Fatal Attraction by Mia Ford, Bella Winters (39)

“Well she does like attention,” I say as I stare at her frozen smiling face.

‘That’s for damned sure,” a voice says behind me.

I turn around startled to find my smart girl Sarah standing behind me. I didn’t read the roster so I didn’t know if any of my music students would be in the class. I’m happy to see her.

“I didn’t know anyone was listening.” Despite the truth in my words, I feel my cheeks getting hot. I watch as Sarah takes her seat and I go back to the front of the room. The first bell rings and no one else has come into the room yet. This is a little weird, but it’s homeroom so most teachers aren’t super strict about time.

After the second bell rings and there’s still no one but Sarah in the classroom I get a little prickle of awareness. I could almost imagine hearing witch’s cackles down the hallway. I’m being pranked for some reason. All of the students aren’t coming or they are coming in late. Either way, it’s not funny. It makes me feel like a fool and I want to yell at someone.

I was doing Madeline a favor. Why would she do something mean to me when I was the one helping her out?

“Madeline probably told them there was a substitute. I swear most of the people in my class are mindless followers and the ones doing the leading don’t have two brain cells to rub together.” Sarah surmises.

“I’m sorry, did you just call her Madeline?”

“Yes, we all do. She insists. Says Mrs. Smith is her mother-in-law.”

I actually let my mouth hang open. It’s so unprofessional. As much as I want to head to the principal and accuse Madeline of setting me up with her students I don’t have enough evidence to prove it. And I don’t want to look like a whiny teacher, at least I’m professional.

After the first twenty minutes have passed in which I made Sarah do the writing assignment I brought the students start showing up. They’re all giggling like they’re in on some great joke.

I have a couple of choices. I can get mad and make them copy definitions out of the encyclopedia which is what I really want to do or I can be the bigger person and play along.

I wait until all the students have taken their seats and have sort of settled in.

“That was a good one guys. I really thought you weren’t coming. The assignment is on your desk. You can start it now and finish it tomorrow. We were going to watch a movie once you were done, but now you won’t have time.”

Smiling, I walk over to the desk and sit down to read while they start their assignment. I see Hallie and Penny in the little window of my door and pretend I don’t. Screw them. It’s clear for some reason they thought this would unnerve me. It doesn’t make me angry, it makes me laugh. They need to realize I don’t really care about some childish prank. I just feel bad for the students. They are ones that are going to suffer in the long run by not having a teacher who cares about them.

Thursday morning, I feel more comfortable with my role as a substitute. I hope I’ve gotten through to them. And this time it will be different.

In fact, the nerves I’m feeling today have nothing to do with Madeline’s class and everything to do with a certain sexy singer. I had dreams about Charlie all night long and the things he’d done to me. My mind drifts back to the way he’d been down between my legs and how that must have looked to him. It’s all I can think about in the shower, mostly because in the dream I’d forgotten to shave my legs and he was looking at an insane forest.

But even with my freak out and embarrassing myself, I still don’t feel bad about how good his tongue felt. I don’t think anything could diminish the euphoria he made me feel with his mouth on me. I don’t think he’ll be in that position again for a long time. Yet maybe I should think about waxing down there, just in case.

Before I know it, I'm standing in front of my mirror over analyzing everything I see. I actually sit on the floor wearing only underwear in front of it so I can see what he saw. It doesn't look that appealing to me so I stand back up. Maybe it looks different from on the floor than on the couch. I think of when he spread my lap apart but I can’t make myself do that. If I see what that looks like down there I may never leave the house.

I'm definitely overthinking this. I just need to go and meet with them. Tomorrow night will be more about singing with him then dating and sex. Heck, we can’t really talk about sex with Thomas at the table with us. After, when we’re alone maybe.

Walking into homeroom I’m convinced that my day will be normal, only it’s not. After the first bell, once again only Sarah’s in the classroom. I’ve now stopped thinking it’s funny. This is a strange personal attack on me and I don’t have to stand for it.

And the kicker to my now crappy morning is the principal who chooses this exact time to come into the classroom.

“Principal Stephens! What brings you to the classroom today?” I say brightly. I’ve worn the other really colorful dress I own and have paired it with the bright yellow pumps I’d worn to dinner with Charlie. I hope the brightness puts him in a good mood.

“The question should be, Miss Springfield, why are your students playing kickball on the front lawn. Shouldn’t they be in here in time for the bell?”

My cheeks heat up and I make my way over to look out the window. Sure enough, the entire class minus Sarah is playing some form of soccer on the front lawn. The girls in the class have done backbends to make the goals when the teams get close. It’s impressive, but I’m seeing red.

“I’ll take care of this at once,” I say and go sit behind my desk.

“This is you taking care of it?” He raises a brow at me.

“For every minute they aren’t in here, it’s another minute they are in detention with you tomorrow after school.”

“Very good.” He actually smiles and walks out of the classroom.

“Man, Miss Springfield, I’m glad I came to class. You’ve got a little venom underneath that bright ass dress,” Sarah says.

“Language Sarah,” I say, “and thank you.”

When the students come in laughing about fifteen minutes later I sit calmly behind the desk smiling. I wait for them to get settled the same as I did earlier.

“I’m going to call the roll. The principal was kind enough to pay us a visit while you were all outside getting your extracurriculars in. The problem is, while I support exercise in the morning, you were supposed to be in class. Each of you will be in detention tomorrow after school for an hour and twenty-five minutes. You will write an essay about why pranks can sometimes be a bad thing and you’ll all be in class on time tomorrow.”

There are a few gasps and moans throughout my speech, but I continue.

“If you’re late tomorrow we’ll spend Saturday here together in detention. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes,” come back a lot of half-hearted replies.

They aren’t smiling and giggling anymore. I decide to stick it to them just a little bit harder just so they know that I’m no longer playing nice.

“Yes, ma’am,” I say opening my eyes wide.

“Yes, ma’am,” they all reply.

When Friday morning comes I go into the classroom and am pleased to see all the students are present and even a little early. I once again catch Hallie and Penny outside the classroom. This time, I don’t ignore them.

I walk to the door and open it. “Morning ladies, may I help you?”

Catching them off guard makes them stumble back from the door and look at one another. From their frustrated faces, they had been hoping the students were once again not coming into the classroom. Maybe I should cackle at them.

“We just wanted to make sure you had your students under control. We know how hard it is for substitutes to gain any respect,” Penny said with sugared poison dripping off each word.

“I had a bit of trouble with my students, but I made sure the punishment fit the crime. Do you two not teach homeroom?”

“No, we actually don’t have homerooms. It’s our free work period,” Penny explains.

“Well, next time you can substitute for Madeline then,” I say with a smile and walk back into my classroom. I don’t know where these big balls I’ve suddenly gotten have come from, but I think I’ll keep them.

Chapter Fourteen: Charlie

“I’ve never been this nervous,” I tell Thomas when he comes to pick me up. He’s got a driver to take us to the restaurant and bar because he thinks it will show Addy what she could be experiencing if she decides to work with us. If I know Addy, she won’t care about having a driver.

“Don’t be. You already have that girl smitten. I think she’ll do whatever you want her to.” Thomas all but rubs his hands together in glee.

“You don’t know that.”

We’re on our way to pick her up from the school and I just want everything to go smoothly. If she doesn’t want to sing with me I’m a little nervous Thomas will drop me. He might not, because I’m paying him, but I’m always worried he’s just looking for the next big thing. And without Addy, I have a feeling that won’t be me.

“I do, you’re talented and she’s going to love singing with you.”

Thomas is the biggest cheerleader I have. He always has my back and makes me feel like the smartest person in the world. Well, that is what I pay him to do. His words ease some of the fear that he’s going to drop me. My whole thought process has been thrown off by the girl I’ve been thinking about all week.

When we pull up in front of the school, there’s an audience. I kind of wish we’d waited until the students and teachers had cleared out. There’s no way to avoid it now.

Addy appears, her bright features lighting me up from the inside. My heart slams against my chest at how wholesome yet sexy she looks. Before we can get out Addy is hurrying into to car and shutting the door firmly.

“Hi,” she says shyly looking out at the mass of people now staring at the car as it pulls away.

“Hi,” I respond sounding almost breathless.

“Where are we going?” she asks her cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink.

“We’re going to Sunfire, I think you’ll love it there,” Thomas says to Ada. “Well, Lila says you’ll love it there. She was supposed to come but had some emergency PTA things. Is she lying? I didn’t think teachers worried about PTA.”

Ada laughs and it’s a beautiful sound. “No, she’s not lying. The English teachers run the PTA and they take it very seriously. She probably had to be there to make sure they had the right fundraising advertisements or something equally mundane. Poor Lila.”

The ride over is full of conversation about Lila and Thomas. I can tell Ada loves her best friend dearly so it’s enjoyable to listen to her talk about her.

We pull up to the restaurant and immediately I see Savannah. My stomach turns sour and I try to keep the frown from forming on my face. Of all the people to run into at one of the most expensive restaurants in town, she was not someone I thought I’d see. She’s with an older guy, I assume a rich sugar daddy, but I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Somehow, I manage to get by her and her date without them seeing us. Thank goodness for small miracles.

As luck would have it they are meandering around waiting for a table, being we have reservations I hoping they will sweep us to our table immediately. I’m happy to give the hostess my name so we can get out of her eye line. But it seems my luck has run out.

“Please go sit at the bar and have a complimentary drink while we get your table ready Mr. Maxwell.” The hostess apologetically says our table is occupied by someone who has overstayed their welcome. Once we’re seated at the bar and order a drink Thomas jumps right into business as I keep a side eye on Savannah hoping she doesn’t see me.

“So, I have the contract, but we can talk about all that after dinner. It covers things like percentage of money from the sales of albums, merchandise, and lots of other things.”

“Half,” Ada says surprising Thomas. I can tell because he leans back in the both with his mouth open.

“Half?”

“Yes, I’m putting myself out there if I decide to sing with Charlie. I’m giving up my privacy and who knows what else. It’s not like I’m the one desperate for this. I’m perfectly fine teaching my student’s music so in my mind it seems you need me more than I need you. So, I want half or nothing. If that contract doesn’t say I’m entitled to half then redo it. I’ll get a lawyer to look at it once you have.”

I’m a little blown away by this confidence Addy has gained. She isn’t backing down from Thomas and she is prepared to play hardball. It’s a pretty big turn on.

“That’s fine with me. If you want to sing with me, then half of it should be yours.” I add giving her a wink to bring back the pink flush on her cheeks.

“Now wait a minute Charlie, you have to look at the big picture here. This is your brand,” Thomas interjects.

“She’s going to be a part of it.”

I can tell Thomas is going to lose it. He is holding back so he doesn’t make her mad, but his face shows he doesn’t think she deserves half. It’s fucking dumb that he would be fighting her on this. He was the one that insisted I needed a partner. Hell, I was positive he was going to drop me if I couldn’t convince Addy to sing with me. So why he was being a dick didn’t make sense. I personally just want to give her whatever she wants so she’ll keep looking at me that way.

She has such admiration for me in her eyes since I said it should be hers. I want to give her the moon if she keeps thinking of me in such a great light.

We get seated fairly quickly and I’m happy to order a round of drinks for the table. The special is a wine spritzer of some sort which Thomas immediately makes fun of me for ordering, but he drinks his. The next round is on him and he gets something horrible the waitress sets on fire.

Once we’ve finished our before dinner drinks and ordered some food the conversation goes back to the contracts.

“Thomas, she said to rewrite it for her to have half. And her and I both agree she should get it so let’s talk about something else, like how we’re going to pull this off.” I’m getting impatient with his desire to wax poetic about legal issues. We want her on our team and we can figure all that out later.

He gets ready to say something back when I start shaking my head. And then it happens I see Savannah has spotted me and she’s making her way over. Nothing good will come from whatever she’s going to say and I can’t excuse myself to talk to her because it won’t look good in front of Ada. I feel like a sitting duck and I don’t even know what type of ammo is about to blow my ass up.

“Charlie, you left me hanging the other night. You know you owe me now.” She slurs making it obvious that she has gone beyond a buzz. The smell of alcohol floats in the air towards me as she leans down. I didn’t think it was possible that a person could smell like a liquor bottle.

