A Time to Move On (14 page)

When Laura reached a climax, her
body froze but Mack kept moving her. A few seconds later, in the midst of a
deep groan, Mack thrust up, kissing Laura’s neck, and he came too. They
continued to move, slowly, not losing a second of pleasure. By the time she
finished, her legs were shaking and tired.

They remained together, Mack’s
hands at her face, holding her steady.

“Laura…”

“Hold me tonight,” Laura whispered.
“That’s all I want right now, Mack. Just please hold me.”

Mack nodded and then guided Laura
off his body and down to the couch. He grabbed a blanket from the top of the
couch and pulled it over them.

As Laura's body raged with heat,
her heart felt the most calm it ever had. No one else had ever forced her to
stay when she tried to run. Maybe this time she would stick around and see
where life took her.

*

Mack reached across Laura for the
remote. With the press of a button, the Fallen Tuesday album started over. Mack
made sure the volume was low. His focus wasn’t on the music though. His body was
still aching because of her. He wanted more, and he wanted it again and again.

Everything Mack thought he knew was
all messed up now. When he was with Laura, he didn't feel like a tragic story.

Sliding his hand under the blanket,
Mack felt the smoothness of Laura’s skin. The curve of her hip lead down to her
toned leg. When Mack moved his fingers to the inside of her thigh, she shivered
and blushed. His touch had power. Mack liked it.

Laura tugged on Mack’s shirt.

“Want it off?” he asked with a sly
grin.

“Yes. I want to kiss your chest,”
Laura said.

Mack sat up and took his shirt off.
He was completely naked on his own couch now. It then occurred to him that he
had never slept with a woman in his house before. No one had ever been good enough.
He bought the house so he could achieve the dream; the dream of being a
rockstar while also having a simple family life in a normal neighborhood.

But that dream died with Kelly,
before she even saw the house.

Laura put a hand to his chest and
let her nails graze his skin. She moved down with her nails and then brought
her mouth forward. Her lips were gentle and beautiful as she kissed his chest.
She seductively inched up his chest to his neck.

When Laura mouth neared Mack’s, he
smiled and kissed her quick.

“Your turn,” he whispered.

“What?”

“Take your shirt off, sweetheart.
It’s only fair. I want to kiss
your
chest now.”

Laura looked completely shocked and
that’s what Mack wanted. If she was going to shock him by gently lowering her
guard and showing emotion and threatening to push Mack over the edge, then he
would push right back at her.

His fingers crept under her shirt,
moving up and up until Laura sat up enough to allow her shirt to slip over her
head. When her bra unclasped, Mack gently slid it off her body. This was the
first time Mack was able to see Laura completely naked.

She was even more beautiful than
his mind could ever allow him to imagine. He cupped her breast and his thumb
grazed along her nipple, now a hard nub. The creaminess of her skin was
delicately contrasted by the rosy color of her nipples. Just enough for Mack’s
hands. Just enough for him.

He brought his lips to Laura’s for
a moment and then moved down. With one hand over one of Laura’s breasts, Mack
ran his lips down to her other one. As he moved over her nipple, he closed his
lips and pulled with a gentle tug. Laura sighed and jumped.

“Easy,” Mack whispered. “I won’t
hurt you, sweetheart.”

Ever. I will never hurt you,
Laura…

Mack opened his mouth and kissed.
His tongue teased with circles before he kissed again. Laura’s breathing was tempting.
Mack slid his hand down Laura’s silky body. His kisses traveled to Laura’s
other breast just as he reached between her legs.

Laura groaned and clawed at Mack’s
shoulders and back. He couldn't resist himself as he explored Laura’s warm
center. He pressed two fingers to her and she accepted him. As Mack pleasured
Laura, he slowly kissed up her chest to her neck and finally to her lips. He
lingered there, his lips touching hers but they weren’t kissing. Instead, Laura
looked at him with wide, burning eyes. Her cheeks were flush.

The lower half of her body moved just
as hard as Mack moved his fingers. When Mack felt Laura throbbing he realized
what was about to happen. He held Laura’s head with his free hand and Laura buried
her face in his chest as she breathed loud and moaned even louder. Her nails
dug into his skin as she reached another climax, one that seemed to surprise her
as much as it surprised Mack.

