The Bloody Faithful Chapter Four Solitude free porn video

Chapter Four -Solitude- "You're telling me he just up and left." Rambo studied me with those hawkish eyes. "Sorry Luv, but that doesn't make sense. Why in the bloody hell would he walk out on what promises to be the biggest thing musically of the fucking twenty-first century? The bloke would have to be a nutter." "He was under a lot of pressure," I said. "His father's ill and he had some other issues he was dealing with. Personal stuff." I wasn't about to tell the group what really happened. Rambo chewed on his bottom lip digesting my explanation why Rick wasn't here. "Not that I'm doubting what you said, Faith, but are you sure you're telling the whole of it. Being boyfriend and girlfriend didn't have something to do with it did it? Were you two having problems?" "That's getting kind of personal, Bo," Jesse said. "It's not any of our business." "If it involves the band, Dear Heart, it is our fucking business." Rambo retorted. "He's right, Jesse," I said, coming to Rambo's defense. "He deserves an answer. And the answer is no. I told you he was dealing with a lot of stuff. It was more than he could handle. Sorry if that doesn't fit into your relationship theory." I hated myself for lying, but what else could I do? How would I have explained Rick had fallen in love with who he called "the real Faith". How he'd told me the original owner of the body I occupied had been flawed but the switch had fixed things. He was in love with me and he was sure I was in love with him. When I'd told him he was wrong and that I didn't have feelings for him, he'd walked out, saying he wasn't sure when he would be back. When I woke the next evening I expected to find him sitting on the couch with my cocktail, waiting for me, the ritual we'd performed every night since we'd begun our journey together. But the couch was empty. Panic surged through me and I'd raced to the bedroom where he slept only to find his things were gone. Then I spotted the note. He'd written it on a sheet of Faith's stationary, his bold script in sharp contrast to the lavender tinted paper with its delicate border of wild flowers. My heart ached as I read the words: Faith, I call you that now because I know that's who you are. It is very difficult for me to write this, but you deserve an explanation of why I am going away for a little while. My dreams were crushed last night when you rejected me but even more I saw you deny what you know to be true in your own heart. I think if I give us both a little space you will come to realize what was meant to be. It is our destiny to be together and I know someday soon that will happen. Until then I will give you time to realize just how empty your life is without me, as mine is without you. At the bottom of this letter is an address of someone who will know how to contact me. Write them when you are ready for "us" and I will come home. Rick. I'd tucked the note into the back pocket of my jeans and then went out for a walk. Though it was early evening the streets were empty. I walked for several hours, occasionally stopping in front of this house or that, listening to the conversations inside. Sometimes I peeped though curtains left partially open. Through a bedroom window I spied a little girl surrounded by her dolls. She sat in their center reading to them from a book of fairy tales, Through another window an elderly couple danced to a record on an old Victrola, oblivious to its crackle laced, tinny sound. Suddenly, I was reminded of a line in "Night's Passage" where Faith mentions peeping into a child's bedroom watching them sleep. I was doing the same thing, stealing looks into windows, tainting the privacy of those inside, voiding their intimacy, displaying complete disregard of their wishes. I was becoming like Faith, unfeeling, uncaring. Ashamed of my behavior, I'd slogged home only to find Rambo and the gang waiting on the porch. I'd completely forgotten this was a practice night. "Doesn't matter why he said he left," Rambo was saying to Jesse, "the heart of it is sorted mates make for poor band mates. Things eventually come apart and there we are." He turned to me. "No reflection on you, Luv. If anyone is to blame here it's me. I knew better." "So what do we do now 'Bo?" Jesse asked. "I suppose that's up to our dear Faith." "I want to keep the band together," I said. "With or without Rick." "Told you she was rad," Shredder said. He clapped his hand together and grinned like he'd won a major event. Carrie looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but here. "Here's the problem," Rambo said his voice taking on a more serious tone. "We're Vampers. In