour leader, and the guy who stopped, as he apologized profusely. Once he made sure that everyone was okay, the tour guide headed back to the head of the pack, and restarted the ride.
“Are you sure you're okay with this? We can still back out if you want.”
Zacky asked Jess, as she eyed the mini subs apprehensively.
“But you already paid!”
“It's okay ...”
“No, really. I can do this.”
Jess squeezed Zack's hand to reassure him, as they waited to climb into their sub. Once they were down in the water, surrounded by all the exotic sealife and vegetation, Jess forgot all about being scared, and started to wonder if it was possible to catch a jellyfish and keep it as a pet.
“I thought that we were supposed to have a tequila tasting!”
Brian muttered to Johnny, as they watched Anne, Ash and another lady on the tour, fawn over handmade, silk, hair accessories.
“That isn't until the end of the tour, when we stop for lunch.”
Another man, the lady's husband, replied as he had overheard them.
“Do you know what's next on the agenda?”
“The glass blowing factory, I think.”
“Can't they just blow us instead?”
The three men busted out laughing, but stopped when the girls asked for money. After leaving the accessory stand, the group ended up at the nearby jewellery store.
“Lord, we are in trouble.”
“Do you think we can get away without buying anything?”
Johnny asked Brian, before Anne called him over to the bracelet display. It didn't take long before Brian found himself, paying for the first bracelet that had caught Anne's eye.
“See something you like?”
Johnny whispered to Ash, as he joined her at the ring display.
“This exquisite and beautiful piece. One single cultured pearl, in a platinum setting. Fits her perfectly.”
The store's owner answered Johnny, as Ash wore the ring on her right ring finger.
“Is that what you want?”
“Are you sure it isn't too much?”
“Yes! And it is your birthday after all. You deserve to be spoiled.”
Ash excitedly threw her arms around his neck, as the owner began to ring up the purchase.
“I LOVE IT!”
Anne squealed, as Ash showed her the ring, once they left the store. They, along with the other lady, cooed over their new baubles, while they headed towards the glass factory. One by one, they each took their turn at watching how the art of glass blowing was done, and made their own piece as well. Both Anne and Ash made vases, and were in tears from laughing, as the guys managed to mess up the glass ashtrays that they had elected to try and make. Once everyone in their group had taken their turn at making art, they thanked the workers, and left the factory with their pieces, and headed to lunch and the much anticipated tequila tasting.
“WILL YOU STOP CALLING IT THAT?!”
By now, everyone was back at the villa, except for the four that had gone on the city and shopping tour. That was until they had heard Johnny's voice, carry in from outside.
“Why? You said it was ...”
Brian was cut off by Johnny rolling his eyes in frustration, hurrying in the villa, and straight into his room.
“Where's the fire?”
Matt asked, amused by what he had just seen.”
“Went to a jewellery store on our trip. Short shit got the tiny one a ring, basically called it a promise ring, but is now refusing to call it that.”
As soon as the word ring was mentioned, all the girls gathered around Ash to see it. They also squealed over the white gold, with scattered diamonds, bracelet that Brian got Anne.
“What's going on in that head of yours?”
Anne eyed Mateja, who wore a devious smirk on her face.”
“Watch this.”
She replied, as she turned to face the guys.
“HEY GATES!”
“What?”
“You got her the diamond bracelet ... so why not a diamond ring to match?”
Everyone laughed at Brian's expense, as his face blanched, and he fell over in his chair. Jimmy helped him up, before everyone went their separate ways to relax and unwind before going out later that night.
“You alright babe?”
Ash asked Johnny, as he stood and stared out of the window.
“Yeah.”
“You know that they love to give you shit about everything. Just ignore them. Because promise ring or not, I love it.”
“Good.”
He smiled, as he turned to hug her.
“Now, come and lie down with me. We had a long day, and an even longer night ahead of us.”
The next few hours were quiet, as everyone either slept, or just sat and enjoyed the beautiful weather. The noise started to pick up again, as the group planned to go out to dinner, before heading over to the club.
