Rum and Coke

Ellie looked over at Brian. She couldn’t believe it. He was fidgeting! Never in her life had she ever thought that she would see the Great Synyster fucking Gates fidgeting.

“Well? What is it?” She prodded, nudging him a little with her knee.

“So, I actually have a lot of questions.”

“We have all tour.”

“But there’s been this one has been bugging me for a couple of hours now…” Brian continued.

Ellie burst out laughing, knowing exactly what he was going to ask.

“What the hell is so funny? I didn’t laugh at your question.”

She clutched her sides and laid down on the stage, unable to control her laughter.

“I’m talking to you,” he said with a huff, swatting at her calf.

After her laughter had died down, she sat up and smiled at him.

“Uh-oh. I know that look. Danni used to give it to me all the time,” he said with wide eyes. suddenly, they narrowed and his voice dropped really low. “What are you planning?”

That sent Ellie into hysterics again.

He scoffed and swatted at her again. “In all seriousness: what was so damn funny?”

“Fine, fine,” she replied after once again after regaining her breath back. She grinned at him and shook her head. “What did you want to know?”

“Does your mother ever…ya know…talk about me?” he asked, shifting his weight.

Ellie looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.

He sighed and nodded his head. “Figures,” he mumbled under his breath.

“The only thing she ever told me was that you lived in California, and she gave me the name of the bar she used to work at.”

“Please tell me you didn’t go there.”

Ellie didn’t answer.

“Ellie, you could have gotten seriously hurt!”

“Don’t worry about me, Brian, okay? I’m fine. I can handle myself. Do you have any other questions?”

“Yea, tell me about this Adam character.”

Ellie sighed, knowing that this question would eventually come up. “Well, he came into mom’s studio- well, more like stumbled into it actually- when I was about three. He was pissed off at basically everyone. He couldn’t cut a proper record because he was labeled as a Broadway star. And then, well, he was having trouble at home. He didn’t really know where to turn, and he really didn’t want to return to Broadway-”

“So why did he go to a dance studio?”

Ellie glared at him. “Do you want to hear it or not? I can leave right now and figure everything out on my own, ya know. I can always ask the other guys.”

He hung his head again.

Damn, what bitch got him this whipped?, Ellie asked herself silently. She shook her head and continued on. “So, he finally gave in and returned to the Broadway stage with what he was sure to be a hit. But, the thing is, he wasn’t on really good terms with any choreographers. So, that’s why he came to mom. I met him about a month later- I don’t remember the actual meeting part, but give me a break- I was three. So, over the course of a year, they got all the bests together- and my best, I really do mean best people that were in New York…anyways, they spent a year perfecting the production. During that year, Adam and my family got really close… like, really close,” she emphasized. “It wasn’t until long that I was calling him daddy.”

Brian shuffled next to Ellie, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he shuffled around until he was laying down.

Ellie pulled her knees closer to her body and continued on. “The production opened on my fourth birthday. I remember dressing up in a nice dress and remember how marvelous it felt. I didn’t care that I wasn’t in the actual production, I had to be the center of attention-”
He let out a low, rumbling, laugh.

Ellie stuck her tongue out at him. “You laugh, but I was the center of the universe that entire day…but, that night- my mother took my spot,” she let her voice trail off as she remembered that night vividly.

“Mommy! Look! they got Stwawbawies!” A four year old Ellie giggled, shoving the chocolate covered fruit in her mother’s face.

Danni laughed, “I see!” her eyes gleamed before she took a bite out of the toddler’s hand.

“Mommy! Mine!” Ellie shouted, crossing her arms and pouting.

Adam laughed at Ellie’s face before picking her up and setting her on his lap. “Have one of mine, Angel,” he said, offering one of his.

“I no Angel. I a Hellion!” Ellie retorted, taking the strawberry anyway.

“Says who?” he asked, his dimples shining through.

Ellie shrugged and continued to pick off his plate. “Uncle Kale.”

“Well, you’re my angel.” He replied, kissing the back of her head and hugging her close.
Danni just kept smiling. “Honey, watch where you’re putting your food. You don’t want to mess up Adam’s nice shirt, do you?”

Ellie shook her head violently. “No, I a good girl!” she said, waving her arms about.

Danni raised her eyebrows at her daughter and motioned for the toddler to turn around.

