A/N
Ok so I'm still bad about updating but I'm getting a LITTLE faster. Thanks for hanging with me (if you still are). Comments and feedback are my life.
😘
DJ was right in his review of The Mad Hatter. It was a very interesting place with quite the chill vibe provided by the Alice in Wonderland theme they had going on. It was a large space split up into three levels each with different rooms serving various purposes. Dancing and live music was reserved for the The Rabbit Hole Room. Pool tables, dart boards, and big screens TVs for sporting events could be found upstairs in The Queen of Hearts Game Room. Smoking was reserved for the rooftop bar area called the Caterpillar Hookah Lounge.
The ladies spent most of their time dancing but were currently taking a break in the main bar which had been dubbed The Mad Tea Party. It was probably the most laid back spot in the place. Music played just loud enough to hear but not keep anyone from having an audible conversation. The colorful cocktails were flowing courtesy of Zoe; the cute as a button, petite, caramel skinned bartender with bubble gum pink streaks running through her honey brown hair.
"You ladies ready for another round?" Zoe smiled and asked as the trio approached the bar for a break.
"Ya'll want another one?" Ashten asked with a slight twang. Thanks to a cocktail tasting deliciously close to a cherry lime-aid, she had consumed just enough liquor to draw out her inner southern belle.
"Yeah," Stella tied her hair up in a messy ponytail tail to cool off a little from her recent turn on the dance floor.
"Why not?" Jozie nodded which sent Zoe off to make their drinks.
Ashten let out a sigh of relief as she hopped up on a chair to give her feet a break. "I hate to even say this but I'm thinking these boots were a mistake. Definitely not dance friendly."
"Just need to be broken in." Stella shrugged and took a seat next to her, eyeballing the black suede adorning Ashten's feet. "And who cares if they feel like torture? They're pretty."
"And pinky toes are overrated," Jozie added, standing behind the other two.
"True," She nodded in thanks and smiled at their new favorite bartender when a fresh drink was placed in front of her. Ashten watched thoughtfully before turning in her seat to talk to her friends. "She is the cutest. You know who'd she be perfect for?"
"Tommy?" Jozie sipped her drink.
Ashten hummed around her straw. "Actually, yeah. But I was really thinking DJ."
"I don't see it," Stella chimed in, her eyes and thumbs glued to her phone.
"Can't imagine why not," Jozie exchanged a knowing look with Ashten. It was no secret that Stella had a thing for the guitarist.
"That wouldn't be who you've been texting with all night, would it?" Ashten cocked her eyebrow curiously.
"Hardly," Stella snorted and put down her phone. "DJ has no idea I even exist."
"I doubt that's true." Ashten wasn't completely confident in her statement. As much as she loved him, DJ could be frustratingly oblivious when it came to the opposite sex.
"Give it a shot. Red's a good color on him," Jozie tugged a strand of Stella's long locks.
"Yeah," Asthen agreed. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"I don't know. We could date and Tommy could snoop around in DJ's laptop and find dirty pictures of us doing the deed?" Stella grinned at the death Ashten glare shot her. "What? Too soon?"
Ashten scowled as the other two women began to laugh like hyenas. The reminder that Tommy had seen her in a very private and extremely naked moment made the heat of mortification shoot up her spine.
"Funny."
"I'm sorry," Jozie gasped for breath between laughs. "It's just......of all the ways.....Tommy found out like that.....he just didn't see that coming." She finally croaked out the words.
Stella was no better. She was practically doubled over wiping tears from her eyes. "That's not true. He saw lots of coming."
Ashten pursed her lips and felt heat rush to her cheeks. "You two are assholes. Seriously. Ass. Holes." She picked up her drink and attempted to ignore the howls and saw a saving grace when their bartender came back. "Assholes, Zoe."
"Ok, well maybe this will help tolerate them a little better." She sat three shooters in front of them.
"Awww, Zoe you shouldn't have," Jozie exclaimed when she spotted the shots.
"I didn't. They came from a gentleman down at the other end who wants to know the name of the pretty blonde." She gave Ashten an amused smile.
Ashten groaned and pushed the drink away. The last guy to send her a drink in a bar was Derek. "I'm not interested."
"Yes, she is." Stella insisted and pushed the drink back in front of her.
