I'm laying on my back on Angel's bed. He's also laying next to me on my right.
"So you just danced on stage last night?" He asks.
"Yeah…" I smile to myself.
"Sounds nice and all but you should've fucked."
"I knew you'd say that."
"Havin' sex on a stage in the spotlight. Sounds hot."
"Not gonna lie, it does."
"Anythin' else happen?"
"We just talked. He's a really good listener. He makes me feel better."
"Hey, he better not try to take my spot! I'm your best friend!"
"Of course, that'll never change, Angie," I rub his arm.
"But still… I didn't expect him to be like that. The way he treats you and all."
"Me neither. I still don't trust him completely and I don't want to get too close...but he's making it hard."
"And I bet you're making him hard."
"You never miss an opportunity for a sex joke, huh?"
"Nope!"
I laugh as I playfully slap his arm.
"Anyway, I'm thinking of heading to the races tonight," I say. "You down to come?"
"I'll be busy coming with a date tonight. Can't this time," he smirks at his joke, causing me to laugh again.
"I like how you refer to your customers as dates," I say.
"It's codeword for them. They don't want anyone findin' out they're havin' sex with a gay porn star. I don't give a fuck."
"You give many fucks, actually."
"Ha! Love that one!"
I stop laughing and stare up at the ceiling in thought.
"It's just a bit sad that I find him attractive but it won't be reciprocated," I say.
"Just find someone else, honey," Angel replies. "There are plenty of dicks out there I haven't touched."
"But I don't like just any dick. I want to find a guy who I have chemistry with."
I think for a moment.
"I'll stop by the karaoke bar tonight before I head to the races," I say. "Just for some quick drinks and maybe a song."
"Have fun."
"I will. You too."
I'm at the karaoke bar at the bar counter, drinking a glass of blue agave tequila with a lime wedge. This is my second one. The bar is fairly full as it usually is on a typical Friday night. It's been a while since I've been at the bar alone without Angel.
"I miss his perverted ass…" I pout. "I can still have my own fun though!"
I sip from my glass of tequila as I stare down at the bar counter in thought. Alastor comes to mind.
'I wonder what he's up to,' I think to myself. 'He's probably torturing a poor soul somewhere,' I laugh a bit to myself.
I sip again from my tequila.
'It really sucks to feel something for someone who may never feel the same for you…' I think. "Oh god, what am I thinking?" I say aloud as I shake my head and down my tequila.
"How about a song, Ellie?" Husk asks.
"Sounds good about now," I shrug.
"Here's a shot to get you going," he hands me a shot of vodka.
"Thanks!" I down it.
I head for the stage through the crowd and they cheer once they see me on stage. I manifest my shadow demon to use the synthesizer that has piano keys. At this moment when the music starts, Alastor enters the karaoke bar, lingering in the back of the crowd after seeing me on stage.
"Why can't you want me like the other boys do?
They stare at me while I stare at you
Why can't I keep you safe as my own?
One moment I have you the next you are gone
Rehearsed steps on an empty stage
That boy's got my heart in a silver cage
Why can't you want me like the other boys do?
They stare at me while I crave you"
My shadow demon handles the synthesizer well to create the music for this song. Alastor is intrigued at the instrument, also listening to the lyrics. The men in the crowd whistle and holler at me as I sing and move rather seductively to the music.
"I walked into the room dripping in gold
Yeah dripping in gold
I walked into the room dripping in gold
Dripping in gold
A wave of heads did turn, or so I've been told
Or so I've been told
My heart broke when I saw you kept your gaze controlled
Oh I cannot solve
Why can't you want me like the other boys do?
They stare at me while I stare at you
Why can't I keep you safe as my own?
One moment I have you the next you are gone"
Alastor wonders who the song is dedicated to as I'm singing it with such emotion, swaying my hips and winking here and there to the men in the crowd with an alluring stare and smile. This drives some of the men wild as they whistle and holler at me. Alastor disapproves of this behavior.
"Rehearsed steps on an empty stage
That boy's got my heart in a silver cage
Why can't you want me like the other boys do?
They stare at me while I crave you
It's true I crave you
Crave you
It's true I crave you
Na na na na na na
Na na na
Na na na na na na
Crave you
Na na na na na
Na na na
Na na na na na na
Let's just stop and think
Before I lose face
Surely I can't fall
Into a game of chase"
Alastor watches me, caught in a trance by my voice and movements.
"Around his little finger, that boy has got me curled
I try to reach out, but he's in his own world
This boy's got my head tied in knots with all his games
I simply want him more because he looks the other way
Why can't you want me like the other boys do?
They stare at me while I stare at you
Why can't I keep you safe as my own?
One moment I have you the next you are gone
Rehearsed steps on an empty stage
That boy's got my heart in a silver cage
Why can't you want me like the other boys do?
They stare at me while I crave you
I am craving you"
The men continue to holler and whistle at me. I laugh and wink at some. One even offers a shot to me and I gladly take it. As I finish my shot, I take my phone out and see that it's 9:15pm.
