“Oh please call me Laurie. Everyone does. Well everyone except my father. He insisted on calling me Laurence. Always wanted a boy you know. I was the youngest of six girls and my mother had already said no more.”
Sioux didn’t know what to make of that, but didn’t comment. After all she was hardly in a position to throw shade at anyone’s name. Laurie Hollister’s voice still maintained an upper Midwest accent almost totally unchanged after more than twenty years in California.
“Sioux why don’t you come join me in a cup of tea. Thad told me you’ve been sick. I’ve got just the tea to help you feel better and boost your immune system. Thad you know my air conditioner is still making that funny sound.”
“What did the repairman I sent say?” Thad asked, following them into the kitchen.
“Who knows? I told you he’s an idiot.”
“If this is a ploy to get Sioux alone…”
“Of course it is. But the thing is making a funny noise. You fixed it last time. I promise I won’t eat her.”
“Or run her off.”
“Or run her off,” Mrs. Hollister repeated obediently.
Sioux gave Thad a bemused look as he removed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, then shrugged. How much harm could the woman do?
“So Thad tells me you’re off the tour now?” Mrs. Hollister said as she set the kettle on to boil. The kitchen in the small bungalow was bright white and colorful. The counter was covered in yellow tiles trimmed with green ones, and Sioux couldn’t help but smile at the cheerful combination.
Sioux took a seat in one of the chairs at the vintage kitchen table. “Yes, I got sick with pneumonia.”
“That’s too bad. Everyone said you all were doing quite well. Thad was very excited to work with you.”
“Really?” That was news to Sioux, but she just made a noncommittal sound.
Mrs. Hollister took mugs down from one of the cabinets and poured hot water in both before adding tea bags. “Have you and Thad been seeing each other long?”
Sioux caught herself before she could explain that she and Thad weren’t dating. Presumably he wouldn’t want his mother to know he was introducing her to a girl he was just sleeping with. “Not very long now,” Sioux said accepting the mug of tea.
Laurie joined her at the table. “I’ve been worried about Thad. I’m so glad he found someone like you.”
Sioux almost choked on her first sip of the delicious tea. The hell? “Uh, Mrs. Hollister, I’m not sure what you’ve heard about me…”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve heard it all darling. I don’t spend all my time in Sunday school.”
“Then you know I’m hardly the type you bring home to mother.”
“You are if he has good sense. And I see now he does. I was afraid that after the mess with Gwen he’d end up with some stick in the mud type and be bored out of his mind.”
Who the hell was Gwen?
Laurie continued as Sioux didn’t respond. “She really put my boy through the wringer, but he needs a lively girl like you, otherwise he’ll never come out of his shell. You know what I mean?”
Sioux nodded, but couldn’t think of anything to say as her mind raced through a mental catalog of various celebrities. Who the hell was Gwen? Why hadn’t she heard about this relationship? Kwai had a lot of explaining to do. It was her job to keep Sioux abreast of all the gossip. The only Gwen she could think of…
“Not Gwen Riley?” she blurted out before she could stop herself. The actress had to be a decade older and was notoriously “difficult.”
Laurie stared at her. “You didn’t know anything about this, did you?” She shook her head in dismay. “It never occurred to me that Thad hadn’t told you. No, this was a girl from our church.” She must have read the surprise on Sioux’s face because she snorted a laugh. “Yeah, ironic, isn’t it?”
Sioux’s mind raced with the implications of the fact that Thad hadn’t told her about the relationship, especially when he’d grilled her on her relationship with Trig. Was he still hung up on this girl? A church girl seemed more his type for sure.
“How long did they date?” Sioux asked.
“A couple of years. I was beginning to wonder if he’d ever get over her. I’m so glad he’s seeing someone else.”
More than anything Sioux wanted to ask what happened to the relationship, but at this point she doubted his mother would say anything more. At that moment Thad came up from the basement.
“Ma, you’re not discussing my business are you?”
“Of course I am, darling. I was telling Sioux about Gwen.”
“Oh for God’s sake,” he said, putting his flashlight down on the counter.
“Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain. Don’t worry. I didn’t tell her all that much.”
Thad raised a brow at Sioux in inquiry, Sioux returned the gesture, with interest. Might as well let him know he was in for it once they got back to the car. From his resigned expression, she knew he got her message loud and clear.
“So why didn’t you tell me about Gwen?”
With that question Sioux let him know the drive back from Santa Barbara was going to be everything he’d expected. He’d wanted his mother to meet Sioux, but he’d forgot that discretion was not one of his mother’s strong suits.
As his little roadster ate up the miles, he took a moment to think about why he hadn’t mentioned the other woman.
“You still got a thing for her? Is that why?” she asked.
“Of course not. Why would you think that?”
“Your mother thinks so, besides the way you didn’t mention it, even when I told you all about me and Trig makes me wonder.”
“Yeah, but you never told me the deal with you and Topher.”
Sioux rolled her eyes. The man was relentless. “That’s because there is no deal with me and Topher.”
“Yeah right. He said he was a Honeychile groupie. Where did you guys go that night?”
