Stay With Me a While

Part 2

Lindsey lost track of time after his phone call with Stevie. Hope rose in his chest and he picked up one of the demos, he'd been saving for Fleetwood Mac, and started working on it. He had several, he was going to show to the band and all of them were about Stevie. They'd been through highs and a lot of lows, sometimes it felt like she was still that one person, he could always call if he needed to talk to someone, often, he wondered if she'd pick up the phone, had he decided to reach out. So, the collection of demos he had prepared were a way of starting up a conversation with her, a chance to forgive and ask for forgiveness. Music had always been the easiest form of communication between them.

Tapping his foot, Lindsey played the newly recorded guitar parts, seemingly lost in his thoughts. When he was focused, nothing could pull him back to the present. Which was exactly why, he didn't hear Kristen knocking on the door several times. Only, when she walked in, he looked up in that direction.

"What's going on here?" She asked, smiling as she came towards him. 

"Oh, uh, I'm just... messing around." Lindsey shrugged. "I didn't hear you coming back."

"I've been back for ten minutes tops. I took longer than planned." Kristen leaned her hip against him, she placed her hand on his shoulder as she tried to take a quick look at a notepad with some lyrics scrawled on it. She knew, the chances of the song being about her weren't high.

Lindsey stood up and blocked her view. "Can I help you with dinner? I'm sure, the kids must be starving. I am, too."

Kristen gave him a questioning look. "Since when do you help me with dinner?"

"First time for everything, right?" Lindsey grinned and ushered her outside.

"What's gotten into you?" She asked, allowing him to lead her into the kitchen, where she'd left grocery bags earlier. 

"Nothing." Lindsey shook his head. "I'm in a good mood, that's all. Okay, so, what are we having?" He began taking the produce out, while Kristen stood back, watching him.

"Lindsey, slow down." She chuckled, laying a hand on his back. "Are you sure, you're okay?"

"Well..." He leaned against one of the high stools. "It looks like Fleetwood Mac are going to record some songs."

"Really? Oh, that's great, honey!" She knew, how badly he'd wanted for that to happen. "When are you starting? After you're finished with the tour?"

"Not exactly." Lindsey scratched the back of his head. "Stevie and I both have commitments, so there's not enough time do a full album and I don't really want to postpone this until next year."

Raising an eyebrow, Kristen crossed her arms over her chest. "Right, so, how is this going to work then?"

"You will laugh." Lindsey put his hands on her shoulders. "I had this idea that maybe the band could work here."

"As in... our house?" She suddenly realized, why he was so eager to help. 

"Yeah." He nodded. "Mick and John could come in and do their part, but, uh..." He cleared his throat. "I was wondering if maybe Stevie could stay here for a couple of days. It requires a lot more time with the vocals and all. Because we want to do this quickly, it would save us time, which we don't really have. She works on her own scheduled and if I had her here, she'd have no escape."

Kristen grew quiet as she stared at Lindsey, wondering if he was actually serious. "Doesn't she live like a mile away?"

"True, but if she has to come back and forth, we won't have enough hours in the day to be actually productive. You know, she wakes up in the afternoon and goes to bed in the early hours in the morning."

"You want me to say, yes, to having your ex girlfriend, the woman you spend too much time on the road with, stay with us? The one, whom you've written a hundred love songs about, who has written just as many about you in return?" Arms still folded, Kristen questioned.

Lindsey waved it off. "Come on, it's ancient history. Honestly, this is just about getting Fleetwood Mac back together, giving something back to our fans."

"I'm fine with her coming and going, Lindsey, I'm not sure, I'm comfortable with her actually staying here. You have to understand my reservations about this."

"It's just a couple of days." Lindsey argued, shifting his weight from one to the other. "I was really excited about making something fresh. We haven't put out any new material for years." His face fell and he sighed, ready to walk away.

Chewing on her bottom lip, Kristen reached to stop him. "Wait." Lindsey looked at her, waiting. "If this means that much to you..."

"It really does." Lindsey nodded. "It's just work." He emphasized.

 "Okay. Fine." Kristen gave in with a heavy sigh. 

Giving her a kiss, Lindsey hurriedly made his way back into his studio. Giddy with excitement, he dialed Stevie's number.