Kiss the Flame

The morning came and Beth awoke and realized that she was alone in the bed. In fact it looked as though Mike had never even slept in his normal spot at all. Shrugging her shoulders she got up out of bed and stretched before getting around for the day.

Dressed casually in jeans and a tee shirt Beth wandered downstairs to see where Mike had roosted for the night. She went toward the kitchen and frowned when she didn’t smell the coffee brewing. Entering the room she saw that he wasn’t there and out of the corner of her eye she spied a note on the counter by the teapot. She picked up the paper and shook her head. Even though they were fighting he still was considerate and made sure things were taken care off.

She sighed as the feeling of loneliness crept into her bones. She shuddered as the cold enveloped her and a pang of regret began to appear. He was running away from her since she was being such a bitch. Dropping the note back to the counter she went about her morning routine as if nothing was going on but the note was stuck on repeat; going through her mind like a ticker at the bottom of the TV news channel.

At Billie’s for the day since you have made it clear that you don’t want me around. Don’t worry about me for lunch or dinner. I’ll be late tonight.

Mike

The morning slipped away and noon came barreling its way into the day. Beth was wasting time kind of reading a book but if you were ask her what she had just read she couldn’t remember for the life of her. When her cell phone chirped she hoped it was Mike but her shoulders fell a little when the caller ID read ‘Sab’. Flipping open the phone she brought it to her ear, “Are you calling to take me away from the boring house?” she asked the older woman before a ‘hello’ could even be uttered.

“Why yes I am. I need some help over here,” Sabrina replied with a chuckle.

“Yea…wait,” Beth moaned with a smack of her hand to her hand. “I don’t have anyway to get there.”

“Where’s Michael?” Sabrina asked.

“At Billie’s. He left a note saying he’d be gone all day,” Beth snorted with disgust.

“Well grab a set of keys and drive whatever he’s got there. Michael won’t mind.” When Beth snorted again Sabrina spoke up, “Beth… this is Michael. He really won’t mind. In fact I know that he would want you to get out and about rather then sitting there and sulking cause he’s gone.”

That was what spurred Beth to rally back, “I am not sulking. I’ll be over in a few,” she said hanging up with a rather pissy look on her face as she got herself up from the couch.

Sabrina hung up the phone in her kitchen with a smile. The people standing around her were still chuckling since they had heard the conversation since she had put it speaker phone without the younger woman noticing.

“Jesus Sab, I thought I knew how to push her buttons,” the tall lanky bass player said as he pushed himself up from the counter he was leaning on to go over to the older woman. “Thanks Sab for everything. She’s gonna hate us for a while but it’ll all be worth it in the end,” he said while giving her a hug.

Sabrina took a split second to enjoy being in the man’s grasp and quickly she inhaled his cologne. Before she had a chance to inhale again he moved away from her to attend to something else. She sighed and gave him once last glance before slipping the happy mask on to continue what she was doing.

Billie Joe was sitting at the counter along with the others listening in to the phone call. Adie was beside him engrossed in her task of picking at her nails so she wouldn’t burst out laughing at how Sabrina manipulated Beth. Without much fanfare he watched Mike go over to where Sabrina was and hugged her. What came next he thought he imagined but he elbowed his wife and when she looked up, Billie nodded his head in the direction of Sabrina. Billie heard the small gasp come from his wife as she saw the same thing he did; the look of longing that crept over Sabrina’s face when Mike moved away.

Sabrina took a deep breath in to cleanse herself of Mike’s intoxicating scent. She shooed the men folk out the door into the backyard so when Beth arrived she wouldn’t be tipped off as to what was happening. The women continued their tasks of preparing picnic-y type foods. A cry from the little speaker at Sabrina’s waist brought her attention to her son who was now waking up from his nap. Smiling at the others she left them to walk up the stairs to the nursery, pausing at the door to view the bustling work in the kitchen secure in the knowledge that today was going to be a very good day for everybody.

Beth pulled up to the open gate to Sabrina’s place and immediately saw all the cars parked around the driveway with some even spilling over to the street. Finding a place for Mike’s little Scion. She wondered what was happening when she walk through the open front door to find a room full of women chitchatting. Looking confused she stopped, unsure of what to do.

Adie looked up to see Beth standing there looking shellshocked at the commotion happening inside the large kitchen. She walked up and placed an arm around the younger woman’s shoulders. “Hey, I’m glad you made it. Sabrina and I decided to throw a party for Jake for his birthday here since she has this amazing back yard. We’re finished making food so start grabbing something and help us bring it outside to the tables.” Adie squeezed Beth’s shoulder before moving away to grab a big bowl of macaroni salad and followed the other women who Beth now recognized as the spouses of Sabrina’s band.

Shrugging her shoulders, “When in Rome,” she muttered as she grabbed a plate of buns and walked out the French doors to the open back yard. Looking around she saw some kids playing off on the playground while adults lounged around the pool and other areas of the backyard. Frowning she saw Billie standing with Mike and Toby laughing about something. A bad feeling came over her as she thought about Mike’s note and how he lied to her and with a start she knew that things were not adding up.

She was still standing there when she felt a cold glass of wine being pressed into her hands and turned to see Tre there with a slight smile on his lips. Taking a moment to sip the wine she turned to the man and looked at him intently. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Just a ‘family’ party for Joey, Beth,” the man replied easily.

“Oh? Does that mean ‘she’s here also?”

“God no, she didn’t want to come though Sab did invite her,” Tre chuckled as he remembered the look of horror that appeared on Jill’s face when he told her of the party.

