First and Always: The Forever Duet

by Brooke, Rebecca

  Christine followed the line of my gaze. “Are you going to answer it?”

  “I don’t know if I want to.” The butterflies in my stomach went crazy again.

  “Yes, you do.” Christine leaned back and swiped the phone from the table, holding it out to me. I looked at it like a grenade about to go off in her hand. Miles’s name flashed on the screen as the phone continued to ring.

  “Answer it. Not knowing is going to make you even crazier than knowing the outcome.”

  With shaking hands, I reached for the phone and answered the call.

  Before I even had a chance to say hello, Miles was screaming in my ear. “We’re in.”

  “It’s okay, we’ll…wait”—my whole body froze as my brain processed his words—“did you say we’re in?”

  “Bitch, yes. First it takes you forever to answer your phone and then you don’t listen to me?”

  “I was listening. I guess I didn’t expect you to say that.” My eyes met Christine’s and I could see the smile in hers.

  “He was too nervous to answer the phone.”

  Miles chuckled. “Should’ve known. Always thinking the worst.”

  “So we’re really in? Punk Beat wants to record us?”

  “They do. They loved the songs we played for them. They have some ideas to add a few and they want to use ‘Disbelieving Change’ as the first single. But they said they’d put everything into a contract for us and our lawyer to review before we sign.”

  “Holy shit,” I breathed.

  Christine’s smile grew. “They want you, don’t they?”

  I shook my head, trying to get rid of the disbelief. “They do.”

  She bent down and pressed a brief kiss to my lips. “I told you they would.”

  I leapt up, Christine still in my arms. “Fuck, yes. They want us.” She giggled as I lowered her to the ground. She picked up the phone where it had fallen to the floor and handed it to me.

  Her lips moved across my cheek to my ear. “Talk with Miles. I’m going to jump in the shower, then we’ll celebrate.”

  Heat burned through my veins. Suddenly I didn’t want to talk to Miles anymore. Following Christine down the hall sounded much more appealing than going through the details.

  “Aiden, are you listening?” Miles asked while I watched Christine’s ass sway as she walked toward our bedroom. If we could get a hit out of one of the songs, someday I’d be able to buy Christine a house of our own and get out of the crappy apartment living.

  “Honestly, no.”

  “Stop watching Christine’s ass and pay attention.”

  Wait, what?

  “I wasn’t.”

  “Bullshit, every time that woman walks away your eyes can’t help but follow her. I’ve been watching you do it forever. You think just because you live together now things have changed?’

  “Nope. Not a damn thing and don’t worry, it never will.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t expect it to. But give me five minutes then you can go have your woman any which way you want her.”

  With an effort I pushed a naked Christine in the shower out of my mind. “Okay, you have my full attention.”

  “Finally.” I could practically hear the eye roll in his voice. “Now that you’re listening. The Punk Beat rep, Duane, wants to meet with us on Thursday to go over everything. They want to start recording the first single as soon as possible.”

  “Did they say which song?”

  “Yes, fuck, you really weren’t listening. They want ‘Disbelieving Change’.”

  “Damn, sorry.” I raked a hand through my hair. “So once we sign, did they say when we would start recording?”

  “As long as one of the recording booths is open, they want to start recording a week after we sign.”

  I flopped against the back of the couch and blew out a breath. “Wow, everything is happening so fast.”

  “Is that what happened with Jaded Ivory?”

  “I guess. I never asked Jackson.”

  “Wait, wait, wait. Your best friend is one of the greatest resources we’ve ever had and you didn’t ask him questions?”

  “I asked him some, but I was afraid of the answer to others.”

  Miles laughed. “You’re ridiculous sometimes. At some point in your life you’re going to have to learn how to take a leap without worrying about the consequences.”

  “I always worry about the consequences. Now, did you call Kylee and Dylan?”

  “Nope, I called you first.”

  I sat up again. “Well, stop keeping me on the phone and let them know. I’m sure they’re just as worried as I was.”

  “Probably. Which is why you’re going to call Kylee while I call Dylan so they don’t have to wait as long.”

  The sound of the shower running grabbed my attention. Getting on the phone did not sound like my kind of fun at the moment. My mind going through all the things I’d rather be doing in the shower with Christine.

  “Aiden,” Miles snapped.

  “What?” I snapped back.

  “For fuck’s sake, you live with the woman. Call Kylee before you go find your naked girlfriend.”

  I growled at him. “Sometimes I wonder why we’re friends.”

  “Because I keep you on track when you need a reminder.”

  “Asshole. I’m hanging up now so I can call Kylee, then find my girlfriend naked in the shower.”

  “When you’re done get dressed and meet us at Anchor Point. We’re going to celebrate.”

  “Fine. We’ll be there in a little while.”

  “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “Bye, Miles.” I hit end on the call before the little shit could rile me up any more.

  I scrolled through my contacts and pressed Kylee’s number.

  “Shit, what happened?” she asked as soon as the call connected. I opened my mouth to answer, but she started talking again. Or maybe I should have said rambling again. “Wait, don’t tell me. I’m not sure I can handle it. I had so much hope that they would love—”

  “Kylee. Stop talking.”