some ways that's not a problem. We just have to keep our gigs after sun down. But it's a human world, Luv. Big time execs don't work after hours. We'll need a human for those negotiations. Any idea how we deal with that ?" I shook my head. That had been Rick's job. With him gone, I was at a loss. "Me neither," Rambo said gently. "We could just do the local scene, 'Bo," Jesse suggested. "A lot of these clubs don't really open up until after dark. We could book the gigs ourselves. That would work for me." Rambo glared at Jesse and then at me, his eyes blazing like twin fires. "I didn't travel all the way across the Atlantic to only play a few taverns, It's either the big stage or no stage." "I know somebody," said Carrie. All of us turned her way so rapidly she freaked and I thought she would bolt out the door. "Who do you know, Carrie?" I asked, calming her, coaxing her to speak. "Th- this guy. H-his name is Otto. He's an ex-boyfriend." "And what makes you think this Otto is qualified to manage "The Bloody Faithful?" Rambo asked sourly. "I'm guessing he's some wanker that played at setting up a school dance or a birthday party and that's the extent of it." Carrie seemed to shrivel up. She lowered her head and stared at her feet. "Lay off, Thor," Shredder warned. "She was just trying to fucking help, okay." Rambo scowled but stayed silent. "Carrie," I said. She looked at me with big liquid eyes. "You suggested Otto for a reason," I went on. "Why do you think Otto can do this. Managing a band is difficult." "I know that," she said stiffly. "Otto has eh... sort of this talent." "Talent?" I glanced at the others. They appeared as puzzled by this as I was. "What kind of talent, Carrie?" "People do stuff for him," she continued her voice growing more confident. "Big stuff like give him money but don't ask to be paid back. He used to take me to five star hotels when we went on trips but we never paid for the room or for meals." "Is he some kind of wizard?" Jesse asked. Carrie shrugged. "All I know is he tells people what he wants and they do it." "And what makes you think that Otto would want to work with us," Rambo asked. Now he sounded more curious and less cynical. "He liked Black Salt. He said they were good, that they should have stayed together. Faith is his favorite singer." "What do you say 'Bo, should we give this guy a try?" Jesse asked. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to talk," said Rambo. "If he can do the things Carrie says he can, he might be just the ticket." Rambo glanced at me. "Looks as if your fan base is more extensive than I suspected, Luv. I figured it was solid but I wasn't expecting this bit of luck." "One question though." This was aimed at Carrie. "Does he know about Vampers?" Carrie nodded. "Yeah, he's been to the clubs. He wants to be one. He's looking for someone willing to turn him." Rambo looked at Shredder and grinned. "Maybe we can work something out after all." *** When the band left Jesse didn't go with them. "I don't think you should be here by yourself," she said. We were on the porch. Rambo, Shredder and Carrie had just driven away. She'd waited in her car until they were gone and then pulled off the street into the driveway. "Besides, we have a deal." I hadn't forgotten the bargain we'd struck in the sculpture garden, how could I. But I also hadn't anticipated things to head this far South. With Rick gone, what I wanted most was to be left alone to lick my wounds and decide what I would do next. That wasn't going to happen now. At the same time, I was still new at this Vamper stuff. Eventually I would need to replenish my blood supply and there were bills that needed to be paid, like utilities. I needed power to run the security cameras and keep my blood supply cool. I had no idea how to deal with that stuff. Rick said Faith had a book that contained all that information but I didn't know where she kept it. I needed Jesse to help me with the day to day stuff until I could do for myself. "How 'bout I fix us a couple of drinks," said Jesse. "Then you can show me around." "Sure," I said. I needed a drink after everything that had happened tonight. I went over to the sofa to wait, my nose picking up the lingering traces of Rick's scent. It would be strange without him around. I'd also have to deal with Faith on my own, once I lured her back. Unless I could convince Otto to help. He might be able to "persuade" her to undo what she'd done. Jesse appeared with the drinks. She plucked down two coasters, set the drinks on them and settled beside me. Sliding one drink my way she lifted hers in a toast. Though I wasn't feeling it, I raised mine. "To a new and beautiful