backstage

A background of created stars blazed behind Tanner Wilson as he brought the XCel Center to one final headbanging musical climax, finishing up "China Girl" atop the subwoofer in front of the drum set.1

Meanwhile, in section 115, Claire, who had been headbanging in the aisle, ran her fingers through her knotted hair. "Holy shit," she panted, turning to her friend Laine. "That was fucking awesome!"2

Laine smiled and held up the laminated card that hung around her neck. "Want to go backstage and tell them how fucking awesome it was?"3

Her statement was met with a grin from Claire. "Damn straight." She stood up. "After all, who cares about the fucking Pixies anyway? I want to go see Tanner."4

"I can't believe you think he's cute." They were making their way down the stairs and onto the floor.5

Claire blushed. "I have explained this so many times! He's cute in his own cute little nerd way."6

"Whatever," Laine laughed, shaking her head. "I can't figure you out." 7

Claire stuck her tongue out at Laine and they passed through the gate, flashing their backstage passes to the bouncers.8

"Crazy," Laine said, looking around her at the chaos going on behind the scenes. 9

"Yeah." Claire stepped to the side to avoid being run over by a frazzled-looking brunette woman carrying an armload of water bottles. "So, let's go find the boys."10

They set off, winding through the passages beneath the XCel, and finally got pointed in the right direction by a friendly security guard. Claire was expecting a crowd of people to be surrounding the band, but it was nothing like the throng they encountered when rounding the corner.11

"God," Laine said. "Are we even going to get to talk to them?"12

"Yes," came Claire's firm reply. "I'm not leaving disappointed." She marched into the crowd with Laine in tow, searching faces. Then-- 13

"Claire, look," Laine hissed. "There's your man." She nodded toward Tanner, who was looking a bit uncomfortable with all the attention.14

Almost immediately, Claire felt her stomach tighten. She put on her best smile and inched over to him. A ditzy, heavily made-up blonde, who was an obvious poser in an Avril Lavigne-esque outfit complete with a pink plaid tie, was bubbling to Tanner about that night's set list.15

"I mean honestly, like, 'Scarred' is like one of the best songs ever. It's like so... true, y'know? You are like, amazing, Tanner. Like when I listen to your songs they make me laugh. Like that one line about tuna and cheese? I mean, who wants tuna and cheese? And like, Kool-Aid and sugar... that's so disgusting, but you make it sound, like, delicious."16

Tanner looked past her, and his eyes landed right on Claire. She let out a laugh, rolling her eyes at the stupidity of the wannabe-punk girl. 17

"And 'Flower in Sunshine,' like that song is so brilliant, it was like all I listened to while I was in the Keys! Have you ever been to the Keys? They're sooo gorgeous in early September..." She kept prattling on. Tanner looked like he wanted to be anywhere but talking to this girl, and Claire knew he was too shy and polite to tell her to go away. Her eyes wandered-- she saw the name 'Katrina' embroidered on the girl's purse, and an idea popped into her head. She grabbed her cell phone earpiece from her purse and stuck it in her ear, jamming the end of the cord into her pocket, and stuck a pen behind her ear.18

"Hold this," she told Laine, shoving her purse into her friend's hands. She turned to the girl and tapped her on the shoulder. "Katrina?" 19

The girl turned, mildly miffed. "Yes?"20

"I'm sorry, but there's an urgent phone call for you," Claire said. "If you go down that long hallway, take a right, then take a left at the end of that hallway, that's where the phone is."21

"Oh. Well... thanks." She turned on her heel and stalked off down the hall, nose in the air.22

Tanner applauded as Claire returned her earpiece and pen to her purse, which she had taken back from Laine. "Thanks," he said. "She was driving me crazy."23

"I could tell." She smiled. "I figured I'd do you a favor."24

"Very much appreciated," he replied, and then stopped, letting his eyes drift, as if he was unsure of what to say next.25

"I'm Claire," said she, trying to help him along.26

He met her eyes again. "I'm Tanner." A pause. "But... you knew that... oh, I didn't mean for that to sound egotistical..."27