  Instantly the phone went silent on the other line.

  “They said yes.”

  Screaming ensued, making me pull the phone away from my ear so I didn’t lose my hearing in the process. When the sound on the other end of the phone quieted, I cautiously brought it back to my ear.

  “Are you done?”

  “I think so.” Her voice was raspy.

  “I hope so. Good thing there’s no singing for you any time soon.”

  “Tell me more.”

  I gave her the rundown Miles had given me. “We’re going to meet at Anchor Point in a bit to celebrate.”

  “Perfect. I’ll meet you guys there.”

  As I hung up with Kylee, the shower turned off. Damn, an opportunity missed, but we had all the time in the world to celebrate after we got home. I glanced down at my phone again and decided to call the one other person who mattered in all of this.

  “Aiden, what’s up? I haven’t heard from you in forever.” Jackson’s voice was familiar and comforting. It reminded me of home. Ironically, I chose to call him before I called my parents. Jackson wasn’t just my best friend, he was more like my brother.

  I couldn’t contain my excitement any longer. “We got signed.”

  “Fuck yeah,” he shouted into the phone. “By who? When did that happen? Why didn’t I know this was happening?”

  “Jesus. One question at a time.”

  “You’re the one who left me in the dark until now. I want to know what’s happening.”

  The corners of my lips curled up into a smile. Some things never changed. “Punk Beat asked us to come in and play for them after one of their people saw us at a club a few months back.”

  “A few fucking months ago? And you’re just telling me this now?” His voice rose an octave or two.

  “Calm the fuck down. I’m telling you everything.”

  “Fine,” he rumbled. “What happe
ned?”

  “What do you think happened? We went in and played. They called Miles this afternoon.”

  “That’s fantastic. Did they give you any other details?”

  Christine emerged from the end of the hallway. A smile lifting the corners of her lip.

  It took me a few seconds to answer, my entire focus on the woman watching me. “A few. We’ll know more when we meet with them at the end of the week.”

  “Wow, did I lose your attention fast.”

  “Hey, Jackson,” Christine called out.

  I moved the phone slightly away from my mouth. “How did you know it was him?”

  “That explains the distraction,” I heard in my ear. “Hey, Christine.”

  I moved the phone back. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Only one person in this world distracts you like that.”

  “Very funny, dick.”

  “Can’t help it if you don’t like the truth.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Go celebrate with your woman and make sure you call me when you have more details.”

  I stood up and wandered over to where Christine had stopped. “I will, Dad. Promise.”

  “Damn, that’s the best you got. You need to come home more often so I can teach you about comebacks again.”

  “I’m hanging up now.”

  “Go. But, seriously. I’m really proud of you. I feel like I’ve been waiting for this phone call forever.”

  “I’m glad I could finally make it.” Christine wrapped her arms around my waist and I rested my chin on her head.

  “Me too.”

  “See, I told you things weren’t over when I left. We just each had to figure out where we were supposed to be.”

  “I’ll give you that one. I’d always hoped we’d be playing together, but I’m fucking thrilled we both made it.”

  “We’ll play together someday.”

  “I know. Now it’s pretty much guaranteed. Call me later when you have the details.”

  “You got it. Later.”

  I disconnected the call and placed my finger under Christine’s chin. “Ready?”

  “Absolutely. I want to go meet this really good, up and coming band. Hopefully, I can get their autographs before they become too popular.” She winked.

  I gave her a light smack on the ass. “Let’s go. I’ll make you pay for being a smart-ass later.”

  She bolted out of my arms giggling and ran right for the front door. I shoved my phone in my pocket and went to grab the keys from the table.

  They were gone. When I looked out the door, Christine was already standing by the driver’s side, waving them in her hand.

  That woman could read me like a book. She didn’t even have to ask and she knew what to do. Now I could drink and celebrate without worry.

  I would never find another woman like her and I’d never want to.

  13

  This had to be my craziest idea ever. A whimper hit my ears from the backseat of the car.

  “Hold on, little guy. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  Hopefully, she didn’t want to kill me for this.

  But she’d been talking about getting a dog for as long as I could remember. Except she always had an excuse not to pick one out. Now that we had a townhouse of our own and the band had been recording our first album for the last six months, I figured it was now or never.

  It had taken me months to find the perfect dog. One that could travel easily no matter where we went. I knew Christine well enough to know that she wouldn’t let this dog out of her sight ever once she got her hands on him.

  Even knowing she wanted a dog, I had no idea how she’d react to getting one for her birthday. The difference from one day to the next had taken me by surprise. Each day she trusted me more. But I still worried that each new level of commitment would scare her. The last few years we spent together had been a testament to how far we’d come.

  But, would a new dog seem like more of a commitment to her? One that she may not be ready for? It had taken her time to agree to move in with me. Then to get the townhouse. And now I planned to add a pet to the mix. I had no idea what I’d been thinking. Or maybe, I hadn’t been.

