Beat to Their Heart

by Whiskey Starr

  “Hey, Daisy. Do you know where Nurse Skylar is?”

  “Oh, Sky? Well I think she said something about needing a pick me up and went to the cafeteria to see if they stashed her a piece of chocolate cake. She has been working so hard and she barely gets to sit down. Since it was slow right now, Dr. Hudson insisted she take a break. Do you want me to find her for you, or is there something I can help you with?”

  “No, I’m good, Daisy. I just need to ask her something. I’ll find her. Thanks.” He turned and located the various signs to try to find the damn cafeteria. It had been forever since he had been in here, and even then, it didn’t have half the stuff it did now. After two wrong turns and a trip up an elevator, he found it. There wasn’t anyone at this late hour, just a few of the staff drinking coffee and eating their lunches. He spotted Sky sitting with her back away from him and the doctor standing next to her with his hand on her shoulder. A wave of jealousy swept over him.

  “I told you, Dr. Hudson, I’m not going out with you.”

  “Come on, Sky, just one date.”

  “Nope, sorry, not going to happen.” The closer he got the more he heard her annoyance.

  “Why, are you seeing someone?” Her deep sigh gave him the perfect opportunity to step in.

  “Sorry I’m late, baby. I had to check in with the guys.” He slid in the seat across from Sky as her mouth flopped open at his words.

  “You’re dating Sky?” the doctor said in disbelief.

  “Yup.” He picked up Sky’s fork and took a bite of her cake. She still hadn’t said anything, just looked at him, well now it was more of a glare.

  “How, you just met.”

  “Actually we have been seeing each other for what, eight months now, baby.” He winked at Sky, watching her get mad.

  “Really, you are dating a rocker, but you won’t date a doctor. You can’t be serious. He can’t be good for you.” Joey hated the way this doctor was acting. He could say what he wanted about him, but he wasn’t going to speak to Sky that way.

  “I can see whoever the hell I want, Dr. Hudson. And as for your information, I don’t care what he does. He is a person, and should be treated as such without someone like you being judgmental.” This time it was his turn to remain silent. The doctor seemed to take the hint and left them both. But it seemed Sky wasn’t having any of it.

  “And as for you, I don’t know where you get off saying I’m dating you. This is my job, Joey. You can’t come in trying to play the damn hero and save me because of some misplaced guilt about what happened. And no one, I mean no one, eats my damn cake.” She snatched her fork back.

  “I love a woman who is passionate about her cake. What if I say I’m sorry, and I won’t do it anymore, can we call it a truce. Will you sit and talk to me then?”

  Sky looked at Joey and didn’t know what to think about him. He had seemed like an ass to a lot of people, but with her he was different. The damn stunt he pulled with Dr. Hudson was sure to make it around the hospital within a few hours. Damn the man. Why couldn’t Hudson just leave her alone? But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that maybe now he would leave her alone. So maybe a fake relationship with Joey might work for a short time. Looking at her watch she had about twenty minutes before she had to return to work.

  “Fine we can talk, and have a truce. Just no more cake sharing.”

  “Got it, don’t touch the lady's cake.” He joked.

  “You do know what you just did right. The whole hospital is going to be talking about you sleeping with me. I swear the hospital staff is worse than a soap opera. I will do my best to try to get them to not spread gossip and cause issues for you.”

  “I’m not worried and I don’t care. As long as it doesn’t hurt your job, or whoever you’re seeing, then let the rumor spread.” He was looking directly at her. So many times she had dreamed about what it would be like to sit and talk to him again.

  “I’ll be fine. What about you and your career, which by the way congrats. The band is amazing. I might have you sign something for me. I would have you sign a CD, but I only have it on my IPod, and it’s too small to sign.”

  “You listen to our music? And I will sign anything you want me to. But, Sky, I’m nothing special. I’m the same guy from the night we first met. Except now people know me in a few places.” Sky smiled and finished eating her cake. The pull that was there the night they met, still existed between them. She hadn’t gotten over him, not that there was anything to really get over to begin with. Looking down at her watch she noted she needed to get back.

