Authors: Faith Gibson
Tag
was at a loss. He wanted to tell Cade to leave. In that moment, if he never saw
his friend again, it would be too soon. How had fifteen years gone to shit so
quickly? Or had it been coming for a while? If they were finished with the
tour, he would tell his drummer where to go. Since they weren’t, as lead
singer, it was his job to keep the band together, no matter how badly things
were going.
He
walked over to the island and sat down. “Cade, please have a seat,” he said,
his calm tone not mirroring the anger he felt inside. Surprisingly, his friend
sat down and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Is
this where the almighty Tag has the last word?”
Before
Tag could respond, Sloane said, “Dude, jealousy is an ugly color on you. What
the fuck? You and Tag haven’t been fuck buddies for a long goddamn time. You’re
the one always taking the fans to the bus after the shows. You’re the one who
is always saying you’re dick is too good to save for one person. So again, I’ll
ask, what the fuck?”
Cade
pushed back from the island so hard, his stool went flying against the wall. “I
don’t have to listen to this shit.”
“Yeah,
you actually do.” Pauly said in a deep voice filled with authority. He rarely
said much, but when he did, it was important. “I’ve kept my mouth shut, because
what you do behind closed doors is none of my business. But this shit right
here? It fucking well is my business. I’ve spent the same amount of blood,
sweat, tears, and hours in goddamn rehab as you have, if not more. I’m tired. I’m
tired of being on the road for months at a time. Tired of listening to you
fucking whine about everything under the sun. Tired of not knowing where my
kids are or if I’ll ever see them. The way I feel right now? I couldn’t give
two shits whether or not we even finish this tour. But I wouldn’t do that. Not
to Tag, not to Sloane, and not even to you. After the tour? We’re gonna need to
have a sit-down, because honestly? I’m done.
“Now,
the way I see it, you have two choices. You either buck the fuck up and act
like the team player we need you to be for these next fifteen shows, or you
walk out that fucking door right now, and we’ll get someone else to bang skins.”
Everyone’s
mouth was open, including Tag’s. Never in their fifteen years had Pauly spoken
out so boldly. Tag felt the exact same way. It shouldn’t surprise him someone
else felt it too, but it did. They had put in a lot of hours over the years to
hone their craft and become the best. He had seen plenty of bands fall apart in
that same time. 7’s Mistress had always prided themselves in holding it
together. Would they still be able to say that after today?
Cade’s
face fell. He looked at Tag and whispered, “Would you really replace me?
Tag
wanted to yell
fuck yes,
but that wouldn’t help their situation.
Instead, he pulled diplomacy out of his ass and sighed. “Cade, nobody’s
irreplaceable. But can you give us three months? Fifteen shows without
jealousy? Babe, I love you, but only as a friend. We haven’t been together like
that in over five years. Tell me, why now? What’s gotten into you that you all
of a sudden want me now?”
Cade
looked at his feet when he replied, “I never stopped loving you. Like that.”
Tag
was shocked, but he kept his emotions under control. They had to get this
resolved today. “I never knew. And I’m sorry if I led you to believe there was
anything between us other than sex. Still, same question… Can you give us three
months? Because I’m going to tell you, I feel the same way Pauly does. I’m so
goddamn tired.”
Cade
looked them all in the eye and nodded. “Yeah. I’ll give you three months.”
Tag
prayed Cade was being honest. “Thank you. Now, let’s get downstairs. I have a
new song I want to play for you.” Tag wasn’t usually nervous playing new
material for the guys, but his emotions were raw and this song came from his
soul.
Practice
went well. Cade drummed with all the intensity he normally did. Tag played his
new song on the acoustic guitar to give them the basic sound. Pauly immediately
picked up the tune and added his touch to it, making it a 7’s Mistress song and
not just a Tag song. They recorded it and made copies so each one of them could
listen and add their individual layer to it. Tag wasn’t one of the divas who
had to take credit for all their music. To him, it was a team effort, even if
he did write most of their stuff.
Echo
returned from wherever she’d been and brought them lunch. They broke long
enough to eat and then they were right back downstairs. Even though they’d
played together fifteen years, they still rehearsed constantly to keep the sound
smooth and seamless. When three o’clock rolled around, Tag called it a day. He
was ready to shower and go over to Erik’s. On his way up the stairs, Cade
called out, “Hey, do you want to go downtown for a little while?”
