Ashley looked at Anna and started to smile a few seconds later. She then looked at Davey and said, “Yeah, you’ll get another chance. And another. And another... but I won’t let her give you too many chances. I backed away once and I regret it now.”
“I’d never hurt Anna,” Davey said. “I just hope she doesn’t hurt me.”
Ashley let out a breath and shook her head. She hugged Anna, both women swaying left to right for a few seconds, something obviously being whispered, and then Ashley was gone. When she got into her car, she lingered for a few extra seconds, staring at the porch. Davey waved and she finally pulled away.
“Well, I have to give you one there,” Anna said.
“Why’s that?”
“I’ve never seen Ashley blush like that.”
“Really?”
Anna nodded. “We shared a dorm for four years in college and never...”
“I thought she was your sister,” Davey said.
“Nope, no sisters... or brothers. Ashley is my closest friend.”
“You two look alike.”
“We get that a lot.”
Davey looked at the open door, then back to Anna. He wanted to be in there, in the house, with Anna. But he wasn’t going to just walk into the house. No. He wanted to be invited. He wanted Anna to need him, not just want him.
“I can’t believe I’m going to admit this,” Davey said as he backed up to lean against one of the pillars on the porch. He touched his face, wishing his smile would leave his face. “But I’m not sure where to go right now.”
“What does that mean?” Anna asked.
“Well, half of me wants to talk about everything... wants me to beg for your forgiveness and wants me to have you understand what I’m going through... but I don’t want to end up like another damaged person you feel you need to take care of.”
“Okay,” Anna said. “What about the other half of you?”
“The other half wants me to charge at you right now, carry you into your house, and find the bedroom.”
Anna struggled to fight her face burning red. He laughed as she turned her head.
“Too honest?” he asked.
“No,” Anna said. “It’s what I want too.”
“Well then... what do we do?”
“You tell me,” Anna said. She side stepped and pushed the front door all the way open. She folded her arms and puckered her lips.
She challenged Davey.
Davey wasn’t used to being challenged.
He pushed from the porch pillar and took Anna by the wrists. He swallowed hard and let out a growling sigh. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this now... we shouldn’t go inside.”
“Are you sure you’re a rockstar?” Anna asked.
“Trust me, I am,” Davey said. He looked down at Anna, knowing he had her. “I don’t want us to be based on something physical, okay? I know you have stuff in the background and so do I. Maybe that’s why this works right now. I can’t stop looking at you. I can’t stop thinking about you. And when I’m thinking about you, I want to look at you. It’s this cycle...”
“I know,” Anna said. “I know. It’s killing me.”
“Well, don’t you die because of it,” Davey said and laughed.
“I don’t know what to do.”
“Why don’t clean the slate... and go on an honest date.”
“An honest date?”
Davey nodded. “I have to meet with my band manager, Peter, in an hour to talk about some personal stuff. I’ll come back and pick you up for a date. Then we talk. Open the gates, Anna, for me and to me, and I will do the same.”
“Okay,” Anna whispered.
“You look tense.”
“I just... I just don’t want you to leave,” Anna said.
“I’ll be back.”
“Not that. I mean, forever. If I tell you stuff...”
“Did you murder someone?” Davey asked.
“No!” Anna cried out.
“Good. Then you have nothing to worry about.” Davey came in and kissed Anna’s forehead. He snuck a breath, smelling the top of Anna’s hair. A sweet fruity smell that made his body rage. He wanted her so badly.
They shared a quick kiss and Davey made it down two steps before he looked over his shoulder.
“For the record,” he said, “even if you did kill someone, I’d still pick you up. Nothing can stop my heart right now, Anna. And nothing should stop yours.”
**
Peter sat on the couch across from Davey, wiping his brow one second and then flipping through a page the next. His cell phone sat next to him on the couch. Every few seconds the screen lit up.
“Does that thing ever stop?” Davey asked.
Peter looked at Davey with honest eyes. “Never.”
“What did you do before cell phones?”
“I don’t remember,” Peter said. “Worked harder. Now I just work more because I’m never far enough away.”
Peter smiled for a second. Davey had his arms spread across the top of the couch, trying to look calm, but his hands were in fists, bouncing. This meeting couldn’t go fast enough, neither could time. He wanted to be with Anna. He wanted to know it all... he wanted to share it all... he wanted to fix it all.
“Well, if this comes back and it’s your kid,” Peter said, “what would you like to do?”
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, Davey, we can handle this however you want.”
“Such as?”
Peter rolled his head, closed all the papers into a folder, and tossed the folder next to his cell phone. “Listen, I’m not going to bullshit you with legal jargon, okay? I know what the label would want, I know what the media would want. Hell, I know what I would do. But I know you, Davey, and I’m trying to be respectful here. Talking to that woman, going to her apartment, that’s not the right way, but I get it. My father left when I was ten years old and never came back. It leaves an empty spot in your heart.”
“What’s the point, Peter?”
Peter put a hand up. “Okay. Sorry. We can pursue a couple options. We can arrange visitation, depending on the touring scheduling, recording, and the like. You’ll probably have to front all travel costs though. I’m guessing she’s not going to move to Colorado or follow the band.”
Davey scoffed. He knew Cassy would follow, she already wanted to build a house. But could a relationship be built on having a kid together?
“Okay, maybe she will follow the band,” Peter said. “Whatever it is, chances are, you’ll be paying.”
“What’s our other options?”
