Chapter 1

See the recommended reading order at my author page. This story overlaps Part 2 of Wedding Dances along with They Were Roommates and Tour Guide.

Kate had traded her Saturday evening shift at The Axe’s Head with Jeremy, one of the local bartenders, for a promise of covering for him for a full day when he next spent a week at Kate’s home base on the coast. Tonight’s rock concert was that big a deal for her.

When she’d started her scheduled exchange visit, she’d had no idea that the band, “Of Darkness,” would be playing a private wedding show, or that she would be invited to see them. She’d volunteered to help cover a private party on Thursday, mostly because the guest list for that and the subsequent nightclub visit were predominantly lesbians participating in a wedding. She’d struck out at finding company, largely because most of the women were partnered up, but then she’d heard about the show, been invited to it by one of the brides, and suddenly the day’s profit/loss column had ticked heavily positive.

As if triggered by this good fortune, the evening had taken a further turn for the better after most had left, when she’d been picked up by a stunning platinum blonde in a low-cut silk dress – someone not wedding-connected – who had taken her to her condo and fucked her six ways from Sunday. Which was almost as exciting as the upcoming gig. Almost.

The singer, Michelle, had the largest following. Which wasn’t unreasonable. She was totally hot. But Kate’s fangirling was mostly focused on Sydney, the guitarist. Sydney had her own fanbase, but Kate considered herself president and sole member of the coastal branch of Sydney’s unofficial fan club.

She hadn’t been part of the wedding, so she’d shown up when the band was setting up. Kayla, the bride who’d invited her, met her, and after a moment’s hesitation, she instructed Kate to follow her.

They found Michelle in conversation with a golden-haired woman, around thirty, Kate’s own age. Friend, or girlfriend? They seemed close. Stories in the local media had made it clear that Michelle was a lesbian, but had never hinted at a partner.

Michelle didn’t seem at all annoyed by Kayla’s interruption, giving her a warm smile and a brief hug.

Kayla spoke to the golden-haired woman first. “Nice to see you’re staying connected, Rose,” she said. “I haven’t seen you in a while.

“You know where to find me,” countered Rose.

“I do. I’ll have to bring my new wife to your place when we’re back in town.” She turned to the singer. “Michelle, Kate here came all the way from the coast to see you,” she said, with a wink at Kate. “You the band, that is. I think her heart is given to your guitarist.”

Oddly, Rose, who had been eyeing Kate speculatively, looked disappointed.

“Heart, maybe,” Kate said. “Other parts… I’ll just say that those screaming solos could easily make me come.” When Michelle’s eyebrows rose in amusement, she added, “Guess I’m jealous of her guitar.”

“You need to tell her that in those words,” Michelle said, with a broad grin. “Find me after the show. I’ll introduce you. There isn’t really time, or I’d do it now.”

“That would be fucking awesome!” Kate replied. She moved out of the pavilion with Kayla, then turned to her. “I won’t keep you from your lovely wife,” she said. “I’ll wait here for the show.”

“Okay,” Kayla replied. She pointed to one of the many coolers around the clearing. “Help yourself to water, or come back to the house for something stronger.”

She was opening a cooler when a pleasingly rich voice came from behind her, “Grab me one, too?” She turned to see Rose watching her with amusement. She was about to retrieve two bottles when the woman changed her mind, “Actually, make it two.” Kate shrugged, collecting a third bottle, handing two to the woman. “I’m not with the wedding, so I’m solo here until the show is over. If we stay together I can be sure to get you back to Michelle for that introduction. She won’t forget, but she can be hard to reach, depending on how many fans show up.”

“Sure,” said Kate. She noticed that the woman’s eyes weren’t on her. She tracked Rose’s gaze to a young woman in a form-fitting dark sea green mini dress.

Rose grinned salaciously. “Follow,” she said, toning down her expression. Kate stayed with her, as instructed.

“Hi,” Rose said. “Looks like you’re a fan, to be waiting so early.” She held out her extra water. “Are you with anyone? Want to join us?”

The girl studied them skeptically. She took the water, but didn’t open it. “I’m Rose,” said Rose. “This is Kate. Looks like you were at the wedding. We’re just here for the band.”

“Kennedy,” the girl said. She was attractive, with creamy skin, dark curls reaching her shoulders, like a mid-last-century actress. “Yes, I’m a fan.” She still seemed wary.

