by Laura Gates
Beau cleaned up very nicely. His hair was spiked coming to a point in front, and he wore a nice dress shirt, a leather jacket, dark indigo jeans, and to her surprise, loafers. She looked outside her door and saw his Camaro. Her heart started to calm down when she saw him smile at her. "You are perfect," he said. Evie blushed. "You are, too. I had no idea you owned a pair of loafers," she said. Beau laughed. He held up his hand. Evie grabbed her black purse before grabbing Beau's hand. He opened the passenger side door for Evie before she climbed in. Beau climbed in the car on the driver's side and pulled out of the driveway, driving towards the city.
Evie watched as Beau drove across the Golden Gate Bridge. She had never ridden inside a Camaro before, and it had a lot of horsepower. It had an updated stereo with Bluetooth installed so that a phone could connect to the car. Beau turned his music on, which was playing Walk This Way by Aerosmith. Of course, Evie thought to herself. She knew how much Beau admired Aerosmith. They were the reason he picked up the guitar in the first place. Her mind began wandering to when Beau played Percival, her violin. Then her mind wandered to how he named all of his guitars including his chrome guitar, which she called Chromy even though Beau called it Chrome.
They were quiet for a while, so she decided to ask, "What did you and Phoebe like to do on dates?" Beau looked at Evie for a second. "We did a lot of stuff. We loved watching movies, going for rides on my motorcycles or roadsters, trying out new restaurants, shopping, walking at Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, going to concerts, and we went dancing a lot when we started dating," he responded.
"She sounds like she was lots of fun."
"She was. She helped me grow up back when the band started, and we were crazy. She was really kind."
"I think I would have liked her," Evie said.
"Everyone did, but I think you guys would have been the best of friends." Evie smiled at that thought. Beau paused before reaching for Evie's hand. "You remind me of her quite a bit."
Evie smiled bigger. "I'm glad. I'm not exactly like her, am I?"
"No, I don't think so. She was very on point about everything whereas you are a bit more laid back. You dance way more than she did, but you guys dance very similarly. You have a broader interest in music. She was from Argentina, and you are American. She sewed, designed, and made her clothes."
Evie laughed because she shared a lot of similarities with Phoebe. "Well, actually, I made my kids' bedding since I didn't like any of the bedding in stores. Also, my brother-in-law is from Mexico," she said with a big smile on her face.
Beau looked at her. "Wow, I have a type," he said jokingly. They continued laughing. "What other similarities do I have with her?" Evie asked. "You are both very selfless people who do whatever they can for their kids. You both are extremely determined and stubborn. Everyone loves you, too," Beau said winking. Evie smiled. "Thanks," she said. "You're welcome," Beau said, rubbing his thumb against Evie's hand.
Beau pulled into a parking garage in Downtown San Francisco. He climbed out, walked over to the passenger side, and helped Evie climb out of the car. Holding hands, they walked to the street towards a pub called Gallager's. When they walked inside, the song Paranoid blared through the room. Evie instantly liked the place and smiled trying to see where the local band playing a Black Sabbath cover was.
"Beau, hey, man!" said the host. Beau shook his hand. "Who is this?" the host said, turning to Evie. "Evie Long," she said, holding out her hand. "Nice to meet you. Follow me, and I will get you guys a table by the band." "Thanks, man," Beau said.
They followed the host to a table relatively close to the band who all looked like they were in their early 20s. The host pulled out Evie's chair for her before she sat down. She proceeded to take off her scarf and jacket. Beau sat down across from her before taking his jacket off as well. Evie looked around the place and saw a pool table and a pinball machine. The bar had that underground thrash vibe from the early days, which Evie loved. "Hey, Beau! Where have you been, man?" an older gentleman said as he walked up to the table. Beau stood up and hugged the man. "Hey, Carl," Beau said. Carl then turned to Evie.
"And who is this hot, young, thing?" Carl asked as Evie began turning fifteen shades of purple. "This is my date and tour manager, Evie Long," Beau said to Carl, "Evie, this is Carl Gallager. He owns the place." "Oh, hello. It's nice to meet you," Evie said, shaking Carl's hand. Carl smiled at Evie. "The tour manager, huh? She is by far the hottest one I have seen to date," Carl said candidly. Evie blushed again. She couldn't recall a time in her life when she had blushed so much in one day. Beau smiled at Evie, knowing that Carl was right because she was the only woman to take on the task, but he had seen other women before and knew Carl was right.
