Fan Girl (37 page)

By six thirty the guys are boozed up and lounging around the patio after eating. Bobby and Stacie came too. Sean and Jonny were invited, and are already part of the family. Nola was invited too, but she’s got a date. We start a fire in the fireplace, even though we don’t need it for the heat. Deklan comes back from being inside with a guitar and sits down next to me on a couch.

He starts strumming, and I see Bobby grab his ever present camera from a side table. I’m watching Deklan in shock. He never sings for fun. He starts playing the cords for Al Green’s
Let’s Stay Together
, and my whole body rushes warm. That’s the song he sang in the shower last night. To say it was amazing is an understatement. He sees my expression and smiles as he glances down at his hands working the strings.

His body is angled toward mine as he starts to sing. I put my head on the back of the couch, because I can’t hold it up anymore. The guys are laughing and sing backup at certain parts. His voice is so clear. During the high parts of the song, he scrunches his face up and you can see the barbell in his tongue. He doesn’t stare at me the whole time, just glances at me every so often. Della is definitely recording it, her phone hasn’t moved at all since she picked it up. She’s beaming, as am I, but I think for different reasons.

That voice seems to vibrate my heart, to hear him singing it right next to me, his knee pressing into my leg. I am a puddle. That’s all there is to it. Fandy gets into it, tapping his leg and shaking his head. His dreads are going everywhere, flying around his face.

After the last note of the song, Deklan leans over and kisses me whispering, “Love you, baby.”

Fandy says, “Hell, yeah. Let’s do another one. Remember when we were in Pete’s garage singing cover songs constantly. I miss that shit.”

“What do you wanna do?” Deklan asks them.

Tommy jumps up and runs to the kitchen, coming back seconds later with spoons. Peter rubs his hands down his jeans and Alan clears his throat.

Tommy says, “
Rocket Man
.”

Della puts her hand on her chest, and her eyes flood with tears, but she never puts down the phone. A song about being alone and missing his wife. My eyes get misty as Deklan plays the song automatically. After that, Peter picks
Try
, about picking yourself up and trying again. After that song Deklan looks from Fandy to Alan and back. Alan picks
Mine
by Taylor Swift. Deklan gives him a look and strums for a second, then picks it up, just as Alan is sticking his hands out for the guitar.

Della and I are bobbing our heads and mouthing the words. The guys sing backup and Tommy starts tapping the spoons together on his knee in lieu of drums. Fandy picks Alicia Keys
If I Ain’t Got You
, which hearing Deklan sing, gives me chills. Peter picks Limp Bizkit’s
Behind Blue Eyes
.

Deklan turns his eyes to Sean, who seems surprised to be included, but quickly asks, “Do you know Nickelback’s
If Today was your Last Day
?”

All of the guys nod their heads, and Deklan starts it. It’s a good message that goes with their motto of you only live once. I love watching Deklan sing, especially from only a foot away. All of the cords in his neck standing out, so freaking hot.

Deklan finishes that song then says, “They have another good one. Kinda goes with my relationship with Ali.” I feel my face flush and take a deep breath as he starts Nickelback’s
Never Gonna Be Alone
. I mouth the words and sway as he looks from the guitar to me, singing about never letting me go. The guys get into it with Tommy on the spoons and them all singing backup.

Deklan raises his eyebrows at Jonny, and he says firmly, “Bon Jovi
Have a Nice Day
.”

Peter nods and says “Yeah, man!”

Deklan’s voice gets loud as he sings about the world getting in your face and everything not being black and white. Clearly to Jonny, it’s a song about being gay and not giving a shit about the people who judge them. Stacie and I get up and spin around with Sean and Jonny, and dance as the guys jam on the couches, and Deklan strums hard on his guitar. I see one of the strings pop toward the end.

After the song is done, he puts down the guitar and asks, “All right, who wants to try the pool?” There are loud whoops from the guys as they jump up. Della, Stacie and I clear empty bottles of beer and Dixie cups from the patio as the guy’s head off.

Stacie picks up discards while asking, “You gonna post that, Della? I saw you over there taping!”

Della laughs. “Hell yes! I haven’t heard the guys jam like that in a long time. I wonder what brought it on?”

