Chapter 1 #4
“More, Rowdy, more,” she demanded. I pulled out and thrust back in harder than before.
“I’m so close.” She moaned. I could feel that familiar feeling at the base of my spine and I knew I wouldn’t last long.
I thrust one, two, three more times and we were both moaning each other’s name.
We collapsed on the pillows, turning to face each other, smiling. “I love you, Mrs. Trent.”
“I love you, Mr. Trent,” she beamed.
The next morning my phone vibrated from the bedside table where I left it last night. I looked at the screen and groaned.
I slid my finger across the screen and was immediately met with Russ’s shouting. “Dude! What have you done?”
“What do you mean what have I done?” I grinned to myself.
“You got married? Without telling any of us? What the fuck?”
“We were tired of everyone giving us shit about being single. They didn’t know we’d been seeing each other in private since before she joined the tour. We’ve always had that electric spark between us and decided it was time to do something about it. We love each other.”
“Did you tell her father?”
“No, and that was her decision.”
“You better get online and then you might want to give him a call before he beats you to the punch. Literally.”
I nudged Storm and pointed at her laptop on her bedside table.
She opened it and there we were. All over the internet.
Arriving at the chapel, our kiss after being pronounced man and wife, and even the little old lady throwing rice at us as we left in the blacked-out Tahoe.
I scrubbed my hand over my face because there was no way in hell that her father hadn’t seen this by now.
As if on que, her cell rang from the table.
“I gotta go. Her dad is calling.”
“Good luck, man. Just in case you better kiss your balls because you may not have them much longer,” Russ joked.
STORM
I placed my phone on speaker and laid it on the bed between us.
“Storm!” my father bellowed through the phone. “What in the hell are you doing? You’re throwing your career away for some rock band who will probably fade in a couple of years. For some guy whose slept with half the girls on tour!” he barked.
“Daddy, that’s not true. Their band has been on the top of the charts for five weeks in a row. They have two gold and one platinum record. Rowdy alone has a gold record for his solo album. And as far as who he’s slept with before we got married is none of my business or yours for that matter.”
“It won’t last. Pack your things and come home. We’ll file for an annulment and forget this nightmare ever happened.”
“It’s not a nightmare, Daddy. I’m doing what I love. I’m playing keyboard for the band, and I love Rowdy very much. He believes in me.”
“Is that what he told you to get you into bed?” I gasped at his hurtful words and tears began to fill my eyes. “If your mother could see you now it would break her heart. ”
“If Mother could see me now, she’d be proud for me. She always told me to reach for the stars, that I could be anything I wanted to with my life.” By the time I’d finished tears were streaming down my face.
“Are you going to end this nonsense?” my father asked in a stern voice.
I had to stand my ground. My mother’s words kept playing over in my head. I could be anything I wanted to be. “No. I’m happy, Daddy. Why can’t you be happy for me?”
With that the line went dead.
I collapsed face down on the bed and cried.
I could feel Rowdy’s warm body against mine and the security of his tattooed arm across my waist. I knew what I wanted, and I took it.
It made me happy. Rowdy made me feel wanted, which was something my father never did.
He just wanted to parade me around like a prized farm animal at the fair.
He wanted his name in the paper and the mention of his career. Not mine. Fuck him.
“Fuck him, baby,” Rowdy whispered in my ear.
“I’m sorry that he can’t see what I see when I look at you.
A beautifully talented woman that can do whatever she wants in life whether it’s in music or not,” Rowdy said, pulling me closer to him.
I snuggled in. I was exhausted. It only took about five minutes, and I was out.
When I woke, Rowdy was out on the balcony sitting with his feet propped on the railing, drinking a beer. I grabbed a beer and stepped onto the patio. He held out his hand and motioned for me to sit in his lap. I dropped down and he placed a kiss on my temple .
“You feel any better since your nap?”
I lifted my shoulder and took a pull of my beer. “I don’t understand how he could write me off for doing what I love which is music. It may not be in an orchestra as he had hoped, but I’m doing what I love. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
I leaned in and kissed Rowdy. “I’m sorry for what he said about your band.” I lay my head on his chest. The thrum of his heartbeat was soothing.
“Don’t worry about that. Our music is not for everyone, especially not the older generation. Well, except for my nanna.” He laughed.