relationship," she said tapping my glass with hers. "To a new and beautiful relationship," I droned. Both of us drank and once again a delicious warmth flowed through me, some of my tension melting away. "So tell me what really happened between you and Rick," Jesse said, " I don't remember him saying anything about a sick Papa." She. tipped her cocktail to her lips, eyeing me over the rim as she sipped. "Well he does" I said, doing my best to make it sound like the truth. She burst into laughter spewing drops of blood wine across the rug. "You are such a lousy liar, Faith," she said, wiping the blood and wine off her lips with the back of her forearm, her eyes teary. "I don't know why you try. I can see through you every time." I bristled, angry not just that Jesse saw through me, but had the audacity to laugh. "Rick wanted a serious relationship," I admitted, there was no point in in trying to hide what had happened any longer "Not the fake one we were pretending to have. I told him I wasn't interested." Jesse's eyes grew large, the corner's of her mouth turned up in a half smile. "Wow. So that's when the shit hit the fan, huh?" "If you mean that's when he left, yeah. He came back to get his things while the sun was up and I was asleep." "He left this." I pulled the note out of my jeans pocket and handed it to Jesse. She unfolded it and began to read, her lips moving with each word. "He loves you, Faith. He really does," she said passing it back to me. "I'm not sure he does. I think he might only think he does, things have been a little crazy since all this happened. The body switch I mean." Jesse chewed on her bottom lip weighing my words. "Doesn't matter, either way," she said. "I've already claimed you. His loss." I forced a smile. "Yeah." "You're uncomfortable with this aren't you?" She said rising to her feet. She walked over to the Steinway and plucked the music I'd been working on off the music rack. "I--" I began. "It's okay, Faith," she said, her back to me, her attention on the sheet of music. "Really it is." She replaced the sheet music and turned to face me. "I expect it to take some time for you to feel comfortable and I'm good with that. Finish your drink and relax. I'm gonna roam around a little, get the lay of the place, pick a bedroom for myself. We can do something later, but only if you want to. You have to want this too. Not just me." I watched her go down the hall, dazed by it all. I asked myself why I viewed Jesse moving in as a problem. She was sexy as hell, she knew how to negotiate through every day tasks as a Vamper and there was safety in numbers. Without her I would be alone and would be vulnerable to things like rogues. So why did I have a problem with her here? Was it her insistence on calling me Faith and not Paul? Or was it something else. Was I afraid I'd grow to enjoy being a girl in a girl-on-girl relationship and want to stay as I was? Before I could decide, Jesse popped her head out from the hall. "Hey Faith," she called. "You have any objection to me moving into Rick's old bedroom? I mean he's not using it anymore." "No, go for it. I'm not sure how well the windows will block out light though," I said and realized I was talking to empty space. She had already left. Feeling miffed from Jesse's rude departure, I got up from the sofa and headed for the back door needing to be free of the confines of the house. The courtyard was lit by patio lights. Mounted beneath the eaves over the back door and at the corners of the house, they illuminated the cobbles that made up the courtyard in high relief. I didn't need the lights to see. I had Vamper vision and saw as well in the dark as a normal human did in the day. But the light cast a cheeriness around me that I welcomed. Beyond the fence the city lights burned like feral stars above the tree tops. I paused to listen to the night: someone watching after hours television, the rustle of leaves stirred by a nighttime breeze, the buzz of far away traffic. Then I became aware of another sound, this one close by, followed by a mew, soft and pleading. I looked down and saw a small, shiny black kitten at my feet. It looked up at me with large round eyes and mewed again. "Hello little one," I said reaching down to cup the tiny body in my hands. I lifted the kitten to my breast and it pressed its head against me purring deliciously. I carried it into the house. "Are you hungry?" I asked lowering it to the floor. It followed me over to the fridge where I fished out what remained of the milk Rick kept for his oatmeal . I sniffed the container assuring myself it was still good and then rummaged around in the pantry for a saucer. Finding what I was looking