Mack gently eased Laura down from
her pleasure and then slowly took his fingers. His hand landed on her hip and
Laura kept her head on his chest.

“Mack, what do we have here?” she
whispered.

Mack looked around his living room.
Fallen Tuesday was playing in the background. He shook his head.

“I don’t know, Laura. Is that
wrong?”

“No. It’s perfect actually.”

“You’re okay with this? You’re okay
with
I don’t know
?”

“Yes,” Laura said. “I’ve been
living with
I don’t know
for a long time. I’m happy enough just to have met
someone who understands it.”

Mack’s heart squeezed.

The words
I don’t know
never
had such a romantic and deep meaning before.

But there was something Mack did
know. For the first time since Kelly died, life was making sense again.

(14)

The day had finally come.

The band sat on the edge of the
stage. In front of them a small table had been set up. There was a bucket with
a bottle on ice. A gold card next to that. Frank paced at the back of the sound
stage, hand on his hip. Nobody could hear him and Mack wasn’t sure if this was
something good or bad happening.

To Mack's right, Jake, Trent, Gray,
and Luke also watched Frank. Their faces were all relaxed, but Mack could see
the terror in their eyes. The room was too quiet, but all they could do was
wait.

It had been a long day already of
running through a ton of songs and creating potential set lists. Meeting with
designers about the final touches on the tour, like how they wanted the stage
to be set up. The banners for the tour. The logos. Hell, even the bass drum for
Mack’s drum kit was going to be off the wall customized, not that Mack cared.
All he was concerned with was that the drum was in tune and mic’d up for the
shows. Everything after that was whatever. The last thing he wanted was Fallen
Tuesday to turn into some kind of act. They didn’t need fire, lasers, and all
that other stuff to make a rock concert. They had music, talent, and passion.

Frank ended his call and came
walking back down the aisle. He kept his head down. He stopped at the table and
looked up. A big smile spread across his face.

“You know,” Frank said, “there was
a time when I couldn’t believe what I was doing with my life. Then I met these
dirty, greasy looking kids that said they could play music. The typical story
you’d hear…”

“What’s the point?” Mack asked.

“The point…” Frank lifted the
expensive bottle of champagne from the bucket of ice. “Gentlemen… your album
has been released.”

The words echoed for a few seconds
before they sunk in.

The five guys jumped from the stage
and started to hug each other and yell excitedly. This was the moment they’d
been waiting for. Their hard work and battles paid off. It seemed like
yesterday when there was a chance that Luke would never sing again. And here
they were with a new album. That meant there were at least a million people
listening to brand new Fallen Tuesday music right now.

“Wait a second,” Frank called out.
“Check this out…”

Frank pressed a few buttons on his
phone and then set it on the table.

“Thanks for listening!” a man
called out. “Now before I get out of here, I have something really awesome for
you all. Right now, at this very moment, the new Fallen Tuesday album just hit.
That’s right. Go get it right now. Buy it. Download it. I’ve heard this album
and I’m addicted. So… since it’s out… let’s play something new… this is for our
guys, the greatest band in the world right now. This is… FALLEN TUESDAY!”

A song began to play over the
phone.

Mack grabbed the bottle of
champagne and looked at the band.

They were alone in the soundstage
because that was tradition. When their first album was released, it was just
Frank and the band in a room. So it seemed fitting that it would be the same
today.

The song played on as Mack started
to open the bottle.

His heart hadn't felt so full in a
very long time. He was enjoying spending time with Laura and now Fallen
Tuesday's brand new music was out for the world to enjoy. It didn't get better
than that.

Mack shook the bottle as hard as he
could.

“Frank,” he said. “Leave your phone
on the table.”

“Mack… goddamnit…”

Mack popped the cork. White foam
exploded from the bottle and Mack shook the bottle again and again as it sprayed
at Frank. Frank tried but failed to cover himself.

Once Frank was good and soaked,
Mack spun around and started to spray the band.

“Do you know how much that cost?”
Frank called out.

“I don’t care!” Mack yelled.

He shook the bottle again and
laughed.

Jake lunged at him and tore the
bottle from Mack’s hands and then turned it upside down over Mack’s head. The
champagne flowed down his head and face, but he didn’t care.

Mack motioned and the entire band
came together again. Jake then poured the rest of the champagne over the entire
band. Most of it flowed in the middle of them as they all stood there.