“I can introduce you to Michelle after the show, if you like,” Rose said. “We’re friends.”

That seemed to increase the girl’s wariness. She frowned at both women.

“It’s true,” said Kate. “She was with Michelle when Kayla introduced me.”

That seemed to ease some of Kennedy’s doubts. She cracked the seal on the water bottle. “You’re a friend of Kayla?”

Kate shook her head. “I only met her two days ago, but I’m a fan, too. She invited me.”

“She said you were visiting from the coast!” Rose objected.

“I am,” said Kate, “but I’m a huge fan, and I would have traveled here for the band if I’d known about this. Kayla just embellished a little.”

Rose grinned as Kate explained the reason for her visit, and Kennedy seemed much more at ease.

“Right!” Kennedy said. “I missed the axe throwing. I think I remember seeing you at Gabby’s, now that I know you were there. Yes! ‘Tiny, but fierce!’ That was you!”

“It was,” Kate agreed. “I’m a devotee of the small guitar goddess.” There was a scream of controlled feedback from the pavilion. “And I think she’s calling my name.”

She turned to regard her deity, who was facing a small bank of amplifiers. She wore a sheer black sleeveless top that ended just above her waist, a leather miniskirt, black hose and black calf boots. From behind, Kate could see untidy straight hair hanging down just below her shoulder blades. She seemed to be finding the spot where she could best control the feedback, moving until the tone she produced was pure. She bent the sound as the drummer joined her, turning it into a brief solo that ended with a series of loud chords.

Apparently satisfied, she nodded to Michelle, then turned to face the gathering audience. From the front, Kate could see that the top was sheer around a black leather bra. Her guitar was strapped higher than most rock guitarists preferred, but she’d heard the sounds that the woman made before, and she knew how well it worked for her.

The band relaxed while audience members drifted in, then on the hour, Michelle greeted everyone, and Sydney’s guitar screamed down the scale, starting the show.

What Kate had told Michelle was not much of an exaggeration. She didn’t think listening to Sydney or any other guitarist or band could drive her to orgasm, but her reaction to hard rock was visceral, and definitely arousing. She’d never met anyone who reacted in quite the same way, but good music should be emotionally involving, in whatever genre. Rock was definitely Kate’s strong preference, and Of Darkness may be the band most suited to her.

Kate loved Michelle’s voice, of course, the rich sweet tones, the intense high energy songs, and the harsh raucous screaming. She appreciated the lyrics, the anger that drove the music, whether the strident songs railing against injustice or the power ballads empathizing with the dispossessed, the downtrodden, and the different, especially those from a queer perspective. But mostly, she took pleasure from the riveting guitar work.

Sydney wasn’t just technically competent. Anyone could shred. Well, okay, that wasn’t true, few players could shred effectively, but even fewer could shred with passion, driving the feeling of a song. And that wasn’t her only talent. She could back up the band with rhythm and riffs, and have her instrument sing in slower solos. When she bent a note to match another, the beat that she created seemed calculated to travel straight to Kate’s groin, where the sound sank into her clit.

Of course, Sydney was also hot as fuck, with piercing dark eyes, a narrow face, and intelligence visible in every photo Kate had seen. And, like Michelle, she was into girls. Kate had wondered if she and Michelle had ever been a couple, but if they were, she’d never seen any mention on music sites.

The show was as good as Kate expected. Better. About half of the set was material she hadn’t heard, and it was at least as good as the songs she knew. The forthcoming album was going to be excellent.

As promised, Rose took Kennedy and her back to Michelle, who immediately introduced Kate to Sydney. After a few words with the guitarist, Michelle left her, going back to Rose.

“Chelle said you had something to tell me,” Sydney said, giving Kate a direct stare. She had to be five or six inches shorter than Kate, but the strength of her presence made it seem like she wasn’t even looking up.

“Uh, yeah,” replied Kate, “I told her I was jealous of your guitar.”

Sydney raised an eyebrow.

“And some of your solos, you know, if I got into them any harder, I’m pretty sure I’d come.”

Sydney’s lips twitched, but she didn’t precisely grin. “A true fan,” she said, dryly. “Are you driving?”

“Yeah, I have my own car here,” said Kate.

“Let me tell Jon I have a ride, and we can go,” Sydney said.