One Wild Night

Marissa peered through the windshield of Jimmy's car, taking in scenery she hadn't noticed on her first visit. The drummer was pointing things out to her as they drove through areas he'd terrorized as a teen. Jacob was sleeping peacefully in the back, strapped securely into his carseat.

It had been two months since her decision to move to California. Two months of planning and arranging and constantly changing her mind. Finally, Danny had told Marissa that he was firing her if she didn't quit on her own, and her parents had (jokingly) threatened to remove her from the will if she didn't do what was best for herself and her son. She took the hint. She'd put in her two week notice at work, informed her landlord that she was moving, and coerced her mom into helping her pack.

It was exactly two weeks later. The previous day had been her last day at work, and this morning, she'd caught a flight out of Huntsville International Airport. She'd been surprised to find Jimmy waiting upon her arrival in California, but Brian had called and explained: "He bugged the shit out of me to let him be the one to come get you. It was simpler to give in."

Marissa was nervous and excited about taking this step. She would have both the guys and her girls to help her and Jacob adjust to their new environment. The guys had just wrapped up their latest tour and were home with the intention of relaxing a bit before starting on the new record.

"Here we are!" Jimmy said, pulling into the driveway of Brian's expansive split-level home. "Your new humble abode!"

As Jimmy killed the engine, the front door opened. Jason, Matty, Jess, Carmen, Cecelia, Sabrina, and Marie spilled out of the house. While the Berry twins tugged a squealing and squirming Marissa out of the car, Cecelia freed a gradually waking Jacob from his carseat.

"Hey! Roadies! Hands off the girl, okay?" Johnny barked, approaching with Matt, Zacky, and Brian.

Pouting, Jason and Matty let go of Marissa, who was immediately wrestled to the ground by Johnny and Zacky.

"What the hell, guys!?" Marissa yelled, laughing and trying to shove them away.

"I JUST TOUCHED A BOOB!" Johnny crowed, throwing his arms up in triumph.

"You'd better not have," Jess and Brian said simultaneously.

Brian helped Marissa to her feet. "Hey," he murmured, wrapping her in his arms and kissing her.

Her smile widened. "Hey."

"Oh, ew! Get a room, you two!" Jimmy exclaimed.

"I think they're cute," Cecelia commented.

"And for that, you can no longer hold the child. Give him here." Jimmy reached for Jacob. "Come on. Give him to me."

Cecelia turned, putting her back to Jimmy and shielding Jacob with her body. "No!"

"You're not fit to be in contact with that child!" Jimmy insisted. "You're going to warp his fragile little mind!"

"Rev, just hearing the things that come out of your mouth every day is going to warp his fragile little mind," Matt said.

"And may I point out something else?" Cecelia added. She pointed at Brian and Marissa. "Look at who his parents are. The child never had a prayer."

"Thanks a lot, Cece," Marissa said dryly.

Cecelia smiled sweetly and came over to give Marissa a one-armed hug. "Hi, honey."

"Enough of this nonsense," Jason muttered, and turned to his twin. "I propose cake."

"Cake sounds delightful," Matty replied. The twins headed for the house.

Marissa glanced at Brian, arching an eyebrow. "There's cake?"

"Not my idea," he said.

Jimmy raised a hand. "Twas my idea!" He seized Marissa's wrist and ran after the twins. "You've gotta see this cake!"

"Jimmy!" Marissa protested, stumbling slightly while trying to keep up with his long legs.

The others followed them inside, to the kitchen. Jason and Matty were already setting out plates and forks for everyone. On the table was a huge cake emblazoned with an elephant stepping through a block "A"--a common symbol for the University of Alabama's football team.

"It's beautiful, Jimmy." Marissa hugged him tightly.

"You should have seen the look I got when I told them what I wanted on the cake," he said, giving her an extra squeeze.

The twins were given the honor of hacking up the cake and as a result, they got the two biggest pieces. Once it had been cut into, Marissa could see that Jimmy had gone a step further in the white-and-red theme: the cake was cherry chip.

The group moved out onto the deck to eat. They ended up staying there until late into the evening, ordering pizzas for dinner. Around seven, the party began breaking up. The last couple, Cecelia and Matt, left at seven forty-five.

"Alone at last," Brian remarked, closing the door behind them and joining Marissa in the living room.

"Mmm," she mumbled. The early start to her day and the lengthy flight were catching up to her. Jacob was already passed out in his room upstairs.

Brian chuckled. "I know what you need."

"Hmm?"

"A nice, long, hot shower and eight hours of uninterrupted sleep."

"That sounds wonderful," Marissa said, unsuccessfully attempting to stifle a yawn.

