He kissed the top of my head and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. The rest of the guys left the kitchen on their way to work out or get showered.
“However you like. Oh, hold the onions though.”
He downed the contents of the water bottle and was leaning in the fridge looking for the orange juice. Damn. His ass looked just as nice covered up in shorts. Ok, not quite. But it had the same effect. I cleared my throat and fanned myself.
“Coming right up.” I got to work on his omelet and flipped it onto a plate for him.
He took it with a smile and kissed me on the cheek. “Thank you, chère.”
I gathered he didn’t just mean for the omelet.
“No, thank you.” I winked at him and started putting things away. “It’s my turn for some yoga and then I need to get cleaned up for the day. I want to have some drawings for you guys to look at tonight.”
His eyes travelled my body. He took another drink of his juice. “Yoga?” His voice was barely more than a squeak.
I nodded and bounced out of the room. “See you later.”
I heard him groan as I left the room
Back in my room, I put on some slow music and tried to relax. I’d been so off my routine this past week that my body was starting to feel off as well. A little yoga would get me back on track. And there were some new muscles I had discovered recently that needed some attention after the attention they had received. Sigh.
After I was thoroughly stretched out, I showered and dressed in a tank and shorts. I braided my wet hair and let it hang. I could hear the guys downstairs playing their hearts out, but I was enjoying the peace of my room. It was very sunny outside so I sat at the drawing table and utilized the natural light to draw out some ideas for their tattoos.
I used the basis of Maggie’s tattoo and added some details. Some of the feathers were falling from the wings. There was a skull at the base of the fleur de lis. I also did another drawing, this one of the Weeping Angel monument. Nah, that wasn’t right for them. I put that one aside. I did my own take on the monument. Instead of an angel, it was a beautiful woman leaning over the tomb with black wings and she was looking up with a tear falling from her eye. Skulls lined the bottom of the tomb. None of these seemed right for Maggie though. Cool, but not Maggie. I needed some ideas from them.
I texted Mackenzie to see that she was ok.
More than ok, baby doll. Had a great night. Hope you did too. Can’t wait to have you back Saturday, even if only for a day. Karen called and confirmed and so did Jonathan. They’ll be here. TTFN. Gotta go pierce some guy’s dick.
She always ended on a shocking note. That was my Kenz. I debated whether I should tell her that my ‘dare’ paid off. Figured it would make her day.
Thanks, Kenz. BTW, the girls made their debut appearance to rave reviews.
It only took a few seconds for her to hit back:
YESSSS! ! ! Bout fucking time! Enjoy them. I do!
Oh, I did enjoy them. I was starting to quiver just thinking about him touching me again. Which had me thinking. I made another call, this one to my doctor. With things progressing as they were, it made sense to take precautions. She agreed to call in a prescription to the pharmacy across the street. I’d pick them up Saturday before heading to the shop. She explained it would take a cycle before I was protected so I wanted to get started as soon as possible.
Of course, if Devon was leaving soon to go back to L.A… Nope, not going to think about it. If he does, hopefully he’ll come back. I had to believe him when he said he wanted to be with me. Although no time frame had been mentioned. Whatever. Not thinking about it.
I decided to get some air and check on things downstairs. As I descended the steps, they were playing a slower song and the lyrics Marcus was singing, well, breathing into the mic, were pretty intense.
One kiss from you and I’m no longer a boy
You taught this boy just how to be a man
And this man wants to show you just how good
A man you’ve helped him to become
But it wasn’t Marcus. It was Star! He was singing in a breathy voice, one higher than Marcus’, way higher than Devon’s. I sat on the steps and listened to him sing, smiling wide.
I wallowed so long in a world of pain
I fought the bottle but it was all in vain
I never thought I’d be worth anything
Then you taught me what love could bring
You made me see there was a light
Just one kiss and all the strife
Was gone and now I’m ready to fight
You showed me there was more to life
Tears were streaming down my face. So this is what he must have been scribbling down the past couple of days. They finished the song and the guys all congratulated him.
