Page 12 of Ravaged For You

“I can drink to that.”

We continue drinking far later into the night than we ever planned to, especially because work is in the morning. We drink until Marie finally stands up from the couch, swaying on her tipsy feet.

“Goodnight, Maddie. You know, I didn’t think you were as much fun as you turned out to be. You’re generally so… mousey. But you’re so smart and funny. We should definitely do this again sometime.”

Even drunk, my cautious side looms. “Hey, you can’t be planning to drive home like this, surely?”

She blinks at me. “Yeah.”

“But… you’ve had a few.”

“Oh, you really are such a strait-laced geek, Maddie.”

“You keep saying.”

She tries to unlock her phone, but the thing slips from her unsteady hands and falls to the floor. “I could order a taxi,” she says as she bends over to pick it up.

I wave her suggestion away. “How about you stay the night, and we’ll go to work together in the morning?”

“You sure?” Marie asks.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”

“You got me that awesome nearly front row ticket,” I reply. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Well, okay then.”

I nod towards my bedroom. “You can take my bed if you like.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“Here on the couch.”

Despite more protestation from Marie, I eventually manage to force her into my bedroom. Gratefully, she falls asleep immediately upon lying on my bed. I make myself at home on the couch and close my eyes as the world dizzyingly spins around me. I groggily come to the realization I’ve not drunk this much alcohol for a very long time.

Probably not since my last date.

Yeah, that was a really long time ago.

Maybe I should message that guy I last slept with. Well, he’s probably forgotten all about me. I can’t blame him.

My thoughts drift away from the past and to the show I witnessed tonight. Those rockstars lead a very different life to me...

I start to fall asleep, and I begin to dream of being one of those hot girls invited onto the Ravaged tour bus. Just for a night, like Marie said she imagines.

I have to admit there’s a secret part of me that quite likes that impossible fantasy.

5

AXEL

Lucas Mac wakes me up, and he does so in the most egregious of fashions.

“Fuck off,” I say when he violently throws open the hotel suite’s curtains, revealing the late morning sun in all its blinding glory. The sunlight rays shine directly into my face as I lie in my massive bed. It takes me a moment to blink my eyes open and have them adjust to all the fucking brightness pouring in like lava.

“Up. Up,” Lucas commands, clapping his hand obnoxiously as he does so. “Time to get up, Axel.”