51. Surprise
CHAPTER 51
Surprise
It’s the last day of Manville’s tour. We have the option of staying here for a few days before leaving. There are mixed reactions to this. I’m excited to move to another city but reluctant to leave all the memories we created here. Calum doesn’t care as long as we are by his side.
“What are you thinking?” Calum asks.
His lips brush the space between my boobs. Hooded eyes stare at me, causing a flip in my belly. My lips part, but my reply dies on my tongue as his hairy jaw scratches my nipple. I sigh, and he offers me a wicked grin. On some days, like today, I find it impossible to believe this man was a virgin until me. I run my fingers through the mess of his hair. His fingers slide into me, teasing a little to remind me how we spent our night. I’m quickly relearning his taste.
Calum is always super hyped after every performance. If I don’t get away from him as fast as possible, we will fuck in any available space, as uncomfortable as it might be. In the morning before his performance, depending on if Mace is in the room, a blowjob is enough, or a kiss.
His finger drags over my sensitive clit. I tense and grab his wrist. Mace is with his grandma. It works for us. Dani wants to spend time with her grandson. And we want some intimacy.
“You haven’t told me what you were thinking,” Calum says, drawing the cover over both of us. His lips inch close. “Do you want to tell me after our performance? I can wait, Superstar.”
The cover slides down, revealing my boob. Calum twists my nipple. I flick a finger over his forehead and he howls. So dramatic. “It’s nothing,” I say. Our foreheads touch. I bring his wandering hand to my waist. “I’m excited and nervous. I almost don’t want to leave this city.”
“We could stay back,” he whispers.
Leave it to Calum and he will do anything to make me happy, even at his expense. I draw a line over his eyebrows. He needs a shave. “For how long?” I tease.
“As long as you want,” he replies.
My initial reaction is to laugh, but the sincerity in his blues stifles that urge. The tour is still ongoing. The boys will have his head if he tries that, but he doesn’t care. It’s me first when Calum is involved and if that’s not love, I don’t know how else to define it.
I kiss the tip of his nose. “Just kidding. I love the place, but I think it’s time to move on.”
Calum curls wisps of my hair behind my ear. His teeth sink lightly into my jaw.
“Are you sure?” he breathes against my lips. I nod and he captures my lips in a fiery kiss.
My thoughts evaporate. My worries for the future dissolve. We are in the present, and I revel in it, taking everything it offers, especially Calum. He pulls back to grin at me, and his lips descend on mine before I can reciprocate. My mouth tingles. I touch a finger to my lower lip.
“I don’t know how I managed without you,” he says. “But I don’t want to do that again.”
“Me too. I don’t want to repeat that.”
Calum helps me out of the bed. My legs circle his waist and my arms lace around his neck. Mace isn’t here for us to worry about decency. He sets me down in the bathroom so we can clean up. After that, we head to the living room for breakfast. While we are waiting for our meal, we discuss his routine for today. Mace and I will be in the VIP section again today.
My legs touch his every few seconds, and he sends a smile my way each time without a look in my direction. Whatever he’s checking on his phone has his full attention. I run my fingers over the rug, jumping to my feet to check the door as soon as someone knocks. It’s our food.
“Scott might holla at you later,” Calum says as I set the meal between us. He drops his phone on the tray and picks up the bread. “Remember, only say yes if that’s what you want, okay?”
“Yeah,” I say. I might have been avoiding Scott and the topic of joining his label. “Thanks.”
It’s a commitment I feel guilty about taking because I manage GC and BC, and I do a shitty job of Amelia’s legacy already. If I didn’t have help, the company would have collapsed.
Calum rubs a finger between my brows. I drop my spoon on the tray, and he pushes it aside to haul me on his lap. My legs drop to each side of his knees, and he rests his back against the couch for support. His hand slides under my jaw. I try to look away, but he shakes his head.
“What’s wrong, Cathie?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “I just feel like it will be too much.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t do so well at managing Girls Code,” I begin. Calum’s head rears back. The weight in my chest tries to pull me under, and I roll my lip between my teeth. It’s tough. He sighs, dragging out that lip with his teeth. “I love being a part of GC, but it’s not me, Cal. It was something Amelia wanted more and at the time you were gone, it was a good way to escape.”
“Cathie,” he whispers.
But I don’t give him a chance to say more. I know he’s the only one who will understand me, even if I don’t completely understand myself. Pressing my forehead to his for a nanosecond, I sigh softly and let out the words I’ve been holding in. “I feel bad for not spending so much time there and if it was a regular job…” I pause to take a breath. He frowns. “I would quit it.”
Calum’s lips pucker. The guilt rises to my chest, and bile invades my mouth. I’ve never told anyone how I truly feel about the company. It was a fun project that grew to be bigger, but I’m no longer in the state of mind to pursue it. I didn’t know it then, but my hate for Calum and the desire to succeed fuelled me. But I have no more hate in my heart, and I couldn’t care less about failing because if I do, he will set me back on the right path and that, too, with love.