“HOT DAMN!”
Jimmy whistled, ass the girls joined them in waiting for their car service to pick them up. Ash wore a black, crop tank top with fringe and a mini skirt; Anne a black halter and leather shorts; Corinne a sleeveless, short, black romper; Jess a red, deep V, short romper; and Mateja, a black and white spaghetti strap romper. Each girl also wore the Jimmy Choo's that Anne got them for Christmas, and their bikinis under their outfits.
“IF they keep this up, at the rate it's going now, they'll be completely sloshed before we even get to the club.”
Matt told Zack, as the restaurant had sent over another set of complimentary shots. Before they left, the restaurant also sent over a cake, and a mariachi band, and the whole restaurant sang happy birthday to Ash. As soon as they arrived at the club, they were let right in and whisked straight into the VIP area, where they had their own booth and unlimited drinks. They all enjoyed the chance to let loose, without any responsibility, before they had to go back to California and into the studio.
They were enjoying the night, as the deejay was playing nothing but old school hip hop, R&B, and reggae music. That and the drinks kept on coming and coming. “Touch It” by Monifah had started to play, when Ash, Anne and Jess kicked off their Choo's jumped up onto the banquette, and started dancing.
“Should we get them down?”
Johnny asked Brian and Zack, who were watching their girlfriends, with amused looks on their faces.
“Nah, they're just having fun.”
Brian replied, as he downed another shot, while he made sure that none of the girls fell. Matt, Corinne, Jimmy and Mateja, returned from the dancefloor, and watch the girls with amusement, as they refreshed themselves with water and whiskey. It was only when the song changed to Nelly's “Hot In Herre” that anything changed.
“Alright, I think it's time to go.”
Matt said, as in accordance with the song's lyrics, the girls had attempted to remove their tops. Despite their protests, Brian and Zack helped their girlfriends down and into their shoes, while Matt helped Ash.
“Can we go swimming when we get back?”
Mateja asked, as they piled into the van.
“Don't see why not.”
Jimmy answered.
The whole drive back to the villa, everyone talked amongst themselves, except for Ash and Johnny, who were making out in the back seat. Once there, the girl were barely through the front door, when they kicked off their shoes and started to take off their clothes.
“Can we just stay down here? I could get used to seeing that.”
Matt whispered to the guys, as they watched the girls run through the courtyard, past the pool, and towards the ocean. Just as quickly, the guys stripped down to their boxer briefs and joined the girls in the water.
“It's going to suck to leave this behind. Are leaving on the first or the second?”
Corinne asked, as she wrapped her arms around Matt's waist.
“Morning of the second. We'll have the rest of the day to ourselves, then you're in the studio the day after.”
Once the breeze really started to pick up, they all moved out of the ocean, washed themselves of any sand, and climbed into the hot tub. A couple rounds of shots later, and Johnny, Ash, jess and Zack were the only ones that remained.
“So, little lady, did you have fun?”
Zack asked Ash.
“DUH! Best birthday ever!”
Ash moved over and laid big, wet, kisses on his cheek and Jess' before planting a big one on Johnny's lips.
“I still say, it's about damned time, that you admitted that you still wanted her.”
Zack teased, which elicited a groan from Johnny.
“Yeah, yeah. Anyhow, I'm taking this lady up to bed. Remember, no sex in the champagne room. Unless you plan on cleaning it up.”
Both Ash and Jess burst into giggles, before Ash and Johnny disappeared into their room.
“So ... I guess we're alone now.”
Zack wiggled his eyebrows, as Jess moved, in order to straddle his lap.
“I guess we are.”
She purred, before covering his lips with hers, and he removed her bikini top.
Ash told the guys, as they waited for their luggage. A few days prior, on Christmas Day, they sat around the table with Larry eating leftovers, when the guys dropped one more surprise on the girls. December 27th, the day before Ash's birthday, they were all going down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico until New Years. Johnny just rolled his eyes at her, and kissed her forehead before he went to grab their bags off of the luggage carousel.
