The Good Life

The next morning I woke up to two beautiful brown eyes, he kissed my nose, “Morning.” I said stretching out my legs, he pulled me to him and buried his head into my bare shoulder, “Good morning beautiful, how was your night? Mine was wonderful with you by my side and when I open my eyes and see your sweet face, it’s a good morning beautiful day.” He softly sung into my ear, my heart melted, “You are so corny you know that?” I asked him, he pulled back offended, “Well love is a corny thing don’t you think?” I nodded, “I guess your right, I love it, I love you.” I said pecking his lips, he smiled his little adorable grin. “What time is it?” I asked him. “Umm,” he rolled over to look at the clock, “Just after noon.” I groaned and sat up on the side of the bed, with my back to him. He let his fingers trickle down my bare back causing me to shiver.

I turned and looked at him over my shoulder, and there he laid, with no covers, in all his glory, “Okay Mr. Modest.” I scoffed and blushed looking away, he chuckled at me and pulled the covers over him, “I’m going to take a shower.” I told him, he raised his eyebrows and pouted, “And leave me out here all alone?” I shook my head, “Come on.”

After we were done getting ready we got in my car and headed to the studio, I grabbed Joe’s hand from the driver’s seat and he turned to look at me, and smiled. I interlaced our fingers and felt the cold metal on his finger and waited until we got to a red light and looked down at it spinning it on his finger, he was intently watching me. He didn’t say anything, neither did I, we just looked at it, I met his eyes for a brief moment before I turned my attention to the road and let the guilt build inside of me.

I let my thoughts take over me as I drove down the familiar streets, ‘Joe made a promise to himself, to his parents, that he wouldn’t have sex, I ruined it, sure, he told me that to him it meant until he found someone he truly loved, but his parents didn’t seem to keen on the idea, that’s all we wanted and it happened and now it’s broken, and he’s still wearing the ring, what does that mean? Is he ashamed? What if something happens between us? I mean I do have to leave in January, my internship is up, o my God, I have to leave in January, will we make it. Ugh, I ruined it.’

I felt Joe squeeze my head, “Wha-what?” I turned to him, “We’re here, are you okay.” I slowly nodded my head, “Yeah, can we um—call your parents before we talk to my uncle?” He pulled his phone from his pocket, “Sure.” He scrolled to the number, I wandered if he would call his mom his dad,

“Hi, mommy.” I heard him say, ‘Of course, total mama’s boy.’ I thought.

“Yes ma’am I made it okay, it was late, I didn’t want to call you, then we were up late...” I winced and he grabbed the bridge of his nose and laughed nervously, his face turning red with embarrassment.

“Yeah well I kinda wanted to ask if it was okay with you and dad if Kayden came back and finished the tour with us, I just really need her to be with me.”

He was silent for a few moments and then turned to me with a huge smile on his face, “Thanks mom, this really means a lot to me.” He waited for her answer, “Yes ma’am we’re going to talk to him now…okay…love you too, mom…okay bye.”

He looked at me, “She said she thinks that’s an excellent idea as long as its what you want to do and your uncle says its okay.” I smiled, “This will be a piece of cake.” I told him.

We made our way up to the fifth floor and to my uncle’s office and I softly knocked on the door, “Come in.” I heard him call from his desk. I walked in and sat in one of his chairs, I was nervous, really nervous, I’m never nervous when I talk to him, but today, I was. “What are you doing here Kay? It’s Friday.” Joe walked in and sat in the chair next to me. “I—um—I was wondering if I um—could, well Joe asked me to umm—” He was looking from me to Joe, “Well?” he asked. Then Joe spoke up, “Sir, I asked her to come back and finish the tour with us, it’ only one more month left but I just can’t be away from her anymore, I need her.”

He wasn’t looking at my uncle anymore, our eyes were set on each other. Uncle Tripp cleared his throat, we broke our focus away from each other and looked at him, he had a small smile carved on his face, “Well, Mrs. Turner’s daughter, Alexis, usually fills in for you on Fridays for the extra money, I’ll talk to her, if she wants to take over, you can go, if not then…” He trailed off. I beamed at him with a 100-watt grin. “Joe, do you mind if I talk to Kayden for a few minutes, please?” Joe nodded and got up letting his fingers run across my arm, I smiled at him as he walked out.

