London Harmony: Roctoberfest (11 page)

When we got back, we hopped into her car instead of going in and she drove me back to my place.  I didn't need to invite her up, she just glommed onto my arm.  I can't begin to tell you how right that felt to me.

We didn't speak I just sat on the futon and she laid back into me and whispered, “Just hold me.  You make me feel like a whole person again.”  So I did, I held her as she dozed off and slept.  I'm not sure when I finally fell asleep.  I was so lost in the fact that this amazing woman chose me.

The next week was a whirlwind.  Between performing at clubs and dating the bloody hell out of my new girlfriend, Mei and I were hitting all sorts of thrift shops to properly accessorize my flat.  We used the money I saved not having to pay my first month's rent.  It really felt weird as I started amassing more than my four boxes.  Mei knocked me out of the thought for the fourth time.  “Stop it, Kacer.  You've your own place now.  A home.”

I took the opportunity to capture her in a hug and capture her lips with mine.  Every kiss was as tingle inducing and intoxicating as the last.  I nodded at her. “I know, I know.  Just give me time.”

She nodded in satisfaction then went to her drawer of the bureau and pulled out a fresh shirt. 
Hey, when did she get a drawer here?
  I liked it for some reason, it meant she wasn't planning on leaving me anytime soon.  The shirt was a really cute pink and white one that made her look younger.  She looked like...

She paused at the look on my face as she fastened the sleeve to her side, then said with a coy smile,  “Hey.  Get out of those fantasies lady.  I told you, the whole Asian schoolgirl thing is never going to happen. You're worse than a man.”

I rolled my eyes. “As if.”  She cocked an eyebrow and I deflated and admitted, “Fine, it was Yuri from Angel Beats this time.”  She grinned and stood on her tiptoes and gave me a peck on the lips.  “Keep dreaming Kacer.”

I assured her, “Oh, I will.”  She slapped my shoulder as I grinned at her.

She teased, “The day you dress as the Amazon princess Xena for me.”  I cringed.  Then she perked up. “We jamming with the band today?”  I nodded and we headed out.

She had enjoyed joining in with us during practice sessions and she agreed to help Caroline sift through the guitarists that were trying out for lead guitar for Purple Horseshoes.  Unfortunately, Car was better than most of them since most of the good leads had been snapped up for Roctoberfest already.

This day was no different, we listened to three tryouts.  The last guy was barely passable.  We all conferred while Caroline went to answer a knock at her front door. Mick got frustrated and said to Mei, “Bloody hell, this could go on forever, just be our lead, you have talent to spare.”  My girl almost panicked at that.  She shook her head almost violently and Mick pressed, “I know your damage, but one day you're going to have to suck it up and play the cards life dealt you baby girl.”  She had started calling her that because of how small she was and Mei never said anything about it, I think she sort of liked it.

I went to defend Mei when it looked like she might start panicking again.  But Mick beat me to it.  The big softie melted and stepped up to Mei and hugged her tight.  “I'm sorry, I shouldn't push.  But you are brill on the axe.”  Then she coaxed with a silly grin. “Who loves you?”

Mei rolled her eyes.  “Mick loves me.”

Mick nodded with a cheesy grin and said, “That's right.  Now give me some sugar and get back to your girl before she gets jealous.”  Mei chuckled at that and kissed Mick's cheek and held her hand out to me.  I melted and stepped up to her and clasped her hand.

We all turned to the door and Animal dropped the cables he was organizing when there was a scream from Caroline at the front door.  Mick was already in motion with murder in her eyes, that was scary.  But the scream turned into giggling and we all relaxed as Carol came hopping into the room holding a letter up to us, shaking it like we should know what it was.

She was too excited to speak.  Darin was the closest, he had moved halfway across the room before the cables had hit the floor after the scream.  He held her jumping self to the floor with one hand as he took the letter from her hand with two fingers like a pincer.

He looked at it as Car appeared ready to vibrate through the floor.  He smiled at us and read, “It is with great pleasure that London Harmony awards to the Purple Horseshoes, the wildcard slot in week four of Roctoberfest.  We apologize for the short notice, but there were four bands with the same top combined score from the eliminated bands.”

He grinned at us all and continued, “We had all the judges review the prior weeks performances to determine a winner.  There will be two stages set up for performances at Jubilee Gardens, please be at Stage B at two o'clock on Friday afternoon.”

He looked at both sides of the letter, then finished with, “It is signed by June Harris-West.”  He looked into the envelope and pulled out a Half-J Card that said Week Three Wildcard on the back.

