The Prince of Punk Rock (22 page)

He was
exhausted and it was late, but he waited for Jessi to come to bed.
 
He had a surprise for her.
 
It was a new song that he wrote for her.
 
It was the most romantic thing he could ever
do for her and, right now, with all the attention he’s been paying to Angel,
she needed a little romancing.
 
Over the
years he wrote dozens of songs for Jessi, but they were just for her.
 
No one else ever heard them.
 
He kept them tucked away in a special folder
on his computer, with her name on it.

When he
still heard the purr of her sewing machine some twenty minutes later, he padded
down the hallway to her sewing room.

“What are
you doing, hon?
 
It’s late.
 
Can’t that wait ‘til tomorrow?”

“No.
 
It’s for you to wear at the show tomorrow
night.”
 
She pulled a piece of black
material out from the sewing machine, cut the thread and held it up to show
him.
 
It was an Immortal Angel T-shirt,
the original design with the plain white graphic on the front, but on the back
she embroidered “Tommy Blade” in a slanted, edgy front.
 
The “L” in Blade was silver and shaped like a
dagger.
 
Red thread created the illusion
that the tip was covered in blood with a few droplets splattered beneath.

He took
the shirt from her and examined it closely, running his fingers over the
intricate embroidery.
 
“How the hell did
you do this?
 
It’s unbelievable, Jessi.”

“I just sewed it.
 
It
was no big deal.
 
Blade was an easy name
to work with. I have ideas for the other guys too.
 
A diamond instead of an “O” in Damien
Diamond, drum sticks for Jimmy and angel wings, obviously, for Angel.
  
It would be easier and more cost effective
to have the names silk screen for retail, but the embroidery is a nice touch
for you guys to wear.
 
What do you
think?”

He was
flabbergasted at her talent and ingenuity. “I love it, honey.
 
So will everyone else.
 
These are going to sell like crazy.
 
Just wait until you make them for the rest of
the band.”
 
He pulled the shirt over his
head and turned around so she could see her work. “How does it look?”

She ran
her hand over the wording but didn’t answer.

He looked
over his shoulder and saw she was gazing at the back of the shirt with a
smile.
 
“Does that mean it looks good?”

She
caressed his shoulders and pressed her breasts against his back.
 
“Anything would look great on you, baby.
 
You still have the shoulders of a football
player.”
 
She kissed the back of his
shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist.

It was
his body she was admiring, not her design.
 
She still made him feel like they were dating.
 
Time never dampened the attraction or the
desire she showed for him.
 
It was always
apparent in the simplest things, like the way she watched him shave or the way
she stared up at him with adoration when he was on stage.
 
And he felt the same way.
 
Each day that went by strengthened the bond
they shared, and he loved her more today than the day they were married.

“I
haven’t told you how proud I am of you lately.”
 
He traced his fingers down the profile of her cheek.
 
“I am, you know.
 
Very proud.
 
You’re an amazing woman.
 
You take
on the responsibility of three people.
 
Willingly.
 
You do everything for
everyone else.
 
Especially for me.”
 
He picked up her hand, kissed her fingertips
and held them to his lips.
 
He gazed into
her light blue-grey eyes. They were always filled with warmth and
understanding, and love for him.
 
He
could get lost in their beauty all day.
 
He kissed her rosy lips.
 
“Come to
bed.
 
I want to make sure you know how
much I love you.
 
I wrote you a song.”

He took
her hand and led her across the hall to the bedroom.

“Another
song?
 
I'm the luckiest girl in the
world.
 
What inspired you to write this
one for me?”

“The same
thing that always inspires me – my love for you.
 
I could make love to you for three days
straight. I could make you explode from multiple orgasms, but a song tells you
how much I love you.”

“Do I
have to choose?
 
Can't I have both?”

He smiled
at her.
 
“I’ll see what I can do after I
play the song.”
 
He took his Fender off
its stand, sat next to her on the bed and put the guitar across his knee.

His
fingers strummed a delicate melody and he sang about love, acceptance and
sacrifice.
 
Strands of hair fell across
his face as he bent his head to watch his hand.
 
Jessi tucked them behind his ear and rested her palm against his
cheek.
 
He nuzzled her hand with his chin
and flashed her a small smile before he returned his attention back to the neck
of the guitar.
  
This song needed to be
the most beautiful and tender of the lot.
 
