“Hey, Clark.”
“Hi, Mia. Got your stuff?”
“Yep,” she said, heading to the back of her Pathfinder. She added her items to the large pile instruments and luggage.
“Suitcases?”
“Please?” she begged. He smiled warmly at her and it was then she knew he’d figure out a way to make it work. “Is that everything?” she inquired, gesturing towards the instruments.
“Yeah. Marty and Todd are already inside.”
“Do you want me to help?”
“Nah, I like puzzles. I’ll be in shortly. Go,” he ordered, ushering her off.
Mia squeezed his arm and crossed the lot towards the warehouse. The loud music pushed her back a step as she walked inside.
Todd and Marty sure knew how to get a party together on short notice! A DJ and a long ass table filled with all kinds of liquor! YAY! She definitely didn’t imagine this kind of party when she talked to Marty earlier. She figured about ten to fifteen people—not this. There were well over one hundred people enjoying the party.
Mia scanned the room for Marty or Todd as she crossed the large space to the makeshift bar. She made herself a strong Jack and Coke and when she turned around Todd was in front of her.
“Nice work, Todd!” she said after a long sip of her drink.
“I try,” he joked. “So, where’s your boyfriend?”
“My what?” she exclaimed, taken aback by his question.
“The guy you were making out with after the show on Friday. Ring a bell?”
“Yes,” she said, feeling a little embarrassed that Todd and the others had seen her and Ethan like that. She wanted to keep him all to herself, well, at least for a little while.
“You mean Ethan?” she asked Todd. Was that what Ethan was to her—her boyfriend?
“So it is the quarterback?”
She couldn’t help the smug smile that crossed her face.
“Damn, Mia! Big score there.”
“It’s new and we’re about to head to L.A. It probably won’t last.”
“Be positive. Luck is on your side.”
Luck.
That had definitely explained her past couple of weeks. Maybe she should buy a lottery ticket while she was at it.
She finished off her drink and made another. She thought about the logistics of her relationship with Ethan and it didn’t look good. She had a feeling they’d be in L.A. for a few months if all went well with the meeting. That was a long time to be apart, especially in the beginning of their romance.
Forget the lottery ticket. She needed that luck to make sure this fledging relationship had a shot of succeeding.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked to see if there was anything from Ethan.
“Nothing,” she grumbled to herself.
“Baby girl, there you are.”
She smiled, knowing the voice of Marc anywhere. She turned around and gave him a quick hug. “You made it!”
“I did. Now, come dance with me,” he commanded, pulling her to where a bunch of people were dancing, near the DJ.
She and her band may play rock music but Mia loved to dance and she did a lot of that along with a lot of drinks. To stay hydrated, of course. She’d also done celebratory shots with lots of people and she was starting to feel it. Hot and a little lightheaded, she made her way from the dance floor and headed outside.
Mia glanced around for someplace to sit and noticed an old crate along the wall. As she walked over to it, she pulled out her phone and noticed that she missed a phone call from Ethan. Before sitting down, she checked for rusty nails. She didn’t want one of those impaling her ass.
She reclined back on the crate and called Ethan. She needed to hear his sexy voice with that faint Southern drawl that turned her to putty.
“Come on … answer,” she pleaded, doing her best at using the Force.
“Hi, suga.”
“Hi,” Mia said, happy to finally hear his voice. “Is it all right that I called back?”
“Yes. I’m very glad you did. How’s your evening?”
“I’m just a smidge on the drunk side. So, pretty good.”
His laugh was rich and warm. “Lots to celebrate.”
“Yeah. I think I’m done celebrating tonight,” she paused. “Who am I kidding? Totally not done.”
“Not done?”
“Nope. I miss you,” she blurted out. “Is that crazy?”
“No, it’s not crazy.”
“Did you re-program my brain while we were together?”
“Why do you ask that?” he asked, with a faint chuckle.
She leaned against the cool brick wall and sighed. “Because you’re all I seem to think about now.”
When the line remained silent for a few moments, Mia started to freak out. Shit! I totally went too far, she thought.
“Ethan? You still there? Did I say something wrong?”
He cleared his throat and when he spoke again, his voice was thick with emotion. “I’m here and you said nothing wrong. I quite liked what you had to say, actually.”
“You did?” she asked, giddy with happiness.
“Mmmhmm. I can’t wait to see you again.”
“I leave on Saturday. When will you be back from Georgia?”
“Sunday,” he said sadly. “When will you be back?”
“I have no idea. I have a feeling we’ll be out there for a while,” she pouted, toying at the seam of her jeans. “Okay, now I’m officially sad.”
That meant she wouldn’t see him before she left for California and had no idea when she’d see him next. She thought about what she said to Todd. How was this going to last?
“Don’t be sad, suga. We will figure something out. You can’t get rid of me that easily,” he said as if reading her mind.
“I don’t want to get rid of you, Ethan,” Mia said honestly. She wanted the complete opposite. She wanted to be with him all the time.
