“I can’t believe you’re getting two jaded rockers to trade in their whisky for Earl Grey.”
“Lady Grey,” I correct.
“Lady Grey?”
“Lady Grey. It’s milder.”
He gives me a skeptical look. “You’re making me drink a tea called ‘Lady Grey’? You realize this could ruin my career, right?”
“And you will love it,” I assure him, rounding the counter to his side.
“Oh, will I?”
I nod with a sly grin and force his stool around to face me.
“Oh yeah.”
I slide my hands around his waist, forgetting all about the tea. “Besides, you still owe me a research study,” I tease, gripping his shirt and pulling him off the chair.
“Huh?”
“You know, an empirical investigation of whether I like you better with or without clothing?”
His expression turns mischievous as it clicks. “Hmm…that’s right. Well, you know me. I’m all about science,” he returns.
“Good. I was counting on that,” I reply, moving my grasp to the waist of his jeans.
I pull him against me, forcing our bodies together, loving every desperate ache of the mounting tension. His eyes intensify, tracing me, searching me. When his addictive grin breaks, every cell in my body erupts. I wonder if that smile will always make me this crazy.
I can feel the violent thump of his pulse, the hard pressure of his muscles, his hips, braced against mine. I want him so much I can’t concentrate on anything else.
“So, which is it? On or off?” he whispers, torturing me with a long, hungry kiss that leaves me gasping.
“Off. Definitely off,” I breathe, pulling him toward the couch.
Wednesday & Thursday.
I wake up beside Casey in the guest room several hours later. Slivers of light are peeking around the seams of the curtains on the window, so I know it’s well into the morning. He’s still asleep, and I study his peaceful face for a while.
I can’t believe last night happened. Even more unbelievable is the fact that I don’t have to lie here regretting it, aching over a euphoric anomaly. Last night could be tonight or tomorrow night or the next night, or all of those nights. We’re Casey and Callie now, however, whenever, whatever, we want. It almost doesn’t seem fair to the rest of the world.
I trace his hand resting by my pillow, part of me wishing he’d sleep for hours so we could stay like this. The other part missing his smile, his laughter, and counting the seconds until he wakes.
Apparently, he’s a light sleeper because a second later I’m staring into those dark, playful eyes.
“Morning,” he mutters.
“Morning,” I return with a smile.
His own smile breaks through his sleepy expression, and he turns to his back, stretching.
“What time is it?” he asks, and I realize I have no idea.
“I don’t know. Does it matter?”
“I guess not.” He glances back at me. “How long have you been awake?”
“Not long.”
He nods. “Hungry?”
“A little. I should shower first, though. I’m sure Eli and Sweeny will be up here any minute, if they aren’t already.”
Casey grunts. “Good point. I forgot about them.” He gives me a sly look. “Like I said, you can be very distracting.”
I laugh and take a swing, but he catches my arm against his chest. I try to pull away as he holds firm, but quickly realize I like this position a lot better and settle against him.
“We could just tell them we’re sick and stay here all day,” he suggests with a glint.
“Nice plan, genius. They’d be right outside the door!”
“We could be quiet!”
“Ha! Yeah right. Nice try,” I smirk, although I know if I don’t move soon, I will be the one constructing conspiracies to stay. I will never understand how someone can look so good first thing in the morning. I’m sure I don’t. I force myself to pull away, and he finally lets me go. It almost hurts to separate from him, and I have to fight the urge to climb back into his arms. There’s no way I’d be able to leave then.
Shower. That was it. I was going to take a shower. Maybe a very cold one.
“Shower’s big enough for two…” he says as if reading my mind.
I roll my eyes and laugh when I see he’s not serious.
“The shower’s big enough for five. We could all fit,” I return, sliding off the bed.
He makes a face and tosses a pillow at me.