“Now is not a great time, Savannah,” I tell her as quietly as I can. Both Thomas and Ada are looking at me with wide eyes.

“Charlie, I want what’s mine. I know I didn’t pay for it, but when you promise something, you promise it. You know what I mean. I want it.” Her voice takes on a whiny quality that I’m pretty sure she thinks is adorable instead of pathetic.

“So, give it to me and I’ll be on my way.” She’s getting louder as her words slur together. People are looking over now to see what the fuss is about. Where is her date?

“I mean it, Savannah, this is not the time.”

“Oh, I see. You’re here with the big man in a suit and another coke whore. You don’t want to give me what’s mine. That’s fine. That’s fine.” Her arms are swinging wildly as her glazed eyes fix on me.

Ada looks completely disgusted with the whole thing and I expect her to walk out any minute. I can’t believe she just called her a coke whore.

“You’re making a fool out of yourself. I’ll come by the bar, I’ll bring you what you want. Just leave me right now.”

“No,” she yells and slams her body into our table spilling drinks and making a loud noise. “I want it right now. I’ll follow you to your house for it.”

The owner of the restaurant’s making his way to the table. I know him from the times Thomas has brought us before. He takes Savannah’s arm and moves her from our table.

“I need you to calm down or you’ll not be welcome in our restaurant.”

“It’s his fault,” she yells.

At this point, her date has realized was not going to the bathroom but making a ridiculous scene instead. He comes over and is trying to convince her to leave. She’s still getting louder and more reckless with her body as she flails her whole body around to get out of the owner’s grasp.

“Get her out of here, or I’m calling the police.” The owner tells her date and adds, “I know you didn’t think she’d act like this Bernard, but please for me, get her out of my place.”

Once they are removed and the restaurant calms down Addy pins me with a heavy stare. “You’re going to have to explain that to me,” she states with a no-nonsense voice that I picture her using on her more rambunctious students. “And don’t lie. If you lie I’ll walk out.”

“If I tell you the truth you’ll walk out too,” I say sadly.

“You’ll just have to take that risk.”

I sigh knowing I’m about to lose the deal for us and watch as Thomas shakes his head no. But in my heart, I know I have to be truthful with her or she’ll never believe anything I say again.

“I need you to know Addy. I don’t do coke, I don’t do any hard drugs. I occasionally smoke weed and I drink. I’ve done coke in the past and I didn’t like it.”

“Okay,” she says hesitantly.

“The night we came to see you play, I had plans to meet her at the bar she works at. That night I was supposed to take her some coke. I have a friend, he sells and I got it to impress her. I was trying to get in her pants,” she winces and I hope I’m not taking the honesty thing too far. “I didn’t give it to her because there were some men in the bar my father fired and they started a fight that got me escorted from the bar.”

“That’s why your face was bruised.” It’s a statement, not a question. I nod my head and she surprises me when she continues, “Okay so now she thinks you owe her the free drugs you were going to give her if she slept with you?” Ada asks.

“When you say it like that it sounds so dirty.”

“Well, it is dirty Charlie. Thank you for telling me the truth. I don’t like anything about it, but I’m glad you didn’t lie.”

She takes a sip of her drink and the food comes to the table. I can’t believe it was that easy to tell her about my dalliances with drugs and women. Somehow this would come back to bite me in the ass later. When I look at Thomas, he’s just shaking his head.

We eat in near silence. The food is good and I think all of us are just processing what just happened. When we’re all done with our forks down I signal for the check.

“Shall we get the hell out of here?” I ask and lead the way. I’m glad the owner was able to get Savannah to calm down and I hope the damage that has been done isn’t irreparable.

The car drives us to a bar downtown called Kitzy. It’s an upscale place but not gold chalice upscale. We go in and get a table with tall stools. I sit next to Ada and Thomas sits across from her.

Once again, when we sit, Thomas is back to all business.

“So, I guess our main question is are you ready to make the commitment? We are ready to rent out a recording studio. I know a guy and all I need is for you to say the word for this to get started,” Thomas says. “You’ll be expected to come in and record with Charlie during a time we agree upon. That’s not something that takes up a little time. It takes up a lot. This album is going to be the next big thing and we want it to be right. So that means a lot of hard work from both of you and I need a commitment.”

“I understand that,” Ada says. “If I decide to do it, I’ll make the commitment. You don’t have to worry about that I never slack when I agree to do something. I’ll just have to keep a good sleep schedule so I can function at work.”

“That might not be an option. We may have to record into the night.” Thomas stares at her intently letting her know it is now or never time.

Addy fixes him with her own bone-chilling look and he holds his hands up in defeat. “Everything is negotiable Ada. I’m just trying to do my job and make sure we are moving right along and on track with everything.”

This conversation goes on for a while and I just listen. Once the three of us have more drinks coming we’re less serious. Addy cuts herself off and the two of us continue drinking.

“I’m going to the ladies,” Ada says and gets up from our table. I notice a guy on the other side of the room watching her go and I think he looks familiar, but I can’t place him. I look away and when I look again, he’s gone.

It irks me. Where do I know that guy from? Why was he looking at Ada like that? It hits me he looks like the guy that punched me in the bar, but I’m not sure. This guy is dressed completely different and I only got a glance at him. I could be paranoid after they said they were coming for me. My gut starts to churn and I think about following her to the bathroom. That’s ridiculous though, she can go to the bathroom by herself.

Thomas and I go back to our drinks and I let it go. Well, I almost let it go. I just can’t shake the uneasy feeling that something is wrong.

“Hey, that girl you were with. Someone just grabbed her from the hallway and yanked her outside.” Our waitress is standing over the table. She barely gets the words out and I’m rushing to the bathroom to save her with Thomas at my heels. I should have trusted my instincts.

It had to be Corky’s men or the men from the bar. I can’t believe my problems have somehow come down on her.

Chapter Fifteen: Ada

Jimmy came out of nowhere and he had me by my hair and my arm before I could even run.

As he pulls me out the back of the bar all I can think is he’s going to kill me. I assume he’s decided to kill me instead of Charlie because I broke up with him and humiliated him by not coming back to him when he begged me to. Surely, someone saw him drag me out the back.

He’s got both my arms and he’s holding them tightly and pulling them down. He turns to me with eyes full of rage. There’s no feeling in them, just anger. Anything we’d shared in the past is gone, there’s nothing but hate for me in his stare and I know without a doubt in my mind he’s going to really hurt me.

I let out a throat-wrenching scream which earns me a punch in the face. I feel my skin split above my eye and see the blood on his hands.

“Now, Addybug, why did you make me do that?”

Addybug is what my dad calls me and my nickname on his lips makes my skin crawl. He’s never called me that before. Fear grips my heart and I try to breathe to calm myself down. If I lose my head I’m going to end up in the woods somewhere covered in leaves and trees.

“Jimmy, come on. It’s me. You don’t want to hurt me.”

“I saw you with him, Addy. I already told you it’s me or it’s no one.”

He’s become calm, which is actually even more terrifying, as he pulls me towards a car I don’t recognize parked behind the bar. Searching around us I realize there’s no one around.

Everyone is parked out front and there aren’t any open shops in the shopping center behind it. Dread surfaces. No one is going to help me. I start to lose hope and with a last-ditch effort, I try to fight him. I dig my heels into the ground so he has to drag me if he wants me to go any further.

“Stop making it hard for yourself Addy.” He twists his hands around my arms burning the skin. I continue to resist. It’s all I have left to do.

“Ada.” I hear Charlie yell my name as he comes out the back of the bar. “What the hell?”

I hear footsteps coming towards us and look to see what Jimmy’s reaction is. He isn’t pulling a weapon and he looks shocked someone is coming to my rescue. Charlie and Thomas are running at us but he doesn’t let go of my arms.

Charlie leaps and attacks Jimmy. He finally lets my arms go as Charlie tackles him to the ground. When Jimmy gets up he punches Charlie in the face. I hear the crunch as his fist hits his nose and then Charlie gets a punch in. Thomas joins in and pulls Jimmy up off the ground holding his arms behind his head and keeping him from moving.

“We’ve called the police baby,” Charlie says. “Someone saw him grab you. I’m so sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

“You did what you could Charlie,” I say.

I can’t stop shaking as Charlie holds me. I hear Jimmy swearing as he tries to get away from Thomas. Looking at him, you wouldn’t know it, but Thomas is a strong man. He’s holding Jimmy down on his own while Charlie sways me slightly. I want to tell him to stop, but it is calming me.

“Miss Springfield,” I hear someone say. “I’m Detective Sharpe. Can you tell me what happened tonight?”

I explain what had happened with Jimmy from our relationship to him threatening Charlie. I hesitate to bring my dad into it even though he’s part of the problem. Once I tell him how I went to the bathroom and Jimmy attacked he takes pictures of the bruises on my arms and goes to talk to Charlie. A lady comes up to me and takes a look at my eye. I realize she’s a paramedic only when she asks if I want to go to the hospital.

She has me follow a light and tells me she doesn’t think I have a concussion, just a nasty cut. After a few butterfly stitches, she gives me a prescription for high milligram Tylenol and goes through some of the symptoms of shock with me. If I start feeling bad later I need to go to the hospital. I tell her, thank you, but everything is in a fog at the moment.

I watch as the police car drives away with Jimmy in the back. It almost feels like I’m in some kind of crazy nightmare. Nothing feels tangible to me like I’m a ghost standing near the scene of a crime while people walk through me trying to piece together what happened.

The people around me are bystanders mostly, they’re staring at me. Probably because Jimmy was the spectacle and he’s gone now. It makes me feel like a spectacle myself, one who can’t control her relationships.

“Ada, are you okay?” Charlie has his arm around me and Thomas is talking to the police.

“I’m so sorry Charlie, he’s my ex. He’s really insane.”

“Do you want me to take you home?”

“No, I just want to be around people. Can I come home with you please?”

He looks taken aback and then almost hungry. I know what he’s thinking about and I am thinking it too. The night has been so full of insanity and high emotion. I want him and if he wants me then there’s no reason to wait.

In the cab, he says, “I know that guy. I thought when I saw him it was because he was mad at me, not because he’s your ex.”

“You know him?”

“Well, not personally. You know the night I told you those guys got after me in the bar?”

“Yes,” I lean back so I can look at him.

“He was the one who punched me. He also remembered me from high school, so he had double reason to be mad at me, and now I guess I’ve given him a third one.” He puts his arm around me.

“Oh no, were you at Rascal’s?”

“Yeah, how’d you know that?”

“That’s where they hang out. My dad was probably there and saw the whole thing.”

We walk from the cab to his apartment holding hands and get into the elevator. Neither of us say anything and I can’t help but smile a little at how awkward it still is between us. His hand skims my back slowly when we ease to a stop and the doors open up letting us exit. I’m entering his territory. His space and I’m ready for this. I want this and as he pushes me gently against the wall beside his door, he fumbles for his keys. A vibration bleats between us as we stand my right side to his pocket and my hip, not near enough my center to tease me, but I think the dark thoughts waiting, no, anticipating his next move like a chess player.

“Damn.” He reaches for his phone, fingers grazing me and I whimper waiting. Always waiting it seems.

“Who is it?” I breathlessly mumble as I toy with a curl of my loose and frizzier by the minute hair.

“Unknown number.” He frowns and I feel myself pursing my lips in a pout. Denied again it seems. It’s almost laughable because this time it isn’t me putting things off. Charlie opens the door and guides me inside. I don’t get to speak before he’s checking the phone and lost in his own thoughts.

“Make yourself at home, I need to take this phone call.” Charlie kisses me on the forehead and walks purposefully toward what I assume is his study. His apartment, if one could call it that is huge. Enormous. Ridiculously so. Much bigger than my place and all done in tastefully rich decor that screams designer hands. Hands that make me jealous though there isn’t a single feminine touch to the apartment. It’s full-on bachelor pad. It’s all dark masculine wood and chrome finishes on all the surfaces followed by leather sectionals and heavy linen curtains that open just enough to let the view and twinkling stars peek through.

