Feel Like Makin' Love (Rock and Roll Trilogy #3) (2 page)

~ ~ ~

That evening, they enjoyed a nice meal that Geni prepared, shared a glass of wine and got ready to call it a night. She locked up, turning out lights as she went and made her way into the living room where Andy was waiting for her. He waited to see what she would do, and as he’d hoped, she went to him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

They
went to opposite ends of the house to sleep, but neither did - both lie in bed thinking. After a while, Andy’s phone rang. He looked at the display, but he knew who it was. “I told you before, we have to stop meeting like this,” he said and laughed as he did.

Geni laughed
, and they talked for a long time.

Finally,
she said, “Good night, Andy. I’ll meet you in the kitchen for coffee in the morning.”

~ ~ ~

He didn’t go to sleep. There was something stewing in his head – it had been simmering for a few days, but suddenly, this evening, it all came together, and he had to get it down.

If I look at you across the room

With longing in my eyes

If we enjoy each other’s company,

There’s no need to wonder why

It’s not because I’m lonely

If we share a laugh, a smile,

A moment, a glance, a tear

If I wrap my arms around you

Whisper sweet words in your ear,

It’s not because I’m lonely

If your name comes out a whisper

If your touch should make me weak

If I think of you when I’m alone

If my voice trembles when we speak

It’s not because I’m lonely

The melody would come later; for now, it was just important to get the words down.

~ ~ ~

After dinner the next evening, the melody was there. They joined on the sofa for a glass of wine.

“Geni, I like this,” Andy said lifting her hair, allowing the strands to slip through his fingers.

“What this?” she asked nervously.

“Whatever this is,” he smiled.

She looked at him, not quite understanding what he meant. “Is ‘this’ us?” she asked.

He nodded, took her hand and pulled her closer. He felt her suck in a breath and then hold it. It made him smile
, and he leaned to whisper in her ear. “Listen…” he said.

“What is it?” she
asked.

“You don’t hear it?”

“Hear what? You’re freaking me out,” she laughed.

He
rose from the sofa and pulled her into his arms. Softly, he started to hum, and then begin to sing…

If I look at you across the room

With
longing in my eyes

If we enjoy each other’s company,

There’s no need to wonder why

It’s not because I’m lonely
…

He held her close, her hand in his, and moved slowly to the tune in his head. “It came to me in bits and pieces, but lying in bed last night it all came together. I had to get up and quickly get it written down. This morning the melody came to me.”

“Wow,” Geni said softly.

“Wow?” He pushed back to look at her. He noticed green eyes and smiled. They weren’t the vibrant green he’d looked into when he looked at Beth all those years; in fact, initially he’d thought they were brown – hazel maybe.

“Wow always confuses me,” he said finally, and laughed. “I never know if ‘wow’ is a good thing, a shocked thing, or ‘wow, I wish that had never happened’ thing.”

“Wow, that was beautiful,” she said.

~ ~ ~

Friday morning, Carlee woke with a nasty headache. Matthew was getting ready to leave for his teaching job at the University. He got something for her to take and kissed her forehead.

“You don’t seem to be warm, like fever
-warm, ‘cuz you are always hot,” he smiled. “Dizzy or nauseous?”

“
No, just the headache – none of the crazy stuff like before. I’m fine, just gonna lay here for a bit. Call me between classes,” she said and then added, “Matthew?”

“Yes
, wife?”

“I love you,” she said.

“Now I really don’t want to leave,” he said and stretched out beside her on the bed, pulling her close for one more kiss. “I hate leaving with you not feeling well. I’ll call you in a little while.”

~ ~ ~

She stayed in bed for a while, resting. When she finally got up, she only made it to the sofa, feeling extremely nauseous and light-headed. She dozed, off and on, all morning.

Around noon, Matthew called
to check on her. “Hey baby, you feeling any better?”

“No, not really, I
’ve spent the morning either on the sofa or in bed. Don’t worry. I’m probably due to change the scopolo-patch thingy. I’ll get something for the headache after I get a bite to eat.” She decided not to share the light-headedness or the nausea. “Please don’t worry.”

But he did
. There hadn’t been any of the light-headedness or nausea since she’d been wearing the scopolamine patches. Remembering the fainting spell over the summer at Butterfly Camp, he’d hoped that ordeal was behind them. He tried to come up with another scenario; maybe the thing with his mom and Andy was bothering her. Maybe it was school, and maybe, it
was
just a headache, but he was concerned.

On his way home from work,
he stopped and grabbed something to fix for dinner. He was happy to see her up when he arrived.

“
Hey! You look good! Feeling better?” he asked.

“Yep,” she said. “I
’m good. What’ya got in the bag? I’m starving!”

“That’s what I like to hear,” he laughed.

He took the things he’d purchased from the bag, one item at a time, teasingly placing them on the counter.

“Mac and cheese
!” she laughed.

Later, lying in bed, Matthew lovingly stroked her hair, pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

“You sure you
’re feeling better?” he asked.

