Sheet Music - A Rock 'n' Roll Love Story (38 page)

“No.  You are my life.  You are my one guiltless pleasure.  The rest of the bullshit I can live without.”

“What about Brian?”

“To hell with Brian.  I can’t be responsible for his happiness.  That is his own doing, not mine.  I’ve given him twenty-two years of my life.  When is it enough?”

He draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.  “Why do you look so scared?” he asked.

“I’m afraid Brian will blame me for you wanting to retire,” she said, her voice trailing off in mid-thought.

“Brian and I have had many long talks about this, Annie.  If I do retire, it would have nothing to do with me being with you.”

Annie dropped her head.  “You and I are on totally different ends of the career spectrum.  I’m just starting up the ladder and you sound like you want to jump off of it.”

He laughed and pulled them both down flat against the blanket.  “I’ll wait until you’re able to join me at the top of that career ladder.  Then I’ll retire.  How’s that sound?”

“You could be in for a long wait.”

He kissed her softly and chuckled.  “I disagree.  By my calculations, I’m betting in less than two years, you’ll be pushing me off the top of that ladder.”

“Well, thanks for the vote of confidence.  I hope you’re right.”

The following week, Michael surprised Annie for her birthday with a twenty-two foot cabin cruiser, with the name Sheet Music printed on the back of the boat.  Their first voyage was into Edgartown harbor to watch the annual firework display over the ocean.

Six days later, Annie had the final re-constructive surgery done on her ankle to remove the scarring from the accident.  Michael played nurse-maid and doted on her again until she was able to move around on her own.  Then it was back to their usual routine, and all too fast, the summer days were slipping away from them.

Just before the Labor Day holiday weekend, Brian telephoned.  Michael and Annie made arrangements for Brian and his wife to come to the Vineyard for a few days vacation.  While they were at the cottage, they would also start working on some new material Brian had already outlined on paper.

“God damn it,” Annie complained, banging angrily at the strings of her guitar.

Michael heard the curse and came from the kitchen carrying two glasses of lemonade.  Bare chest exposed, perfectly tanned, and wearing a loose pair of jean shorts that hung dangerously low on his hips, he sauntered across the deck to her.

“What’s the matter, babe?” he asked, sitting across from her in a deck chair and sipping on his lemonade.  He used the glass to hide his smile.  Even when she was frustrated, she was beautiful.  Hair piled high on her head, deep furrows between her eyes, and wearing a white bikini, she swore again at the guitar laying in her lap.

“How the hell am I supposed to tour with Lace if I can’t play their music?” she grumbled.

“Let me see it,” he said, taking the sheet music from her hands.  He quickly studied the page and nodded his head.  “Give me the guitar.”  Then placing it across his thighs he plucked the chords off effortlessly.  “Is that what you were trying to play?”

Annie rolled her eyes and smiled.  “I guess that’s why they call you the ‘Guitar God’ and not me,” she teased.

“Let’s try it this way,” he suggested, moving behind her, his chest to her back, as he straddled the chaise lounge chair.  Then he placed the instrument back in her lap.  His arms slid around her waist while his head rested on top of her sun-kissed shoulder.  “Okay, grab the neck,” he instructed, his lips brushing against her shoulder.  “Relax your wrist and strum that first chord,” he coaxed.  “Play one chord at a time.  Slow and easy.”

Annie did her best to manipulate the strings according to his instructions, but his breath against her neck was becoming a distraction.  She could feel the friction of his legs against hers, his chest pressed firmly against her spine.  Sensations of warmth began to spread through her torso.  All it took was the smooth purr of his voice and she was lost; the world around her forgotten.

“That’s it, but loosen your wrist more,” he suggested, moving his fingers over the neck of the guitar with her.

Then she felt the tip of his tongue tease the back of her ear, and the gentle nibble of his teeth.  Annie stopped the movement of her hands on the guitar.

“Michael?”

“Hmmm,” he groaned, absorbed in the scent of her skin.

“Are you flirting with me?” she asked.

“If I were, would that be a bad thing?”

She couldn’t help but smile.  “Do you think this is an appropriate way to teach a guitar lesson?”

He laughed against the nape of her neck.  “If you were a serious student, you wouldn’t have come to class wearing a bikini.”