 “Empty,” Jake said, putting the
bottle back on the table.

“Christ,” Frank said as he stood in
his soaked suit. “I should have ordered more.”

“Did you pay for that?” Trent
asked.

“Nope,” Frank smiled. “Record
company did.”

“We don’t need booze,” Luke said. “I'm
high as a kite right now. This news is fucking awesome!”

“I agree,” Mack said.

“Screw it, man,” Gray said. “Let’s
jam or something. I'm too hyped to be standing around!”

Mack grabbed Frank’s phone and
handed it to him. “Take some pictures. This is history, Frank. This is what
memories are made from.” Mack took a step and then looked back. “Oh, yeah, you
might want to get more champagne. So we can properly party.”

“Just go play something and shut
up,” Frank said.

The band got on stage and started
to jam. It was sloppy and loud, but it was fun. They played some new stuff and
some old stuff. They’d play for a minute and then Mack would stop. He’d pick up
with a different song and watch the band come together. It was a fun game to
see if they could join in without messing up.

After a few songs, Mack stood up
and pointed to a guitar. “Let’s do something different.”

“Like what?” Jake asked.

“Let’s play… that song…”

“What song?” Trent asked.

“My song.”

“Shit,” Luke said. “Are you
serious?”

“Yes,” Mack said. “Let’s try it.
Acoustic, electric, and a bass. Why not?”

“Do it,” Luke said.

The band hurried to get set up and
they started playing. When it came time to sing, Mack looked at Luke. Luke
strummed a guitar and shrugged his shoulders. He put his mouth to the mic and
said, “Dude, it’s your song. Your words. I’ve got nothing here.”

Mack looked out to the empty room,
minus Frank who was dutifully snapping pictures, and he was suddenly nervous.
He’d never performed before like this. The seats were empty but it still made
Mack realize that he was about to share some deep stuff.

Whatever… think about Laura…
just go for it…

Mack started to sing and he never
let up. He went through the entire song with the guitar and bass behind him
adding life to the song. Gray and Jake played in a way that made the song
perfectly sad. Trent kept a bass line going. And then there was Mack and Luke
with acoustic guitars carrying the song along.

When they finished up, Mack stood
and put the guitar down.

“That was good,” Mack said.

He jumped down again as guilt
swelled throughout his body. The song was brought to life,, but the reason for
the song was still dead. The lyrics and memories pulled him right back to where
it all began. And ended. Mack looked around for a few seconds and then back to
his band. They were all staring at him.

“You good?” Luke said into the mic.

Mack gave a quick wave. “I’m good.
That song is just hard for me. Hell all the songs I've written are hard for me.
But they’re good, aren’t they?”

“That was amazing,” Frank said.
“That idea for the acoustic set… that would be huge for you guys.”

Mack looked at Frank. “Just more
dollar signs, huh?”

“Mack… come on, man…”

Shaking his head, Mack left the
soundstage and stood outside. It was still daytime. For some reason Mack
expected it to be dark. He walked to his motorcycle, still wet from the
champagne. He wasn’t sure if it was legal to ride his motorcycle. He hadn’t
drank anything, but he stunk of champagne. Mack looked back at the door. He had
to stop running every time memories of Kelly came back to him.

“Shit,” Mack whispered.

The door opened and Frank came
walking out.

“Hey,” Frank said. “I just wanted
to check on you. Maybe we can finally have a talk?”

“What kind of talk, Frank?” Mack
asked.

“Mack, I understand what you’re
going through. All of this. The other guys are your brothers, and you love
them, but you can’t talk to them because they don't completely get it.”

Mack crossed his arms and leaned
against his motorcycle. “You look a little wet, Frank.”

“Yeah, appreciate that. My meeting
with the record company is going to go great. But stop changing the damn
subject, Mack. You’re pissing me off now.”

“I’m pissing you off?”

“Yeah,” Frank said. He took his
suit jacket off and dropped it to the ground. “Now, can I talk?”

“Sure, go ahead. Talk to me then.”

Frank crossed his arms. “Before you
guys, there was a woman. She stole my heart, Mack. She was the most beautiful woman
I ever met. I fell hard and fast for her. From the second I saw her I wanted to
throw my life into the air and follow her wherever she wanted to go. Hell, I
was on my way to law school before I met her. I gave up everything.”