Tag
didn’t want to start another fight, but he wouldn’t hide the truth either. He
turned and looked down the stairs at Cade. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m going
to see Delilah.” He held his hands up when Cade fisted his hands. “Look, I only
have two weeks left. Whether you believe it or not, I’m in love with that
little girl. She’s mine now, and whether she’s here with me or staying at
Erik’s, I’m not going to abandon her. Please understand that.”
“Yeah,
I understand.” Instead of following Tag the rest of the way upstairs, Cade
returned to his drum kit and started playing.
Tag
let it go. He knew in his heart Cade was not going to back off. He might give
good lip service, but after all these years, Tag knew when his best friend was
sincere. Hopefully when they got back on the road and Tag was spending more
time with him, he’d calm down.
After
a quick shower and shave, Tag headed to town. He had called in a favor and
asked a friend of his to meet him at her home. She lived on the way to Erik’s
house, so he should have plenty of time for a haircut and still arrive by the
time the doctor had supper ready.
At five on the dot,
Tag rolled up in front of Erik’s house. When he got out of the Vette, he looked
around at Erik’s property. It wasn’t as secluded as his own, but the house was
situated toward the back of the land so it wasn’t visible from the road.
Duke
came bounding up and sat at Tag’s feet. He bent down and gave the dog a good
rubbing. “Hey, boy. How you doing?” Duke responded with a bark and shake of his
tail. Tag laughed and hugged the dog. Duke licked him up the side of his face
and took off toward the side door. Tag followed him instead of going to the
front. When he got close, the door opened, and Erik stepped out onto the porch
with Delilah in his arms. The man looked absolutely delicious. His blond hair
was messy, like he’d run his hands through it. His blue t-shirt stretched over
his chest, the color making his eyes glow. His jeans were slung low over his
hips, and his feet were bare.
Fuck me.
“H…
hey,” he stuttered. Erik holding Delilah was truly a vision.
Erik
stared. He cocked his head to the side and said, “Hi, yourself. You’re right on
time. Supper’s ready.” Erik passed Delilah over to Tag before entering the
house. Tag held the baby tight to his chest and kissed her on her little cheek,
but he couldn’t keep his eyes off Erik’s ass. The way his jeans molded around
his firm globes had Tag licking his lips. He wanted dessert first.
“I
fried some chicken and made biscuits and gravy. If you don’t like that, I can
throw some veggies together right quick.” Erik was talking to him but not
looking his way. His mood was off from yesterday, but maybe he’d had a long
night with Delilah.
“No,
that sounds delicious. I haven’t had good biscuits in a long time.” He had no
doubt anything Erik cooked would be perfect. “So, how was your first night
alone with our girl?”
Erik
fixed two plates, setting them both on the table. “Please put her in her
chair,” he said, pointing at the seat on the table.
Tag
buckled her in and gave her another kiss. He was getting attached to her
quickly.
“It
wasn’t too bad. She went to sleep around ten and woke up at four for a bottle.
After that she went right back to sleep until six-thirty.” Erik didn’t ask; he
just poured sweet tea for them both before sitting down to eat. Tag loved sweet
tea. He rarely found it on the road. Adding sugar after the fact was a waste of
time in his opinion.
“Wow,
six hours. That’s a record. I don’t think she ever slept more than four at my
house.” Tag cut his biscuit and took a bite loaded with gravy. As soon as the combination
hit his tongue, he moaned. “Oh my fucking god.”
Erik
laughed. “It’s not that good.” He took a bite of his own gravy and rolled his
eyes. “Okay, maybe it is.”
After
a while, Erik asked, “So, what’s up with your hair? Every picture I’ve seen of
you online you have it long. Why cut it now?”
Tag
wouldn’t tell him the truth, not yet. He was ready to make changes in his life,
and they had everything to do with the doctor and Delilah. As soon as he came
off the road, he would be going back to his natural color. He didn’t want Erik
to be the only one the baby looked like. She was his blood after all. “You’ve
been stalking me online?” he joked then answered seriously, “I just felt like a
change.”
“And
you shaved for the same reason?” Erik asked without smiling. Something was
definitely up.
“I
have thirteen days before I’m gone. I plan to spend every spare minute as close
to you as possible. I don’t think you’d like it if I gave you whisker burn
every day. Would you?” Tag wanted the burn to be below the waist, but he’d take
anything Erik offered.
Erik’s
eyes flashed with a bit of heat. He liked the thought of getting close. Tag did
too, but he was going to take it as slow as he possibly could. He wanted to get
to know Erik in more than a carnal way.