“You know, you’re right.  Maybe I should change,” she said, setting the guitar aside.  Then she reached behind her neck, pulled the long tie string of her bathing suit top, releasing her breasts from their confines, and exposed them to the sun.  “There, is that better?” she teased.

His palms quickly covered her breasts.  “It’s a start,” he sighed, seeking for her mouth and finding it.  Loving her was so easy and pure.  It was always simmering below the surface for them.  A simple glance across a room from her and he was hard and ready.

Twenty minutes later, the chaise lounge was lowered in the recline position with both of them naked on it, languidly giving into the intoxicating chemistry of their bodies.

“Michael, you have to stop,” she whispered.

“Why would I want to do that?”

“Because Brian and Barbara are standing at the corner of the house watching us,”

“Seriously?”

“I wouldn’t joke about that.”

“Okay, don’t panic,” he said, rolling onto his side.  “Hand me my shorts.”

“Michael, if you get up, I’ll be left here totally exposed.”

“Trust me.”

He managed to slip on his shorts without leaving the lounge chair.  Then he stretched to reach a beach towel hanging behind them.  “Cover up with this.”

“Hey, don’t get up for us,” Brian chided, seeing Michael stand.

“I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow,” Michael smiled.

Behind him Annie covered and darted into the house to change but not before Brian got an eye full of her curves.

Barbara followed her.  “I’m so sorry about that, Annie.  Please don’t be embarrassed about it.  At least Michael had the class to stop and give you something to cover up with.”

Annie popped her head out of the bedroom.  “Why?  Brian wouldn’t have stopped?”

Barbara laughed.  “In one form or another, Brian is always performing.  Knowing he had an audience would have made it all the more thrilling for him!  In fact, I remember a time…oh, you probably don’t want to hear about that.”

Annie came out of the bedroom dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.  “I’d love to hear the story!  Please, tell me.”

Barbara smiled and touched Annie on the arm.  “Okay.  Years ago, when Michael was still dabbling in pharmaceuticals and booze, he walked into our hotel room while we were having sex.  It was after a concert they had done, somewhere out west.  Evidently, Michael wasn’t ready to retire to his own room yet and wanted to party some more with us.  So he came into our room, pulled up a chair beside the bed, and rambled on and on about nothing in particular, the whole time Brian and I continued to have sex.”  Barbara reached out and touched Annie again and began to laugh.  “It was very loud sex, if you know what I mean, and he stayed for the entire show.”

Annie’s eye’s widened in horror.  “Why didn’t you ask him to leave?”

“In the saturated state he was in, I doubt he would have.  In fact, he was so drunk and stoned, I’m not sure he understood he was interrupting us!  He just sat there and chatted away as if we were all having lunch down in the café.  The really disturbing part was Brian somehow managed to carry on a conversation with him through-out the entire session!  We ended up laughing about it later, but at the time, I wasn’t happy.  Bottom line: Brian loved the fact he had an audience.  Let’s just say his performance that night would have gotten a standing ovation in any theater!”

“Wow, that is amazing.”

“Annie, that’s nothing.  When those two were younger, you would not believe some of the things they did together - and in the same room!”

“Hey, don’t go polluting her brain with my old war stories,” Michael scolded Barbara, as he drifted into the house.  He sat on the arm of the couch and pulled Annie into his lap.  “Don’t believe anything she says, babe.  It’s all lies,” he chuckled.

“Oh really?” Brian teased.  “Then you won’t want to read my memoirs when they get published!”

“I’ve already read them, Brian,” Annie interjected.

“That’s right.  Our story has already been printed and she’s still here with me, so I guess it didn’t traumatize her too much,” Michael joked.

“Yeah, but she hasn’t read the unedited version of those manuscripts!”

Annie raised her eyebrows with interest and Michael shook his head.  “There is no such thing.  He is only baiting you into thinking there is,” he assured.

Brian winked at Annie.  “I’ll fill you in sometime when dickhead isn’t in the room.”

“Don’t cause trouble, Brian,” his wife scolded.  “Come here and help me unpack.”

Michael grabbed the keys to the jeep and headed toward the door.  “I’m going to go into town and get some food for dinner.  Care to join me, Brian?”

“Nope.  I’m going to stay here and hit on your wife,” he answered.

Michael rolled his eyes.  “You can give it your best shot, pal, but she only has eyes for me.”

