You Shook Me All Night Long

by Simone Harlow

  He raised an eyebrow. “Do you suppose she had an ulterior motive?”

  Charlotte smiled. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  “She was a crafty one. I always suspected she knew my secret.”

  That could be true. “She did always want me to surprise you at home.”

  “Again, I’m sorry.” He stood. “I have to go and see your mother and tell her I’m not going to be part of her plan. Then get on a plane back to Vermont and hide.”

  “Wait.” She grabbed his arm. “Take her money. It serves her right. You can stay a few days and we can be seen at the right places. She said all you have to do is try, right?”

  “Charlotte, that would be dishonest.”

  She didn’t care. Her mother needed a lesson. “She deserves it.”

  “You are angry with her.”

  “Spitting mad.” She huffed. “I know that is just my spite talking, but what does she think she’s doing?”

  “Protecting her cub.”

  “Protecting me from being happy?”

  “Her idea of what will make you happy isn’t yours. What parent knows what will make their children happy? My parents wanted me to be them. If you keep Travis, then you might lose her. God knows, she cut Viv out of her life.”

  Charlotte could barely contain her anger. “Then that would be her loss. Will you stay and meet Travis?”

  He smiled. “I would like that.”

  “Good. His mother is in town and we’re having dinner with my grandmother.”

  “I know this is odd, but could you get me a signed CD for Shaun. He has the biggest crush on Gavin Nash.”

  Not that she knew Shaun well, but he seemed like such a quiet man. “He likes rock music?”

  “Who knew?

  Charlotte shook her head. “Everett and Henry, too.”

  Preston smiled. “Does he make you happy?”

  She put her hand on his. “He does.”

  “Good, you deserve to be happy.”

  “You too.”

  “If there was ever a girl I could have loved like that, Charlotte, you know it would have been you. I prayed that I could love you the right way.”

  She smiled, feeling like she could put the past behind her. “Preston, that is the sweetest thing you ever said to me.”

  “I’m just glad we can be friends again.”

  “We were always friends. We just got a little lost.” She meant that. She was happy that she’d been able to finally talk to him and hoped they could repair the damage to be friends again. She missed having him in her life.

  As he leaned on her car, Travis watched Charlotte walk out of her office building. Her back was straight and her gait agitated. Travis could tell she was mad. She stopped to talk to a person on the street and smiled, but her fingers were twitching. Charlotte pretended everything was okay, and to everyone else she was her regular self, but he could tell she was mad. God help him, he hoped it wasn’t at him. He couldn’t think of anything he’d done to make her angry. On the other hand, he was kind of impressed that he could read her moods, even ones she was making a point to hide. Love was interesting. He cared about what she thought. He still wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with the knowledge, but he liked it. He was thrilled his mother liked her. His friends liked her. If Gavin hadn’t made a stink about it, he wasn’t sure he would have been able to tell her. Gavin had put him on the spot, but he was glad. He’d been struggling with how he felt for some time. He couldn’t even remember what life was like before Charlotte. He didn’t even want to remember. Was he slipping into emotional, unmanly territory? What was he saying? He wanted to beat his chest and claim her in front of the world. Damn, this was so strange.

  “What are you grinning about? You look as if you are up to something.”

  He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Just you.”

  She let out a long breath. “I needed that.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “We’ll talk about it when we get home, where the wine is.”

  He held the door for her and she slid into the passenger seat. “Can I get a hint?”

  “There is something I have to tell you now, so it won’t be a surprise.”

  He walked around and got into the driver’s seat. She hated his mother? She didn’t love him? Damn, his palms were sweating. “Do I want to know?”

  She smiled at him. “It’s not bad.”

  “Then spill.”

  “Preston is in town and I invited him to dinner.”

  He started the car, but didn’t pull into traffic. “Huh.”

  “Are you mad?”

  He was maintaining the cool, but yeah, it kind of worried him. “Why should I be worried about your gay ex-fiancée?”

  She placed a hand on his knee. “Thank you.”