"Your wish is my command." He scooped her off the sofa and into his arms, carrying her to one of the guest rooms on the second floor that had its own bathroom.

"Actually," she said as he used his elbow to flip on the lights in the bathroom. "I can take or leave the shower. I just want sleep. I'm exhausted."

Brian switched off the lights and took her to the bed, lowering her gently onto the clean sheets. "Do you want a tee-shirt to wear?"

"Doesn't matter." Marissa stripped off her tanktop and jeans. She hesitated, then removed her bra as well. Snuggling under the blankets, she smiled up at Brian.

"Sweet dreams, 'Rissa." He brushed a kiss across her lips and went to the door.

"Hey, Bri?"

He stuck his head back into the room. "What?"

"I'm glad I came."

"Me, too."

"Night."

"Goodnight, Marissa." He shut the door.

Marissa could hear him moving around in the master bedroom across the hall. For some reason, she found the noise extremely soothing. In no time at all she was asleep.

****

Two days later, the guys wanted a night out. They barely partied on the road, submitting fully to their responsibilities, so they planned to take advantage of their time off. Brian asked Papa Gates and Suzy to watch Jacob. They were more than happy to do it, having not seen Jacob since Marissa had moved to Alabama.

Marissa and the other girls dressed their sexiest, short skirts and low-cut tops revealing plenty of skin. When they entered the living room, where the guys were waiting, Jimmy declared jokingly "I changed my mind. We're not going out. We're staying right here and getting naked!"

They went to a club rather than their usual haunt, Johnny's Bar. "We know you girls want to shake your asses," Matt explained, dimpling at them. "And we are certainly okay with that."

Marissa was as excited as the guys about having a night free from responsibilty, drinking and dancing with all of her best friends and, of course, Brian. There had been no time for carefree fun in Alabama; she'd been too busy being a mom.

The DJ hit Rihanna's "S&M" just as the group made it through the door.

"Go get us some drinks!" Carmen instructed the guys while ushering the girls to the dance floor.

The girls paired off: Carmen and Jess, Cecelia and Marissa, Sabrina and Marie. They didn't hold back, all comfortable enough with each other that serious bodily contact was not an issue. The guys were soon gathered at the edge of the dance floor, and Jimmy let it be known that he thought the girls dancing together like that was "the sexiest thing ever!"

Several songs later, the girls sashayed over to the guys, accepting their drinks with murmurs of thanks. Jimmy had Carmen around the waist and was whispering something in her ear that made her giggle.

"If they do it in the bathroom, we're leaving them," Matt said to the rest of the group. "Deal?"

"Deal," Marissa, Brian, Zacky, Marie, Jess, Johnny, Cecelia, and Sabrina agreed simultaneously. Jason and Matty simply chuckled.

The night progressed. Somehow, Jimmy and Carmen kept control of their urges and joined the others in consuming massive amounts of alcohol. Marissa was still moderately sober when Brian led her out onto the dance floor. A slow song was playing. He held her close, their bodies pressed together.

As she had noted multiple times in the last six months, she felt comfortable, safe, and secure in his arms. She loved the way his body felt against hers, his warmth, the way he smelled...

"What are you thinking about?" he inquired, putting his mouth close to her ear so he could be heard over the music.

Marissa blushed. "You."

A small smile quirked the corners of his mouth. "Oh, really?"

She nodded.

"What about me?"

"Your ego doesn't need any help," she teased.

"Marissa!" he cajoled, pouting playfully. "Come on. Tell me."

She bit her lip, saying nothing.

"Marissa." Brian laughed softly. "Why are you being so shy? I mean, we've had sex and made it through that awkward after phase."

Marissa sighed. "That was when it was simple, Bri. It's not any more. There are feelings involved now."

His face lost all expression. He seemed to be thinking and didn't want her to read his thoughts on his face. She waited, nervous.

"We've been through a lot," he said finally. "And there was so much anger at the beginning that we couldn't focus on anything else. We're not angry any more. That leaves room for other emotions."

"I'm not drunk enough for this," Marissa muttered.

"Are you sober enough for this?" Brian cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. It was the kind of kiss that romance novels describe that one never really experiences: stealing her breath and her will, making her knees weak, sending heat flooding through her from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

He pulled away, leaving her breathless and dizzy. She stared up at him with slightly unfocused eyes. She didn't feel even remotely buzzed after that.

"Hmm, speechless." Brian smirked. "Yeah, I'm that good."

Marissa rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder. "You totally just ruined the moment."

"I can recapture it." He bent towards her again, but she stopped him with a hand over his mouth.

"Not here," she said. "Why don't you recapture it at home, in the dark, under the covers?" She linked her fingers with his.

"Yes ma'am." He allowed her to lead him to the exit, grinning all the way.