Chapter 12
The feeling of absolute elation that was currently coursing through his veins was unbelievable.
This beat anything he had ever experienced before.
Even getting their first recording deal couldn’t compare to the pure joy he felt now.
She had finally succumbed to his advances and he knew no better emotion.
Turning the stereo up to a deafening level he tapped out the beat on the steering wheel whilst pushing the pedal to the metal, enjoying the sensation the car created as he sped through the dark night.
It couldn’t compare to riding his bikes but it came a very close second.
Alex was lost in the music emanating from the speakers as he pulled up at the traffic lights.
Rocking his head back and forth, he got carried away and sang the lyrics loudly.
His powerful voice totally drowned out the radio with his rendition.
Glancing to his right he became acutely aware of the couple now waiting in the car beside him.
Recognising him instantly, they sat with ear splitting grins, watching in amazement as he carried on his private performance.
When the song ended the girl clapped giddily in the car opposite.
Alex tipped his head in an acknowledging nod before flooring the car again.
Speeding ahead, he was all too eager to create some distance between him and the impromptu audience.
He knew it wouldn’t be long before his little performance went viral on some internet site, but right now he couldn’t care less.
He was acutely happy. Christ, if they’d asked him to he would have stood on the street corner and performed if it meant he could feel how he did tonight.
His thoughts slipped back to Grace as he drove back to the lighthouse.
Beautiful, sweet, innocent Grace. As his mind replayed the evening back to him his body began to respond.
He was in awe of this girl, the way she knew her own mind, remaining so unimpressed by his lifestyle and success.
Chuckling to himself he hit the hands-free button, calling up her number.
She answered almost immediately. Just hearing her voice filled him with elation.
“Night, babe.” He could hear the sigh slip from her mouth before she spoke.
“You’re mental! Sweet dreams, Alex.” Her voice danced over the words.
Oh, they would be. He could almost guarantee that they would be filled with images of the stunning girl that had captured his heart in a way no-one else had ever done.
Alex woke early the next morning, something which was unusual for him.
Being on the road a lot he rarely woke before the afternoon, needing to save his energy for the band’s late night gigs.
He had forgotten how much he enjoyed the early morning air; so much fresher.
Climbing out of bed he grabbed his phone before pulling on last night’s underwear.
As he made his way to the Juliet balcony, pulling open the doors, he stood looking out over the ocean.
He ran a hand through his messed up hair.
Glancing at his phone he was distraught to see he had a missed call from Grace.
He had forgotten to take his phone off vibrate last night.
Shit! Pressing the redial button he prayed she would answer.
After all the work he had put in over the last few days he couldn’t mess it up now. Not after last night.
Breathing a sigh of relief as she answered the phone he could only apologise as he explained the error of his ways.
Giggling softly she forgave him before ordering him to get in the car, informing him that she was starving and he had after all promised her breakfast with her boyfriend.
Alex’s heart literally skipped a beat as the ‘b’ word escaped her mouth.
His breath hitched in his throat as he spoke. “On my way, baby.”
After directing him down meandering streets towards the main street, Alex could feel the familiar panic rising in his chest. Grace directed him to a parking space.
Killing the engine he turned to face the girl who sat there with a huge grin across her face.
“My favourite restaurant. They do a mean breakfast menu here. You ready?” Leaning in she planted a soft kiss on his lips before turning to open the car door.
“Hang on a minute, are you serious? I can’t go in there.
Really, I can’t go in. I cannot go in that place.
” Scrubbing his hands over his face he tried to rub away the tension that was slowly building.
“Grace, I’ll get recognised. It’s packed with students.
They’re gonna rush us, want autographs. They’ll start to hassle the both of us, take pictures of me eating.
You will be plastered all over tomorrow’s papers.
Come back to mine, I’ll cook you a mean breakfast. Please, Grace.
” He pleaded with her now as the all too recognisable black spots began to swim in front of his eyes.
His fingers were beginning to go numb as he grasped the steering wheel too tightly.
“Are you for real? Nobody is going to look twice at you. Stick your cap on, cover your arms and I can guarantee they won’t even notice you.
Come on, for me, please?” Squeezing his hand before she exited the car, she took her place on the pavement, waiting for him to join her.
Glancing around the surrounding street he took a deep breath as he left the car.
Only for her would he endure this agony.
“If anyone as much as looks at me we are outta there.” Grumbling, he grabbed her hand tightly, all the time scanning the backdrop for crazed fans who may or may not be lurking in the shadows.
Grace picked up on the utter fear emanating from his every pore, instantly feeling guilty. This was more than his ego putting in an appearance as she had first thought, it was much worse – he was terrified.
The sweat began to run down his forehead and back, his eyes fixed on the doorway. Nearly there, just a few more hurried steps and they’d be inside facing a whole new set of complications.
The waiter embarked on showing them to a table in the window until Grace intervened asking to be seated near the back out of the way.
She figured that a window seat was a step too far right now.
Alex hid behind the huge menu trying to calm his breathing to somewhere near normal.
Grace reached across the table taking his hand in hers.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise. Nobody is looking at you, promise. See, check for yourself.”
Lowering the menu he cautiously glanced around the room.
The other patrons were engrossed in their own conversations, tucking into what looked like amazing food.
Okay, maybe he had overreacted a little.
His breathing slowed to his normal rate as the spots dispersed, returning his vision to normal.
Grace filled his glass with ice cold water which he gulped down, trying to rehydrate his nerve parched mouth.