I feel sorry for the poor bloke as we all broke into screams of excitement.  Then again, I don't think he minded so much as Mick grabbed his lapels, yanked him to her, and put him into a passionate liplock before pushing him away.

I was going to tease when Mei gripped my shirt and pulled me down to do the same.  She whispered, “Congrats lady.”

Caroline said, “Hey!” to all of us.  I almost snorted at the fact that the prettiest Horseshoe was unattached, but I was starting to get the idea that she liked it that way for a change instead of cycling through boyfriends that proved to be superficial.  I think she was taking some 'Carol Time'.  We all gave her a crushing group hug and she was all grins when we released her. “Much better.”

I stepped back a moment and marveled at our little family.  I don't think a group of friends could get much closer.  I loved each and every one of them.  Then I looked at Mei who was celebrating tight alongside us.  She was bonding with us Horseshoes like she belonged.  I was a little afraid that maybe I just more than liked her.  Except my three band mates, everyone I loved turned on me.  But when she glanced over at me with her eyes twinkling with happiness for us, my heart melted again.  Bloody hell, leave it to me to fall in love with someone so quickly.

Then she spoke up,  “This is going to burn that wanker, Mort's ass.”

Animal corrected her, “Matt.”

She gave a toothy grin and winked. “It's all the same.  An ass is an ass.”

We all chuckled at her humor, I smiled and stepped over to my drums and sat.  Mentally counting down from three to one and pointing at Carol as she suddenly blurted out,  “We need to practice!”  She spun and then grinned when she saw me already ready.

Everyone picked up their instruments and Mei picked up the extra guitar and sat on a little pickup amp to jam with us with the volume turned down.  In just a few short sessions, she had already matched our style and played with us as seamlessly as David did.

I caught everyone looking over to Mei from time to time with a tinge of worry on their faces.  I understood, I had the same worry that we wouldn't find a lead in time for the competition.  If we could just survive round four somehow, David would be back from holiday in the Americas and we could probably get him to help us out.

But for the moment, we were happy.  I locked eyes with my girl and just played.  We let the music out of ourselves and I swear it was the tightest we ever sounded.  Everything was just right at that moment and damned be the competition.

Later, after Mick and Darin had my drums loaded into her truck.  We sat just discussing possible futures.  If we won or didn't, what was next for all of us.  I was laying on my back on the thick throw rug in front of the coffee table with both Caroline and Mei laying side by side with their heads on my belly.  Mei was playing with my hand in hers.

Mick and her beau were sitting together on the floor, leaning their backs against the couch.  All of us just wanted to be in music as long as we could.  We knew that as we got into our thirties it would harder for us to get professional employment in the field.  So it was most likely we'd be playing clubs until we didn't fit the venues anymore.  So we had maybe seven or eight more years we could support ourselves with our music.

I exhaled and just said into the air, “I'm twenty-five.”  I just sat there waiting for that to sink in with my friends.  That I had been lying to them for ten years.  A harmless lie except the first three years where I was still a minor.

Then Mick said, “And I'm hungry again.”

Animal said, “And I'm exhausted.”

Carol bounced her head on my belly. “You didn't think we were stupid did you Stretch?”  She chuckled and I joined in.  I reached over with my free hand and stroked her hair.

We all sat in a comfortable silence, contemplating the next day.  Week four.  My lord, we've made it over half way through the competition.  I smiled knowing we had to be at least decent to have made it so far, even if it was with a wildcard win.

Mick stood and pulled Animal up. “Well, hasta manana everyone, I gotta get bright eyes here to bed before he turns into a pumpkin.”  We all stood up and she looked at me, “I'll just keep the drums and bring them to the Gardens in the morning String Bean.”

I nodded with a smile and she said, “Gives me some sugar mah bitches.”

I tried to argue as Mei and Caroline gave her hugs.  “Hey, we're not your...”  She just pointed at her cheek and I kissed it with a silly grin on my face.  She dragged her man out the door, correcting me sweetly. “Yes you are.”

Caroline scrunched up her face with her mouth squished to one side as she was comically thinking then she crinkled her nose sourly and said, “I think we might be.”

Mei just smiled at both of us.  “There are worse things in this world.”

We chuckled our agreement and Caroline and she shooed us toward the door.  “Out with you wenches.  I need some sleep and Mei has been giving you that come hither look for the past hour.”

I glanced down at Mei as the door closed behind us.  I melted at her come hither look and she giggled at the results.  She yawned and threw me the keys to her car.  “You drive, I can barely keep my eyes open.  Your flat?”

I stared at the keys and tried to hand them back, “Ummm... I don't know how to drive.”