“When you hold me in your arms,” she said and snuggled closer, “everything in my world is perfect…”

~ ~ ~

Friday
morning Geni and Andy had coffee. She had a meeting at The Menner Center Museum later. “Just hang around here,” she said. “I’ll only be about an hour-and-a-half, tops.”

“Got a couple errands to run, I
’ll meet you back here for lunch,” he said.

“OK, but y
ou don’t need to leave. I swear I’ll be right back.”

After she was gone, he got in the car,
punched an address into his GPS and made a call as he drove. He wanted to talk with Geni’s oldest son, Thomas.

“
Thomas Davis, please. Andy Stevens calling.”

“Andy
! Well, this is a nice surprise,” Thomas said when he answered.

“I
’m in town, got time for a cup of coffee?”

“Sure, I
’d like that. I can meet you someplace.”

Thomas
’s office was closer than he thought. “Actually I’m here, I just pulled up. Can you get away for a few minutes? I know it’s short notice.”

“Well, if you
’re here, just come on in! I’ve got good Joe right here,” he laughed. As he hung up Thomas’s mind wandered. 

“Business or pleasure
?” he asked Andy as he got them both a cup of coffee.

Andy thought a minute
. “Definitely pleasure,” he said and smiled.

Thomas
knew now the direction this was going to go. The two of them sat at the table in his office.

“I wanted to talk to you about your mom,” Andy said.

“I see. Matthew has already given me an idea that you might, and I suspected something when we attended the Gala,” Thomas said.

“I
 just feel like it’s the right thing to talk to you about it,”
Andy said. “I don’t have the best track record, but I’ve learned from my mistakes,” he continued.

“I believe we
’ve all experienced the way you are with Carlee enough to know that you’re a good man, Andy.”

“I
’d like to spend more time with your mom. I enjoy her company, a lot. She’s an easy companion, and pretty easy on the eyes - if it’s OK that I point that out,” Andy said with a grin.

“That she is,”
Thomas replied with a big grin. “I believe that all of us would agree that you spending more time with our mom would be a good thing.”

“Good,” Andy said.

They talked a while longer, and when Andy rose to go Thomas hugged him.

“Thank you for the conversation, Andy. I appreciate that you wanted to talk to me.”

“By the way, in regards to the earlier question, if I can be of help in any way with the business, just let me know. I happen to know some people,” Andy said with a wink and a smile.

“Be careful what kind of bones you throw me,”
Thomas laughed.

After he left,
Thomas thought for a while, and then called his wife, Angela.

~ ~ ~

Geni’s middle son, Brian, was next on his agenda, and he dialed the number. “Brian Davis,” he said when he answered.

“
Andy Stevens here,” he replied.

“
Well, I’ve been waiting for this call,” he said.

“You have?” Andy laughed.

“Yes, but before you start, you know Malia and I don’t have kids yet. Still waiting and wondering about all that,” he said easily. “Your answer to my next question could be the ammo I need when the issue comes up in the future,” he laughed.

“
Wow, no pressure there,” Andy laughed. “Shoot,” he said.

“So, if we were to have girls, is this what it
’s gonna be like when some young man wants to ask them on a date?” Brian asked, and chuckled.

Thomas
, all business… Brian, the fun one…
Andy thought, remembering their toasts at Carlee and Matthew’s wedding dinner.

“
Kinda, yeah, I guess,” he replied. “Did Thomas call you?”

“
No, actually,” Brian replied, “I just saw it coming, but that brings another question to mind.”

“
Oh, geez,” Andy laughed.

“
Why’d you call him first?”

“
Pecking order,” Andy said, and they both laughed.

“
So, you were gonna say something about Mom…”

“
I was, but it appears you already know. I’d like to spend more time with her,” Andy said.

“
I think you have a plan,” Brian said, “and the plan is good.”

“
I thought about coming by to talk to you, but I believe we’ve covered what I wanted to say.”

“
I’ll see you soon, Andy.”

“
Brian…”

“
Yeah?”

“
Thank you.”

As he drove, his mind wandered.

I never asked Connor if I could see Bethy - life was so different then. I didn’t meet her family until after we were already together. And ‘together’ never left anything to wonder about what kind of relationship we shared. We were young, and I know that the free lifestyle we shared wouldn’t have been Connor’s plan for his daughter. Sometimes I wonder if he ever really forgave me for all that she and I went through. My time as ‘Papa’ to Carlee has made me intensely aware of the role a father should play in a girl’s life. Oh, those shoulda, coulda, wouldas, Bethy…

He looked in the mirror and saw the gray that kissed his temples and the sprinkling beginning to take over the rest of his hair. He saw the lines that met the corners of his eyes and those that framed his mouth like parentheses. He hoped that with age truly came the wisdom to learn from all those shoulda, coulda, wouldas that Beth always noted.

I
’ll call Matthew later,
he thought. He suspected that Carlee had already told him about their conversation. He dialed Geni’s number instead.

“Hey there,” she said in that rich southern accent.

“Hey you,” he replied, “hungry?”

“Gettin’ there;
where are you?” she asked.