Sheet Music - A Rock 'n' Roll Love Story

by Ann Lister

  Much to Brian’s disapproval, Michael passed on the usual meet ‘n’ greet pre-concert party. He didn’t want to leave Annie alone and it certainly wasn’t the place to bring a girlfriend. He found his dressing room and began to warm up on a few different guitars while Annie watched. When it was time to go on stage, Annie took her place behind the curtain with the other wives.

  A dozen or more directors chairs were set up discretely, stage right. The wives quickly filled the first row. Annie sat on the end beside a heavy velvet curtain and closest to Michael’s array of guitars; all neatly lined up and at the ready. His guitar technician kept a careful vigil of the instruments.

  Suddenly the house lights went black and the volume from the audience rocketed toward a fevered pitch. The stage director began to bark out orders to a variety of back stage personnel, as Thrust casually took their traditional places on stage. Michael’s guitar technician handed him the guitar to be used for the first song and stepped away. As the drums began to beat the heart-stopping intro into their first set of songs, Michael drifted back toward Annie for one last kiss.

  “Rock their worlds, baby,” she yelled into his ear over the noise.

  Michael cast a sly grin at her and sauntered toward his designated spot, quickly ripping into his first blistering riff. He played as if he were on fire, practically melting the strings from each of his prized instruments. Annie could not have been more proud, and viewing it all from the side of the stage made it even more surreal.

  The first encore came two hours into the show. Michael was off the stage before the rest of the band, handing his smoking guitar to his technician as he passed. Annie jumped from her chair and met him.

  “You took my breath away,” she congratulated him, as he slid his arms around her and lifted her off the floor.

  He kissed her deeply and ran a towel over his face and neck. Then gulped down a half a bottle of water before invading Annie’s mouth for a second time. The rest of the band had already taken their places back on stage, while Michael continued to grope Annie behind the curtain.

  Brian casually engaged the audience with his typical perverse sense of humor as he waited for everyone to ready themselves. He was just about to kick it back into gear, when he realized Michael still remained off stage, heavily entwined with Annie. Brian looked away and shook his head, laughing into the microphone.

  “You know, on another night, I might let this piss me off,” Brian teased the audience. Then he placed a hand over his eyes for a shield from the spotlight and squinted down into the front row of fans. “Hmmm, I bet you people thought you had the best seats in the house tonight, didn’t you?”

  A roar erupted from the audience and Brian laughed heartily. “Well, my friends, I have the best seat in the house tonight because the real show is happening right now behind that very curtain!” Brian swaggered across the stage and pointed in the direction of Annie and Michael. “Hey lover boy,” he hollered to Michael. “Get your horny ass out here and join the rest of the party.”

  It took a minute for the statement to register in Michael’s brain. Then abruptly, he pulled away from Annie and grabbed the guitar from his technician’s hand. “Sorry, babe, I’ll be right back,” he smiled.

  When his image appeared back on stage, the crowd went into a cheering frenzy. Michael shamelessly waved at the mass of bodies before him, ignoring Brian’s irritated stance.

  “Well, we hate to bother you, but we do have a show to finish,” Brian chuckled.

  Michael leaned into his microphone. “That’s all right. I can finish that later,” he answered, laughing at his own joke.

  Behind the curtain, Annie was thankful for the darkness that hid her flushed red face. But inside, her heart danced with joy.

  “He’s a new man because of you,” Barbara said into Annie’s ear. “This is the best he’s played in months.”

  Brian approached Michael and draped a sweaty arm around his friend’s shoulder. “Maybe you’d like to introduce the object of your distraction to everyone,” he suggested.

  Michael shook his head and smiled. “I don’t think she’d appreciate that.”

  The crowd went crazy in their seats. Michael glanced toward Annie, where she was nervously shaking her head. Playfully, he shrugged his shoulders.

  “Yes, I’m sorry, ladies. But Michael is officially off the market again and this looks pretty fucking serious. Who knows, maybe he’ll make it permanent!”

  Michael roared with laughter and ran his guitar pick sexily over the strings.

  “Come on, Mike. Bring her on out,” Brian urged. “Do it so we can get on with the show!”

  Michael’s eyes darted back to Annie. She had stepped further off into the darkened area behind the curtain, appearing to hide. He contemplated Brian’s request in his head while the crowd noise grew louder. Finally, he turned and walked toward Annie, pushing his guitar behind his back. The audience rose to their feet and began chanting and stomping their feet.

  “Come on, Annie. They won’t bite,” Brian chuckled.

  “Sorry, babe,” Michael apologized as he embraced her. Then he kissed her on the lips. “Just come out quick and get it over with. You know Brian won’t let this go now until you do.”

  Annie shook her head furiously, a look of total terror registering in her eyes. “I can’t do that! Are you out of your mind?”

  Michael smiled encouragingly, taking her by the hand and gently tugging. “I’ll be right beside you.”

  “My God, you’re crazy!

  “I’ve been called worse things than that.”

  Michael pulled Annie out until they were beside Brian, center stage. Annie kept looking back toward the obscurity behind the curtain, ready to bolt for it. Almost knowing what she was thinking, Michael slid an arm around her waist. The crowd was so loud she could feel it in her chest.

