Page 6 of Jinxes and Drumsticks

“Fuck you, man,” Satoshi says. “Why do you always do this shit?”

“Because you’re always a fucking bitch!” I repeat. “What kind of idiot asks a fan why she’s lining up six hours before doors open? Would you ask that if we ever start playing arenas? Lillith is super nice. You barely even looked at her before you started giving her a hard time. That’s the shit that keeps getting us in trouble, man. You need to work on your fucking manners.”

“I’m just here to play music,” he says.

“Yeah, which we only get to do if fans keep paying. Which they’ll only do if they don’t think we’re arrogant dick bags. Which you seem intent on projecting as our image.” I point at him with an emphatic drumstick.

He rolls his eyes and leans on the doorframe, crossing his arms stubbornly. I know when he does this it’s an admission of defeat. “Alright, alright, fine. What do you want me to do?”

“Apologize to Lillith,” I tell him. “On stage.”

“Oh, fuck off!” he shouts. “That’s fucking humiliating. I’m not doing that.”

“Then set up your own shit,” I say, going back to practicing.

“Dude.”

Oren comes in the room, ruffling Satoshi’s hair. “I think you should apologize, too,” he says.

“You do?” Satoshi and I both say at the same time.

I’m shocked. Oren never gets involved in the frequent arguments Satoshi and I get into. “Damn, you must really like her,” I say.

“On that subject,” Oren says as he sinks into a bean bag across from the ratty couch I’m sitting on, “I wanted to ask you something.”

Satoshi gives an evil little chuckle that makes him sound like a cartoon character. I glare at him because we both know Oren well enough to understand where this is going. “Go plug in your shit and get the amps situated and I’ll fucking do my tech bullshit when I’m done talking.”

“Fuck you,” he says, flipping me the bird even as he goes to do what I say.

I look at Oren and sigh. “What is it, man?”

“Look, you know I respect you and bro code. So, don’t feel pressured to answer in any specific way. But Lillith’s cute. And interesting. Real interesting. I wanted to see if you were amenable to the idea of sharing her when the opportunity arises,” he says. “Just for a night, I mean. I know you’re already determined to romance her, but you know that’s not really my thing.”

I do know. Oren’s aromantic and only rarely finds interest in sleeping with people. It wouldn’t be the first time we shared a night with the same partner, either.

“I mean, I don’t even know if I’m going to try to sleep with her tonight,” I say, hesitantly.

Oren shrugs. “Well, I mean, I could always try to get it out of my system while you prepare for that,” he says. “Like I said, I’m only interested in a casual night or two.”

“No way, man. If you do it with her before I do, she’s going to become totally addicted to your cock and she won’t want mine,” I say.

“It’s so refreshing to hear how you fucks talk about women,” a lilting voice cuts in.

“Hey, Roxie,” Oren says, leaning back to rest his head on his folded arms.

“Hey, Rox,” I say, feeling a little guilty.

“That’s the appropriate amount of shame, by the way,” they say, pointing at me. “That’s how you should look for talking about sleeping with a woman like it’s a fucking business deal.”

“Roxie, I don’t sleep with anyone without laying out clear expectations for our involvement after the fact and enthusiastic consent to those terms. I don’t see why it should be a problem that I work out some kinks with Dame before approaching Lillith.”

“God, you are such a fucking weirdo,” Fletcher says in his charming Irish accent as he slips in behind Roxie. “I don’t know how you make anyone want to fuck you with how business-like you are about it.”

“Don’t you?” Oren teases, only for Fletcher to flush and busy himself with the vending machine on the far wall. I watch as Oren lets his eyes wander over our guitarist from behind and wonder why they can’t just fuck if Oren’s ogling him again.

I take a moment to really consider how I feel about sharing. It’s not a bad experience, honestly, sharing with Oren. Sometimes seeing a girl get face-fucked by your best friend while you’re balls deep in her pussy is pretty fucking hot.

Maybe it makes me a pig, but I do picture it. I think of sweet little Lilith in the most compromising position Oren and I could put her in. Her knees hooked over my forearms and her back pressed against Oren’s chest as I fuck her pussy and Oren fucks her ass.