3 - Shadowboxer

~Jude’s Point of View~

I felt like I was gliding around, practically floating. What was it about this girl last night? Well first and foremost, she wasn’t a girl. She was a real woman, a female with soft hips and tits, and ass I couldn’t get enough of … and her moans … and fuck the way she responded to me was so genuine. Most women just over exaggerate it all, fake screams and bullshit because they think that’s what I want to hear. 

Not this one. Shit I didn’t even get her name! How did I not get her name?? 

I did leave her my number, surely she’ll call, she’ll text. If it was that great for me, of course it was for her. Hell I’d be willing to stay in Charlotte another night just to have her again, have her in my arms, underneath me. Those pouty lips, those chocolate brown eyes, even her cute little toes. We did have two days off, maybe I could swing it.

What the fuck am I saying?

“Dude hello,” Corey said, waving his hand in front of me.

I abruptly turned my chair to him and got in his face. 

“Did you see a woman last night after 1? Kinda tall, damp hair in a pile on her head, burgundy colored little dress,” I said, staring him down.

Surely a woman as hot as her wouldn’t go unnoticed. The guys and I all had a certain type for sure. But on the road, you can’t be picky. What we all had in common lately though, was actually wanting women our own age as opposed to some little girl who didn’t even actually know our music.

“Ohh yeah! Cookie! I remember her,” Trey said, nodding.

“Cookie? That’s her real name,” I said, confused.

No this woman wasn’t some bimbo, not that we spoke that much and yeah I was mildly drunk. But I know a real woman and not some groupie when I see one. A groupie would have been falling out of her dress, fighting to get into my room instead of me fighting to get her in mine.

Shit, wait! Trey knew her? Did he try to get with her??

“No, no it wasn’t uhm, shit! She told me, she brought the food. Her last name was Cook but I called her Cookie cause she looked deee-licious,” Corey said, nodding with a smirk.

I wanted to slap the smug off his face. Corey was more of a whore than me. But if he’d seen her first … that was kind of our rule. Like if you lick something first it’s yours. We have a strict no fucking with someone else’s girl policy, unless we were sharing. Well if he had seen her first, she clearly didn’t stay with him.

“Yeah we tried to get her to hang but she didn’t want to, fucking weird. Must have a boyfriend,” Trey said.

I scoffed. If she has a boyfriend then clearly he sucks in bed. But no, I doubt it, she certainly didn’t act like a woman who gets satisfied on a regular basis. She was starved for me and fuck, even though I’d gotten head earlier in the night she was definitely so much better. So much … more. She smelled clean and like honeydew or something. I couldn’t wait to get back to my room.

I stared through the glass as my drummer finished his part of the interview and I felt twitchy, desperate to leave. I hadn’t felt high like this since I got off drugs about eight years ago. Yeah I might still drink but I used to be hooked on pills and coked out of my mind half the time. This was a totally different high, the perfect pussy kind of high.

“So she brought the food, from where,” I asked.

“Oh! Uhm she wanted me to leave a review,” Corey said, getting out his phone.

A minute later he held up his I*******m page, and it showed “Cross Roads,” a restaurant nearby.

I snatched his phone and examined it, there were many pictures of the owners, they looked like a happily married couple. The woman wasn’t my woman though, not this Cookie. I had watched her sleeping a bit this morning before I left, she was an angel, messy hair and all. She didn’t even snore in her sleep like my last girlfriend.

“So you really don’t remember her first name,” I asked, as I scanned through the photos.

“Naw bro, I was drunk. But maybe it’s on the receipt or you could call there and ask. Why, did you talk to her,” Corey said.

“Did a hell of a lot more than talk to her, really hoping she’ll still be in my bed if we can wrap this shit up. I think I’m gonna marry her,” I said, half serious.

I could be serious. I’d literally never felt like this. I only had her once and I already craved her.

Trey clapped and I flipped him off.

“Ohh! Nice man, fucking jealous. She wasn’t some fangirl. She was the real deal, that's why I didn’t push her about staying,” Corey said.