“Topher would’ve said anything to get your goat.” She sighed at the stubborn set to his chin. He wouldn’t tell her anything until she told him about Topher. “Fine. There is nothing between me and Topher. We went back to his place.”
“I thought you went to a club.”
“You know I’m not in that scene anymore. Topher’s doing a lot of AR work these days. Freelance scouting for a couple record companies. He played some local bands and we talked. Mainly about Kwai.”
“Kwai?”
“Yeah. They had a thing a while back, but he messed it up. Basically he was trying to get information from me about her. So, why didn’t you tell me about Gwen?”
“Could it be that it’s simply not significant?”
“Could be, but with you, I doubt it.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You feel things deep. I don’t think you could be in a relationship with someone that long and not have any feelings after it was over.”
With the 101 laid out before them the scenic beauty of the coast he loved failed to clear his mind as he struggled through the enormity of sharing this story with her.
“I met Gwen about four years ago at church. She was actually in my mom’s Sunday school class.”
Sioux nodded.
“She was really sweet and nice. I was just coming out of a relationship with Solange Hall…”
Sioux nodded again. She had heard about his liaison with the superstar R&B singer.
“You know how crazy that was. Cameras everywhere, it got old really quickly.”
“Yeah, but you’ve been in a band for a long time. Surely you’re used to it.”
“I’ve been in Storm Crow, but other than guitar magazines and stuff like that, nobody ever wants to talk to me. They usually don’t give a damn who I sleep with. Bryan’s the star of this band and I am oh so cool with that.”
“Okay, I get that,” she said with a nod.
“Yeah, so Solange was an absolute sweetheart, but I just couldn’t take it anymore.”
“And you think being with me will be less crazy?” she asked with a snort of laughter.
“No, but I’m different. Remember this was years ago. I hope I’ve grown up a bit.”
“Yeah, you’ve gone from flying under the radar of the paparazzi to beating the crap out of them.”
“I don’t regret a second of that.” Sioux didn’t respond. “Anyway, I think I got with Gwen because she wasn’t in the business. She worked at a bank. Was nice, quiet and subdued. I think I liked that about her.”
“So, what happened?” Sioux asked, refusing to ponder the characteristics that made the other woman so attractive. She was the exact polar opposite.
“As the relationship went on, I don’t know, she got incredibly clingy. She’d throw tantrums and make scenes in public. Now you’ve got to understand, some of this was my fault. I mean, I think she sensed I was maybe with her mainly because she wasn’t in the public eye. I think she was jealous of some of the other women I’d dated. I was still struggling with celebrity back then, and mainly saw her as a nice soft place to land. It was unfair for me to use her like that.”
“Okay, I think I understand. Did you break up with her?”
“Yeah, and when I did she went to a tabloid and claimed I raped her.”
“What?” Sioux asked, stunned by this revelation.
“Yeah. It was totally fucked up.”
“How the hell did I miss this?”
“Well, you were knee deep in your own drama at the time. It didn’t go far before B.T. squashed it.”
“How did he do that?”
“I agreed to take a lie detector test. He had to call in a lot of favors, but yeah, he shut it down.”
“Knowing B.T. I’m surprised he didn’t milk it for the publicity.”
“Oh he wanted to, but I insisted. I won’t be labeled a rapist no matter how many records it sells. Rocky said I should sue for slander, but that was the last thing I wanted. Eventually she married some guy at her bank and that was the end of it.”
“Wow. That really sucks. It’s bad enough to have people go after you for stuff you didn’t do.”
“Well, like I said, it didn’t blow up in the tabloids, probably because I’m not a star.”
Sioux relaxed back against the buttery smooth seat of the little two-seater. “Your mom is really nice. And those shortbread cookies are to die for.”
“She likes you. She doesn’t offer shortbread to just anyone.”
“She thinks I’m your girlfriend. And get this, she’s actually happy about it! Who the hell have you been dating that your mother is happy to see the friendly neighborhood dope fiend show up at her door?” Sioux teased with a grin, which quickly dropped when she realized he wasn’t laughing. “Oh Thad I’m sorry. I wasn’t joking about Gwen.”
He shook his head firmly. “No. No. It’s not that. What do you mean she thinks you’re my girlfriend?”
“I know. Isn’t it ridiculous?” Sioux laughed again, though at this point she had to force it.
“What are you, if you’re not my girlfriend?”
“Ah, come on dude, you know we’re just friends. Nice and uncomplicated.”
He opened his mouth as though to object. Then closed it. The rest of their trip home was made in total silence. Sioux was sure she hadn’t heard the last of the issue, but she was glad he had let it rest for the time being.
Chapter Eight
“What are you working on?” Thad asked from the door that opened onto Sioux’s deck from her bedroom.
Sioux was sitting on the deck, which ran the length of back of her house. The deck had built- in seating all around the perimeter and she sat there with her guitar and sheet music spread all about. It was still early in the day, not yet eight o’clock and she was playing her guitar, the sea birds diving for their breakfast her only accompaniment. She looked up, pushing back one of the thick plaits she wore for sleeping.
“Superstar,” she said. “I’m not sure about the arrangement, but then I never am.”
“Don’t know why you’re always so worried about that. You’re a good arranger and your playing is getting better.”