Over the last few days, the two bassists had really taken the time to work on their relationship. So much that, Johnny spent every night since Christmas at Zack's and only went home to pack for Cabo. Once everyone was sure they had everything, they walked towards the exit, where a driver waited outside a van holding a sign with both their bands names on it. After making sure that everything and everyone was packed into the van, they were off to their hotel.
"HOLY DAMN THIS PLACE IS HUGE!"
The girls all squealed, when the van pulled up to their villa. The hotel they were at, consisted of several guest villas, instead of just one huge building.
"Mr. Larry asked me to inform you, that you have this villa to yourselves until the second of January. And to please, not do anything to get arrested. Also, if you go onto the beach out back, on the thirty first, the hotel is having its annual New Year's Eve beach party, with fireworks at midnight. Is there anything else I can do for you right now?"
"As a matter of fact there is. Where's the nearest club?"
While Jimmy got that information, everyone entered the villa to explore, and choose their rooms. Not only was it right on the beach, it had an opening in the middle, with a garden and a sitting area, with a private pool and hot tub, in case no one wanted to walk the twenty feet to the beach.
"DOES ANYONE WANT TO TAN WITH ME?!"
Ash opened her door, and yelled out into the clearing. She was greeted with choruses of opened doors and yes' from her bandmates.
"Not now Jonathan."
She groaned, as he had started to run his hands all over in torso, in appreciation of the bikini that she wore.
"But ..."
"Help me with this sunscreen, and be good today, and maybe you'll get lucky later."
Defeated, Johnny helped spray the sunscreen over the areas Ash couldn't reach, and accepted a kiss from her for his help. He watched her join her bandmates outside, but not before he smacked her ass on her way out.
"Can we do this for all our birthdays?"
Anne asked, as they laid their towels out in a row.
"I am more than okay with that."
Jess replied, as she stretched out on her stomach, and laid her head down. The girls laid there for nearly an hour, before deciding to get into the water. Just as they finished reapplying sunscreen, and went to approach the shoreline, they were all grabbed from behind and hurtled into the ocean by their respective boyfriends. Screams and laughs echoed about, as the girls screamed in shock, then tried to wrestle the guys in the water.
"Shit man, this is the life."
Zack mumbled, as he laid on a raft with Jess in one arm, and a drink in the other.
"I could definitely live here."
Said Jimmy, as he spied a bird in the distance, swoop down onto the ocean's surface, and fly off with its claws clutching its dinner. It wasn't long before everyone decided they were hungry, and wanted to go explore a little bit, before going out for the night. After everyone was finished showering and getting dressed, they asked at the front desk for directions to the nearest market and set out on foot. They stopped at the first food stall they found, and filled up on tacos, quesadillas, carnitas and tamales.
"Oh my god, this food is heaven."
"Can we bring it back to California with us?"
Corinne and Mateja chorused, as they polished off their tamales. After everyone finished eating, and took a few to let everything digest, they got up and browsed the artisanal stalls of the marketplace. The guys immediately started to wish they hadn't come, when the girls started finding all sorts of handmade crafts that they wanted to purchase and bring home. Half an hour later, they finally managed to convince the girls that it was time to head back to their villa.
"Those are so pretty!!!"
Anne cooed, as the girls spotted a stall that was selling handmade clothing. Everyone was hand woven, dyed and embroidered. After some deliberation, each girl got a few dresses and tops, plus a shawl, a wide brimmed hat, and a pair of leather sandals from the next stall over. When everyone finally reached their villa, they all went to their separate rooms for a nap.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Johnny whispered, as Ash quietly traced his tattoos with her fingers.
"I'm just thinking."
"Everything. Us. Life. What it would be like if my daughter were still here. Would you still want me if she was?"
"Of course I would."
"Are you sure?"
"Babe, despite everything that's happened between us, I am damn sure. I fell for you, and everything about you. Every part of you. And she was a part of you. And you best be assured, that I would have cared for her as much as I do you."
"Thank you."
