Take Me To The River // Talking Heads

I jump off the roadie bus at the next stop. I spent the first few hours hunkering down in my bunk before finally falling asleep. It's O'dark thirty in the morning so I'm not expecting a warm welcome when I hop on Brianna's bus looking for Char. I'm shocked to find her up and pacing the main sitting section with a phone to her ear. The hairs on the back of my neck tingle at the sight, remembering the last time I caught Char on the phone. Watching her barely keep her shit together outside of the event center in Salt Creek twisted something in my gut that hasn't been right ever since. Now that the source of her anguish has shown up, I'm a caged animal. Listening to her right now, it's clear she's not having a playful convo with her best girlfriend.

If she's talking to Curt, I'm gonna flip my shit.

Not at her, but at the asshole who always seems to upset my girl.

"I know," she says. The emotion in her voice freezes me in my tracks. Char still hasn't seen me, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't even know anyone's in the space with her.

"I've tried, I swear. I'm so sorry." Char's voice cracks on the last word and I snap. Three swift strides in her direction and I'm snatching the phone out of her hand more forcefully than I should.

"Don't talk to her like that." I bark into the phone.

"Who the fuck is this?" The asshole has the audacity to be pissed.

"No. Who the fuck is this?"

"The guy who was talking to his sister and is now talking to a dead man. Curt."

Her brother. Oh shit.

"You're her brother?"

"Remember what happened the last time you disrespected my sister? Don't think for a hot second that I won't haul ass to your location and enact part two of my beat down."

"Whoa. I absolutely understand where you're coming from, but I'm not Curt." Not even close. But this guy just won my loyalty.

"Okay, Not Curt. Then who the hell are you?"

"Jacob. I'm," I look up at Char for the first time since grabbing the phone out of her hands. Her arms are crossed. She's scowling at me. "I'm probably about to get my ass kicked by your sister."

"Good. It's about time she stood up for herself. What did you do?" There's less fire in his tone and more amusement now.

"I grabbed the phone because I thought Curt was being an asshole to her, again."

"I would have done the same. She was just about to lose it over the documents that fucker served me with."

"He served you?" I watch as Char's eyes close. She looks defeated, something I won't allow. I move closer to her, wrapping her up with my free arm and pulling her close. As her brother starts telling me about the lawsuit Curt has pending against him, I kiss her forehead. I want her to understand I'm not mad at her. This is all on Curt.

"He wants damages. What I don't understand is why wait this long to sue me."

"I think he's sensing that Char is done waiting for him to sign the divorce papers."

Char groans.

"What.did.you.say?" The voice on the other end of the phone is murderous.

I cover the phone and look Char in the eyes.

"Does he not know the full story?"

She shakes her head. I hand the phone to Char.

"Looks like you need to start talking."

"I'll be breaking the contract with Curt."

"You don't owe Curt shit."

"But I do owe my brother. This affects him, too. Curt could still press charges."

"Let your brother make that call. He can't if he doesn't have the details."

"Hey, you still there or did you run off to kick Curt in the nuts?" Her brother chimes in.

I laugh. "Still here, just trying to convince your sister to talk."

The door to the back bedroom cracks open and a bleary eyed Brianna steps out.

"I'm so sorry," Char says, covering her face. "I was trying to be quiet so you could sleep but this bozo," Char elbows me in the ribs, "barged in and took over."

"It's fine. Are you okay?"

"Curt served papers to Christian."

"Oh no." Brianna wraps Char in a hug.

"Then the bozo opened his big mouth and dropped the D word."

"Honey, I've been telling you to let him in on the whole story. It's time." Brianna speaks gently to her best friend.

Char agrees and takes the phone into the other room to tell her brother everything. Brianna gives me a hug, a pretty big one considering how tiny she is.

"You're so good for her. She hasn't been herself for so long."

I nod, hoping to God Brianna's right. I want to be good to Char. And I know exactly what she means. Char hasn't been herself and I miss that goofy red head. Although if I told her my first impression of her was goofy, she'd be pissed.

Not long after disappearing, Char returns to find me waiting on the couch. I have one more issue to discuss with her.

"So, you have a choice to make. Do you want me with you on this tour, or with C1?"

She sighs, sitting next to me, close enough to relax me from the onslaught of emotions so early this morning.

"What do you want?"

"If it were my call, you. Hands down, no contest. But it's not my call, it's yours. I will gladly force my presence on those guys if you'd rather have your privacy."

There's a long, silent pause as Char thinks. Then, she glances down at my bags.

"Well, since you're already packed up you might as well stay with me."

Perfection.

***

Early morning comes too quickly. I'm on the clock for venue set up. Strained silence from the crew greets me when I get there. Not surprising considering it started last night the second I set foot on the bus. Looks like Randy's on a mission to freeze me out. Jokes on him because I could give a shit what this crew thinks of me.

Halfway through my shift, Char does a walk through with Zack, Clinton and Brianna. They made some changes to the set list which trickled down to changes in lighting, so they wanted to make sure the crew got the notes correct. She spots me on the far side of the stage where I'm laying cable for the sound system. 