Delilah
was content in her seat, so Tag helped Erik clean the kitchen. He wasn’t
exactly a stranger to washing dishes. When he was in high school, he’d worked
at a small diner close to the house he grew up in. He had received an offer on
the house, and before long, it would no longer be his. With Echo’s help, he’d
gone and cleaned out the few things of his sister’s he wanted to keep.
Everything else went to charity. His heart warmed when he thought of his
manager. She was much more than that; she was a great friend. She’d been with
them for almost ten years, right before they made it big. He smiled thinking how
she had no problem putting all four of the much larger men in their places.
“What
has you smiling?” Erik asked as he passed a clean skillet to be rinsed.
“Echo.
I don’t know what I’d have done without her. She really helped me get through
my sister’s death.”
“She’s
crazy about you. And Delilah. I think if I turned my back on her, she’d sneak
off with the baby.”
Tag
stopped rinsing and looked at Erik. “What do you mean? When did you talk to
her?”
“She
stopped by this morning. She was upset when she arrived, but after spending a
couple of hours with Delilah, she was all cheery again.”
Huh.
So that’s where she got off to. He wasn’t surprised. Echo had spent a lot of
time with the munchkin, and he knew all too well how easy it was to get
attached to her. “So, did she spill all our sordid secrets?” God, he hoped not.
He wanted Erik to see the good in him, not the debauched side.
“Actually,
we didn’t talk about you at all. She told me about herself and her family. Echo
is a brilliant woman. I know I could never pay her what you do, but I told her
if she ever got tired of you four to come see me. I’d hire her in a heartbeat.”
When
Erik mentioned pay, it reminded Tag of the paperwork in his backpack. His
lawyer had drawn up the document and faxed it over. Tag had already signed it,
so he and Erik now had legal joint guardianship. He finished rinsing and drying
the dishes before he told Erik, “I’ll be right back.” He retrieved his backpack
from the car and brought it inside. He pulled out his notebook so he could get
to the envelope he needed. “Here you go.”
“What’s
this?” Erik asked, taking the documents from his hand.
“Your
power of attorney.” He didn’t tell him it was much more than that. When Tag and
the lawyer had been discussing the situation, he suggested Tag name someone as Delilah’s
legal guardian in the event something happened to Tag. He didn’t have to think
about it long. Echo did come to mind for a second, but Delilah was going to be making
her home with Erik. Instead of giving Erik power of attorney, Tag went one step
further and named him joint guardian. It might come back to bite him in the ass
later, but if things went his way, they would raise his niece together. “You
never did name your price. There’s a check in there for your trouble. If it’s
not enough, just let me know, and I’ll have my accountant send you another
one.”
Erik
opened the envelope and pulled out the check. He stared at the paper for what
felt like forever. When he finally raised his eyes, he narrowed them at Tag.
“One million dollars?”
Even
though one million was typed out, Erik still counted the zeros to make sure he
was seeing the correct amount. The check wasn’t signed by Lee but someone else.
His accountant, no doubt. Lee was giving him one million dollars to watch after
Delilah for three months. That was over three hundred thousand per month. That
was just insane. He narrowed his eyes at Lee and said through gritted teeth,
“One million dollars? I am a doctor, remember? I might not have millions to
throw around, but I make a decent living. I don’t want your fucking money.” He
ripped the check in two and tossed it at Lee’s feet.
If
Delilah wasn’t there, he would have stormed out of the house and gone for a
drive to get away from the other man. But, she was there, and she was the
reason he was in a snit. No, Lee was the reason he was in a snit. One million
fucking dollars.
“Erik,
I know you make a good living, but she’s my responsibility. And honestly? I
have no idea how much it costs to raise a kid. I wasn’t trying to insult you.”
Erik could see the sincerity in his eyes, hear it in the tone of his voice. He
couldn’t imagine having so much money he could just toss around a million and
not think twice about it.
Lee
must have sensed the change in Erik, because he stepped closer. A lot closer.
He put his hands on Erik’s hips, his thumbs rubbing against his stomach through
his t-shirt. The feeling was more intimate than anything he’d ever felt in his
life. He wanted to pull Lee to him, melt against his body, feel his soft lips
pressing against his own. He wanted this man before him, but he wouldn’t have
him. Not even if Lee offered his heart on a platter. Erik locked down his
emotions and nodded. “It’s okay. I apologize for overreacting.” He stepped away
from Lee before he got carried away in the moment. “Would you like to sit
outside? The weather’s great.”
“Yeah,
sounds good,” Lee agreed. He unbuckled Delilah and took her outside, holding
her in his arms.