She was suddenly much more awake and alert. She had a mischievous gleam in her eye as she refused to take the keys back.  I shook my head and tried to argue, “No I...”

She stepped to the passenger door and said, “There's no time like the present.”  Then added,  “As an incentive, if you can get us to your place without us dying, I'm your prize.”

I grinned at her and hopped into the driver's seat saying, “Why didn't you just say so.”

She giggled and said, “I just did, you bloody git.”  Then she chuckled again as I fought with the seat's electronic controls since I seemed to be eating my knees.

I teased as the seat moved slowly back on the rails, for a long time.  “Just how short are you?”

She reached across herself to lay her hand on my arm and deadpanned, “I'm just the right size for you.”  I nodded stupidly in agreement.  The seat continued its backward trek on its epic journey.

I exhaled dramatically when I could reach the pedals comfortably, and we buckled up.  I looked down at the pedals then her.  She nudged her chin.  “The big one on the left is the brake the one on the floor on the right is the gas.  Push the brake in and start the car.”  She was talking with confidence.  I'm glad one of us was confident and not scared out of her gourd.

What followed is not for delicate ears as I may have uttered at least thirteen profanities in at least three languages on the way to my place.  But she was a good instructor.  I learned during the death-defying, harrowing journey that I was not the first she taught.  Her parents were nervous wrecks just teaching her so it fell upon her to teach each sibling as they came of age.  So she's had a go at it twice now.

But in a fortunate and happy twist of events, my prize claimed me that night instead of me claiming my prize.  I cussed silently in my head as we drifted off, I was truly in love with the bloody woman.

The next morning I awoke on the futon to a kitten purring on my chest.  When I wiped the last vestiges of sleep from my eyes, I realized it wasn't a purring kitten, it was a snoring Mei.  She had drool coming out of the corner of her mouth, making my nightshirt wet.  I can't tell you just how cute I found it.  It was a good night and she hadn't had one of her frequent nightmares.

I stretched out an arm slowly and was just able to snag my mobile off the coffee table with my fingertips, and pulled up a voice memo app.  I recorded her snoring then looked at the time.  We had to get going.  I shook her gently and she stirred and stretched, pulling her hair out of her eyes as she yawned. “Morning love.”

I tried hard not to swoon.  I grinned. “Morning Snore-y McSnore-bot.”

She slapped my chest.  “I told you, I don't snore.”

I held up my mobile with a triumphant grin and hit play.  Her cute little snores played, and she shook her head with a smirk. “I hate you.”

“Tough woman, I love..”  I turned it off and froze. 
Bloody hell Kacy!
  Her eyes were locked on mine like laser guided munitions.  I couldn't tell anything from her face.  I couldn't take it back and it was obvious what I was going to say, so I finished.  “...you?”

She cocked an eyebrow.  “Was that a question?”

I exhaled in surrender and murmured, “In for a penny, in for a pound.”  I looked into her eyes and nodded. “I love you.”  Then added, “I'm sorry.”

She smirked.  “Why are you sorry?  I've thought that I might just love you too.  But if you are sorry...”  Damn it, she always knew just what to say to put me in her back pocket.

I kissed her and murmured into her smiling lips, “Not sorry.”  But then my eyes snapped wide in panic. “Bloody hell.  Did you call your mother to tell her you'd be out all night?”  I didn't want another Southern shame session next time I saw Becky.  She had waaaay too much fun teasing us.

She squinted an eye almost painfully at me. “I sent her a text?”

I shook my head in disbelief.  “A text?  Good lord woman, we need to pick up some flowers or something for her on the way to competition today.”  She just grinned at me and tucked some of my hair behind my ear.

She shrugged as she dropped her nightshirt and headed for the loo, looking over her shoulder demurely.  “You're cute when you're scared of mum.”  Ooo... I'd show her who was cute!  I stomped after her playfully to the shower.

I marveled at her form as I washed her back for her. I watched the water follow the contours of her curves and tried to figure out just how I got so lucky to have such a marvelous creature in my life.  I traced the little rivulets of water down her sides and she shivered and I was rewarded with goose flesh.  I chopped back a sob in my throat as happy tears welled up in my eyes.  Where the hell had that come from?  I took a deep breath and we finished up and got dressed.

I grinned when she took the boots I liked seeing her in, out of my closet.  She had a drawer AND closet space it seemed.  How amazing would it be if she just moved in with me?  The biggest plus besides having the woman I love all to myself would be not living in terror wondering if she called her mum or not.  I chuckled to myself.

She looked over with a grin as she pinned her sleeve. “What?”

