by Sarah Thorn
“You remember Liddy, I hope,” I said.
“Bruce, do you remember Liddy,” Aiden said, looking over at his bassist.
“How could I forget,” Bruce replied.
I had never seen it before, but Liddy blushed. I giggled as she hopped away.
Aiden excused himself from the girls that surrounded him and met me back on the balcony again. It wasn’t as empty as it was yesterday but it was quiet compared to the cramped room.
“Did you enjoy the show?” Aiden asked.
I nodded.
He laughed.
“Still staying so quiet today. Well, you weren’t so quiet earlier today.”
I smiled and beckoned him closer.
“I’d be louder if we could find somewhere private,” I said while biting my lip.
He perked up.
“I’m ready to leave. I’ll call the driver-“
“Aiden!?”
A shout echoed through the backstage room; it was somewhat unfamiliar.
“Aiden, get your ass out here, we need to talk.”
I could see Greg, his manager filtering into view. Aiden excused himself and went back inside to greet him.
They had chatted for a moment before Aiden pointed toward the balcony. When they came out, I could feel Greg’s rage. He was a gruff and professional looking man. His slick hair and trendy suit were hiding a prudent businessman.
“Everyone off the balcony except her,” he shouted.
Even the bigger roadies looked scared of him, and they pushed past to get inside in a hurry.
“Are you going to explain this, Aiden,” Greg said, holding up Aiden’s camera.
“I was out and about taking photos today, I do that in every town, how is it any different this time?” he replied.
I stayed silent, watching the two of them, and wondering why they might need me here.
“This, right here, this is why it’s different,” he turned on the camera and started playing a video. It was the two of us, making love on the beach. The camera must have accidently turned on when he dropped it in the sand, and it captured everything.
I backed away a bit, trying to avoid being seen, but there was nowhere to hide.
“What are you trying to say, Greg? Did we do something wrong or are you just here to give tips,” Aiden added with a chuckle.
Greg wasn’t having any of it.
“Listen, Aiden, have you ever seen a celebrity sex tape get leaked to the public? A person in your station shouldn’t be seen having sex with someone like her. This would drag you down if it got out.”
Aiden wasn’t laughing anymore.
“What do you mean, ‘someone like her’?” he asked.
It looked like he was about to mention my skin tone, I was used to people talking down at me because of my darker skin, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.
“I’m talking about some local slut that is just after you for your money. I bet she set this up to record you two so she could blackmail you for it.”
Aiden clenched his teeth, attempting to hold back his frustration.
“Greg, you’re a good manager. You helped make me famous, and I think you for that.” Aiden said. “But don’t think for one second that you can talk about the company that I keep like that.”
That shut him up; Greg might have been the brains, but he certainly wasn’t the face, and he knew that he wouldn’t make a dime if he got fired.
“Take your damn camera, and get rid of that video. We’re on the road again tomorrow morning; I just want to put this behind us.”
He left, still in a ball of rage. All interest I had in being close with Aiden tonight fled from me. I wanted to run out of there and not stop till I got home; I was so embarrassed.
Aiden just pushed a few buttons on the camera, pulled out the memory card, and handed it to me.
“You mean a lot to me, I know we’ve only spent one afternoon together, but hopefully, this helps you trust me. If you wanted to destroy my career, you could. But, I don’t think you want that. So, I’m entrusting this with you.”
I took the memory card and tucked it into my cleavage.
“Listen, I need to get some sleep tonight. I wanted you to come with me, but I don’t know if I could make it happen. At least, Bruce and Liddy are having a good time.”
I looked inside; they were making out already, and I had a feeling that I would be going home alone.
“We’ll be back through here in about two months. But, that doesn’t mean that I want to wait two months before I see you again.”
I nodded.
“Do you want to visit me on the road?”
I thought about it for a minute. Of course, I want to visit that biggest rock star on the road. But, I had too much to do.
“I can’t, Aiden, I’m in school and this next week is finals. If I pass my classes, then I’ll be graduating with a degree in journalism.”
He laughed again.
“You’re telling me that I just gave the biggest story of the year to an up and coming journalist? Wow, do I know how to make decisions.”
I giggled as well.
“Your secret is safe with me; I don’t want to see my face in some tabloid magazine anytime soon.”
“Well, if you can’t visit me on the road, then you should know that we’ll be back through this way in about two months. I want you to come see me then.”
I nodded again; this was becoming an odd habit.
“I will be there,” was all I could say.
We hugged, and he went on his way.
It was a lonely car ride home.
5.
I started getting phone calls the following day.
It was Aiden; he wanted to know more about me. We would spend hours on the phone chatting when he wasn’t at rehearsal, and I wasn’t in class.
Hardly a day passed where we didn’t actually talk for a little while, and some nights I would fall asleep with my phone on while we fell asleep together.