"I'm really not. I mean can't men just leave a group of women alone?" She picked up one of the glasses and peered down at the translucent pink liquid trying to remember the inventory she knew from her bartending days. "What is this anyway? A Sweet Tart?"
"No. It's called a Wet Pussy." Zoe replied.
Ashten rolled her eyes so hard she was almost afraid they'd pop out of the sockets. "Charming. And now I'm even less interested."
"No, you aren't." Jozie grinned as she looked behind Ashten towards the other end of the bar. "Please. I beg of you. Turn around.
Ashten flinched and her brow furrowed in confusion before swiveling around in her seat to see what the big big fuss was.
When she turned around she saw him looking at her and it took the breath straight from her chest. His eyes were sharp, the green depths so piercing that she felt as if he was staring straight through her soul. She tried to shake off the feeling that was burning in the pit of her stomach and bit her lip to keep a stupid smile from making its way on her face.
"Look, I know this is none of my business and as a self-respecting woman I'm officially offended on your behalf. But the dude is 24 karat hot and he told me there is a hundred dollar tip in it for me if I can find out your name for him," Zoe explained, hopefully.
She turned her head to follow Ashten's padlocked gaze. "You know that's Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee right?"
Finally breaking the stare, Ashten turned back around and smiled at Zoe. "Yes, I do." She then shifted an accusatory glance at her two deeply amused friends. "Why do I feel like they aren't here by accident?"
"Beats me. Maybe Nikki's thirsty." Stella shrugged innocently.
"Yeah, I'll bet he is." Jozie let out a borderline evil laugh.
"So what should I tell him?" Zoe lifted her eyebrows.
Ashten sighed and shot another glance down at the bar where the Terror Twins were huddled together conspiring. She had no idea why Nikki was acting as if he didn't know her or what his endgame was but she decided to play along.
"Tell him if he wants to know my name he's gonna have to come over here and ask me. You'll still get the hundred. Trust me."
"Alright." Zoe walked to the other end of the bar and Ashten watched the smirk form on Nikki's face when the message was delivered.
She turned around to say something to Stella and discovered an empty chair where her friend once sat.
"Where did she...." She stopped talking when she realized Jozie had disappeared too.
"What the hell?" Ashten furrowed her brow and glanced back down the bar to see Tommy, now also sitting alone. His eye caught hers and he grinned broadly, a triumphant look on his face as he held his glass up, nodding a "cheers" at her.
She narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head, a small amused smile forming on her lips.
"You should probably steer clear of him." The whisky velvet voice coming from just over her shoulder made her quiver slightly.
Her smile spread, but this time for another reason. She knew that when she turned around she'd see emerald eyes and dark hair.
"Steer clear of who?"
"That dude across the bar with all the tattoos. He's trouble." Nikki nodded his head towards Tommy.
She turned in her seat and looked up at him through her lashes. He'd changed out of his ratty old jeans and t-shirt from earlier and put in a well fitted black button down over not-so ratty dark denim.
He looked positively lethal.
"And you're not?" She barely managed the words as her throat threatened to close up on her.
"Never said that." He gave her a flirty smirk and in one swift motion planted himself in the chair next to hers. "Just the same, I should probably hang out here for a while. Help you keep the creepers away."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"I'll be on my best behavior," he promised, his eyes roaming down to her chest and back to her eyes. "If you promise to stop being so pretty."
It was a lame line and she couldn't help wonder if Nikki had used it in the past. Still, it didn't stop Ashten from biting her bottom lip to keep a goofy grin at bay. Luckily, she didn't have to work too hard to maintain her composure or fumble for something clever to say. Zoe chose that moment to come check on them, both as a dutiful bartender and as a woman gauging another woman's comfort level.
Ashten smiled at her gratefully and nodded a confirmation that the "stranger" wasn't bothering her and she was in fact safe. Satisfied, Zoe placed two fresh drinks in front of them and went on about her business.
"So, tell me. Is this the part where your boyfriend is gonna appear out of nowhere and try to kick my ass for talking to you?" He sipped his drink, his eyes dancing in amusement.
The current between them was starting to feel very electric and she can't resist playing along.
"No, just me and the girls tonight. Although they seemed to have vanished into thin air." Ashten briefly scanned the crowd finally locating them at a table with Tommy and the rest of SIXX AM all doing a horrendous job of pretending they weren't watching this little game.
"Is someone at home waiting for you?"