∞∞∞
Eli and Sweeny are in the kitchen, along with Luke, when I emerge from the guest room, but Casey’s missing. They must notice my confused search and tell me he went to get us breakfast. I force a smile, hating that a ridiculous part of me is actually disappointed, that I can’t be apart from him for twenty minutes without missing him. Of course, they didn’t spend last night with him.
I can feel Luke’s gaze and wonder what he’s thinking. Can he tell I’m falling in love with his best friend? Can Casey? I wonder if Casey feels the same way. If not, I’m going to have to get control of this train before it crashes head-on into a wall. I had promised Casey he couldn’t break me and I intend to keep that promise.
“So are you guys working on the song today?” I ask, mostly to make conversation as I move to the stove to start a pot of water.
“That’s the plan,” Sweeny responds. “Our trailer is supposed to get here by 3PM so we can get really serious after that.”
I nod. “Does anyone else want tea?”
I can feel Luke’s amusement and cast him a quick glance.
“You and your tea,” he teases.
“What? Don’t even pretend you didn’t like it,” I warn.
He smiles and leans back in his stool. “Actually, it wasn’t bad. I’m man enough to admit that.”
“What, you’re a tea-drinker now? What happened to you, bro?” Eli asks.
Luke shrugs. “Yeah, it’s true. You’ve got to watch this girl. She may be small, but she will uproot your world before you even know what’s happening.”
“She certainly got to Casey,” Sweeny smirks, and I shake my head in disbelief.
“Yeah, because a shy poet from Shelteron, PA is going to be able to boss you superstars around. Please,” I mutter. I can feel their humor behind me as I set to work on my tea.
“Ha! You’ve done nothing but boss us around since the day we met,” Luke counters.
I spin around with a mock glare. “Oh, like you didn’t need a good kick in the ass,” I quip, and the others laugh. Even Luke grins and shakes his head.
“I didn’t say I didn’t. Just that you excel at it,” Luke defends.
Eli laughs. “Man, Baby Casey’s got his hands full…”
“You know our boy. He’d have it no other way,” Sweeny returns, and I roll my eyes at all of them.
“So was that a no or a yes to the tea?” I ask.
They smirk, and we all turn toward the door when it crashes open. I rush to help Casey as he shuffles inside, hands and arms full of bags and drink carriers.
I almost choke when I catch a glimpse of the logo.
“Jemma’s?” I ask.
He grins, and as usual his sweet gesture threatens to unravel me.
“Thought we could all use some French toast, and since you two are banned from the premises…”
Luke laughs while Casey drops the rest of his load on the counter and begins distribution.
“Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. And…tea.” He kisses my cheek as he hands me my cup, and my heart just about bursts in my chest. There’s just no way he’s real.
“I’m assuming there’s a story here,” Sweeny interrupts, eyeing his container of French toast with suspicion.
“Breakfast club was at Jemma’s Café,” Luke explains. “It’s how we all met.”
“This is so sweet, Case, really,” I say, not wanting to embarrass him, but unable to hold it in any longer. His grin is priceless
, and I can’t stop my arm from wrapping around his waist. He gives me a quick squeeze back, and I let go.
“Aww, you want a kiss from me, too, Case?” Sweeny teases, leaning forward with puckered lips.
“Shut up,” Casey snaps, shoving him away. “Eat your food.”
I laugh, just as my teapot starts to whistle. “I was going to force them all to drink tea,” I explain, removing the pot from the burner. “They owe you for rescuing them.”
“This actually isn’t bad,” Eli comments through a mouthful of bread.
“It’s the powdered sugar,” I explain, and I can see Luke and Casey trying not to laugh.
“Huh?”
I can feel their amused looks, and it’s too much.
“I’m kidding,” I say to Eli when my smile breaks. “We talked about the powdered sugar for a good five minutes the first time we had it. Long story.”
“Oh, hey! I was thinking about the intro to ‘Greetings,’ and I think Sweeny should do that lick after the piano,” Casey announces, all business.