“So.” Uncle Tripp spoke breaking my ‘Joe trance.’ “You really love this guy don’t you?” I thought back to all the good times Joe and I had, what we went through together, what we have overcome and nodded my head, “I really do, I never thought it was possible to feel this way about someone, but when I’m with him, I just feel like…me.” He nodded and stood to come give me a hug, “You’ve come a long way, Kayden, I’m really proud of you. He’s a good guy, a really good guy, he respects you, I can tell.” I nodded and returned his hug, “Thanks Uncle Tripp, you’re the best.” He ruffled my hair, “I’ll call you in a bit after I talk to Alexis.” I nodded and kissed his cheek, “Catch ya later, big guy.” He laughed, “Get outta here.”

I walked down the hall to find Joe sitting at my desk drawing on all my sticky notes and sticking them all over my desk, “Well aren’t you cute.” I said leaning over my desk, “Yeah, I am.” He answered getting up and laying an arm around my shoulders, “Can we puh-lease go eat? I am starved.” We walked into the elevator, “Yes, we can, as long as we go to the-” He cut me off, “Café, but of course my dear.”

We were sitting at the café and eating our food, my phone sat on the edge of the table, both of us glancing at it awaiting the call from my uncle determining whether or not I could go. We finished our meal, and still no phone call. We were on the way home, “Can you stop by my house? I have to pick up something.” He asked. I nodded and we pulled into his driveway a few minutes later, he hopped out, “Be right back.” He said before running into the house. He ran back out a few minutes later but he didn’t have anything, “Couldn’t find it?” He looked at me somewhat confused, “Oh—um no.” I shrugged and made my way back to my house. We went inside and settled on the couch and before I could turn on the TV Joe turned to me, “Wait, I have to tell you something.”

I set the remote down and looked at him. He was playing with the ring around his left ring finger. I watched him for a few moments before he spoke, “Kayden, the other night—since we—” He paused like he couldn’t find the words, “Had sex?” I asked. He looked at me and shook his head, “No.” He grabbed my hands, “Made love, because that’s what we did, when I look at you I don’t think sex, or see sex, I see love, I feel love.” I bit my lips and looked at his hands on top of mine, they fir so perfect and then the guilt came back. “Joe, I ruined it.” He looked at me, eyebrows knit together in confusion. “I ruined it for you, you promised yourself and your parents that you’d wait and I ruined it.” I looked away from him and he softly nudged my face to look at him, “No Kayden, what’d I tell you? When I found the person that I knew I was truly in love with, and I knew that I knew, that it would happen. I have so much love and passion for you, I knew it was right.” I smiled up at him, “You didn’t ruin anything babe, you just made it better.” He kissed my forehead and laid his hands over my eyes, “Close ‘em.” He whispered.

I obliged and heard him rustling around and pull something out of his pocket, I heard him slide something together and him whisper, “Open your eyes.” I let them flutter open and adjust and there dangling in front of me was his ring on a simple silver chain. “Joe.” I whispered. “You don’t have to, everyone will know.” He shook his head, I don’t care, know what? That I love you? I can deal with that.” He smirked, I knew I wasn’t going to win this one so I turned to him and lifted my hair off my back, he unclasped the chain and let it fall around my neck, the ring fell just below my neck at the very top of my cleavage. He kissed my shoulders and ran his hands down my arms, “I’m yours.” He breathed onto my neck. I don’t know why but those two words completely captured my heart, it felt like it would burst with all the love I felt for him, I turned to him, “I’ve always been yours.” I spoke softly into his ear, he wrapped his arms around me and leaned backwards, pulling me on top of him and playing with the ends of my hair, I laid a hand on his chest and felt the cold silver around my neck and knew it’d be okay.

I must’ve drifted off, I heard a loud noise coming from somewhere, I pulled myself off Joe and saw my phone setting on the table by the door, buzzing away. I ran to it and saw it was Uncle Tripp, “Joe!” I yelled, and snapped my fingers at him, “Get up, it’s him.” He shot up and watched as I slid my finger across the screen to answer, “Hey Uncle Tripp, so…”

“Well, kid, looks like your going to be spending the next month on a tour bus, Alexis would be glad to do it, said she could use the money.” I looked at Joe with my mouth hung open. ‘What?’ he mouthed, ‘What’d he say?’ I closed my mouth, “Well, thanks for trying Uncle Tripp.” I saw Joe’s face fall, and I heard Uncle Tripp laughing, “Don’t do that to that boy. He’ll have a heart attack.” I hung my head, “I know you tried, it’s okay…I love you, see you Monday, I guess.” I waited for his response, “No you won’t, you are cruel you know that? I love you too kiddo, hey and have fun, alright.” I nodded even though he couldn’t see me, “Will do, bye.”

