Second Heartbeat

When the morning came Stormy got up out of bed while Brian slept and went into their kitchen to get coffee. She’d got there just as the pot stopped brewing, she usually always got up before the automatic timer would go off and would have to re-set the brewing to start. Not today, today she stood in at the counter looking out over the apartment that sat in the basement of the mansion with a hot cup of coffee in her hand.

As she stood there, she came to the realization that everything about this place screamed his name. He’d promised her a new life some time ago, but nothing about this place had her name on it. It was his kitchen, his living room, his bedroom and his studio. Sure, there were things that belonged to her, but all were either gifts from him or things she bought with his money. If she were to leave, she would have nothing and find herself right back where she started…dancing around a stripper pole. Truthfully, there was a big part of her that missed dancing. Not for the money, and not for the nasty clients, but for it’s ability to take her away from everything that was going on while she was standing still.

“Any coffee left for me?” Brian asked placing a hand on her hip and snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll get you a cup” She turned back to the coffee pot and poured him a cup. She fixed it just the way he liked it and handed it to him.

“Thank you” he kissed her cheek after taking the cup from her hand. “What’s the matter with my Angel?”

“Nothing, I’m fine” she faked a smile.

He wasn’t buying it. He set his cup down on the counter moved behind her putting his arms around her waist. “Tell me what you’re thinking about at least” he rested his chin on her shoulder and waited to hear what she had to say.

“Dancing”

“Stormy, it’s not going to happen, so forget it.” He said.

“Ok” she lowered her head and looked down into her coffee cup.

“I have an idea, how about you and I go back to bed?”

It was that sentence that did it. All the work she had done in creating the person she became over the last two years was gone. Back was the girl whom he once called a whore. It was the only way she would be able to get through sex with him after what she found out last night without cringing. Now, she was just a whore, his whore.

--

“Are you pregnant yet?” Matt asked teasing his wife as she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

“No, I’m not pregnant yet. Are you going to ask me that after every time we have sex?” she said sitting down on the bed to brush her hair.

“Yup, because every time you say no, we can have sex again and try for a yes.”

She hit him in the arm with her hairbrush “You are terrible!” she said.

“Yes, yes I am, but YOU love me” he grinned

“Says who?” she teased.

He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap while she laughed hysterically. His fingers played havoc on her body mercilessly tickling her wherever they landed.

“Says who now? Sure you don’t want to change that answer?” he laughed.

“OK!! I do I love you” she said with mercy in her voice.

She was laughing so hard she was practically in tears. “You should have seen your face, you looked like a lost puppy when I didn’t say I loved you” she teased.

“Nothing would hurt me more than knowing you didn’t love me. It’s no joke, Syd.”

She looked at him and knew he was serious and her thoughts went straight to what happened at the Halloween party. If he ever found out what happened between her and Brian, it would kill him.

--

Zacky sat in the kitchen reading the comics with Aubrey by his side. Johnny was standing on the other side of her buttering toast.

“Why the long face Aubs?” Johnny asked

“Zacky is going to miss my graduation” she said pushing the scrambled eggs around on her plate.

Zacky folded the paper closed and pushed it away from him. “Aubrey, if I could change the tour dates to be at your graduation, I would do it in a heartbeat. I know how hard you worked to finish grad school since the remission”

“Why don’t you have it videotaped?” Johnny asked

“Yeah, then I’ll watch it with you when I get back”

“It’s not the same.” She pushed the plate away and got up from the counter to refill her coffee cup.

Harley walked into the kitchen with Jonnie on her hip and brought her over to the counter and set her down. Instantly she picked up the newspaper and hit Zacky over the head with it.

“Good morning to you too munchkin” he said

“I’m taking Jonnie to her little tykes class, I thought her daddy may want to say goodbye before she left” Harley said picking her up and handing her to her father.

Jonnie smiled and rested her head on her fathers shoulder. “Hey, you have to go bye bye.” He said but she kept her head on his shoulder. “Jonnie”

“Boo!” she said lifting her head and he faked a scared look on his face. If she was anything at all, it was a little prankster. He kissed her and handed her back to Harley.

“I’m going to take her to the park after the class, I’ll have her back for lunch”

“Good deal” Johnny said and they all watched as Harley left.

“What’s her deal?” Aubrey asked

“What do you mean?” Johnny asked.

“Well, she is young, attractive and giving up her life to take care of a baby that isn’t hers.”

“She’s doing it to pay for college.” Johnny said before sipping his coffee.

“Hmmm we should set her up with someone” Aubrey said.

“How do you know she doesn’t have a boyfriend?” Zacky asked

“I don’t, but that shouldn’t be to hard to find out” she smiled and kissed his cheek.” I’m going to shower, want to come?” she asked.

“Hell yes!” he jumped off the stool and followed her out of the kitchen.

Johnny stood there watching them run off. His thoughts went straight to Kelli and how much he would give to have her back.

Stormy walked into the kitchen not even a minute later. “Hi” Johnny said.

“Hi, have you seen my car keys?” she asked.

“Uh nope.” He answered looking around the kitchen for any sign of keys.

“Shit” she stood there with her hand on her hips.

“Where are you going?”

“I have an appointment that I don’t want to be late for.” Her eyes were doing a once over on the kitchen when they landed on the door just as Sydney walked through it.

Johnny took his keys out of his pocket and handed them to her. “Take mine. It’s right out front. I am going to get some sleep while the baby isn’t here.”

Johnny left the kitchen and Stormy alone with Sydney.

“Cant find your keys again?”

“No”

“What’s the matter?” Sydney asked

“What do you care?”

“Of course I care, you’re my sister” she put her arm around Stormy’s shoulder but she quickly walked away.

“Really? Was I your sister the night you fucked my boyfriend?” Stormy left the kitchen in a huff leaving Sydney standing there dumbfounded. She had no choice now, she had to tell Matt.

--

Stormy drove Johnny’s car to the destination of her appointment. When she finally reached the place she parked right out in front. There was still 10 minutes before she had to be there and part of her wanted to start the car and go back home. She got out of the car and stood there looking up at the huge sign hanging over the building that read:

Harper’s Ballet