“Those bells tell the pedestrians to watch out. Do you know how many pedestrians have been whacked by the buses’ mirrors?” I asked. I made sure not to tell him that I was almost one of the oblivious pedestrian victims on a few late night occasions.
“My goodness. The vicious buses of Sixteenth Street, hmm? I will gladly walk on the outside then, peaches,” he said, and took the position closest to the road to protect me.
“Why, thank you. Such a gentleman.”
“They don’t make them like this anymore, my dear.”
“At least not on this side of the Atlantic!” I replied. That might have been a stretch. Derek would probably walk on the outside of a cliff for me.
Just as we were coming up to the corner of California Street, I could see my favorite shoe shiner. He was sitting on a flipped over milk crate with his shining tools on display, watching everybody walk by and laughing.
“See that guy over there? The shoe shiner?” I asked Rex. “He is my favorite person on this street. He sits there all day, cracking jokes as people walk by. He makes everybody smile. Let’s see what he says to us.”
We reached the corner of the street, and I could tell that we were in his line of sight.
“Hey there, baseball boy!” the shoe shiner yelled at Rex.
“Yes, sir?” Rex replied.
“What does your girlfriend think about your dirty shoes, boy?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend, sir,” Rex laughed.
“That’s ‘cause your shoes is dirty, boy!” the shoe shiner yelled and laughed hard. The other people waiting at the street corner laughed too.
Rex grinned and his cheeks turned bright red. Luckily, the pedestrian light turned on, and we quickly walked to cross the street.
“At least he’s having a laugh at work!” Rex said.
“You know what, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him shining a pair of shoes!” I remarked, and we both chuckled.
After we crossed the street, we neared a bridal store with dazzling white dresses in the storefront. Just as we were passing it, Clive yelled out, “Now would be an ideal time to hold her hand, mate!” Johnny and Clive laughed to themselves.
“Keeping ‘shtum’, are they?” I asked and looked at Rex. He grinned shyly and turned backwards to see them, giving them ‘the look’, I was sure.
“Oi, Bonny and Clyde!” he yelled back to Johnny and Clive. “Better watch out or I’ll tell Daddy to take you off the payroll. Remember who butters your bread!” he jested. They didn’t make another peep for the rest of the walk.
“So, when you get married,” Rex casually said. “Do you imagine that it would be a big wedding or a small wedding?”
“If I get married… I would prefer a small wedding. Probably fifty or a hundred people or so back in Texas. How about you?” I asked.
“Oh, probably a couple million people from around the world,” he joked.
“I keep forgetting that you are famous,” I laughed. “You seem like a normal human being to me.” He really did. I was beginning to wonder what the big deal was about him. Why did the paparazzi care so much?
“I should hope I resemble a normal human being!” he proclaimed.
“Well, to help you feel like a normal person, we should give each other typical American nicknames for the day,” I declared.
Rex raised his eyebrows. “Is that right? What exactly did you have in mind?”
“Well, the name Rex is far too European to survive around here. Let’s see now… Your American alter ego would be named…. Billy-Bob? Jimmy? Butch?”
“I will absolutely not be called Butch. How vulgar. Jimmy doesn’t suit me. Billy-Bob might just work.”
“Billy-Bob it is then! And now for me.” I figured that he would try to give me some cheeky little nickname like Trixie or Dolly.
“You’re right. Today, you can’t be an English Rose. Today, you shall be…. Roseanne! Isn’t that the star of some American television program?”
“My goodness, yes! I haven’t thought about that show for years,” I said. Okay, maybe he didn’t try to give me a cheeky little nickname. Quite the opposite. Was I really a ‘Roseanne’ to him? “Okay, get ready for Roseanne and Billy-Bob’s big American adventure!” In all of the excitement, Rex reached over and held my hand. His hand felt like it was nearly twice the size of mine, and our fingers interlocked naturally. There was something extraordinarily comforting about holding his hand and gazing over to see him warmly smiling back at me. He was a strikingly dashing man, in his own mischievous way. He was several inches taller than me and had such broad shoulders that I almost felt petite next to him, and that was most certainly alright.
