Trouble-Maker

Ronnie and I bought drinks as the girls and their guys found a round table on the second balcony. We were overlooking the dancing crowd as we all sat down together and grabbed a drink. I sipped on it since I'd be driving. Ronnie didn't drink anymore but with his leg still hurt, I wasn't sure he should be behind the wheel of something that could harm people.

Jamie asked me where I got my dress while Heather gushed over how adorable Ronnie and I looked together. I rolled my eyes at them and discovered then and there that Ronnie and I would be the center of attention tonight within our little group. Ronnie talked with Peter and Aiden about their jobs, not bringing up anything about Ronnie's surprisingly. I learned that Aiden was an Desktop Publisher which meant that he creates layouts and corrects text and things like that. I grinned at the blonde man as he talked about being able to enjoy his job and being good at it. Peter, on the other hand, was still in college. He was going to school to become a psychologist, which shocked me because I couldn't see this young guy sitting in a room and listening to other's problems.

"So you work with Heather and Jamie, right?" Peter questioned a little bit later.

I nodded, "Yeah. I've been working at the daycare for about six months now."

"What were you doing before that?" Peter asked intently, obviously curious.

"I was working with my father at his company and taking a couple more college courses so I could move into the job that I really wanted."

"What was that?" Heather questioned with a light smile.

"I wanted, still want, to be an A and R Coordinator," I told them, watching as everyone but Ronnie waited for me to explain what that was. "It's the person who finds the knew bands to sign to the label."

Everyone nodded. I thought that the girls would have told the guys that my father was Brett Gurewitz but then I thought that maybe outside of the music world, his name didn't mean anything to anyone else, so I explained a little bit father. "My Dad owns Epitaph records. The label that Ronnie's signed on."

"Oh!" Jamie piped up, "Now it makes sense."

Ronnie, who had been sitting next to me nodding his head along with the music, ran his fingers along my side and looked to Jamie, wondering what she meant.

She blushed under Ronnie's stare. "I mean, how you two met. It's not everyday that a daycare worker meets a famous musician, you know."

I smiled as Ronnie's finger's continued to trace invisible patterns on my side. "Yeah," I said with a nod, "I guess you're right. I never thought about that."

After another few minutes everyone's drinks were gone and we all dispersed to the dance floor. I led Ronnie down by his hand and squeezed between people until we were in the middle of the dance floor. One of Ronnie's hands went to my hip and thigh. I could feel his fingers touching my skin where the dress was slit and I grinned at him as we swayed the the music, becoming sweaty and enthralled with each other.

Heather and Aiden danced near us and in the same fashion. It was adorable how the two of them were completely caught up with each other, not noticing anyone around them. Heather's fingers were in Aiden's hair while they moved around the floor and his hands were on her waist, holding her against him like he couldn't stand to be apart from her for one minute.

Jamie and Peter had a little more separation between them since they hadn't been dating for too long. Jamie had said earlier that they weren't even "exclusive" yet and this was only their third date. But they were smiling at each other as they danced happily, moving their limbs along with the music.

As the music morphed into a slower song, Ronnie wrapped both of his arms around me from behind and he rested his hands on my lower stomach with my fingers tucked in between his. His chin rested in the crook of my neck as we swayed to the song. I reached up with one of my hands and tangled it in his hair as I closed my eyes.

Everything was simplified when I was with Ronnie. When his skin touched my skin I felt like that's how we were supposed to be, together. When he held me in his arm, not only did I feel safe, but I felt like he was supposed to be mine. There was no place else for Ronnie to be but with me and there was no other man on the planet that could make me feel so complete with myself.

That was a feeling that I could never give up on. After a little while of dancing Ronnie led me off towards the bar, my friends following behind us with their hands connected like ours. Ronnie bought me my favorite kind of fruity drink and ordered something for himself.

We sat on stools with Peter and Aiden while Jamie and Heather ran back up to our table to get their purses. I sat, leaning into Ronnie, as I listened to the band playing on the stage. It was a group of three guys and one girl who was singing.

The band was made up of all teenagers who were signing a pop-y version of a rock song that I had heard a thousand times. I was surprised to see them in a club, since they were too long, but Ronnie whispered in my ear, telling me that this place had a local band night every two weeks.

The singer was a girl with short red hair. Her bangs were cut straight across her forehead but the ends of her hair curved in curls. She sang loudly and pretty well, although I wasn't sure if I would've enjoyed this type of music compared to what I was usually into.

Her band was made up of all boys who seemed to lose themselves in the music. I smiled at their passion and mentioned it to Ronnie who nodded eagerly at the memory of his early teenage band days. Although he wasn't in the same band anymore, his memories of the joy of the early days wouldn't be compromised. Those days were good, no matter what had happened in the future.