I smile sheepishly. “They played a new song last night in the studio so I could hear it, and Dek saw how hot it made me. I guess that’s what started it.”

Della whoops loud saying, “He didn’t seem to mind, honey.”

I nod and Stacie gets close to me, so Della follows. Stacie says quietly, “I haven’t pushed you about this, but the man is a rock and roll guy. You have to tell me, just the two of us… the sex is unbelievable isn’t it? Don’t lie to me!”

I roll my eyes. “Guys,” I try.

Stacie interrupts me, “No way. You have to tell me. I’m your best friend.”

I sigh and blush, then smile admitting, “You know how Chippendale dancers roll their hips all the time… well he does that. And he’s got this piercing...”

Della yells,“Ack!” She covers her ears, then throws them down just as fast. “No, keep going!” We laugh at her and Stacie is waiting with bated breath.

“Well, I call it the g-spot search and rescue. That’s all I’m saying!”

The girls crow over this and then Stacie says, “Damn, I need a man, then Deklan can talk him into getting one of those. G-spot? Really?”

I nod. “No shit.”

Stacie rolls her eyes. “Damn you, girl. You don’t remember the first, painful time, then you get a guy that can get your g-spot? Un-freaking-believable.”

I roll my eyes back at her. “Maybe it’s karma or some shit, I don’t know. I did have to wait til I was twenty-two to lose my virginity, and then I get knocked up. I deserve something.”

Stacie looks at me incredulously. “Bitch, have you seen your house?! And you get a freaking rock star, sex god to go with it. Poor you. You’re having his baby… oh yeah, and you’re his
wife
!”

I look at her disapprovingly. “Stop it. You know I don’t care that he’s a rock star or about this house.”

Della holds out her fist to pump, which I do, as she says, “True that, sister! Tommy could be a mechanic for all I care. But he sure knows how to pound it out.”

We laugh at her as she says, “Huh, huh? You get me?”

Stacie says, “All right, since everyone is getting laid tonight but me, let’s take a picture and make some drinks. I feel the need to get drunk all of a sudden.”

We pose with silly faces for Stacie, as she holds her phone out, then we get my KitchenAid mixer going.

When we get out to the pool, the guys are in swim trunks. Hysterically Alan and Peter are in shorty shorts. Della grabs the iPhone and starts playing
I’m too Sexy
over the speakers, while Stacie takes pictures of the guys shaking their butts up and down, totally ignoring the tempo of the song.

It’s not a bad sight at all. All of them have six packs and various tattoos, but my eyes are drawn to Deklan as he pops his ass. And he looks
fine
doing it, too. After the song, they’re all laughing and swigging beer when he walks up to me. “Enjoying the show?”

I nod. “Hell, yes. I’m not blind. Plus I know how well you can move that ass.”

He chuckles and starts mouthing the words, “I’m, too sexy for my pants, too sexy for my pants.”

I push him away jokingly and say, “Stop it, I’m already riled up.”

He straightens from his stripper moves and asks, “Oh? You girls talking about me?”

I smile sheepishly and tell him, “The girls finally asked me about how you were in bed.”

He gets smug. “And you told them how I make you scream? Remind me how that goes again.”

He throws back his head and fakes an orgasm, catching everyone’s attention.

“Asshole!” I yell before trying to push him in the pool.

He laughs and grabs me as he goes in.

Chapter 39

The next morning all of my beds are filled with men who have hangovers. Since Nola and I are the only sober ones, we make a huge breakfast. When the guys drift into the kitchen and load up, Dek tells me they’re going horseback riding, even with headaches.

Since I can’t ride, and have an interview to conduct, I stay home. Logging onto my computer, I look at the comments from some of the pictures that were posted. I haven’t had a chance before now, and I want to know what people are saying about me.

There are a lot of 'lucky bitch' and some 'will you like my photos'
.
I do, because it’s not a hard thing for me to do. Just one click and I make someone’s day.

I close down the computer when I hear the doorbell ring, and feel like I’m waddling as I go to answer it. There’s a cute blonde waiting for me. She’s young, maybe twenty, with long blonde hair and green eyes. I smile at her and hold my hand out. “Hi, I’m Ali. Please come in.”

She smiles shyly and shakes my hand. “Darcy, it’s so great to meet you.”