I shrugged and stood after lacing up my Sketchers while I thought of how cool it was when she tied her shoes with one hand.  Then simply said, “Just fantasizing.” She smirked and I quickly added, “Not like that you dirty girl.”  Then I shrugged.  “I ever tell you just how much I like having you around, Mei?”

She grabbed our bags and my sticks and walked up to me. Mei stuffed my drumsticks in my back pocket and I put my bag over my shoulder as she said, “No, but feel free to voice it, it makes me feel all warm inside.”  Her face was serious not teasing.  A hip was proffered, a loop taken and we were off to find the rest of the Horseshoes.

I thanked the lord and all that was fuzzy and true in the world, that she didn't make me drive again.  Especially with all the traffic on the roads now.  I'll need some time for my nerves to settle before I try it again.

I texted Car. “Where iz be?”  I snorted at the reply. “Mr. and Mrs. Michalea Palmer's flat.”

I relayed the message for my short companion, and even way down at sea level she snorted too.  She said, “They are with each other every second they possibly can...”  She trailed off and we both blushed and cracked up in laughter.  Here we were, the pot calling the kettle black.  Then she asked, “You think it will last?”

I caught the double edge to the question and I took a moment to think about it.  I nodded slowly. “You know, I really think it has a chance.  They've been best of friends for a decade, so they already started with love.  And I have never ever in that time, seen Mick sleep with the same person twice.  She has never wanted to.  And I've never seen her scared of anything, but she seemed pretty terrified to actually start things with Animal because she didn't want it to fail and lose a friend.”

She smiled softly and nodded.  Then her smile went crooked.  “And I don't hear any complaining from Darin when she bosses him around.”  Then that crooked smile went positively wicked.  “Something tells me that she's actually less bossy and much sweeter when they are alone, Kace.”

I slapped her shoulder playfully.  “You just say that because she melts your nickers every time she says your name.”

She blushed and nodded comically. “There's that, but seriously, I bet she's almost tender with him; seeing how ferociously she takes care of all of you.”

I nodded with a wistful smile on my face and conceded the point. “I can almost guarantee it.”  I pulled my sticks out of my back pocket and started drumming the air.  Mei's eyes twinkled as she split her attention between the road and me.

We pulled up to the alley at Mick's, Mei had picked up Carol here once but had never been in.  It was above an old empty butcher's shop where Ronnie Marx held raves from time to time, she had a steal of a deal on the loft apartment above it.  All she had to do was keep vagrants from using the building and keep the property clean.  She paid about what I'll be paying for my flat.

We looked at the dependable old white pickup loaded down with gear and I punched in the code on the alley door's lock and we headed in.  We went up the back stairs and passed the unused office to another door.  I punched in the code and started opening the door and Mei laid a hand on my arm.  “Shouldn't we knock?  What if they're...”  She bobbed her head suggestively a couple times, I snorted as we just walked through the door.

We grinned at the waving Carol on the long leather couch in the big open room, as she grinned back.  I explained as I led my girl over to sit.  “You've never been in the 'M-Nest.'  If you are in Mick's inner circle, then this is your second home and can come and go as you please.  Mick only does her, umm... fun stuff, in her room back there.”  I pointed at the right door.  “If there are no satin knickers on he bedroom's doorknob, then she's not, umm...”

Carol supplied cheerfully, obviously amused by my bashfulness suddenly, “Occupied.”  She gave a toothy grin.  Animal came out of the left door, the loo, and came over and flopped into a chair across from us and we all gasped.

Bloody hell!  He was clean-shaven and his hair was combed out and tied in a ponytail behind him.  I murmured, “Darin... you're gorgeous.”  I had never seen the man behind all the hair.

Carol grinned. “Mick hit the jackpot.”

Mei was slapping both of us on our legs as was saying in earnest, “Oh shush you two, can't you see you're embarrassing the poor bloke?”

Sure enough, he was red as a beet and looking uncomfortable in his chair.  She added to him reassuringly, “You look lovely mate.”

Then I blurted, “What made you shave after all these years?”

He glanced at his girl's door and shrugged. “Mick asked me to.”

Carol blinked. “That's all it took?  Bloody hell man, we would have asked years ago then.  We thought you loved the fur.”

He shrugged. “I sort of forgot what I looked like too, so I was curious, I've had it almost half my life.  Kind of scared myself in the mirror.”  We all grinned at him and understood, if we hadn't known it was him, we would have thought him a complete stranger.  A good looking stranger.

We turned to see Mick strutting out of her room in full rocker regalia.  With more leather and studs than you could shake a stick at.  It was that signature look that incited my original crush on her.  She was all grins as she joined in the conversation.  “Now my arm candy is even... candy-er?”  We all chuckled and Darin looked to want to shrink away into the land of shy.