  “I gotta go back to work. It was nice seeing you again, Joey.” She stood, taking her trash with her.

  “Let me get your number.”

  “I don’t know. I mean, I don’t normally give my number out to people.”

  “Come on, Skylar, we can just talk or text, whatever is best for you. Get to know me better. Let me get to know you, Sky.”

  “You really want my number?” She was hesitant, but thought he probably wasn’t going to call anyway so why not. She rattled off her number and he sent her a text so she had his.

  “Let me walk you back. I want to check on Booker anyway.” He followed her down the hall in complete silence. The sexual tension was so strong she could hardly breathe, and just like that Joey grabbed her and pulled her to a vacant room and into the bathroom.

  “God, I need you.” And just like that he claimed her mouth, devouring her like there was no tomorrow. He was ruthless with his kiss, like he was starving for it. She gave him what he wanted and she wound her hands in his overlong hair, tugging, trying to get closer to him. He grabbed her ass, lifting her and setting her on the small sink in the bathroom, pushing her legs open as he moved in between them.

  “Fuck, baby, the things you do to me.” He licked her neck while rubbing his cock into her now moist panties. Her small whimpering of need seemed to make him harder. He ground his pelvic into her.

  “Joey, we can’t, not here. I have to go back to work. We have to, oh God that feels so good, but no, we need to stop. Joey, please.” She wanted to scream don’t stop, but the truth was she was sinking fast with him but she needed the job.

  “Damn, baby, you smell so good, but your right, we can’t here. The first time I take you I want it in a bed, and not in some hospital bathroom.” He kissed her once more, lighter than before, but still leaving a lasting memory. “I think I like tasting your cake on you better anyway.” His boyish grin made her laugh. She got down and fixed her clothing before opening the door and checking both ways to see if anyone was in the hall. Thankfully the halls were empty. Telling Joey that Booker had moved to a certain room she walked back to the ER, while he watched her. What did she get herself into? She was going to have a fling with a rock star. After what just took place, there was no doubt left in her mind.

  Joey watched as Skylar walked away to go back to work. He readjusted his pants so not to make his erection more noticeable. He walked to the front where Mickey was sitting drinking a cup of coffee.

  “Hey, man, what’s the news, anything we need to worry about?”

  “Nothing new. But shit, I don’t know how many times I told him to stay away from that stuff. We're better than that. Sure we can drink, and screw, but drugs. What happened to the promise we would never do that shit? Especially Booker, he had it worse with that shit.” Joey had had it with how things were going with the band. They had made a pack to stick together through thick and thin, but he was supposed to be the fuck up and the hardass, yet he seemed to be the one more level headed than the others lately. Talk about the tables turning.

  “I don’t know, bro, maybe we should talk to Marty about it.”

  “Fuck Marty, he is the reason Booker is laying in a fucking hospital bed connected to wires, Mickey. He could have fucking died. Don’t you get it? You’re so damn busy kissing ass to every producer and manager that you can’t see what’s right in front of your face. Hunter has his cock in just about anything
with two fucking legs and an accessible hole, leaving me to be the one to hold it all together. I’m done with this shit, Mickey. You hear me. I won’t do it anymore. We got in this for the damn music, not to make money and do damn TV shows. I want more than that, man.”

  “Fine, Mr. Fucking Perfect, what the hell do you want from me? I’m trying to make something out of us. I have always gotten us out of scrapes all our damn lives. Now the tour is over, we still need to keep on top or we will just be one hit wonders. And Marty has helped with all that.”

  “Damn it, Mickey. Marty used to help, now he is helping us all in a grave. Wake the fuck up, man.” Joey knew their voices were getting louder, but he didn’t care. He had had it. All through the tour he had to clean Booker up enough to play, get rid of Hunter's latest prey and keep him out of the papers, and try to keep Mickey from turning their band into an ABC special. This isn’t what he wanted.

