Power Games by Victoria Fox Page A

‘OK.’
    The exit chimed just as Hank, the store’s owner, came through.
    ‘What the hell’s just happened out here—?’
    But the door was already swinging shut behind them.
    Noah Lawson did walk Angela home, that day and the whole summer after. He could have walked her to the ends of the earth and back, and still never tired. He knew from that very first day that he would never be able to share her with anyone.

11
    London
    I t was Saturday night and Kevin Chase was performing live on The Craig Winston Show. He hated gigging in tight studio spaces, so close to the primly seated front row it felt as if he was screaming the lyrics in their faces. It reminded him of his audition with Cut N Dry: the panel of execs, Sketch looking on approvingly as he had sang and danced like a court buffoon until every muscle in his body hurt. It had gone to the wire between him and some stammering kid whose name he couldn’t remember.
    The choice, Sketch told him later, had been easy.
    Tonight marked the unveiling of his new single, the coming-of-age ‘Wise Up’. Recently commissioned by Cut N Dry in light of Kevin’s refusal to continue playing the pretty-boy-perfect role, it was about crossing the frontier into adulthood—or at least that was how Sketch had sold it. It wasn’t quite as sexy and edgy as Kevin had hoped for, but he supposed it was a start. At least it wasn’t about cuddly fucking toys.
    ‘You say you wanna feel me, girl this is the real me, come right here and deal me, cos girl I wanna call ya, I swear I will enthral ya, baby take it all yeah …’
    The audience remained on their fat asses as Kevin charged the small stage, working his dance routines, the flaps of his knee-length Cavalli coat flying out behind him. A handful of Little Chasers had been admitted which prevented the whole thing becoming totally cringe-worthy, like he was an upstart kid flaunting his wares at a school assembly, and squealed their approval as he shuffled to the beat.
    ‘I swear girl you’re so beautiful, you know I think you’re beautiful …’
    At this the Little Chasers squealed some more, and Kevin noticed through the blaring lights that one of them was at least his age, if not a couple years older. That was a novelty. She was pretty, too, with a thick dark fringe and sparkling eyes.
    ‘ Be mine tonight, the best night of your life … ’ He stepped off the stage, an impromptu move, and claimed the girl’s hand. Fingers snatched at him from all directions, mauling his clothes and tugging him close. But Kevin’s gaze remained on the girl’s. ‘ Don’t put up a fight, let me hold you tight … ’
    The girl stared back at him in open worship, her lips sweetly parted.
    Kevin hit the closing high note, tipping his head back to belt it, and before the lights went down he twirled once, brilliantly, on the spot, punching his arm high into the air. The applause was ear-splitting. Kevin returned to the stage to receive Craig Winston’s praise, and decided then that he would be banging that girl tonight.
    ‘Never go with a fan.’
    That had been one of Sketch’s first nuggets of advice.
    But Sketch wasn’t here now, was he?
    The girl was. His assistant had sorted it.
    ‘I can’t believe this is happening,’ the girl told him, hervoice shaking wildly as she perched on a chair in his dressing room. Kevin was busy peeling off his suit.
    ‘You don’t mind …’ he gestured to his bare, sweat-drenched torso, ‘do you?’
    She blushed and turned away. ‘I, er …’
    ‘What’s your name?’ he asked, relishing the power. This was a different kind of power to the power he felt on stage. Sexual. Potent. Animalistic.
    It would be his first time. Great that she was older, she could steer him if he needed it, but his own pleasure would be paramount. It was the golden combination.
    ‘M-Marie,’ she faltered.
    ‘That’s a pretty name.’
    Kevin kept his pants on for now. He was conscious that he hadn’t yet got hard. When