“Sounds great,” I mumble dropping my purse on the side table at the door and inching my way into his domain. I slip my shoes off and walk under the threshold barefoot. My toes curl on the bare floor. Nerves fray my senses like electrical impulses and I’m drawn to follow Charlie. I can hear muffles of his voice beyond the hallway and watch him pace inside his study raking a hand through his somewhat spiky dark hair. His fingers pull as if he’s annoyed and I figure it must have something to do with work or his dad. I don’t know and for some reason it makes my stomach clench. My hand floats down to cover my belly to steady the butterflies swirling inside.

“Ada, why don’t you pick a movie or something?” Charlie peeks his head out from the study smiling and nodding toward a remote on the coffee table. I think about the rest of the evening and how to move things along naturally without coming off as obviously innocent or too slutty. Is there ever a natural halfway point? Maybe he’s trying to distract me from everything that happened tonight. It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. I just wonder what’s so important it pulled him away from me.

“Sure,” I say.

He winks and pulls the door shut blocking me out. I hear him say, “No George, and stop suggesting it.”

I casually saunter absorbing my surroundings. I wonder who George is, I can’t help myself. My fingers touch the cool surface of the bar top counter and then move toward the imposing leather sectional. I plop down and sink into butter-soft leather that caresses the back of my bare thighs under my dress.

I hoped Charlie would have admired it earlier seeing as how the color makes my eyes pop, but he seemed intent on dinner and drinks making me think sex was off the table. It should have been after my last episode. I was surprised wanted to be around me alone again after my freak out and hiding in the bathroom. Well done, Ada.

I pick up the remote and turn the television on figuring I can scan for the nightly news or the weather channel. What I don’t expect is to see a full-frontal porno taking up the entire flat screen television. Gasping I look around and Charlie is still behind closed doors. The scene is graphic but also fascinating. I find I can’t tear my eyes away.

I turn toward his office again waiting to get caught and nothing. Back on the screen, there’s a man fully erect and a woman with pebbled nipples and hair as dark as mine. It’s erotic and sweet the way he traces his lips down her neck leaving wet kisses and down her belly to lick her. I swallow back my own arousal and lean into the couch. I’ll give it a minute, maybe less before I shut it off and Charlie catches me. Now that would be embarrassing.

I watch the man who has pushed her back on the bed and spread her legs wide. The camera angle leaves nothing hidden and his mouth works her over as she writhes on the bed. I think about my last encounter with Charlie if only I hadn’t been a freak if only I tamped my nerves down enough to let him continue. We could have been past this awkwardness by now. My legs feel warm on the couch and I rub my thighs together. I’m wet and achy and if I touch myself now it’ll only get worse.

When the man has his hands cupping her breasts and squeezing them I feel a hand snake down my collarbone to cup my breasts. I don’t scream when I recognize its Charlie.

“Oh, Charlie.” I moan letting his hands slip under the top of my dress to pinch my nipples over my lace bra. My eyes flutter shut feeling instead of seeing. It’s exquisite and exactly what the man on screen is doing except his partner is naked. I want to be naked too. That is a surprising thought.

“Caught you, Addy.” He leans forward to suck on my neck as one hand slips farther cupping my mounds while the other moves down to slip a finger under my panties spreading the slick juices between my legs. Now I am embarrassed the porn turned me on and it’s obvious.

I clear my throat. “Watch a lot of porn, do you?”

His teeth graze my ear until tears prick my eyes from the sting. “Only when some certain brunette leaves me hanging.”

“I…” I don’t have an answer or a good reason for why I freaked out like a teenager. I’m a virgin, but I’m a woman all the same.

“Come on, I think we can do better than my couch sweetheart.” His hands leave me just as quickly as they found me and I find myself following him like an emotional drunkard on unsteady legs craving my next drink.

He gives me a hand and we stumble rush into his darkened bedroom. We don’t bother with turning the lights on and I’m fine with that. I’ll check out his room later.

“Charlie, I need to-” I don’t get to finish because he’s pulled me in close and then he’s pulling my dress off in one swift motion so smooth I almost don’t even miss it.

“You are fucking beautiful Addy.” He kisses me and tastes me all the same. Our mouths fuse together and I’m furiously working at the button tab of his pants giggling when it gets caught and he growls low in his throat.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he says and I realize he means my head where the bastard hit me. He touches the butterfly stitches and I wince a bit.

“You won’t hurt me, just don’t turn your head this way when you kiss me.” I don’t think I could feel pain right not with the euphoria of being with him again.

“Do you want this?” He asks.

“Of course, I do.” My voice is hoarse with need. “Why would you think?”

He bites my lips before I can finish that sentence too. I manage to work his pants down his muscular thighs and he pushes me back onto the bed forcing me to scoot up.

“Because you’re skittish, it’s like you’ve never done this before.” He covers me with his body and a snap sound tears my panties pulling them down as he raises my leg over his shoulder. His mouth moves over my neck and then down my breast. I gasp as he pulls a nipple into his mouth. He releases me with a wet pop and I moan loudly grabbing his head closer.

“Because I haven’t,” I whisper not caring and lost in the sensation of his heavy body over mine, his crisp hair rubbing against my smooth skin with friction.

“Never?” He implores.

“Never,” I repeat.

Charlie freezes for a spilt-second and I’m terrified I might have lost him somehow. His arm reaches over me and fiddles with the nightstand drawer. He knocks something off on top of it cursing and a giggle escapes me.

“Charlie?” I question.

He kisses my lips until they become pliant and sore.

“Shh, Addy.” He rips a plastic wrapper and I feel his hand and fingers between us moving around.

“Condom.” He says by way of explanation and I nod because safe sex is best and I wasn’t thinking clearly with his body between my legs and my head in the clouds.

Charlie grunts and pushes forward slowly.

“Whoa.” I squeak feeling the head of his cock put pressure at the center of my core and my arms push back against his unmovable chest.

“Shhh, I’ll be gentle. This is the uh hard part.” He kisses my neck and proceeds to keep a steady pace pushing inside of me. It hurts and yet it doesn’t hurt keeping me immobile half out of fear and half out of wonder at what’s happening with my body and his joining. I’m full to the point of bursting when he stops.

“That’s it, Addy. Breathe sweetheart.”

“I need you to move, Charlie. Please.”

“Oh, I plan to, just give me a minute.” He chuckles and I plop my head back on the bed because really, where else am I going with Charlie’s cock impaled inside of me right now.

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly testing the movement of my hips. It feels strangely exhilarating. I lick my lips and rest my hands on his shoulders griping them tight. I raise my hips to meet his and he grinds mine back down into the bed.

“Oh, Addy.” Charlie keeps up the movement and I meet him thrust for thrust tentatively at first until we move in rhythm.

A rumbling vibration of nerves and sensations fill me from the center. I clench my thighs around Charlie’s hips now that he’s let my leg go. He’s groaning with my movements also and pumps faster.

I kiss his shoulder and bite the skin gently. “Keep going, Charlie.” I encourage him because it doesn’t feel so raw now with our bodies slick and sweated.

“Yeah?” He asks moving faster and faster.

“Yes. Oh god, yes.” I grunt shallow pants scratching his shoulders in response. Everything tightens and curls at once. Starbursts seem to shoot from the back of my eyes and I feel like jelly when the world comes back replete.

Charlies pumps several more times, his cock swelling before I feel the jettison of his cum from inside the condom filling me. He grinds against me as if to press it deeper in some male animalistic need and the dirty girl in me likes it more than I should. We breathe heavy into the dark and Charlie rolls to his side taking me with him and pulls the bedspread over us like a burrito. It’s warm but not suffocating and it feels good to lay against his chest.

“I didn’t think it was possible Addy.” He murmurs into my hair kissing me.

I look up at him in the dark unable to see his face fully but enough to make out the handsome angles I love so much.

“What?” I inquire. He doesn’t say anything for a moment and I think maybe he’s drifted off to sleep until he speaks low again.

“Nothing sweetheart.” He hugs me close and I swear I hear him say thank you. My heart thumps and swells. Is this love or maybe strange feelings since it’s Charlie I gave my virginity to? I wouldn’t know having never done it before, but it feels sweet, sugary like candy, melty chocolate. I feel like I’m getting super mushy and should be way more mature about the whole thing.

We’ve only been lying together for a few minutes when Charlie jumps up and looks down at me smiling.

“So, I know that just happened and it was wonderful, but I really want you to sing with me,” Charlie says. He doesn’t care that he’s naked as he goes over to the corner and grabs his guitar. I hadn’t even noticed he’d brought it with him, I’d been so shaken.

“Right now?” I giggle as I pull the sheets around me and sit up.

After they are gone I sit and look over some of the notes Charlie has written. He’s at the front locking the door.

“I want to run it through with you. See how it feels.” I say as I pick up a sheet.

“Okay, great,” his eyebrows go up as what I said sinks in. He rushes over and grabs the sheets from me. “Those aren’t ready for you yet. Here., I worked on something that I think will suit you a little better.”

I read the lyrics and wonder why he thinks I would be suited by it.

Ran from the life and the needle

Keep getting pulled back in

A friend says he’s in trouble

So, I start running again

The men chasing him are angry

There’s a lot of grit in his eyes

My bleeding heart pulled me down

And I might not make it alive

“Charlie, why would you think I would like this?” I ask genuinely confused.

“Because you told me to dig deep. Write about something meaningful and true. Maybe not in so many words,” he says.

“This is something that happened to you?”

“Yes,” he says looking down.

I wonder how much I don’t know about him.

“I would sing the verses.” He says moving forward to point. “You would sing the chorus. That’s the part I thought you’d like.”

I read on.

Loving a man with the wrong idea

Of what it means to be free is a shame

I can’t help the way I feel

His chains are going to drown me and I say

Bring on the water

“That’s actually really pretty Charlie.” I’m impressed after reading his bump and grind lyrics from earlier.

“Thanks, you want to try it. I don’t have the music laid down but I have it up here.” He touches his temple. “I’ll sing it and then you can follow.”

“Okay,” I’m actually excited to see how the music goes. It’s even prettier than I thought it would be and I find myself getting sucked into the moment.

“So, what do you say, Ada, you want to give it a go?”

“Yes, I want to sing with you Charlie,” I tell him.

“Great, I’ll get Thomas to book the studio all next week.”

After we sing awhile we find ourselves back in bed for round two. I fall asleep a little later completely satisfied and smiling.

Chapter Sixteen: Ada

After Friday night I’d allowed myself to just be lazy. When Sunday rolled around I really didn’t want to go see my dad at all. I’d promised him and he said there would be dinner on the table when I got there. Around four o’clock I drug myself through the shower and got ready.

Charlie had called and wanted to come over to see me and sing some more. I told him once I got back from dad’s I’d call him. It’s the part of the night I’m looking forward to. Liza had told me once I did it, I’d want to do it all the time and she was right.

I drive to my father’s house on the other side of town. It’s kind of off the beaten path and in the woods. It wasn’t where we grew up, but it was where he moved. I pull up and notice the grass hasn’t been taken care of. It’s not like dad to not take care of his lawn. He’s always taken such pride in it looking great.

"Thanks for coming sweetheart." Dad stands in his living room and motions for me to sit on the couch.

I do so obediently a little nervous about what he'll tell me.

"Hey Addy," I hear Jimmy say as he walks from the kitchen into the living room.

I'm filled with fear and anger. My whole body buzzes with adrenaline as I jump up from the couch.

"What is he doing here?"

"He's here to help me deliver a message." My father says with no emotion in his voice.

"He hit me. I sent him to jail the other night." I look around me for something to protect myself with.

"He's really sorry about that Addybug. It's why I bailed him out."

My face is hot and tears well up in my eyes. My own father bailed a man out of jail who'd physically abused me. I knew we hadn't been close since mom left, but I never thought he hated me until now.

"I'm leaving." I make my way towards the door to find Jimmy blocking it. My dad walks up behind me and grabs my arm pulling me back towards the couch.

I'm terrified now. What did they bring me here for?

"You aren't singing with that Maxwell kid."

“What do you mean?”

“His daddy did us wrong and no daughter of mine is going to have anything to do with that filthy family.”

“It wasn't Charlie's fault you got fired.” I protest. I’ve never known my father to act this way. He’s being so unreasonable. It makes me wonder what else he could have hid from me. Maybe he’s the reason mama left. Maybe he was mean or crazy. My opinion of my father has forever been changed now.