“The bridge lick?” Sweeny asks, and Casey nods.
I can see their minds working. “Before the rest of the band comes in?” Eli asks.
Casey shakes his head and cuts into his French toast. “No, no, at the same time. With the drums, bass, and rhythm.”
Their eyes change, and I can tell they like it.
“Yeah, ok. Maybe. What do you think?” Sweeny asks Luke.
Luke shrugs. “I think it would work. It’s a pretty in-your-face song so why not hit them early.”
“You said the trailer is here at 3:00?” Casey asks, and Eli grunts.
“Supposedly. They’re supposed to call the second they roll in.”
Casey nods. “I talked to that Mara lady on my way out. She said they have a room we can use.”
“Private?” Luke asks. “We don’t need any of this leaking out.”
“She says yes. In the basement.”
Luke nods. “Ok.” He turns to me. “Can you stand watch just to make sure?”
“Can I have a black ‘Security’ t-shirt?”
Luke rolls his eyes and shoves me.
∞∞∞
Even though the equipment hasn’t arrived yet, the guys want to scope out the rehearsal space and make sure it will work. They seem impressed with the size and seclusion of the storage room Mara shows them, and her tight face actually appears to approach an outright smile at the fact that Night Shifts Black is working on their new single in the basement of her hotel.
“Let us know what you need, if there’s anything else we can get for you,” Mara gushes.
Luke glances around the room. “This is great, Mara. Probably just a small table and some chairs, I guess. Maybe a few bottles of water?”
She nods. “Absolutely, Mr. Craven. I’ll take care of that right away.”
She hesitates for another moment, as if still trying to piece together this incredible development in her head.
“Thanks, Mara. We appreciate it,” Luke says, guiding her toward the door.
She even smiles at me on her way out, and I can’t help but snicker.
“I think she’s starting to warm up to me,” I comment after she’s gone. “At the very least, accepting the fact that I will continue to exist.”
Luke laughs and shakes his head. “You’re too hard on her. Do you have any idea how many people she has to thwart on a daily basis?”
I hadn’t thought of that. “Fine. Good point,” I concede with a sigh. “Ok, well, I guess I’ll go wait for your chairs and water while you work,” I say, moving toward the door, but Casey grabs my arm.
“Not a chance,” he barks, surprising me. He smiles to lighten his tone. “You’re not our road manager, Callie. It’s not going to be like that, got it? We pay people to get us water and chairs. Not you.”
I swallow, slightly embarrassed, but mostly touched more than anything. “I know, I just…”
“You like to take care of people, and I love you for it, but we need you here, ok? This is as much your song as ours.”
I stare at him in disbelief, speechless, and then my eyes flicker to Luke who only shrugs with a grin of his own.
“He’s got a point,” Luke agrees. “Besides, our security team needs to stay with us. Things could get dicey.”
I laugh in exasperation. “Ok, ok. But I’m going to be the best darn bootleg-recording-thwarter you’ve ever seen.”
Casey extends his hand. “Deal. But only if you promise to work on more songs while you’re waiting to thwart.”
I grin and squeeze his hand. “Deal. But only if you promise to make-out with me on your breaks.”
The others roar, and Casey looks stunned before shooting me a mock glare. I’m pretty sure he’s actually blushing.
“I knew there was no way you could handle her!” Sweeny laughs, smacking him on the back. “Called that.”
Casey rolls his eyes but rewards me with a grin.
∞∞∞
The trailer arrives a few hours later, and the band and small crew who delivered it get to work unloading its contents. I can tell this is second nature to them, and suspect I’ll only be interfering if I try to help, so I stand back, holding doors for the most part. Casey looks like a little kid again as he moves his toys into the storage room, and I love watching him unpack his drums from their cases. He sets to work with an expertise that shouldn’t surprise me, and yet does, once again. One day I’ll get used to his brilliance, but I think it will probably take a while.