  “Now, if he were straight, I might have a problem.” He just let it slip that he could be a jealous idiot.

  “Today I had to watch a very well-endowed blonde practically hump you on the street and you signed her breasts.”

  “Not the naked ones. Just the tops.” That had to be something, right?

  “I wasn’t upset because you did look like you were going to throw up all over her. Although, I’m not sure if that was for my benefit or because your mother was there, but I’m going to let it go.”

  “Are we even?”

  “There was nothing to be even over. I’m going to have to get used to this sort of behavior.”

  “I don’t like it. I haven’t for years.” He was able to pull out into traffic.

  “Travis, you have fans. Fans keep you in business. I get it.”

  Okay, so that wasn’t what was on her mind, but something certainly was. “Charlotte, what is bothering you?”

  “My mother did something I’m going to have to work very hard on forgiving her for.”

  He let out a long breath. “Okay, so it wasn’t me.”

  “No. You are perfect.”

  He wasn’t. “I’m not, but my mother always told me not to argue with women, so I’m going to let it go.”

  “You are a wise man.”

  “Who likes to get laid.”

  She smiled. “That potty mouth of yours is even sexy.”

  “After we discuss what your mom did, I’ll tell you all the bad words I know.”

  “There’s more?”

  “Oh yeah. I got more for you.”

  She palmed his crotch and gave him a squeeze. “That sounds so deliciously dirty.”

  “In the fun way?” There was a part of him that wanted her to blow him while he was driving, but then the anticipation of waiting was just as heady.

  “Dirty is always fun with you.”

  God, he loved her.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Travis looked in the mirror. He touched his shoulder length hair.

  “You sure you want to do this?” Shane sat down in the chair next to him at the barbershop.

  “It’s only hair. If I don’t like it’ll grow back.” He sounded more confident than he felt, but he wanted to be presentable for the opera.

  Shane shrugged his broad shoulders. “It’s a big change.”

  “I’ve had short hair before.”

  “Like ten years ago.”

  “You make me sound like I’m Samson.”

  “Are you doing this for you, or for Charlotte?”

  Charlotte loved him the way he was, but her mother looked at him as if he was some tattooed biker-rapist. He could blend into her kind of people every once in a while if it kept the peace between Charlotte and her mother. “Her mother.”

  “Even worse.” Shane winced. “What’s next? Your balls?”

  “If I don’t have those, I got no use for a woman, and wouldn’t be going through this trouble.”

  “So you love her?”

  He found himself smiling. “Yeah, I do.”

  “You got plans for the future with her?” Shane leaned back in his chair.

  He wanted to marry her. He wanted to r
un off to a deserted island with her and live on love and coconut milk. Not that he would mention that, but the fantasy had entertained him for an hour the other night. “Think she’d marry me?”

  “She does have it bad for you.”

  “But--”

  Shane spread his hands wide. “Have you asked her?”

  “We haven’t talked about it.” He did have the ring. He’d had it for a couple of days now. He was just waiting for the right moment.

  “Maybe you should.”

  “First. I have to get around her mother.”

  “How’s that working for you?”

  “She was going to pay Charlotte’s ex to get her away from me.”

  Shane looked confused. “The gay one?”

  Travis rubbed his forehead. He still couldn’t believe Charlotte’s mom came up with this plan. “She was going to pay to send him to anti-gay camp.”

  “What. The. Fuck?” Shane said slowly.

  “Yeah.”

  “What does Charlotte have to say about that?”

  “She doesn’t want to talk to her mom until the second coming.”

  “Points for her.”

  As proud as he was of Charlotte for defending him, he still wanted there to be peace between them. “I can’t have her choosing between me and her mother. That’s no way to start out a life together.”

  “So this haircut and trip to the opera is to win the mom over and make her see you can fit into their world?”

  “Fuck, if I know. I just want us to start out right. Am I being stupid?”

  Shane patted his shoulder. “No. Looking back, I should have gone after Olivia. I don’t think I’ll ever be right again.”