  “All right, all right,” Brian said into the microphone, trying to settle down the masses. “Now see, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he teased Annie. Then he glanced at Michael. “Would you like to introduce her or would you like me to?”

  Michael shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. “You better do it.”

  “Okay. I will.” Then he leaned toward the fans. “This is the woman that stole the bastard’s heart. Frankly, I didn’t think he had a heart but she proved me wrong.”

  “What’s her name?” a man yelled from the front row.

  Brian chuckled mischievously. “You want to know her name?” Another wicked laugh roared from his lean body. “This is Annie Logan,” he answered. “Why don’t you give them a wave, Annie.”

  She stood like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Michael helped her raise her arm and waved it for her. Then he pressed his mouth to hers. Without resistance, she melted beneath him. The crowd screamed their appreciation with loud whistles and cat-calls.

  “Okay. Okay. Enough of the tonsil hockey! We’ve got a show to do here!”

  Michael escorted Annie backstage. When he returned, he walked over to Brian and bent into his ear. “Let’s do my song next,” he whispered.

  Brian nodded and gave the hand signal to the rest of the band. Then he addressed the audience.

  “This next song is something new from Thrust. So new, our management hasn’t even heard it.” He gave a different hand gesture toward stage left and a dozen orchestra players took their places on risers behind the drum platform, instruments in hand. As they readied themselves, Brian approached the audience again. “This is a song that Mike wrote for the girl you just met. After you hear it, you’ll know how whipped the guy really is!”

  And with that comment, he slowly counted off the intro to the song and Michael went into the first guitar solo.

  “I didn’t know he wrote you a song,” Barbara stated.

  “I didn’t either,” Annie replied, smiling through her tears. Oddly enough, she recognized the melody, as if she had heard it before. Halfway through the song, she knew why. It was the song Michel was w
orking on while she was in the hospital. The lyrics spoke for themselves. If there was ever a doubt of Michael’s affection toward her, the song sang volumes. And now everyone around them knew, too.

  Backstage the road crews were scurrying around like angry hornets, trying to recover from Brian and Michael’s surprise addition to the set list. The lighting technicians were screaming through their headsets, wondering what and where to light and stage directors were yelling commands to anyone within earshot. Halfway back into the center section of the audience, the sound guys were ranting obscenities at each other. No one was happy except for Michael and Annie. When the song faded to an end, the house lights went to black and Michael found Annie.

  “I keep making you cry, which was not my intention,” he teased, kissing her softly.

  “You are constantly surprising me. What will you do next?”

  Michael hugged her tightly. “I know what I’d like to do, but that will have to wait until we get back to the hotel.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The show ended shortly before midnight. Security quickly led the band and their families from the stage area and back to the dressing room. To keep from being separated in the stampede, Michael grabbed hold of Annie’s hand.

  Within minutes, the dressing room filled to its capacity. The overflow clogged the hallway. Several of the stage managers, roadies, and crew arrived to congratulate Thrust. In the onslaught, Michael became separated from Annie and from a distance he could see the look of terror on her face. The mixture of people was overwhelming for her. Everyone from executive types to female groupies crammed themselves into the room; several of which, Annie cast disapproving eyes at.

  “Come on, Annie,” Barbara instructed. “I’ll introduce you to some people while Michael’s busy. Then she paraded Annie around the room, showing her off to everyone she could.

  Okay guys. Let’s wrap it up in here,” the band manager shouted into the crowd. “Shower and change if you’re going to because we’re expected upstairs. If you’re not changing, then move it out!”

  Michael reached for the garment bag he had brought with him and headed for the shower. “Annie, I’m going to take a quick shower and I’ll be right back. Why don’t you wait here with Barbara?” He kissed her on the lips and disappeared into the bathroom.

  Annie sighed heavily. The controlled chaos made her uneasy. She felt out of place. Everywhere she looked were people she didn’t know. She nervously fidgeted, hoping Michael would hurry back. Her eyes settled on Barbara, who looked so at ease and comfortable with it all, carrying on several conversations at once.

  Inside the shower room, Michael removed his sweaty stage clothes and started the water in the shower stall. Before he could step beneath the spigot, a blindfold slipped over his eyes.

  “Hey!” He spun around quickly to protest and shivered when he felt the warmth of feminine hands and fingernails caressing his maleness. Then the fingers were replaced with lips and the heat of a very sensuous mouth, working over his hardened flesh with skill and ease.

  “Oh, sweetheart. I can’t believe you’re doing this to me with all those people right outside the door,” he groaned appreciatively.

  His knees buckled and he fell against the wall. Babe, let me take this blindfold off. You know how I love to watch,” he sighed heavily.

  “No, not yet,” she mumbled around his organ.

  His muscles began to tense as his body raced toward release. His hands reached for her head, in an attempt to pull her tighter against his body. When his fingers made contact, they disappeared into the depths of thick curls; not the long, straight tresses he was accustomed to. His body froze. One hand sprung to remove the blindfold, while the other hand pushed the girl away from between his legs.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he screamed. The bewildered face of the girl stared up at him from the floor. He recognized her immediately but it didn’t diminish his anger. “Jesus, Cherry! How the fuck did you get in here?”

