So I turn 27 today and I just woke up, greeted only by silence. It's rare to hear nothing and it doesn't click right away. I get up and head downstairs in his favorite orange shirt and my Dolphins pj pants, my hair a disaster. I make myself some breakfast and sit down to eat it, thankful for the peacefulness. The second I break the yolk to my sunny side up egg, the house phone rings and I groan in annoyance. "Hello?" I say, sighing.
"Hey!"
"Who's this?"
"Kace," the male voice tells me.
"Kace?"
"Josh's friend from Maryland."
I try to remember who Kace is, muttering his name over and over. Just then, I recall a guy that had a baby girl in his arms. "Oh, Kace! Hanna is your little girl, right?"
"Yes! Sam, right?"
"Yes, Kace. What's on your mind?"
"Happy birthday, girl. I have a question."
"Ok, shoot," I say, sitting back at the table. "I haven't eaten yet, so please excuse my chewing."
He chuckles. "Do you know where Josh could be?"
"No, I woke up to an empty house. Kids are in school and Josh is out and about doing something or another."
As I think of the possible places he could be, I begin eating. "Did you check the studio?"
"Door's open, he's not in there. I could check if anyone out here has seen him."
"Don't worry too much, girl. He's more than bound to turn up with some friends," he tells me, stifling a laugh.
I furrow my brow and slip my lips to one side of my face. "What do you mean, man?"
"It's good, always is when it comes to Josh. He knows you and is unbelievably good to you," he reminds me, a comforted smile coming to my face.
"Thanks, he does. You're a great friend to us, if you count me as one."
"Of course I do, you're realistic and want nothing but the priceless things in life. Always after his time, love, and hear him out every time. Came from the down and out and rose to meet him on fair terms."
"I try to."
"You do it and make it seem second nature for you," he praises.
"Thank you. I hear it from everyone, coming from you and the guys means the most."
"His family loves you, his closest friends adore you, and everyone you've met ask about you constantly." I listen, feeling good about being with Josh. "How does it feel to be with him?"
"Indescribable. He's just so real, supportive and I can't believe that I'm sitting in his kitchen, eating my breakfast while he loves the four of us. It's just so surreal, I take everything a day at a time."
"After being with him for 4 months, you still can't believe it?" he asks, silently hugging someone after clapping his hand with someone. "Sup, man? Luci and Hanna are in the bathroom, Hanna needed a changing. Talking to…Sam."
"Kace, that Josh?" I ask before thinking. "Did he fly to Maryland?"
"No, he's still in LA," he says, skipping my first question.
"You're here? With Luci and Hanna?!" I question excitedly.
He laughs. "Yes, we are here."
"You're not staying in a hotel," I command.
"I never have."
"Good," I say, attempting to sound tough.
He chortles, bringing a bigger smile to my lips. "I have to let you go to get packed into our ride."
"See ya soon."
"No doubt about it," he agrees, disconnecting the call.
I press the off button and put the cordless face down on the table. I finish my eggs, toast and sausage and start on cleaning the house. I hear a key in the front door lock just as I finish dumping the mop water and realize the house is spic and span, everything in its place. I soon realize that I'm still in my pjs and my hair is still a wavy hot mess. "Shit!" I say, unsure of who it could be.
"Mystery álainn!" Josh shouts out, alerting me to his arrival home.
I stride out to him, a bit faster than usual, my hips switching and I place a kiss on his soft lips, hugging him tight. "Where'd you disappear to this morning? Kace called while you were out and about."
A smile emerges on his face. "Happy birthday, álainn," he croons, moving us aside.
A few seconds later, I'm surprised to see Kace, Luci, and Hanna behind him. "Thank you!" I happily kiss his lips.
"They're only a small piece to the puzzle," he confesses.
"Huh?" I ask, a confused and worried look coming onto my visage.
"You, Jessica, Luci, Hanna, Kelly, and Christina are going shopping. Here's two of my cards and there's no limit. All I ask is that you pick up something sexy for later. You deserve it," he says, sliding his hand from the bottom of my bust down my almost nonexistent belly and both hands down my sides from my ribs to my hips. He rocks my hips back and forth, a reassuring and sexy smile playing on his lips, his forehead resting on mine.
I bite my bottom lip as he slips his credit cards into my pj pants. "I can't go out looking like this," I mutter. "Hold the cards?" I ask him.
"Sure. Jeans and a shirt work."
I ran up the stairs faster than I thought I could, not believing that he's letting me spend his money and feeling uneasy about doing it. I pull out his fave pair of jeans I own and the top he loves, changing right after I shower. I sit on our bed in my clothes and think. It must have been long enough to make him worry, he knocks on the door and opens it. "Are you ok?" he asks.
"Yeah, I'm good. Just wondering why you're giving me your credit cards," I reply, nodding toward his cards.
"You're on my accounts for these ones and it's your birthday, you deserve it."
"What about the bills for them?"
He swipes his hand in the air. "My treat. It's for your birthday."
"I don't want to go crazy."
"I've had them for 15 years and barely use them. Spoil yourself," he tells me, looking at the cards before our eyes meet.
"I don't feel right doing this," I admit.
"Do it and enjoy it, just pick something sexy up."
I sigh and look at the cards after he puts them in my hand. "I'm not going crazy."
"It's ok to do that, just not all the time."
"Goes for you too."
"I know that. Just have a little fun. For me, please?"