for, I poured a small amount of milk into the saucer and placed it down by the kitten for it to feed. I pulled up a chair to see if it would accept the offering. It quickly began to lap up the milk. It was obvious the kitty was starving. As I watched it finish what was left in the saucer Jesse came in. "I wondered where you'd made off to," she said. "Who's this little fellow? When did you get a cat?' "About five minutes ago," I said. "He was in the courtyard. I think he's been abandoned. He was starving." "Hey buddy," she said bending down to scratch the kitten behind its ears. It backed away, hissed and shook its head. "He didn't like that," she said. "Could be ear mites," I offered. "Well anyway, when you get done in here, come into Rick's old bedroom. I have something to show you." With Jesse gone I reached down and scratched the kitten where Jesse had, curious to see if I'd get the same reaction. The kitten purred, tilting its head to indicate the spots it wanted me to focus on. For some reason it had no problem with my attentions. Why hadn't it liked Jesse? I shrugged. Maybe she hadn't done it right. I'd grown up with cats. Maybe that gave me an advantage. Who knew? I eased up out of my chair and the kitten meowed. Figuring he was still hungry I filled its saucer with a little more milk making a note I needed to get more along with some cat food. "Be back in a few," I said. Leaving the kitten to lap up the second helping, I went to see what Jesse wanted. She was studying a large wooden rectangle when I reached the bedroom. "Check this out," she said. She passed it to me. "I found it in the closet. The thing was big, around three and a half to four feet tall, half as wide and maybe an inch and a half thick. It looked like particle board and was painted black with a rubber strip around the edges. "Know what it's for?" she asked. I shook my head. "Watch," she said smiling. She carried it over to the window where she had raised the blinds so the banana trees were visible across the yard dividing this property from the house next door. Tilting the wood to duck under the top of the blinds she fit the rectangle of wood neatly into the empty space inside the casing. It fit seamlessly. "Now we have a safe room." She said as if she'd been the one to come up with the idea. "I'll bet you every room in this house has this kind of rig for the windows. The old Faith wasn't taking any chances against sunlight leaking in." "Why would she need to go through all of this when she has a safe place already?" I asked. "There's a windowless room in the back of the house where I sleep." "Don't know," said Jesse, "but I bet I'm right. I'm going to check the other rooms unless that's a problem." "Sure." I said. "Go ahead." I was fine with Jesse looking around. The longer she stayed occupied the more time I had to sort all this out. While Jesse headed toward the back of the house I went to look for the kitten. I found it in the living room. It had wandered out of the kitchen and was staring curiously at the small fire in the fireplace. Sensing my presence it turned toward me and began to meow. I scooped it up and carried to the couch depositing it in my lap. It purred as I stroked its long silky fur. "We need to find you a name," I told the kitten. It looked up at me with large eyes seeming to agree that this was something we did need to do. "I know," I told the cat. "We'll call you Salem. Would you like that?" The kitten seemed to intensify its purring as if to say yes that will be a fine name for me. "Salem it is then," I said. Jesse reappeared just then. "I'm going upstairs," she said. "Be back in a few." I watched her ascend the stairs, wondering what life might be like if she decided to move in permanently with me. As Paul, I hadn't done very well with relationships. Why it had been different with Rick I didn't know, unless it was because he gave me my space. I was sure Jesse wouldn't be that accommodating. *** Holding Salem in my lap reminded me of my pets at home and suddenly I missed them. I wondered how my parents were doing. Were they worried because the letters they sent weren't being answered? How many times had they phoned to have no one pick up on the other end? Had they contacted any of the students that knew me only to be told I had left for Europe with an exchange student? As much I longed to write them, to assure them that I'd only dropped out of school temporarily and would be home soon to explain everything, it was better to say nothing. I needed to keep my focus on finding Faith and forcing her to swap back. Getting caught up in an endless exchange of letters with my parents would be too distracting. As much as it