I should have known this was why he wanted me here.

“It doesn't matter. I've got a reputation to keep up.”

“I'm grown, daddy. You might have been able to tell me what to do in high school but you can't now. I am done with this.” I walk towards the door again prepared to fight Jimmy.

He just smiles at me and moves out of my way.

“Addybug. You've left us no choice. You sing with that boy and he'll have an accident. One he might not survive.” He says still with no emotion in his voice.

“You wouldn't do that.”

“No, but I would,” Jimmy says continuing to smile. “I've lost you already. I've got nothing else to lose.”

“You're both crazy, I scream as I run to my car. Hot angry tears run down my face. He wouldn’t hurt Charlie, would he?

I couldn't live with myself if he did. How can I blow him off? He is so excited about our song.

I could tell him the truth. I just don't know that it will do any good. My dad always ruins my life in one way or another.

My opinion of my dad has now changed forever. How could he bail out Jimmy? He hurt me. It just doesn't seem real.

I'm supposed to record with Charlie tomorrow. I've let him into my heart and my bed. It's going to be the hardest thing I ever do, but I'm going to stand him up.

There's no doubt in my mind Jimmy will hurt him. If he's said I'm going to shoot him, I'd have gone to the police. The fact that they want to make it look like an accident means the police can't stop it. If I want to kneel him safe I'm going to have to stay away.

I make the decision to stand him up. Not only will it keep my dad happy it will have the added effect of making sure he never talks to me again.

Tears run down my cheeks as I make my way to the car. How did this day turn so bad?

Charlie calls me like I knew he would and I don’t answer. He calls again a little later as I pull back into my apartment complex. I don’t answer again. I go and run a bath and sit in it until the water is cold. Instead of facing getting out, I drain all the water and run more so I can continue to sit in the bath without hypothermia.

After my bath, I try to go to sleep. Finally, I get up and call Lila, but of course, she doesn’t answer. The clock says it’s only ten o’clock so I try to watch a movie to get sleepy. After that doesn’t work I just lie still and stare at the ceiling. It’s all I can do.

I decide to do something I haven’t done in a long time to try and go to sleep, drink. I get up and go into my pantry. There’s a bottle of vodka that’s been in the cabinet since I had a roommate. It was hers, and I’d never been tempted to touch it until this evening.

I pour some straight and take it down shuddering over the horrible taste. I take down another large gulp and then mix some with a juice I have in the fridge.

After I finish that drink I make another and notice I feel amazing. I almost call Charlie but decide not to. Once I’m good and drunk I grab a blanket and pass out in the recliner in my living room.

Chapter Seventeen: Charlie

It’s six o’clock and Ada hasn’t shown up to record yet. She should have been here right after work which means she’d have been here at five thirty. Thomas is getting nervous. I’ve called her a few times and I’m just not sure what’s changed. I don’t think I did or said anything that could have upset her, but I’m really not sure.

Did she get spooked because we slept together?

“You know how much this is costing me? This studio is not cheap and if we don’t start creating something to put out soon, we’re going into the red.” Thomas paces behind me as I sit in front of the glass case we should be in.

“You bill me for this don’t you,” I say.

“Yes, fine how much this is costing us. I don’t know what you did to that girl, but if you’ve messed this up Charlie,” he doesn’t finish his sentence. He just runs a hand down his face. “I just don’t know what we’ll do,” he says finally.

He continues to stomp around until finally, I can’t take it anymore.

“Just go, Thomas. We’ll let someone else have the space.”

“I booked it the whole day. You can’t just let someone else have it.”

“She’s clearly got a good reason for not being here. You know Addy. You know she wants to do this.”

“It doesn’t seem that way.” He leaves the room frustrated and I start to doubt that she wants to as well.

No time like the present to work on some lyrics. I go into the booth and start to play. There’s no way I can set up the recording and perform at the same time but if we have the space I might as well use it.

She takes her time making decisions

Not one to rush into the room

She finds a way to make you smile

When you’re looking through the gloom

The words just come to me as I play and I work out how they should sound. I don’t want to write anything overly sappy when it comes to my music. Part of the image I’m going for is keeping a hard edge. I have to throw myself under the bus some when it comes to my lyric. Somehow, I find the next part is about me and I can picture her singing it.

He tries his best to seem immobile

His touch ignites a flame

He can’t get out of his own way

And she I’m not the one to blame

“That was good, man,” I jump not realizing Thomas has come back into the room. You’re evolving as a writer and a singer. We’ve just got to figure out what’s wrong with your muse.

“She’s come unhinged,” I say and write that down.

“Something, figure it out. This day will be a freebie, but we’ve got it for the next three.”

I play for a little longer and then call her one more time. Since she once again doesn’t answer and it’s now eight o’clock, I give up. Heading to the house I pick up Chinese on the way. I feel like it’s a good night to drown myself in noodles. Surely, she’s going to have a good reason. I can’t believe she would just blow me off.

I pick up a six pack too because I figure it’s also a good night for a beer. I wish I had a decoder for what women were thinking. I thought I had her figured out and come to find out I didn’t. After the second beer someone is knocking on my door.

I’m thrilled convinced it’s Addy and she’s ready to tell me what’s going on. We’ll make up, make love and then sing. Everything will be okay.

I throw the door open to find George. He’s shivering wearing a button up white shirt over a tank top both of which are dirty. His jeans are ripped and there’s blood on the knee of on leg. His eyes are wild as he walks into the apartment pushing past me. I don’t think to push him back out because I’m so shocked to see him.

“George, what the hell?”

He walks over to my refrigerator and takes out a beer.

“George, put that back. We’re not friends right now. You shouldn’t be at my house right now.” I’m angry at the audacity he has to walk in and not say a word.

“Charlie, I need a fix. I know you’ve got that coke. You don’t do it.” He’s moving towards me and he kind of puts me in the mind of a zombie hunting for brains. I wonder how many days he’s been up.

It’s against my better judgment, but I have to tell him. I flushed the drugs when Ada came over. I didn’t want them to be in the house with her there. It wasn’t like she’d ever find them. It was just me feeling better not having it in the house.

I’ve truly never seen someone so jazzed over coke before. I start to wonder if he’s been shooting harder drugs and smoking crack.

“It’s gone, George. I did it. I was upset over Ada not showing up so I partied a little. I’m sorry.”

“You’re lying, he says taking another sip of beer and pointing at me. He’s nodding and moving back and forth from foot to foot. I take a step back away from him as he continues to point. “Where is it, Charlie? I’m going to tear this place up. Just give it to me, you know I can’t help it.”

Now the heat is rising in my body and my fists are clenching. How dare he come into my home and threaten me.

“You can help it, George. You can help it by not being a junkie. I don’t know what you’ve been shooting but you’ve never been like this over coke. I flushed it. Is that what you want to hear. I flushed it. It’s not here anymore.”

George starts to shake and grabs the front of my shirt. He shakes me and his mouth turns into a snarl.

“Why would you do that, you idiot. You could have given it to me.”

I take his hands off my shirt and shove him as hard as I can towards my door.

“Get the hell out of my apartment. Don’t you ever come back here George. Do you understand me.”

He stumbles back and looks dumbfounded. Realization seems to hit him as I walk him backward the rest of the way to the door.

“I’m sorry Charlie. That wasn’t a good thing. Let me start over.”

I slam the door in his face. I’m shaking with anger. What if he led Corky right to my house? I was safe here and now I could possibly be in danger.

I want to see Ada. I contemplate what might happen if I just go to her house. She won’t like that. She is a girl who likes to know what’s going on. I war with myself back and forth drinking my beer and pacing in my kitchen.

She may not like it and she may not want me to, but I’m going to her house. I want her to know I’m there for her even if she decides to push me away. I can’t fix whatever’s changed in such a short time if she won’t talk to me. I go get my personal car and start the drive to her house. It’s getting close to eleven and I know she’s probably already asleep since she has class tomorrow, but I can’t help myself.

I make my way up to her door and find my heart is beating really hard.

“Addy, let me in I want to see you.” I knock again and still get no answer. I knock louder. Her neighbors are going to start to get upset.

“Charlie, go away.” I finally got a response and it’s not a great one, but it’s a response.

“What do you mean? Talk to me, Ada. Tell me why you changed your mind.” Yelling through the door is drawing attention now. There is a door cracked down the hallway.

“I just did Charlie. Please leave.”

“Did you change your mind about me too?” My breath catches in my chest. I don’t want to know her answer.

“Yes,” I hear footsteps as she runs away and a door slam inside the apartment. I hit the door hard in frustration and then make my way out as more doors open.

I don’t understand what could have happened. There wasn’t any difference between yesterday and today. I didn’t call her until five but I’d kissed her goodbye this morning. The only thing I can think to do is go to the bar. So that’s what I do.

I avoid any bars I’ve been to before and I’m surprised when I walk in to find Paulie at this one. I didn’t know he drank. I slide into the barstool beside him and the two of us drink together for a while.

I tell him all about my issues with George and Ada. I feel like unloading on him is unfair, but I really look at him like a father figure. I certainly don’t have a real one in my life. He listens and drinks. It’s a nice night. After a while, he leaves to go home to his wife and I stay drinking and reflecting on everything I did and everything I said to Ada.

I’ve never let a girl get to me like she is. It’s unnerving and I don’t like it.

After a few drinks and more missed calls from George, I take a cab home, throw my phone in the toilet and fall face first into bed.

At three in the morning, I awake suddenly. I’ve been having a nightmare of Ada being at Corkys with me. I blame George and then I remember I threw my phone in the toilet.

I’m pleased to find I just threw it at the toilet and thankfully it went into the trash can. I check it for messages from Ada. The hangover is already starting. I will figure this out.

Chapter Eighteen: Ada

Tuesday, I just go through the motions at work. I don’t want to think about Charlie and he’s all I can think about. I get to substitute for a nicer teacher. Mrs. Martinez is a nice older teacher who doesn’t secretly hate me while pretending to be nice. It doesn’t help that I’m hungover and perhaps a little bit still drunk when I get to the school. I decide I need to go get some coffee before I start a new adventure in substituting.

I will say since I talked down to the blondies and told Madeline’s class I’d make them have Saturday detention they haven’t really spoken to me. It’s nice. After homeroom, I teach her math class. By teach I mean I supervise while they do the assignment she left. I’m a terrible math person. I can barely add and subtract. Fortunately, they don’t require you to be good at math to sub for a math class.

Before I know it, I’m having a quiet lunch at the desk and catching up on my reading. I’ve only thought about Charlie three times in the past hour. My music class isn’t until one so I decide to go walk the track and get in some much-needed exercise.

I immediately regret my decision having forgotten it’s free period for the English teachers and they are there in their matching tracksuits, a rainbow of spandex and sweatbands. Each of them is very fit and a little intimidating when you look at their bodies. I am just walking in the dress pants and shirt I wore to work. I wasn’t planning on working up enough of a sweat to make workout clothes necessary. They’re definitely going to make me look bad.

I head to the track passing them as they stretch. Making it a full lap before they actually start walking gives me hope they will just ignore me. I have no such luck as they immediately catch up.

“So, word on the street is you’re seeing Charlie Maxwell,” Madeline says as she walks beside me. Hallie and Penny are on the other side so I’m trapped in a blond sandwich. Each of their water bottles filled with ice clink as they move their arms walking fast. I find myself speeding up to keep up with them and wonder how that happened.

I don’t want to answer her. Who says word on the street? They’re always trying to sound much cooler than they are.

“We’re seeing each other. Or we were seeing each other, it’s complicated.” I close my eyes wishing I could take that back. Like a snake seeing a mouse, Madeline attaches herself to that statement and a large smile spreads across her face.

“Oh my, he’s quite the bad boy I’ve heard. I guess you couldn’t keep up. Not that I blame you, Ada, believe me. You’re a nice girl.”

I know she’s not being nice, she’s being the opposite of nice. I hate the way the three of them disguise their complete bitchiness with what they think sounds like compliments.

“Actually, I can handle it. He’s amazing in bed and sure I don’t like some of the things he gets into but as long as he doesn’t bring them home to me, what’s it matter? When we sing together it’s hot. He’s writing me a song, so yeah there’s a little thing we’re working out right now, but believe me, I can handle him.”

