Once dessert had been cleared, De Lucca excused himself to take a phone call and Leah went inside to get us all another drink with help from Beau and despite dinner going well, John was quick to pounce as soon as it was just the two of us.
“Why didn’t you tell me he was De Lucca’s nephew?”
“What does it matter? Besides I had no idea and when I did find out I repeated it like three times for clarification!” I snapped back.
“If you two break up, I better not lose my job. I have worked my ass off for the last few years to get where I am! Why Bec? Why couldn’t you have found anyone else in the whole world to start dating?” He groaned, slumping back into the chair.
“De Lucca is really professional; he even said they keep it quiet. I’m sure this won’t impact you at all” I could understand his worry, but it wasn’t like I set out to do it to him on purpose. “I didn’t even know until tonight!”
“Everything ok?” Beau was back and looked between us frowning. John sat a little straighter and nodded, taking the beer from him, and it otherwise kept quiet.
“John, my brother would like to speak to you. If he gets to into work now, just come back and I’ll deal with him” She smiled softly and again John only nodded, getting up he headed inside. If Leah thought he was being rude, she didn’t show it.
“Everything ok?” Beau asked again, taking Johns seat beside me.
“Yup! The food was amazing Mrs. Morgan”
“Please call me Leah! I wish I could take the credit but we had caterers come in. I can’t cook to save my life, even after Beau sent me to cooking classes!” She laughed and laughing with her I turned to Beau.
“You sent your Mum to cooking classes?”
“She wanted to learn! I didn’t force her or anything.” He defended.
“My husband used to do all the cooking; the best I can manage is scrambled eggs!” Her smile faltered slightly, just for a second and I knew it was because of the mention of Beaus’ dad.
“Well that makes two of us, though I can manage to poach them too!”
“But you love food, how do you not cook?” Beau sounded astonished at this revelation.
“Yeah I love to eat, when other people cook it for me. Except Jess, I would rather eat my own arm than anything she makes.” Leah looked confused as Beau laughed, “Sorry, Jess is my roommate”
“So you work with your brother Bec?” Leah questioned.
“I do, just his PA though it seems more like mother half the time. He lets me get involved in a lot though, I think he’s hoping I’ll do what he did and work my way up.”
“He is a smart boy; I know Adrian has big plans for him. Is that not something you’d be interested in?” Something changed then, Beau got tense beside me as his grip on my hand tightened a little bit and Leah was no longer smiling.
“Well, yes, but I’ve been spending some time with Spar.. Angus, and I’m actually looking at going into some graphic design courses next year”
“Really? I didn’t know that?” Beau was quick to answer and I just shrugged.
“He let me play around with one of Pot Lucks albums and he’s actually going to submit it with the others he’s done. Most of it is on the computer anyway so I don’t have to have any actual drawing talent.”
“So you wouldn’t maybe go the other way, like writing or anything like that?” Leah asked suspiciously and looking at Beau he only rolled his eyes.
“Ah no. I love to read, but essays where bad enough during college and I couldn’t imagine having to do that all the time!” She nodded, her smile returning yet now it only seemed fake. Beau was shooting daggers at her and I decided to take the easy way out. “Beau, where is the bathroom?”
He didn’t offer any explanation for what just happened as we walked through the house, and I wasn’t sure if I should bring it up. I thought things were going really well and now I had no idea where I stood. He left me alone, heading back down the hall and though I didn’t actually need to go I stood in the powder room impressed. The sink area alone was as big as our main bathroom at home, a soft scent of vanilla was dominated by the crueler smell of bleach and looking up it even had a small chandelier.
Amazed I stopped staring, trying to fix my hair from where the wind had made a mess of the straightening I had done before leaving the hotel. Taking a deep breath I headed back down the hall, trying not to linger to stare at the photos that were displayed amongst the numerous awards the band had received.
“Just stop it. You’re embarrassing me and yourself!” Beau yelled as I neared the door. I was hidden by the heavy curtains that surrounded the door and wasn’t sure what I was walking back into.
“Stop yelling! I’ll stop ok, I just don’t want to see you being used again!” Leah argued back.
“She isn’t like that!”
“That’s what I thought about Julia too!” My heart sunk to my stomach and before I had to hear anything else I started walking to the door where they could see me.
“Didn’t get lost Angel?” Beau greeted, moving over to slip his arm around my waist and gave me a hug.
“No, almost. Your home is beautiful Leah”
She watched the pair of us cautiously, before sipping her wine.
“Thank you.”
“So what did we miss?” De Lucca reappeared with John who no longer looked stressed. Oddly work was his stress relief no matter how full on things got, he thrived on it.
“Just getting to know Bec,” Leah relaxed too, sitting back down we all carried on talking until the breeze got colder and we headed inside. Moving into the living room, I stopped to look at the pictures. There was one of the band as kids, maybe thirteen set up in someone’s garage. The drum set was much smaller than the one Sticks used now, and Beau still dominated the center of their ‘stage’ with the microphone in his hand.