Devon hugged him. “I knew it would be beautiful man, that was great.”
“So you’re not mad I kissed your sister?”
Devon socked him in the arm. “Nah, as long as you kept your filthy paws to yourself, dick.”
They threw a couple more fake punches at each other and then Mage and Jade were hugging him.
“I like it Star. I think I can make that work. How bout we add in a little more crunch to the guitars on that one part and speed it up a notch.”
Star shrugged, then nodded.
“Whatever you think, man. I’m just glad I got it off my chest.”
“Me, too,” I said, walking towards him.
His eyes were glassy as he reached for me and I hugged him tight. When he didn’t let go for a minute I pulled back. His eyes were full of tears.
“You want to take a walk?” He nodded and I led him out back calling over my shoulder, “We’ll be right back.”
I heard Devon yell, “Take your time, chère.”
I kept my hand on his back until we got out the back door and led him over to my bench. I sat next to him and he pulled me to him and started sobbing. I held him and rubbed his back for several long minutes until he was able to breathe normal again.
“Better,” I asked him.
He nodded. He wiped his face with the inside of his shirt. “Much, thanks. I started writing the other day when I found that picture. Man, that night was so great. It was just the first of many times that Maggie was there for me. Did I tell you she bailed me out of jail a few times?”
I shook my head and he laughed.
“Yeah. Once for fighting at a bar, once for a DUI...Once after I beat the shit out of my dad for beating the shit out of my mom. She saw me at my worst, no doubt. But that night at the dance, man. She and I danced. We talked and laughed. Then afterwards when we had all gone out to the restaurant after it closed, she asked me if I’d ever kissed a girl. I told her not really, not a real kiss. She turned to face me, she was as tall as me with her heels on, and she said, ‘Star, I’m going to make sure you do it right.’ And she planted one on me! I was in shock. She showed me how to kiss like girls like to be kissed and she told me I better not ever treat a girl bad. She even told me that if I learned to be a good kisser and a good lover, I would find a perfect woman for me and get away from all the drama that was my parents. She talked to me about not being jealous and possessive...” He frowned and looked teary again. “It’s too bad she didn’t take her own advice about that.”
“Did she ever talk to you about her husband?”
He shook his head. “No. I confronted her once and she just kissed my cheek and said, ‘Babe, I got this. Don’t I always got this?’ But she didn’t. One night at a bar I saw them, but she didn’t see me. They were arguing because she’d gone out with some girls from work and they’d run into one of the bands she’d signed. The guys were buying her shots when Thomas showed up. He got pissed. He dragged her outside by her arm and I followed to make sure she was ok. He yelled at her, she took it, and then he started crying and she hugged him. Then they went home. That was it. I told Devon I was worried and he was, too, but she wouldn’t listen to us. She would
n’t even listen to Mr. Daryl.” His breathing was shaky and I took his hand in mine. He smiled down at our hands.
“I miss her, but talking to you helps a lot. You’re different than her, though. There’s a peace around you that she never had. Her energy was wild and crazy. Yours is more comfort and peace.” He smiled at me. His eyes were red from crying and his cheeks were blotchy. “I can’t thank you enough, Jaylene. For me, for Devon, for all of us.”
I hugged him again and he kissed me on the cheek. “You’re welcome, Star. I’m just glad I can be here. I’m glad I got to hear you sing your song, too. It was beautiful. Maggie would have been honored that you felt that way about her.”
He smiled a little too wickedly. “She was a helluva teacher. Devon was so pissed when he found out. I thought he was going to beat me up and like I told you before, Devon didn’t fight. He wasn’t like that. But that night he was beyond pissed.” He laughed and stood up. I stood with him and squeezed his hand.
“So I’m guessing last night went ok?”
He turned to me and sighed.
