Rock Notes (Book One of the Heartbeat Series) Read online

  My doorbell sounded and I knew the ladies were arriving. I went down and greeted my good friends. I had opened a bottle of wine for us to start with and take the edge off before we went to the show. We all began to make a toast but then they geared it to me.

  Jillian and Cecile said, “To Madison, we’re all together because you are such a wonderful person. And we thank you for our introductions to these fine, sexy men.” They both laughed. It was funny though, oddly we all were heading into different relationships or introductions with one of the members of the band and all since my whim to write about them.

  Getting into the city is hit or miss with the expressway and this evening it was not too bad, but there was no parking to be found anyplace close to the café. I rode around the streets several times and then decided to park in one of the garages as we were all in heels and I didn’t want us to walk too far. As we began to approach the café the band was just arriving and still standing outside talking to Maxwell and it was quite chilly. I gave a wave and Rand met my eyes and left the pack and came trotting up to us.

  He slid his hand into mine and his head down to my ear. “I’ve told you that you’re beautiful, but you’re absolutely stunning tonight.” He continued to speak gently as he also licked and kissed my ear giving me a chill. “I got a table up front for you ladies. I want to see you, only you in front of me while I play. Now that you’re within reach, I don’t want tonight to end without you near me.”

  I felt so warm inside and was tingling just by his adoring look at me. His hands never left me until we were seated and then he leaned over me and tilted my head back and gave me a kiss in front of everyone that was quite lasting.

  Cecile gasped, “How dreamy.”

  He had to leave us as they needed to get set up for the evening, and we three girls would be just fine. I then felt a tap to my shoulder seconds later and thought he returned. But it was a quick, friendly kiss on my cheek from Raeford. I was thrilled to see him. He left me quickly after that to kiss Jillian. That was a much different, much longer kiss! Rounds of drinks were brought to our table without any hesitation, and we couldn’t pay for them as Rand took care of everything for us.

  Right before the band went on Rand walked back up to me at the table and asked me to hold his wallet and phone. Since this was a small venue they didn’t have the luxury of a dressing room back stage for all of their stuff and he had tight jeans on with his microphone pack in the back pocket. I smiled at him and put his wallet in my tiny purse and laid his phone on the table next to mine. While Rand and the band were doing their final quick sound checks, his phone displayed an incoming message. I took the phone to make sure it was silenced for the performance and my curiosity got to me, I glanced quickly at the message –

  Your letter and surprise contents arrived to me today, thank you. I have thought about nothing more than our first meeting over the past few months. You are amazing. I have been listening to your music over and over. I wanted to tell you yes, I look forward to this holiday season and getting to know you so much better. I will see you soon. G.

  I stared down at the text and reread it twice. Who was G? I was just starting to feel that comfort zone with Rand and trusting that perhaps he was feeling things for me as he was surely acting like he cared. Could this all be an act? And when was this G person coming, was I going to meet someone he met on the road or someone from his past that he invited here to start to date? I didn’t want to look at any more messages, I felt bad that I looked at this one. Perhaps this was a sign to me where not to head on Christmas day.

  I didn’t want to ruin the night for the girls, so despite the fact that I volunteered to be their designated driver, I started to drink. I thought if I couldn’t drive home we could always hire a cab or someone in the band would get us home safe. I drank my first drink without a pause. The band had taken the stage, and I was front and center to Rand, only about four feet away. He smiled. I drank him in as I was on my second cocktail and he was so unbelievably handsome, I really was star struck with his body, his face, his eyes and now he just blew me a kiss so I smiled back thinking sarcastically, “G” was that really for me or for show? We girls were having a fun night and I was starting to loosen up and forget, well not entirely but I put the message to the back of my mind for now. I couldn’t get too upset as I did violate his privacy by reading his message.

  Throughout the show I felt like I was the only one that was in the audience with Rand. He never swayed far from me even though he had room to roam across the stage. As he would pick up his guitar for some songs and then place it back on the stand for others, he had in the beginning brought the stand over to be closer to him so he didn’t have to leave my sight. He sang to me on so many of the songs. At one point Cecile was waving her hand in front of my face like one of us, or both of us was in a trance.