bothered me, they would just have to fret until I was back to being Paul. I was almost grateful when I heard Jesse bounding back down the stairs. At least she'd take my mind off home. "I was right," she said proudly. "There's one of those sunlight blocker things for every window in every room I checked. Wild huh?" I nodded. That was curious. "But this is wilder," she added, piquing my interest even more. She held up a spiral notebook. "I found this in that little office with the computer and all the sealed boxes. I thought you'd want to see it." She passed the notebook to me. I knew immediately what it was. This was the ledger Rick had talked about. The record that contained all the information I needed to contact my fixer. I flipped through the pages amazed at all the bank accounts that were in Faith's name and the amount of money each held, some in the millions. Rick hadn't exaggerated. Faith was loaded. "See what I mean, Jesse exclaimed looking over my shoulder, jabbing a finger at the columns. "What the fuck you need a band for? You're fucking rich, girlfriend" "The band is something I want to do," I said defensively. "Hey, it's cool," Jesse said. "I'm just saying you don't need the money." I put the notebook aside. It bothered me that Jesse had seen as much of it as she had. That stuff was private, for my eyes only and once again I was annoyed with her invading my space, nosing through my stuff (never mind I gave her permission). Later I'd stash the ledger in the safe room, away from her prying eyes. "So how long have you known Rambo?" I asked, needing to say something. I'd meant the question innocently enough and was surprised to see Jesse stiffen. "Seems like forever," she said. She'd walked over to the fire and was holding her palms to the flames. "You know what I hate about being a Vamper, Not ever feeling fucking warm." "So how long is forever?" I persisted knowing I was making her uncomfortable. Her relationship with Rambo was a topic she obviously wanted to avoid but the second glass of blood wine had started to kick in and I was feeling reckless. We were playing a sort of truth or dare she'd started by pressing me about Rick and snooping around in the ledger. She turned back to face me pretending she didn't understand. "Huh?" "You and Rambo," I reminded her. "You said you've known him forever. How long is that in human years?" "We met in the fifties, if you must know. Do the fucking math." Her tone was sour. I did a quick calculation. They had known each other for about fifty years. That was a hell of a long time. Jesse looked like she was in her early twenties and Rambo maybe late thirties. So how old was she, a hundred, two-hundred? "And since we're getting all fucking cozy and everything." Jesse went on not bothering to hide her sarcasm, her eyes going dark. "I think..." She paused, catching herself. "Sorry, I was about to say something I shouldn't. I got a little pissy just then. I think we both did. How 'bout we have another cocktail, make love and not war. You up for it?" I was dangerously buzzed already. Who knew what another drink would do to me. I'd never done three but I wanted to smooth things over with Jess. We'd come close to fighting moments ago and she was the one person that could wreck my plans with the band. If sharing one more drink with her was what it took then that's what I'd do. I 'd just have to watch my mouth. "Sure, why not." "Sweet. That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. She lifted herself up from the couch in that slow sexy way that she knew turned me on. "I'll be right back." She went into the kitchen swinging her ass like a hooker. Jesse returned with the two cocktails. I took one, lifted the glass to my lips and drank. Jesse snuggled up against me, her scent filling my head, arousing me. I took another swallow of the blood cocktail. I could feel the warmth of the bloody mixture warm me driving away the ever present cold Vampers must endure. I wished I could continually feed and never stop, warding away the cold for good. As I sipped at my drink I noticed something was different about this cocktail. I'd begun to drift into a sort of waking slumber like I'd been drugged. I listened to the crackle of the fire in the hearth. Its sound fascinated me like some of novels that I'd read and couldn't put down. In a moment I'd shifted from the sounds of the fire to the far away buzz of traffic on St. Charles. I heard the ting-ting of the street car's bell making a final run before retiring for the night. The rhythm of its wheels thundered in my ears like a hundred drums. Jesse stirred. I felt her arm snake behind my back while her other hand found my breasts, her