"I love their energy," Ronnie whispered in my ear. "It makes the show better even if they're not the most talented group of kids."

I smiled up at him and nodded. "I totally agree."

Ronnie's lips were at my ear so that I could hear him. "Do you want to go back there and meet them?" he asked, his eyes raking over the four of them as they finished up their set on stage.

I moved my attention from the group on the stage and to him. I nodded and slid off of my stool. I leaned over to Heather and Jamie and they put their ears by my mouth. "We're going to go congratulate that band.We'll be right back!" I yelled over the pounding music, since it had morphed into a hard rock ballad.

They both nodded. "Okay!" Heather shouted, "We might be out on the floor!"

I nodded eagerly and then turned around and took Ronnie's outstretched hand. He led me through the large crowds and to the stage door. He pushed it open and was met with a long hallway that had many rooms branching off of it. The teenagers were still on stage as we walked into one of the rooms that led to the side-stage.

There were three steps that led up to the stage and Ronnie hopped up onto the second one and folded his arms over his chest, leaning against one of the columns that held the second floor up. As they got into the bridge of their last song the guitarist in the band looked over and noticed Ronnie standing there, as he played he bounced over to the girl and nodded towards Ronnie. The red-head's eyes went wide.

The song was over quickly and the young band was bouncing off of the stage. The girl ran straight over towards us now that Ronnie had back off of the stairs and was standing next to me with his arm wrapped over my shoulder.

The girl stood just a couple feet away from us and kept glancing to Ronnie as she worked up the courage to come over to us. Before she could back out, Ronnie led me over to her. I watched as she froze and then began to bounce on the balls of her feet.

Ronnie stood in front of her and grinned. "You guys were good out there," he told her, watching as a huge smile came over her lips.

She ran her fingers through her tangled curls and blushed. "Wow, thanks! I love your band. You guys are so good."

Ronnie smiled that crooked smile and nodded. "Thanks. What's your name?"

"E-Emilia," she stuttered, rubbing her arms with her hands and looked past Ronnie to where the rest of her band stood on the other side of the room, grinning at her with wide, teeth-showing smiles. I glanced back at them and motioned for them to come over and say hello, they walked over cautiously and stood on either side of Emilia.

They introduced themselves too. Ronnie gave them a few tips on what to do about their stage show and how to keep the crowd's attention. After about five minutes of talking to them Ronnie led me back out to my friends. They were sitting at a tall table, sipping on drinks and wiping the sweat off of their foreheads.

"Hey guys," I greeted, "Have fun dancing?"

"Hell yes," Heather cheered, "I love being on a dance floor!"

I nodded in agreement. "Especially with someone that can keep up with you," I said as I nudged Ronnie in the side.

Ronnie grinned at the group. "Especially when the women are sexy as hell."

Aiden laughed and nodded, kissing his wife, while Peter smiled lightly at Jamie who kissed his cheek. I rolled my eyes at Ronnie's blunt words but smiled at him anyways.

"Hey," Jamie said awhile later when we got back from dancing once again, "Peter and I are going to head out. He has to work in the morning."

I stood up from Ronnie's lap and hugged the younger woman goodbye, as well as giving Peter a light hug as he took Jamie's purse politely. "I'll see you at work on Monday," I told Jamie.

"It was nice seeing you again, Ronnie," Jamie told him as she and Peter left.

Ronnie pulled me against him and whispered to me. "Do you want to head out soon?" he asked as he noticed me slip my right foot out of my shoe and rub it before slipping it back in.

I nodded and stood up. "Heath, we're going to head out too, alright? Thanks for inviting us out tonight."

The blonde jumped up and wrapped her arms around my shoulders tightly. "I'll see you on Monday! It was great meeting you Ronnie!" she called as we said our final goodbyes before walking out of the whole building.

Ronnie swept me into his arms like a child as we walked back to the car. I squealed as he twirled me around. "Ronnie!" I laughed, throwing my head back and closing my eyes, feeling the world spinning around us.

"Atticus!" he copied me before setting me down on my feet and pulled my hips against his.

When I looked up into his eyes, my heart was beating a million miles an hour. His brown eyes were bright and shinning and there was a barely noticeable smile on his lips. "What?" I asked quietly, looking down.

I felt Ronnie's finger's on my chin, pulling my face back up to his. When my eyes met his again, he pressed his lips against mine softly. I opened my eyes and my breath caught in my throat as his words met my ears.

"You are so beautiful."

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Oh Ronnie. You're too good to me."

Ronnie bent down and wrapped his arms around my waist before picking me up so my feet weren't weren't touching the ground and my eyes were level with his. "No Atticus, you're too good for me," he whispered against my lips.

"I love you."

"I'll love you forever."