“I feel like a total kid with a crush. I fucking love her, Jaylene. I mean it. I love being with her and talking to her. I told her everything, you know, about rehab and shit and she didn’t freak out. She’s great.” He literally had stars in his eyes.
“I’m glad, but be careful. I love her too, but she’s finicky. It takes patience and tolerance to be a part of her life. Just be careful with your heart, ok? I don’t want to see either of you get hurt.”
He looked at me seriously and nodded. “Ok, sure. And thanks. I’m so fucking happy for you and Devon.”
It was my turn to blush. “Me, too.”
We went back inside and he stopped behind the bar to grab a sweet tea. Devon looked up from his guitar and smiled at me, giving me a nod to say thanks. I nodded back and felt butterflies in my tummy. He had a serious effect on me just by hitting me with that blue-eyed gaze of his.
The guys took a break to have lunch and we sat around and talked some more. I told them I’d been working on some drawings for them to look at and they were excited. They planned to practice for a few more hours and then Mrs. Boudreaux was coming to fix dinner.
The rest of the day passed quickly. Practice went well. They now had Star’s song, Devon’s song, three Marcus had written, and they had two more rough songs that Jade had come up with and Mage was working on lyrics for another one. The way they were collaborating was amazing. Even though Marcus wore the pants in the family, they all had things to contribute and they were all gifted with words and music.
After another delicious dinner cooked by Marie, whom I pathetically tried to help, we all converged around the table and the pictures. I brought my drawings down and spread them out. They guys oooed and ahhed over them and then we sat down to discuss.
“So I’m completely open to what you guys are thinking. I could show you some of the memorials I’ve done before, but a lot of them are specific to the person.”
“I love the one you did on Daryl’s buddies,” Mage offered.
Two of Daryl’s buddies had come in after losing one of their fellow soldiers to suicide. I incorporated their unit info and symbols into a shield that a soldier was crouched behind so you only saw his helmet and boots behind it. I tattooed them both in the same day, it was a marathon session, and they told me stories about the guy and the things they’d done together. They cried and laughed. Both ended up loving the tattoos. I thought it was one of my better designs and I’d enjoyed hearing their war stories. Daryl’s friends were a rough bunch, but I hadn’t met one I didn’t like.
Marcus was looking at my spin on the weeping angel. “I love this drawing, Jaylene. I could see this as an album cover. What do you guys think?”
They all got excited and really got into the idea, pointing out the different elements.
“Sure, whatever you think. The drawings will be yours anyway. You can do with it what you want.”
Marcus frowned. “But I’d want you to do the final drawing and have the final say. Obviously we’d pay you for the use as well.”
I shrugged. “Ok, whatever you want. I’m glad you like it.”
He was looking at me like he was making plans and I didn’t like it. I wasn’t interested in becoming their artist in residence. My work was here. Thankfully Star got things back on topic.
“I’d love for us to come up with something that incorporates the tattoo she gave Maggie. Oh! How about an angel kneeling, cradling a fleur de lis in her hands and looking down at it, with wings behind her? Kinda like how you drew on this one with some of the feathers coming off?” Star was up and moving around the table.
“I could definitely do that. What do you guys think?”
Mage and Jade were nodding.
“I love it, sounds great. Let’s do it.”
Jade wanted another one already?
“Uh, Jade? Your other one isn’t finished healing yet so I’m going to do yours close to the end, all right? You’re going to have to be patient this time.”
He pouted and whined, “Awww! How come? It’s not like it’s going in the same spot!”
I snickered. He was cute, but I can imagine he would have been a trying kid sometimes. “Sweetheart, your body needs to focus on healing the first one. If I tattoo you again, your resistance might get run down and you might get sick. Not going to do it, you’re going to have to wait.”
He sagged and nodded. “Ok, I guess you’re right. Bummer.”
Marcus gave him a paternal pat on the head. “You’ll be fine, Junior. I promise.”
Jade pushed his hand away and socked him. “Oh, you don’t want to start that, do you?”
