by Thia Finn
“But you don’t travel with the band anymore?”
“No, Crew had asthma and could have died, so I decided to give up life on the road. I write music with several bands and work as a studio musician. I make a good living for us without having to go on the road. I’m happy, and I have the best thing The Bitch could never have, my son.”
She stood and kissed me hard and then hugged me. “Thank you for telling me the story. I know it’s hard for you but now I know it all, and we can put it aside. I love that kiddo, you know?”
“Yeah, he’s kinda special to me, too.” I kissed her this time. “Come on, let’s go to bed. I’ll show you how special you are.” I wiggled my eyebrows, and she ran down the hallway with me chasing her.
This woman is getting under my skin in a big way. The possibility of having a relationship with her constantly skirted around in my mind. Now I knew this was real. This could be a lot more. As I rolled her over under me in my bed, my gaze lingered on her exquisite features of her face. The lamplight illuminated the green of her eyes. How did I find such a perfect person to fit in my life?
“Do you know how beautiful you look right now?” I kissed her lightly. “Your hair fanning across these dark sheets and pillows? It makes me want to tie you up and keep you here waiting to see to my every need, Timbre.”
“Wow! That sounds pretty fun from my end.”
“It would be more than fun, babe. It’d be a dream to end all dreams.” I kissed her again as she ran her hands through my hair lightly scratching my head shooting tingles down my spine. I pulled back and looked her in the eyes.
“I love you, Timbre.” Her face lit up breaking into a big smile.
“I love you too, Hayden. I love you, too.”
We spent the rest of the night proving it to each other in the best ways possible.
As the sun rose the next morning, I rolled over to find her gone from the bed. I reached out running my palm over the still warm indentation proving she’d been there recently. The night I dreaded trying to conquer had turned out to be one of the best of my life. The burden of my back-story gone, I felt like we could move forward as a couple.
“You going to sleep all day?” Timbre yelled from the kitchen. “I have to go to work, remember?” She walked in with a big mug of coffee in both hands.
I slid up putting my back against the headboard and took the cup from her. “Oh, you’ve gotta leave? Now that’s a bad idea. I had some other plans for us.” I popped the famous panty-dropper smile on her.
“Put that thing away, music man.”
I looked under the covers. “Sorry, but it’s covered at least. I can’t help it if seeing you run around my house in my t-shirt knowing you’re probably naked under there gives new meaning to morning wood.” I sat the coffee down on the nightstand and reached out grabbing her empty hand. “Come back to bed, and let’s put it to good use.”
“No, we can’t. I have to work. Now get up. You have to take me.” She pulled away and picked up her overnight bag on her way to the bathroom.
“Wow, tell a girl you love her and look where it gets you.” I could hear her laughing.
She sat on the counter up close to the mirror adding lines under her eyes. I watched her until she finished it before I spun her around.
“I do love you, babe.” I dropped a brief kiss on her untouched lips and pulled back. She wrapped her arms and legs around me. Yeah, I was right. Nothing under that shirt.
“I do love you, Hayden. If you can be fast, I can, too.” She winked at me.
“Damn straight I can.” I dropped my boxers on the spot.
After dropping her at the office, I swung back by Ryan’s to thank him for keeping the kid for us. The cloud I found myself skipping across floated me in his back door to find Nanny cleaning the kitchen.
“Hello, Nanny.” I kissed her cheek.
“Someone’s in a great mood today. Any particular reason why?”
Ryan walked in the kitchen with an empty mug. “Maybe spending the night with a beautiful woman had something to do with it.”
Nanny had been with us through the U.S. and Europe, fast women, groupies, and all the highlights of being on tour. Nothing caused her to raise an eyebrow anymore. We’d all calmed down considerably since the kids came along.
“Hayden, are you in love with that pretty green-eyed girl?” She turned and winked at me. Two winks in one day. Could it get any better?
“Yeah, Nanny, I believe I am in love with that green-eyed girl.” I kissed her cheek again.
Ryan cleared his throat behind me. “You think you’re in love, kid?”
“Nope, I am in love.” I moved over and refilled his cup as he sat down at the breakfast table.
“That’s great, kid. She seems like the perfect girl for you. No doubt she loves Crew, so if she loves you, too, I’m happy for you, dude.” He stuck his hand out, and we shook as a blonde, curly-headed little cutie came toddling in the room with a truck under her arm.
“We play trucks, Daddy?” She leaned against the wall and gave Ryan a look, and he practically bounded out of the chair picking her and the truck up.
“Sure, princess, we’ll play trucks. Want to get in the dirt outside? Mommy’s at work.”
“Yes, Daddy.” She put her little fingers to her lips. “It’s a secret, remember? Mommy doesn’t like dirt.”
Ryan whispered to her. “Right. Our secret.” He kissed her and put her down taking her hand and walking out the door.
I looked over at Nanny, and she grinned and shook her head. “Those two.”
Talk about a busy day. New people came and went from the studios all day. By the time five o’clock rolled around, exhaustion had set in. My mind begged to drift to the erotic night Hayden and I shared. The special moments never quite escaped the forefront. The things we said and did together would always hold a special place I could go to if I ever needed a refresher on why I loved this guy.