“Where to first, Roseanne?”
“First, Rex, I am going to grease you up with a trip to Maccy D’s.”
“I love Big Macs! They are my absolute favorite food. Though I don’t get much of an opportunity to eat them inside a real McDonald’s.”
“That’s part of the whole experience! You need to sit at the dirty table and listen to the crying children, all while trying not to make eye contact with the loitering hoodlums.”
“Bring it on, Roseanne!” he exclaimed, and we headed towards the McDonald’s down the street holding hands. Our romantic moment came to a swift end though, as Rex moved behind me to tickle my sides. In true Rex fashion, he let out a naughty laugh and ran ahead. All I could do was yell “Rex!!!” and run after him.
THIRTEEN
After we lubricated our stomachs with grease and deep-friend goodness, we were ready to continue our day. Rex thoroughly enjoyed his Big Mac, as he described eating it to be like “filling his belly with laughter and rainbows”. I assumed that was a good thing, and we headed back to my condominium so I could grab my car. We were going to hit the highway. All four of us.
“Lock your doors and buckle up!” I announced as my car quickly accelerated on to the street. I drove a red Mazda 3 that I bought after my music success over the last few years. It wasn’t fancy by any means, and I wondered if Rex was used to not riding in a hired car or limousine.
“Are we being held hostage?” Rex laughed. “Where exactly are you taking us, missy?”
“Yes, I have just been patiently waiting for this moment to kidnap you. Get over yourself, Billy-Bob,” I rolled my eyes. “I am taking you to see Red Rocks. It’s only 10 miles away.”
“Red Rocks? Is it as good as Stonehenge?”
“Even better. It is an amphitheatre where people perform outdoor concerts and shows. I have played there a couple times myself.”
“Wow. Sounds great. That reminds me. When are you going to serenade me?” he whined. “Sing me that song you wrote about chasing waterfalls.”
“Umm… I think that was TLC, not me.” I said, keeping my eyes on the road.
“I’m only joking. I know your songs, like the one about Christmas lights, and there’s that one about cuddling under a duvet… one about cowgirl boots, one about being lost.”
“How do you know all of my songs?” I asked. I definitely had not broken into the UK market yet.
“Well, I was actually paying attention that night when I crashed your gig. And… I, admittedly, may have googled you and watched your YouTube music videos,” he blushed. “On repeat.”
“You creeper!” I joked. “To be honest, I may have done a bit of googling myself.”
“That’s the modern dating world these days!”
“Tell me about it. So do you have Facebook or Twitter or anything? Under a secret name?” I asked as I merged onto the highway.
“I once did... but the word got out, so I removed it. I am not really into the social media scene.”
“You did? What was your secret name?” I asked excitedly.
“Thor,” he replied with a straight face.
“Thor?! That’s an interesting choice.”
“It’s a nickname from my mates. Maybe one day you’ll get to meet Thor. Now he is a charmer,” he grinned and put his hand on my knee.
&nbs
p; “Oh my,” I moved his hand back on to his own lap. “You can keep Thor tucked away for now. I’ll take Billy-Bob back.”
We both laughed, and I could see Rex turn his head to look out the window. There were acres of green grass as far as the eye could see. The leaves on the trees were gently turning to the golden, orange, and red color, and the sky was blue without a cloud in sight. There was nothing more gorgeous than autumn leaves that only lasted for a week before they fell to the ground. That was the allure and anguish of fleeting beauty. I carried on driving with a slight smile. I loved the open road. There were no expectations. There was absolutely nothing else you had to do, except for drive and gaze out of the window. It was almost as if you were suspended in time.
“The sky is so blue and big here,” Rex said. “There’s no chance you would see this back home. It would be raining and smoggy.”
“I’m sure it isn’t that bad in England.”
“You are right. I am pretty lucky to live where I do. Though it is always nice to come over here to see if the grass truly is greener,” he grinned.
