by B. Betzold
She just nodded as she changed Quinn’s diaper.
I found Jaks sitting on the couch in the living area, and decided to take him out to breakfast. I hadn’t spent much time with him lately, and I missed my Taz.
“Taz, let’s go eat.”
“Yay!”
He jumped up, grabbed my hand and started pulling me out the door.
“Uhm Taz, maybe you’re forgetting something?”
He sighed and looked at me. “What, Uncle Drake?”
“Uhm maybe clothes?”
He glanced down and realized he was still in his Super Mario pj’s; he looked at me and nodded.
“Okay, Mommy and Daddy’s room first.”
I nodded. “Good idea, Taz.”
We walked across the hall, knocked on the door and a few minutes later, a half asleep Seth opened the door.
“Mornin',” he mumbled then walked away.
“Daddy, I am going to have breakfast with Uncle Drake.” He took off towards what I can only assume was his room.
Seth watched Jaks run off, and then looked over at me. “Breakfast, huh?”
I nodded. “I haven’t seen much of him lately. Been busy with work, and when I am around, he’s in preschool.”
“Yeah, I know how that goes; mind if I join you? I wouldn’t mind having some time with him, and I need to talk to you.”
“I don’t have a problem with it, but might want to run it by Jaks.”
He smirked at me. “Jaks, can I come to breakfast?”
“Sure, Daddy but you have to wear clothes, Uncle Drake said so.”
I laughed, when Seth gave me a confused look, and then went to get dressed as well.
A few minutes later, Jaks ran back in dressed and ready to go, followed by Seth.
“Where we going for breakfast?” asked Jaks.
“I know a small café in the area, if you’re up for it, that has great blueberry pancakes.”
Jaks mulled this over for a second then nodded. “That works, I could go for some pancakes.”
I glanced over at Seth. “He’s spending too much time with X.”
“That’s what Dev says too. Oh Sam is meeting us in the lobby.”
A little later we were sitting in a booth ordering breakfast, listening to Jaks talk about the girls in his preschool class.
“According to Dev, Jaks is a player.”
“Really?” I asked.
Seth nodded. “Yeah, apparently he has like five girls in his class that say they are going to marry him.”
“Well he’s doing better than me then,” Sam said.
I smirked at Sam. “Me too.”
“So where is he going to go tokindergarten? I know Devi was talking about some private school.”
Seth sighed. “We want him to grow up as normal as possible but, for security reasons, he’s going to some fancy private school about fifteen minutes from the house.”
I nodded. “Makes sense, especially after the daycare debacle. I don’t see Devi wanting to put him in that position again.”
Sam snickered.
“It’s not funny. I still can’t believe a mom at that daycare told Jaks that she was going to be his new mommy; I thought Devi was going to kill her.”
“That’s what I am laughing at; I can just see her face when Jaks told her that.”
“I had to hide the damn knives,” Seth said trying not to laugh. “I really thought I was going to have to bail my pregnant girlfriend out of jail.”
“Yeah but you got Ash now,” I said, “and the kids love her.”
Seth nodded. “Yeah, she’s been a lot of help, especially with Devi going back to work when she gets home. Cait will be six months old and Cris is starting to get antsy about her coming back.”
“Yeah, but I saw your back, she’s still been doing some work,” I said.
“Yeah, and she’s doing the guys today; they all want the band logo.”
Sam cleared his throat. “So Drake, we were wondering if you were interested in becoming our manager.”
I looked at Sam then Seth. “Uhm, seriously?”
They both nodded.
“Yeah, see here’s the thing, we are buying out the label you are working at now, keeping management and everything, but we will be the owners—Seth, X and me. We are going to switch labels after this tour is over, and we want to move you as our manager when we do that. But before that, have you find a couple of new A&R guys and show them the ropes.”
I stared at Sam—were they serious? I loved my job, going around the country listening to bands at different clubs, signing them and helping them get started, but on the other side I would be with my best friends, my brothers. I could see Devi and the kids more, Mags and Quinn more often too.
“Can I think about it?”
“Of course,” they both chimed.
Chapter 6
Mags
I was feeding Quinn a few minutes after Drake had left with Jaks, when someone started pounding on the door to our room. I stood carefully not to jostle Quinn around, draped a blanket over her and went to find out who was pounding on the damn door. I pulled the door open to find Brent standing there, looking like hell. His clothes were wrinkled, he had two black eyes and tape over his nose like it was broken—hmm, guess Drake hit him really hard.
“Yes, Brent, what can we do for you?” I asked him sarcastically.
“You bitch, you got me fired,” he ranted.
“Uhm, no, I think you did that when you decided to lay a hand on Jaks.”
He pushed past me jostling Quinn off my nipple causing her to start crying; I readjusted her and started moving her to the other side.
“Can’t you shut that kid up?” he yelled.
“Okay, you can leave now.”
“No, you are going to tell me why you got me fired, is it because of the brat? I will never give you anything.”
“Never asked for anything and I didn’t get you fired, you did.”
“No, you did when you started running your mouth about me being its father.”
“I never told anyone you were her father, and her name is Quinn not it,” I seethed.
