TANTRIC (Book 3 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 32: Hippie Chics Have Setbacks

Time to check in with the girls. 

The song for this chapter is Last Hurrah by Bebe Rexha. Not only is it a great girls' night song, alot of the imagery seems to suggest some of Ashlynn's past experiences. Also the song implies that a struggle to "get right" is never-ending...

Ashlynn

Mac really knows her Nashville scene, because VIP in the Chocolate Lounge is the place to be.

I've never been in a chocolate lounge, but I have been in a hookah bar, and the VIP vibe is similar. The front is like a deli, with customers lined up at the cases to purchase truffles, ice cream, and various other slices of chocolate heaven. The VIP upstairs is really a bar-- low lighting, Moroccan decor, a DJ playing club music with an exotic vibe, groups of low plush seats. Instead of large, strange smoking apparati one would find adorning the tables at a hookah bar, each VIP area is outfitted with a large dark chocolate fountain, surrounded by colorful fondu pots of various specialty chocolates—white, orange, even chili flavored melted chocolate. As soon as we arrive, "Mrs. Heartley" is greeted by the manager and ushered to her 'usual space' at the front of the top floor, where floor to floor casement windows are cranked open, making us feel like we are a part of the lively Nashville street life, while overhead radiant heaters keep us comfortable and keep the chocolate nice and melty.

Platters of fruit, cakes, marshmallows, biscotti, croissants, homemade pretzels, canoli and bite sized cheesecakes arrive effortlessly. Kat orders a chocolate martini, Mac and Tam order both order milk, and I decide on a chocolate infused orange tea.

Before we even get our drink orders, the DJ's mix transitions to The Siege, Dev's song featuring Mac.

She colors from her forehead all the way down to the plunging v-neck of her long sleeved tee, but she leans forward, using her long strawberry blonde hair to cover it as she peruses the food. That's a move I know well.

I'm sitting beside her on the couch, and I lean my head into hers. "Being naked on the cover of Rolling Stone doesn't embarrass you. Simulating sex onstage with Adam doesn't embarrass you. A DJ playing your number one hit while you are in the house embarrasses you?"

She picks up a strawberry and rolls it in the chocolate, then smears it all over my lips, leaning in to lick it off. I swat at her, laughing as she throws herself back on the couch. I feel my own face heat.

"Good, now you are the same shade of pink as me," she winks.

Kat is sipping her martini watching. "Wait—that was just a prank, right?"

"Of course," Mac beams. "I'm so faithful to Adam it's fucking ridiculous. The hottest of hot people walk by and I'm like... 'Meh, they've got nothing on Preacher.' I used to think it was just the newness of marriage and being pregnant with his baby..." Mac rubs her belly, "but I have to say...six months into being married and I love him more every single day."

I wrap my arms around her arm and lean on her shoulder. "I'm so happy for you."

"Ditto," Kat winks.

Tam holds up her milk in a toast to Mac. "You gotta good one. Almost as good as mine."

Kat nods. "Ben is a good dude. A real good dude."

"He's completely amazing with...everything. The whole situation is hard. Not really for him, but for me. So much harder than I realized it would be. Leed's been incredible, too. It's just...different than I thought it would be. I didn't expect to...well...it's just different." Tam gives me a reluctant smile and a sheepish shrug of her shoulders, then looks at Ollie, peacefully sleeping in his carrier, with adorable little earphones on his head.