Ash softly kissed his cheek, then put her head back down and finally fell asleep. It would be about an hour and a half before creatures of any species, would stir in the villa, wondering what time it was and if there was any food left.
"Coming down here was the best idea ever."
Jess cooed, as they all sat in the massive hot tub.
"And I'm completely prepared to stay here. Too bad we can't."
Ash replied, as she downed the rest of her mimosa.
"We should go out and do something."
"Like what?"
Jimmy replied to his girlfriend.
"Eat. Then find a club or a bar. Enjoy the nightlife!"
After briefly weighing their options, everyone agreed and went back to their rooms to get dressed. Ash wore one of the dresses and shawls she had purchased earlier, along with the leather sandals.
"What's this?"
She asked Johnny, who had handed her a small box.
"It's from me and the guys. Just open it."
Ash opened it to find, a handmade, leather and bead jewelry set, which had her birthstone woven into it. She squealed in excitement, as she threw her arms around Johnny, then asked him to help put everything on. Ash thanked the rest of the guys, as they walked to the nearby bar. As it was an open air bar/grill, they enjoyed their dinner and drinks right on the beach. They were entertained by the mariachi band that roamed the grounds, and had so much fun that they hadn't even noticed it turned to midnight.
"What's going on?"
Matt asked, as Jimmy walked back over to the group with a tray of tequila shots and the mariachi band.
"Well, it is now after midnight and is officially someone's birthday. And these guys wanted to say happy birthday in style."
The smile and blush never left Ash's face, as the band played and sang happy birthday to her, and everyone around them joined in, then took the shot once they were done. As a treat, the bar sent over enough sweet tamales and raspados (shaved ice) for everyone, on the house. Once they were done, an hour later, Matt and Brian settled the bill, and they headed back to the villa.
"And what do you think you're doing?"
Ash mumbled, as Johnny started to kiss her neck and run his hands under her dress and over her thighs. They were back within the confines of their room, with nothing but the moonlight shining through the sheet curtains.
"I would like to think that I'm showing my girlfriend a very, happy birthday."
Johnny turned her around, and pressed his lips to hers, before lowering her onto the bed. He climbed on top of her, and they continued to enjoy each other, like they hadn't since Johnny's birthday the month before. It was just after twelve noon, when the members of Avenged Sevenfold and Radiant Eclipse began to stumble out of their rooms. Once they were all together, they walked down to the hotel's main building, which had a kitchen and continental breakfast.
"I never thought that bacon and eggs would taste so good."
Ash whispered to Anne, as they moved down the table, piling different things on their plates.
“What's with the scarf? We're in Cabo, not Toronto.”
Anne asked, as she referred to the scarf that Ash had tied around her neck. When Ash failed to reply, and tried to avoid her gaze, Anne reached for the edge of the scarf and briefly pulled it down, seeing the huge marks that trailed the base of her neck.
“Are you dating a gnome or a vampire?”
The girls giggled, as they grabbed a small fruit bowl each, and headed back to their table. After breakfast, they all headed back to the villa, grabbed the necessities and each couple set out on their own, for a day of exploring, before they would hit up the club later that night to further celebrate Ash's birthday. They all gathered out front as they waited for their activity pick ups. One by one, each couple left, until only Ash, Johnny, Brian and Anne remained. Corinne and Matt went on an ATV'ing adventure, Jimmy and Mateja went ziplining, and Jess and Zacky, were going on a mini-sub adventure, in which they would ride in a mini sub to explore the waters of the beaches off the Cabo coast. It was while they waited, that the four which remained, found out they were all going on the same shopping and city tour.
“Why were we so sure that going on this tour was a good idea?”
Brian whispered to Johnny, as they listened to their girls discuss the activities that were on the days agenda, and what things they were hoping to purchase.
“I don't know about you, but I agreed to it, in the hope that it would lead to me getting laid.”
Brian busted out laughing, before he quietly told Johnny that he agreed to it for the same reason.
“You scared babe?”
Jimmy asked Mateja, as her turn down the zipline approached.
“Pfft. I got this.”