He scoffed. “Like I care what you named it.”
“GET THE FUCK OUT!” I yelled.
“NO!” he roared. “YOU FUCKED UP MY LIFE!”
I didn’t realize the door was still open until Mike and X came barreling in and found Brent and I toe to toe screaming at each other.
“Hey Mags, need some help?” drawled X.
“No, he was just leaving,” I gritted out.
“No, you were going to tell me why you fucked up my life,” Brent snapped.
“I didn’t fuck up your life.”
“Yes you did, you are trying to pin that kid on me, and you told them all I was its father. YOU GOT ME FIRED!”
“Back off her, Brent,” replied X while he walked towards us.
Brent reached down and grabbed my arm squeezing tight, and got in my face. “WHY!” he screamed.
X pulled him off me and tossed him aside. “You okay, Mags?” he asked.
I nodded getting a tighter hold on my daughter.
“Mags didn’t say anything to any of us about you, Brent; you did that when you went into Seth’s room, hurt his kid, then started yelling,” X seethed. “You are lucky I don’t kick your ass myself for hurting Jaks.”
“I don’t want that kid, it’s not mine.”
“Okay, has Mags ever asked you for anything?”
“No, but she will, all women want shit for free.”
“Man, I think you need to go, and stay the hell away from Mags and the band.”
“Fuck you, you will all hear from my lawyer.”
Then Brent pushed past Mike and stormed out of the room. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“Thanks X.”
“Not a problem, doll” X replied. “How’s the kid?”
“She’s fine.”
He nodded and looked at me and I knew he was going
to say something that would piss me off.
“You do know, Mags, I would have scratched that itch for you instead of Brent.”
“Ah yes, I am sure you would have, X; only how many other women would have been there?”
He shrugged. “What can I say it takes more than one woman to satisfy me.”
I shook my head at him. “No thanks, X.”
“You’re right, wouldn’t want to get Drake pissed at me anyway.”
“Hah, what does that mean?”
“You really don’t see it, do you?” he replied shaking his head as he left.
I cocked my head confused by what he said—see what?
Drake
“WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING, MAGS?” I yelled when I walked in the room. Mags was sitting on the couch giving me a strange look. God, she was beautiful; long dark hair, blue, blue eyes, a body like a 50’s pin up girl. I remembered our one and only kiss during our one and only date, it started as a way to shut up her rant then turned into something more, something more that at time, neither of us were ready for.
“What’s your problem, Drake?”
“Why would you let him in the room when you were in here by yourself?”
“I didn’t let him in, I opened the door and he let himself in.”
“Okay, why would you open the door for him at all?” I bit out.
“I didn’t know it was him.”
“You didn’t look through the peep hole?”
“No someone was banging at the door so I just opened it,” she mumbled.
I sat down beside her and pulled her into my side, breathing in her scent of jasmine and mint. “Mags, you have to be more careful. When X called and said he found the fuckwit in the room, I nearly had a heart attack. You have to be more careful, baby.”
“I am sorry I worried you.”
I put my finger under her chin and lifted her face to mine. “Baby, you did more than worry me, you scared the shit out of me.”
We looked into each other’s eyes and something inside me snapped, I leaned down and brushed my lips against hers—god, this woman got under my skin. I went to brush my lips against hers again but she pulled away from me. “We can’t do this, Drake,” she whispered.
“Why not, Mags? I think it’s been in the works a long time now.”
“I have a kid, from another man,” she snapped.
I shrugged. “So?”
She looked at me like I was crazy. “So? That’s all you have to say?”
“Don’t really care about that, baby. Hell I love my princess, she’s…well, my princess.”
She shook her head. “You have no idea what you’re saying, Drake.”
“You know what, I am not in the mood to argue. I’m going to go, I’ll see you later.”
I went across the hall and knocked on Devi’s door, Seth answered holding a smiling Cait. I didn’t understand why Mags thought I would care who Quinn’s dad is. Didn’t she get it? DNA had no real basis when it came to being a parent, to loving a kid.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey man, she okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, she’s okay.”
Seth walked towards the living area and I followed and found Devi finishing a tattoo on a grimacing X.
“Fuck Devi, you trying to hit the bone,” he complained.
Devi giggled. “Stop being a pussy, X, you wanted this.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t realize you were a sadist.”
“Oh. My. God. Stop your whining already, X.”
“Seth man, is she always this mean?”
Seth laughed. “Uhm no, I think I am going to stick with no,” he responded after a glare from Devi.
“I told you rib tattoos hurt, X.”
He sighed and continued to grimace and flinch, it was rather entertaining to watch.
“That looks good, sis.”
She nodded. “Yeah it does, and it’s almost finished. I would have been done a while ago but he keeps squirming.”
Across X’s ribs was the logo for My Misery Muse. It was similar to the one Seth had across his shoulders.
“Want to work on mine today?” I asked her.
She nodded. “Yeah, let me finish with this big baby and we can add to yours.”
“What you getting?” asked Seth.
I sat down beside Seth and Cait and started playing with my angel’s foot causing her to giggle.