“Look at you!” I teased, kissing his cheek as he stood beside me.
“Oh if you think that’s cute, have a look at these!” Leah went over to the bookcase and pulled out a photo album, motioning for me to sit beside her on the lounge.
“Mum, no. Come on!” Beau groaned and De Lucca only laughed, knowing the embarrassment that was on its way.
Pictures of baby Beau had us oohing and aahing, while he sat there fuming that his Mum had got the albums out.
“It’s a rite of passage Beau, bring a girl home and the albums are coming out!” De Lucca continued to stir up Beau until he got up and went over to the bar. Instantly I got worried, but as he grabbed a beer for himself and John I settled down, not missing the way Leah looked at me as I stopped paying attention.
“Even as a kid he loved music; he used to carry that microphone around everywhere. Just humming along until he learnt how to say words!” Leah laughed at the memory and it was rather cute.
“Who is that?” Sadly most of the band had been easy to identify, even as kids they hadn’t really changed a great deal. Well except taller, hotter and fitter.
“Oh that’s Julia,” We all froze at the name, and Leah quickly turned the pages until it just Beau and his Dad. He’d known her forever, they had to be only eight or nine in that photo and he’d grown up with the band, knowing Noah since they were in nappies. It made sense how their relationship could screw him up so badly. The trust there would have been huge and for me to accepted by the band helped give me confidence.
“Wow Beau, you had a mullet?” I joked, trying to break the tension.
“It was the eighties, everyone had mullets!”
The change of conversation worked as we started talking about fashion disasters of the past, Leah discreetly put the album away.
Show and tell time was over.
“Well it’s getting late Bec, we should head off soon?” John yawned and he was right, it was nearly midnight. His yawn made me yawn and getting up was going to be a struggle as I was so comfortable beside Beau.
“It was lovely to meet you Bec; hopefully I’ll see you again soon?” We all started walking to the door and I was surprised at how friendly she was being again.
“I’d really like that, thank you for having us in your home” We hugged and she went over to her brother, talking quietly as John shook Beaus hand/
“I hope the night was too bad for you John?” Beau asked, and we headed out onto the porch.
“Not at all, thanks for inviting me too” John went and said goodbye to De Lucca who was also heading home and the four us headed down the driveway.
“Bec, lovely to see you in a less formal environment. Look after this one Beau!” He took my hand and kissed it gently before hugging Beau and headed over to where his car was parked in front of ours.
“I’ll give you guys a minute.” John muttered, getting into the car it didn’t take long to get what I’d been craving all night – Beau’s kiss.
“Wasn’t too bad was it?” He asked, still holding me close.
“Not at all, your Mum is lovely.”
“She likes you too, and I know she wants to get to know you better” He kissed me again, going back to the hotel without him was going to be torture.
The horn beeping was my signal it was time to go and he walked me down to the car.
“I’ll talk to you soon ok?”
“Ok. Goodnight Beau” He opened my door and waved to John and we headed to our temporary home.
“You know he’s going to have to meet Mum and Dad now?” John was loving this, clearly now he had something new to tease me with he was more at ease about it.
“I know. What did you and De Lucca go talk about?”
“Work.”
“Anything else?”
“No.”
“John?”
“Rebecca?”
Giving up I gazed out the window. This city was unlike anything else and even at midnight there was still something going on somewhere. If New York never slept, LA never stopped and I couldn’t imagine growing up here like Beau did; with Julia.
-
Tuesday morning we got to sleep in. The meetings that had been scheduled conveniently turned into a golf day so John left mid-morning with De Lucca to meet up with some of the other managers on a golf day. Obviously everyone’s assistants were not needed so once he headed off to stand in the middle of a grassy field and hit a tiny ball around, I waited for Beau’s even more obvious visit.
Instead I got a phone call from Jess and I filled her in on the dinner.
“Just like the band, his Mum has to learn to trust you. Things take time!”
“I know you’re right. How’s your day? Any more painting disasters?”
“Funny. Not. It’s so bad, but…” Her voice lowered like a whisper, “I’ve got a secret way of making them behave!”
“Are you torturing the kids like you do to John? I’m pretty sure putting them in headlocks is illegal” I teased, unable to resist.
“No, better. I just warn them I’ll tell their parents they’ve been naughty!”
We both laughed, and I could just imagine her threatening them; poor kids.
“You evil genius!”
“I know! Its tough world and I just have to be tougher. Oh and there is a new teacher that started today, well had induction. He starts Monday!”
“A male teacher?”
“Oh so male and very masculine! He gets seventh graders, blerg! I offered to sit with him at lunch!”
“No way. You might even hold hands under the old oak tree!”
Mocking her was just too easy and she found the humor in it. The sound of the siren ending recess came through the phone like a high pitched scream and she groaned, acting more like a student than a teacher.
“Maybe my spell is working this time?”