  I pulled into our designated parking place and shut off the engine. Resting my head against the seat, I took a deep breath, hoping this wouldn’t be the thing that pushed her too far.

  Rolling my shoulders back, I shoved open the door and reached into the back seat for the small carrier the puppy rode home with me in. I unzipped the front of the bag and the little guy instantly darted out onto my lap. His little tail wagging a hundred miles an hour.

  “You’re so fucking adorable.” I lifted him up and set him in the oversized box I’d gotten. “Now be quiet for a few minutes. I promise it won’t be long.” I adjusted the large blue bow around his neck and placed the lid on the top of the box.

  A few moments passed before I moved, waiting to make sure he didn’t start barking. When there wasn’t a peep, I lifted the box into my arms and climbed out of the car.

  “Please be unlocked. Please be unlocked.”

  No way could I get the key into the lock with the box in my hand. I pressed down on the handle and sent up a thank you. Music filtered from down the hall. The box started to shake in my hands. Poor guy was probably getting restless.

  He would give us away if I waited too long. “Christine.” I walked over to the couch and set the box on the cushion in the middle.

  “Yeah?”

  “Can you come out here for a second?”

  The music disappeared a few moments before she appeared at the end of the hall. “What’s up?”

  Her hair was pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head with her sleeves pulled up to her elbows. A look that normally meant she spent the morning working on school assignments. After she’d graduated, she decided to go back to school for her master’s degree, which I wholeheartedly supported.

  It wasn’t easy when we worked on new music late into the night and I got home long after she’d gone to bed or the local trips to open for other bands. With only this semester left, there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

  “I have a birthday present for you.” I gestured to the large box next to me.

  Her brows drew together. “You know my birthday isn’t until next week.”

  “True, but I also know you’ve been stressed over the last bit of work for the semester.”

  She sighed and took a seat next to the box. “I know. I’m just so exhausted, but I keep reminding myself that once these classes are over, I’m done for good.”

  I rested my hand on top of hers, where it sat on her leg. “Yes, and you’ll realize how worth this all was in the end.”

  She rolled her eyes. “God, I hope so.”

  “I also figured you could use a break and what better way to take a break than open a present.”

  The little guy had kept quiet, but I didn’t know how much longer he had it in him.

  She traced the top of the box with her finger. “This box is huge. What could you possibly have in here?”

  “I guess you’ll have to open it to find out, won’t you?”

  She watched me for a moment, then reached down and grabbed either side of the lid. With one quick lift it was off and the little guy did not disappoint, practically leaping out of the box to get to her.

  “Oh my God.” She dropped the lid on the floor and immediately reached for him. Gently, she lifted him out of the box and snuggled him into her chest. “I can’t believe how cute you are.”

  “I take it you like him then?”

  “Like him? I absolutely love him. I can’t believe you got me a puppy for a present. What kind is he? Does he have a name? Where did he come from?”

  I lifted my hands up, palms out. “Whoa, slow down. You gotta give me a chance to answer before you throw a million questions out there.”

  She laughed as the puppy crawled up and licked her face. “Fine. One at a time
. Boy or girl?”

  “Boy.”

  “Does he have a name?”

  “Not until you pick one.”

  She moved the puppy to one hand. The other going up to her chest. “You mean I get to pick his name?”

  Whether it was excitement or nerves, I didn’t know what made her ask such an obvious question. Which made me bite my tongue instead of making a joke.

  “Yeah, of course you do. Any thoughts?”

  “I have a bunch, but I want to pick just the right name.”

  “Well, there’s nothing wrong with taking your time.”

  Christine leaned back against the couch, the puppy curling up in her arms and closing its eyes. That’s when I noticed a tear trace down her cheek. I pushed the box to the floor and slid across the couch next to her.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She sniffled. “Nothing.”

  When I said nothing, and simply stared at her, she shook her head.

  “I promise, nothing’s wrong.”

  “But…”

  “I’m just so happy. If you would’ve asked me when we first met whether I’d ever meet someone who would love me unconditionally the way you do, someone who would listen and take to heart everything I said, someone who would be there no matter what, I would’ve said no.” She brushed at the tear on her face and smiled. “Now I couldn’t imagine my life with anyone else.”

  “You know how much I love you, right?”

  “I do.” She ran her hand over the soft fur on the puppy’s head. “Thank you so much for my birthday present. I love him so much.”

  I lifted my arm over her shoulder and held her close. “You’re welcome. I hoped you would love him.”

  “Of course I do. Were you afraid I wouldn’t?” She gazed up at me through her lashes.

  “Not really. I knew you’d love him. I was afraid you’d say that it wasn’t the right time to get a dog.”

  She giggled. “Is there ever a right time to get a new dog?”

  “Hell if I know. My mom preferred cats. Still does.”

  She snuggled the little guy in even more. “We hopefully can train him to not try and eat your mom’s cats. ’Cause I have a feeling he’s not going to be much bigger than, if not a little smaller.”

  “Probably not. I’m sure Whiskers will be too sacred to come out of her hiding place anyway.”