Eli and Sweeny work on their own equipment, and even Luke joins the effort. I had wondered if they were going to send his stuff, and am happy that he seems happy they did. I can’t believe how much that trailer held, and am in shock that the large storage room now seems tiny, crammed with instruments, stands, and monitors. Eli, Luke, and Sweeny connect their guitars to large boards which are lined with smaller boxes and connected to amps.
“It’s a pedal board,” Luke explains as I study the little blinking lights and buttons. “Listen.”
He starts to play, and I notice all kinds of changes to the sound depending on what he hits with his foot.
“Got it,” I say.
He returns to tuning and playing with his boxes as I maneuver toward Casey. Casey has his kit fully assembled now and is in the process of adjusting it when I approach.
“So this is it. You in your native habitat.”
He grins, pointing his sticks at me.
“Be prepared to be amazed.”
“I already am,” I laugh, loving his expression.
He takes a pass at his drums, and I shake my head in disbelief. If this is the warm up, I can’t even imagine what’s coming next.
Mara had kept her word, and Casey has his computer and keyboard set up on the table near him. There are also several chairs and a cart with water in a bowl of ice, as well as, fruit, crackers, and an assortment of other snacks.
I had retrieved my own laptop from the room and intend to keep up my end of the bargain as I take a seat by the door.
“So you ready to do this, or what?” Eli asks. “Sweeny and I listened to the track a bunch last night. I think we’re ready to go.”
Casey and Luke exchange a glance and a nod. “We’re ready,” Luke replies with a shrug. “Let’s run through the intro and get a quick sound check.”
Casey nods and counts off.
∞∞∞
For the first twenty minutes I don’t move. I’m sure my jaw is on the floor, although I try to disguise it as much as possible. They start and stop dozens of times, discussing and debating changes to things I thought sounded amazing. But of course, after the debate, it sounds even more amazing. I still can’t believe I’m here, witnessing history. No, being a part of history. It’s my words Luke is belting into the microphone, even though I know I never would have dreamed they could have an impact like this. Luke and Casey have turned my little poem into a masterpiece, and I can’t stop the chills coursing through me at each
new surprise. I hadn’t understood Casey’s initial demo the way the others had. Now, engulfed in the real song, I’m completely speechless. And yet, Casey still doesn’t seem happy when we break for dinner a couple hours later.
I had ordered food for them, at the risk of Casey’s wrath, but I didn’t think they’d want to break long enough to go out. I guessed right as Casey comes over with a weak smile.
“Thanks, Callie,” he says, grabbing a sandwich from the cart. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“Just don’t yell at me,” I tease, and he shakes his head. “You guys sound amazing,” I add, sensing his frustration.
“Yeah?” But I can tell he doesn’t agree.
I nod. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
He shrugs, and glances over at the other three who are laughing and talking. They don’t seem nearly as upset as he is. He sets down his plate and leads me outside the room.
He’s quiet for a moment, and I’m filled with concern.
“Casey, what’s wrong? Are you not happy with the song?”
“No, it’s not that. I mean, the song is going well, great actually, it’s just…” he stops, and my heart breaks at the way his face falls. I instinctively squeeze his arm, and he looks back at me, almost haunted. “This is killing me, Callie,” he whispers.
I stare at him in shock. “What is? What do you mean?”
He sucks in his breath and waves back at the door. “This. Having Luke back. What if it’s not for real? What if this is it? I don’t think I can handle losing him again. I don’t want to do this without him anymore. I can’t.”
I hug him. I have to, and his arms tighten around me. “Do you think it’s not?”
“I don’t know,” he says quietly against my hair. “He seems sincere, like he’s happy to be back, but what if…I don’t know. What if we wake up tomorrow and learn this was it, all we’re getting?”
“You need to tell him this,” I say, pulling back and searching his eyes. “He needs to know how important he is.”
Casey bites his lip and nods, gazing back at the doorway. “He just needs to come back.”
Night Shifts Black Page 25