"So," Carl said to Evie, "how do you like my bar?" "I love it," she said. "Cool. My bar is where Death Toll got started," Carl said. "Really? You guys played here, too?" Evie asked Beau. "Yes. We use to help him clear out all the tables, chairs, pool table, and pinball machine so that there was room for everyone to stand. Also, fans broke a lot of stuff during those days," Beau said. Evie laughed. "Well, guys, enjoy your meals. I will make sure your server takes good care of you," Carl said before walking away. "Thanks, man. See ya!" Beau said.
The server stopped by their table, took drink orders, and food orders. Beau ordered a Coke and a double bacon cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce. Evie ordered water with lime and a single bacon cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce. "While we wait for our food, want to play some pinball?" Beau asked. "Absolutely," Evie said.
They stood up and went over to the pinball machine. Beau pulled out two quarters and put them in the machine. "You go first," he said. Evie pulled back to release the ball. She kept everything going for a while and ended up with a pretty high score before her game ended. Evie noticed that Beau kept an arm around her at all times rubbing her shoulder now and then, which she enjoyed. He made sure to keep an arm around her as well.
Beau pulled out a couple more quarters and had his turn. He kept the ball going for a long time as well, eventually ending up with the high score. The band played some sick covers of AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy, Motorhead, and of course Death Toll. Evie was having a lot of fun. Beau and Evie sat back down before their food got to the table. Just as they were diving into their food, the band took their break.
"Hi, are you Beau Halstead?" the bassist asked Beau as he approached their table. Beau swallowed his bite of burger and nodded. "Awesome! Could we get a picture with you?" he asked. Beau smiled. "Of course! Death Toll got started here, so I am happy to take pictures with the bands playing here," he said. "Would you mind?" the bassist asked Evie handing her his phone. "Sure," Evie said. The band and Beau huddled together, and she took a couple of pictures of them. "All right, there you go, boys. Good luck!" Beau said. "Thank you, Mr. Halstead!" they all shouted. He chuckled to himself. "You are super nice," Evie said. "So are you," Beau responded.
They continued to finish their meals. Beau snarfed down his burger, and Evie inhaled her burger and fries. She didn't realize how hungry she was until she saw the burger. "Shall we go?" Beau asked as Evie wiped her face with a napkin. Evie suddenly felt very nervous, and her hands became clammy. Beau stood up from his chair and helped Evie stand up. Beau left the money plus a tip on the table. He threw a $100 into the guitar case of the bassist before they walked out the door.
Beau and Evie walked back to the Camaro, climbed in, and began driving towards San Rafael. They held hands again, but this time there was a bit more electricity in their touches. Beau rubbed his thumb against Evie's hand. Soon, Evie started moving their hands up Beau's thigh where it rested. She wanted to make sure he knew she was ready for what was ahead.
"What are we doing here?" Evie asked as Beau pulled up in front of the studio. "It's now time for your surprise," he said. He climbed out of the Camaro and opened Evie's door.
"It's nothing sappy, is it?" she asked.
"Since when am I a sappy guy?"
"I don't
know. I've never seen 'dating Beau' before. 'Dating Beau' could be sappy," Evie said wittily.
Beau laughed. "'Dating Beau' is pretty much like 'friend Beau,' just a bit more thoughtful. I don't buy the cheesy gifts like candy and roses. I go for the personable gifts and gestures," Beau said.
"Okay. I'm a little more curious now what you've got cooked up," Evie concluded.
They walked inside the studio while Beau wrapped his right arm around Evie's shoulders, and Evie wrapped her left arm around Beau's waist. They walked through the kitchen and into the audio room. There was a microphone set up in front with headphones on a stool in the recording room. The flag with Nole Bradshaw's picture and dates hung behind the mic.
"What's going on?" Evie asked. "I started working on something while you were gone. I wanted to show it to you tonight," Beau said, "plus, I still need to record the vocals."