Ashten chuckled and considered her words. "Actually, at this very moment I can honestly say there is not."
"Good to know. You gonna drink that?" He motioned to the untouched shot he'd sent moments earlier.
"Depends."
"On?"
"Are you going to try to get me drunk so I'll go home with you?"
Nikki gasped in mock horror. "What kind of miscreant do you think I am?"
Ashten shrugged. "You are a rock star."
"Oh, so you know who I am?"
"Yeah. You're one of the guys in Poison right?"
She pressed her mouth together to hold in her laughter as she looked at her glass.
Nikki chuckled but shot her a look that screamed she would one day pay for that jab. "Close. Ratt."
"Oh yeah! Warren DeMartini right?" She felt the chuckle in her gut.
"Nailed it. And you are?"
"Ashten."
"So, Ashten. No boyfriend?"
"I didn't say that."
"What would you say?"
"I'd say it's complicated."
Nikki hummed and took in her words. "Girls night out and things are complicated. Mind if I take a guess?" Asthen blinked a nod. "I'm guessing he did something terribly stupid"
Ashten hummed, a tinge of sadness in her voice. "It wasn't good."
"He's definitely an idiot," Nikki replied swiveling in his chair to face her. "But I'd bet he's incredibly sorry and hates himself for it. And would do anything to make it right."
"I don't want him to hate himself." She said quietly, swiveling the straw in her glass.
"Maybe he won't anymore if you go home and forgive him. Hard. And all night long. As many times as it takes." He winked and leaned in close enough for her to smell his expensive cologne and the mixture of peppermint with just a slight hint of whiskey.
Despite his close proximity and her heart thumping in her throat she maintained an air of calm as she plucked the cherry from her drink. She popped it in her mouth, her lips wrapping around the fruit while as she pulled the stem with a smirk.
"Or he could just forgive himself." She cocked her eyebrow at him.
Nikki let out a surprised laugh and admired the self-satisfied grin in her face. She was good at this. Not surprisingly, though. Her quick wit was one of the many things he loved about her.
Along with the stunningly gorgeous face that never ceases to mesmerize him.
"He could. But there is another completely different option."
"Such as."
"You could forget him. Come with me. Get on the back of my Harley and ride away into the sunset. Happily ever after."
Ashten's eyes gleamed at him as her fingertip circled the rim of her glass. "That's quite the offer, Warren." Nikki chuckled at the use of his new name. "And I've never been on a Harley before."
"Really?"
"Really."
"I'd love to give you your first ride." His voice low and gravely. His eyes were that stormy shade of dark green and she watched as they again dropped down to her chest and then slowly back up to her mouth, before settling on hers again.
"I'm sure you would." Ashten turned to face him, crossing one knee over the other and squeezing her thighs together to try quenching the tingle that was threatening to become a full blown arousal. "But like I said, I'm kind of spoken for."
"That is a shame." Nikki took another swig if his drink and reached for a cocktail napkin. "But if you change your mind and want to see that sunset..." He scribbled on the napkin before folding it up and handing it to her. "Give me a call. It's quite the view."
Ashten smirked at him in amusement and just the utter cuteness of the whole interaction. He was trying and she had to respect that.
Slowly, she scooted off her seat and finally threw back the shot he'd bought her before taking the napkin and leaning into him.
"So is this." She practically purred in his ear, her lips almost brushing the shell before she walked away with a seductive sway in her hips.
He groaned at her saucy strut as she sauntered away with a backwards glance for good measure. Just to make sure he was watching.
As she walked away she opened the folded napkin.
Have fun with your girls. Get home safe.
Love, Warren
She grinned to herself and looked up at an approaching and amused looking Tommy Lee. He walked towards her, stopping so they stood shoulder to shoulder.
"Is he still watching?" She nodding her head towards Nikki.
"Fuck yeah, he is. Well played, by the way."
"You, too."
Tommy shrugged innocently. "I didn't do a thing. This was all his idea. Maybe he's trying to court you. Do what he didn't do the first time around."
"Wonder where he got that idea," Asthen replied, tilting her head in accusation.
"Did it work?"
"Maybe."
"What's that? Did you get digits?" Tommy snatches the napkin from her her hand and read it. He did a double take and frowned, confused.
"Who the fuck is Warren?"
**********
A/N
Slow burns are kind of torturous, huh? Wonder if she'll call Warren.
Love you all
😘