Instead
of going to the deck, Erik directed him to the front porch where they could sit
in the swing. Erik enjoyed watching Lee and his niece together. If Lee’s hair
wasn’t so dark, he would say Delilah looked like him. Lee’s hair was not only
shorter, but darker than it’d been the day before. Even though it was dyed, it
looked good on the man. It fit his rock star image. Erik would love to know
what his real color was, if it was light like the baby’s. Instead of asking, he
brought up a different subject. “Have you thought about adoption?”
Lee
huffed at him, “No, man. I told you, I’m keeping her.”
“I
meant have you thought about adopting her yourself. I know you’re family, and
you have legal guardianship, but if you adopt her, she’ll be your daughter,” Erik
explained.
“Actually,
I have. I talked to my attorney about it and while I’m on the road, he’s going
to get the paperwork started.” Lee snuggled Delilah a little closer as he spoke.
Erik
had stayed up late watching every video on YouTube of 7’s Mistress. He paid
special attention to the live shots. He also searched the internet and read as
many articles on Lee as he could. Taggart Lee was so very different than Lee
Holloway, the man sitting beside him cuddling a baby. Maybe Tag was a persona,
one he shed when he left the stage. If not, he and Erik would never be more
than two men jointly caring for one little baby girl.
“What
happens after three months? You come off tour and start a new album? Or do you
give yourself some down time? How does that work?” Erik had a good idea what to
expect while Lee was on the road – a phone call every now and then to check on
Delilah. He needed to know what would happen afterwards.
Lee
shifted on the swing so he was closer to Erik. He spread his legs farther apart
so their knees were touching. “In the past, we’ve taken several months at the
end of the tour to give ourselves a break. Most of that time is spent away from
each other. I continue to write songs so when we come back together, we already
have a start on the next album. If I have my way, this is it. We’ve done this
for a long time, and I’m tired. So are the others. We’ll just have to wait and
see, though.”
Erik
steeled his nerves. “Can I ask a favor?”
Lee
turned and nodded, “Sure.”
“Will
you sing for me?” Erik enjoyed Lee’s voice when he was singing for Delilah. He had
been listening nonstop to the two CD’s he’d bought and was learning the words,
whether he meant to or not. He wanted to hear Lee sing without the loud guitars
in the background.
Lee
grinned, “More Madonna?”
Erik
smacked Lee’s leg playfully. “Definitely not. Is there anything you’ve written
that you haven’t recorded? Something no one else has heard?” He didn’t want to
say
, sing something just for me
, but he was thinking it.
Lee
closed his eyes and started humming. Without looking at Erik, he sang…
One
more day gone in this play known as life
The
sun makes way for the moon
To
shine its eerie light
One
more ship of fools sinks in this misery and strife
The
water churns with the tide
As
it rolls out of sight
The
other side of paradise
Looks
better every day
The
other side of the coin
Help
me find my way
One
more face in a million blurs in the crowds
You
think you know the real me
As
I play before you now
One
dream became a reality as it swallowed another whole
The
love I seek just out of reach
As
I slowly lose my soul
The
other side of paradise
Looks
better every day
The
other side of the coin
Help
me find my way
The
other side of paradise
Looks
better every day
The
other side of the coin
Help
me find my way
Erik’s
arm was stretched along the back of the swing, his fingers sliding back and
forth over Lee’s shoulder as he sang. Erik’s heart hurt as he listened to the
words. Lee said he was tired, and this song was testament to that emotion. It
was the most beautifully sad thing he’d heard other than Taps being played at
Torfinn’s funeral. In that moment, he wanted so badly to pull Lee to him, kiss
him, and tell him he’d help him find his way. Erik wanted to be his way, but
there was too much at stake: his heart.
With
Lee going on tour and being around not only all the groupies and fans but his
ex-lover, Erik couldn’t dig the key out of the bottom of the lake. The lock he
put in place would have to stay where it was. Still, he couldn’t resist saying,
“That was amazing.”
Lee
cleared his throat. “Yeah, well I’ve heard you sing, too, Dr. Henrikson, and
you have a beautiful voice. How about you sing me a song?”
Erik
felt himself blushing. He didn’t sing in public. Sure, he sang to the babies
who came in his office, but they didn’t care when he got off key. Erik loved to
sing, loved music. It was probably one of the reasons he’d learned the words to
Lee’s songs so quickly, even if the music wasn’t what he would normally listen
to. He figured Lee was joking anyway, so he just winked and said, “I’ll leave
that to the professional. Where did you come up with 7’s Mistress for the
band’s name?” he asked, changing the subject.
