All the sand getting into everything is just damn annoying, hence my distaste for the beach. Then watching those two guys paw all over Mia I now hate the beach. When we got back that night, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Seeing her with another guy touching her, consumed every thought.
Sitting up after everyone went to bed, I couldn't let it go. The two dark skinned men grabbing at her and throwing her into the water, their hands and arms around her as they wrestled. Her sitting with her legs on their shoulders. The knot in my stomach wouldn't loosen and the fiery pull of her strengthened.
When I went to her room I didn't even think about how loud the door would shut when I pushed it, all I could think about was her and the feeling intensifying the closer I got to her. Forming a coherent thought into words was pointless. I really didn't even know what I was going to do.
Once I finally touched her, pressed my body and my mouth to her, it was as if a bomb went off inside of me. The taste of her mouth and skin was astonishing. I'd never experienced anything like it. Her scent intensified around me, soaking into every part of me. Desire flooded every movement and thought. Everything felt right.
I relished it until she protested. She stopped me, but she didn't deny the feeling between us, this connection. Still she stopped me and was irritated with my behavior. She fell back to sleep and I stayed silent. I thought about the night and still felt the overwhelming draw to her. She rejected me. She didn't want me like that, the way I wanted her. Maybe I was crazy.
Leaving before she woke up, I attempted to keep my distance from her the rest of the time we were there. Not going to her room at night and not staying in the same, room alone with her or too close to her became my new routine. I was avoiding her, but if I didn't I would just grab her and pull her to me again. She didn't want that, she didn't want me that way, so I was desperate to distance us.
Distant is what we now were.
Chapter Twenty
Everyone was tired on the plane to Pittsburgh. Since it was June, Ryan accompanied us, Una and Serena had hired Andrea, our new personal assistant and traveling nanny. Andrea was a sweet girl. She'd been a personal shopper and assistant for a semi famous model, a B list actress, and she had experience with children. Andy had grown up the oldest of ten kids and worked for almost three years in a daycare during college. It was a bonus that she was a fan. The fit seemed perfect.
Christopher still kept his distance, ignoring me for the most part. So, my pride put us back into our original silent avoid and evade agreement. Regardless of the fact, it hurt more than I wanted to admit.
In Pittsburgh, we performed at an open-air amphitheater for two nights, then the weekend before the Fourth of July at their river regatta, though the city was already prepping for the annual event.
Having free time between the events, we took Ryan out on some excursions.
The Pittsburgh Zoo became our outing for Pittsburgh. It was extremely humid, but at least we had a personal escort to minimize the crowds of people swarming us. All of us, except for Chris, who chose not to come along. It was hard, but I hid my undesired disappointment well.
Elliott and I stopped at just about every place food was available. Everyone sat in a private animal showing where Ry could get close enough to touch and feed animals with the handler. It was great until they brought out the tarantula. Once the fury eight-legged menace was before us, I shuddered.
"Oh hell no!" Swinging my leg over the wooden bench, I ran to the back of the wooded enclosure.
"What's the matter, are you afraid of spiders Mia?" Jimmy taunted and made creepy spider leg movements with his hands.
"Ones the size of my face? Yes!"
"You are such a girl." Elliott teased.
Pulling at the collar of my t-shirt, I looked down.
"Well, what do you know, I have boobs." I looked back at Serena and Elliott's amused faces. "I guess that makes me a girl, huh?"
"Perhaps I should thoroughly check other areas to be sure."
There was a loud crack when Serena’s hand met his shoulder.
"Oww, shit baby!" Elliott rubbed his arm and Serena glared at him. "I was only joking." He whined.
"Well joke like that when you aren't around my very impressionable child." She turned back to Ryan, who was using his index finger to touch the spider. I cringed.
"Isnot dat bad An Mia." Ry looked up over the fuzzy creeping spider.
"You just keep the creepy crawler over on that bench with you." The animal handler chuckled at my behavior.