  I continued to keep the drinks coming to the table, not sure of how many I consumed. Cecile didn’t need any loosing up, she was a funny girl and drinks only made her sillier. I caught Jillian looking at Raeford often and he would send her a wink now and then. It was toward the end of their playlist that Kent was spotlighted. The band and Rand gave way to Kent to take his bass and play his heart out. He positioned himself in front of Cecile’s chair, again only few feet away and played. Everyone got to their feet to clap when he was done. Only he jumped off the stage and picked up Cecile and spun her around. I don’t think he kissed her, just spun her and I was hoping she wouldn’t get sick. He put her back down into her seat and he spoke closely to her ear. She beamed. As he jumped back up on the stage, I could only imagine the words Kent said to her because he then licked his lips and smiled directly at Cecile. I could definitely see something developing between those two.

  After their show, which was so good, Rand and the band all came off the stage and talked with everyone in the crowd. Most patrons this night were close friends or family. It was nice to see them play such an intimate venue as we so enjoyed it.

  I had gotten up and left the table for the first time since the show started. Jillian and Cecile remained seated. As I planted my feet to walk I was a bit unsteady. I felt a gentle on the side of my hip helping to keep me standing straight, and it was Ron. I gave him a hug and said that I must have stopped counting the drinks at some point. He directed me to one side to introduce me to the girl he had been crushing on since long ago. Her name was Dahlia and, yes, she was pretty as a flower. She was so polite. I did notice that it was well into the late night hours and she had, sunglasses sitting on top of her head. I guess she and Ron had a lot in common. Tonight though he did not wear his at this show, I guess the lights weren’t as powerful or bright as the other stage sets, or perhaps he wanted to see Dahlia without wearing his sunglasses indoors. I talked to them for a few moments and then was picked up by Isaac and his loud roar of a hello. I told him I had to hit the restroom and I would be back and he could introduce himself to Cecile at the table.

  As I walked to the restroom which now had a line forming, a hand came around my waist and I knew through the sheerness of my top exactly whose touch this was. I was led to the upper portion of the café and down a small hall to the end door. It was another tiny one person bathroom without even a window. I smiled at Rand, and asked him to excuse me since I really had to go to the bathroom. I drank a lot this evening. He stayed outside the door like he was waiting to go in next, but since the venue was staged downstairs; no one was even up in the top section of the café. The coffee shop had it roped off as this is where most people hang with their coffees and computers during the day.

  As I came out of the bathroom relieved to have finally gone, I saw Rand had not left. In fact he pulled me back into the bathroom and locked the door and turned out the light. In the darkness I could only smell and feel this sensational man in front of me. I felt him as he gently lifted off my sheer top from my jeans and rolled up my cami and bent to kiss my stomach. I twirled my hands in his hair and pushed his head and lips tighter to my belly. I felt h
im lower and kiss my jeans and continue downward kissing the fabric that separated my lusting body from his wanting lips. He rose back up in the dark and took my mouth with his. One long sweep of his tongue at a time.

  “Madison, I so want everything we could be, I watched and thought of you all night from that stage.” I immediately softened toward him. I knew I wanted him so badly, but I also knew that we were in this tiny bathroom and it wasn’t going to happen for us here. I also knew I was getting a little dizzy. I wasn’t sure if it was due to emotions or the drinks I had. He leaned me up against the wall and continued taking my mouth with his, controlling the kiss and positioning himself tightly up against my body. His hands were now so firm on my hips. We were moving with each other getting even closer if that was possible. I suddenly felt claustrophobic.

  “Rand, I need air, I can’t breathe. There’s no window, I need to breathe.” I reached for the doorknob and it was locked, I pulled at it again. Rand reached down and unlocked the door and I stepped out and inhaled a huge breath. I turned to him as I was sorry I stopped our moment this time but I felt trapped in there. He came to me, held me. I think it was then that I told him I felt ill from drinking too much. I ran back to the tiny bathroom and found the toilet in the dark and began to throw up.