The longing looks she's giving me spark a semi I can't bother to hide. Every hot fantasy I've ever had about her comes to mind.

Char under me, above me, bent over in front of me...

Char's hair fanned out on my pillow as she moans...

Char wearing the tiny red bikini from Brianna's pool party as I slide the scrap of fabric to the side...

Char looking up at me from her spot kneeling on the floor of her silver bullet.

Brianna and her entourage move to the opposite side of the stage, passing by me. When I catch Char looking at me again, the shimmer of want in her eyes is making me promises for later. And I fully intend to cash in.

"Someone's on the prowl." Randy says next to me. I had no idea he'd sidled up to my section. I don't even bother to glare at him. It's not worth my time even though every muscle in my body is screaming to knock the guy out.

"Sugar mama probably likes to nurse her baby boy."

"What the fuck?" I can't help the expletive or the tone escaping my mouth. Randy's a piece of shit. He knows exactly what his snide remarks are doing to me.

"Must be nice to score the boss lady."

What I didn't anticipate is the fallout. Clinton must overhear our exchange because the next thing I know, he's standing with his hands in his pockets and his nose in Randy's face. I'm about to get a first-hand view of Clinton's hands-off method.                     

"Sounds to me like you forgot your manners." Clinton says, quiet as a mouse. Randy says nothing for a hot second. He must lose his mind because the guy says what might be the dumbest line ever.

"Sounds to me like you've taken too many roids."

Clinton laughs. But it's menacing. The kind of laugh only serial killers make before they do away with their next victim.

Randy pales 'cause he heard the same laugh I heard.

Hands still in his pockets like a casual motherfucker, Clinton leans close enough to Randy to smell his fear. 

"You're check will be in the mail. Clean out your bunk and catch the next Greyhound bus home."

"You can't fire me. You're the bodyguard."

"Correction. I'm head of security. And I just determined you to be a security risk. My job is to mitigate all risks. Therefore, head home. Unless you'd rather I provide an escort. I have plenty of staff to spare."

My jaw is on the floor when Randy storms off.

"Impressive."

Clinton turns a serious look my way. "Be careful, Jacob."

I nod at his warning. I know he's not worried about me. He's worried about the repercussions of what just happened. Clinton wants me to watch my back as much as he wants me to protect Char.

"Yeah, I will."

Thirty minutes later I find Char in her trailer while on my lunch break. She's just getting off the phone.

"Your brother?" I ask.

"Legal," she says with a shake of her head. "I'm having the paperwork filed today. Now it's only a matter of time until Curt is served with the divorce."

I'm on her in seconds. Across the room in a flash, crashing my lips to hers. My fingers dive into her curls, holding her head steady as I attempt to have her for lunch.

"We don't...have time. You...need to eat." Char tries to speak between kisses. I pull back to look into her eyes.

"You're the only meal I'm hungry for." I wait for her reaction. She'd been kissing me back but that doesn't mean she's ready for more. Her eyes glitter before dropping to my mouth.

"I'm starving," she whispers then leans in to press her lips against mine.

This time there's no holding back.

This time there's no waiting for later.

Later is here. And I'm going to devour her.

I grab her by the ass, nudging her into a little hop where she wraps her legs around my waist. There isn't much room to work with in the main area of the silver bullet, so I carry her to the bedroom. I lean over intending to drop her on the bed, but she pulls me with her. We land with an 'oof' and a moan. Char tilts her head back, eyes closed. My erection is pressing right at her core. The friction is more intense than anything I've experienced, and we haven't even taken our clothes off. Char opens her eyes and finds mine, thinking the exact same thing, I can tell.

"Do you feel that, baby? What you do to me?"

"Yes," she hisses.

I brush some of the curls out of her face then drop my hand down her shoulder, the swell of her breast, landing on the skin at her waist. I hadn't even noticed what she's wearing when I walked in. Tiny little silk shorts and a matching camisole top.

"Did you put this on for me?" My fingers trail up her bare skin to cup her breast.

Char nods. "I thought you might come by after that...exchange." She looks up at me through her lashes.

I squeeze the handful of flesh between my fingers gently causing Char's eyelids to flutter closed.

"You were so right." I kiss her deeply. "I have about 30 minutes, which isn't enough time to do what I want to do to you properly."

"It's enough time to make a dent," she smirks.

I smirk back. "You have no idea how badly I want to make a dent in you."

"Glad we're finally on the same page."

"You have no idea how glad, baby."

"I might."

Enough talking. I have twenty-eight minutes left to make that dent and I intend to use every second to my advantage, and hers.

This entire chapter was written in the car while driving through the Florida Everglades. I was tempted to give a cameo to an alligator but... lol, kidding! We haven't seen one yet but we still have another week so who knows!

There's a little more spice than usual so I hoped you liked it! Jacob is ready to claim his woman. And Char is ready to be claimed 😏

I love the vibe in this song. That's the reason for the choice. It felt like Jacob finally getting to the place he really wanted to go.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Thanks for reading!!