(He is so cute). "I know." 28

Tanner smiled shyly.29

"I wanted to tell you that, um, I really love 'Zen Garden," Claire began. "It's my favorite off the new album. It reminds me of Enya. You know, only in a great punk rock way."30

Tanner's eyes lit up. "Really? You're kidding! That's exactly what I was going for! Wow, I didn't know anyone else was aware of who she was... especially people who listen to our band... how did you get introduced to her?"31

"You know, I don't even remember, but it was a long time ago," Claire replied. "The first time I bought her music it was on cassette tape."32

"I actually have 'Watermark' on vinyl," he remarked, with a short laugh. "Cursum Perficio' sounds really cool being scratched."33

Claire laughed. "Now that is something I'd like to hear."34

"I'll bet that Katrina girl's going to be coming back soon," Laine put in helpfully. 35

Tanner made a face. "Yeah. She'll want to talk to me again." He looked over at Claire. "And she'll want to kick your ass." 36

"Probably."37

He furrowed his brow, staring off into space for a moment, and then turned back to Claire. "C'mon. We'll escape her. Follow me." He turned and began to head down one of the corridors-- Claire fell in step with him, turning to flash Laine an appreciative smile before disappearing around the corner.38

"So," Claire began after catching up with him, "where are we going?"39

"My dressing room," Tanner said, "for lack of a better term."40

"You guys get your own private rooms? I thought all you had was the green room."41

"Some venues are cool like that and give us our own rooms," Tanner replied. "The XCel is one of them." They came to a door with a bouncer standing guard-- he opened the door to let them in.42

"Thanks, Jack," Tanner said, leading Claire inside and shutting the door behind them.43

She looked around. "Cool." It wasn't fancy-- it was furnished with only a vanity table, a glass coffee table, and a big brown suede couch, but it was still enough to impress her. She smiled when she saw the huge bowl of Hershey's Kisses sitting on the table. "Like chocolate much?"44

Tanner blushed. "I'm addicted." He unwrapped one and popped it in his mouth. "Want one?"45

"Sure."46

He tossed her an almond Kiss and plopped down on the couch. 47

She sat down next to him. "So, is this the kind of crap you have to deal with all the time?" 48

He looked confused. "What?"49

"That crazy girl."50

"Oh. Yeah, it gets really old. I mean, people like her don't even understand my music."51

Claire chuckled. "Hell, she didn't even know the lyrics. Honestly... Kool-Aid and sugar? What the hell is that?"52

Tanner shrugged, smiling. "And she thought I was talking about eating tuna and cheese, too. Maybe I should do Subway commercials."53

Laughing, Claire reached for another piece of chocolate, not forgetting to grab one for Tanner. She dropped it in his open palm. "Or Hershey's commercials."54

He didn't answer right away-- he was staring at her, or so she thought. Finally, he nodded at her necklace. "Is that the Evenstar?"55

"Yeah, it is," she replied, pleasantly surprised that he recognized a Lord of the Rings artifact.56

"Awesome. Can I see it?"57

"Sure." She unclasped the chain and handed it to him.58

He gently turned the pendant in his hand. "This is past cool. Are these Swarovski crystals?"59

Claire nodded. "Set in real silver."60

"Wow." His eyes were wide; he ran his fingers over the crystals, awestruck. Suddenly, he became aware that Claire was watching him. "Sorry," he said quickly. "I'm a nerd."61

She laughed. "Hey, I bought it, and I wear it all the time. You can slap that nerd label on me, too. I'm damn proud of it."62

A smile spread across Tanner's face. He handed the Evenstar back to Claire. "Out of all the pretty poser girls I meet who claim they are nerds, I think you are a real one." His smile quickly vanished. "I didn't mean that as an insult. Or that you were trying to be something... I just..." He sighed, seemingly frustrated.63

"I know what you meant," Claire said with a reassuring smile. "And I am a nerd. If I could get away with it, I'd even have those square nerd glasses... but I look ugly in glasses."64

He looked away. "I... think you're very pretty," he said in a very small voice.65

Claire's lips curved into a smile. "I think you're pretty cute yourself," she replied.66