I smiled. Was he flirting? It was so hard to tell sometimes with that cheeky smile of his. I was sure he could turn a political discussion into a flirtatious exchange before you knew it. I was starting to believe that he did have a degree in the fine art of flirting. No wonder he hadn’t met many girls who could resist his magic.
“So, why did you choose a career in music, Rose?” Rex asked.
“Since I can remember, music has been a big part of my life. Music is there for every big moment in your life and every small moment too. It never goes away. I constantly had headphones or earbuds in while I was growing up.”
“Ahh, they say that people who always need to listen to music or have some sort of sound blaring in their headphones are actually afraid to listen to their own thoughts. They are trying to drown out that little voice in their head,” he said thoughtfully.
“That’s definitely not the case for me,” I replied. At least, I didn’t think it was. “I listen to music out of love, not out of fear. Whatever mood I am in, I want music to reflect that feeling and amplify it. I think that is pretty powerful.”
“True, and now you can create music to help people feel.”
“That is what is so amazing about making music. If I can make a love song that one girl plays over and over because it reminds her of her crush, a sad song to help someone with their loss, or a happy song to help them get pumped up before a game, I would be a very happy girl.”
“I think you already do that, Rose.”
“That’s why I’m a happy girl.”
“Are you?” he asked, and I got the feeling that he was asking about something different.
“Yes.”
“Okay, good,” he nodded his head.
I turned up the radio for the remainder of the trip, while the three guys rattled on. I couldn’t exactly make out what they were talking about, but their conversation was lively. They must have been talking about sports. What else would get men so riled up? That must be a universal male trait.
We shortly arrived at our destination, parked the car, and started the hike towards the theatre.
“Mate, you didn’t tell us that we would be rock-climbing,” Johnny yelled from behind us. “We would have packed our trackies and hiking boots!”
“We are almost there!” I assured them, while huffing and puffing myself. I didn’t remember the hike being this long before. It also didn’t help that I was wearing tight denim jeans and three inch boots.
“Come on, you lot!” Rex shouted from further up the trail.
“Why are you so good at hiking, Rex? What happened to the pampered life of an heir?” I asked, out of breath.
“Ha, please. This is nothing, kitty-cat. I’ve climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, remember? I’m as fit as a mountain goat.”
I carried on my way to the top of the trail, not sure if he was joking or not. I never really knew with him. I eyed him up from behind. He looked surprisingly in his element, with his broad shoulders and tan skin. “I think you are more tanned than me. Look at your sun-kissed skin!” I yelled.
Rex turned around and laughed. “Well, normally, I have moon-kissed skin. That’s the pale fate of a British lad, I’m afraid.”
We both laughed, and he waited for me to catch up. “Come on, kitten,” he said as he gestured for me to jump on his back. I jumped on, and he gave me a piggyback ride for the rest of the hike to the top. I swung my arms around his neck and held on tight as I was jostled around. As childish as a piggyback ride was, it was surprisingly intimate with my upper body pressed up against his back and his hands grazing my legs. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the ride.
When we finally made it to the top, I jumped off, and we stared out at the massive rock structure in awe. The Red Rocks were so glorious and colossal you fell in love and broke your heart at the same time. It was striking something as earthly as natural rocks could look and feel so unearthly. The Red Rocks were originally named the “Garden of Angels”, and it was clear to understand why. Luckily, the theatre was mostly empty on the mid-week afternoon, except for a few groups of tourists sitting in the stands.
“Last one to the stage is a spotted dick!” Rex screamed, and he started to descend the stairs towards the stage.
I was shocked and caught off guard for a moment, but quickly ran down the stairs once I saw him getting a head start. I ran as fast as I could, and I was actually getting closer to him. He turned back to see where I was, and I zoomed straight by him. He stayed behind me until I victoriously jumped on the stage.
“I win!” I yelled as I threw my arms in the air. “Wow, what a view.”
“I would have to say that I had the better view for the last half of that run. What a cute little wiggle you have,” he jested, as he jumped on the stage after me.