  “I ask again, Joey, what the hell do you want me to do?” Mickey was up in his face now. They both were the same height, but he knew he had at least twenty more pounds of muscle on him.

  “Fire Marty. I want him gone. Pick, him or me.” He said it. He was done. Several bands had done it in the past. Firing their manager would be easy, at least he hoped it would be. Hell, he had money now and could actually hire a lawyer to get it done.

  “Really, just like that. I have to pick?” Mickey seemed shocked by his demand. Just then Hunter came walking into the room.

  “Guys, what the hell? Mickey, it’s an easy choice. Don’t even think about it. It's Joey, it will always be Joey. Shit, look at the two of you. You’re both at each other’s throats since Marty took over and changed how we did things. We are better than that.” Joey turned his head and looked at his friend who for once seemed to come out of his cloud of cigarette smoke and women.

  Mickey backed off, running his hands through his hair. “You’re right, Hunter. Joey, look, I’m sorry, man. My head has been in the damn clouds lately. I don’t even know the last time I wrote anything. I guess money and fame changes us all, huh? And when the hell did you get to be the smart one, Joey. What happened to answering everything with grunts and growls? I think I prefer you that way.” Mickey opened his arms and hugged him, hitting him on the back.

  “So we fire Marty. Good, that might help with the press as it seems someone leaked Booker’s OD and they have reporters at the front entrance,” Hunter stated as he handed both of them another cup of crappy hospital coffee.

  “Alright, so how the hell do we get out of the hospital now?” Mickey asked, looking out the window. Joey couldn’t help but smile.

  “I know someone who could help us.” Oh yes, he had a great plan.

  Chapter Six

  “You have got to be kidding me.” Sky looked at the three band members who were currently standing in front of the nurse’s station in the ER.

  “Come on, Sky. I know you can help us out.”

  “I don’t get off for another hour. And I have to go right home.” Sky bit her lip in frustration. She wanted to help, but she just couldn’t. She had to get home to get Milo off to school or he would get worried.

  “Please, Sky. I don’t know who else to ask. We are desperate.” Joey was now holding her hand.

  “Come on, man, she doesn’t want to help, let's go see if we can figure this out another way,” the guy behind Joey stated. She knew this was Mickey Turner, the lead singer and guitarist.

  “Just chill out, man. Come on, Sky. Is there someone who can cover you?” Looking at the clock she did see that two other nurses were coming in. She could come in early tonight and finish the small things. Her charts were all done, and this was a slow time.

  “Fine, I can get you out of here. But you have to follow my lead, got it. I need you to wait in here while I make sure everything is squared away. And I hope you guys don’t mind sitting next to each other, I have a compact car, but it won’t draw attention.” They all looked relieved and followed her instructions. Walking over to Casey, who was not working at the second, she explained she needed to leave early, giving the excuse she had a migraine coming on and just didn’t feel good. Since she had never missed a day of work unless Milo was really sick, people bought it. Running into the locker room she quickly grabbed her purse and keys before heading to the room where the guys were.

  “Okay, follow me. I’m parked in staff parking in the garage across the street. We can take a different route with no windows.” She walked as all three men followed behind her whispering what they were going to do, and whose house they would go. Heading toward the morgue she knew this side of the building was only used by staff and made easy access to the other parking garage that was underground. She pushed the door open and looked around. There was no one, walking quickly she pulled her keys out and unlocked the door. As she opened the back door, she forgot about the booster seat for Milo. Offering an apologetic smile she quickly unhooked it and set the seat in the trunk. The men climbed in and she suddenly realized how small her car really was.

  “Okay, where are we going?” She pulled out of the parking lot, taking the back exit and grateful to have worked at the hospital long enough to know areas most didn’t think about.

  “Jump on the freeway and we’ll guide you to Mickey’s house,” Joey said. He had jumped in the passenger seat, while Mickey and Hunter sat in back.