Now I’ve had a taste of this life, the connection with the audience, I’m reminded about the only thing I’ve wanted to do, and it’s not being a part of GC. It’s being a part of the music.
Music is it for me. Always will be.
“I didn’t know that was how you felt about it,” he finally says.
“Does that make me a bad person?” I ask. He shakes his head and pulls my cheeks for me to grin. I try to smile. “Sometimes I think about selling the company,” I say with a fake laugh. He doesn’t laugh, so I sober up. “We have had really good offers. But I’m holding on for Amelia. I want to keep holding on for her, but I don’t know how long I can keep doing that.”
“You are not a bad person,” Calum murmurs. The seriousness and sincerity in his face makes it impossible for me to look elsewhere. “And it doesn’t make you a bad person, all right?”
“All right,” I whisper.
“You don’t need to sell the company. What’s the current arrangement? You’re not there now, and it seems to do fine without you.”
“Yeah, well…” I start. Calum arches a brow. I laugh a little. “I haven’t been showing up as much as you think. I missed all the scheduled video meetings and follow up for the week.”
Since I joined the tour, I’ve not given as much shit as I should have about BC. The guilt is more from disappointing Amelia than a genuine concern for the company, and that’s horrible.
Calum kisses a corner of my lips. “Superstar, if it’s not what you really want to do, you can step down and have someone else manage it. Someone competent with the right knowledge. All they will do is report to you without demanding your physical presence. It’s like having a CEO who reports to you. You don’t have to be the CEO and owner. No one needs to know you stepped down. All you need to do is keep the legacy running. Big companies do that.”
Big isn’t a word I would use to describe us, but I nod. “I can do that.” I can step down. I want to step down. The thought makes me so excited I clap. “All I have to do is find someone.”
“Or promote someone in the company. Someone trusted. It’s all on you, Cathie.”
Pushing his hair out of his face, I kiss his forehead. “Have I told you how smart you are?” He shakes his head. Our noses touch, and I roll my eyes. I’ll never grow tired of complimenting my man. “Well, I’m telling you. You’re a smart arse and I’m absolutely in love with you.”
“Good. Because I’m absolutely in love with you, too,” he says. The tent under my butt shows how sincere he is. I stifle a giggle and grind my arse on his erection. He groans, his hands guiding mine to his waistband. “Baby? Are you up for a quickie? It will be quick. Quick.”
This man.
Someone knocks before I reply, and he groans. “What’s the time?” he asks. Sliding off his lap, I drop the tray on the coffee table. As I head for the door, he rushes to stop me. “I’ll get it.”
“Why?”
He shrugs. “No reason.”
My eyes narrow. I dart for the door, but Calum is faster. He reaches before me and plasters himself against the door. I point a finger at him, and he breaks out in a grin. “Ready?”
“For what?” I ask as he steps away from the door.
The door opens by a crack. Mace stumbles in. I go to him automatically. One knee drops to the floor to match his height. He giggles, his happiness overflowing as he hugs me tight.
“Where’s grandmama?” I ask Mace.
Calum stands in the doorway talking to someone. I wait for the person to walk in, but no one does. Lucas would have entered without an invitation. I join him at the door, and a silent gasp tears out of my lips. If Calum didn’t pry Mace off me, I might have dropped him on the floor.
The people in front of me all wear matching grins. Rose waves. “Surprise.”
Oh my God. Dad’s here. My daddy is here. Jason, Rose, and Taylor, too. I’m vibrating with happiness, too stunned to move or react. Calum nudges me with his hip, and I snap out of it. I lunge into Dad’s arms, trying to draw all four of them into a hug. Laughter rings out around me as we tear away from the group hug. Dad grins. I smile, but it wanes when I notice more of his grey hairs. I pat the greying hairs at his temples and his hand covers mine. He has aged.
“You came,” I say to him.
“Calum arranged it,” he replies.
I hug him again. Only him. My tears wet his shirt as he strokes my lower back.
A tug on the hem of my top forces us to break apart. “Mama,” Mace says. Squatting to his height, I offer him a weak smile. He dabs my wet cheeks and pouts. “Mama. No cry.”
“Yeah. No crying for Mama,” I whisper.
A chorus of aws and oos come from behind me. Handing Mace to Calum, I take turns hugging my friends. I hug Jason last, and I hug him the longest. He’s a huge reminder that Amelia is still a part of us.
“Cathie,” my jealous lover warns when I’m still holding onto Jason. I tighten my arms around him to irk Calum, and the next minute, I’m lifted and dropped a few feet from the group.
Dad laughs. Calum frowns, and I pinch his cheeks. “I missed him, that’s all,” I say. He only scowls. His jealous side hasn’t shown since we discussed our relationship. “I love you, Cal.”
