31. Hazel
HAZEL
“There’s a break in our schedule for the crew this week,” Conal tells me during our ride home. “Would you like to visit your mom?”
“All of us?”
He slides his arm around me. “Yeah, if your mom’s up for company.”
I reach up to give him a kiss. “I think she’d really like that, and so would I.”
When I get in touch with my mom, she’s all for it. I know the visit will mean her rearranging her work schedule, but she tells me not to worry.
The guys’ assistant makes all the arrangements, and we take a short flight on the band’s private jet to the small airport nearest my mom’s house. There are two luxury SUVs waiting there for us, our luggage, and the security team.
My mom has a meal waiting on the table when we arrive, and insists we sit down to eat shortly after hugs, introductions, and handshakes. If she wonders why Conal’s two brothers have also come along, she doesn’t say anything. Maybe Ember broke the news.
Mom and I both have to remind my little sister to eat several times, because she keeps staring at the guys, mostly Conal, mouth agape. When they ask her questions, she has trouble speaking, which has never been a problem for her, ever since she said her first words.
The guys ask Mom questions, too, about our town, her work, and about me when I was young. I can tell she’s charmed by them, and I couldn’t be more pleased.
After we eat, I show her the camera they bought for me, and take candid pictures of everyone as they talk. I also reach out to Bliss to let her know we’re in town.
“Shoot! I’m working today and I have a date tonight,” she says. “I’d cancel, but we have tickets to a show.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t give you more notice. The trip was so last minute. ”
“The busy life of a rock star’s wife. I get it,” she teases. “Can I see you tomorrow?”
“Yes! We’ll be here until around lunchtime.”
When I rejoin the group, Rafe’s helping my mom load the dishwasher, and Conal and Bron are playing a video game with my sister. I must look like my sister did during lunch, mouth hanging open at the scene of domesticity.
The Black Pythons are in my childhood home, just hanging out like normal people. But they’re not normal people at all—they’re very special people to me.
Later, the men suggest we go out to dinner, and though there’s nothing nearby as grand as the places they’ve taken me in Las Vegas, we do go to a very nice restaurant and have a good meal.
At night, my mom tries to give up her bigger bed for me and Conal, but he won’t hear of it, and I would feel strange about it myself. Instead, he and I squeeze into my childhood bed, Rafe takes Ember’s old room, and Bron sleeps on the couch.
This house must seem ridiculously small when they’re used to living in places like the villa in Vegas, but they don’t show even a hint of disdain .
“Did you have a good day?” We’re curled up so close in my little bed that Conal’s mouth is right next to my ear.
“Yes. You?”
“Mm-hm. Your mom is great.”
“She is.”
“You’re pretty great, too.” He cups my breast in his hand, then heads south, his fingers slipping into my underwear.
“Don’t you dare do anything that’ll make me be noisy. Everyone will be able to hear us.”
“That sounds like a you problem, babe.” He chuckles softly and continues to torment me, but at a languid pace. My orgasm builds up slowly, and rocks through me like a dream.
The smell of bacon and coffee wakes both of us up in the morning. That, and Conal’s morning wood, jabbing into my bottom. When he rolls onto his back, it tents the sheets to a height that would be amusing if I wasn’t so turned on.
“Can I take care of that?”
“You don’t have to do that, babe.”
Instead of answering, I pull the sheet back, peel off his boxer briefs and wrap my mouth around his tip, swirling and flicking my tongue and teasing the ridge.
“Babe.” The word is a low, tortured groan.
I pop my mouth off his cock just long enough to say, “Sounds like a you problem, babe.”
I take him in deep, and when he comes, I swallow every drop, leaving no evidence behind. Conal’s flat on the bed, utterly spent, but the delicious smells seeping in from the kitchen eventually rouse him again.
Everyone else is already at the table when we finally go out, and I brace myself for jealous looks from Rafe and Bron, but they’re too involved in their breakfast to do anything except say good morning.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good home-cooked breakfast,” Conal tells my mom after he downs two eggs, bacon, and two biscuits. “Hazel’s been cooking tons of delicious food for us, but we don’t typically eat much in the morning.”
“You’ve been cooking, Hazel? Or baking?” Mom’s used to me making muffins and cookies, but it was rare for me to cook unless she asked for my help.
“Yeah. I’ve been trying out some recipes.”
She gives me a long, curious look, but I can’t tell what she’s thinking .
Shortly after we clean up the breakfast dishes, there’s noise outside that leads us to discover a cluster of cars parked in the street.
At first glance, I assume a neighbor must be throwing a party, but then I see cameras aimed at our house.
There are at least a dozen people loitering around.
Some of them look like fans, and are even wearing Pythons t-shirts; others are obviously paparazzi.
We ignore them for a while, but then I get a text from Bliss telling me she can’t reach the house. She can’t even get down the street.
“This is even worse than it was before.” Mom is wringing her hands as she peeks through the curtains, and I hate that she’s having to deal with this again. Maybe it would have been better if we’d brought her to the house in Vegas instead.
“Let’s go give them what they want,” Conal says to his brothers. “If we pose for pictures and sign some autographs, it’ll be easier to get them to leave.”
The guys go out, and after several minutes, one of the security team escorts Bliss to our door.
“What a zoo out there!” she says before giving me a hug.
“Is this what things are like for you every day?” my mom asks me .
“It’s mostly quiet at the house where we’re staying.” As I say this, I realize that in the rockstar life, quiet means the security team is always present, other musicians and crew come and go, along with assistants and managers. We’re only truly alone in the bedroom at night.
“Well worth the trouble to be with those men,” Bliss says.
We visit for a while, along with the men when they eventually come back inside.
All too soon, it’s time for us to head back to Las Vegas.
As the men load up, my Mom pulls me into a tight hug.
“Thanks for coming. It was nice to meet them, and it’s good to see that you’re happy; but if that ever changes, it’s okay to do whatever you need to do. ”
I nod, surprised by the edge of pessimism in her goodbye. That’s not my mom’s usual outlook, but I understand her concerns, when the life I’m now living is all so new and unexpected.
It was wonderful to see her and my sister, but as we fly back to Vegas, I realize that wherever my men are is starting to feel like home.