Page 2 of Born To Be My Baby

He had a nice house here in Blossom Springs. Quinn Kurtz, one of his best friends, had hinted more than once about making some changes to the house. He dreamed that one day, he'd have someone special staying with him, and they'd enjoy lounging in his big bathtub, drinking wine, and enjoying each other's company. Maybe one day, though at fifty-two, there were more days behind him than in front of him. That was a fact that made his heart heavy.

He’d dreamed of a living room that was spacious with a floor to ceiling fireplace and a wall of windows looking out over his pool and hot tub. Excitement coursed through him, even thinking about it. Maybe one day.

He slid his legs over the side of the bed and pulled his watch off the charger. Pulling the elastic band over his hand, he glanced at the time. Six-thirty. Why in the hell was he up so early?

He shuffled out to the kitchen, pulled a coffee cup from the cupboard, and poured the first of many cups he’d drink today. He loved the timer on his coffee pot. Waking to the aroma of fresh coffee and knowing he wouldn’t have to wait for it after he woke seemed like a great luxury. He focused on the swirls as they spun when he added the creamer. Picking up his cup, he moved to the window above the kitchen sink and stared out at the neighbor's lanai. Their children were already splashing in the pool to get their morning swim in before school.

He inhaled the aroma of his coffee, before taking a drink. The aroma mixed with the taste made him smile as the warm liquid slid down his throat.

Shuffling to the living room in his place, he noted the pile of mail on the coffee table. His housekeeper kept his mail in neat piles. She opened the important things and scanned them to him, the others she left for him to open. His eyes landed on an envelope with a Crystal Cove High School logo in the upper left corner. His high school alma mater.

Sliding his finger under the flap of the envelope, he ripped open the missive, pulled the letter from inside, and a grin spread across his face.

Crystal Cove High School Class of 1989 Reunion.

He read the dates, pulled his phone up, and checked today's date. It was this coming weekend. He still had time to make arrangements.

His first call was to Hawthorne House, the little BnB in Crystal Cove.

His next call would be to the reunion committee to confirm his acceptance.

Then, he sat on the sofa and tried to remember where he'd put his high school annuals. It would be fun looking up some of the old classmates. Especially those who made fun of him years ago. He'd heard their jibes more than he cared to. "You'll never make it big. The likelihood of that is nil." "You have to make it in the first couple of years in your band or you never will." Couldn't just one of them have encouraged him?

He'd been with Jami Hart since college. They played gigs where they could, band members came and went, and they worked hard. But Jami, Tony and he, kept going. The crew they have now, they'd been together for going on eight years. Except for the addition of backup singer, Livia Carroll. She just came on last year.

Tony was now their full-time manager rather than bass player, and that's when things took off for them. He worked his tail off, setting up the tours, studio time, album recording, and getting radio stations to play their songs.

Yeah, he was going to enjoy strutting into his class reunion, finally a man on top.

His phone rang, stirring him from his happy musings.

He huffed out a gruff breath and tapped the green icon. "Yeah?"

"Oh. Uh. I'm looking for Sammy Fender," said the young female on the other end of the phone. He closed his eyes. This this was beginning to be a drag, though. The young women throwing themselves at them. The entire band. Back in the day, he dreamed of being sought after. Today though? The luster had dulled from that penny.

"This is Sammy." He huffed out a long breath.

"Good morning, Mr. Fender. My name is Mina Adams and I'm the producer for Violet Slyk of the Chart Toppers in Music television show. Violet would like to interview you for an upcoming episode of Chart Toppers."

His heartbeat increased as he thought about what this meant for the band and him. It meant more exposure. It meant - everything. The reporters were finally coming to him.

"When would this interview be?"

"She has time this weekend and next week."

"Where is Ms. Slyk located? I have a class reunion in Crystal Cove this weekend. I was thinking I'd stick around Crystal Cove for the week to visit with friends."

"Oh. Let me see." Papers shuffled and the clicking of a mouse filtered through the telephone. "She could be in Crystal Cove this weekend. Is there a time that won't interfere with your reunion activities?"

His smile grew. They wanted to interview him. And they'd come to him. Bonus. "How about Friday afternoon around one?"

He quickly checked the calendar on his phone to make sure he was available. His fingers slightly shook. He was so excited. He couldn't wait to tell the band about this.

"Friday at one will work. I'll get back to you with the location."

"Sounds good."

"If you give me your email address, I'll send you confirmation of the interview and location, once I have that firmed up."

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