After the long stay in Pittsburgh, we were off to New York. We pretty much had a week to ourselves with the Fourth of July weekend. I spent most of my time with Serena and Ryan. We took him to FAO Schwartz so he could see the large toy store. Elliott bought him a couple of things much to Serena's displeasure. It was nice to see Elliott bond with Ryan. We made sure visit Coney Island and the Bronx Zoo as well.
The days we weren't sightseeing with Ry, we were in a recording studio working on upcoming projects. Nobil Records had acquired a New York location during a merger with a small New York production company a few years ago. They kept the studio after they closed the company's main office.
When the Fourth finally arrived, we gathered to watch Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks. It was amazing. Ryan's face brightly lit and his eyes were so wide. He sat on Elliott's shoulders looking straight up into the sky with amazement all over his face.
Christopher remained distant and did everything he could to avoid me at all cost. I hated that we'd returned to being so ignorant of each other. After everything that happened, I never would of predicted we would slip back to this routine.
Soon concert day arrived. We played in New York City, then Buffalo, and then hoped on the buses, destination Springfield, MA. We took Ry to some beaches. It wasn't as warm, since a storm front had moved in, but he still enjoyed the kite flying and collecting seashells.
The weeks and months began to roll by quickly. Traveling frequently from Philadelphia, PA, to Charleston, WV, and then to Columbus and Youngstown, OH, to Atlantic City, and Charlotte, NC. In between the concerts, there were early morning phone calls into radio interviews at the butt crack of dawn. Then there were the quick flights to New York for morning television shows and sometimes a late night show on the same day.
It was at our stop in Richmond, VA, during the last week of August, I started to feel the effects, my throat started to feel scratchy and sore, and then it moved into my ear.
Una convinced me to see a doctor when she started bringing up things like hearing and voice damage. She arranged for a doctor to visit the hotel instead of me trying to get into the office and causing a crowd of people to show up.
Surprisingly enough Richard was instrumental in making connections with the doctor. They were friends from college who still kept in touch. Richard had been following us in person much more than I thought he would.
The doctor came in and did the basics. Pulse, blood pressure, checked my ear, nose, and throat. He took a culture of my throat, but could already see swelling in my ear and tonsils. He called in a prescription and Andrea went to pick up the antibiotics along with other medicines he wanted me to start.
The next morning I woke up feeling worse than the day before and refused to get out of bed. I buried myself in my room and in my bed. The test results came back that day and the doctor called to change my prescription. He called in Rifampin, which he said was a stronger antibiotic. It was for a bacterial infection. Apparently, my tests revealed this infection in my nose, throat, and was most likely the cause my inner ear infection. I switched medicines as soon as it arrived, soaked in a hot bath, and went back to lying in bed.
Swallowing my own saliva hurt. Let alone trying to consume anything. The loosening of my clothes made it clear I'd already begun to lose too much weight.
Una had the rest of the girls, and Ryan, looked over as a precaution. To prevent spreading germs, my interaction with everyone was limited. That was fine with me. I curled
into a ball in the middle of my bed and waited for death to put me out of my misery.
* * * * *
Laney started to become a regular in our room and bus thanks to Jackson. They were practically inseparable, and were absolutely sickening. If I had to listen to one more make out session or moan, I was going to castrate him.
"Morning, Christopher," she chirped as soon as I walked out of my bedroom. I was still groggy and hadn't slept soundly for weeks now. The nightmares were not so much the problem. It was my longing for Mia.
"Morning," I groaned.
"Okay Jacks I want to go and check on Mia before we take off, okay?" she spoke too quickly but I still made out what she said.
Jacks? Wait…check on Mia?
"Check on Mia?" It just blurted out before I could stop myself from asking about her.
"Um, yeah, she's sick," Laney turned away quickly and started toward the door.
"Sick?" I pressed. Jesus when did I get Tourettes?
The smirk on her face made me uncomfortable.