Evie watched Beau walk into the recording room, put the headphones on, and got close to the mic. He had everything rigged where he could hit record from inside. Evie took off her jacket, gently threw it on the couch behind her, sat down on the stool, and began to listen in the audio room.
She listened to the arpeggio at the beginning and elaboration. It pierced her soul to the very center. It was the most beautiful guitar intro she had ever heard as the riff continued to progress. Beau looked at his muse very intently watching every reaction she made to the song. Evie met his gaze. Evie felt chills. Then Beau started singing the simplest, yet most heartfelt, lyrics she had ever heard.
There were not enough words in the English dictionary to describe Evie's thoughts about what she was feeling or thinking. Beau wrote a song about me, a beautiful song, she began. Every word he sang was real. Their relationship and friendship were so strong no matter how far they were apart. After last week, Evie knew she trusted Beau and could count on him.
There was an interlude giving Evie a chance to process the lyrics. Their relationship had blossomed from an amazing friendship to commitment. She thought back to all their adventures; the gym, going to the park, teaching Levi how to throw a football, his tea party with Harper, and those late nights on her couch watching their favorite movies.
Beau, never doing something like this before, was willing to risk his comfort and pride for Evie. The last words of the song were what touched Evie the most. She knew he was referencing what Jude might do and say if he found out about Beau. There was a lot of emotional baggage Evie had to carry, but he found a way to let her know he was okay with it and wanted to help her.
The guitar solo exploded much like Evie's inability to contain her feelings for Beau. No one had ever done something like this for her in her entire life. The solo expressed the magnetic pull Evie felt to Beau as well as his pull to her. Evie was very impressed with musicality. Soon, the music began to fade, and Evie heard that E minor arpeggio again as well as the opening melody fade out as Beau repeated the first four lines of the song.
Beau paused the audio before taking off the headphones. He grabbed the equipment and carried it back into the audio room. Once everything was cleaned up, Beau walked up behind Evie, wrapped his arms around her, and asked, "So, what did you think of the song?" Evie smiled. "That was beautiful. The level of musicality displayed in this song was sensational. It's almost like that arpeggio represented an individual rather than just a motif. Plus, you sang your heart out," she said. “What did you think of the words I sang?” Beau asked, hoping Evie got the message. “They were very beautiful and genuine,” Evie said as her cheeks turned pink. Beau smiled lightly.
"Did you write all of the parts? Drums, both guitars, and bass?" Evie asked. "I wrote the guitar parts and helped Luke and Rick tweak their parts to match what I heard in my head," Beau said. "Who played the solo? It almost sounded like Kade, but there wasn't enough Wah," Evie said, joking about Kade's stereotypical playing. "That was me you heard playing the solo," Beau said. "That song is... us," Evie finally said, figuring out what she wanted to say. "I know," Beau said as he began kissing Evie's neck and rubbing her shoulders.
Instantly, Evie's eyes rolled to the back of her head as Beau brushed Evie's hair to her right shoulder and kissed her left. "Was this also part of the plan?" she asked, feeling aroused. "Turn around and find out," Beau said, sounding just as out of breath. Evie turned around where Beau's lips were waiting for hers. They kissed, feeling the tension that had built up. Beau thought about this moment on and off for the past month and a half, so he indulged in it. Evie sensed Beau’s assertiveness and matched it, ready to succumb. No man had ever made her feel safe, accepted, sexy, and loved.
Chapter 15
We Are Death Toll; Nothing Else
Kade and Rick drove up to the studio. Beau's Camaro was parked in front already. They figured he wanted to record the vocals to his song before anyone else got there. They climbed out of Kade's car and walked into the studio. They noticed a men's leather jacket on the floor and a women's leather jacket on the couch. They saw a black purse sitting on the floor by the controls. "Did… Beau and Evie…?" Rick couldn't finish the question. "They must have. I'll go look in Beau's room," Kade said.