“Your nanna loves metal music? I think that’s so cool.”
“Oh yea. She loves it. She’s at every concert she can make when her health is good.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It is what it is. She’s eighty-eight years and has a muscle disease. Some days she’s weak and uses an electric wheelchair, and on good days, you’d never know there was anything wrong with her.”
“Wow.”
“The next time we’re in town remind me to send her a couple of tickets.”
“She’d love that.” I kissed his neck and along his jawline before reaching his lips.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“I thought you’d never ask.” We made our way to the shower, which led to sex on the counter and more sex in the shower. While I was doing my hair and makeup I heard Rowdy’s phone ring. I was pulling on a pair of jeans when Rowdy stuck his head in the door.
“Russ invited us for dinner. Well, the whole band. You ladies can talk and do whatever it is you do, and the band is going to have a band meeting.”
I grabbed my bag and threw in my yellow one-piece bathing suit just in case they wanted to get some sun.
“You ready?” Rowdy took my bag from me while I attempted to shove my feet into my sandals.
“Yes. How do I look?” I ran my fingers through my long hair.
Tucker brought the Tahoe around and we headed to Russ’s home on the edge of Vegas. Marcie met us at the car and wrapped her arms around me. I looked over her shoulder and Rowdy smirked. “I’m so glad you’re here. I hope you brought a suit.”
“I did.”
“Good. Put it on, and I’ll have one of the guys to take the drinks out to the pool.”
ROWDY
We all sat around the table throwing back shots when Russ opened his computer and turned it in our direction. “Have you guys seen this?”
“I’ve been a little busy.” I wiggled my eyebrows which caused them all to chuckle.
"We received a video of a formal apology from the network president. He’d even done his homework.
He advertised our upcoming tour and the new opening band for us, Paper Hearts.
Our label found them when Storm played at a dive bar here in Vegas.
They called them for one audition, and they were hired.
Now they’re opening for Styx and Stones.
It doesn’t get any better than that for a new band.
It means they’re on their on their way to the top.
They were climbing the charts, and my guess was they’d hit the top ten within the next year.
“Scott from the label is talking about a tour overseas. How does everyone feel about Paris?” Russ asked.
“Fuck yeah!” went up in unison around the room.
“How soon would we leave?” I asked.
“It would be in August and last three months.”
I had no idea what Storm would think about going to Paris for work. Do all women want to go to Paris? Isn’t it supposed to be romantic?
Once business was called, we headed for the pool where our girls were on loungers or lying on floats.
I spotted Storm lying on a pink flamingo float in the middle of the pool.
I stepped into the pool house and stepped into my swim trunks and jumped in the pool, causing Storm to squeal as the water splashed in her face.
I swam over to her and hung on the side of her float kissing the shit out of her. “Babe, what would you think about going to Paris for a few months?”
“Paris! Really? Are you shitting me?”
“I promise I’m not shitting you. We have the opportunity to tour there for three months.”
“I’m so excited I don’t know what to say or do,” she said, squishing my cheeks together and kissing me, causing me to laugh out loud. “I have so much to do!”
“Don’t worry about it right now. We’ve got a couple of weeks to plan.”
“Only two weeks? I need a whole new wardrobe. A couple of new swimsuits and…”
“Promise you’ll go to that lingerie store I like and pick up a few things.” She kissed me again.
“Promise.”
“Good girl.”
I should really get this nagging back ache checked out or I’d be sitting on a stool throughout the concert.
I hated to sit and sing to the crowd. When I was up and can move around it felt more personable.
I called Dr. Perkins’s office but didn’t have an opening.
If it got too bad, I’d check in with a doctor overseas.
I was guessing I pulled a muscle while working out or moving some of my equipment around. It would just take time to heal.
I opened the door the next day and was greeted with hot heat. It was eight in the morning and it was already hot. Storm was up and waiting for me. Offering to help me and me refusing the help.
I bent at the waist and groaned as I picked up my duffle.
“I thought you were going to call the doctor about that,” Storm said.
“I did. He didn’t have an opening.”
“You should have told them who you were, and they would have made room. ”
“If it gets too bad, I’ll see a doc in Paris.” I rubbed my aching back.
“Do you promise me? You know I’ll be watching you. Does the rest of the band know?”