We go to the kitchen, and I motion for her to sit at the bar. “Can I get you something to drink?” I ask her politely.

She shakes her head. “Please, sit down. Don’t go to any trouble.”

I hoist myself up on a stool and tell her, “I need an assistant. Can you tell me about yourself?”

She nods with her hands clenched together, then laughs. “I’m so nervous. Okay. My sister is married to a beef supplier here in the neighborhood. I graduated high school a couple years ago and have worked in a doctor’s office as a receptionist since then. I didn’t have money for college, so that’s what I’ve been doing. I live above their garage. I just want to do something besides answering phones.” Her eyes get wide. “Not that I mind that. I just want to do something a little more challenging.” She looks distressed by her answer.

I ask her, “Do you know anything about me?”

She shakes her head, confused.

I smile and ask her, “Do you listen to alternative music or pop, rock even?”

Darcy shakes her head no. “I listen to country mostly, why?”

I lean back. “Well, I’m married to a guy who puts out music for a living. Have you heard the band Rolling Bridges before?”

She shakes her head apologetically. “Maybe, I don’t know…”

I tell her, “That’s okay. Better, I think. The guys would be a big part of why I need you here, and I think if you didn’t treat them like they were famous, that would be better. They’re just regular guys.”

She nods her head hesitantly. “Okay.”

I tell her straight. “Basically, what I would need for you to do is the detail work I don’t have time to get to. Right now I’m working part-time at my tattoo shop. I’m also about to have a baby and have a baby shower that I haven’t planned
at all
. There’s a reception coming up after the baby is born that needs planning. There will be party planners for all of that, but I also have to live my life. There are public appearances people are wanting me to make. I just need to stay organized and am having trouble doing that myself.”

Her eyes are wide. I ask her, “Do you think you would be able to handle all of that?”

She nods her head. “I would be willing to try. I’m good at organization. I don’t know how to plan a party, though.”

I hold my hand up. “You wouldn’t need to do that. Just get back to people with what I want, make sure things are confirmed. If I need something like dinner while I’m running late, that sort of thing. I don’t have any set working hours for you, though,”

She shrugs. “That’s fine. I would be happy to try.”

I smile at her. “Awesome! Let’s try it for a couple of days and see how it goes okay? Oh, my other employees are a gay couple, is that going to be a problem?”

Her eyes go wide. “OH gosh no, I don’t care who somebody else loves.”

I smile warmly. “Perfect. Let’s get you set up.”

She agrees happily. I give her my cell phone number and show her the computer in the butler’s pantry. I tell her to set up an email, text me the address, then to research me and my shop, and Deklan and the band so she has an understanding of what the job would entail. I caution her about everything being confidential and how she would have to sign an agreement to not say anything about my personal life.

The guys come in as I’m making grilled cheese for lunch and are loud as always. I see Darcy peeking around the corner of the kitchen and wave her in. “Darcy, guys, guys, Darcy. She’s trying out to be my assistant. This is Alan, Peter, Fandy, Tag, Bobby and my husband, Deklan.”

They all shake hands and do that chin lift what’s up thing. Darcy blushes and shakes their hands. She’s taller than me by about two inches, but she looks so young.

I tell the guys, “By the way, she has no idea who you are. Just FYI.”

Bobby holds his hand to his chest jokingly. “How is that possible? I’m known around the world!”

I laugh and push his shoulder. “Bobby is a photographer for the band, among other interests.”

Peter says, “Well, I think it’s refreshing. At least you’ll only tiptoe around us because we’re hot.”

All the guys bust a gut laughing and Deklan comes over to me and rubs my belly. “How you feelin', mama?”

I nod my head. “Good. How are you, lush?”

He smiles. “Advil cures all. I’m good to go. Reed should be here shortly, don’t forget.”

I nod and turn to Darcy. “Reed is moving here. He was my tattooing mentor, but he’s family. I’m setting him up in my Malibu house.”

She nods.

I think of something and turn to Deklan. “Oh my gosh, babe. We’re going to need a company car, cell phone, iPad. We also need an LLC, do you have one?”

He nods his head thinking. “I have one with the band, but we should make one for the house. Sean, Jonny, his mom and mine will need expense accounts and all that. We need to come up with a name for the ranch I just acquired.” He smiles at me.