His frown vanishes at my admission. He slides one arm around my waist, shielding me from the view of the others as he kisses me. We break apart only because we have an audience and he has a performance later in the day. Dad already has Mace, and all my attempts to separate the two prove abortive. Mace has missed his grandpa, and he doesn’t fail to show it. We head downstairs. There are two cars waiting for us, and I know instantly it’s courtesy of Calum.
Squeezing his hand in gratitude earns me a kiss. Taylor, Rose, and Jason use one car while Dad, Mace, Calum, and I use the other. We are close to the venue when I collect Mace from Dad and pull on my oversized hoodie to shield both of us. The crowd has grown wilder. It’s growing increasingly more difficult to maintain our privacy.
Flashes go off as we exit the car. Thankfully, most of them are focused on Calum. He’s the star. I leave through the other door. Hiding Mace in my oversized hoodie, I race inside through the backdoor. My chest drops and rises. This is one part of the entertainment world I haven’t figured out how to handle. In all of Calum’s pictures, he appears composed, but I have an idea how much he hates all those pictures being taken without his permission. The best we can do is protect Mace from that.
We wait for Taylor, Rose, and Jason in the empty room. We haven’t kept in touch as always. Amelia was the glue that kept us together. The door opens and the three of them walk in.
“Jesus, that was hectic,” Jason says when our eyes meet.
“Tell me about it,” I reply.
Jason runs a hand through his hair and smiles. I unzip my hoodie to reveal Mace’s face and he stretches his arms to Jason. I let Jason carry him. Cameras aren’t allowed here, so we are safe from the paparazzi. Calum loops his arm through mine. My gaze darts between him and Jason a few times, and I grin. They do have some similarities, but I love Calum as he is.
We move to the dressing room, where people are setting up everything needed for the show. Calum takes us backstage. There are busier people here. Microphones screech as a stagehand tests them. A few of them check the drums while others work on the stage lights. We leave them to continue the work, and someone bumps into us. Dad steadies the person from falling but lets go but when their eyes meet. Dani’s smile disappears when she sees who helped her.
As far as I know, they haven’t seen each other since she left Wells Spring with Calum. If they kept in touch, Dad didn’t act like it. Though they are technically still married, I can’t honestly say I wish for their reconciliation. But I know I will support whatever decision Dad makes.
“Pete,” she greets.
Where Dad seems to have aged in the months he was away from her, she looks calm, almost younger. According to Calum, she has been working with the label since he signed his contract with Scott. It was part of the deal, and she had the right experience to make it happen.
“Dani,” Dad finally replies. I’m the only one who notices the slight shake in his hand.
Jason acts first. He cuts me a warning look when I try to reach for Dad. Starting for the door, he looks back to be sure we are following. A hand slides into mine. Taylor’s. “I brought biscuits.”
“Happy biscuits?” I ask. She nods. Rose’s hand slips into my free one, and we continue to the dressing room. Lucas and Sam are there now, getting their hair done. I wave. “My friends are here. Rose. Taylor. Jason. Don’t worry, I’ll redo the introductions when you are sure to remember.”
Rose and Taylor blush. Sam smiles at the mirror. Lucas is drumming a stick on his knee, but as soon as he sees Jason, he stops and points the stick at him. “Why the fuck are you here?”
“Luc,” Calum warns, motioning to Mace tucked in his arms.
“Sorry, but he punched you. I haven’t forgotten.”
The door opens, and Scott enters. His eyes scan the place until they land on me. He beckons on me with a finger. Calum nods for me to go. My heart pounds as I cover the gap. We step out. Dad and Dani head in our direction, smiling as they walk past us. They stop at the door. Dad says something. She laughs but doesn’t lean in to place a hand on his chest or arm like she would have done if they were still together. Instead, she holds a hand to her mouth.
“Walk with me,” Scott says.
It sounds like a command, but it’s not. With his customised suit and brooding personality, he exudes the aura of a man who must be obeyed. But he’s a softie for the ones he cares about. We walk down the busy corridor, keeping to the walls to avoid the busy stagehands rushing in and out to make sure everything is fine.
“What did Calum tell you?” Scott asks when we come to a stop in front of a door. He pulls out a key from his pocket and opens the door. Pointing to the room, he says, “Come in.”
The room is bare except for a table and chair. Scott offers me the chair and sits on the table, his legs crossed at the ankles. If this is part of his strategy to intimidate me, it’s working.
“Calum said you wanted to sign me to the label,” I say. Scott nods. Thick brows wrinkle over tired eyes. He might not be on the stage with the boys, but he works harder behind the scenes. He leans back on the table, his fingers curling around the edge. “He said you’ll manage me.”
“Yes,” he answers. I push a foot around. I won’t be this nervous if Calum is here. I derive strength from his presence. “We will have to draw up a contract. But what do you think?”