  Rand helped me through this embarrassing ordeal. He left me only to head downstairs and get me some water and to tell the guys he was taking me home. When Rand returned to me, he told me that Jillian hadn’t overdone the drinking like I had so she was going to drive my car back to my house and make sure Cecile would get home if Kent would let Cecile leave his lap anyway. I figured Jillian and Raeford and Cecile and Kent would surely hang for another several hours. Rand brought me my purse and had given my car key to Jillian.

  Rand helped me redress as he slipped my sheer top back over my head and held me tightly. I told him that his phone and wallet were in my purse. He took out his belongings and I watched him slide his phone into his front pocket and that’s when I remembered the message from “G’ and another wave of nausea threatened at the top of my throat. Quickly, I ran back to the bathroom.

  This was not the ladies night I had thought we all were going to have. Rand took me so carefully to his vehicle and drove me home, asking the entire way if I was okay. He smoothed my hair and gently touched my cheek. When we got to my house he carried me into my bedroom and sat me on the edge of my bed. Behind me hung our selected piece from the art gallery in South Beach, “Separation” and in front of me was the hottest, most sexy man on the earth.

  He lifted my arms up and removed my sheer shirt leaving my cami on. He let his fingers slide under my cami in the back and, like playing music he very effortlessly opened the clasp of my bra. He slid it off of me, lifting the cami straps and replacing them back onto my shoulders. He then laid me back and slowly removed my boots. He unzipped my jeans and although I was getting excited just by watching him undress me, I let out a groan. It wasn’t a moan of arousal, but that of illness I laid there as he slid off my jeans, but made certain that my tiny string panties remained on me.

  Carefully he removed my earrings and kissed each lobe afterwards. He laid them next to my cuff bracelet that he slid from my wrist and placed them on my night stand with the heart facing my direction. He moved over and placed a pillow under my head and grabbed a blanket off the side chair. Before covering me, he looked down and laughed at the mound of clothes he had to climb over to get to the blanket. He then covered me and sat beside me. He kissed my forehead. I passed out.

  When I woke up I remembered a few things of yesterday. The first was I had totally forgotten to eat anything as I spent hours, too many hours, deciding what clothes to wear. The next was that I drank way too much and the next hit me like a brick. It was the scent of Rosemary that made me leap out of the bed to again throw up. When I returned to my bed from my bathroom, I saw in the chair in front of my closet, Rand all curled up, sleeping with a few items of my clothing as a pillow. I’m not sure if the sound of me getting sick or the feeling of me staring at him woke him.

  I walked over to him and said I was so very sorry for ruining his evening. I was feeling horrible for what happened and horrible for how he slept in here with me. To lighten the mood I asked, “So how was your night sleeping with me?” He laughed. I went back to the bathroom to freshen up and I padded down the hardwood to the kitchen. There was some plain toast made and a tall glass of ginger ale waiting for me to drink.

  He pulled me it to him and hugged me tightly. “I didn’t make coffee yet because I was afraid the smell would set you off.” He was still fully dressed just as he had been on stage last night. I could smell his sweat and I snuggled into him and kissed his chest. I knew that his scent would not upset my stomach; he had cared for me last night and stayed with me. I felt that I let him down though; I read his personal message, got myself sick from drinking. I figured I wasn’t a good thing to be looking at right now. I thanked him and told him that I would be fine and to get going. I was sure he had something to do, but he kicked his shoes off and stayed.

  I tried to eat a little bit and then told him my head really hurt so I took a few aspirins and sipped the ginger ale and headed back to my bed. Later in the afternoon I heard him on the phone a few times and I heard the television. When I reappeared from the bed later into the afternoon, he was watching football with the volume low. He had brought his journal in and was writing in it, probably music or maybe what a nut case I had recently become. He was making himself comfortable on the sofa, he had the fireplace lit and warming, and he had removed his shirt and looked like he had taken a shower. He smelled of soap and freshness to me from across the room. I had slept through Rand taking a shower in my home. I couldn’t believe I missed the opportunity to have joined him with no one around to interrupt us.