Their mouths are open and I walk off the track. I can’t believe I said any of that. Who am I? Where did that come from? I’d lied, he’s not writing me a song. At least, I don’t think he is. I’m also not speaking to him right now, we may never speak again. Madeline will find that out. I can’t believe I let them get under my skin.

Now I’m thinking about Charlie again. I’m thinking about his body and his lips as I walk back towards the school. I’m debating not going home because he is going to try and find me. On the one hand, it’s cool that he wants to see me so bad, but I don’t want him getting hurt so I have to try and figure this out.

I really need to talk to Lila, I can’t figure out why she’s not been available to me. I assume it’s Thomas. She really likes him.

As I head towards my classroom, I hear music. It’s not a song we’ve been working on, but all the students are singing. As I get closer I realize it’s a song I’ve heard before. They’re singing Bring on the Water.

That means he’s here, I can’t see him. I freeze and listen to the students. They are singing the whole song, both parts. How long has he been here? How did he get them to class early? How did he teach them the song in such a short period of time? There are so many questions.

I have to go in. I walk in and prepare for battle. He can’t be here and I need to get him to leave. It’s really going to suck to do this in front of my students. They all have pieces of paper and sound fantastic as they sing the song. Any other time I’d be thrilled to death.

“This song is great Ms. Springfield,” Sarah says as soon as they finish. “You are going to sound so great singing it.”

“You shouldn’t come in here and compromise my students like this,” I say trying to sound cold.

“What should I do Addy, you won’t talk to me?”

“Me not talking to you should have been a hint that I don’t want to talk to you right now Charlie. You should have taken it.” I am losing my confidence and just hoping he gets angry enough to leave. He’s still standing in front of the students who are all staring at me. I guess I do look like a lunatic.

“I’m not going away Ada, don’t you want a guy who will stand up for you? Who will fight?” I’ve noticed he doesn’t call me Addy when he’s getting really serious. It’s almost the equivalent of your mom using your full name when you’re in trouble.

“I can’t do this Charlie,” I say and walk out of the room before the tears start to fall.

He follows me out into the hall. “Talk to me.”

“They’re going to kill you, Charlie. Okay. Is that what you want to hear? My dad and Jimmy they’re going to kill you. If I sing with you, they’re going to kill you.”

“That’s what this is about?” He moves towards me and I feel his arms wrap around me. I lean back into him.

“Yes, I want to protect you.”

“Let them try to come after me. Just let them. I’m not scared. You’re not going to let them keep us apart and you’re not going to let them scare you out of pursuing your dreams. You love to sing and you’re good.”

“Thank you. I just don’t know that it’s worth putting your life at risk.” I’m so afraid of what they’ll do if they come into town.

“They’re making empty threats Ada. They aren’t going to do anything. Everything will be okay. You’ll see. If they even make a move in that direction, we’ll handle it. My dad is a dick, but he won’t let anything happen to his only son.”

I lean my head on his shoulder. I’m not convinced, but he seems so sure.

“We’ve got the studio for the next few days. Let’s just go in there and sink ourselves into making music. We’ll write and sing and when we come out we’ll have created something beautiful.”

I nod and he pulls me to him kissing me. I hear my students chuckling from the doorway of the classroom.

“We have time for a quickie?” He whispers in my ear.

I notice Hallie standing at the end of the hallway watching us. I kiss Charlie anyway letting her get a good eyeful. Let her go back and report to Madeline that I’m being inappropriate in the hallway, who cares?

“No, I have to teach class,” I whisper back. Maybe later I think though. I want to try having sex in a car, and a bathtub, and so many other places now that I know how awesome it is. I want to be adventurous and I want to be that way with Charlie.

Chapter Nineteen: Charlie

The past couple of days have been great. Ada and I have been clicking and while I’ve been keeping my eyes out for trouble, I’m not too concerned about her dad and ex-boyfriend coming after us.

I’ve been more concerned about having to avoid George. I wouldn’t put it past him to just show up with Corky when he gets desperate. The last thing I need is to bring him around my kids. I wish George didn’t know where my studio was so he couldn’t find me.

We’ve got class with the students this afternoon and after we plan on going back into the studio. I moved class to Thursday this week so we could get in the extra time. I can’t put them off anymore.

It's going to be a good class with Ada. I think I've almost convinced her to sing with the students. I go and have a sandwich with Paulie. I can tell he's surprised that I actually kept my end of the bargain. This time I don't try to get any information out of him. We just talk. I tell him about the recording and he tells me about his grandkids.

Once I'm done with that I go into town to shop for the studio. We need some small things like stands for the kid’s music, guitar picks, and strings. Once I'm done there it's almost time to head to class so I just go over early and work on the song I've been writing for Ada. It's going to be a surprise for her. It started with the verses I'd written for both of us and Thomas's unhinged muse comment and it just came to me. It's been through three rewrites now and I still don't think it's perfect.

Ada shows up a little after all the kids. I'm secretly glad because Sheila was in rare form and had her breasts pushed up by some device. She kept leaning into me and touching me with them. Thomas comes in a little after we get started with a few chords. I wasn't expecting him so I make a big deal introducing them to my agent. They think that's the coolest thing in the world.

"Are you like a secret agent," Braleen asks walking over and tugging on his jacket.

"Sort of," Thomas says.

"I'm just here to give you a bit of good news. We've got a gig. A pretty big one. It's at the Lemon Festival. There will be tons of bands and tons of fans there."

"That's awesome!" I tell Thomas. I've been to the Lemon Festival and it is indeed a big deal. There are going to be some pretty popular bands there.

"Ada, are you ready?" Thomas asks turning to her.

"I think I'll be as long as we have a lot of rehearsal time." She smiles and looks over at me. "When is it?"

"It's Thursday around two o'clock," Thomas says.

Ada goes white. She sways a little on her feet and I move forward to catch her.

"That's way too soon. We've not even got a set worked out. We've barely sung together." Her voice is getting higher and her eyes are wide. I guide her into the chair and she sits obediently.

"We can do it," I try to sound encouraging. We just do a few covers and Bring on the Water. It will be great."

"No, Charlie. That's too soon. There's no way I can do it. I just can't do it.”

“You can, you know why? Because I have faith in you. All my students have faith in you, and your students have faith in you.”

“I’ll try. That’s all I can do. If I get stage fright though, you’ll have to go on without me.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

After the kids leave we rehearse for about an hour. We’re both hungry so when eight o’clock rolls around we decide to go get some food.

I grab her hand as we walk out together and feel her stiffen. When I turn around at first, I don’t know what she’s scared of, then I see him.

“Hey there guys, I’m back.” Jimmy was standing in the middle of the parking lot. He has a gun in one hand and a sick grin on his face. At least I think he has a gun. It’s dark and hard to see, but he’s holding something in his hand and now he’s raising it to point it at us.

“Shit,” Ada said as she saw him and I’d already started pulling her back in the studio. We ran to the back and slammed the door. I pulled my phone out and called the police.

“He has a gun now,” she said. The panic in her voice barely contained.

He walks towards us slowly with the grin spreading. Out of everything I can see that the most. He looks like a man possessed. I’ve played this scenario over and over in my head ever since Ada told me they’d threatened me. Until this moment I didn’t realize how serious it was.

“Go,” I tell her, “go now.”

She rushes behind me and goes back in the building. As soon as I get the door shut behind us Jimmy fires the first shot. It’s loud and hits the ground outside the front door. I lock it even though I know it won’t stop a bullet and rush Ada into the back room.

“Get behind the couch,” I yell as I shut the door. I hear him shouting and yelling as he walks back and forth in front of the studio.

“I’m coming in there to get you both rich boy,” he yells.

I dial 911 on my phone and give them the address and the situation. It seems like years before we hear sirens as I crotch down with Ada behind the couch. I wonder how we’re alive. He was slow or he could have simply shot us when we exited the building. Someone had to be looking out for us tonight.

I hear the sirens and then nothing. I wonder if they’ve caught him. Maybe they can take him to jail forever.

“Let me in, it’s the police.” A woman is yelling from outside the front door. I slowly get up and move towards it with Ada behind me. I don’t think someone would pretend to be the police to get us out, but now I’ve become paranoid.

Slowly I open the door and peer out to find Officer O’Neal looking back at me. She was probably the last person I wanted to come and help us.

“So, you had someone shooting at you. You just seem to get yourself into a lot of trouble don’t you Charlie?” I didn’t appreciate her condescending tone.

“It’s my fault. He’s my ex-boyfriend,” Ada says coming out from behind me. “Jimmy Daly, he was here and tried to shoot us when we came out.

“You’re Springfield, Ada, right?” Detective O’Neal says in a nice tone of voice I certainly hadn’t heard from her.

“Yes.” She says a little surprised.

“I know your dad, we go way back. Do you want to file a restraining order, honey?”

“Yes, I do. I want to file it against him and my dad. He’s the one who put him up to that.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” the detective says. “Your dad doesn’t want you or your, boyfriend?” She says it like a question, “to get hurt.”

Ada argues with the cop for a long time. She tells her a lot of what her dad said and the cop actually tries to tell her she’s misreading what he was saying. I’m angry all over again listening to the full conversation she had with her dad and the things Jimmy said.

“I think you should do something about him. There’s no telling what he might do to me or my father.”

“Mr. Springfield is a reasonable man,” O’Neal says. “I’ll file the order against Jimmy. We’ll go pick him up since I see he assaulted you not too long ago at the bar. If you have any more trouble, call me. I’ll give you my card.”

After she drives away Ada turns to me. “She wasn’t that helpful, was she?”

“Better than she was the night this place got vandalized,” I say not thinking.

“Wait, what. When did that happen?”

I have to go through the situation with George and what happened to elaborate on the song a little bit. She listens intently and shakes her head like I thought she would. It’s at least clear to me now why the cop was such a bitch to me. She’s clearly in league with the men my dad fired.

“Tomorrow we have to rehearse at the recording building. I don’t feel safe here at night anymore.” Ada says.

I have to agree with her.

Chapter Twenty: Ada

Thursday has come up a lot faster than I thought it would. I’ve never seen so many people in one place. The whole lawn is covered in bodies. We’re actually here on the third day of the festival so they aren’t very clean bodies. I’m thankful I don’t have to go out into the crowd and can remain safe on the stage.

The stage is small. It will probably fit just the two of us and our equipment. Now I have to worry about possibly falling off the front of the stage. I really don’t think I can do this.

A man sits near the stage in a full headdress and face paint smoking a pipe that is as long as he is tall.

“Charlie,” I say my voice coming out much quieter than I intended.

“You’ve got this Ada. We sing four songs and we’re done. You just need to pretend they aren’t there.”

“How did we even get this gig?” I ask Thomas who is loving the scene. Lila is standing with him looking disgusted.

“Someone canceled. You’re placeholders. Who cares, you got a gig!” Thomas says.

“You’re so much more than a placeholder,” Lila says encouragingly.

The act that was on in front of us just seemed to do a lot of screaming. The crowd responded to that because all they were doing was screaming. There were topless girls with their breasts painted in bright colors. There were men covered in mud dancing in strange circles. There were people swatting at things in the sky around their heads. I couldn’t see anything near them. It was not my scene.

A guy in a half alligator and half angle costume came up to me and I froze. He stood so close I could smell the cologne he’d piled on to cover up the stench. It didn’t cover it.

“I’m the scaly fairy, want to buy some molly?”

I open my mouth to answer, but Charlie is right in front of me. “She doesn’t man. Thanks.”

The strange creature moves away from us staring at me the whole time.

“Why do people dress up?” I ask as we move back from the band exiting the stage. They are dressed as strangely as most of the audience. I look down at my bright red flats, dark jeans, and flowing green shirt and wonder how much I must stick out.

“They do it to feel like they’re part of something. They feel free and can express themselves any way they want. People think about their festival outfits for months ahead of time.”

“The gator fairy thought about that for months?” I raise a brow.

“Okay not everyone plans ahead, but you know what I mean. They get excited and ready to hear some good music, do some good drugs, and not care about anything for a while.”

“You’ve done the drugs and enjoyed the scene before?” I ask him knowing the answer. Of course, he’s enjoyed it.