“You won’t like this one... but just pay.”
“Just pay?”
“Sure. Just pay. Find out what sum would take care of things.”
“What? Offer her a couple million dollars to go away?”
“I’m not saying it’s the right answer,” Peter said. “I mean, don’t forget, when the DNA results come back, we’ll have an answer. But, yeah, if she wants money and an easy life, it’s easy to do.”
“Write a check,” Davey said. “Will I get to see my son then?”
“That’s up to the lawyers to fight and decide. Depends on what her goal is?”
“Her goal?”
“Sure. Davey, I know you hate this, but that kid is collateral right now. She can use him against you, over and over. That’s why I wanted lawyers involved from day one to get this sorted out. Plus, there’s still a chance it’s not yours.”
Davey slammed both fists down on the couch. He hated to think that. Just seeing Donald made it feel right. He fed Donald. He changed Donald. He rocked Donald to sleep. That little life in his arms, that feeling of being a parent. That was all real. And if it felt real, then it’s real.
“I’m sorry,” Peter said, “I know it’s a touchy subject here. But we’re on a break right now and I’d like for all of this to be swept under the rug when we hit the road again. If this gets out... imagine the interviews? Jesus Christ, Davey, they’re going to hound every member of the band about it. They’re all going to want to talk to you. And if it gets spun the wrong way...”
“How so?” Davey asked.
“Come on, you know how it works. Instead of being a one night stand that turned into a baby it’ll become this breaking news story how you knocked her up, abandoned her, hurt her, blah, blah.”
“Make me look like an asshole then,” Davey said.
“That’s what people like to read. Some would love for you to be an asshole. To be vulnerable. To bleed on a magazine page. It’s just the business.”
“I don’t know what to think right now,” Davey said. “I mean, I held Donald. I fed him. I put him down for a nap. That’s... if he... I won’t just walk away, Peter. Okay? I won’t.”
“That’s okay,” Peter said. “Let’s see what happens when we get the results and go from there. I just want you to be involved here. I should be booking more dates, setting studio time, not dealing with this. But I love you guys. The five of you are like sons to me.”
“Is that why you tried to push Johnnie to go solo?” Davey had been holding a little resentment in his heart.
Peter puckered his lips and stood up. He nodded. “I deserved that, I’m sure. But I’m only looking out for everyone. Maybe I should have done that differently, but now you guys are working on an acoustic album.”
“Sure, take credit for it.”
“I’m not. But just know as much as I love you guys, this is still a business. I have to manage that business.”
“Then go manage it,” Davey said.
Peter turned and answered his cell phone, then left the hotel room.
Davey put his head back and groaned. All he wanted to do right then was get on stage and play guitar. He wanted the rush, the high of the music, the passion of the fans. He wanted the lights to go out and the music to start. It was the most intense feeling in the world... and the only thing that matched it was staring into Anna’s eyes.
(16)
Anna stood in front of her mirror, her hands full of her hair, a hair clip stuck between her lips. She had been frozen for what felt like hours, trying to remember the last time she cared so much to get ready to do something. She felt guilty, knowing if anything, she should have been on the phone with Bill begging for another shift at the restaurant.
But it was Davey.
From Chasing Cross.
And he wanted an actual date.
She couldn’t stop thinking about him on her porch. The way he leaned against the pillar, looking calm and confident. He was a deadly kind of sexy, the kind that could scramble a woman’s brain into mush. His eyes were so deep and so dark, yet they contained honesty and pain. Anna wasn’t sure how it worked until she stood at that mirror in the bathroom and really looked into her own eyes.
It was the same look.
The same look as Davey, only Anna’s eyes were a bright blue.
On top of that, it wasn’t just a date with Davey, it was a chance to talk. To explain. To finally tell her side of the story to someone on the outside of it all.
The hope Anna once had of making her curly hair look really sexy went to hell when the hair clip wouldn’t work and she broke two hair ties. Disgruntled, she fought to put it up like she did when going to work and hoped that would be good enough.
As for clothing, she skipped the far left side of her closet, where the dresses hung. She couldn’t remember the last time she wore a dress and tonight wasn’t going to be the night to break her streak.
She went with a more casual pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt. Basic colors. Basic hair. Everything appeared basic the second the doorbell rang, Anna knew the night was going to be anything but basic.
When she opened the door, she pictured Davey in a sexy suit and tie but thankfully that wasn’t the case.
Davey wore a pair of blue jeans, black shoes, and a dark blue shirt with three buttons that did nothing but tease Anna’s eyes. The shirt looked sexy with Davey pushing the sleeves halfway up to the elbows. It hugged his arms and shoulders. The buttons on the shirt were undone and the allure of what waited under there had Anna fantasizing.
Hopefully soon.
“You look amazing,” Davey said.
“Me? I’m wearing...”
“I love it,” Davey cut in. “I love your hair up, down, wet... I bet I’d love it sprawled across a pillow too.”
Anna whimpered.
Davey meant business.
“Do you always talk that way with your dates?”
“I don’t date,” Davey whispered as he took her hand. “With you, there’s an exception.”
Davey led the way to his sleek black car, walking Anna to the passenger door, which he opened.
Anna let out a small cry at the sight inside the car.
An acoustic guitar rested against the seat with a bright red guitar pick between the strings.
“What is this?”
“The guitar you played the other night,” Davey said. “It’s yours now.”
“No. No way. I’m not taking it.”