Ring the Alarm

"Hurry up Adrienne, the cab's here!"

Billie stood at the foot of the stairs and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his wife. He was just about to yell again when she appeared on the landing.

"Wow," he whistled as she made her way towards him. "You look---"

"Stupid," she mumbled as she tugged at the hem of her dress.

"No---you look beautiful." He took her hands to stop her from fidgeting and kissed her lips softly.

"Now's not the time for sentiment," she giggled as he snaked his hands round her back and attempted to unzip her dress. "We've got a cab waiting, remember?"

He groaned dramatically but allowed her to reclaim his hands in her own and pull him towards the door.

"You can enjoy undressing me later---but right now we've got an anniversary to celebrate."

---

"What took you guys so long?" Tre's voice boomed across the restaurant. "I was ready for telling the chef to barbeque Mike!"

"Sorry," Billie answered as he and Adrienne took their seats at the table with their friends. "Joey wouldn't settle at my mom's."

"Is that code for sex?"

"Dammit Tre---is that all you think about?!"

"Pretty much."

"Who cares what they were doing---at least they're here now!" Mike Dirnt could always be counted on for being the voice of reason.

"So can you believe you've been married for five years?!" Mike's wife, Anna, asked once the meal was underway. "It doesn't seem like two minutes since you were running up stupidly expensive phone bills!"

"We still do that now," Billie grinned at Adrienne as he draped on arm round the back of her chair and kissed her temple. "I'll never know how she's managed to put up with me for this long."

"Alcohol helps!" She smiled playfully back at him.

Only the two of them knew how much hard work had gone into making their marriage work. But somewhere in between the tears, tempers and tantrums; ran a connection so deep that made the shit they'd been through, worth it. She was his inspiration; his guiding light out of the darkness. He was her rock; her source of stability throughout the craze of raising a child and being a rockstar's wife.

"I'm just going to head outside for a cigarette," Billie whispered to her as the group carried on discussing his and Adrienne's success.

Once outside Billie glanced impatiently at his watch. Although he was enjoying the evening, a very large part of his mind was more occupied with the fact that he and Adrienne had the house to themselves for once. And damn---did she look good tonight.

He grinned sheepishly to himself when he felt a deep heat stir in his crotch. 'Maybe I could convince her to do it out here,' he thought as he scanned his surroundings. 'It's pretty dark.'

Smiling wider, he made to go back inside to reveal his naughty plan; only a figure in the doorway stopped him.

"Well hello Billie Joe," a voice he hadn't heard in years greeted him. "What brings you to my side of town?"

His heart hammered in his chest as he lifted his gaze to greet the person in front of him.

"Hello Abigail," he replied curtly. "It's been a while. How are ya?"

She took a step forwards out of the doorway and backed him out into the darkness once more. "I'm good sugar. I'm managing this place now."

She waved her hand behind her at the restaurant.

"Oh---that's good for you then. How's that working out for you?" Billie tried to be as polite as possible but really, he couldn't have cared less. All he was bothered about doing was making his way back inside and regaining his seat next to his wife.

She sensed his preoccupation and reached out to lay one hand on his chest. His eyes widened in surprise at her sudden contact.

"It's good. But not half as much fun as what I had when I was working with you---if you get what I mean?"

He cringed at her innuendo as she stepped closer to him.

"You know---I'm always free for a rematch. Just say the word and I'm all yours."

Billie couldn't stop his face from contorting in horror at her offer. Whatever he saw in her five years ago had certainly disappeared now. He was just about to push her away when a cough from behind Abigail distracted him.

"And what's all this?" Adrienne stepped out into the night. She had her arms folded in front of her chest and her eyebrows were raised sceptically. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

The grin that spread across Abigail's face made anger burn in Billie's chest. He knew that she had somehow anticipated that Adrienne would go outside looking for him. The thought that she had been watching his table, sickened him.

"No you're not honey. I was just coming back inside."

He placed his hand at the small of his wife's back in an attempt to encourage her to go back inside with him. But her focus was fixed on the name badge that the blonde stranger in front of her was wearing.

"Abigail," she read out loud and turned to Billie Joe. "Abigail?"

"That's my name. Don't wear it out."

"Leave it Adie---let's go back inside."

"No---not until I find out why she had her hands all over my husband."

"What's it to you? You scared that he prefers my touch to yours?"