“Hmmm, he’s pretty confident about that,” Brian laughed, after the kitchen door closed.

“He has good reason to be,” Annie replied, preparing to tidy up the kitchen.  Behind her Brian plunked himself down into a chair.

“Sit down and talk with me, Annie.  You and I never get time like this to talk alone,” he said, with a serious tone in his voice.

Annie reluctantly joined him at the table, nervously looking over her shoulder for Barbara to save her.

“So, you and Michael are getting along pretty well?” he asked.

Annie smiled.  “Yes.  Things couldn’t be better.”

Brian nodded.  “Good.  I can’t tell you how glad I am to hear that.  I still don’t necessarily think he deserves you, but nonetheless, I’m happy when my brother is happy.”

“Thanks,” she replied, as if in some weird way she’d been granted approval to be with Michael.

“However, when you get tired of the moody bastard, you give me a call.  I’ll take good care of you,” he said with a wink.

“Brian, you’re married.”

“That’s right, but Barb doesn’t mind sharing me now and then.  Besides, there is plenty of me to go around,” he chuckled mischievously, while cupping his groin with his hand.

Annie burst out laughing and walked back to the sink, shaking her head.  The man was positively evil, she thought.

“You know what I love about you, Annie?” Brian asked.

Annie closed her eyes and grimaced, almost afraid to ask.  “What Brian?”

“You haven’t been tarnished by the business yet.  Don’t let it happen.  You’re too nice a girl to let this business trash you.  I’ve seen it happen too many times.  They all start off young and naïve - then, before too long, they get hardened to the wicked ways of the record label executives and life on the road.  It sucks.  Best advice I can give you is: watch your ass.”

Annie nodded, amazed by the seriousness of Brian’s fatherly words.  “I’ll do my best,” she shrugged.  “Besides, I’ll have Michael to act as chaperone.”

“How true.  And you can rest assured he
will
be watching your ass!”

Brian heard the crunch of tires in the driveway outside the kitchen window and smiled like the Grinch that stole Christmas.  As if on cue, when the latch of the door gave-way, he grabbed Annie’s hand and tugged her onto his lap.  Then he planted a hard kiss on her mouth.  Michael slammed the bag of groceries down onto the table in front of them.

“Oh, sorry, Mike.  We didn’t hear you come in,” Brian chuckled, releasing his lip lock on Annie.

“Don’t push your luck,” Michael replied, putting some things into the refrigerator.

Barbara returned from the spare bedroom and walked toward the open door to the deck.  The view took her breath away and she sighed heavily, stepping out into the sunshine.  Brian followed her.

“So, this is what’s kept you away from human civilization?” Brian asked.

“Yep, you could say that,” Michael answered.

“How close is your nearest neighbor?” Barbara asked, her eyes panning the entire length of the horizon.

“About a mile down the dirt road you came in on.”

“No shit,” Brian exhaled, as a sly grin began to form on his face.  “And no one knows you’re out here?”

“Nope.”

Brian glanced toward Barbara, his mouth curled into a devious leer.  “Know what I’m thinking?”

Barbara nodded and in the blink of an eye, they had both stripped naked and were running full throttle over the sand and into the ocean.  From the safety of the deck, Annie stood in shock from what she had just witnessed.  Michael was applauding loudly and whistling his appreciation to the show.

“What’s the matter?” he asked her, taking his eyes off the two heads bobbing in the surf.

“I just saw Brian Lofgren running naked into the ocean with his wife!”

Michael laughed at her.  “Don’t tell me you’re still star-struck when you see him?  He’s nothing more than your normal, run-of-the-mill asshole, just like all the other assholes that roam this earth freely.”

Annie turned toward Michael and grinned.  “There is absolutely nothing normal about Brian.”

Her comment caused him to rip into hysterics.  “Okay, you’re right.  So, he’s not normal but he is just a guy.”

“Hey,” Brian screamed at them from the water.  “Are you two going to stand there and watch or are you going to join us?”

Michael’s eyes drifted toward Annie.  “It’s your call, babe,” he shrugged.  Annie clenched her fists into tight balls.  The adrenaline flooded through her veins.  Then a nervous smile formed on her face.

“Feel like living on the edge?” he asked, as if presenting her with a challenge.