My life finally moved in a forward direction instead of standing still or moving backward. Simply surviving was no longer my mode of operation. Something more to live for was a far better place to be than drifting along on a lonesome tide of my so-called life. He gave me hope, my job gave me means, and our friends gave me family. I could live with those three things in my hip pocket.
“Are you ready to head home?” Peri brought me out of my daydream.
“Oh, yeah, sure.” I smiled up at her.
“If the look on your face is any indicator of where your brain was hiding, I’d say you’re more than ready. You look exhausted.” She giggled a little and shook her head. “Care to share how your little talk went last night?”
“It was the best talking I’ve ever done.” My grin stretched across my face.
“I’ll bet. Worn out, are we?”
“In so many ways, you’d never even guess.” I picked up my purse from the desk drawer.
“Care to share?” She’d yet to take her eyes off me.
“Hmm. Not all of it, no.” My smile never changed until I saw something or someone move past the front doorway. “Did you see that person?”
Peri whirled around with the alarm in my voice. She moved over to the door without opening it. The sun made its way past the horizon, and only a few rays of daylight illuminated the parking lot, the lights yet to come on.
“I don’t see anyone. Did you see them?”
“I thought it was someone, but it could have been something in the wind or my imagination. I’m so freaking tired. I swear I could rest my head on the back of the seat and be out.”
“That kid needs to learn some limits on wearing you out on a work night.” She laughed, but I could tell from the way her eyes continued to look around as we crossed the lot to her car, she was being cautious.
“I’ll remind him of that next time he wants to ‘talk.’”
As soon as she shut her door, the locks clicked. “Can never be too careful. With the time change, it’s dark way too early for me. Maybe we should change ou
r hours to come and go in the daylight.”
“We could always get John to walk us to your car if you’re afraid.”
“I’m not really afraid, but this parking lot is dark. Security needs to adjust the damn lights to the new time.”
“Have y’all ever had trouble before? I mean when the bands are in recording, surely the fans and groupies could cause a problem.”
“Yeah, when the big bands come in, they have their own security teams, but we bring on more. No one’s in now, though.” She drove cautiously through the horrid traffic Austin was becoming known for.
“Let’s change the subject. How did your talk go? Did he tell you everything you wanted to know about our slight hiccup years ago?”
“Yes, he told me all about Krissy and the shit she pulled with y’all. She’s a piece of work. I’m glad Crew’s never had to deal with her.”
“Right. We’ve managed to protect him over the years. He told you she signed away all rights to him?”
“Yeah, he mentioned it. Telling me the story stressed him out.”
“Rightly so. Worst time of his life. All of ours really.”
“It’s over and done with. He never has to worry about it again, and I’ll never ask about it. So as far as I’m concerned, the subject is completely closed.”
Peri nodded her head. “Good. I’m sure it’s something he’d rather forget altogether. As long as The Bitch stays far away from us, we’re good.”
“She has no reason to come around, does she? I mean, she’s not in the music scene in any way.”
“No, she hated the entire operation. That’s what caused the problem in the first place. She wanted Ryan to give up the band and be a nine-to-five worker. You have to wonder what went through her mind when she started seeing him.”
We pulled into her driveway and saw movement in the pool area. Steam came off the hot tub, and kids were running around on the patio.
“Looks like we’re swimming in the hot tub tonight.” Peri watched her family before opening her car door.
“I’d say they’re enjoying every minute of it, too.” The hoots and hollers coming from the pool area stood out against the quiet of the night, kids and dads both contributing.
“Yeah, that’s my family.” Peri laughed as she finally opened the door to get out.
Could this be my family, too, someday? Didn’t I deserve this happiness like everyone else? I said a little prayer that the man upstairs heard my questions and would consider my wish.
“Hey, babe. Come join us,” Hayden called to me as I opened the pool gate.
“Yeah, come on, Timbre. You’ll love the water. It’s warm,” Crew yelled before jumping in making a splash on everyone. Poor little Gemma didn’t stand a chance with the boys, so her dad held her up.
I looked at Peri. “I’m in if you are.”
“Sure, why not?” We both parted ways to don our swimsuits and join the family time. Good thing the hot tub was built for a crowd.
“Look at what time it is. These kids need to get to bed,” Peri told them all. “Some of us go to work tomorrow, remember?”
I nodded. “And some of us were already tired before we climbed in here to shrivel up like prunes.” I held up my bumpy fingers.
“Okay, guys. Out you go.” I listened as Ryan told the bunch.
“Oh, Pops, do we have to go home?” Crew looked at his dad.
“Yes, dude, we do. You didn’t sleep at home last night.” Hayden stepped from the tub and offered me a hand. I latched on as he pulled me to the walk around the edge.
He kept his hand in mine and wrapped it around my back so he could whisper in my ear, “Guess I’ll take him home. Damn, I hate leaving you here. I want you in my house.”
“Sorry. I live here, remember?” I smiled at him.
“How can I forget?” He kissed my ear before moving away. “I’ll talk to him tonight more about us.”