“Yes, Addy. I’ve done it all. When you have a lot of money and you’re young you spend it on festivals, drugs, and women. It’s just what happens.”

I did tell him not to lie to me. I wonder if I should have him reign back the truth bombs. Every time he mentions other women I find myself thinking about how many he’s been with.

The guy hosting the event announces us but it’s hard to hear him. I hear him say please welcome newcomers, Charlie and Ada. The crowd is restless and a few of them are chanting Toilet Water Backrub.

“What’s that mean?” I ask Charlie.

“It’s the band that was on before us.”

I feel like maybe I should have known that, but I’m beginning to realize my knowledge of the music scene I’m getting into is seriously lacking. This is going to be a disaster.

“What genre are we?” I ask Charlie as he straps on his guitar and starts shifting his weight from foot to foot.

He looks at me with surprise. “I don’t know! We don’t even have a good name.”

Great, I’ve panicked him right before we’re going to go on stage. His eyes are wide and he’s stopped moving back and forth. The guy announces us again and he doesn’t move.

“You’re a mix of soul, grunge, alternative, and rock. Get out there and do the thing,” Thomas says as he gives Charlie a shove.

As we start singing the first cover something wonderful happens. No one is paying attention. A lot of people have taken our appearance on stage as a good time to take a bathroom break or go to the food trucks. The people left in front of the stage are all involved in their own heads. Some spin others stare blankly anywhere but at the stage.

The first song is a cover that he mostly sings and I chime in every once in a while. I’m getting a feel for the vibe and it’s mostly uninterested. I can sing to a crowd that’s not paying attention. We get to the second cover and maybe ten people have started paying attention to us. This one I sing more and I start to get into it interacting with Charlie a little.

When we rehearse I’m so concerned about getting the words right and not thinking too hard I never relax and sing with him. He smiles and I can tell he enjoys it. Some of the people have come back by the third song but now I’m in the zone. I’m singing a cover mostly alone. It’s the one I sang for the charity concert and I nail it.

By the time we’ve finished singing Bring on the Water, we have a few people clap for us and it’s time to get off the stage.

“Well, we did our first gig, Addy,” Charlie says. “How do you feel?”

“Not a single person paid attention to us,” I exclaim, “that was fantastic.”

I notice he’s frowning so I put my hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay we still played a real gig.”

“Yeah,” he says, “yeah we did.”

He picks me up and spins me as Thomas brings us our payment. It’s two tickets to the festival and a voucher for food at a shady pizza truck. We pass. Lila wants to stay despite being disgusted by everyone around us. She leads us out into the sea of people and we listen to a few more bands before it’s time to leave.

I enjoy the laid-back vibe of just being in the crowd. I see gator fairy off to the side talking to a police officer. I recognize her.

“Detective O’Neal is here talking to the reptile sprite,” I say to Charlie.

“What the hell?” He asks and I shrug.

I think nothing of it until she comes over to us. My stomach tightens and I start to sweat. Something is wrong.

“He’s here Ada,” she says. “Someone called us saying a guy was in the audience acting strangely while Charlie and Ada were playing. They reported they thought he had a weapon. We came immediately.

“You didn’t hold him in jail?” Charlie asks frustrated.

“No, he was charged and released with a court date. You have the protective order so we can arrest him for being here, but we have to find him.”

Lila has been listening to this whole thing and I turn around to see she’s flush with anger. Uh oh. I feel like the best thing for us to do is get the hell out of the venue and pray we don’t run into him on the way out.

When we get to the car Lila explodes. “How could you not tell me he came after you, Ada?” She’s near tears and Thomas has an arm around her trying to comfort her.

“I didn’t want to worry you. I’ve been dealing with him and my dad. They threatened Charlie if I sang with him and now they are trying to make good on their promise.”

“I am so mad you didn’t call me. I would have stayed with you. I would have been there for you.” Lila says.

I don’t bring up the fact that I did call her when I was having to stay away from Charlie because it seems pointless. She didn’t answer and maybe she had a really good reason. I also don’t bring up the fact she didn’t call to check in on me like she used to because she’d been so wrapped up in Thomas.

“I’m sorry Lila,” I say. “It won’t happen again.”

Chapter Twenty-One: Ada

Despite the almost run-in with Jimmy at the festival the rest of the weekend goes smoothly. It’s a good time with Charlie and we sing every time we’re together. I don’t even notice we’re not having sex because we’re both so determined to lay down everything we can while we’re allowed to use the studio.

That is until tonight. It’s Tuesday and we’re getting ready to wind down class with his students and it’s all I’m thinking about. It’s a completely inappropriate time and Shelia is currently leaning over him as her daughter shows what she’s learned. We decided to continue having class and being at his studio because we don’t want Jimmy to think he can run our lives.

He locks the door like he always does and then walks over to me taking both my hands. “I want to play you the song I wrote for you,” he says.

He leads me to the back room. I can’t believe he actually wrote one for me. I don’t know what to say. It’s the sweetest thing I can think of.

“I’ve been working on it for a while now.”

He sits and pulls his guitar to him. The look in his eyes is intense and I feel like I should sit down. I sink onto the couch as he starts to play a soft tune.

She takes her time making decisions

Not one to rush in the room

She finds a way to make you smile

When you're looking through the gloom

She's small but she's fierce

Girl doesn't take any shit

She's beautiful and mine

She's quick with the wit

I can feel her when she's not around

She's in my soul and brings me down

Back down to Earth when I fly too high

I don't know what I'd do without my unhinged muse

She's hiding a lot of sass

Under a lot of shy

I don't know if she knows how crazy she makes me

If she's going, I'm sure coming

And I don't have to ask where

I don't know what I'd do without my unhinged muse

He finishes and smiles at me almost shyly. I am speechless. The song is beautiful and it’s so him.

"There's a whole bunch for you to sing too, but I just wanted to sing the park I wrote with you in mind. Do you like it?"

I stand up from the couch and rush over to kiss him. I almost knock him down as I put my whole body into it. He laughs against my lips.

“I guess you liked it.”

I nod and wipe the tears away from my eyes.

He pulls me against him and I smile. Finally, I think. It’s going to happen.

“You know the last time we were in this position…” I don’t get to finish what I say because Charlie has locked his lips to mine in a possessive wet kiss that leaves my legs shaking. My back is pressed against the wall as I give in. My neck arches up to reach his mouth that’s fused to mine taking, taking, taking. I wonder what else Charlie will be taking from me. My chest heaves from exertion and his palms cup my face keeping me flush against his body.

“The last time what, Addie?” His forehead presses against mine blocking out my sight of him, and I feel his smile rather than see it. The creases in his cheeks moon into a smile and my fingertips tug his chin down so I can better reach him for a kiss of my own. The last time we were in this position he took my virginity and I loved it. The anticipation of tonight fills me with a new-found lust. This part of me is everything I hadn’t expected. I actually crave sex and I didn’t know that I would. It’s even more exciting that we’re in the studio together.

I try changing the subject to appease my nervous energy, “So did you write that song just to get in my pants?” I tease. The song is amazing, nothing less than perfect and if Charlie wasn’t with me right now I might pinch myself to make sure this is all real. Does anyone really write songs for their girlfriends anymore besides dorky middle schoolers? I expected a mixtape of some cheesy classic rock, but an entire song I can call my own makes my knees wobble and my panties melt from being totally blown away.

“Your pants? How about this skirt your wearing?” Charlie’s hands rest on my hips making a slow descent downward grasping the fabric and helping it ride up my thighs. The pads of his fingers are rough and the tactile sensation sends tingles down my spine to settle low in the secret center between my legs that aches just like it did the last time we were in this position.

I clear my throat as his finger makes a lazy stroke of my center over damp cotton. “What about it?” I’m not a virgin any longer and being coy isn’t the style I want to portray anymore but everything is still too new for me to guess what he’ll do next.

He nips at my shoulder speaking, “I’d like to get my hands under it and sink inside of you if that’s alright, sweetheart.”

I gasp feeling his short nails graze my sensitive skin and I clamp my legs together in a weak effort to halt his exploratory hands on their current expedition.

I weakly push at his hands that stop, but don’t move anywhere. I’m just playing with him. It makes him push forward even more.

“Ah…”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He chuckles and removes his wicked digits of pleasure leaving me panting and hanging on the edge of the couch. He goes to the front of the building and locks the door. When he comes back he shuts the door to the back room and locks it as well.

I slip my shoes off and pull my legs up on the leather sofa that started this whole seduction in the first place. I smile as I remember the song he wrote for me.

“Drink?” He says and I realize he has a six-pack in the small fridge at the studio.

“Sure.” I plop down trying to cool my head. He sits next to me, his body pressing against me from shoulder to hip right down to our knees as he hands me a matching beer. I take a drink not loving the thick fizz that palpitates on my tongue as I swallow the bitter brew down. It’s alright, but I can think of some better things to drink than this swill Charlie seems to favor. I never told him I prefer wine. There’s still so much more we don’t know about each other.

Our eyes meet and I watch him take a long drag of the beer finishing it off quickly. I follow suit praying I don’t gag on it or embarrass myself further. Our bottles clink on the coffee table and as soon as I’m leaning back up, Charlie pushes me to lay back on the couch.

“Subtle move Casanova.”

He chuckles looking up for a moment before back down at me as if he’s lost in some deep thought.

He shrugs, “I know what I want.”

I swallow back the long question and settle for a single word instead, “And?”

“It’s you I want. I always want you. How is that even a question, Addy?” His fingers gather up my hair moving it out of his way.

“I want you too, Charlie.” It’s much easier to admit it now verbally. I suppose seeing each other naked has a way of breaking down the barriers even if I’m not quite one hundred percent comfortable in my skin.

“I wasn’t sure how you would like my song earlier.” His kicks off his own shoes that clunk to the floor from the couch.

“You’re kidding, right?” He looks so self-conscious and I run my hands through his spiky hair loving the feel of the short strands that graze my fingers.

“Does any artist or musician not feel nervous right before a debut?”

“I guess.” My fingers leave his hair and move to his shirt which I think would look better joining his shoes on the floor. I pull it up and he removes the rest of it easily.

“Of all people, I thought you would understand the importance of firsts, Addy.” His eyes fill with mirth and I shake my head. Leave it to Charlie to bring up my virginity in casual conversation.

I smack his bare arm playfully. “Better watch yourself. I think your students have better game than you do, mister.”

His laughter is a bark and he works his hands between us gathering up my skirt again.

“You won’t be thinking of my game sweetheart when I slide my dick deep inside you.”

He’s right.

I shiver.

I’ll be thinking about his hips moving against mine causing the perfect amount of fiction to get me off. I swivel my hips just so hoping he’s thinking the same thing. A groan follows and I know he’s thinking it as much as I am.

“Charlie,” I grunt when his devil digits tease me mercilessly all over again. He works a blunt finger under the elastic of my panties pulling it to the slide before pressing his finger deep inside me only to pull out and trace the outer edges of my tender lips making me lose my mind.

“Evil man,” I whine wanting more than his habitual teasing. It’s amazing to me how comfortable I’ve become with sex after only doing it a couple of times.

Charlie repeats the move this time leaving a slick honey trail from my center down my thighs as he raises my leg up and over his hip. “Promise you won’t throw me off and lock the door to the bathroom again?” He settles deeper between my thighs.

My hands anchor against him and I raise my hips up to experiment grinding against his thick rod still unfortunately covered in his pants. “A gentleman would never remind a lady of such things.”

“I think you want to rile me up, sweetheart.”

I pant barely able to get the words out in a single sentence.

“I do. Want to. Rile you up.”

“I know.” He smirks and it drives me wild. I wish he would just get down to business. You know, the screwing, the lovemaking. The whatever he wants to call it when he fills me completely because Charlie is so good at it.

“Charlie.” I let my fingers squeeze his immovable shoulders. His hands work magic between us again and his pants are quickly shucked to the floor so he can spring free between the hole in his boxer briefs.

A wrapper crinkles.

“Wait.” I push back.

“What?”

“Um? Can I do it?” I feel like an idiot asking but his kind smile eases the awkwardness I manage to dole out.