“Waaaait bro, you spent the night with her and didn’t get her name,” Trey asked, just fueling my desire to leave. I waved him off. Like he ever got women’s names.

Being on the road as long as we have, meeting the insane amount of people that we do, we’re all practically experts at reading people. We can pretty quickly figure them out, determine who they are, what they want. Everyone always wants something. 

This woman clearly knew who I was, she called out my name, all night. What an asshole I am that I didn’t even get her name!

“Oh fuck this tell them I got sick or something,” I snapped, getting up and storming out. 

I was about a four block walk from my hotel so I didn’t bother with a cab but I was nervous about being seen and having people stop me. On my way out I had grabbed the hat off my manager’s head much to his annoyance and kept going.

My whole band, including Slade my manager … have all been tight forever. Corey, Lukas and I grew up together and were absolutely thick as thieves. We were kind of lost boys growing up, didn’t have the family we should have had to look out for us. Trey and Slade came from good families, the good side of town. We were from a nothing town outside Portland, Oregon and rarely went back anymore.

Thankfully, maybe because it was still early on a Sunday morning, nobody bothered me on my brisk walk back. I could hardly get the door open fast enough and I stormed in … to an empty bed. My neck jerked toward the bathroom and I stomped in there … empty. 

Fuck! 

It really didn’t dawn on me that she’d leave. But I should have known, she wasn’t some whore or groupie out to get more for herself. I had one girl a few months back give me her credit card bill and beg me to pay it and she’d be my sex slave. It was over $39k. I did sometimes leave cash but I’d never drop that kind of money on someone I didn’t even know.

I ran to the bedside table, hoping for a note. Mine was on the floor and the cash was still on the table. Shit! Shit! Why did I leave her money? She’s probably offended. It’s just a habit, I always assume that’s what the females want, they always do. But I knew better, I knew she wasn’t like that. 

I collapsed on the bed and cussed myself out. How could I be so stupid? I shouldn't have even left, I should have blown the thing off this morning. 

I pulled out my phone and looked up the pizza place, they didn’t open for another hour. Maybe I should just go there, but that might cause a scene.

I grabbed her pillow and inhaled it like a weirdo, whatever shampoo she uses is amazing. It’s so feminine and crisp. I fell back remembering her taste, her softness. She seemed like someone you could have a good time with, a real date that you’d actually enjoy instead of counting the minutes for it to be over.

Nearly 34, I was just getting too old for these one nighters. The tour would be over soon, we’d take some time off, and head back to the studio in a few months. The cycle of our lives. I’d go back to my empty place that would only fill when I had parties.

Our music used to be so damn powerful, so raw. Lately the studio has been trying to interfere, get us to go in the direction they want. Trendy shit. I felt like I was losing control professionally, so in my personal life I needed to get it together. I needed Cookie.

I watched TV and ordered room service until the restaurant opened. I was beside myself with anticipation waiting. Maybe this woman wanted me to leave her alone, I wasn’t sure. But I don’t give up that easily. I’d also found her red lace panties under the pants I’d had on last night. Fuck they smelled good, that just got me even more riled up.

RING RING RING

“Cross Roads,” a male voice said.

“Yeah I’m looking for Miss Cook, she delivered to my hotel late last night,” I said.

“Miss Cook? I don’t who that is, but we don’t let women deliver the late orders, hang on,” the voice said, obviously a young guy.

“Wasn’t Jada on deliveries last night,” I heard him ask someone.

Jada. 

She could certainly be a Jada, yeah I could see that. Jada Cook.

“I think that was Jada, the owner, was there a problem,” he asked.

“No, just uhm, she left something here I think she’ll want back. Can I get her number or can you give her mine,” I said, a smirk on my face.

“Jada’s at the hospital bro, she had her baby last night. If you have something for her just drop it off I’ll get it to her husband,” he said, hanging up.

I gaped at my phone. 

Had a … baby?

What? 

Husband??

No, no no no. There was absolutely no chance in hell my Cookie was pregnant enough to have a baby. 

A baby?? What the hell?