"Yeah she's been really sick with a bacterial infection in her throat. The doctor had to send in stronger medications for her this morning." She looked worried. "You know we're all worried about her throat and her voice, and Mia seems to be really stressed by it. Anyhow, she's been stuck in her room for the past couple days trying not to die." She smiled e and then grabbed Jackson's hand before walking closer to the door.
"Oh, Christopher?" I turned around when she yelled for me.
"Yeah?" I raised my eyebrow.
"You can't see her," she stated firmly. I furrowed my brow.
"Why would I –?" she cut me off.
"She's like quarantined in a sense. At least until her new meds have a full 24 hours to work on her. She can't really be around anyone." She smiled slyly and headed out the door with Jackson.
Plopping down into a chair with my coffee, I flipped through the channels, but I couldn't get past the fact that Mia was two rooms down and really sick. I tried a shower to clear my head, but it didn't work.
Finally, slipping into some shoes, I marched down to her room. Serena answered with a questioning look on her face. I pushed by and headed toward the closed door I assumed was Mia's.
"Christopher you shouldn't go in there." Una stood in front of me, blocking me. I grabbed her shoulders and moved her as gently as I could.
My hand was grasped the knob.
"Christopher she's really sick and possibly contagious." Serena chimed. Her hand on my shoulder, she sighed. "Give her till tomorrow, and then come back."
It was the first time I think Serena actually asked me to come back or to be around Mia at all. I knew she hated Mia's involvement with me and I didn't blame her one bit.
"Well then someone better call the doctor now to get me the same stuff." Without looking at either one of them, I turned the knob and entered her room.
Curled up in the fetal position, she looked like hell. Her frame was smaller, her skin paler, and she looked a mess. Still, the moment my eyes rested on her I wondered how the hell it had been possible for me to stay away this long. Swallowing my feelings and kicking off my shoes, I tossed off my sweatshirt and climbed in next to her. She lifted her head to look toward the movement.
"Shhh…just go back to sleep." I laid flat on my back next to her.
"Hhhrrissss…"
She was trying to say my name, probably tell me the same thing Una and Serena already had.
"Please don't talk, you sound horrible." I gave her a teasingly disgusted look.
Her elbow met my side quickly taking some air out of me.
"You must not be too sick if you can still hit like that," I teased again.
This time her hand slapped me in the leg.
"I know I shouldn't be in here, but after all you've done for me…this is the least, the very least, I can do. You shouldn't be by yourself." She shifted and got comfortable. Then I heard the sound of her sleeping sighs.
I don't know how long I laid there before falling asleep next to her, but when I woke up with her head on my chest and my arm around her it was the best fucking wake-up of my life. From this moment, there would be no more ignoring Mia.
I stayed with her until she woke the next morning. Then I had to leave for my session with Doctor J. Leaving was hard to do, especially when she was still sick and I felt like I'd just gotten her back.
"Tahng ew."
I laughed at her attempt to speak.
"No problem," I shrugged. "Please stop trying to speak. You really do sound like shit." She gave me her middle finger as I walked out the door chuckling.
* * * * *
When Christopher showed up in my room, I thought he was crazy. I couldn't believe he was going to stop ignoring me at this particular moment, in my sickly condition, to get some sleep. At first, I was going to kick him out of the bed and my room, but then he disclosed he was there to comfort me. After all his ignoring and avoiding, he was being genuinely nice. He confused me, thoroughly. He continued to show up every chance he could while I was in bedridden.
Having been sick for what felt like months, but had only been a few of days. Waking the third day after starting my new medicines, I felt a hundred times better. To the relief of everyone, I was well enough we could finally get on a tour bus and head to South Carolina. To my relief I could finally shower and eat. It took a week until I was performance ready, but I my antibiotics were a daily regimen for fourteen days.