She leaned down and kissed the bloke and scolded, “What did I say about that shyness?  Suck it up and accept the compliment.”

He nodded and said, “Sorry.”

She rolled her eyes and flopped down across his lap and asked nobody, in particular, “What am I going to do with you?”  Then she looked at the clock on her wall and then to Mei, “What's the plan, Stan?  We got a little over two hours.  When's bro play?”

My girl smiled at that and said, “He plays after you lot, but at Stage A.  Until then...  feed me?”

Mick almost cackled at that and said, “You're so tiny, but I swear you can eat more than a team of Army Rangers.”  Then she looked around to us, “You heard my girl, let's go foraging.”  Then she added in an Obi-Wan voice, “And Mei the force be with you.”

Mei chuckled at that one then looked at me as we all stood, asking me, “Her girl?”

I nodded almost apologetically and said with a sigh, “Inner circle.  You're one of hers now, get used to it, there's no help for you now.”  Then I chimed in,  “Oh and we need a place to find some flowers.”  Which just got Mei chuckling at me.

After a sinfully delicious time at a little inexpensive Mexican place Darin knew, Puerta Azul, we all watched Mei down two egg and chorizo laden burritos in giant bites; the rest of us ate one; we headed to a corner florist and I thought about Mei's house.  There were daffodils in the window boxes, so I assumed Becky liked them.  I got a single yellow daffodil in a green bed of myrtle and baby's breath.

I had to suffer the teasing from Mei and Carol all the way to Jubilee.  I defended myself to Caroline, “You don't know how scary that woman is.  And this one...”  I pointed at my girl.  “She sends a text...”  Mei chuckled as she pulled us in behind Mick on Chicheley Street after showing our participant badges.

We hopped out and went to help unload the truck just to get a glare from Mick.  We backed off slowly like you would do with an angry bear.  Once everything was unloaded and strapped to the carts, she allowed us to approach them.  I comically placed a hand tentatively on a handle and cringed at Mick.  When she didn't attack, I grinned and stepped confidently behind the cart and put my little bundle on top.

She gave Darin a  peck on the lips and he stayed with us when she returned to the truck.  Mei followed suit and stood on her tiptoes and gave me a peck on my lips then dashed off to her car to go find parking.  She called back, “Love you, back in a jiff.”

I nodded with a grin, absently replying, “Love you.”

I got the cocked eyebrows from the grinning Carol and Animal.  She said, “The 'L' word?”  She looked ready to explode into hearts, hugs, and rainbows at any moment.

I hung my head and sighed out a, “Yes.”

I almost didn't catch Darin mumbling something about Mick using the 'L' word.  Our necks almost snapped like twigs as we looked quickly over at the blushing bloke.  I blurted, “That's brill!”  Car nodded in agreement.  Okay now I was going to burst out in hearts and hugs, Mick was changing, and she couldn't be with a better bloke.

We made our way through he crowd that seemed even bigger this week, it was like more and more people were coming for the spectacle.  Week Four, I still couldn't believe it.  We parked our gear behind Stage A and sat beside it on the grass with our backs to the stage.  A few minutes later I saw Mick plowing the way through the crowd with Mei behind her, who was avoiding contact with everyone.

Mick sat between Darin and me, and Mei comically plopped down right across my lap with her arm hooked around my neck to support herself.  She grinned. “Maybe crowds aren't so bad if you have a Mick around to break a path.”

I noted Mick lacing fingers with Animal as she said to Mei, “Anything for our Asian flower.  Give me my sugar.”  She pointed at her cheek and Mei stretched over and gave her a quick peck.  Mick looked as pleased as a cat with a saucer of cream as she looked around at our motley crew.

Mei crinkled her nose. “You realize I'm about as Asian as you are Irish, right Mick?”

The scary lady just waved her off and snuggled her back into the stage and said playfully,  “Oh shush you, if I want your opinion I'll give it to you.”

Mei stuck her tongue out at her, then looked past me.  I followed her gaze to see Robbie and the rest of the Lullabies walking up.  We all stood and exchanged fist bumps and greetings.  A minute later, we heard a Texan arguing with a guard, “Listen here young man, I'm with two of the bands here.  Y’all best be letting me pass.”

The man was about to argue more when Carol called out, “It's okay sir, she's with us.”  He let her pass and the wicked and vindictive smile she gave the bloke was almost bone chilling.  She took Angie off her hip and set her down.  The little girl made a beeline for Mick, who absently flipped the giggling girl up onto her shoulders saying, “Hey-ya pipsqueak.”