You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

“AVA AVA AVA!”

Ava pulled her head from the pillow and opened one sleepy eye, arching her eyebrow with it.

Danielle ran back from bedroom door and jumped onto the bed, jolting Ava awake. Thank god Hilton beds were legendary for their durability.

“The fuck is going on?” Ava asked, mostly awake now.

“You've had a gentleman caller.” Danielle grinned.

“A what?” Ava shot her a look, unamused. She turned to look at the clock on the nightstand. “It's 8:30. Who the fuck would come see me at 8:30?”

“Well, technically, it was just the bellboy. But I thought gentleman caller might hold your attention better.”

“You woke me up because the bellboy came?” Ava was speaking slowly, trying to take it all in.

“Yeah, he brought something for you.” Danielle trailed off, smiling and unable to contain her excitement.

“Oh fuck no. Is it something creepy? More naked pictures?” She groaned. Ava had grown accustomed to creepy fan mail from guys ages 10-50. Somehow, they always managed to find her.

“No, actually. Or at least, I don't think so.” Danielle paused to reconsider. “I mean, I red the card, 'cause I just couldn't resist. There's no name.”

“What is it?” Ava asked sitting upright against her propped up pillows, actually getting drawn in by her mysterious present now.

“Hold on,” Danielle smiled, hopping up from bed and rushing over to the spot where she'd stashed the surprise. Ava tried to peek around her to get a better look.

“Close your eyes!” Danielle called with her back turned. Ava rolled her eyes. “I mean it!”

“Okay, okay.” Ava relented, sealing her eyes shut. She could hear Danielle rustling around near her, trying to carry whatever the fuck this thing was. She heard something heavy clink against the table.

“Okay, open!” Danielle said, stepping out of the way. She held her hands up and waited for Ava's reaction with a tah-dah! look on her face.

Flowers?

On the table in front of her was a dozen roses arranged neatly in a glass vase. Ava's heart beat out of time.

“Give me the card,” She said urgently. Danielle fished it out the arrangement and held it to her friend, who grabbed it greedily and scrambled to open it.

Your first, and well deserved. Great show last night. Meet me later?

Ava smiled, her face growing flushed. Patches of hectic red colored her cheeks. She caught a glimpse of the ridiculous smile on her face in the mirror and barely recognized herself. Her hands were shaking.

“Who's it from?” Danielle demanded, jumping around anxiously.

“It's from Billie Joe.” She smiled, looking away from the card after reading it for a second time and up to her friend.

Danielle shrieked and jumped across Ava, grabbing the card from her in the process before landing on the bed with another jolt. The two fought over the card, smacking each others hands to get a glimpse.

“This is really fucking cool.” Danielle said, staring at the card for another beat, then back at Ava. “He loves you.” She said, smiling.

“Shut up, he does not.” Ava rolled her eyes and snatched the index card back, but a little voice inside her head hoped Danielle was right.

“He does. Do you know how much a dozen roses cost?”

“He's a rock star, Danielle. I don't think he's going to have to take out a second mortgage for this.”

“He put thought into it. Look at the message!” She pointed to the card for emphasis.

“He could have had someone call in the order for him.” Ava rationalized.

“God, why can't you just let him be in love with you? You have no heart.”

“I do have a heart, I just-”

“Don't want to risk the chance of getting it broken.” Danielle finished. “It's okay, Ava. I understand.

Ava gave her a sidelong glance that said more than words ever could. She smiled a thanks.

“Now, you gonna call up your little lover boy and find a way to thank him for this gorgeous arrangement, or are you going to sit around and sulk about a totally hot, successful guy falling for you? The choice is yours; sexy rock star girlfriend, or old lady who spends her days complaining about all of her ailments to her group of cats. What's it gonna be?”

***********************************************************************************

Once Ava had checked out of the hotel and made it back to the stadium, she headed straight for Green Day's bus. She knocked on the door, shuffling her feet nervously outside, praying that Mike and Tre were somewhere, anywhere, else.

Billie answered the door and smiled. Ava stood there biting her lip to hold back a smile.

“Hey, you.” He smirked, looking her up and down. She was wearing a soft cotton t-shirt, forming to the curves of her body. It looked soft against her pale skin. Her shorts showed off her shapely legs.

“Hi,” She said shyly, with an awkward wave of her hand. She cursed inwardly at herself for that one. “I got your flowers.” Her eyes sparkled like glass.

“You're welcome,” He smirked, realizing that was as close to a thanks as he was going to get. “Wanna come in?”