Lee
smiled. “When we first started the band, we shared a one bedroom shit hole.
It was always crowded, but we didn’t care. We were
together. One night, we were sitting around, smoking weed. Cade was standing in
front of the mirror messing with his hair while hogging a bag of Cheetohs.
Pauly tried to take them away when Cade wasn’t looking, but Cade caught him.
Pauly said, ‘You know, gluttony’s a sin. So is vanity. You got two out the
seven deadly ones going on.’ Cade shot back with, ‘Yeah, I got your seven sins
right here’ while grabbing his junk. Sloane passed Pauly a joint and said, ‘More
like seven’s bitch.’ Of course Cade always thought highly of himself and said,
‘I’m too classy to be seven’s bitch. I’m more like seven’s mistress.’ The
lightbulb went off, and the name stuck.” Erik laughed at the story, but he
could see a younger version of the band sitting around doing exactly what Lee
described.
Erik continued to rub his fingers on Lee’s arm as they sat
there enjoying the quiet.
Just
like in the lyrics Lee had sung, the sun gave way to the moonlight, only it
wasn’t eerie. It cast a beautiful, golden glow across the front yard. The faint
light was accompanied by frogs and crickets talking to each other in the trees.
Erik loved the sound. It was one reason he spent so much time outside on his
porch swing. When Delilah began to fuss, Erik took her from Lee. “I bet
somebody’s hungry.” He stood with the baby and waited on Lee to stand.
Lee
looked up at Erik and asked, “Do you mind if I stay out here a few more
minutes? It’s really peaceful.”
Erik
figured Lee’s heart was still heavy after their talk. “Of course not.” He took
Delilah in the house and gave her a bottle before giving her a bath. When he
laid her down to go to sleep, he dimmed the lights and started singing
Hey
There Delilah
while rubbing her back. Before he got to the chorus, she was
asleep. He turned to find Lee standing propped against the doorway.
Lee
walked over to the bed and watched the sleeping baby for a few minutes before
leaving the room. When they reached the living room, he said, “I don’t know
that song.”
Erik
went to the refrigerator and asked Lee, “Beer?” When he nodded, Erik took two
bottles out and opened both before passing one to Lee. “I’m not surprised. The
Plain White T’s aren’t exactly a hard rock band.”
“I’ll
have to look them up. Is that the type of music you usually listen to?” Lee
leaned his hip against the counter, keeping his distance. Erik couldn’t help
but stare. The man really was a god. Even if he wasn’t wearing his signature
leather pants with sevens cut out of the sides, he wore faded jeans like a
second skin. Erik had cyberstalked Lee and downloaded picture after picture of
the man in numerous stages of dress. He was dying to see all the ink on his
body. Before he looked him up on the internet, Erik hadn’t realized Lee’s back
was practically covered in tattoos, not just his arms.
“I
listen to a lot of genres; it just depends on my mood.” The only music Erik had
been listening to lately was 7’s Mistress, but he wouldn’t tell Lee that.
Lee
put his beer down on the counter and stepped closer to Erik. He grabbed hold of
Erik’s belt loops like he’d done in the men’s room of the restaurant. Standing
chest to chest, he placed his smooth face against Erik’s. “Is there a
particular song that gets you in the mood to fuck?”
This
is what Erik had been thinking about all day. He grabbed Lee and shoved him
against the wall. “Yes, the one that gets you naked in my bed,” he hissed into
Lee’s ear. He nipped at Lee’s earlobe before biting his way down the vein of
his neck. He slid his hands under the hem of Lee’s shirt and jerked it over his
head. The tee ended up somewhere on the floor and, for once, Erik was okay with
that. He slid his eyes over Lee’s slender torso. He had to have this man inside
him. Erik started at Lee’s shoulders and ran his hands down the smooth planes
of his stomach. He moved around to his back, sliding his fingertips down until
he reached Lee’s jeans. Erik allowed his hands to go lower, grasping Lee’s ass,
pulling their bodies close so Lee could feel Erik’s erection.
“Fuck
me,” Lee moaned.
“What
if I want you to fuck me?” Erik breathed against Lee’s lips.
Lee’s
answer was a crushing of their mouths together. His tongue was soft against
Erik’s, but he used it with purpose. He kissed Erik with an intensity that was
a precursor of things to come in the bedroom. Erik was ready. It had been too
long since he’d had sex. His own hand and getting sucked off by random
strangers didn’t count. He needed Lee to fuck him. Hard. Rough. Down and dirty
like the rock god he was.
Erik
broke the kiss and told Lee, “Bedroom. Now.”