Set Fire to the Rain

I awoke that Saturday morning to probably 20 text messages from MJ, 10 from Kym, 5 missed calls from Scott and John and only 1 from Jack looking for an update on how things went last night I’m sure, and it was only 8 am. I began typing up a general message explaining the basics of how my night went and pressed send. I really had enjoyed myself, and found I was actually looking forward to spending time with Shannon again today. Deciding that it was time to get up and moving, since I had no idea what he had in store for us today or any idea of what time he wanted to meet up, it was probably in my best interest to get showered and dressed. About an hour later I was in the kitchen with Jake sitting at the table talking about what his plans for the weekend were while eating breakfast when the house phone rang. Jake got up to grab it before I had a chance to move from my seat.

“Y’ello” he said to the caller as he walked back towards the table with a small smirk suddenly appearing on his face. “Hi there Mr. Leto. No, no, you didn’t wake anyone up here. Sure thing, she’s right here. Yep, talk to you soon.”

Then handing the phone over to me, Jake whispered softly into my ear before I could say anything into the receiver, “I do believe a certain someone is very smitten with you.” Before I could respond he walked away from me and went into the living room sitting down on the couch, winking at me.

I took a slow breath, and lifted the phone to my ear and said hello.

“Hi Lizzy, how are you doing this morning?” He asked with a slightly sleepy tone to his deep voice.

“Not to be a bitch or anything, but can I ask you a small favor please.”

“Sure, anything.”

“Please, don’t call me Lizzy” I said in a sad voice. Memories of David and our past washed over me. He had been the only one to call me that, and I never wanted to be reminded of him or the things that he had done to me. “My ex-husband called me that and it holds nothing but the worst memories for me, so I really don’t like anyone to call me that.”

“Eliza, you don’t have to say anything else. I completely understand. I won’t call you that again. Alright” Shannon said, regret heavy in his voice.

“Thank you for that. So how are you this morning? I didn’t think you would be awake quite yet truth be told” I laughed.

“I didn’t think so either. I was fucking tired when I got back last night. But this morning I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep for some odd reason. Well, not so odd really. There was this incredibly beautiful woman on my mind, and I couldn’t wait to call her. I just didn’t want to wake her up by mistake if I called her.”

“What time did you wake up exactly” I asked.

“Umm, I was up by 6:30” he mumbled lowly.

“You were up by what! That means you only had like 2 hours sleep Shannon!!”
“Well, it’s your fault!”

“I didn’t do anything, ass!” I jokingly yelled back at him.

“Yeah you did! I just want to make our plans for today and then I will crash for a while, ok?”

“You had better! The last thing I want is for us to hang out and you pass out while we are together. Then I will have a complex or something! I will think I am homely or boring or some shit like that!”

“You, homely and boring? That’s not possible babe” He said completely serious in his deep sexy voice. I melted on the spot.

“Listen, it wasn’t my intent to ask for a compliment or any…”

“Sweetheart, I know you didn’t ask. I was simply stating a fact.”

There was a short silence before I decided to break it by asking Shannon a question regarding the plans for today. “Well, after you get your much needed rest Mr. Leto, what is it you had in mind to do today.”

“I was thinking that maybe I would come pick you up, and we could make our way into the city. No real timeline in mind, but I would love to show you one of my favorite places along the way and we could just spend some time getting to know each another. I would love to have you over to my place, and I will cook dinner for you. What do you think?” He asked.

“That sounds like a really great day actually. Are you going to be up for all of that after getting no sleep though? Plus all the driving back and forth from Jersey to the City isn’t easy. Do you want me to take the train in to your place instead it will save you the trip down?” I was really worried about him.

“You’re going to give ME a complex babe if you keep trying to cut our time with each other short this way” a chuckle came from the other end of the line so I figured he must be kidding. “I am actually used to the really long hours, staying up all night, and very little sleep from the endless tour schedule we have been on. So coming to pick you up again is no problem and an absolute pleasure for me. Oh, and I will also be driving you home. I wouldn’t have it any other way Eliza. So, no arguments, alright?” That was the end of that, so I left well enough alone.

“Alright.”

“Now, how about I pick you up at around 3 o’clock” It was put more as a statement than a question.

“That sounds fine, but you do realize that’s not too far off, and won’t give you much of a nap.”

“Mhmm. I don’t need much more sleep. I will be good to go, don’t worry. After all I am a crazy muddafugga! Oh yeah, I will call you when I am on my way to get you” he said.

“Shannon I think crazy is an understatement. And that sounds great, I will let you go and get some rest. See you soon.”

“See you soon Sweetheart.” Then he was gone.

Oh my dear lord, what was with my stomach? Holy hell! A few minutes later I went into the living room and sat down on the opposite end of the couch looking towards Jake, he had a questioning look on his face.

“What’s up mom?”

“Shannon asked me to spend the day with him, and then he wants me to go back to his place so that he can cook dinner for me. After that he will bring me home.” I told my son, looking up from under my long hair.

“He wants to take you back to his place? Tonight? I don’t know mom.” Jake responded in a very uneasy voice.

“JT, he wants to cook for me, nothing else.”

“Mom, he’s a guy, a rock star, how do you know what he will want.”

“Shannon said if he ever acted like anything other than a total gentleman, that I could punch him, or hit him.” Great, now I am starting to re-think things.

“Of course he would mom. Look, I’m not trying to freak you out, or even talk you out of going tonight, I just want you to be on your guard and safe” he said a slight sadness in his voice. “So far, I think Shannon seems like a good guy, but I also know what you have been through, and I don’t want to see you get hurt. I love you, it’s that simple.” The next thing I knew I was enveloped in the long slightly muscled arms of my son.

“I know you do, and I love you even more for worrying about me. To be honest, I am scared shitless Jakey. I have no idea what Shannon’s’ intentions are right now. I do know that he is only going to be here for a few more weeks then he goes home to LA. So as far as a relationship goes, I just don’t see there being the possibility of being any. Therefore, any interference from your father is very low, I hope” I muttered the last part under my breath.

“You are really scared of what fuckhead will do if he finds out you have been hanging out with Shannon, aren’t you?”

“I’m absolutely terrified Jake. Not only of what he will do to me, but he also threatened to hurt the ones I get involved with. Shannon and his family don’t deserve the nightmare that the asshole can bring into their lives. It would be all my fault, and they would do nothing but resent me for it in the end, I know it. That is something I don’t know that I could live with.”

“This may be totally unrelated, but when are you going to tell Uncle Jack that you are going to spend today with Shannon? You know he’s going to go into his all protective mode on you” Jake said with a chuckle.

“Shit. Guess, I may as well get this over with” I picked up the phone and dialed my big brothers number. This should be fun, not.