Oh no. “C’mon guys, no fighting. I don’t want blood all over Mrs. Boudreaux’s photo albums.”
They all laughed. Except Devon. I noticed he’d been quiet during the discussion.
I walked over to the seat next to him and sat down. “What do you think, Devon?”
He tipped back his water bottle to finish it and then gave me a small smile. “I’m sure I’ll love whatever you come up with, chère.” He kissed my cheek and stood up to walk outside.
I noticed the cigarette pack was back in his pocket. He hadn’t smoked for the past couple of days. I figured something must be on his mind, but I was determined to let him have some time to himself. Hopefully he’d talk to me about it later.
I sat around talking with the guys for a while until I felt the yawns coming on.
“Hey guys, I’m going to bed. I’ll see you all in the morning, ok? What do you want for breakfast?”
They tossed out everything from crepes, which I assured them I couldn’t make, to French toast, which I told them would be the safer bet. I waved them all goodnight and climbed the stairs.
Devon hadn’t come in, and with Sherry gone, his bed was free. I wondered what he would do. I washed up, put on the lone nightgown I owned, and crawled in bed. I’m not sure how long I was asleep when I heard a sound from next door. Devon was playing his guitar. I debated going in to see him. Surely there was no harm in giving him a goodnight kiss.
I found him sitting in a chair with his guitar and paper and pencil next to him on another chair. He was obviously writing and I didn’t want to interrupt. I started to back into the bathroom when he looked up. His eyes crinkled with his very sweet smile. He looked tired.
“Hey, chère. Come here.”
I hesitated by the door. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you.”
He put the guitar aside and waved me over. There was only a lamp on beside him and the shadows it left across his shirtless chest were too much.
I walked slowly toward him, squinting a little in the light, hoping I didn’t look a mess. He reached for me and pulled me onto his lap, smoothing my hair away from my face.
“When I came back in, they said you were already in bed. I didn’t want to wake you so I thought I’d just write for a bit.” He was looking into my eyes, searching for something.
“Are you ok? I was worried when you went outside, but I wanted to give you space.”
He nodded and pulled at his soul patch. This time it concerned me rather than getting me excited. “I’m ok, it was just getting a little heavy and I guess with this tattoo and everything it feels like the end...Of a lot of things.” Oh. Shit. I stayed quiet, afraid for him to go on but desperately needing him to. “I mean getting the tattoo was supposed to be our way of saying goodbye to Maggie and moving on. I guess I’m not sure I’m ready to do that yet.”
“If you aren’t ready, it’s not written anywhere that I have to tattoo you now. We could do it whenever you are ready.”
He smiled gratefully at me. “Thanks. That helps. I was kind of feeling like it was one more thing being pushed on me and I didn’t like the feeling.”
“I’m sorry if I was a part of that. I don’t want to push anything on you.”
There was another layer to that statement that I wasn’t sure he would pick up on.
He turned me to face him and put his hands on my face. “No, Jaylene. You haven’t pushed me into anything I didn’t want to be into. You pushed me to talk a little and I appreciate that. But that’s all. Everything about you, everything we’ve done is because I wanted to.”
I guess he got that deeper layer. I tried a small smile, but I still felt unsure.
He rubbed my lip with his thumb. “What is it?” He asked.
I shrugged. “Is part of that end you mentioned because you’re going back to L.A.?”
He frowned and looked down at my hands. He took them in his. “Marcus does want us to go back to L.A.”
I swallowed, but the damn lump in my throat wouldn’t go away. I nodded. “You have an album to record. It makes sense. You guys have some fantastic songs.”
He squeezed my hands. “Yeah, but I don’t want to go back to L.A. There’s no fucking reason we have to record there. There are some damn good studios here in New Orleans and I'd just as soon do that then go back there. I don’t want to budge on this and he’s going to have a fight on his hands if he keeps fucking pushing me.”
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