Nodding her head with agreement Beth scanned the crowd of people taking note of who was there; members of Sabrina’s band, members of Green Day’s touring band, managers and a few various people who she didn’t know. Looking past the small loosely grouped people she spied a group of kids playing tag in the middle of the huge yard. She did smile when she saw Ramona and Frankito along with the rest of the collective band members’ children all playing together. Realizing that Tre was still next her did she begrudge herself to ask him something. “How was Mike acting today?” she asked trying to sound uninterested with the answer but not making a convincing time of it.

It took everything Tre had not to laugh out loud at Beth’s thinly veiled attempt to inquire about Mike. “Ehhhh, you know. He has been cranky today,” Tre began to say before deciding to poke some fun at Beth since he had no idea when he would have such an opportunity again. “But he kept mumbling something about a stiff neck and a knot in his back. You need to lay off those wild sex positions Beth; Mike’s not a spring chicken ya know.”

The look of shock on her face was well worth the swat she delivered to his arm before beginning to sputter something before giving up and walking away. As he watched her leave red-faced did Tre finally allow himself the huge belly laugh that bubbled up to leave the confines of his body.

Beth walked away to the sound of Tre’s hearty laughter and grumbled to herself about ‘asshole drummers’ before being stopped by Toby who had moved away from Mike and Billie to intercept her. “Hey,” he said in greeting. “Got a minute?”

Looking around again Beth nodded as Toby led her over to a more private part of the yard. “So what’s so important that you need to lead me over to the bushes alone?” she asked with a smile. “Trying to ravish my body?”

Toby chuckled, “No… sorry still gay. But in all seriousness, I was wondering what you had planned for yourself now that Sab retired?”

“I dunno really. I haven’t really given it much thought, though Mike is pushing me to get a deal and put out an album.”

“Have you thought about what I asked you before? I would love to become your manager. I mean I have good references.”

“Ummm okay, how does one go about becoming another manager?” she asked unsure of how the workings of it went.

“I’ll make up a contract and send it over to your lawyer’s office. Once he looks at it and okays it, it’s just a matter of you signing it and then it’s official.”

“Lawyer…?” she trailed off feeling stupid all of a sudden. “I don’t have a lawyer.”

“I’m sure Mike’s attorney or Sab’s even can serve for the purpose,” Toby supplied as he began to get excited at the thought of managing a raising star that Beth didn’t even know she was yet.

“Sab’s please… I’ll ask her about it later on. Ummm for now will a handshake work?” Beth ventured feeling more than naïve all of a sudden but knowing that Toby would protect her and help her along.

“Deal,” the older man said extending his hand out.

“Deal,” she replied upon grabbing his hand and giving it a hearty shake.

“Thanks Beth, you won’t regret this. I’m going to make you into the star I know you are.”

Beth felt herself blush a bit before hearing Sabrina call her name. Trying not to look grateful at being rescued by the woman, Beth said ‘Later’ to her new manager before walking across the yard back to where Sabrina was standing.

As Sabrina waited for Beth to join her she looked around for her son and smiled as she spied him being held by his ‘Uncle Mike’ giggling away with something the man was doing. Tre and Billie were there also smiling at the noises her son was making under the administrations of Mike. The woman caught herself again wondering what it would have been like if it were Mike instead of Tre. Shaking her head she focused on Tre who had now taken his son and was snuggling him to his chest. A sad smile played over her features as she witnessed the father/son moment. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn’t hear what Beth had said until the younger woman nudged her and repeated herself.

“I said, Tre is a really good daddy when he isn’t around her.”

“Yea… he is,” Sabrina replied absently. “I just wonder how long she’ll allow it to continue.”

Before Beth could say a response the crowd seemed to have quieted down and a female voice was heard singing. Looking around Beth sought the owner of said voice as the mystery of the sticky buns all of a sudden was solved.

Maia had come out from the kitchen pushing a serving cart that had a huge birthday cake on it. Without warning the rest of the puzzle pieces came to rest resulting in a picture of what the party was really about. As the rest of the guests moved around Beth and join in the singing did the picture become crystal clear; this was a birthday party for her and more than likely Mike had made it happen.

“Happy birthday Beth,” Maia said to her cousin as they came together in a hug. “You better have enjoyed those damn sticky buns I had to carry with me on the plane ride.”

“I did Maia, thank you.” A feeling of overwhelming flooded Beth’s senses as everyone came up to her to wish her happy birthday. Trying not to blush at the attention but failing miserably at it, Beth did her best to say thank you to everyone.

The crowd seemed to part like the Red Sea and Mike appeared like Moses ready to lead his people or rather himself through the cleared path that led right to her; the promised land.

The man seemed to appear next to her in a heartbeat standing at arm’s length waiting to be acknowledged. She looked into his bright blue eyes and saw uncertainty and inwardly cringed since she knew it was her fault for him feeling like that. She smiled at him and nodded her head. She watched as a smile lit up his face at her sign of a truce and it pleased her that she made him feel better with no words having to be said.

“Surprise…I did this for you.” He moved into to hug her but she placed her hands on his chest which resulted in an awkward half hug. She leaned over and ghosted her lips over his ear. He started when he felt her lips as he closed his eyes to the feel of her hot breath tickling his suddenly sensitive lobe.

"I’m really starting to wonder why it is you can be so sweet when I can be so horribly cruel." After a beat, she pulled back and looked him in the eye. She was quite contemplative as she cocked her head to one side before adding, "Sometimes I think you deserve better..." she said with the hint of a smirk. Leaning forward she let her lips gently graze his with a gentle kiss aware that the others were looking on at them. Finished giving a free peep show she parted from the bassist walking away to rejoin the crowd.

Mike saw her move amongst the people of the party flitting to this one and that one and he couldn’t help but to feel a smidge perplexed. He didn’t know if her comment should make him feel happy or sad. With a sigh he too moved from his place determined to take whatever peace offering she would allow him.