“Of course, you can.” He says and he leans up to rest on his knees while I’m still spread out mostly clothed underneath him still. I feel like a trussed-up dinner turkey with nowhere to go and he hands me the condom expectantly. I pinch the top and roll it down over his thick shaft that pulses with warmth under the velvety soft skin that’s rigid in my grasp. All those high school health class videos have nothing on a good selection of Tumblr clips. Who says a little porn can’t go a long way toward education?

Not me that’s for sure. I will never admit to him I watched them just to learn how to do that and feel accomplished.

“My turn.” Charlie grabs my panties and slides them over my butt and up my legs tossing them over his shoulder. I giggle thinking about what they might be saying on their suicide mission to the floor joining his pants and shirt. It’s a minefield of clothing. I swear I have the strangest thoughts in the weirdest moments.

“Up.” He says slipping my shirt off because that’s got to go as well, my bra too. He reaches around me nuzzling his face in the space between my breasts kissing and licking them.

I shift scooting lower on the sofa. My ass rasping bare against the leather. Charlie maneuvers us. One leg resumes its lift over his hips opening me up to let his sheathed dick bounce against me. The other barely makes it to the floor, my toes pressing down to lift me up against him.

“You are so beautiful.” Charlie starts to hum the hook from the song he wrote for me as he slides his dick inside me stretching my lips around his shaft. I’m wet enough it doesn’t hurt but unfamiliar enough that it stills burns as if it’s the first time. Foreplay has nothing on Charlie. His head in the crook of my neck when he pumps shallow thrusts into me. I’m pinned to the sofa underneath him and while it feels okay, I’m claustrophobic like this.

“Charlie, move.” I push and he thrusts.

“No, I mean…” I don’t know what I mean.

“Addy, what you need?” His hips swivel and I nearly see stars. That. That’s exactly what I need more of.

“I want to be on top,” I tell him waiting for the rejection or to be told I’m a silly inexperienced girl.

Instead, I get smartass, Charlie.

“Oh. Do you now?”

I force myself to sound confident rolling my eyes, “yeah.”

“You sure you can handle it?”

I pinch his nipple.

“Move.”

He lifts up enough to rotate keeping himself impaled inside me but giving me what I want. Control. It’s a heady feeling like flying an airplane or what I imagine one might be like. Airplanes aren’t exactly in my wheelhouse.

“Put your knee like… yeah… you got it, Addy.” Charlie leans back watching my every move. His hands cover my tits rubbing the nipples and holding me up for support. It’s a position I think I could get used to.

I lift up and lower myself back down riding him in a slow canter. His hips raise up greedy for more and I speed up rocking the motion and easing down to grind over him.

“Easy girl.” His hands leave my breasts heavily aroused to rest on my hips guiding me into the motion he likes, and give me equal amounts of pleasure on every move. It’s blissful and I feel my legs become languid as my inner muscles work in tandem to hold tight to the impending orgasm.

My core tightens like a coil tighter and tighter until it has nowhere left to go. The force of winding it up so tight is what lets it unravel in a spinning dizzy spiral until I’m left heaving and spent falling forward over Charlie’s chest. He raises his hips up in jerky thrusts. I’ve gotten my share, it’s time for him to unravel the same. He shouts loudly and I wonder if he has neighbors who can hear his sexcapades because my jealousy runs rampant even though I’m fully sated. I can’t help it and I bite my lip to stop myself from saying or doing anything that would be construed as needy or borderline stage five clinger.

I rest my head against his chest that hasn’t stopped thrumming, same as mine. He kisses my forehead and resumes humming the melody for me. It’s sweet, divine, and I realize how foolish I’m being because this man just poured his soul into a song written solely and specifically for me. Maybe I can cling just a little bit.

My rapid heart calms and like a sleepy kitten, I claw my fingers into his pectoral muscles staking my claim. I think I might love this man.

After a while, we get dressed and ready to go. I’m hungry again and hope I can talk him into some take out on the way home.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Charlie

Ada is beautiful. The word love comes to mind more than once as I watch her get dressed.

“Stop watching me. You have to get dressed too.” She giggles and covers herself with her hands.

“Don’t cover yourself, you’re beautiful. We can just stay here.”

I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.

“No, we can’t. I’m hungry and I want to sleep in my bed tonight. It’s going to be so much more comfortable than that couch.

She has a point there. Reluctantly I get up and get dressed. I lock up like I always do and we head out the door to the car.

Ada has convinced me we shouldn’t be afraid to go to the studio. She thinks Jimmy would be stupid to do what he did to us again in the same place. I’m not so sure because I can see the guy has a screw loose.

She stops me when we get into the parking lot and kisses me. I’m happy to return the kiss and wrap my arms around her waist. The night is quiet, there aren’t any cars driving by, but I hear a noise in the parking lot. She hears it too and jumps back alarmed.

I feel like someone is watching us and immediately look around to see if I can spot Jimmy. I can’t believe he isn’t in jail for longer periods of time. He literally gets arrested and starts stalking her again. I want to protect her but I haven’t been able to bring myself to buy a gun. Now in the dark parking lot feeling eyes on me I really wish I had one. I don’t want to spook her so I don’t act like anything is wrong.

I grab her hand and we start walking towards the car together. I move a little faster than usual and just want to get her safely out of the situation. The next few minutes seem to slow time down. Someone jumps out from behind my car and rushes at us. There’s a loud noise I don’t quite understand. Ada screams and turns to run trying to pull me with her. For some reason, I can’t move. I feel like I’m falling backward.

It feels like someone just punched me really hard in the shoulder. When I look down I see blood. Until right now I didn’t register that sound I heard was related to the punch. Now the person is moving towards us faster and he has his hand up. I can see now there’s a gun in it, the moonlight is shining off of it. I feel myself falling to the ground and I can’t stop. I can’t see Ada and I start to panic. Is she hurt too?

I twist as I fall to try and see her meaning I land on my shoulder in the parking lot. It sends a wave of pain so intense through my arm that I black out for a minute. When I come to it’s because another loud noise happened. My vision is blurry and there’s a lot of pain. I feel it throughout my whole body.

“Charlie.” I hear Ada scream. It’s all going in slow motion now. It feels like the fall to the ground took forever. Now I’m lying on my side and things sound very far away.

“Charlie,” a male voice yells and I briefly see a figure fly by and lunge at the guy with the gun who has almost made it to me. The two wrestle on the ground and a burning sensation sets in on my shoulder and shoots down my arm. I’m shot, I realize. I’ve not been punched I’ve been shot.

I feel myself getting weaker as I see George. He’s on top of the guy with the gun and I realize it’s not Jimmy or Ada’s dad. This is related to George. This is all because of the stupid drugs. George, my good friend, has managed to get me killed outside my own studio.

“I’m sorry Charlie,” he says, “I followed them here. I promise this wasn’t me. They were mad about the day the gun jammed.” For the first time, I notice the vehicles nearby. They’re across the road so I didn’t see them when we first walked out.

“Hey man,” I say and feel myself go in and out of consciousness. The pain is causing me to black out and I can feel the blood soaking through my shirt.

Ada is right beside me squeezing my hand and screaming. I try to tell her it’s okay but my eyes don’t seem to want to work. I hear sirens and think George needs to run before everything goes black and I don’t think about anything.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Charlie

Opening my eyes in the ambulance, the siren sounds pretty distant. Ada is holding my hand and there’s a police officer sitting in front of me. I feel an iv in my arm and some pretty intense pressure where the paramedic is holding something down on my shoulder.

“Mr. Maxwell are you able to identify your attacker?”

“I open my mouth to speak and find I can’t. Maybe I’ve lost a lot of blood or maybe I’m in shock but I can’t tell him anything.”

“He knew the second guy,” Ada says quietly. “The guy who tackled him. The one you actually have in custody, he knew him. I think they are friends.”

“You didn’t know the person who shot him?”

“No, I didn’t get a good luck at him. I just know someone drove him off. He ran to a car parked across the street and it left.”

As Ada describes the car to the officer I think about George and hope he’s okay. My brain is having a hard time figuring out what all is going on, but I heard they have George in custody. I fade out before any more conversation happens.

I wake up in the hospital for the second time. The first time I was in a lot of pain and in surgery. No one could come in and see me and then they drugged me out of my mind. The whole thing seems like a hazy dream. It took me a while to remember why I was in the hospital in the first place.

I had been aware Ada was nearby but was in and out so much I couldn’t really reach out to her. She had been there, Thomas had been there, Paulie had been there, but my father had not. It was in the papers that I’d been shot. If he cared, he’d have come to visit me.

Now there’s no one in the room with me and I wonder how long I’ve been out. Has Ada given up on me, did I go into some kind of coma. I panic thinking I’ve been out for years and she’s remarried and long gone.

“Hey, you’re up,” a nurse says as she comes in the room. “Was wondering if you’d wake up today.”

“How long have I been here?”

“Just two days, but I’m sure it seems a lot longer. Getting shot is no joke.”

“Oh yeah, I forgot I’d been shot.” I laugh and realize I’m still on some painkillers.

She checks my vitals and adjusts my pillows. I thank her and tell her I’ll write a song about nice nurses fluffing pillows. I realize I’m more screwed up than I thought I was as I start snapping. She laughs and I fall back into a deep sleep. When I wake again it’s dark and Ada is standing next to the bed.

“I heard you woke up earlier,” she smiles. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here. They convinced me to go home and shower. I knew that was going to happen.”

She comes over and kisses me gently and I’ve never been happier to see anyone. I try to sit up and wince in pain. Like I triggered a switch the nurse comes in and gives me more pain medication. I gladly take it.

“I’m so sorry you got shot, Charlie. And you almost got shot before that by Jimmy.”

“Hey, think about it. Now, I have street cred. I may be a rich boy, but I’ve been shot.” I laugh and then realize it hurts to laugh but she’s smiling at me and that’s really all that matters.

“We have a lot of work to do.” She looks serious as she says it with her hands on her hips.

“Baby I’ve got nothing but time. We can record while I recover. They actually think it might be a while. We may have to just write together, I’m going to need PT for my shoulder. I hope I’ll be able to play guitar after.”

“I have faith you’ll be able to, but if not, I’ll just learn.”

She leans over me and I inhale her sweet scent of strawberries and other intoxicating aromas. She puts her lips to mine and I can tell she’s trying to be gentle so I make a point of pushing my tongue into her mouth and grabbing her ass with my good arm.

“I think you’ll probably have to sleep here tonight,” I tell her and she sits on the bed beside me.

“They don’t allow visitors to stay overnight.”

“You can sneak back in.”

She kisses me again. “Hang tight, I’m going to go and gather us up a hospital feast.”

When she returns she has three to-go boxes and extra plates with cake on them.

“I cleaned them out.” She says and grins at me. “What will it be? Steak sandwich, grilled cheese, tilapia, or rice and steak?”

“Wow, you really did clean them out.”

I point to the things I want and happily eat them as Ada tries to find something to watch on the small television.

“Find the porn,” I tell her earning a swat on the arm.

“Thomas says if we get the album finished we can release it in two months. Do you think our whole lives are about to change?”

“I think our lives will change if we work hard and you sing your little heart out.”

“We won’t change though, right Charlie. I don’t want us to become rich assholes and demand strange things in our dressing rooms.”

“We’ll never change doll, we’ll stay just like this.”

“I saw this and thought you might want to see it,” she says and hands me a newspaper. The headline reads Drug Dealer Busted, Another One Off the Streets. The first words I see are Turner Conrad. I’m beyond thrilled he’s not going to be a threat to my life or George’s anymore.

“This is good news.” I read on to see that an informant came to the police to give them the information they wanted to know. The informant wasn’t named of course, but I know it’s George.

“George finally did the right thing.”

I smile and think at least some things are looking up and I got my girl with me. I can’t really ask for much better.

“I love you, Ada,” I say and I truly mean it. I reach out to take her hand.

“I love you too Charlie.” She bends over and puts her lips on mine. I kiss her gently and then hold her to my chest. She feels just like home.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Ada

My heart almost stopped when Charlie got shot. I couldn’t process what had just happened. Despite the fact we’d been under threat of it happening before, when it happened I just couldn’t believe it. I thought I’d lost him. He was so weak and there was so much blood.