Sure enough, laying in his bed were Beau and Evie bare-shouldered, fingers intertwined, laying down, sound asleep. Evie had nestled up against Beau while his right arm rested over her. Kade quietly closed the door and turned to look at Rick. "Yep, they hooked up," he said. "We knew this was going to happen," Rick said, "should we wake them up?" "Probably before the kids wake up… if they're here," Kade said. "They could be at Luke's," Rick said.
Kade quietly approached Beau's door. He knocked lightly but continued to hear steady breathing. Kade knocked a little louder and heard some movement, but no one got up. He finally cracked the door and slipped his head inside. He loudly cleared his throat. Beau stirred and opened his eyes. He looked straight across at Kade. Beau froze, not sure how to proceed. "Evie," he whispered in her ear. She groaned and opened her eyes. "Hi," she said sleepily. When she saw the look on Beau's face, she realized something was wrong. She saw him look across the room, so she looked over as well and saw Kade's head peering in the room. Evie slowly grabbed the covers and pulled them over her head, burrowing down in bed.
"Good morning," Kade said, opening the door wider. "Morning," Beau said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "I would ask how your date went last night, but I can already see that it went well," Kade said. Evie blushed. "Did anyone else see?" Beau asked. "Just Rick and me," Kade said. "Rick's here, too?!" Evie said underneath the sheet, sounding embarrassed. Beau reached under the covers to touch Evie's shoulder for reassurance that it was okay. "Let's face it. This isn't the worst thing you guys have caught me doing," Beau said. "Not helping," Evie said again, feeling more embarrassed. By that time, they could all hear Rick laughing in the hallway. Kade began to snicker as well before closing the door and walking away from the room.
Beau sat up, keeping Evie covered. He reached for his boxers, which he found lying on the floor. He slipped them on as he stood up. Evie poked her head out of the covers just as Beau began rummaging through his dresser. "What are you doing?" Evie asked while sitting up. She managed to keep the flat sheet over her chest. "Finding clothes for us to wear today," Beau said. He found some jeans and a tee-shirt for him to wear. He then started going through some of his old clothes he had held on to since Death Toll started. He figured one of those shirts would fit Evie since he was a lot smaller back in the day.
In his peripheral vision, Beau saw Evie climb out of bed, keeping a sheet over her as she looked for her clothes. He walked over to her and began kissing her again. "What's this for?" she asked in between breaths. "Just prolonging the moment," Beau said. "It was a perfect night," Evie said. "It was," Beau told Evie before kissing her.
Beau laid her back down on the bed, pulling the sheet off of Evie. Just as Evie began to shimmy Beau's boxers off again, there was a pounding at the door. "Luke's here with Levi and Harper. Get dressed so we can go to work," they heard Kade's voice. Evie rea
lized they needed to stop. "We should get dressed," she said as Beau nuzzled her neck. He stopped and said, "Fine." They kissed one more time before Beau went back to his dresser.
Beau looked in his dresser for a shirt as Evie proceeded to slip her bra, underwear and pants back on. Beau found an old gray muscle tee shirt with a Death Toll logo that looked like it would fit Evie. “Would you wear this?” he asked. Evie looked at the shirt and said, “Yeah, I’ll wear it.”
After handing her the shirt, Beau proceeded to get dressed while Evie put the shirt on. She tucked her shirt inside the front of her pants. Evie then put her boots back on. Luckily, there was a full-length mirror in Beau's closet that she was able to see herself. She grabbed the hair-tie on her wrist and proceeded to throw her hair up into a high ponytail. After Evie went into the bathroom to make sure she still had makeup in place, she and Beau were ready to go to work.
Evie walked to the kitchen, figuring that's where her kids would be. Sure enough, they were sitting at the table eating applesauce out of pouches. "Hey, guys," Evie said. "Mommy!" they said, jumping out of their chairs and hugging their mom. "How was your night?" she asked. "It was so much fun. Beau took us to get pizza and dropped us off at Uncle Luke's," Levi said. Evie smiled. "What did you do at Uncle Luke's?" Evie asked. "I played with Eli," Harper said. "And I played with Mason," Levi said. "Sounds like lots of fun. Did you guys go to bed at bedtime?" Evie asked. "Aunt Jetta made sure we went to bed at the same time as we always do," Levi said. Evie knew she would need to thank Jetta later.