I learned a few things, like how his name wasn’t really Aiden, it was Chris. But, I kept calling him Aiden because that was the name I got to know him by, and he barely answered to his real name anymore.
I spent many happy moments watching our love making session on the beach over again. I would play with myself while watching and would still feel his powerful body on top of mine, driving me into the sand.
Things got a little more interesting after a few weeks, my period was late, and a quick trip to the doctor confirmed that I was pregnant. It tied my stomach in knots, and I tried my best to keep my secret, but I couldn’t help myself, so I told Liddy.
She freaked out, as I assumed. I didn’t really mind someone making a big deal about it. But, I needed her to keep it a secret because I didn’t want to impact Aiden’s career.
I had to tell him, though, and I had to tell him in person.
I booked a flight to the city he played in and let him know I would be on the way. He was more excited than I thought he would be.
I met him backstage before the show.
“Aiden,” I said.
“Lela,” he replied.
I couldn’t get out the words; I was choking on them.
“Lela, maybe we could find somewhere a little private and have some fun before the show,” he said.
I honestly felt the same way, and maybe I would grow more of a backbone afterward. We rushed backstage to his dressing room, which he locked and propped a chair against the knob.
I was practically undressed before the door was closed, and he was in a rush to do the same.
I stripped his pants off him and buried my face in his manhood. I slid his long, thick member down my throat as far as I could. I could hear his moans of pleasure as I bobbed up and down.
It surprised me how long he lasted, but he stopped me before I could finish him off, and he pressed me against a wall. I could feel my sex dripping all over him as he pushed himself into me.
I tried my best to avoid screaming with pl
easure, but it was difficult. I had to bite down on a pillow to avoid making too much noise.
I felt it again, almost like everything from the last month was leading up to this moment and the excitement and pleasure gave me an intense, earth-shattering orgasm. I felt him releasing inside me. I didn’t mind at all, this time; I had nothing to be scared of anymore.
The post-sex high that followed left my body relaxed, and I didn’t mind talking.
“Aiden, there’s something you need to know,” I started.
“What is that, Lela?” he replied.
“I’m pregnant, and you’re the only person I’ve slept with in months,” I said.
He was dumbfounded for a minute; I could see an elated expression become dulled over by realization.
“I’m excited to be a father, but this can’t go public. Just like our video from before. We can’t let anyone know.”
“Why not? Don’t you want people to know? Aren’t you excited?”
“Of course, I’m excited, Lela. But, if the public got hold of this it wouldn’t just damage my relationship, it would damage the bands. I can’t let them down right now.”
I understood what he wanted; I didn’t need to make it a public thing. I don’t want people staring at me, or wondering what we’re going to name the baby.
I just nodded.
“Lela, you’re welcome to stay here for a while. We’re going back to your hometown in a couple of weeks, and you can stay with me till then.”
“I need to go home,” I said, “I still have school to finish, and I don’t want to distract you from your show.”
“Lela, you’re not a distraction, but if you need to go then that’s fine.”
I couldn’t stay there; I needed to be home. I needed something normal in my life to hold onto.
6.
“So, what did he say?” asked Liddy.
I just shrugged, and she knew what that meant. Being friends for so long meant that she could decipher just about all my odd quirks.
“I don’t know if I can do it, though,” I said.
“Aren’t you used to it,” she asked, “I mean, you’ve always pulled yourself out of the crowd. I never tried to change you, and I can’t think of anyone who could.”
“I know,” I replied, “but this is different. This is an acknowledgment that we’re something more. I like him, I really do. I might not know him all that long, but I was hoping that he would, at least, call me his girlfriend.”
“Lela, Aiden is a good guy, but can’t you understand that this isn’t something he can do so easily?”
I nodded.
“He has worked his entire life to get to the top, and he gets there by being the single and attractive man that he is. Men want to be him, and women want to be with him.
“If you take away his image, then you’re stuck with something that he can’t be, and that’s a normal person.”
She was right, and I knew it as well, Aiden couldn’t say anything because it could cost him the love of many of his fans. I didn’t want to hear it, but I really wanted to be special.
“I don’t know if I can do this anymore,” I said.
Liddy came over and sat down beside me.
“You can’t force something to happen; the best you can do is sit by and wait.”
I looked her back in the eye, and she could see how sad I really was.
“I’m tired of waiting, Liddy.”
She knew I was going to do something that I might regret, but there was no way she was stopping it.
I picked up my phone and dialed Aiden. It had taken a while before he picked up.
“Hey, Lela, just finished our show tonight, good to hear from you.”
I was silent for a moment, trying not to give in to emotion as best I could.
“Aiden, I can’t do this anymore. I really do love you. But, I can’t do this. I want more than to be a backstage booty call before a show. I want to feel like your girlfriend and tell people that you mean a lot to me.”
I could already feel some tears starting to flow.
“I won’t hold this baby over your head; you don’t have to worry about us. But, I need to find someone that isn’t ashamed to have their arm around me.”