Billie seethed but Adrienne couldn't help but laugh. "Oh sweetheart---don't delude yourself. If that was the case then surely he'd be climbing into your bed and making love to you every night rather than me?"

"Well you know what they say---once you go fat, you never go back---"

And before Billie could stop her, Adrienne right hooked Abigail square in the eye which knocked her to the ground. He was just as helpless to stop her when she bent down to Abigail's level to stare her straight in the face. Billie had found himself on the wrong side of Adrienne's temper once too many times and so kept his mouth shut while he waited for his wife to finish.

"I've waited five years to do that," she hissed into Abigail's face. "Why don't you grow the fuck up and realise that Billie will never make the mistake of sleeping with you again. Now get up slut---those coats won't hang themselves."

With that, Adrienne turned back to Billie and linked her arm in his. "You ready for cake now, honey?"

"Umm---yeah---" Billie glanced between the defiant figure of Adrienne and the pitiful figure of Abigail.

"I saw her when we first came in," Adrienne continued as they made their way back to the table. "She couldn't take her eyes off you and when I saw her name tag, I knew straight away who she was. She practically foamed at the mouth when you went outside on your own. I knew she'd follow you so when I saw her leave, I waited a minute and then went out myself."

"Nothing happened," Billie shot back quickly. "I didn't want her to touch me like that. I didn't even know she managed this place otherwise I would never have booked a table. I'm sorry Adie---"

"Sssshhh---" Adrienne soothed as she rubbed Billie's back when they took their seats. "I trust you."

Those three words were all Billie wanted to hear and so he took a deep breath and smiled. "I love you."

Their friends cooed as he placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"So she told you she managed this place, huh?" Adrienne laughed dryly as he pulled away.

"Yeah---why?"

She laughed again and nodded over to the other side of the restaurant. Billie laughed too when he saw Abigail taking her place in the coatroom assistance's booth.

---

Feeling adventurous from the numerous glasses of wine she had drunk, Adrienne excitedly pulled on Billie's hands to drag him out of the cab and across their front lawn; stopping to kiss him every now and then. When she felt her back hit the front door, she sensually wrapped her arms around Billie's neck and kissed him deeply.

When he responded half heartedly, she pulled away and scowled.

"Be here with me Billie," she whispered as her fingers entwined themselves in his hair. "It's our anniversary. Be here with me."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled in return as he stared at the floor. "I can't help but worry that I've ruined your night."

"Look at me Billie Joe Armstrong."

He lifted his sullen gaze to meet hers. She smiled at him softly. "Do you really think I'd be trying to get into your pants if you had ruined my night? I've had an amazing time Billie. Please stop worrying."

"I just don't like the thought of her making things hard between us---"

Adrienne sidled her body closer to his. "The only thing I want to be hard, is this---"

His eyes widened in pleasant surprise when he felt her stroking between his legs.

"Now---" she continued as she turned her attention away from his crotch and instead took his hands in her own and guided them round the back of her dress to pull down the zipper. "Are you going to help me out of this thing or what?"

Billie didn't need asking twice.

---

"Do you regret taking me back?" Billie whispered later, as he and Adrienne laid tangled together in their bed sheets.

"What a way to kill the mood, Billie!" She laughed and rested her chin on his chest. "You know I don't."

"I really am sorry about everything Adie." He stroked her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "I'm sorry about what happened back then, and I'm sorry about what happened tonight---"

Adrienne quickly sat up and took his face between her hands. "It's ok," she firmly assured him. "It's all ok. Let's leave the past where it belongs---in the past! We've come too far to start worrying about silly mistakes. I've grown to love you more in these last five years than I ever thought possible. There's nothing I regret about this marriage. Nothing at all. So stop beating yourself up about it."

Overcome with passion, Billie lunged forwards and captured her lips fiercly in his own. He shifted his weight so she was laying underneath him and used one arm to prop himself up, while the other tore the bed sheet away from her.

"I love you so much," he whispered roughly as his hand explored her naked body. "Don't ever forget that."

"I won't," she gasped as his every touch brought on new realms of pleasure. She wrapped her thighs around his waist and urged him to enter her.

It wasn't long till their bodies were once again entwined together; slick with sweat. And as they both lay in silence trying to regain their breath, both Billie and Adrienne knew that all they needed was each other.

And everything else was redundant.