Broken Sound (9 page)

She’d never seen a man look so sexy in her life.  The tone and definition of his body made her mouth water.  It brought to life fantasies that had the tip of her normally innocent tongue exploring the nooks and crannies of Davey’s chest, defined abs, and beyond.

“Oh, shit,” she whispered as Davey slid into bed.

He snuggled right up to Anna, face to face. 

“I can’t believe this,” Anna said.

“What?”

“This.  Us.  You.”

“Oh, is it because I took my shirt off?  Feel free to takes yours off too.”

Anna smiled and the comfort of both Davey’s presence and the soft pillow started to get to her.  Her eyes were heavy in a few seconds.  It didn’t help that she had a few beers. 

“Thank you for being here tonight,” Davey said.

“I should be thanking you,” Anna said.  “Tonight means more than you can know.”

Davey kissed Anna’s forehead, lingering much longer than he needed to.  “Trust me, I know.”

Anna stared at Davey for a few more seconds and then had to turn around.  If she kept staring at him, something was going to happen.  She could feel it.  And speaking of feeling it, with her back to Davey, that didn’t necessarily make things any better. 

As her eyes shut, she hoped it wasn’t all just a really good dream.

**

Davey touched Anna’s shoulder, wishing he could feel her bare skin.  He leaned forward, trying to look through the mess of her hair to see her face.  Something about the woman before him just did it.  She made his heart race when there was no reason to.  She made his heart ache too, an interesting feeling of wanting someone and wanting to care for them all at the same time. 

He reminded himself of what an emotional day it had been, which in turn left him ready to savor Anna’s perfect body.  But the last thing he needed was another emotional trap because of his actions.  Because he was
thinking with the wrong head
as Peter always put it to the band. 

He ran his fingers down Anna’s arm, finding bare skin where her shirt ended.  He reached and gently moved the hair from her face.  His fingers lingered in her soft hair, feeling the curls wrap around and let go.  His heart throbbed, as did between his legs.  What a great feeling.  Something that reminded him he was alive. 

When Davey put his hand on top of Anna’s hand, wanting to hold her hand while she slept, he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket.  He quietly moved away from Anna and put the cell phone on the table.  He didn’t want to be bothered so late.  Then he noticed of the name on the screen.

“Shit,” he whispered.

It was Cassy.

A text message.

Davey regretted giving her his number.  But he had been cornered, right outside the restaurant before, with Cassy standing like she wanted a good night kiss.  Or a picture.  Or an autograph.  Or maybe all three. 

Davey opened the phone and read the message.

Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.  Neither can Donald - your son!  Thank you for dinner.  We will be a happy family. I just need your help right now...

At the end of the text message were directions to Cassy’s apartment.  Davey knew the right thing would have been to call Peter right then and let him handle it.  Going to Cassy’s house could be another trap.

But what if Donald needed food?  Needed diapers?  Needed toys?  Davey thought about his earliest memories of sometimes not having much.  He had a bed in his room, but sometimes not even having a blanket to sleep with at night.  All thanks to his father who took off with everything.  He left with their money and Davey’s mother suffered in the same painful fashion that Anna suffered now.  Left in debt.  It’s part of the reason Davey found himself out on the streets more times than not.  And sure, it led to music which led to guitar which led to Chasing Cross, but getting there was an unfair hell.

If baby Donald wanted to be a rockstar someday, he could do it with the love and care from his father, couldn’t he?  He could keep Donald from living the life of pain and letdown that Davey had been forced to endure for a long time.  Those scars remained and weren’t hard to turn back into fresh wounds.

Davey didn’t want lawyers and judges in the middle of it all... telling Davey what to pay and when.  Telling Davey when to see baby Donald and for how long.  That wasn’t a family.  That was exploiting a mistake.  That was turning the child into the victim.

Davey put the phone on the table.  He couldn’t do it that way.  His heart ached for Donald.  Thinking about his eyes reminded Davey that the baby could be his. 

And he’d do the right thing, no matter what.

Davey found comfort again by touching Anna’s shoulder.  He worked his hand to her hair and started to play with her curls again.  Seeing Anna right there, next to him, didn’t make things better.  He’d have to tell her about Cassy and Donald.  But until then, her company was perhaps the greatest feeling in the world.

(10)

Anna woke and found the bed empty.  She rolled to her back and put her arms out, needing to stretch.  Her hands wrapped tight on the sheets and she instantly thought of sex.  Sex with Davey.  Sex everywhere in the hotel room. 

But that didn’t happen the night before.

She vaguely recalled him touching her while she slept but none of it suggested for a second that he wanted more than to just be next to her.  When she kicked the covers off and found herself fully clothed, she was almost disappointed. 

The smell of coffee and food hit Anna next and she walked from the bedroom, starving, and in need of finding Davey. 

She found him standing at the kitchen counter, wearing different clothes.  In a black t-shirt, he was deadly.  It forced Anna to stop dead in her tracks and just stare at him.  The first thing she did was touch her own hair, knowing it had to look like a rat’s nest.  But that didn’t matter, not as her eyes were glued to Davey.  The way the t-shirt hugged his arms, she thought of the muscle underneath that shirt.  Her eyes scanned down to his jeans, wondering what waited behind those.

“Morning,” Davey said.  “I ordered us some breakfast.  Hope you don’t mind.”

“Why would I mind?” Anna asked.  “And why did you let me sleep like that?”

