Page 33 of Revived

11 – Hands On

Finally, it felt like I’d made progress with Melanie. Nothing had ever felt sweeter than the moment she willingly put her hands on me. I didn’t believe for one minute that it was only to feel the shirt. That may have been a slim part of it, but I believe she had a fantasy playing out in that beautiful brain of hers and I was all for it. Hell, I envisioned taking the damn thing off to put over what Mel had worn that night because there hadn’t been a single male in the group who didn’t get a glimpse, or an outright drool-filled stare at her tits in that shirt. They were on display in the absolute best way. It just pissed me off that everyone else got to see too.

Stepping into the meet and greet with my hand wrapped around Mel’s, and my son there by our side, was something else. I’d had fantasies, ever since she moved in with us, of going on a family outing together. Yeah, it might make me a pussy to fantasize about family time, but I missed my son’s entire fucking childhood. So, sue me if I wanted to know what it’s like to be a family – a real one, and to have that with Mel and Chevy.

“You okay?” I asked quickly as we made our way back to the signing table that had been set up. Normally, we would mingle, but I honestly didn’t feel up to giving strangers that level of access to me, especially not with Mel and Chevy along.

“Fine,” Mel mouthed as she squeezed my hand in hers.

“Come sit with me?” I asked. Her questioning gaze caught mine and I didn’t know what to do. She seemed uncomfortable with the idea, while at the same time, she hadn’t let go of my hand. Instead of turning me down, she nodded her head. I twisted a bit to ask Chevy what he wanted to do, but he was already off and talking to our tour assistant. Ev had met my son the same night I had. It felt weird to think about it in those terms, because I’d become so comfortable with him in my life that it was as if he had always been there. Still, it was nice to see he was making friends in the industry. He’d need all the friends he could get to keep his head out of the clouds and his ego grounded.

“Well, he’s on his own, I guess,” Mel teased, and her smile twisted my insides. I wanted the sassy-mouthed nurse from the moment I met her, but now, that want had turned into more of an aching need instead.

“Come on, let’s get this over with. I want time to spend with you before we have to hop back on the busses again. I feel like we barely see one another,” I complained and made no bones about the fact that I was indeed complaining.

Over the next hour, we sat through me signing things for people and getting through small talk about only a couple instances where women openly came on to me, despite the entrance I’d made with Mel. I refused to sign for anyone who got rude or disrespectful to her. It was unnecessary.

“You don’t have to keep doing that,” Mel told me after the second time.

“I do because you’re with me and I don’t accept that type of behavior.”

Mel nodded and stuck by my side as I’d asked of her. It made me wonder if it really were possible to have a relationship and still be able to keep my career. So many couples in the music industry didn’t make it because of the time apart and the jealousy that comes from the constant touring and gossip.

“I like having you here with me,” I leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“It’s not so bad,” she insisted. “I thought things like this would be a bit different.”

“A constant rock-n-roll orgy again?” I asked, to which she laughed, but the blush on her cheeks said that was precisely what she’d been picturing. “Maybe when we were much younger, you might have seen things like that, but not necessarily from our band. We had our wild and crazy moments, but most of us also enjoy privacy.”

A throat clearing caught our attention. No sooner had I turned my head than another woman in her thirties, who was barely clothed, stood there grinning widely at me. “I was a part of those wilder days,” she insisted, obviously having overheard our quiet story time. “Do you remember me?” She asked, taking me aback because this woman could have been a super model in her younger years, but life hadn’t been as kind as her makeup was trying to lead us to believe.

“No offense, but I wouldn’t have been the one,” I explained. Once I realized Kendra and me would never happen again, I was no monk, but I preferred discreet, quick flings. I was never into the groupies because I don’t share well and I couldn’t get past the things I knew about other bands and their members. No way I was dipping my wick anywhere near where they had gone, even with triple protection.

“No, I’m sure, it was you. You’re the sexiest one,” she mentioned with a wink, even as her eyes shifted toward Mel and narrowed on her briefly.

“Okay, well,” I stood and helped Mel to her feet too, once again taking her hand in my own. “We’re done here,” I stated clearly. “Deacon,” I shouted above the din in the room. “I’m out,” I told him as I pulled my girl along and tipped my chin toward my son on the way. He could follow or stay. His choice. He followed.

“Mel, want me to walk you back to your bus now?” My son, the little shit-stirrer, asked her.

Melanie opened her mouth to answer, but I squeezed her hand to throw her off and responded instead. “I’ll get her back, Chev. Go, enjoy yourself.”

Chevy glanced back toward the room full of fans and groupies and grimaced. “Nah. Think I’m just going to the bus to FaceTime Opal, if she’ll answer.” He mumbled the last few words, making me feel horrible for my son’s situation. Opal was trying to shut the kid out, and he was having a hard time facing the reality of it.

“Be safe. Take security to the bus with you, I mean it.” The demand was non-negotiable, and he knew it.

“I know,” he told me before turning his attention to Mel. “Have a great rest of your night, Mel. You deserve it.” There was no denying that my son cared a great deal for the beautiful woman at my side. That was made even more clear as he sent me a warning look. My own kid had already had a talk with me about my intentions toward his friend. I’d laugh, but he had been completely serious when he said if I broke her, he’d return the favor for her.

“Good night, Chevy. Thank you for making me take a night off and do this,” she told him. “I had a wonderful time,” Then, I watched as my son hugged Mel and my heart opened up a little more towards her. He already loved her. I could see it now. Hell, he may even have grown to love her a little more than me in all of our time together. If that were the case, I couldn’t even blame him. Mel was something special. I just had to find a way to prove to her that I felt that way and meant it.

12 - Changes

I sat down to lunch with Gabe, something that had become a ritual for us over the past week since my ‘night out’ at the concert with Chevy. We were laughing about something Wen said when my favorite teenager joined us. Only he looked absolutely sullen.

“Why the long face, honey?” I asked him, while noting the purplish circles under his eyes. “Are you in pain?”

“Not the kind you mean,” he admitted before finally looking up into my eyes. “I think I need to go home,” he whispered to me. I glanced quickly at Gabe and back again, not wanting my flagging attention to distract Chevy.

“You know you’re free to go home any time, right?” I asked him just as quietly as he spoke to me. This conversation was no one else’s business. Maybe not even his father’s.

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