She nodded, and he stepped aside in the doorway, making room for her to walk by. When she was next to him he tugged on her belt loop, pulling her close. She jerked towards him and grinned, kissing quickly, then grabbed his lapel, pulling him towards the couch against the nearest wall. She stopped when she looked at the floor. Records were scattered everywhere.

“What's all this?” She asked, pulling away from him and moving to sit on the floor, suddenly distracted.

“Records”

She looked up to him gave him the 'No shit Sherlock' look.

. “I was looking for something to listen to on vinyl.” He gestured towards the record player he'd drug out and set up.

“Oooh, can I pick?”

“Sure, anything you want, Aves.” He shrugged. He smiled, the skin around his eyes creasing.

Ava felt her insides turning, but in a good way. Were those 'butterflies'?

She never got butterflies.

Ava tried to shake off the sudden vulnerability she was feeling when she blushed by immersing herself in the record collection. Music was always an escape, that should be good.

He sat down and watched her spread out his record collection, hands caressing the old albums with care. She toed out of her flip flops before she sat down, stretching out her bare feet. He smiled at the bright red toenail polish chipping away. She touched some of her favorites slowly; Sticky Fingers, The White Album, Tommy. Her face was stony with such concentration that he was a little afraid to interrupt whatever thought process was going on in her head.

He watched as her expression softened, then she whipped around and looked up at him, smiling so big her cheeks dimpled.

“Help!?” She grinned.

He looked away from her face to see what she was holding, breaking the trance. He smiled with her.

“Do you want to play it?” Billie felt like he was talking to a kid, not discussing old records with his fuck buddy. She smiled and nodded.

He leaned forward to take the record, standing up. He slipped it out of the sleeve and blew it off, sending dust flying through the air. Billie walked over to the record player and bent down, setting it up and letting the needle drop. When the opening sounds of Help! filled the air, he turned around to grin at Ava, who had moved to sit on the couch.

Billie stood up and walked to sit down next to her. She rested her head against his shoulder without any hesitation, and the sudden nonchalant contact almost made him jump. She cocked her head to look up at him just as he turned his to the side. He winked at her conspiratorially, then bent down to kiss her.

The kiss was soft, and her lips tasted like syrup, not the vanilla wax he was used to. She tilted her mouth open just the tiniest bit, and he kissed her top lip, then the bottom one. Her eyes closed, and she opened her mouth further, inviting him. He ignored the invitation and chose instead of flick his tongue against the edges of her lips, tasting her. She moaned, and a grin sprouted on his face that interrupted the kiss. She kissed the edge of his mouth, then his bottom lip, biting it softly. He grabbed onto her waist, groaning as he went to shift her onto his lap.

And then, in the middle of paradise, Ava heard the door open and jumped, leaning back against the arm of the couch as Tre walked up the stairs. He surveyed the scattered records, the proximity of Billie and Ava's bodies, and the flush on Ava's cheeks. Billie looked a little freaked, to be honest. Everything seemed so obvious now. Tre had his suspicions before, but he'd shaken them off on the grounds of paranoia and maybe even jealousy, but now everything was clear.

“Hey guys,” He said, trying not to cause too much attention to his recent revelation. He turned his back on the two, bending over and opening the mini fridge, trying to act like he actually gave a fuck about the leftovers in it.

“Hey man,” Billie replied, trying to sound cavalier. Ava nodded a hello, she was aware of Tre's slight resentment towards her. “What's up?” Billie asked, scratching the back of his head, trying to break the tension.

“Not much. How 'bout you two?” He grabbed a beer and turned around and nodded at the pair.

“Just playing some Beatles,” He gestured towards the record player that was spinning on the floor.

To be honest, Ava had actually forgot there was any music playing at all.

“Cool,” Tre tired to sound interested, but he'd never been a good liar. He started pounding out the drum part on the counter, still watching Ava and Billie. “Oh, Bill, I meant to tell you earlier. Adie called me, coupl'a hours ago. Said your phone was turned off or something. She wanted to make sure you were alright, wondered if you seemed 'off' or anything lately, don't really know what that's all about. You guys okay? Oh, and the kids miss you.” Tre took a swig from his beer, giving all of that a minute to sink in. He pulled the bottle from his lips, looking to see if anything had changed in the last three seconds.

Billie stared at him, agape in a way that said 'You had better fix this shit soon or I'm going to kick your ass all the way back to an 80s hair metal concert'. He had to shut his jaw into a grimace before Ava noticed.

“Who's Adie?” She asked after a brief eternity of silence. The tone in her voice told Billie that she already knew. “That's what I thought.” She responded to his answer of silence.