“Adding Angel and Princess to Taz’s tattoo.”
Seth nodded. “I finally get Devi out here with me and she spends her time tattooing.”
I shrugged. “Should have expected it.”
“Oh, I did. I’m just glad I could get her to take a break from work for the time I did after she had Caitir, she would have been at the shop the next day if she could have.”
I laughed because he was right; Devi was addicted to getting and giving tattoos.
“All right pussy, you’re done.”
“Finally, have fun, Drake; your sister is a sadist.”
Chapter 7
Mags
I walked across the hall with Quinn still thinking about the kiss from Drake. I didn’t know what he thought he was doing, or what he expected. Drake and I had tried a date once and all we did was argue about where to eat, what to do—everything. The entire night was just Drake and I arguing and sniping at one another. Then in the middle of one argument, he leaned over and kissed me, and I had never been kissed like that before, it was like he was searing himself to my soul. I shook my head and knocked on the door.
“Hey X.”
“Mags, how’s tricks?”
“Ass.”
“Yep.”
I walked past him and found Drake lying on his side on Devi’s traveling massage table getting tattooed across his ribs. I noticed his abs and my mouth dropped open. I had seen Drake before without a shirt but damn, it was a sight to see with his tight six pack, defined pecks, I was starting to worry I was actually drooling.
“Going to catch flies,” quipped X.
I snapped my jaw shut. “Fuck off, X.”
“Already did, two blondes.”
“Fucking pig.”
He nodded. “Yep.”
Seth was sitting on the couch with a sleeping Cait silently laughing at X and me, I shrugged. “He’s a dick.”
Seth nodded. “Yep.”
I walked over to where Devi was working and looked at Drake's ribs, he had a tattoo of the word Taz with a tornado, a new one of the word Angel with wings and a halo, and Devi was working on Princess with a tiara.
I looked down at Drake. “Princess?”
“Yep.”
I sighed. “Who’s Princess? I know Taz is Jaks, Angel is Cait.”
Devi stopped and looked at me. “You didn’t tell her?”
“I didn’t see the point; don’t need anyone’s permission to get a tattoo.”
Devi shook her head. “Such an ass.”
“So who’s Princess?” I asked again starting to get jealous.
“Quinn,” he responded, “been calling her that for days now.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I stood there staring at him stupidly.
“What, why?” I finally got out.
He started to shrug then stopped when it pulled on the tender skin.
“If I am going to get my angel added, might as well get my princess done at the same time.”
I couldn’t believe he was doing this. What kind of guy got a nickname permanently inked into their skin for a kid that had no blood relation to him? I didn’t know what to think or say to that so I quickly left and went back to our suite. I had a lot of thinking to do about this.
Drake
I sighed, well that could have gone over better, I thought. I still didn’t get what she wanted from me. I don’t do commitments, which she knows, neither of us do, but with her I was willing. Hell, if we started something, I am pretty sure we wouldn’t be able to stop anyway.
“What’s going on, Drake?” Devi asked quiet
ly.
“Nothing, we just got to work our shit out.”
She was quiet for a minute then responded, “About time, let me know if I can help.”
I nodded and lay back while Devi continued tattooing me. The job offer from Seth and Sam was beginning to look more appealing. They are based in Dallas now, and touring would be on their schedule, so that would mean six weeks away at a time, but with two weeks of family time afterwards. My job now was traveling and never really knowing when I would get time off. Hell, I was traveling most of the past year with little to no downtime.
The more I laid there and thought about it, the idea seemed to get better. I mean, it would be hanging out with my best friends, doing a job that I loved and working for what was basically the same label, only just working with My Misery Muse instead of babysitting a bunch of bands trying to get them set up. By the time Devi was finished with my tattoo, I had my answer.
“Hey Seth, I’ll do it.”
He nodded, and then broke out into a big grin. “We're going to have fun, Drake.”
I nodded.
“Wait, what did I miss?” asked Devi.
“Drake just agreed to become our manager.”
Devi squealed then hugged me. “I am glad, Drake; we can see more of you,” she whispered in my ear.
“I know I’ve missed you guys lately,” I whispered back.
“Love you, brother.”
Ah I hated when she got sappy. “Love you too, sis.
Chapter 8
Mags
I still couldn’t believe that he would get a tattoo for Quinn. I mean, who did that? She wasn’t his, and he had no reason to do something like that. I could understand getting a tattoo for Devi’s kids. I mean, they were his niece and nephew, but Quinn was nothing to him. Devi had come over to tell me that we were going out to celebrate. I had no idea what we were celebrating, but I was getting ready to go out to dinner then a club.
Drake had come in earlier and went to his room, we hadn’t talked after the whole tattoo thing. I knew we needed to but I didn’t know what to say, or what to think so instead ignored the situation completely. Maybe not the most grown up way about going about it but it worked for now.
“Mags, Ash is here.” Drake shouted.
I picked up Quinn, not really wanting to leave her but Devi had been excited about going out tonight. She told me I would have to leave her for the first time at some point, might as well be when I was going out with friends and leaving her with someone that I trusted.