“You think so? That’s high praise indeed coming from you. Thanks.” She played a few more bars then launched into the song made famous by two legends: Karen Carpenter and Luther Vandross.
He joined in on the last verse, his clear sweet tenor blending effortlessly with the rough contralto of her voice. The sound was so magical, she began again and he went with her, joining her in the various combinations she tried. As they finished, he took the seat next to hers on the deck.
“That was amazing,” she said as she made some notes in her songbook. “You should sing more. Your voice is great.”
He shrugged. “Pretty standard choir stuff.” He studied the lyrics for a moment. “So you’re going with the groupie version, huh? Aren’t you worried that saying sleep with you again instead of be with you again will cause a scandal?” he asked with a wry twist of his lips.
Sioux snorted a humorless laugh. “Oh, you’re really funny. Unlike Karen, I don’t think I have a reputation to ruin at this point. This version suits me better.” She smiled at his tousled appearance. He was wearing his usual pajama bottoms and t-shirt, but it was obvious he hadn’t bothered to even brush his hair before joining her on the deck. The urge to smooth it down was almost irresistible. It was good to see him relax his impeccable sartorial standards for once. His lightly tanned complexion was still flushed from his deep slumber and his eyes still had a slumberous appeal. Just looking at him was enough to make her want to pull him back into the nearest bed. “Did you sleep well?”
“I slept great considering a certain insatiable person kept me up all night.” He leaned down to salute her with a soft kiss, but pulled away before it go interesting. Tease. “Want some breakfast? Did I spot a waffle iron in your cupboard?”
“Probably. My mama bought all sorts of stuff when I first moved out. I haven’t the slightest clue about using any of it.”
“Now, why doesn’t that surprise me? Fortunately for you I make incredible waffles and if you have any fresh fruit and cream…”
“Mama stocked up when I was sick. She takes advantage of any opportunity to baby me.”
Just then her phone began buzzing. She picked it up and after looking at it, got up immediately from her seat and rushed toward the house. “I’m sorry. I have to take this. You go ahead and start breakfast,” she said, dashing through the French doors and leaving him staring after her.
After a quick reconnoitering of the contents of Sioux’s kitchen, Thad collected the ingredients he needed to make Belgian waffles. Like the rest of the house, the kitchen was spacious and airy with a view of the beach and two skylights to let in additional light. As he mixed the ingredients for Belgian waffles, he fumed as to who Sioux’s mysterious caller could be. By the time she returned he was quite aggravated and got right to the point.
“Who was that?”
She paused in the midst of setting up the coffee maker. “Who was who?”
“On the phone?” Thad knew he was being irrational. He had no claims on this woman, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. “Who is it that calls you in the middle of the night? Is it your boyfriend?”
Sioux threw up her and gave him an aggravated look. “Are you serious? I told you I wasn’t seeing anyone. No. I’m in recovery, remember? Being in recovery means I sponsor others. One of the people I sponsor is having a tough time right now. It really was a bad time for me to go on tour, but she seems to be working her way through. I’m incredibly proud of her.
Thad felt like a total idiot. He’d never once taken into consideration that she’d be a sponsor or would need to stay in contact with those she sponsored. He walked over and took her shoulders in his hands.
“I’m sorry. I’m such an idiot. I don’t know why I get so crazy. I was a total jerk.”
“Yeah, you were. I told you already that I don’t cheat. I have lots of flaws but tha
t isn’t one of them. If you’re going to keep this up, this relationship isn’t going to last very long.”
Thad immediately zeroed in on the most important thing she said. “Relationship?”
“You know what I mean.”
“But you said relationship.”
Sioux shook her head at him. “And they call me relentless. We are friends. Good friends who enjoy a sexual relationship. Does there have to be more than that?’ She stepped back into his embrace. “But for the record, it’s okay. I should’ve mentioned it.”
“As you pointed out, you don’t owe me any explanations.”
“I know that, but it’s not like I’m keeping it a secret or anything.”
Thad forced a smile he didn’t feel. “So are you ready for the best waffles you ever tasted?”
Sioux sat astride Thad’s hips, his cock deep inside her. She rose slowly so slowly then down again. Testing him. Teasing him. Their bodies sliding together so deliciously. She looked down at his contorted features. If she didn’t know better she’d swear he was being tortured. His head was canted back in an awkward position. She watched his jaw muscles clench as if he was holding back a scream of agony, or ecstasy.
“Please. Please. Sioux. Oh God,” he gasped.
“Please what, baby?”
“Stop teasing. Fuck me. Please fuck me.”
And with him urging every movement of her hips she began to move with a driving force. Her hips rising and falling with blinding speed as she drove to bring him to the finish.
“I love you,” he screamed as his back arched into an impossible position. His orgasm rocketing through his body.
On the cusp of her own climax Sioux gasped as his words took her over the edge.
She collapsed next to Thad on the bed. They both lay motionless on the mammoth bed, their tremulous breaths the only sound in the room. After a while he gave her a questioning look, his eyes narrowed against the dwindling light coming through the French doors of her bedroom. She struggled to think of anything she could say in response to his declaration, but her throat closed over any sound she might have made.
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