Mateja replied, as the instructor made sure that her harness and safety gear was secure, before he gave her the okay to go. She screamed in excitement, and once she got to the bottom, laughed when she heard Jimmy's screams as he followed.
“Are you okay?!”
Matt asked, when Corinne nearly fell off her ATV, as the person in front of her stopped suddenly.
“Yeah, I'm fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“YES!”
Corinne placated Matt, the tour leader, and the guy who stopped, as he apologized profusely. Once he made sure that everyone was okay, the tour guide headed back to the head of the pack, and restarted the ride.
“Are you sure you're okay with this? We can still back out if you want.”
Zacky asked Jess, as she eyed the mini subs apprehensively.
“But you already paid!”
“It's okay ...”
“No, really. I can do this.”
Jess squeezed Zack's hand to reassure him, as they waited to climb into their sub. Once they were down in the water, surrounded by all the exotic sealife and vegetation, Jess forgot all about being scared, and started to wonder if it was possible to catch a jellyfish and keep it as a pet.
“I thought that we were supposed to have a tequila tasting!”
Brian muttered to Johnny, as they watched Anne, Ash and another lady on the tour, fawn over handmade, silk, hair accessories.
“That isn't until the end of the tour, when we stop for lunch.”
Another man, the lady's husband, replied as he had overheard them.
“Do you know what's next on the agenda?”
“The glass blowing factory, I think.”
“Can't they just blow us instead?”
The three men busted out laughing, but stopped when the girls asked for money. After leaving the accessory stand, the group ended up at the nearby jewellery store.
“Lord, we are in trouble.”
“Do you think we can get away without buying anything?”
Johnny asked Brian, before Anne called him over to the bracelet display. It didn't take long before Brian found himself, paying for the first bracelet that had caught Anne's eye.
“See something you like?”
Johnny whispered to Ash, as he joined her at the ring display.
“This exquisite and beautiful piece. One single cultured pearl, in a platinum setting. Fits her perfectly.”
The store's owner answered Johnny, as Ash wore the ring on her right ring finger.
“Is that what you want?”
“Are you sure it isn't too much?”
“Yes! And it is your birthday after all. You deserve to be spoiled.”
Ash excitedly threw her arms around his neck, as the owner began to ring up the purchase.
“I LOVE IT!”
Anne squealed, as Ash showed her the ring, once they left the store. They, along with the other lady, cooed over their new baubles, while they headed towards the glass factory. One by one, they each took their turn at watching how the art of glass blowing was done, and made their own piece as well. Both Anne and Ash made vases, and were in tears from laughing, as the guys managed to mess up the glass ashtrays that they had elected to try and make. Once everyone in their group had taken their turn at making art, they thanked the workers, and left the factory with their pieces, and headed to lunch and the much anticipated tequila tasting.
“WILL YOU STOP CALLING IT THAT?!”
By now, everyone was back at the villa, except for the four that had gone on the city and shopping tour. That was until they had heard Johnny's voice, carry in from outside.
“Why? You said it was ...”
Brian was cut off by Johnny rolling his eyes in frustration, hurrying in the villa, and straight into his room.
“Where's the fire?”
Matt asked, amused by what he had just seen.”
“Went to a jewellery store on our trip. Short shit got the tiny one a ring, basically called it a promise ring, but is now refusing to call it that.”
As soon as the word ring was mentioned, all the girls gathered around Ash to see it. They also squealed over the white gold, with scattered diamonds, bracelet that Brian got Anne.
“What's going on in that head of yours?”
Anne eyed Mateja, who wore a devious smirk on her face.”
“Watch this.”
She replied, as she turned to face the guys.
“HEY GATES!”
“What?”
“You got her the diamond bracelet ... so why not a diamond ring to match?”
Everyone laughed at Brian's expense, as his face blanched, and he fell over in his chair. Jimmy helped him up, before everyone went their separate ways to relax and unwind before going out later that night.
“You alright babe?”
Ash asked Johnny, as he stood and stared out of the window.
“Yeah.”
