RYDER
God, how did I find myself with a gorgeous woman drinking wine in my hotel room? We’d talked and laughed while killing the bottle of wine. I limited out on two glasses, so we made them last before moving on to sparkling water. She never mentioned my addictions, so I didn’t offer any information. I controlled my drinking since rehab, and drugs were off the table and had been for years. The band didn’t even smoke pot in the legal states anymore. We’d outgrown smoking when kids started coming along for the others.
“Oh my God. Do you know what time it is?” G’Anna jumped up and moved to the windows. “Ryder, that’s the sun coming up.” She wheeled around and looked at me. “We’ve stayed up all night. I can’t remember the last time I saw the sun coming up from being out all night.”
I moved up behind her and wrapped her in my arms. “Shhh. Just enjoy it then.” She put her arms over the top of mine, and we held on to each other as the rays peeked up over the horizon. New York City sunrises could be spectacular if the clouds cooperated, and this was one of those mornings.
The calming lavender fragrance still delighted me when I had her this close. Her height allowed her to rest her head against my shoulder and my face to lay against the side of hers. I enjoyed having her close. I held her in a lover’s embrace while we watched the sky light up with gold projecting up from the horizon.
The event passed quickly, but we stood there until I felt her leaning into me and her breathing light and consistent. She’d fallen asleep in my arms. I gently scooped her up carrying her to the room darkened with the touch of a button. Lying her down on the luxurious comforter, she didn’t move. I pulled the throw from the foot of the bed to keep her warm. Covering her with my body and using my heat to keep her warm sounded perfect in my head, but I wasn’t sure G’Anna would see it that way when she woke.
I watched her roll to her side and tuck the pillow under her head before I snuck from the room. I stopped at the doorway and reconsidered crawling in the bed next to her and pulling her into my arms to sleep. The memory of sleeping with a woman I knew rested so far back in my mind, I could hardly recall the euphoria of the feeling. I stood and watched her another minute as I thought of a night long ago when love was part of my life.
Pulling the door shut, I moved to the couch and laid down. Laina’s memories flooded my mind even after all this time. I closed my eyes trying to recall before falling into a restless sleep.
A wonderful aroma woke me. “Coffee?”
“Yeah, old man. Why are you sleeping here when you’ve got a perfectly good king-size bed in the other room?” KeeMac asked while standing at a silver coffee urn rolled in by room service as I slept.
“Do not call me old man.” The raspy sound of my voice grated my ears.
“Eww. He wakes up grumpy, Chan. Better watch out.” This damn kid woke up loud. I don’t know what’s worse, him or me.
Chandler walked in wrapped in a fluffy robe smelling freshly showered. “Morning, Dad. Don’t pay attention to Keeton. He’s always like that when he wakes up.” She moved to KeeMac and kissed his cheek. “I still love him, though.” KeeMac pulled her close to him in a firm hold. Chandler rested her cheek against his naked chest and looked around the room. “Why did you sleep in here? The beds are super comfy.”
“Not that we did much sleeping, babe,” KeeMac murmured a little too loudly.
“KeeMac,” I growled. “What have I told you about TMI between you and my daughter?”
KeeMac laughed. “Sorry, Mr. Steel. You know I love her, though.” He held Chandler tight as she struggled to get out of his arms.
“Keeton. Don’t say things like that.”
“You brought it up, not me.” KeeMac let her go but swatted her ass with a sound smack.
“Owww. That hurt.” Chandler moved over to the couch facing me.
“So, back to our question. What were you doing last night? We didn’t hear you come in after your dinner with G’Anna.”
Sharing my actions with the band was bad enough. Now I had to share it with my daughter, too? I started to say something when the door to my room opened. G’Anna stepped through it with mussed hair and wearing the same clothes from last night. Chandler looked at G’Anna, then KeeMac, then me and back at KeeMac before she spoke.
“Don’t say a word.” Chandler gave him a nasty look to obviously shut him up. It seems the guy had no filter most of the time. He needed one now because if he said one derogatory word to G’Anna, he’d deal with me and not his sweetheart.
“Oh, good morning, you all. Wait, is it still morning, and is there more coffee? I can’t think before my first cup.” G’Anna crossed the room to the cart and poured herself some while the three of us watched her.
“No, actually it’s after one,” KeeMac announced.
“Damn, I haven’t checked in with my assistant today. She’s going to be pissed.” She picked up her cell and started typing. I looked at Chandler and KeeMac, who’d sat down beside his girl, daring either of them to make a comment or ask a question regarding the sleeping arrangements again.
KeeMac received my message and put his arm around Chandler. “What are we going to do today, babe? You have any plans before the show?”
“Not really. What about you since we don’t have to do another sound check?”
“I got nothing.” He pulled her close and kissed her temple. “I thought we might go to La Perla. The mothership is on Broadway in Soho, and then Agent Provocateur has a shop just a few blocks from here. It’s close enough to walk.”
G’Anna almost spit coffee all over the room. “And you know this, how?”
Chandler spoke up. “He loves them both. I swear he has a direct line to the closest shops so they can text him when new stuff comes in. Personally, I’d be happy wearing anything from the VS catalog, but he likes more lace and mesh.”
G’Anna moved closer and sat down on the other end of the couch where I sat trying to contain my comments. Why did they insist on discussing intimate things when I happened to be around?
G’Anna couldn’t let it go, though. “Damn, girl. You found a winner with this big guy. I’d be happy to have a man buying me such beautiful lingerie.” She never looked at me while she spoke.
“Hell yeah, she did. I know what women like.” I wanted to slap the Cheshire cat grin off his big ugly face. He might as well have beat his fists on his chest. He looked over at me after he said it and knew exactly what I was thinking. “Babe, I think we’re going to have to get our own suite from now on. Dear old Dad isn’t appreciating anything I fucking say this morning.”
“Hell no, I’m not. Let’s see, you started with referring to all the sex you had, then moved to buying some fancy lingerie. How could I be happy?”
Chandler stuck out her bottom lip and crawled in KeeMac’s lap wrapping her arms around his neck. “I don’t want to move to our own room, Keeton. This is as close to family time as I get with Dad.” She laid her head on his shoulder to drive home her wishes.
“Sorry, babe. We won’t stay in separate rooms, and I’ll try harder to keep my mouth under control when he’s around. But, what we do behind that fucking bedroom door, all bets are off.”
Chandler sat up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“My God, son. You’re such a pussy when it comes to her. She must have your man card in her billfold or is it just your balls?” I laughed at my own joke because the other three didn’t find my comment funny at all.
“I thought it was a good compromise, Ryder. You should be happy they’re both willing to do so. Relationships are built on compromise.”
I turned and stared at G’Anna. “Is that right? And what did Chandler give up to get her way?”
“Well, I feel like she did it because she wants to be with you more often, so why are you questioning it at all?”
“Good save there. Answering a question with a question and steer away from the subject.” I enjoyed the repartee with her, and she knew it since I couldn’t keep from smiling when I spoke to her.
“True, I enjoy a good debate anytime you want to spar with me.”
“No thank you. I know I’d lose against the likes of you and Chandler.” Chandler busted out laughing.
“No doubt about that, G’Anna.”