"Shit! I gotta go!" I remember that the races meet up at 9:30pm.
I leap off the stage and push through the crowd, dashing through the door. Alastor sees I'm in a hurry and tries to catch up but can't because of the crowded bar. I quickly hop into my black Mustang and drive away, Alastor reaching outside too late.
I reach the south side of town where a gang of cars is hanging out. I drive through the crowd, gazing at all the decked out cars here. Once I see a familiar person, I park my car and get out. A good looking man with short black hair approaches me. He's wearing a black dress shirt and grey dress pants, a gold necklace of an upside cross at his neck.
"Carlos," I greet him with a hug and kiss on the sides of our cheeks. "Long time no see."
"Hey, Elena," he twirls me around. "It's been a while since I've seen your beautiful face around here. You racing somewhere else?"
"No, I've just been busy. You know the deal."
"You here to race?"
"Why the hell else would I be here?" I smirk.
"Maybe you came to see me," he gets a bit close with a flirtatious grin.
"Wouldn't you like that?"
"There's a race starting in a few. You putting in a bet?"
"How's a thousand sound?"
"Eso, así es como me gusta," he smirks at me.
I pull out a wad of cash from my back pocket and hand it to him.
"You got time after the race?" He asks me.
"That depends on how it turns out," I reply.
"Why do you play hard to get?"
"It wouldn't be fun if I made it easy, now would it?"
"You're such a tease."
"Eso, así es como me gusta," I echo his words.
"What the fuck is he doing here?" He looks suspiciously behind me.
To my surprise, I turn and see Alastor approaching.
"Relax, he's with me," I quickly say.
"Why are you hanging with him?" Carlos asks. "He's not good company."
"I'll worry about who I hang out with," I retort.
"Solo te estoy advirtiendo."
"Gracias pero puedo cuidarme."
"Bueno, si tú lo dices," Carlos shrugs.
Carlos gives Alastor a hard gaze. Alastor isn't intimidated and keeps his grin, not breaking eye contact with him. Carlos walks off.
"Get in," I tell Alastor as I walk back to my car.
Alastor follows and enters my car.
"What are you doing here?" I ask him.
"I should be asking you the same question," he smiles.
I drive my Mustang to the starting line. I'm in the middle with two cars to my left and two cars to my right. Carlos stands between my car and the one on my right, signaling the drivers to get ready.
"He's awfully friendly," Alastor has a sarcastic tone as he looks at Carlos.
"He can be," I reply as I prepare my stick shift.
"I can see he can be with you."
"He and I just get along well."
"Is that all it is?"
"Yes."
"That's not what it looked like to me."
"We'll talk after the race," I shake it off.
I rev my engine with the rest of the cars. It has a nice deep growl to it.
"You might want to put your seatbelt on," I advise Alastor as I put mine on.
"Why is that?" He does so anyway.
"This Shelby GT500 has a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 engine with a whopping 700 horsepower."
"What exactly does that mean?"
"It can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in about 3.5 seconds."
"It means it's fast."
"You're damn right it is," I smirk.
I rev my engine as Carlos has a cigar in his hand. He takes a hit and lifts his hand up with the cigar. He breathes out the smoke. As soon as he waves his hand down, I shift my gear and step on the gas pedal, my tires screeching. Alastor is pulled back from the sudden take off. I have a head start already as the rest of the cars are not too far behind me. Alastor's eyes are wide and full of excitement.
"Time for some tunes," I shuffle my phone's music, turning the volume up high.
Black Betty by Spiderbait blares through my speakers. I shift my gear to go even faster seeing the other cars catching up in the rear view mirror.
Whoa Black Betty, bam-ba-lam
Yeah Black Betty, bam-ba-lam
Black Betty had a child, bam-ba-lam
Damn thing gone wild, bam-ba-lam
She's always ready, bam-ba-lam
She's all rock steady, bam-ba-lam
Whoa Black Betty, bam-ba-lam
Yeah Black Betty, bam-ba-lam
Up ahead there's a curve on the road. Dropping to second gear with my right foot on the gas and left foot on the clutch, I simultaneously apply full throttle and turn the wheel into the curved corner. After drifting along the curve, I then kick the clutch and straighten my wheels as the road becomes a straight shot. Two cars manage to catch up, one on my left and the other on my right. I glance over at both of them, seeing they have other plans on their minds.
"These guys wanna drive dirty!" I yell over the music.
The cars swerve toward me but I hit the brakes. They end up crashing into each other and swerving back out of the way, giving me a chance to speed past them. Alastor looks back at the cars in amusement, adrenaline rushing through him as he grins widely. I shift gears and speed up. The other two cars are catching up. Alastor watches how focused I am as I shift gears, paying attention to my mirrors and my surroundings. I make a turn in an alley and one car follows after me.
"So that's it," I say over the loud music.
"What?" Alastor asks.
"These guys just want to put me out for good from the races."
"And why is that?"
"Let's just say my black Shelby has a reputation to win every race it's in."