I set my phone down and ‘sulked’ over to Joe laying my head on his shoulder, “This sucks.” He breathed out bringing his arms around me, I nodded my head, “Yeah, now I have to wake up to you every morning.” I smirked. He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back, “What?” I nodded, “You heard me, I tricked you.” I jumped off him and shook my but at him from the other side of the coffee table, “Ha hah ha ha ha.” I sang to him, “Oh, you’re gunna get it in 5, 4, 3—” He got up from the couch, “Oh no.” I squealed and ran up the stairs and into my room with Joe closing in on me, I dove on my bed and he soon followed sliding on top of me and pulling us and all the blankets to the floor. I couldn’t stop laughing, tears were pouring from my eyes and I couldn’t catch my breath, Joe laid next to me doing the same thing.

We finally stopped laughing and I caught my breath and stared at him. “I’m going on tour with you.” I grinned like a maniac at him, he returned my too-big grin, “I know, I can’t wait, this is going to be awesome.”

The next couple of days Joe and I hung out and spent our ‘alone time’ together since we wouldn’t have much of it on the bus, or so he said. I packed all of my bags and we bought our tickets to Phoenix, Arizona ridiculously early so Joe could get there to do the noon sound check.

We arrived in Phoenix at 9:00 on Monday morning and a car came and picked us up to bring us to the venue, where the buses were. Joe helped me unload my bags from the trunk and onto the bus, it was nice, really nice. Joe dropped my bags on the couch underneath the huge TV and entertainment system, “You can unpack later, let me show you where we sleep.” He took my hand and led me through the living room/kitchen area and through a pretty long hall way that had sliding doors on either side, Joe drug his free hand along one, “This is where the clothes go, we’ll make you space.” He winked at me. I shook my head and he lead me through a small longue area with a wrap around couch and another TV, there was a door across the room, all the way to the right, he walked through it revealing a small hall with a door on the left, “Bathroom.” He pointed to the door as we passed it, he pushed open the door at the end, revealing a room with single top/bottom bunks, one on my right and one on my left, and straight ahead there was a small ladder that led up to another bed that stretched across the length of the bus, a double bed, Joe looked at me and pointed at it and them pointed to me and then himself and shook his head, ‘yes’. “We usually take turns but I talked to Kevin and Nick and they said that we could have it.” I smiled, “Speaking of Kevin and Nick, where is everyone? I asked.

He shrugged, “Probably in the venue.” I looked over at him, “So much for no alone time, eh?” I said and bit my lip and pushed myself against him, backing him up to the wall, “Oh I love it when you’re rough.” He said in a ‘sexy’ tone. I quickly pressed my lips against his and he ran his tongue along my bottom lip, I parted my lips giving him access and his arms fell around my waist. Then I heard someone clear their throat. I turned my head and saw Kevin there with his arms crossed, he gave us a disapproving look and shook his head, I smiled and ran to him throwing my arms around his neck, “Kevin!! I missed you!” He lifted me off the ground. “Yeah yeah, I missed you too.” He let me down, you guys hungry?” I looked over to Joe and nodded my head. “Well we’re all over at the IHOP, dad figured you two would be here by now so he sent me to get you guys.” I grabbed Joe’s hand from behind me, “Lead the way, Kev.”

We got to IHOP and ordered our food, Joe sat to my left, then Kevin, Nick at the head of the table, Garbo, Frankie. Mrs. Denise sat across from me, next to Frankie and Mr. Paul to the right of me at the other head of the table. I ate my French toast and looked over and smiled at Joe who was practically inhaling his pancakes, he looked over at me with his forkful of pancakes ready to go in his mouth, he laughed, “What?” I asked. He picked up his napkin and dipped it in his water, he turned to me and cupped the right side of my face with his right hand and wiped the corner of my mouth with the other, “Thank you.” I said and pecked his lips, he dropped his right hand and then lifted his other hand once again and wiped the wet spot with his thumb and then running it along my jaw line, we sat there just staring at each other but a voice interrupted our little moment, a deep voice the sat to the right of me.

“Joseph, where is your ring?” he asked.