fingers toying with my nipples, coaxing them hard, erect. I moaned and let her have her way with me. She slipped her arm from behind me, positioning me so I faced her, my head resting against the arm of the couch, my legs extended. Sitting on the edge of the cushion she leaned over me and opened my shirt, slipping it off. Raising my tee-shirt up over my breasts, she lapped at my nipples with her tongue, first one and then the other. The sensations were driving me mad. I dropped my hand to my crouch. My panties already wet with anticipation, I began to massage myself. I could feel the heat in my belly and groin. Pushing my hand aside, Jesse replaced it with her own and began exploring my neither region. At the same time she pressed her lips against mine showering me with kisses. Tremors began to build inside me, each one lifting me higher than the last. I'd never experience sex like this. I fumbled to unbutton my jeans while Jesse tugged until I wiggled out of them. My panties came next and then Jesse was licking my vagina, her tongue darting between my labia to tease at my clitoris. I screamed, my hands pressing her head deeper between my legs as I rode the swell inside me higher and higher until my brain seem to explode as I climaxed. Then she was doing it again and another climax followed the first, and then another,and another until I was I begging her to stop. Jesse pulled her head from between my legs and stood. Her hair was plastered to her cheeks, her clothes rumpled, a grin of satisfaction on her face. "You liked that didn't you," she said. I lay against the arm of the couch too exhausted to speak. I could only nod. "Be back in a minute." I closed my eyes, listening as her bare feet padded across the carpet and away. Then something cold pressed against my cheek. I opened my eyes and saw Jesse was offering me another cocktail. "I'm pretty zonked," I said. "I don't know if I need this." "Don't be a pussy," said Jesse. "This is our night to party down. We probably won't get another chance for awhile." I pushed myself upright and took the glass from her and drank. Jesse was fiddling with a boom box she'd gotten from somewhere, dialing through stations. "This was in the upstairs office with the notebook," she said as she continued her search. She found the station she was looking for and cranked up the volume. My ears picked up a song I knew well, "Box of Thorns." "That's Black Salt." Jesse declared proudly. "It's off your CD. Well, yours now I guess." "Come on," she motioned to me with a hand. "Let's dance." She spun around trying to tempt me off the couch. "It'll be fun Faith. Try it" I tried to force myself up, the music pounding in my head as the room spun. "I'm smashed," I mumbled, falling back down on the cushions. Jesse, seemingly unaffected by all the blood we'd consumed, smiled as she swayed to the strong pulse of power chords, Faith's ethereal voice twisting around the guitar and bass like flowering vines around rusted wrought iron. Dancing to where I lay sprawled on the couch, she took my hand and pulled me to my feet but my balance fled and I toppled back down. Seeing the futility of what she was trying to do, she switched off the music. "You are buzzed, big time," she said with a grin. "Guess this part of the party's over. Come on let's get you to bed." She slipped my right arm over her shoulder and hoisting me to my feet she half guided, half carried me down the hall. My memory after that is fuzzy. I remember sharing a single glass of bloodwine between us and exchanging kisses, our bodies knotted together, our hands exploring each other's secret places. And I remember moans of pleasure and the smoldering heat of sex. *** I woke to Salem's purrs. The kitten was nudging me with its head as if to say "wake up and feed me". When I did open my eyes I wasn't in my bed. I was in the bedroom Jesse was using, Rick's old room. There were half a dozen sex aides scattered around, a large dildo ( a strap on) some jars of flavored gels and some stuff I wasn't sure what they were for. Apparently we'd had a pretty good time . There were voices in the living room. I recognized them as Rambo and Jesse. They were fighting. "Of all the fucking times you've cocked-up, this one is a beauty." "She was hurting, Bo. What was I supposed to do, just leave her to suffer by herself?" "Don't give me that shit, Jesse. I'm not some wanker off the street. I've watched you chat up with her since the two of you met. You were looking to take her to bed from the beginning and now you've gone and thrown a spanner in the works. What in the hell were you thinking? I've said a hundred times relationships and business don't mix. I could tic off