I reach the end of the alley and make a sharp turn, the car following after me. The car is tailgating now. I spot the other car down the road ahead, heading in my direction.
"I'll teach'em a lesson," I smirk.
I shift gears and drive faster, head-on toward the other car. I grip the steering wheel, furrowing my brows as I stare at the car driving toward me. I check my rear view mirror and see the other car is still very close behind me. Alastor sees I'm not backing down from a head-on collision, which oddly excites him. Once I see I'm close enough to the car driving straight toward me, I slow down a bit to drive out of the way. The two cars are about to collide head-on but manage to brake hard and swerve out of the way, losing control. I look in the rear view mirror and see that they completely stopped.
"Back to the racing path!" I continue to drive.
I drive straight down a road that leads on to the highway. There, I see the other two cars of the race who tried to pin me between them earlier. The song Suave remix by El Alfa El Jefe blares now, getting me more pumped with the beat. I swiftly drive around traffic, shifting gears to go faster. I eventually catch up with the other cars and pass them up. This seems to piss them off as they try to catch up to me. I maneuver through traffic with ease, going left and right. The two cars catch up to me, driving on my left and on my right. I gaze ahead on the road and see a lane that says Do Not Enter due to the road having a wide gap.
"Let's lose these guys, shall we?" I smirk.
Alastor grins at me with a raised brow. The cars aren't paying attention and don't see that the highway track has a huge gap. I shift gears and speed up.
"Hold on!" I warn Alastor.
I'm hitting well over 120 miles per hour. The other two drivers seem to have noticed the gap on the highway track and come to a screeching halt. I keep speeding up, gripping the steering wheel to maintain it straight. We approach the gap, the adrenaline rushing through our veins. My car finally speeds over the gap, gliding to the other side of the highway track. Alastor and I laugh maniacally as my car soars in the air for a few seconds. I maintain my speed as my car lands on the track, a bit of a fishtail at the landing but I straighten out. After getting off the highway track, we eventually reach the finish line back where we started. Carlos is waiting with a smirk on his face as he sees I'm the first and only car here, the crowd cheering. I stop the car next to Carlos and lower my window after reducing the volume of the stereo.
"The rest should be here eventually," I have a bit of a smug smile.
"Still kicking ass on the road," Carlos shakes his head with a smirk as he hands me an envelope full of cash.
"Thanks," I keep it on my lap.
"When will I see you here again?"
"When the time calls for it."
"When can I buy you a drink?"
"Yo te aviso."
"Bueno, te cuidas," he gives me a wink. "Y ten cuidado con ese güey," he glances at Alastor.
"Eso es mi problema. Pero gracias."
He taps the roof of my car and I raise my window to drive off away from the crowd.
"Five grand, just like that," I toss the envelope of cash at Alastor. "Where should we go? My treat."
"I didn't know you street raced," Alastor says.
"There are still a lot of things you don't know about me," I retort. "Just like there are still a lot of things I don't know about you."
"Touché."
I continue to drive down the road.
"So who's that tough fellow to you?" Alastor asks.
"Who? Carlos?" I ask. "He and I go way back."
"Perhaps an intimate partner at some point?"
"Hell no. He may be a good looking guy, but he's not my type," I scoff.
"What did he say about me? You both were speaking in Spanish I couldn't catch it. But I know he was talking about me."
"He just told me to be careful with you. He knows your reputation and just warned me about being affiliated with you is all. You know, 'cause you're the fucking Radio Demon."
"Ah yes. My reputation precedes me once again."
There's a moment of silence.
"What is your type, anyway?" Alastor finally asks.
"My type?" I wonder. "I'm into guys who won't screw me over in a relationship and who I can trust. Why, you know anybody like that?"
"No…"
"Right."
I keep driving and eventually reach a ten-story garage and head in. I drive up to the top and see that there are no other cars here. I park the car and turn the engine off, getting out with Alastor.
"I come here often with Angel," I reach the ledge. "It's a quiet place at this time with a nice view."
"It is quite nice," Alastor stands about a foot to my right.
"Can you whip out some of that whiskey?"
He manifests a bottle of whiskey and two glasses, filling them up halfway. We take our sips as we gaze out into the distance,
"How'd you find me?" I finally ask.
"Funny story, actually," he keeps his smile as usual. "I dropped by Angel's dwelling to see if you were there. Little did I know he had another guest."
"Ha! Yeah, he had a date, as he refers to them."
"Needless to say, I saw some things I prefer to forget! He told me I'd find you at the karaoke bar."
"Oh yeah. I was there before the race."
Alastor recalls the song I sang at the karaoke bar.
"The song you sang…" he begins. "Back at the karaoke bar...Was it meant for anyone in particular?"
I gaze out into the distance after taking a sip from my whiskey, thinking for a moment. I want to say it's him but choose not to.
"Nah…" I finally say. "Just a song."
Alastor notices I'm not being honest with him, but doesn't say anything, feeling a bit disappointed.
(Song Crave You by Flight Facilities ft. Giselle)