Ellie quickly looked at the large chocolate spot on Adam’s shirt.

He looked down at it and shook his head, a low chuckle passed through his lips.

“I no do it.” Ellie said confidently while turning back around to stick her tongue out at her mom.

Danni stuck her tongue back out at Ellie.

“Danni! Ellie!” Kale said as he made his way over to the table.

“Uncle Kale!” Ellie squealed while jumping into his arms.

Grinning, Kale spun his niece around and kissed her cheek sloppily. “How’s my little Hell Raiser?”

“Good. Look! I didn’t put that spot on Daddy’s shirt!” she squealed, pointing at the spot on Adam’s chest that he was trying to dab off. No one was aware of the look of hurt that flashed through Danni’s eyes.

“I can see that.” He grinned, giving Danni a wink as he sat down next to her. “So, my dearie. How are you? And you, too, Mr. Rockstar?” he asked, addressing the two adults.

“Good…completely bored, but good.” Danni replied. She glared at Kale. “Don’t give me that look, you know how much I hate these fucking things.”

Ellie gasped and pointed a finger at her mother. “Mommy said a bad word!”

Danni rolled her eyes, but still smiled. “Yes, mommy did. And she’s very sorry. Is she forgiven?”

Ellie shrugged her shoulders and continued to pick food off of everyone’s plate. “I guess so.”

Kale shifted. “What about you, Adam?”

“Mommy and Daddy are going to get married, right Daddy?” Ellie asked, a large, innocent smile on her face.

Danni glared at Adam.

Uncle Kale let out a low whistle. “And that’s our cue to leave. C’mon, Hellion, let’s go play karaoke!” he said as he stood up, the toddler still in his arms.

“Yay! We play ka-ka- Sing Along!”

Ellie laid down on her back, her head resting in her arms. “There was a huge fight, naturally…but they stayed good friends…and I continued to call Adam daddy…I still do. He really is a great guy. A little overprotective at times, and a bit stubborn, but still great…”

“Did they- did they ever…” Brian trailed off, chickening out in the end.

“Date?” Ellie asked, rather bluntly.

“Yea.”

“No. mom only had one boyfriend in New York, and he hit the hills a month before I was born.” Ellie let out a chuckle, remembering the story that her mom had told her time and time again. “Since then, she’s sworn a life to polygamy. Adam is one of her many American lovers/ friends with benefits.”

“But, you said your brother-”

Ellie laughed. “You mean Monty? He’s one of Adam’s kids. We kind of grew up together- me, Monty, Jay, and Ryan.”

“Oh, I see. So, what’s this about Ryan? Is he really your twin?”

“Biologically speaking? No. But, I’ve known him ever since we were in diapers.”

“Oh, ok, that was just a little confusing.”

Ellie waved her hand, as if to brush the matter off. “It’s fine,” she said as she checked her watch.

“What time is it?” Brian asked, noticing Ellie’s expression.

“Nearly midnight.”

“We’re leaving soon,” he mused.

“Yupp,” she replied lazily while getting up. “And it’s my shift to drive.”

“You know, you could have gotten a bus.”

“Where’s the fun in that? We didn’t want everything to be handed to us on a silver platter. It’s like in the theatre- you start out singing in the chorus or as an understudy, then you rise up in the ranks to Prima Donna,” she said before gracefully rising to her feet.

“I can see that,” he said. “Well, I’m going back to my bus so that I can get a little bit of sleep. Remember, you guys have an interview tomorrow,” he said as he tried to get up.

“Yay, fun.” Ellie chuckled at Brian’s failed attempts to get up. “Need help there, Old Man?”

“Fuck you, I can do it.” He replied, trying to get up again.

Ellie shook her head and grabbed his hand before pulling him up.

“I didn’t need help.” He grumbled.

“Of course you didn’t, jackass,” Ellie said with a smile so that he knew she was kidding.

He cracked a smile. “Inconsiderate bitch.”

Ellie laughed. “We’re going to have an okay relationship, right?” She didn’t want to jinx it.

His smile fell slightly. “Yea, we’re going to have an okay relationship.” He said as he attempted to pull her into a hug. “Too soon?” he asked when she took a step back.

Ellie nodded. “Too soon, but I’m working on it.”