  “So, umm, you have a kid?” Hunter asked while he picked up a Transformer toy that Milo had left in the backseat. Damn, she needed to seriously clean her car.

  “Yes, Milo. He’ll be seven next month.” She smiled as she drove.

  “And he likes Transformers. Sounds like a cool kid. Does he go to school around here?” Hunter seemed to be really interested in the toys and her personal life all of a sudden.

  “Kinda, he goes to a special school.”

  “For like gifted children?” Joey asked.

  “Not exactly.”

  “Okay, I don’t get it. What type of school?”

  “Milo has Asperger’s.”

  “Okay, you lost me, what’s that?”

  “It’s a high functioning autism,” she answered. She wasn’t ashamed of her son, not one bit.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Hunter said as he put the toy down.

  “Don’t be, Hunter. I’m not. He’s a brilliant little boy. He just has a different way of thinking that’s all. He loves his Transformers and Legos.”

  Joey watched as Hunter engaged Sky into talking about her son. The more he knew about her the more he started to admire her dedication. Not only was she a single mother, but she was doing it with a child who was gifted with special needs. That thought clinched at his heart. He grew up in a shitty neighborhood and he knew kids like Milo. He did his best to try to protect the one kid, but it didn’t matter when he had crappy parents and they didn’t care about him. Poor kid was now locked up in some type of jail all because he started hanging around the wrong people who talked him into things.

  “You’re going to get off at the next exit,” Mickey woke him up out of his thoughts. Taking his eyes off Sky he watched as several large houses came into view. Joey was still getting used to his life with money. Sure it was nice to be able to buy a six-pack of beer, pay bills, and get to eat out all within one paycheck. He listened as Mickey told her which house and pulled up to the gate letting Mickey enter a code before it swung open to his house. Well, house was a small term. Mickey sure didn’t waste money when he got his home.

  “Wow,” Sky said as she drove up the drive to the front. Joey had only been here twice so he too was still shocked when he saw it. She parked her small car and turned off the engine. “Here you guys go, home sweet home.” She smiled and unlocked the doors. Mickey and Hunter tried opening the doors but seemed to be stuck.

  “Oh crap, sorry, guys, child locks. It makes sure Milo can’t open the door from his side. Here," she jumped out of the car helping Hunter, while she let Mickey out. When both men stood they stretched.

  “Thanks for your hel
p. It means a lot.” Joey watched as Mickey walked over to her then handed her some money. “Here you go, for your trouble. Just if you could keep it out of the press.” Sky took a step back with her hands on her hips.

  “I don’t want your damn money, Mickey. I’m not someone's groupie. I can make my own money. I helped you guys out because it was the right thing to do. Have a good day.” Mickey looked at her dumbfounded. Not wanting her to leave upset he walked over, but she threw her hands up.

  “I don’t think so, Joey. Listen, if you honestly need help, I’m here. I didn’t do it for the money.” Joey turned and glared at Mickey who was still holding a wad of cash in his hand.

  “Thank you, baby, I hope we didn’t get you in trouble with work. Do you want to come in?” Joey was really hoping she would. He didn’t want to see her go.

  “I’m fine, Joey. I’m good at what I do, and I never call out. But I can’t stay. I have to be there when Milo wakes and get him off to school.”

  “Okay, I will call you later?”

  “I need some sleep, Joey. I just worked a twelve-hour shift and have another one tonight. So if I don’t pick up just know it’s not your fault.”

  “You got it. Maybe I will see you at the hospital. After all we need to check on Booker.” He turned to see that both Mickey and Hunter had already gone inside to give him some privacy.

  “We’ll see.” That wasn’t the answer he wanted, but he would take it for now. Knowing she was starting to head to her door he grabbed her, shocking her once again before kissing her passionately. God, he couldn’t get enough of her.

  “Just something to think of me by.” Kissing the tip of her nose, he then watched as she got in her car and drove off. Walking into Mickey’s house he followed the sound of voices coming from the kitchen. It looked like the guys were making some sandwiches.