  Her road name was Cherry Pie. No one knew for sure what her real name was. She had been around for as long as Thrust had been a band and seen more tours than all of the wives combined. She barely stood five feet tall but was all woman with a thick head of walnut colored curls, dark chocolate eyes and a pair of double D breast implants. She was no stranger to Michael, but now clearly wasn’t the time for shower-stall antics with her - especially with Annie right outside the door.

  Michael shoved her out of the way and grabbed a towel. “Who the fuck put you up to this?”

  “Frank,” she answered quickly.

  Michael knotted the towel around his hip. “I should have known!” he shouted, as he collected Cherry’s discarded clothing.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, taking her jeans and shirt back from Michael.

  “You can’t stay in here!”

  “Why not?” she asked, reaching to pull off his towel. “I thought we could party in here before you have to go upstairs.”

  “Are you out of your fucking mind? My girlfriend is right outside that door!”

  “Jesus, Mike! Calm down. That never bothered you before!”

  Outside the bathroom, Brian approached Annie and slid an arm around her waist. “You look lost, Annie,” he said with a chuckle. “Where did Mike run off to?”

  “He’s taking a shower,” she replied.

  “He’s in the shower?”

  “Yes. Why?”

  The smile melted from Brian’s face. “Ah, shit.”

  “Is there a problem?” she asked.

  “There will be in about thirty seconds,” he said.

  Suddenly a commotion could be heard from inside the shower room. Those closest to the door turned toward the noise. It sounded like a caged animal trying to escape its confines. Several of the crew began to laugh. Annie turned to face Barbara, a sickening feeling began to churn in her stomach.

  “Is someone in there with Michael?” she asked.

  Barbara opened up her mouth to answer and reached for Annie’s arm to hold. “That would be my guess. The crew is known for playing practical jokes on each other the last night of every tour. Judging by the way the roadies are laughing, I’m thinking Michael’s the butt of their joke this tour,” she said.

  “Barb, why don’t you take Annie out in the hallway for a few minutes?” Brian suggested.

  Then in a thunderous roar, the door to the bathroom flung open and rattled loudly as it bounced off the outside wall. The female occupant spilled into the dressing room. Wearing panties and naked from the waist up, she clutched the rest of her clothing against her breasts.

  Michael stood in the doorway and held onto the knot of the towel at his hip. “Not funny, Frank!” he screamed toward the stage crew and slammed the door behind him.

  The roadies continued to laugh and Annie turned away.

  “My God, I think I’m going to throw up,” she commented to Barbara and quickly fled the room.

  Brian glanced at Barbara. “Do you want to handle this or would you like me to?”

  “I’ll go. It will sound nicer coming from me,” Barbara answered.

  Barbara followed Annie into the hall and slid a sisterly arm around her shoulders.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  Annie nodded and wiped the tears from her face.

  “You know, Cherry really is a nice girl. She’s been with the band for most of their careers,” Barbara said in a soft voice.

  Annie bristled. “You mean, you know that girl?”

  “Oh, God! Yes.”

  “And her following the band around all those years doesn’t bother you?”

  “Annie, I’ve seen some of the other groupies that have come and, thankfully, gone over the years. Cherry is an angel compared to them. If you ever get the chance to talk with her, I think you’ll agree. She really is a nice girl.”

  “That will never happen,” Annie shot back.

  “Maybe not tonight but you will someday. You may not like what Cherry and the o
thers do, Annie, but groupies are a fact of life in this business. When you start traveling with Michael on tour you will see what I mean.”

  “How can you be so complacent about this? It doesn’t bother you that Brian goes with them?”

  “I never said it doesn't bother me! But I do know the alternatives in this business and I also know it's me that he comes home to at the end of the day, and that's enough for me,” she shrugged, gazing back into the dressing room. She could see Michael emerging from the shower room and heading to Brian. She turned back toward Annie.

  “Living this lifestyle hardened me, Annie. I suggest you find a way to do the same or it will consume your soul. And, if you don’t think you can handle it, get out now while you still can.”

  Inside the dressing room, Michael approached Brian then turned to face Frank, their stage manager. “You fucking asshole,” he screamed into the man’s face.

  “Hey! I didn’t know your girlfriend was going to be here.”

  “Fine! But payback is a bitch,” he shouted back, his eyes narrowed in threat.

  Then he turned toward Brian. “I want him and his crew fired,” he said flatly.

  Brian laughed.

  “I wasn’t joking, Brian. I want them all fired.”

  “First of all, I wouldn’t do that even if I wanted to because they’re the best in the business. Don’t make this personal, Mike. They’re just blowing off some ‘end of the tour’ steam. That’s all. No harm done.”

  “Tell that to Annie.”

  Brian grabbed Michael by the arm. “Listen, if she’s going to fly into a jealous rage over trivial shit like this, then maybe you should give some careful consideration about keeping her around. Know what I’m saying?”

  “Fuck you!”