It had taken me a while to realize this was related to something completely different than my father. After we talked for a while in the hospital about everything, we determined my father had actually threatened Charlie the night Jimmy had fought him in the bar. I had started to form a picture of my father that was completely different than I thought he was. We both decided no matter what, when it came to our fathers, we wouldn’t let them ruin us. Having shitty dads was just another way Charlie and I were able to bond.

Physical therapy had been hard on him. He found it difficult to be weak in front of me. I told him that was silly, but he still couldn’t get past it. I still went to as many of his sessions as I could so I could support him.

Now he’s feeling a lot better. He’s had his last physical therapy session and he’s ready to try the guitar again. I’m so nervous for him and hope he can do it. It’s Tuesday and the first day back teaching the kids. Surprisingly despite the place being shot up and then Charlie actually getting shot, they let their kids come back.

The studio is no longer in the same place though. Charlie bought another place that’s much bigger in a better part of town. There are bars and restaurants around so people are always close by. Having the students there probably saved his class. The parents are careful not to say anything about the incident to him having already learned everything on the news and then pulling me aside to fill in the details they didn’t know.

Even Shelia showed genuine concern for me when I recounted a shorter version of what had happened.

Braleen, on the other hand, was not shy at all about finding out what happened to him.

“You got shot?” She asked as soon as the parents were gone. “Cool, I want to see.”

Out of all the kids, I would have thought the boys would be the ones who’d want to see the wound. Nope, a tiny little girl in bright pink bows. He doesn’t show her of course but it is the cutest inquiry I’ve seen in a while.

I’m on hiatus from the school after the incident. I decided to take some personal time and I’ve built up so much vacation and sick days I could be out for a couple of months. I have the meanies substituting for me and I hope my students are okay.

I want to check in but then that would be considered work, and I’m staying away from it for now.

Charlie is getting ready to lift his guitar for the first time since he completed physical therapy. I wanted him to try by himself, but he said doing it in front of the kids will help him motivate. A new student to the class sits by me and watches in anticipation.

Paulie is a really nice man and someone Charlie says he’s known forever. Paulie wants to learn to play so Charlie said he’d easily be able to teach him with the kids. He sits waiting with as much anticipation as I have.

“Here goes nothing,” Charlie says and lifts the guitar putting the strap around his head. So far so good. He adjusts and then plays a chord. I look at his face for any signs of pain, but he seems to be doing okay.

He starts teaching the class and I just observe. Paulie joins the kids in lessons and seems to be a natural. The class goes by and Charlie plays just like he used to. A couple of times he takes the guitar down and stretches, but I think that’s normal.

He’s been off the heavy painkillers for a couple of weeks. It made recording a little tricky because they made him so sleepy. It was another good reason for me to be off work. I needed to make sure we could get the album done. It was a miracle we pulled it off. Twelve songs and Bring on the Water was going to be our first single if it came to that. We were able to mix in my students singing and the song just sounds amazing.

The parents come to pick up their kids and we play some songs for Paulie. I’m enjoying getting to know him.

Charlie’s phone rings and he looks at it. His eyebrows raise and I wait to see if it’s something from Thomas.

“Wait, dad, say that again.” He puts the phone on speaker phone and I hear an older man with a loud voice. He speaks every word very clearly and it’s obvious he’s angry.

“Your little girlfriend’s dad. He came up here with some jackass. He tried to beat me up in my own freaking office. I sent his ass to jail. He’s in jail. I don’t want you around her, do you hear me.”

Charlie smiles at me as he hangs the phone up. “Now we’re even I guess. Both our dads forbid us to be together.”

“You know what they say about forbidden love,” Paulie says laughing. “I’m going to go and give you kids some privacy.

As soon as he goes out, Thomas comes in.

“I’ve got your albums guys. They turned out really good.”

Lila is right behind him waving one around in the air. “I want to be the first to get your autographs. As soon as my man finds you the right record company, you two are going to be unstoppable.”

I look at the album. It feels surreal. Sarah, my student, designed the covers for us. Her dream is to be a graphic designer. Not a singer. She made a design with a C and an A intertwined and incorporated water. It’s a gorgeous cover, a gorgeous collection of songs, and a gorgeous couple if I do say so myself.

“I’ll autograph it Lila, but we’re not going to get our hopes up.”

“I am,” Charlie says. “My hopes are up for us baby. We’re going to have the lives people only dream about.”

“As long as we’re together, we’re already there,” I tell him.

Lila squeals and Thomas makes a gagging sound.

“You never know,” I say, but I am truly just happy being with him and our friends. Right now, the world is perfect.

After everyone’s gone and we’re home in bed I wonder truly what our future holds.

“Are you happy?” I ask Charlie as he puts his phone down and rolls over to hold me.

“Very happy,” he says and I slide myself down his body to kiss his stomach. I want to try to make him happy with my mouth. I’m still so inexperienced and curious.

“You’re not doing that tonight my dear. I’m making love to you and then we’re going to cuddle all day tomorrow.”

“That sounds perfect. But I will get my mouth around you one day.” I say as he tickles me and then kisses me deeply before we come together as one and all my cares fade away.

“I'll take you up on that,” he laughs.

“I need you,” I say. I mean it in more than one way. I really do.

“I want you, Ada, always.” His words turn me on and I move closer to him.

Without looking away from him I undress so he can see me. As soon as I’m naked I feel my nipples perk up and feel heat all over under his gaze. I’ve become quite the bold lover.

I don’t want him to make love to me, I want him to take me. I don’t know how to express that so I hope I can make it clear with my actions.

He reaches for me, but I hold up a hand.

“Strip,” I say boldly.

He smiles but does what I say. He looks into my eyes and takes off all his clothes. His body is perfect and I want to put my hands all over him but instead, I drink him in with my eyes.

I stare him down wondering which of us is going to give in first. I think he’s going to be the one to break. Just to toss him over the edge I reach up and cup my breasts rubbing my hands over them and throwing my head back a bit.

With a growl, he moves forward and grabs my hips pulling me to him. Our bodies touch sending sparks everywhere. His hardness is pressing into my belly as he kisses me. I press my tongue into his mouth and take his cock in my hand boldly. I stroke it and listen to his breath quicken.

I like having power over his body. I like the way his breath catches with each stroke. I bring my hands back up his stomach and rest on his shoulders. He moves forward capturing my breast in his mouth and flicking the nipple with his tongue. I moan and press myself into him.

He moves down my stomach until he reaches my core and leans down to get a taste. I moan and my legs become weak. His fingers dig into my hips as he moves down to deepen the kiss into my center. I almost spill over the edge right then but catch myself and bring it back. My legs start to shake and I pull him back up to my mouth tasting myself on him. I’m beyond turned on and almost lose my mind when he puts a finger inside me and curls it back. My stomach aches and I move against him.

I don’t want to come this way. I want to do it with him inside me. I’m breathing heavy and the only word I can manage to say is, “Please.”

Somehow, he knows what I need and moves to place his hardness at my entrance. As he pushes me back on the bed I raise my knees up so they are pressed into his chest. He enters me swift and deep and I gasp clinging to my thighs as he begins to thrust.

His mouth finds mine and our bodies move together in a rhythm as we climb together. He takes my legs and pushes them back so they are close to my head allowing his cock to sink deeper inside me. I cry out with the pleasure as my orgasm builds to the point of no return and I explode around him as he moves faster and faster my feet hitting the headboard.

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the way it feels for us to be joined completely. I know he’s the first one and I hope he’s my only, but I feel like we have a connection that goes beyond sex. It’s what makes it so much better when we’re doing it.

After we catch our breath he kisses my forehead and moves beside me.

“Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime Ada Springfield?” He asks me in an almost whisper.

“I can’t wait.” I answer honestly and snuggle into his arms to sleep looking forward to the future.

Epilogue

Two years later

Ada

“Encore, encore,” the crowd is chanting, but we’ve already had two encores and we’re behind schedule. I smile at Charlie as we run behind the stage and try to catch our breath before we have to talk to people again. We take a minute to embrace and he kisses me.

The past few months have been a whirlwind of touring and going on talk shows. People really like that we love each other and we sing together. It gives them hope there’s someone out there for them to make music with. Lila and Thomas are always with us. I was able to pay Lila to become my personal assistant and we both were able to leave the high school.

I felt terrible when I left, but I was able to see the last group through graduation before we blew up and I let one of the other teachers take on the new ones so they wouldn’t get used to me.

The set was amazing. The fans were so full of energy for us tonight. Now we’re going through the usual press junket behind the scenes. I feel completely woozy. I haven’t told my husband yet the good news. I want to wait until we’re alone.

The dress I’m wearing feels a little tight and I try to move around so it loosens a little. I’d give anything to be wearing sweatpants right now.

“The two of you just recently got married,” the reporter says like we don’t know. “How has that affected all of Charlie’s female fans that wanted him to stay single for them?”

“It hasn’t,” I say laughing. Charlie reaches for my hand. “They still throw their panties, sneak into our hotel rooms, and send love letters every day.”

“There’s only one lady for me,” Charlie says sweetly and kisses my hand.

“This is the third album for you guys in two years. That’s quite an accomplishment. What keeps you motivated?” The same reporter is asking all the questions.

“We keep each other motivated. I write about her and she writes about me. We’re both really stubborn and really creative. I think you have to have someone to write with who just gets you.” He smiles and squeezes my hands. “We released so fast because we have so many songs between us. This last one is just covers of some great songs and it’s sponsored by the Everyone Sings foundation. We’re giving all our proceeds to the charity.” Charlie says winking at me.

We field a few more questions and then it’s time for the meet and greet. Our lives have been such a whirlwind it feels like we haven’t slowed down.

When we walk into the green room there are the usual loud screaming girls waiting to fawn all over my husband. I have fans too, they just aren’t as passionate.

After an hour of signing autographs, I’m feeling really woozy. I stand up to go to the bathroom. I figure the line can wait for me to pee. I have to pee so much lately. Immediately I faint. It’s only a few seconds I blackout but it’s enough to find me on the floor.

Thomas rushes forward and security does too. It’s like they think I’ve been struck. For a while, Jimmy had stalked me but he went to prison after he almost beat his new girlfriend to death a year ago. My dad hasn’t bothered us. One day the other shoe may drop but for now, we’re safe to travel the world.

I can’t really talk and try to catch my breath to tell them I’m fine. It’s too late though. My husband has called the ambulance. Thomas is yelling at everyone to give me air and Lila has managed to squat on the floor beside me despite being eight months pregnant.

The ambulance comes and all the fans are given vouchers or something Thomas has to appease them because they don’t get to meet Charlie.

“Honey, you can meet with them.” I am on the stretcher and they are taking me to the hospital as a precaution. I haven’t been able to tell them anything and I plan on doing so when they close the ambulance doors. The press is still close by and I really want to keep our privacy.

‘I’m not letting you go to the hospital by yourself. That’s not happening.” Charlie says and he climbs into the back with me.

“Okay miss, tell me what’s going on with you today,” the paramedic says.

The ambulance is already pulling out of the venue and I find myself feeling nauseous. I breathe through it earning a concerned look from Charlie.

“She just wanted to start a rumor she’s pregnant passing out in front of all those girls,” Charlie jokes.

I can’t help it. The grin that spreads across my face is a dead giveaway.

“No, really?” Charlie says. “Really?”

“Yes, I’m pregnant. I wanted to tell you in a much more special way then the back of an ambulance.

“So, you fainted because of the baby. Is everything okay, is it okay? Our child.” The anxiety is building and he stands up hitting his head on the ambulance. It’s like he forgot where we were for a minute.

“Yes, it’s common for this to happen. They are going to take me to the hospital as a precaution but we should be just fine.” I say. I put my hand on my belly and he does too.

‘I’m going to be a daddy,” he says. The look of wonder and amazement on his face is worth a thousand pictures.

“Yes, you are, how does it feel?” My heart swells when I see how happy he looks.

“It feels great. We’re done with this tour. We’re cutting it short. You need your rest. We need to build a nursery. Oh God, Addy, we need a house.”

“Charlie. One thing at a time. We have nine months.”

“I love you, Mrs. Maxwell.” He leans down and kisses me. I feel terrible but I’ve never been happier and I can’t wait to start our family life together.