His singing voice was low and soft, but the emotion and passion in his
voice left him gutted and it made Jessi melt.

When the
song was over, her eyes were blurred with a watery haze.
 
“That was beautiful.
 
You should let Angel hear it.”

“No.
 
It’s for you.”

“But it
could be a hit.”

“Do you
like it?”

“I love
it.”

“Then
it’s already a hit.
 
I’m going to file it
away in my private collection.”

“That
private collection is going to be worth a lot of money one day.
 
I love that you write songs for me, baby. I
love that you play them for me and sing them to me.”

“I'm not
a good singer.”

“To me,
you're the best singer in the world.
 
Do
you know how many girls would love to change places with me right now?
 
Do you see the way they look at us when you
play a guitar solo for me?
 
I'm the envy
of everyone in the room.
 
Do you know how
proud and special you make me feel?”

“Then my
message is getting through.
 
I'm trying
to tell you how much I love you through music. You're the only girl I ever
played a solo for.
 
The only girl I ever
wrote a song for.
 
You’re the only girl I
ever loved.”

I tear
seeped out of the corner of her eye and he brushed it away with his lips.

“I love
you, Jessi.
 
Whatever happens from here
on in, don’t you
ever
forget that.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Tommy was
counting the seconds until the show was over.
 
The last 45 minute set felt like it was three hours long.
 
He was so anxious to finish the last song
that he played it too fast and screwed up a few chords.
 
After he strummed the last awkward note, he
darted to the men’s room.
 
He was so
worked up that he needed a minute alone to calm down.
 
The last few weeks made him realize that life
without Angel wouldn’t be the same.
 
There
would be a void, an emptiness in his heart that only Angel could fill.
 
They were meant to be together.

He caught
up with Jessi at the far end of the bar and gulped down a double shot of J
ä
ger.
 
He wasn’t doing this alone.
 
Jessi was an integral part of the
relationship.
 
They navigated through The
Quadrangle, together, until they found Angel.
 
He was sitting at the back bar and they squeezed in on either side of
him.

Tommy put
his arm around Angel and gave him a long kiss on the cheek and slowly stroked
his shoulder.

“You’re
in a good mood.” Angel’s face perked up with a smile.

Tommy
didn’t need to tell Jessi what was going on.
 
She knew the routine. She stood on the opposite side of Angel, ran her
hand up his arm and let her lips linger on his cheek.
 
She played the game well.

Angel
shifted his gaze back and forth between them, one eyebrow questioning his
perception of what was about to take place.
 
They both smiled at him and nodded.

Angel
flustered a little and seemed at a loss for words.
 
“Um. OK.
 
I can see what’s going on here.
 
It’s cool.
 
But, Jessi, I think
you’re gorgeous and all, but I don’t go
there
,” he glanced at her
crotch, “at all.”

“Tooooo
bad.”

Tommy
laughed. “I wasn’t going to let you fuck my wife, A.”

Jessi
leaned closer to Angel and lowered her voice to a seductive whisper.
 
“But I’m going to let you fuck my
husband.
 
And I’m going to watch.”

Angel
grabbed Tommy by the belt buckle and pulled him in for a kiss.
 
All of a sudden, Tommy felt like everyone was
staring at him.
 
He got paranoid and
self-conscious.
 
He braced his hand
against Angel’s chest and stopped him from getting any closer.

Angel
grunted.
 
“Are you kidding me?
 
Tommy Blade, you are one big fuckin’ cock
tease!”

“Well, I hear you got one big
fuckin’ cock.”

Angel threw his head back and
laughed.
 
It wasn’t his usual lovable
giggle.
 
It was hearty, joy-filled,
boisterous laughter.
 
He put the palms of
his hands on either side of Tommy’s face and looked at him – just looked at him
– with the corners of his eyes crinkling from the smile plastered across his
face.
  
Angel never looked happier than
he did at that moment.

Tommy touched Angel’s cheek with
the back of his hand and returned the smile. “Not here.
 
Let’s go someplace where we can have a little
privacy.”
 
He led Angel and Jessi to the
room backstage.
 
As soon as they got
there, Angel moved in for another kiss, but Tommy scurried away.

Angel put his hands on his hips and
displayed a mischievous grin, “Tommy Blade, do
not
make
me come
get you!”

He loved when Angel addressed him
by his full name.
 
It was pointed
affection mixed with the right amount of wickedness.
 
“I just want to kiss my wife first.
 
OK?”