Typical Rex. “You’re just saying that because I won. Besides, you shouldn’t use such vulgar language in front of me. What is that, a disease?”
“Spotted dick? It is a popular English pudding. It might be a bit dry and bland for a dessert, but there’s nothing vulgar about it. Get your mind out of the gutter, missy.”
“Dry and bland? You are definitely the spotted dick then.” I laughed. “So, what does being a spotted dick entail? Do you get a punishment for losing?”
“You can choose whatever punishment you see fit, oh glorious one. I am not opposed to spanking or handcuffs!”
“Do you ever stop?” I asked. “It must be exhausting to be in flirting overdrive all the time.”
“Just having a laugh,” he grinned. “I will do anything. Whatever you want.”
“I think you should put on a little performance for me.” I said and jumped off the stage to sit in the stands.
“A performance? I thought you would never ask! Any requests from the audience?”
“You choose,” I yelled and crossed my legs to get comfortable on the rock seats. This should be entertaining.
He shuffled around for a bit, scratched his head, and then a smirk started to spread from ear to ear. Oh dear, I could tell he had another one of his brilliant ideas. I was sure he would disrobe and start dancing erotically for all to see.
Rex raised his hands to cover his mouth like a beatboxer, opened his mouth, and unleashed a wreckage of sounds, “Bssssch buhh bsssch bsssch, vrrrrrroowwwwrrrr, blip blip blip, bssssch buh buh, bleeeeeuughh.”
“What are you doing? What is this?” I yelled out, covering my ears. I could see that the other groups of people in the stands were not impressed, as they scrunched up their faces and gave each other confused looks.
“It is dubstep, baby!” he replied, still spewing out sounds of toxic waste.
“I don’t like it! Change the channel!” I said as I held my arm out, pretending to click a remote control.
“Fine, fine,” he stopped. “Do you want something romantic?”
“Anything is better than that,” I replied.
Rex stood up straight, c
leared his throat, and began to sing in a thick Jamaican accent, “One looove, one heaaart, let’s get together and feeeel alright.”
He was actually a talented singer, and he definitely did not mind having all eyes on him. I clapped along, as he started to grind his hips and do a dance to the music.
“Come join me!” he yelled in between lyrics. “Let’s get together and feeeeeel alright.”
I jumped back on the stage, held his hand, and we started to groove slowly to the beat. We sang in harmony for the final chorus, “One looove, one heaaart, let’s get together and feeeel alright.”
We started laughing as soon as it was over, and Rex gave me a hug. I don’t know if it was the exhilaration of singing, or if it was the way his hands moved ever so slowly down my lower back, but I felt a surge of electricity stirring in my stomach and coursing throughout my body. I closed my eyes and leaned into him, smelling a mixture of sandalwood, soap, and a hint of cinnamon. We slowly separated our bodies and looked into each other’s eyes for a second, before I looked down with a little laugh. I wondered if he could also feel the magnetic pull between our bodies. Our intimate moment came to a sudden end, when we heard clapping from the crowd. We jumped away from each other and looked out to see the groups of tourists cheering and Rex’s bodyguards whistling and pumping their fists in the air.
“Looks like we have created a bit of a stir,” Rex laughed.
“Yes,” I replied knowingly. “We have.”
FOURTEEN
There was an hour before Derek’s gig started at the Three Kings Tavern south of downtown, and I was trying to decide what to wear. I laughed out loud, remembering what happened when I said goodbye to Rex yesterday. After driving home from Red Rocks, I parked my car in the underground parking, and we went up to my condo for a few minutes. When he walked in, Nina hissed and ran away, but he was determined to cuddle her. He followed her into my living room, picked her up, and exclaimed, “I’m going to hug you ‘til you love me!” I burst out laughing and thought it was such a funny expression that I would have to remember it. After some adamant cuddling and cooing, Nina eventually stopped resisting and nuzzled into his chest.
A Kiss and a Cuddle Page 5