Tre hadn't exactly anticipated that.

She stood up without another look in Billie's direction and proceeded to walk towards the door, stopping only to slip her flip flops on her feet, making sure to get her toes situated. Tre could tell the careful control the departure cost her. Billie jumped to his feet.

“Ava, wait, where are you going?”

She turned around to look at him, or well, smolder him with fury might be more accurate.

Okay, stupid question.

The venomous, bitchy and independent Ava had returned, carved from stone. All of the tenderness from just a minute ago had vanished and everything he had unearthed about her was reburied.

“Away from you.” He nearly winced as she turned on her heel and marched down the stairs, throwing the door open and walking out into the hot summer air.

“Fuck, Ava!” He exclaimed, following her path at twice the speed of normal human velocity just to keep her in his sight. She was fuming, he could tell just by the set of her shoulders. “Ava, stop!” His calls grew more desperate every time he spoke her name. I

n her rage she walked into a puddle of mud, covering her sandal clad feet, so much for a dramatic departure, she thought.

“Ava!” She pulled her foot from the muck and wiped the better part off before giving up and continuing on at a renewed pace. He grabbed her shoulder and whirled her around so that they were facing. Being the same height, her smoldering eyes met his only an inch apart.

“Wait for what, Billie? Another set of roses? Out of what, fucking guilt?” She pushed him back. Her chest rose and fell with each breath and her hands were shaking with anger. She wanted to hit him.

“Aves, baby, please-”

“Don't call me that!” She thundered. Now her shoulders were shaking too.

She imagined herself delivering a solid blow to his jaw, put his fucking singing out of commission for at least a month.

“Ava,” He sighed, desperate. He ran his hands through his hair. “Please, just, I dunno, let me explain-”

As much as she wanted him to suffer, she couldn't stand to see him groveling and pleading like that. It made her want to hit him more.

“Okay. Explain. Who's Adie?” She crossed her arms and waited, controlling her violent urges knowing that scorning him verbally would cause more damage to him in the long run. Though she would like to wound his ego by kicking his ass, and she probably could. He was just a little guy with a nasally voice, after all.

He paused, looking down at his feet and sighing. “My wife.” He nearly mumbled, wishing that maybe she would mistake the words for something else. But she didn't. Her breath trembled. “And I have two sons.” He hated saying the second part. He half expected her to run or deck him, and it shocked him when she stood immobile before him.

After a prolonged moment of silence she asked, “Why did you do this to me?” She seemed on the verge of tears, her voice quivering with the words.

“Because, I told you, you were special. My heart stopped when you stepped off that fucking bus. I tried to stay away, I tried to get you out of my head, I really did. But, you were just, so perfect. I couldn't help myself.”

“Jesus Christ, Billie.” She let out a hard laugh to keep the tears that were building in her eyes from falling. She looked up, shaking her head. “You couldn't help yourself? What the fuck am I to you, a bottle of tequila?”

“Ava, no. I told you, this wasn't just fucking around-”

“Yeah, and you were very convincing. But what did you think was going to happen? Obviously you're happily fucking married and where the fuck does that leave me? Just with the trash, I guess.”

“Ava, I never wanted this to happen, stop, please.” He was begging.

“What did you think was going to happen, Billie?”

“I don't know! We were just 'riding it out', remember? I couldn't even think about this!”

“Oh my god, fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!” Ava slid to the ground mumbling, cradling her head in between her hands.

“Ava, baby.” He bent down in front of her, but she didn't look up at him. “Baby, please.” He reached his hand out, just brushing her hair when she jerked back violently, whimpering. That hurt. “I'm so sorry, Ava. I didn't want to hurt you, I-”

“Well you did,” She snapped, pulling further away from him. “You, you lied to me. We were fucking talking about relationships, and I asked you why Mike hated me, and you fucking lied about it.” She turned from angry to incredulous. “How could you do that?”

He sighed, resigned to something she couldn't place. “Because, Aves,” He didn't miss the way she cringed at the name. “Because, I love you-”

“Stop it. Stop.” Ava was on her feet faster than he cared to think about, pacing. “Fucking stop. You don't.”

“Ava-”

“Billie! If you can do one fucking thing for me, just,” She sighed, looking him in the eye. “Just leave.” The pair stared at one another; Billie pleading and Ava firm despite the shaking of her breath.

He stood up and turned away from her, pausing for a few seconds. Then he walked away, not looking back.

After all, if he'd learned anything the past few weeks, it was that no one denied Ava what she wanted.