His head came up, but he still didn't look directly at her. "Really?"67

In a burst of courage, she reached up and turned his face toward hers. "Yes."68

She could see it in his eyes then, the round brown spheres behind the square frames. She knew what he wanted, and the same thing was on her mind. Before she could make the next move, he reached for her other hand and laced her fingers with his. "Claire..."69

Patiently, she waited for him to follow through, but he shook his head. "Never mind."70

But she leaned closer anyway. "Was this what you wanted?" she asked, pulling him close and pressing her lips to his. 71

"Yes," he whispered. "Yes."72

Smiling, she brought her lips to his again, and this time it didn't stop. He ran his hands through her thick hair, navigating tangles, softly caressing her cheek, letting his lips go into the ballet they were creating. He felt a shred of confidence come to him, and let his hand slide down her arm and to her waist. She reacted, pulling him closer, and his hand touched skin-- she didn't push him away, so he let his hand wander. A giggle escaped her lips and she tangled her tongue with his as his palm reached the flat of her back, making gentle circles. She began breathing faster, never wanting to leave that moment yet still wanting more. Slowly, she slid her hand onto his thigh in a gesture of both reassurance and desire. He reciprocated, fingertips fluttering on the denim of her jeans like anxious butterflies. Claire's teeth caught his tongue and he flinched-- in his forward motion, his hand accidentally landed on her crotch. Blushing, he pulled it away; calmly, Claire reached for it, placed it gently back. He understood then, and all his apprehension began to peel away. It had been so long since he felt this-- trust, and understanding, and desire. She was ten years his junior. They had known each other less than an hour. But none of it mattered.73

He reached up and gently lifted her shirt from over her head-- the pink silk slid sensually over her curves, revealing a delicate pink cotton bra that perfectly cupped her breasts. He drew in a breath, drinking in the sight of her milky white skin and ample curves. Claire reached for the buttons on his plaid green shirt, undoing them one by one-- he shook it off his body, and Claire removed the brown T-shirt he was wearing underneath. Resisting the temptation to come over her, he cupped her face gently in his hands, giving her a passionate kiss. She understood he wanted it to last-- so did she-- but she couldn't stop her fingers. They had found the zipper on Tanner's jeans, and as she began to slide them off, Tanner kicked off his brown shoes in order to let her take them off completely. He was now clad in only his powder-blue plaid boxers, and already fumbling with the clasp on Claire's black pants. His fingers finally victorious, he tugged them off, exposing a delicate pink thong. At the sight of her nearly nude body, he became instantly hard. Claire drew in a sharp breath at seeing the tent in his boxers, and placed her hand on the peak.74

Tanner's eyes fluttered, and he opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it.75

"I know you want to take it slow," Claire whispered, her intuition telling her what was on his mind.76

He looked back at her. "It's been so long..."77

She nodded. "Don't worry." Deliberately, sensually, she reached her hands around her back, saving him the frustration of undoing a bra clasp. She let it slide off her body, watched him as his eyes drank in the sight of her perfectly round breasts. She ached to give him everything he wanted, to make this night memorable, to make all of his wildest fantasies come true. Gently, she slid his boxers off, and at the sight of his hardness, it was all she could do not to take him into her mouth right then. Instead, she lightly ran her fingers across the surface, delighting in the texture of the velvet-like skin near the top of the shaft. Tanner's eyes danced like fireflies-- flickering, irises shining brightly behind the lids.78

Almost dazedly, Tanner reached for the only piece of fabric that yet stood between them and slid Claire's thong off, carelessly tossing it across the room. He laid her down on the soft cushions of the couch and enfolded her in a tight embrace, relishing the feel of their skin pressed together. Their lips found each other again, and for minutes, they let their mouths speak silently, let their tongues whisper in wordless syllables, curling and mingling. Absently, Tanner began to stroke her side, inadvertently making them both feel comfortable and secure. Claire's hand drifted down again, down, until her slender fingers wrapped themselves around his length.79

His lips came away from hers momentarily, and he spoke simply. "Will you?"80

Somehow, she understood. And somehow, it wasn't surprising to either of them that she could read him like a book. She smiled. "Of course." And she knelt above him, dropping tender kisses on his chest as she moved toward her target. Taking him in her hand, she admired every inch before sliding him slowly, in one smooth motion, into her warm mouth and down her throat.81