Wow. That shocked her. All the time.
“Do you mean that?”
“I do,” she spoke quietly.
“Good,” he replied. She could hear the happiness in his voice.
“So, just so I’m clear. You don’t want me seeing anyone else while I’m out in L.A., do you?”
“No, I don’t want you seeing anyone else.”
“So … it would be fair of me to ask the same of you?”
“Very fair.”
“Ethan, what does that mean?” she asked.
“That we want to be exclusive. That we—GASP—are a couple in a relationship. I would probably even venture to say that you are my girlfriend.”
A smile spread across her face as she listened to his words, happily surprised by what he said.
Luck.
She definitely had a case of that right now. Ethan Christopher, football god, just called her his girlfriend. Mia wanted to shout for joy but somehow she fought that urge. Probably for the best. He might say he was joking if he heard her shriek of joy.
“Mia?”
“Girlfriend? I like the sound of that. Your girlfriend. That would make you my boyfriend. Holy crap! Ethan Christopher is my boyfriend,” she exclaimed. Saying it like that, she couldn’t believe it. “That sounds too good to be true.”
“Well, it is, Mia.”
“What did I ever do to deserve all this good fortune?”
“I’ve been asking myself that a lot the past couple weeks.”
“I’d so be kissing you right now if I was there.”
“That’s it?” he asked, a little disappointed.
“What do you think?”
“Oh, we’d definitely be horizontal,” he said, so sure of himself.
She laughed heartily at that. “I’d like that right now.”
“Me too, suga. I’ll check on my schedule tomorrow and see when I can get to you.”
“I like the sound of that.”
“So, this is where you ran off to.” Mia whipped around at the abrupt sound of Todd’s
voice and saw all three of her bandmates plus Marc and his best friend and her former crush, Tom, standing behind her.
“Damn it, Todd! You scared the fuck outta me!”
“You shouldn’t be out here by yourself,” Marty admonished her.
“I wasn’t,” she said, shaking her phone in front of them before putting it back to her ear. “I have company.”
“Where are you, suga?” Ethan asked.
“Outside of a warehouse,” she said to him.
“An abandoned warehouse,” Todd added loud enough for Ethan to hear.
“It’s abandoned?” she asked Todd.
“Yes. Who are you talking to?” Todd asked with an upward flick of his head.
She blushed and smiled. Damn reaction. She had absolutely no poker face.
“Haha! Look at that dopey smile,” Marty teased.
“Did you just call me dopey?”
Ethan laughed on the line. “Do you think this is funny, Ethan?”
“No, suga, absolutely not,” he said, holding his laughter in.
“Good answer.”
Mia looked over at the five guys and raised her eyes, hoping they’d go away so she could finish her conversation in private.
“No, we’re not leaving, Mia,” Clark said.
“Can’t you walk like twenty feet away so I can say goodbye without all five of you eavesdropping?”
“What do you want to say to me if you want them gone?” Ethan spoke to her in a warm whisper causing her skin to tingle. “Do you want to talk more about those horizontal kisses?”
“Please?” she begged all six men.
Her friends smiled at her and backed away, but continued to watch the area. They may like to annoy her but they would always protect her.
“All I’m going to think about are horizontal kisses with you. You tease!”
A deep chuckle greeted her. “You’re teasing right back, suga.”
“I like when you call me ‘suga,’” she responded.
“Is there a dopey smile on your face?”
“Yes,” she admitted, her cheeks flush with happiness. “What about you?”
“Yes,” came his quiet answer. “Mia, I, uh …”
“What?” she asked, smiling at the faint tremor she heard in his voice. She knew she had touched his heart and hoped it was as much as he touched hers.
“I want you.”
“Work on that schedule and you can have me as much as you want.”
“I will. I’ll call you tomorrow when I know for sure.”
“Bye, Ethan. Sweet dreams … about me.”
He laughed richly. “My dreams will definitely be sweet with you in them.”
“I know,” she said boldly.
“Good night, suga.”
Mia sighed as she closed her phone. She already missed his presence. She looked up and saw her bandmates and friends walking towards her and she hopped off the crate to meet them half way.
“So, you’re dating like the best player in the UFL?” Marty asked.
“Pretty much.”
“Indy was very good to you!” Clark added and she agreed. It had been very good indeed.
“Why did all of you come out here?”
“Looking for you,” Tom said, his white blond hair covered by his ever-present Cubs hat.
“Why?”
“Time to get drunk,” Todd said, wrapping his arm around her.
“I already am,” she laughed.
“Not enough and not with us. You need to correct that.”
Mia smiled as she slipped her arm around Todd’s waist. “Lead on!”
Mia
Los Angeles, March 2006
Mia looked around the large conference table as Marty, Tommy Dirickson, and the TBD lawyer were discussing some point on the contract. She was learning a lot and fast. Though, to be honest, much was flying over her head. TBD wasn’t a major record label, but they weren’t a minor one either. She didn’t realize it at the time, but Tommy Dirickson was the T, B, and D of the TBD. The founder of the damn label wanted them, and had been keeping an eye on them for awhile now.