“Sorry...it just freaks me out, all the attention that follows the band. They don’t have any regard for personal space. It gets crazy... I don’t know what they want from me.” His eyes continued to dart around the room, checking out his exit options should things turn ugly.
She had witnessed firsthand now the terror that oozed from him, engulfed him even. Placing their order she ran a thumb across his knuckles, trying to ease his distress, somehow take away the fear she could see across his face.
“Is it always this bad for you? I mean the panic, the worry.” She eyed him cautiously, not wanting to tip him over the edge again.
“It didn’t used to be. I used to love being on stage, performing.
Then I just felt crap waiting to go on but was okay when I started singing.
Now...well... now it takes over everything.
Getting on stage, getting through a whole set, going out in public.
I mean, it’s not normal, they’re not normal.
Everyone wants a piece of me. They’re not content with an autograph; they want so much more these days.
It’s just so out of control.” His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke, his face searching hers for some kind of sign that she understood.
“Let’s just eat and go, eh? Back to the lighthouse.” Her mouth turned up slightly at one corner, reassuring him that she understood. Nodding, he began to tuck into the plate of food before him.
Standing on the deck of the lighthouse, once more mesmerized by the view of the sea, Grace waited for her boyfriend to return with two large mugs of coffee.
It really was spellbinding, situated so far out on the cliff edge they were overlooked by no-one, adding to the feeling that they could be at the end of the earth.
Leaning over the balcony she could make out the man made stairway which led down to the rocky shore line.
Alex’s phone buzzed on the table, startling them both out of their daydream.
“Hi, Iz. What’s up? No, I don’t need to go to that.
Ben said he would cover it, ring him... what is it with you two?
I don’t get you at all...hey why don’t you go with him?
You could represent me...” Alex moved the receiver away from his ear sharply.
“Whoa, you nearly deafened me! No need to shout, it was only a suggestion. Okay, see ya soon.” Sighing he dropped his phone back onto the table.
“Everything okay?” Grace moved to stand in front of him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she gazed into his eyes. “Do you need to go home?”
“No, it’s just an awards thing we got nominated for but I don’t need to be there. Ben will take care of it. I hate those things anyway. They’re full of people who are so far up their own backsides it’s untrue.” Alex tightened his grip on her, loving the feeling of having her in his arms.
“I am beginning to think you don’t like your job!” Placing her hands on his chest, she gently pushed back to allow her to look into his eyes.
“I don’t much anymore. Well, no, that’s not true.
I love to sing I just hate everything that goes with being successful.
” Not wanting to burden her with all his woes he grabbed her hand, leading her towards the edge of the surrounding wall, through a gate and down the staircase onto the shoreline, not releasing the tight grip he had maintained on her small hand.
Guiding the diminutive girl across the rocky surface he found a perfect place to sit.
Somewhere that offered them the best view of the ocean but still sheltered them from prying eyes.
Steering her to sit in front of him, he cradled her in his arms, revelling in the feel of her back rested against his chest as she laid her head against his shoulder.
Alex felt like he had found his own nirvana right here on the shoreline of Scotland.
What more would anyone ever need? He would give up his life to be here right now with this girl in his arms. Drawing her in tighter still he nuzzled her neck, trailing soft biting kisses down to the junction of her shoulder before resting his cheek against hers.
“Happy?” he whispered to her tenderly.
“Very. Can we come back tonight to watch the sunset? I bet it’s beautiful.”
“Just like you, but no we can’t watch it from here ‘cos I wanna show you it from the top of the observation deck. If you like this, then the upstairs deck at sunset will blow your mind,” he murmured softly, allowing his eyes to fix back on the ocean as it rolled and crashed against the cove.
“This reminds me of a lullaby my mum used to sing to me when I was small. I can’t remember what it’s called but it was all about the baby’s dreams reflected like oceans in his mother’s eyes, or something like that anyway.
She sang it every night for years.” Grace closed her eyes as she began humming the tune to the long forgotten rhyme, adding in the odd word that she could remember, unsure if she was recalling it correctly.
“I know that. It’s called something like Would You Know.
I think that’s it, anyway.” Alex joined in with his girlfriend only his humming was soon replaced by his yielding trademark voice as he began to sing melodiously low, almost whispering the words to her.
Grace’s eyes shot open in glee, watching the man she was falling for sing as the mellow lyrics rolled off of his tongue, transporting her right back to her childhood.
As he concluded the private recital he turned to look at her.
Lifting his hand he cautiously wiped the tear that had spilled down her cheek.
“Was I that bad? I know it’s been a few weeks but I thought I nailed that.
” He winked at her as she held his gaze with those beautiful green eyes.
God, he could get lost in those eyes. He fought back the overpowering urge he had to wrap her in his arms and hide her away from the rest of the world.
He couldn’t stand the thought of her not being by his side.
“Oh no, you did. That was incredible. You have no idea what that song means to me.” Leaning closer she placed a chaste kiss on his lips. “Thank you, I couldn’t remember it properly.” She almost breathed the words.
Unable to stop the grin spreading across his face he kissed her back. “Come on, you’re getting cold.” Standing, he helped her to her feet before he crouched down low. “Hop on, I’ll carry you to the steps.”
Not needing any further encouragement she leapt onto his back wrapping her arms and legs around him as she did, securing herself to his well muscled frame. A girl could get used to this.
Standing he regained his balance before hitching her higher up onto his back, centring her weight. Turning to take a last look at the ocean he chuckled. “Hold tight, Gracie!”
Increasing her grip on him she squealed with delight as he set off at a roaring pace, running along the rocky beach towards the steps.