Tanner let out a little involuntary moan; he hadn't expected that much. As Claire began to make a low sound and massage his shaft with her tongue, his eyes closed and he felt himself almost levitating from the sensation. She expertly clenched her lips around him and came gliding up, teasing him gently with her teeth. A shiver ran down his spine. He was in heaven. Slowly, she took him back down her throat, this time pumping him in and out, letting the tip glide against the walls of her throat. She kept that fluid motion until he started to twitch and buck against her-- she then leisurely brought her mouth back up, leaving her lips surrounding the tip. Holding him at the base to steady him, she pressed her tongue flat against the tip and began moving her head, circling hungrily. She wanted him back in her throat, but she knew he wanted this to last, and she was bent on pleasing him. So she continued to tease, moving her lips off, licking the shaft like the most delicious ice cream cone, dipping her tongue in to taste the first drops of pre-cum. She knew he was getting close, knew that his desire to orgasm was probably overcoming his wish to go on like this for hours. But she was in control at the moment, and held off. 82

She crawled sensually back over him, letting a single kiss fall on his chest, and moved up to his neck, placing several little kisses all over his skin. His eyes closed and he sighed in contentment, relaxed by the calming effect of Claire's gentle kisses. Claire watched his smile, listened to his steady breathing, knew he was in heaven. Enough relaxing, she thought, and ran her tongue ravenously across his collarbone. His eyes flew open and his gaze was greeted with Claire's devilish grin.83

He barely knew what to say-- he tried to gather his thoughts as her tongue slid from the middle of his chest to the underside of his chin, sending a trembling excitement through his body. She was kneeling over him; his curiosity and desire overtook his nerves and he reached up with two fingers to dip inside of her. He let out a shaky breath. She was dripping wet-- her juices literally ran down his fingers. As he met her gaze, he saw the lust in her eyes, but at the same time, a level of care and maybe even a hint of love.84

Wordlessly, Claire wrapped her fingers around his stiff length and held it at her opening. "Ready?"85

And for the first time, he was brimming with surety. "Yes," he replied clearly, with a wide smile.86

Claire grinned and slowly lowered herself down on him, gasping as his magnificent length grazed the walls of her canal, thoroughly filling the void. She let out a little cry and impulsively wrapped her arms around him. She moved slowly in circles, letting them get used to the feel of each other. She was still drenched with moisture, and now that Tanner was inside her, she was even hotter. Coming up from their embrace, she placed her hands on the couch above Tanner's shoulders and began pounding him into the couch, letting her knees slide over the dark suede, slamming back and forth and bringing him dangerously close to the edge. Seeing the pleasure painted on his face, she slowed and stopped, wanting to prolong this for as long as she could.87

She watched him for a moment, looking at a man who looked like he would have fit right in with her college's Math League-- short hair, sharp nose, red marks on his nose from his glasses. But for some reason, he was the sexiest thing she'd ever laid eyes on. Tanner's eyes fluttered open and he gazed up at Claire; her hair was already a mess of glossy black curls, her eyeliner had smeared, and her foundation was erased. Somehow, he had never seen anything more beautiful. 88

"I want to be on top," he said simply.89

Claire smiled and slowly lifted herself off of him. She giggled to herself as he got to his feet, knees wobbling in an attempt to stand. Had she really given him that much pleasure already? Hiding a smile, she laid herself out for him, and he climbed on top, gliding inside of her. He tenderly caressed her face, her breasts, her sides as he moved slowly within her. Now that all she had to do was lie back and let Tanner take over, she could savor the feeling even more. Intently, adoringly, she regarded his face, painted with an incredulous gaze and a smile of shy delight. Experimenting, he gyrated his hips, causing his length to circle against her deepest parts; she squealed in satisfaction. Seeing that she liked it, he kept his motion, adding a slight thrust. He marvelled at how slippery she was as he slid nearly all the way out of her, then back in. Out, then in, out, in, out, in... the rhythm was making her delirious, and it was making her crave more.90