“You know that they love to give you shit about everything. Just ignore them. Because promise ring or not, I love it.”
“Good.”
He smiled, as he turned to hug her.
“Now, come and lie down with me. We had a long day, and an even longer night ahead of us.”
The next few hours were quiet, as everyone either slept, or just sat and enjoyed the beautiful weather. The noise started to pick up again, as the group planned to go out to dinner, before heading over to the club.
“HOT DAMN!”
Jimmy whistled, ass the girls joined them in waiting for their car service to pick them up. Ash wore a black, crop tank top with fringe and a mini skirt; Anne a black halter and leather shorts; Corinne a sleeveless, short, black romper; Jess a red, deep V, short romper; and Mateja, a black and white spaghetti strap romper. Each girl also wore the Jimmy Choo's that Anne got them for Christmas, and their bikinis under their outfits.
“IF they keep this up, at the rate it's going now, they'll be completely sloshed before we even get to the club.”
Matt told Zack, as the restaurant had sent over another set of complimentary shots. Before they left, the restaurant also sent over a cake, and a mariachi band, and the whole restaurant sang happy birthday to Ash. As soon as they arrived at the club, they were let right in and whisked straight into the VIP area, where they had their own booth and unlimited drinks. They all enjoyed the chance to let loose, without any responsibility, before they had to go back to California and into the studio.
They were enjoying the night, as the deejay was playing nothing but old school hip hop, R&B, and reggae music. That and the drinks kept on coming and coming. “Touch It” by Monifah had started to play, when Ash, Anne and Jess kicked off their Choo's jumped up onto the banquette, and started dancing.
“Should we get them down?”
Johnny asked Brian and Zack, who were watching their girlfriends, with amused looks on their faces.
“Nah, they're just having fun.”
Brian replied, as he downed another shot, while he made sure that none of the girls fell. Matt, Corinne, Jimmy and Mateja, returned from the dancefloor, and watch the girls with amusement, as they refreshed themselves with water and whiskey. It was only when the song changed to Nelly's “Hot In Herre” that anything changed.
“Alright, I think it's time to go.”
Matt said, as in accordance with the song's lyrics, the girls had attempted to remove their tops. Despite their protests, Brian and Zack helped their girlfriends down and into their shoes, while Matt helped Ash.
“Can we go swimming when we get back?”
Mateja asked, as they piled into the van.
“Don't see why not.”
Jimmy answered.
The whole drive back to the villa, everyone talked amongst themselves, except for Ash and Johnny, who were making out in the back seat. Once there, the girl were barely through the front door, when they kicked off their shoes and started to take off their clothes.
“Can we just stay down here? I could get used to seeing that.”
Matt whispered to the guys, as they watched the girls run through the courtyard, past the pool, and towards the ocean. Just as quickly, the guys stripped down to their boxer briefs and joined the girls in the water.
“It's going to suck to leave this behind. Are leaving on the first or the second?”
Corinne asked, as she wrapped her arms around Matt's waist.
“Morning of the second. We'll have the rest of the day to ourselves, then you're in the studio the day after.”
Once the breeze really started to pick up, they all moved out of the ocean, washed themselves of any sand, and climbed into the hot tub. A couple rounds of shots later, and Johnny, Ash, jess and Zack were the only ones that remained.
“So, little lady, did you have fun?”
Zack asked Ash.
“DUH! Best birthday ever!”
Ash moved over and laid big, wet, kisses on his cheek and Jess' before planting a big one on Johnny's lips.
“I still say, it's about damned time, that you admitted that you still wanted her.”
Zack teased, which elicited a groan from Johnny.
“Yeah, yeah. Anyhow, I'm taking this lady up to bed. Remember, no sex in the champagne room. Unless you plan on cleaning it up.”
Both Ash and Jess burst into giggles, before Ash and Johnny disappeared into their room.
“So ... I guess we're alone now.”
Zack wiggled his eyebrows, as Jess moved, in order to straddle his lap.
“I guess we are.”
She purred, before covering his lips with hers, and he removed her bikini top.