  I could not take my eyes off of his chest, his bare, beautifully inked, chiseled abs and chest. I was feeling better with every stare. He told me he had some phone calls as everyone had called to see if I was doing okay. He said he wasn’t leaving me. It was Sunday and most Sundays are lazy days for me. I curled up next to him and put my head to his naked chest and remained there until sometime later, my stomach rumbled with desire for food and he grabbed the phone and we called for a pizza delivery. We talked about our favorite kinds of pizza, and surprising enough after I ate a few slices and drank some Coke that seemed to do the trick. I felt worlds better. Being with Rand the whole time may have helped too.

  As we were seated together on the sofa a message came to his phone, he grabbed it and I just caught a glimpse of it.

  I didn’t hear back from you and wanted to know if you got my message from last night? G

  I watched him quickly glance at his messages from last night and then he typed a quick message back.

  I was busy with a show last night here at home, and today I got tied up, but I got your messages, we will talk real soon. L, Rand

  I saw that he signed it with an L, and I felt saddened. I wasn’t sure how to ask him about this as I read it over his shoulder. I didn’t want to get upset in front of him.

  “Hey, I really feel exhausted. I want to get some more rest so I’m going to head back to bed.” I smiled at him with sincerity. “You spent way too much time taking care of me. I know I wasn’t the best company but I feel much better.”

  “Madison, I enjoy being in your company and caring for you, but I’ll take off so you can get to bed.”

  I slowly started to get myself up and moving toward my bedroom, and I looked up into his eyes, “thank you for everything today, and being here.”

  “No place would I have rather been.” He kissed my head and I walked him to the door. As I watched him leave, I saw him grab his phone and get on it. I shut my door and headed to my bed. I pulled the covers up over me and wondered who G was. I heard my phone sound.

  I want you to sleep and feel better. I have a busy week, I’ll check in on you. By the way did you know you talk in your sleep? When you passed out yo
u kept repeating something like gee, gee who are you? And gee where are you? Then you said Rand please don’t leave me, so I stayed. I miss you already, sleep well.

  I never thought I talked in my sleep, I hope he never hears the other dreams I have about him, especially the sexy ones. I was glad he was here but was assuming the worst again. I was too tired to fight off the sleep and think. I sent my last thoughts of the night to him.

  Rand, thank you for staying with me. This is sort of where we began when I met you and saw the first rehearsal, only I stayed at your home and then too we never made it past first base. Let’s try one day to hit ourselves to second or third base? I am going to rest; I am tired, good night.

  Chapter Eleven – Joyous Occasion

  The entire world is busy although Christmas comes the same time every year. Why do people get crazy this time of year? They get stressed and panic like they have a deadline they cannot make and yet it is the same date on the calendar year after year. Well, the past few weeks had been crazy. I was drilled by my girlfriends over and over to make certain everything was alright with me. They were worried that I was upset or depressed because of the holidays. They figured that was the reason I drank so much at the show that night. It took some convincing but I assured them I was fine.

  Cecile and Kent have hit it off so well. He was actually planning on staying at Rand’s this week to hang out and spend time with her and then leave just before Christmas Day to head upstate to his family. He was coming back though for the big New Year’s party at Rand’s.

  I found Jillian and Raeford together at her home. He even answered the phone when I called her. The good news I found out is that Raeford was staying here through Christmas and into the New Year, and I think at Jillian’s the entire time. He told me this when I got him on her phone and she didn’t deny any of it. I heard from him that Isaac and Ron were staying until later in the week. We all planned to meet at the rehearsal studio for some drinks and see each other on Thursday afternoon. We could hang out for a bit together, toast to the holiday and then everyone could go on to where they have to travel with a few days to spare. Rand and Maxwell had been busy with each other and I received a few messages and calls from Rand but most were that he was thinking of me and looking forward to the holiday season. He also told me to come by Thursday to the studio for a get together with everyone. I still felt bad for getting drunk and sick at the 2nd Street Coffee Café after their show and the message he got that evening on his phone that I read, I had a weird sinking feeling about all that.