I was about to hang up, but he jumped in.
“Lela, wait! You can’t leave, not yet. I just can’t let people know about you right now. Come on, Hun, I love you too. I want to talk about this with the band, but I don’t think they want to hear it.”
“Aiden, do what you need to do. I’ll always be here to talk, but it’s pointless for me to sit around and wait for you to be ready. Goodbye, Aiden.”
The other end of the line was silent as I hung up. Liddy sat nearby; a bit flustered from having listened to me break off any real connection I had with Aiden.
“It hasn’t been that long, Hun. Maybe something will change.”
7.
The weeks flew by in almost no time, Aiden and I barely talked, and before long I got word that Aiden was playing at a venue nearby. I received a couple of tickets in the mail, but I wasn’t incredibly interested in going.
“Lela, you better not blow that boy off. He sent you tickets to his most recent show and you better, at least, make an appearance.”
I sighed.
“Liddy, I know you still want to see Aiden and me together again, but it’s just not going to happen, not as long as he wants to keep me stuck under the rug.”
“You can’t deny that this is going to be the show of the year. The stadium is packed, and these tickets are front row!”
She was right, again, I might not be incredibly interested in seeing Aiden, but his band was really good, and these were excellent seats.
“Alright, I’ll go. But, for obvious reason, I can’t drink.”
Liddy nodded and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to put together an outfit for me. I was surprised when the outfit she liked most was a little less revealing than usual. I guess I didn’t have any reason to show off anymore.
Liddy was more ready than usual; she was wearing the least amount of clothing I had ever seen.
“Bruce has kept in touch. I thought I’d give him something good to look at tonight while he’s on stage,” she said while beaming a smile.
I hadn’t ever really thought about Liddy and Bruce. She was spending an awful lot of time on her phone with him lately. At least one of us was happy, and I felt happy for her.
Once we got to the show, I found myself wondering what Aiden was up to before the show. I hadn’t seen him nervous before, and I doubted I ever really would.
The doors opened, and we pushed our way to the front of the crowd. While we walked up, I could tell we were getting a lot of foul looks from people further back.
I had never seen the stadium this packed. It must have been around 35,000 seats all filled up and I was in the best seats in the house. I stood up and screamed along with the crowd for the band.
I really was hoping that everything was okay.
Then, the lights went down, and the cheering grew louder. Glow sticks and cell phones illuminated the arena. Then a single spotlight hit center stage.
Aiden walked out; he looked a little nervous as he did so. Even though he wasn’t looking my direction I could feel his gaze.
“Hey everyone,” he said as the crowd erupted, “Before we start tonight, I need to do something special.”
I had a feeling I knew what he was about to do, and I felt both nervous and embarrassed.
“There’s someone here tonight that means a lot to me. I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching and I need to get this off my chest.”
He looked right at me.
“Lela, would you come up on stage for just a second.”
The crowd cheered, still. I looked around, and all the fans around me kept pointing me towards the staircase to go up on stage. I wearily took step after step, pushed on by Liddy standing behind me.
Aiden came over and helped me up the stairs. My heart was beat
ing strongly in my chest. I stepped up on the stage and looked out into the blinding light and the ocean of fans screaming. This truly was intimidating.
“This is Lela. Would you like to say hello, Lela?” he asked.
I shook my head and pushed the mic away.
“She’s a bit shy, so I’ll do the talking.”
He leaned in and whispered in my ear.
“Please don’t hate me after this.”
Then he turned back to the crowd.
“I’m in love with this beautiful woman, right here. Not a day has gone by that she hasn’t been in my thoughts and not a day goes by that I don’t think about our baby.”
The crowd seemed especially surprised, as was I. I was trying my best not to faint under the scrutiny of so many people. But, after only a moment of silent chatter, they started yelling again.
“Lela is my heart and my soul, and I hope that she’ll be able to forgive me for being such a terrible person. I tried to hide this wonderful woman from the world, but I couldn’t keep doing it. I wanted you all to know the truth.”
I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. I kept trying to leave the stage, but I wanted to be close to Aiden. I didn’t want to leave his side.
Aiden pulled me in close again to whisper in my ear.
“Lela, I want you to stay out here for the show, but I think you’d be more comfortable sitting in the box upstairs.”
I nodded.
“I’m going to be right back, but in the meantime here’s the opening act!”
Another band came out and took the stage, but I didn’t pay them much attention. As soon as we were off stage and out of earshot of many people Aiden pulled me aside.
“Lela, I didn’t believe in love at first sight before. I think things need to be tested and worked through. Then I met you. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you while you were standing on the balcony when we first met. I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to sound like some sort of creep.
“After you decided to break it off, I felt something leave me. It was like losing a part of me, and I couldn’t bear it. The shows I did, between then and now, were terrible, and I just haven’t really been myself.
“I want you and this baby in my life. It means a lot to me, Lela. Please stay with me.”