“You worked all day and night, you needed it.  Plus, I had to get up, shower, and take care of some business.  I have to get going in a few minutes but you’re more than welcome to stay.  I called management and put your name on the room.  Nobody will bother you.”

“Wait a second,” Anna said.  “You’re leaving?”

Davey looked away quickly.  He pushed a plate towards the edge of the counter for Anna.

“Just stuff I have to take care of,” Davey said.

Anna saw the same look come across Davey’s face that he had when he spoke about his father.  As Anna’s stomach started to churn, she looked at the food and then at the carafe of coffee. 

“I can eat,” she said.

“Good.”

They ate in silence.  Anna looked at Davey as much as she could.  A question burned in her, one that seemed so normal, but considering who she sat with in a hotel room, it made it all that more of a fantasy.

Davey’s phone rang and he laughed when he saw the screen.

“It’s the other manager,” he said, showing Anna the screen.

Johnnie.

Anna became star struck.  Johnnie from Chasing Cross was calling Davey... it just all seemed too wild to be real.

“He takes his woman to his cabin,” Davey said, “but then will check on everyone.”  Davey pressed a button on his phone and said, “What’s up?” as he walked from the kitchen to the bedroom.

Anna looked around for a second and noticed a piece of paper next to the food tray.  It was none of her business but her eyes wouldn’t stop trying to look at it.  She finished her coffee and casually moved down the counter to pour herself another cup.  Her eyes saw the paper clear as day.  Davey’s handwriting was terrible but it didn’t take a genius to see it was an address with some scribbled directions.

Where was he going?

Anna hurried back to her spot, thinking of last night.  The only thing that made sense was Davey talking about his father. 

Was he going to confront his father?

Davey came out of the bedroom looking annoyed and confused. Anna wanted to say something, but it wasn’t her place. 

“Okay, are you still hungry?” he asked.

“No.  Not at all.”

“If you want anything, just call the front desk.”

“I’m not going to be hanging around for long,” Anna said.  “I have work today.”

“Another long shift?”

“Got to pay the bills,” Anna said. 

Her voice sounded colder.  Her heart hated the idea that her time with Davey would end. She really wanted to know what came next but she had no idea how to ask a famous rockstar something like that.

“I need to see you soon,” Davey said. 

Anna watched as he took the piece of paper with directions from the counter and shoved it into his pocket. 

“Are you sure?” Anna asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be sure?”

“I wasn’t sure what last night... what it meant.”

Davey leaned against the counter and took Anna’s hand.  “It meant enough that I want to see you again.”

“It’s not my business,” Anna said, “but are you okay?  Whatever you have to do right now...”

“Just personal stuff,” Davey said.  “The band is on its break so I try to take care of things.  I hate trouble when we’re on the road, you know?”

“Trouble?”

“Not bad trouble.  Just annoyances.  I want everything taken care of before we start touring again.  And I want to see you, tonight?”

Anna swallowed.  “Yeah...”

“I’ll stop by your restaurant, like I did last night.” 

Davey kissed her forehead and Anna closed her eyes and purposely took a deep breath, inhaling as much of Davey as she could.  She wanted it locked in her memory all day and all night, just in case something happened and he didn’t come to the restaurant.  Anna found it easier to prepare to be hurt than to wait for something good to happen.  It made the pain a little easier to absorb.

“And for the record,” Davey said, looking into Anna’s eyes, “there’s no compromising tonight.”

“No?”

Davey shook his head.  “If we’re in bed, we’re going to be
in bed
...”

Anna blushed.  Davey laughed and then left. 

When the door clicked shut, Anna let out a long moan, something she felt like she had been holding in her entire life.  Then her mind started to race, battling between the sixteen year old teenager in her mind and the realistic woman in her heart.  The teenager wanted her to take pictures, call and text friends, and brag about everything.  The realistic woman knew better and knew she had to get her stuff together and get home. 

She cleaned up from breakfast and left the tray on the counter.  She then caught herself touching the spot on the counter where Davey had laid the directions.  It took her back to the years with Eddie.  Three long years that started with a little fire and passion but gradually turned into hell.  For every flaw she found in Eddie, Anna loved and anything that was too bad she thought she could change.

Was Davey any different?

The amount of whiskey he drank the night before.  Hurrying out of the room this morning.  Not to mention the fact that he wasn’t just some guy... he was a rockstar.  Chasing Cross would be on the road again soon enough and then what?  Anna knew she was in no position for long distance, on the road kind of relationship.  Both mentally and financially she couldn’t do it.  She couldn’t follow Davey from city to city and she couldn’t hold him back from his life.

“Stop this,” she whispered, desperate to convince herself that it was a one night thing.

Her heart, however, felt much different.

She heard a knock at the door and Anna jumped. She thought about her hair.  She pulled a hair tie from her wrist and did her best to make herself look slightly presentable. 

She answered the door in awe of Chris, the bassist from Chasing Cross, stood there.

“Whoa,” he said.  “Hey there.”

“Uh, hi.”

Anna’s mouth was dry. 

“Is, uh, Davey here?” Chris asked.

“No.  He just left.”

“Did he leave you and the baby?”

“I’m sorry, what?” Anna asked.

The baby?  What baby?

“Oh.  Oh, shit,” Chris said. “Fuck.  I’m sorry.  Who are you?”

“I’m Anna.”

“Anna.”  Chris’s eyes were wide.  “Fuck.  Sorry about that... I was looking...”

“Does Davey have a baby?” Anna asked.

“I don’t mean to be rude here,” Chris said, “but are you and Davey... you know, just messing around?”