Holy fuckin’ shit!
Marty impressed her during the negotiations. She liked seeing him in lawyer mode. Once during the proceedings, Mia leaned over and whispered to Todd, “Marty is fucking hot!”
“I completely agree,” Todd said in all seriousness.
They were all glad Marty was here. The contract was so far above her. He knew what they wanted as a band and he made sure to get it. He got a sideman’s clause added to the contract. Mia really wanted that. You never know who you’ll want to work with in the future. She had visions of playing with other musicians; collaborating with them since she first started entertaining the idea of a life in music.
The rest of the meeting was a big, boring blur. When it came time to sign, they all looked to Marty. “How good is this?” Mia asked in a hushed tone.
“Better than I expected,” he said with a satisfied smile.
And because she trusted him, she grabbed his face and kissed him squarely on the mouth. “You are the best! Where do I sign?”
Later that night, all four of them went out to celebrate and to discuss their upcoming plans. The guys delegated the finding of a manager to Mia.
“Why me?” she asked.
“Because you’re a girl and the lead singer. You are the people person of the group,” Todd replied.
“Whatever!” she mumbled, rolling her eyes.
Over the next couple weeks, Mia spent her spare time looking for their manager. The search didn’t yield many possible candidates and it frustrated the hell out of her. Everything was going well—their time in the studio and all the shows they’d been playing—but this, not so much. Maybe the guys should do this?
She decided to put the search for a manager on the table for the time being and enjoy the first warm day since arriving in L.A. It wasn’t exactly swimsuit weather, but warm enough to warrant a pair of short white shorts and a multi-colored tank.
Grabbing her notebook, pen, and cell phone, Mia headed down to the clubhouse for a little sun. As she approached the pool, she saw a blonde female sitting on one of the lounge chairs. Mia had seen her around the complex before and was struck by how beautiful she was. Like movie star beautiful. It was probably time to introduce herself, at the very least, warn her to stay away from Todd.
They’d been in L.A. for just two weeks and Todd had girls over almost every night. She wasn’t upset by that; she was jealous. She wanted sex, preferable with her tall and handsome quarterback. In a little over a week that would be happening and she would be in his arms again.
As Mia opened the gate, her phone rang. “Hello?” she answered, flopping down on one of the chairs.
“Hi, suga.”
“Hi, yourself,” she replied, happy at the unexpected early call from him. They had a set time each evening when they would talk. She loved the daily opportunity to learn more about him, though she definitely preferred in-person conversation. “Why are you calling so early?”
“Change of plans for next week.”
“Good or bad change?”
“I guess it depends on whether you want to see me for a couple extra days.”
“I do!” she said excitedly.
“I’m glad. I went through a lot of work to make these changes.”
“And what are the changes, my dear man?”
“Arriving on Thursday and leaving Tuesday night.”
Mia did the math, counting out the days on her hands. She couldn’t believe it! “Six days with you?”
“Yes, suga,” he chuckled. “Six days with me.”
“Six days of sex,” she said with a giggle. “Better start resting up.”
“What do you plan on doing to me?”
Mia snickered.
“I miss you, suga.”
Her heart ached for the longing she heard in his voice. “I miss you, too.”
“So,” he began then cleared his throat.
“What are you up to today?”
“I’m supposed to be finding the band a manager, but it’s seventy-eight degrees and sunny so I’m currently sitting on a lounge chair absorbing the sun’s rays.”
“Still looking?”
“Yes!” she pouted in frustration. “This is hard. Why can’t the manager of my dreams just magically appear? I haven’t clicked with any of the candidates. They bored me. I want someone who will be one hundred percent invested in us, knowing that as we become more successful, so do they. We are a team, doing this together. I want them to have the same passion that I have.”
“You have a lot of passion.”
“Yeah I do!” she agreed with a short laugh. “Particularly for you.”
“Oh, did you get my package today?”
“No, not yet,” she replied, curious as to what was in this package.
“If it gets there, we are watching a movie together tonight.”
“What kind of movie? A porn movie?”
“What is your obsession with porn?”
“I have no obsession with porn,” she protested.
“Have you ever seen porn?”
“Uh, no,” she admitted.
“I figured,” he laughed. “Someday, I’ll show you.”
“Really?”
“If you want to see it …”
“We’ll see.”
Porn was a funny subject for her. In regards to porn, she was very naïve and inexperienced. Her bandmates protected her from that and Luke never showed her, but she was too embarrassed to see it herself. So she joked around about it. It wasn’t that she was a prude. When she and Luke were together, they pretty much had sex whenever and wherever they could. Some places still caused her to blush many years later.
“You’re funny. You talk all about it and when it presents itself to you, you shy away.”
“I’m cautiously curious. What can I say?”
His wonderful laugh filled her ear and she could imagine him shaking his head at her. Damn, she missed him so much.
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