"Tanner," she complained softly, "you're teasing me."91

He grinned, his tip at her opening. "Maybe."92

A smile spread across her face, a quote from a song coming to mind. "I wonder why you always do me like that."93

Suddenly, he rocketed into her, reaching the very depths of her abyss. Her eyes flew wide open, and he smirked. "Cause I could love a girl like you, or at least give you a try."94

She smiled again. "Perfect reasoning."95

Tanner laughed. "You're breaking me out of my shell, Claire."96

Seductively, she lightly ran her fingertips along his inner thighs. "Then keep breaking."97

He obeyed, sending her into waves of pleasure as he slammed into her. "Tanner," she gasped, "oh God, don't stop... yes... oh!" His tempo was steady and his thrusts were powerful, and it was all she could take; she soared into a mind-numbing orgasm, screaming his name with every plunge.98

But Tanner wasn't finished. He was still rock-hard and moving ever so slightly within her. "Was that one?" he asked breathlessly.99

"Yes," she managed to gasp.100

He smiled. "Do you want another?"101

Blushing, she nodded.102

Tanner closed his eyes, savoring the wet warmth of her pussy, preparing to send her to transport once again. How he loved her face when she climaxed the first time: the way her eyes alternately shut tight and flew open, how she bit her lip between screams, the way her head moved as if she was unable to control it. And her midsection-- oh, feeling her thighs tremble, her pelvis shake, her stomach clench... and the way her hands clutched the couch cushions, desperately searching for something to dig her nails into so she wouldn't hurt him.103

And he couldn't stand it anymore. He began moving at a breakneck pace, inspired by passion, by desire, by beauty, by God help him, maybe even love. Wanting her to feel every ounce of what was coursing through him, he laid down on top of her, wrapping her in his arms, as if somehow he could transfer all of that emotion and fire through some sort of erotic and supernatural science. She enveloped him in her own arms, holding him tightly against her chest, loving the feel of so much skin. And he never changed his velocity-- if he did, he only went faster. Claire soared for what seemed like hours to her, so near climax, desperately trying to hold off, wanting to feel this for as long as she could.104

Above her, Tanner drew in a deep breath and thrusted even faster, as if it were possible. 105

Claire was in ecstasy. "Oh, Tanner," she panted, "Tanner..."106

Tanner, too, was getting close, his eyes open, breathless. In trying to hold on, she was clenching her walls, making herself tighter, which felt amazing to him. "Claire," he whispered, "oh, yes... Claire, oh, you feel so good..."107

"Mmm," she moaned, "oh God, yes, Tanner, that's it... that's it... oh, yes..." She didn't know how much longer she could hold on. "Baby, are you close?"108

He nodded, concentrating, breathing fast, his face a palette of bliss; entering his second wind, he moved faster.109

Claire felt it coming. "Oh, Tanner... Tanner... yes... Tanner... Tanner!"110

At each repetition of his name, he grew closer, and in one burst of flaming passion, he shot his load inside of her and she let go. Their juices mixed together in a union of passion and lust and something much deeper. He collapsed beside her, completely satisfied and exhausted.111

She cuddled up to him, adoringly running her fingers through his hair. He let out a contented sigh. "Wow."112

Claire giggled. "Yes."113

He turned onto his back and put an arm around her; she laid his head on his shoulder and absently let her left hand play with his chest hair. He sighed again. "Claire..."114

"What?"115

A pause. "Never mind."116

She snuggled even closer. "C'mon. Haven't you ever heard the saying "If you can share an orgasm, you can share anything?"117

Tanner laughed. "It's just... I've known you for a little over two hours. And I already feel closer to you than I ever have to anyone, ever."118

"Oh, Tanner." She embraced him. 119

"I'm... usually pretty reserved," Tanner began, "shy, quiet. I don't really tell people how I feel very often. But I think I could tell you everything."120

She nodded. "Anything."121

A smile spread across his face. "I'm glad we happened to find each other tonight."122

She let her eyes fall closed, content, happy. "Me too." 123

And they fell asleep that way, enraptured smiles painted on their faces like watercolors, breathing to the same rhythm.124