When we pulled apart, I saw Crew watching us intently. I felt sure he knew already, but his dad needed to clarify our relationship. If we were doing this, I didn’t want to sneak around any more than we already had.
We all said our goodbyes, and I watched the two new men in my life step up in the truck and drive away, the Powell family already inside their home. We waved at each other, and they drove off. Even being tired, I hated them leaving me. We weren’t ready to move any more forward with our relationship for now.
Walking into my little home, I looked around. Something seemed weird. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I kept feeling as though someone had been in here. In my bedroom, I unwrapped the huge towel. On my nightstand I noticed my birth control pills lying open. I’d taken them with me to Hayden’s house the night before and had yet to clean the overnight bag out. Hayden brought it back over here today. Maybe he put them out so I wouldn’t forget to take tonight’s dose. I’d have to remember to ask him.
I popped the pill off the ring and swallowed it before going in to take a shower. The hot water felt great sliding down my body. The smell of chlorine clung to my skin from the hot tub so I filled my loofah with vanilla-smelling soap, creating a luscious smell to cover my body with. When I bent over to wash down my legs, I noticed feeling a little woosie. I should have had more dinner, I guess. The snacks Nanny brought out were good but not really dinner. I’d need to eat a little something before climbing in bed.
As I stood back up, I fell back against the tile. “Damn, I better get out before I fall,” I said.
The water came to a stop when I pushed the handle down, and I wrapped the towel around me and stepped out. Something was wrong with me. My head felt funny, my stomach felt strange, and my eyes had a hard time holding focus. I needed to eat something more than I thought.
I managed to get my thick terry robe Hayden bought me wrapped around my still wet body, and I headed for the kitchen holding onto the walls as I walked the short distance. I barely managed to make it to the fridge and tried to pull it open, but I didn’t have the strength.
“Where’s my phone?” I tried to focus, but it never happened. My back slid down the cabinet. I looked around before I laid over and succumbed to the blackness.
“It’s about damn time. Wake the hell up, you conniving little whore.” Something hit me in the face, but I couldn’t open my eyes to see it.
“I said wake up,” someone yelled in my face.
Owww, my brain felt the hand reach roughly around my arm and pull me up. I tried to stay upright, but I couldn’t control the fall back down.
“You’re going to wake up and listen to me.” Whoever spoke to me seemed angry, but my mind couldn’t wrap around it. “It took me forever to get you alone. I knew you’d be fucking him. How did you get your hooks into him anyway?” the woman yelled in my face as she held me against something. “Open your eyes you little two-bit ho. I got some things to say, and you’re going to hear them.”
I finally figured out how to move my lips. “Who are you?” My eyes closed.
She slapped my cheeks hard. “Doesn’t matter who I am, who the hell are you? Open your goddamn eyes, bitch. I want to know you’re listening and understand what I’m saying.”
Slapping me again, but harder this time, I tried to put my hands up to deflect the hits.
“Stop, that hurts.”
“You’re damn right it hurts. It’s going to hurt a lot more until you listen to what I’m saying.”
“I’m listening. I’m listening. Quit yelling at me.” The loud noise made my head hurt worse.
I slowly opened my eyes and saw a woman standing there. I had no idea who she was or what she wanted, but she continued speaking to me.
“What are you saying?” I finally asked her.
“Okay, you little cheap-ass cunt, here’s the deal. I’m back, and you’re leaving.”
“You’re back from where, and where am I going? I think you’ve got the wrong person. I don’t even know you.” My addled brain began to work better with every passing minute. This woman was psycho that much
I knew.
“You’re right. You don’t know me, but I know you. I’ve been watching you while you fucking wormed your way under the skin of my friends, my baby daddy, and my little bastard child. Well, some two-bit homeless ho bag cunt isn’t taking what’s mine. I’ll kill you first.”
“Lady, you’re crazy. Who are you?” My brain may have started working, but she made no sense.
“I’m talking about Hayden and our spawn and that asswipe, Ryan Powell. Him and his sweet little cunt, Peri. She got the son-of-a-bitch, but she’s not getting what’s mine.
All I could think about was what she said about Hayden and Crew. She referred to him as her spawn.
Oh, my God. This is Krissy.
“Why? Why now? You’ve been gone for years.”
“You’re right. I’ve been busy, but I’m fucking back now, and I want what’s mine back.”
“Where have you been all of Crew’s life? He doesn’t even know you exist.” My voice got louder with each word.
The more my mind started focusing, the more I realized the situation I was in. She had me in some bedroom. How did I get here? She didn’t look big enough to carry me.
Krissy opened the door and spoke to someone else who eventually made their way into the room. “The bitch is finally awake.”
“How much did you lace the fucking pill with?” The tall woman looked down at Krissy.
Wow, she was big and muscled up.
“I don’t know. I kept putting it in there until I thought it was enough. The little cunt’s smaller than I thought. Never could get close enough to the ho to figure out exactly how fucking big she was.”
“What am I doing here?” I had to ask. I needed to learn as much as I could.
“Why? You not enjoying our damn company?” As the bigger woman spoke she pulled out a knife and wiped it on her jeans. “We could always make it more fucking interesting for you.”