long legs either side of Rielle’s. “Sit close,” she said, and Teflon scooted closer, but not close enough. She frowned. “Like crowd me, dude.” Teflon cocked his head, and jammed his body up against Rielle’s back. He had a goofy expression on his face that made Jake clamp down on his back teeth not to laugh. Lizard and Bunk didn’t feel the same compulsion, both of them yucking it up. He silenced them with a noisy throat clear.
“I want your arms around me and your hands on my knees. That’s while the extension is happening and the cage is moving. When we get to the top, we stand. Then I want your hands all over me,” said Rielle.
Teflon’s eyes popped—his grin was rubber lipped. He shot a triumphant look at Bunk and Liz and chanted, “Yes, Miss, right away, Miss.”
“Show me how it’s done, you wanker,” called Bunk, slapping down a challenge.
A throat clear wasn’t going to do it. “Stow it, Bunk.”
Rielle stood, and a heartbeat behind her Teflon stood as well. He towered over her, his arms suddenly looking octopus tentacle long. He wrapped Rielle in an awkward bear hug and she slapped his hands away.
“I’m singing, you loser. If you do that you’ll cut my air off.”
Jake winced. Bodge beside him did too. The two other jokers were dead of night quiet.
“Sorry.” Tef dropped his arms as though Rielle had scalded him.
“Try again,” she said.
He reached around Rielle and grabbed her hips, yanking her back against him.
“No!”
“This is why we don’t want a real audience member, they tend to go a little mad,” said Jonas, clearly not snoozing.
Lizard had a coughing fit that might’ve started out as laughter, but got choked off when Jake glared at him.
“Turn around,” Rielle barked. When Teflon looked at her and didn’t move she pushed him so that he was facing the other way. She stood up close behind him, and pressed her face into his back. She brought her hands around his waist, and then wandered them across, and over his chest, and then down his legs. She skirted across his hips and ever so close to his groin, and he flinched in surprise.
“Christ, it’s Christmas, Tef,” called Bodge, finally losing his cool. He shot Jake a contrite look, but his body was shaking with silent mirth. Any minute now, Jake was going to lose it too. Bunk had his mouth open; Lizard was flushed an odd shade of pink.
Rielle released Teflon so quickly he lost his balance and had to grab the railing, which made Lizard call, “Man overboard!”
“Now you,” said Rielle, turning her back to Teflon.
“God help us,” said Jake, as Tef glued himself to Rielle’s back and groped her breasts. His urge to look away was strong, but not as strong as the one to keep gawking.
“Argh!” she yelled, and grabbing Tef’s hands, showed him precisely how she wanted him to touch her.
Teflon wore an expression of baffled wonder, and when Rielle brought his hands back to her breasts and held them there, he was red faced, all his earlier bravado concertinaed into rock solid embarrassment.
Beside him, Bodge sighed. “Why am I so fucking old and fat.”
“Never mind, Bodge.” Bunk patted Bodge on the back. “I’ll think of you when it’s my turn to do her.”
“Hey,” Jake snapped. “A bit of respect.”
“You do it now,” Rielle said to Teflon. She made him do the whole hands everywhere routine four times before she was satisfied he had it down. “Now we kiss.” Teflon whooped loudly enough for two of the catering staff to pop their heads out of the backstage area for a gander.
“Jake, I get to do this don’t I?” asked Lizard, eagerness sending his eyebrows sailing up his forehead. “Man, I’d pay money to do this.”
Jake was trying so hard not to lose it he could hardly answer. His voice came out all uneven. “Liz, if Tef has a brain explosion up there, you’ll have to do it every second night.”
Lizard bounced on the balls of his feet. “I’m ready, Reedy, I’m ready.”
Rielle had turned to face Teflon. She pushed him back to a seated position and stood between his legs. She put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him. Tef’s arms shot out and around her waist and Jake, Bodge, Bunk and Lizard groaned as she held that kiss far longer than they expected. Far longer than Tef would ever have dreamed possible.
“It’s a two minute kiss,” said Jonas, still prone on the