“Maybe. Keep me posted and I’ll be home Friday!”
“Call me if anything involving that lingerie happens, wink wink” She hung up giggling to herself and shaking my head I glanced in the direction of my suitcase. It wasn’t going to happen.
Message from Beau: Ready? I know you like to sleep in ;)
You know me to well. Be down in five xx
What I wasn’t expecting was all four of the guys waiting in the lobby. Seth was signing an autograph while Sticks and Beau were talking and Noah saw me first. He practically ran over and I could see a bit of Sparky in him now though the family resemblance wasn’t obvious. Perry was with them too, standing just behind Beau and Sticks, watching the fan Seth was talking too.
“Good morning sunshine!” He greeted a little to happily, putting his arm over my shoulders the fan turned from Sticks to see who had the bands attention.
“Tone it down there Noah; she might punch you or something.” Beau teased and meeting his eyes, he had obviously found out about what happened. I hadn’t told him and Noah stopped beside me.
“Sparky told you?” I cringed as they all burst out laughing, even Perry smirked.
“I would have loved to have been there, wish he hadn’t got rid of the pictures.” Seth left the fan and we started to leave the hotel.
“It wasn’t that great, it was more embarrassing than anything else! How much did he tell you?”
Beau pushed Noah away from me, taking his place. He kissed the side of my head first before whispering into my ear. “Everything”
“Oh god”
“Don’t sweat it.” Everyone acted as if I was part of the group, like we were all friends just hanging out and I guess we kind of were now. Being the new girl didn’t mess up their dynamics. Noah was quiet and observant and Seth was cautious, but his sarcastic sense of humor was so much like Jess’s I had no problem keeping up with him. The more Sticks relaxed, the more out of control he became. Any mention of a dare he’d already done it and I understood where he got the energy to play the drums.
Beau was kind of like Noah, observing it all until something happened he was particularly interested in and then he and Sticks just bounced off each other. It was interesting to be a part of, and I was overwhelmed by the place they gave me in their group.
We talked about dinner, about how shocked we were learning about Beau’s family history and had to stir them up about the photos I saw. No one mentioned Julia, but she had been around all of them as long as she had Beau. Was this how they all were with her? Had she always been Beaus girl? Seth had told me in his apology things that happened had an impact on all of them, so I know today was a milestone for all of us.
“Can you take a picture of me with Elvis?” I stopped walking as I spied the terrible impersonator charging people five dollars for their picture with him by the walk of fame.
“Really?” Beau was surprised at my random request. All day they’d taken me around to the sights and this was the first thing I’d asked for.
“Private joke with Jess” I winked and shaking his head we went over. Only problem was, once I had my picture he recognized the band and asked for one with them. Then so did a few other who were walking past and realized the group of four was much better than a man in a costume. Beau kept me at his side the whole time, ignoring their questions and smiling at their compliments before Perry had their car bought over and we escaped the sidewalk.
“I’m so sorry about that” Beau was quick to apologize, looking more embarrassed anything.
“Why? I get it, you’ve got that face people mistake for that lead singer guy in that Monday band.” I remembered what he told the taxi driver that took us home from the club, and so did he. His mood slowly breaking he had to smile and he pulled me into a hug.
“You joke, but one can turn into a mob in minutes and I’d hate for anything to happen to you!”
“Hey, haven’t you heard? I got a mean left hook. I’ll be fine” Now he laughed, and leaning back against him Noah caught my attention and gave me the thumbs up while the other two nodded their approval. Beau didn’t notice as he stared out the window and just like that I was one of the band.
-
We went back to the hotel, John was still out and the guys had their own plans. It was starting to get dark and after seeing every iconic landmark, I was beat.
“Wanna go out for dinner or just get room service?”
Finding the room service menu, Beau glanced over it as I put my phone on charge as I waiting to see how Jess’s lunch went with the male teacher.
“Room service! Do they have burgers?” I hugged his back, slipping my arms around his waist to hold him tight.
“About four different types, chicken, fish, steak or lamb. Do you eat anything else?”
“Thai? I love pizza!”
“But you’re so tiny?”
“Good genes and Jess drags me to kick boxing every couple of weeks and makes me go for runs. If it wasn’t for her, I’d be the size of a whale!” He turned so I was now looking up to his face, smirking.
“I doubt that. I’ve seen your Nana.”
“Yeah but not all of her is real” I admitted, “She isn’t your normal knitting, cookie baking Grandmother!”
“I have one of those, they’re not that great.”
It wasn’t long before we were on the bed, the tiredness leaving me the further we went until my stomach rumbled.
“Dinner?”
“Sure”
I got up and adjusted my clothing, finding the menu I went to go back over when I froze, a cheeky grin all over his face as he pulled the bit of lace from the edge of my suitcase, holding up the black nightmare.
“What’s this Angel?”
It was then I decided I didn’t have a Nana either, or a best friend as when I go back home, I’m killing them both.