It seemed like just yesterday we were walking into the record company for the first time. Now, between the months of tour dates and my health set back, it was September and close to my birthday. Knowing Laney, she would torture me somehow. She has every year since we were kids. I always tried to go low key, but Laney always had other, more elaborate, plans for us.
When we arrived in Myrtle Beach I knew I was going to be in for one of her grand schemes.
"Happy Birthday, to you! Happy Birthday, to you! Happy Birthday dearest Mia!"
Covering my head, I groaned as Serena, Kat, and Laney barged into my room singing at the top of their lungs. Kat was rocking out on her guitar. Christopher shook with laughter next to me. I smacked him.
"What was that for?" he yelled out.
"Don't encourage them," I groaned.
Then the blankets were ripped from my bed to the floor. Ryan managed to get up on the bed and bounced as he sang Happy Birthday to me. Sitting up quickly, I pulled him on the bed, tickling him.
"Top it An Mia!" he laughed and let him go.
Laney disappeared from the room and reappeared with balloons.
"Oh god," mumbling, I fell back onto the bed.
"Mia hurry and get dressed we need to eat breakfast and get on with our day!" She was bouncing in excitement. "Oh and we will be outside a little so dress casually." She added.
My surprise was evident. I didn't have to dress up. She smiled large.
"I'll have your outfit for later picked out and ready before we leave," she giggled.
Sighing, I headed to the bathroom. I shut the door and she yelled again. At least this time it wasn't at me.
"Christopher, go get dressed we are all going!"
Leaning back out of the bathroom door, I caught Christopher's lounged attention.
"You better hurry before Sergeant Slaughter comes back in here and yanks you out of the bed."
He chuckled and ran his hand through his overgrown hair.
"I heard that," Laney shouted from the living room.
I ducked back into the bathroom and closed the door.
After breakfast, we went to the NASCAR Speedway. Starting with the bumper boats and then moving on to six turns at go-cart racing. Elliott crushed us all when it came to racing the go-carts. He was a really good and fast racecar driver. Then Elliott took Ryan over to the children's go-carts and went around with him a few times. Serena and I stood watching.
"So, he's really good with Ry, huh?" I nudged her.
A smile spread across her face.
>
"Ry really likes him too," then her face fell.
"Hey…what's with the sad face?" I put my hand on her shoulder.
"I just…I don't know. What happens when we aren't touring with them anymore?" she looked at me with a worried expression.
I hugged her.
"It will all work out."
She sighed and nodded her head, but she wasn't convinced.
"Has he said anything about it?"
"No," she shook her head. "And believe it or not, I haven't been able to bring myself to ask him." She laughed a little.
I feigned shock.
"What? The great and powerful Oz is afraid of a boy?" I chuckled. She smacked me.
"Ouch!" I rubbed my arm. "It will all work out." I kissed her cheek and put my arm over her shoulder.
"Are you sure I'm the big sister?" she asked, putting her head on my shoulder.
"Hell yes! I'm not that old yet!" I laughed.
"You little bitch!"
I took off running with Serena close on my heels.
Elliott let Ry win a few times and when they finished we went to play Jurassic Golf. Ryan loved the dinosaurs and I loved the fact that I was actually kicking ass at something. I did a couple of victory dances in Kat's face since we partnered.
"You are a sore winner!" she stuck her tongue out.
"Oh, are you offering some tongue service for my birthday?" Everyone in our group turned around to look at us.
"You know it baby…I would love to get my tongue between –"
"Ewww…too much information, Kat! That's like incest!" We both laughed.
"So it's only because I'm like your sister?" she raised an eyebrow.
"You know it baby!" I smacked her ass. "You are one hot bitch!" We both burst into a fit of laughter.
When the afternoon was over, we headed back to the hotel. Ryan was going to the pool with Andrea and then having a movie night while the rest of us went out to honor the birthday plans Laney arranged.
"Mia!" Laney yelled from within my room.
I walked into the bedroom and into her grasp. She pulled me over to the bed.
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