a score of bands that have broken up because members got cozy. The question is whether to toss this whole Bloody Faithful thing before I waste anymore time. It was a crazy idea to begin with." There was a pause, then, "Where is Faith. anyway?" "She's still in bed. We...we partied a little last night." "Well that's icing on the cake. Doing the skullcap again, I'm guessing. You swore off of that Jess. You know what it does to Vampers." "Just a little. I wanted to take her mind off things." "It wasn't about a do. You wanted to shag her." "What if I did." Jesse's voice had risen in pitch. "You're not my fucking daddy." "I'm more than your daddy, Sweet Cakes. I'm you're fucking keeper and you'd do best to remember --." "It was my fault," I said, I'd dressed and now stood in the doorway between the hall and the living room. Both Jesse and Rambo turned at the sound of my voice. "Hello Luv," Rambo said in an effort to compose himself. "I asked her to stay last night," I said, "I didn't want to be alone. I didn't know it would be a problem." Rambo eyed me curiously. His brow creased as if weighing the validity of my words. "No problem," he said. "Just a misunderstanding on my part." He looked at Jesse. "Then you'll be coming back to the rental tonight," He said dryly. I glanced at Jesse and nodded. "Yeah sure Bo," she said. "I'll be there before sun up. Rambo shifted his attention to me. "I want to schedule a practice for tomorrow," he said. "We need to get our shit together so we can start booking gigs. We're all professionals here so it should only take one or two more sessions before we're ready for the stage." "The basement is set up like we left it," I said. "Anytime we want to use it." "I'm thinking right after dark," said Rambo. "Sounds good," I replied. "Well with that done, I'm off." said Rambo moving toward the door. Pausing in the open doorway he glanced back at Jesse. "Don't be late, Jess." "Just give me a little while and I'll be there," she said. "See that you are." And with that he left, closing the door hard behind him. "What was that last bit about?" I asked Jesse as I crossed into the living room. I settled into one of the large over stuffed chairs and locked my eyes on hers waiting for the explanation. "I'm supposed to be staying with Rambo for the time being," she said. "He's kind of like my supervisor." "How is he like your supervisor?" I asked. Supervisors were usually positions that were work related. You didn't find them in bands. "Okay," she said maybe that's not the right word. What I mean is he's like a I don't know, a big brother. He's keeping me out of trouble." "Does this have to do with Skullcap?" I asked. "Yeah, it does," said Jesse scowling at me. "How'd you know about that?" "It was hard not to hear what you and Rambo were saying. You guys were pretty much shouting at each other." "I had a problem with the stuff," said Jesse. "Had?" It looked to me like she still did. "Okay," she corrected. "I have a problem with it. Bo, keeps an eye on me. He makes sure I stay clean." "You put that stuff in my drink last night didn't you, without telling me." "I was just trying to loosen you up a little. You're so fucking up tight. Gawd, Faith," she moaned. "Why don't you get on my fucking case too. See how much you and Rambo can beat up on me." I started to say I didn't appreciate being drugged no matter what the fucking reason. But before I could, Jesse's face seemed to lengthen, her features sagged and tears flooded out of her eyes. She dropped onto the couch, clasped her hand together and jammed them between her knees the gesture reminding me of a small child. "You hate me don't you," she bawled. "I don't blame you but all I was trying to do was to give us a chance to--" "I don't hate you," I cut in. "What we did last night was..." I paused. "Was nice." Jesse raised her head and looked at me with red rimmed eyes. "Do you mean that." "Would I have taken up for you if I didn't?" I asked. Jesse smiled. "You took up for me because you're too much of a softie to be dangerous. Look Faith, I know the only reason you were doing all of this is because you want to go back to being whoever you were before." "Jess--" I began. "Let me finish. I'm cool with it. I'm going to keep your secret even though Rambo's pretty much wrecked everything. We'll be your band until whenever. You're a good person, Faith. You should have never been in this situation to begin with. I'll do whatever I need to to help you set things right." "I need to go," she said rising from the couch "I'm already in enough trouble. I'll see you tomorrow night." She came over and kissed me on the cheek. "Love you," she said. Then she went out the door.