“Why?”

“She was a musician. She played
guitar. I followed her all around, night after night, show after show. I never
thought she’d give me the time of day, but one night after one of her sets, she
came up to me and told me I could buy her a drink. So I did. One led to two and
two led to a night I’d never forget. When I woke the next morning, the bed was
empty. I thought I was used.”

“Frank, you were a damn groupie,”
Mack said.

Frank laughed. “Yeah, I guess I
was. But she was still there. She was in the shower. So the day repeated itself,
if you understand what I’m saying. And each day it was the same thing over and
over. We were inseparable, Mack. Our eyes, hearts, bodies. It was intense. The
most intense love I ever experienced before. She got me into the music
business. I knew enough already that I could help with contracts, so I started
negotiating for her band. I helped book shows, talked to people, and then we
were in front of a record company. It was a wild time in my life. Then Ailee
told me she was pregnant. I was young. Broke. And about to be a father.”

“I didn’t know all this,” Mack
said.

“No one does,” Frank said. “It's my
history. My past, Mack. That’s the point of my story. Ailee lost the baby and
then spiraled out of control. She lost herself. She stopped singing and playing.
She skipped gigs. Things really started to fall apart. I couldn’t blame her. I
mean, I knew what I felt like knowing that my child wasn't going to be born,
but I couldn't even fathom what it felt like to be the mother carrying the
child. I tried to pull her out of the fire over and over, but she kept falling
back in."

“What does that mean?”

Frank looked at Mack and his eyes
were glossy. He took a deep breath. “She took her own life, Mack. She wrote me
a goodbye letter and apologized for everything that happened. Then she…”

“Christ,” Mack said. He stepped
forward and grabbed Frank. He pulled him close and hugged him as Frank let out
a cry. “I’m so sorry, Frank. I had no idea.”

“It’s okay,” Frank said. He broke
from Mack and wiped his eyes. “It was a dark time. It took me a while to get
past it, but when I stepped back and took a look at the situation, I realized
that because of meeting Ailee, I had contacts in the music business. It was the
one good thing besides the memories that I could take from it all. So I started
puttering around and then I met you fools. And here I am today.”

“That’s a hell of a story,” Mack
said. “Who knew you were such a badass.”

“Not a badass,” Frank said. “Just
here. And not that it’s my business, Mack, but you should do the same. I’ve
watched you. Year after year. And I felt for you, man. Knowing that cruel pain.
But it seems lately you’ve been a little more open to the world. I hope you
keep doing that. You deserve it. You have the goddamn world in your hands right
now. This album. A world tour. The band.”

“And how does love fit into that?”
Mack asked.

“Love does whatever the hell it
wants,” Frank said. “You know that. We all know that. Just take care of
yourself, Mack. You’re a good guy. A big asshole at times, but nonetheless a
good guy.

Frank reached down and picked up
his suit jacket.

“Hey, Frank?” Mack called out as
Frank walked back to the door.

Frank looked back. “What?”

“Do you still love her?”

“Of course I do.”

“Have you… let her go?”

Frank looked down. “I don’t know
yet. But I do know I’ve pushed a lot of good people away because of it. I
waited for years for Ailee to come back, but she’s not going to.” Frank looked
at Mack. “And neither is Kelly. Letting go won't make you forget...”

Frank went inside and Mack stood at
his motorcycle in disbelief. Frank had always been about dollar signs when it
came to the band. He had their back, but he had never opened up personally
before. His story struck a chord in Mack.

There was so much more to Laura.
And the same could be said for Mack. Their eyes connected. Their bodies
connected. Even their hearts were connecting. But they had yet to share their
stories with each other.

Mack closed his eyes.

The new album was released. They
were rich rock stars and going to be even richer. But today was going to have
more meaning than all that.

Mack needed to say goodbye to one
love for good and welcome another love in… forever.

*

Laura was in the shower when she
heard her cell phone vibrating against the sink. She tore the shower curtain
open. The cold air attacked her body as she hurried to look at the screen, hoping
it was Mack. So many wild thoughts came to mind, things she could say to him
about being in the shower. Anything to tease him. The thoughts that Laura
rarely had because her mind never had the time for romance.