I go out with Jess, Luci, Hanna, Kelly and Christina, laughing and shopping without caring about price tags. I picked up quite a few things I can wear for him, one being orange. Christina is covering my hair being done, Jess is covering the tab for my nails and Kelly is paying for our lunch. I am spoiled today.
"You never told anyone about how you really met," Christina says.
I sigh and look at each of their faces, a smile appearing. "I was told by the temp agency I used to work with that his neighbor needed someone to clean her house and I got lost. I asked him for directions, not realizing who he was and we clicked. Talked about random things and he gave me a ride to his place. One thing lead to another and we explored each other, if you know what I mean," I inform them with a giggle. "He hired me to clean his immaculate house and fooled around or hung out, getting closer and closer. After I had filed for divorce, we waited a little while and began dating. Now we've been together for a few months and all 5 of us are the happiest we've been in a long time."
"Girl, you and I are two of the luckiest women on this planet!" Kelly loudly announces, smiling bigger than I thought possible. "I couldn't ask for a better man than I have already."
"Neither could I. Mikal and Aaliyah have asked me if they could call him pop or poppa."
"That is such good news! What did you tell them?" Luci inquires.
"That was hysterical!" I agree, laughing with the girls.
"Álainn," Josh greets me as I enter his house, getting up from the living room sofa.
"Josh," I reply, pulling him into an embrace after putting the umpteen bags on the floor. "Thank you, babe."
"You're welcome, my mystery álainn. You know you deserve it." He brushes his lips against mine in a soft and sweet kiss, his hands on my hips.
"Save that shit for the bedroom!" Justin teases as Josh pulls me closer to him and grinds against me.
I pull out of the kiss and look at him around Josh's arm. "Keep it up, Randall."
"I can, better than you think."
"Today is MY day, fuck with me and you can take a splash in the pool like the day we met," I retort.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he says, waving a hand in a shooing motion at me and smiling. He grabs my wrist and yanks me to him, wrapping his concrete body around my now semi-tiny frame to mimic a hug. "Happy birthday, girl. You're what, 21?"
I look at him with a look that questions his sanity and he bursts into a fit of laughter. "I wish I were that again, shit was simpler then."
"I'd want to be 16 again."
"I like my age and hers, we met and we're together," Josh interjects.
"You would," I hear Lance say from the kitchen.
"Yeah, well, things were more complicated for us, Bumpkin," I state teasingly, heading in his direction.
"Keep in mind that he's city and so aren't you, so you fit together, City Girl."
I stick my tongue out and he smiles, reciprocating the action. "Country Boy, you are such a nerd," I tell him, giving him a hug.
My cell rings in the living room and Josh answers it. "Look, stop calling. Your actions forced the judge to deem you a danger to Sam and the kids. Bye." Josh comes into the kitchen and brushes his fingers down my side, lightly holding me. "He keeps getting your cell phone number somehow," he tells me, entirely exasperated.
"Then I suppose it's time to get rid of the cheap plan," I tell him.
"What about a cell phone?" Lance asks.
"That's not a big issue," Josh comments, dialing a number on his phone and putting it to his ear, kissing me before walking away.
"He's been great to us and I couldn't ask for more," I say, leaning on the counter with my chin in my hands and looking at Lance.
"You always have a smile on your face. It's most likely because of that man," Justin comments, walking into the kitchen and ruffling my hair, meaning Josh.
"Possibly."
Josh comes back in the kitchen and wraps his arms around me, kissing my neck. "You wanted the Samsung Gravity, right?"
"Yeah, Josh." I'm wondering what he's up to.
"Which hand?" he asks, putting his hands behind his back and smiling playfully.
"Both," I reply, raising an eyebrow and putting a hand on my hip, the other one held out.
"You can't do that, it's cheating. Pick one."
I move closer to him and reach behind him, touching both of his empty hands. I leave my hands in his and stay there, annoyed. "They're empty."
He guides my left hand to his right ass pocket, my hand wraps around the object in his pocket and pull it out. I look at it and become overjoyed because he got me a blue and turquoise Samsung Gravity. I squeal and throw my arms around his neck, hugging him as I place kisses on his lips. "I also added a memory card and all your favorite music."
"Oh my lawd! Thank you!" I shout, excited about my gift.
"I programmed all the contacts you had in your other cell and iPod, as well as some from mine."
I excitedly go through the contacts, noticing he put in all of Dallas' contact info and some studio numbers. "Why did you give me all of Dallas' info?" I ask curiously.
"I'm around him most when I produce, you know that. Which brings us to next week's subject-I have to go to Atlanta."
"To produce with him," I finish, nodding.
"Any restrictions?" I open my mouth to answer and he smiles at me. "Other than staying faithful."
"Be honest and call twice a day, text me whenever."
"Sounds fair."
"I'm gonna miss ya."
"Or I can take the kids," Nick offers.
"Why?"
"So you can go with him, of course."
"I don't know," I respond.
Justin and James step forward, smiling. "We'll help him," James offers, nudging Justin in the side and glancing at Chris and Joey.
They all mutter various versions of 'yeah' and 'sure', nodding and glancing at James. "I'll help as much as I can," Aaron adds, hugging me loosely. That's the end of that discussion.
Chapter End Notes:
One more chapter and it's onto the next portion of this story... It'll be a couple years later and his first über successful album 'New Chaos' needs a follow up, given he has four great muses in his life, it shouldn't be a problem for him. Sam has since fallen into a routine and grown comfortable with JC's profession, extremely understanding but also sticking to her guns, doing what she says she's going to.
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