  Olivia was a sweet girl who seemed to love Shane with all her heart. To this day, no one knew why she bolted. “Why don’t you?”

  Shane shook his head. “Too much water under the bridge. I don’t even know where she is.”

  Travis leaned back in the chair. “I gotta fix this. I can take her mother’s scorn, but not Charlotte’s regrets. If I ask her, I don’t want her to have any doubts. I’m only going to do this once.”

  “I think you picked the right woman.”

  That meant a lot to him. “Thanks.”

  “Does she know that you want to forgive her mother?”

  “Every time I bring up the subject she gives me the stink eye and my balls recede so deep they are hiding behind my rib cage, cowering.”

  “Damn. That’s harsh. She seems so sweet.”

  “Yeah well…”

  “Is this a sign maybe you shouldn’t…”

  Travis stopped his friend from continuing. “Actually I find it kinda hot.”

  “You are a strange guy, Travis.”

  “I like arguing with her.”

  Shane smiled. “Yeah, that’s love.”

  There was pain in his friend’s eyes. This whole conversation had reminded him of his ex-girlfriend. “I’m still debating showing the band the songs I wrote about her.”

  “Do you think Declan can do them justice?”

  He could hear Declan’s baritone singing the songs. Breathing life into each word that would always amaze him. And hopefully impress Charlotte. “He could sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and I’d pay to see it.”

  “Yeah, me too. So, is that a yes?”

  “Do you think the band would lose its cred if we busted out with a love ballad?”

  “You never know. But more importantly, how do you think you would feel letting the world know your feelings?”

  “I haven’t even shared them with Charlotte yet.”

  “Let her have a listen, then make a decision.”

  Why hadn’t he thought of that? “I don’t know why everyone thinks you’re a big dumb farm boy.”

  Shane grinned. “That’s what I want them to think.”

  Before Travis could answer, a tall elderly black man approached them. “Gentleman, I’m George, Mr. Lambert’s barber. What are we doing for you today?”

  Shane stared at him. “There are such things as personal barbers?”

  Travis shook his head as Shane went country on them.

  George sighed. “Mr. Lambert isn’t my only client; I’ve just been cutting his hair since he was a boy. I cut his father’s hair and I cut his boys’ hair.”

  “That’s cool.” Shane looked impressed.

  “What can I do for you, Mr. Rexford?”

  Travis took one last look in the mirror. It was just hair, right? “Cut it off.”

  “Mr. Lambert asked me not to make you look like a Republican.”

  Shane started laughing.

  George wrapped a sheet around him. “You are a musician?”

  “Yeah.” He looked around the place. “Everett’s been coming here that long? I haven’t been to a barber in years?”

  George smiled. “A Southern gentleman doesn’t go to a salon. They don’t serve Kentucky bourbon,” he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a fat cigar, “nor are you allowed to smoke a fine cigar.”

  Travis took the cigar and rolled it between his fingers. He could get used to being a Southern gentleman. “Bring it on, George.”

  He laughed. “Of course, sir. Would each of you like a shave?”

  Shane nodded.

  Travis rubbed his scruffy chin. “Give me the works. I have a big night.”

  “I understand you are going to the opera this evening.”

  “Yeah, my first time.”

  George sighed. “Alessandria Berluci is performing. It will be historic.”

  “You like the opera?”

  He combed Travis’s hair. “I didn’t until I met my wife. Mr. Lambert gives me season tickets every year for Christmas with backstage passes. Which is why he has the best hair in New Orleans.”

  “Everett does have nice hair.” Shane leaned back in the chair.

  Travis shot him a knowing glance. “You ought to know.”

  “Funny, Travis.”

  Charlotte looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was pulled into a high slicked back ponytail. She wore dramatic eye make-up with lots of black eyeliner and wine colored lips. She liked the diamond collar around her neck. Her gaze traveled down to the leather bustier. It pushed her breasts up, but what was really great about the dress was the tulle skirt. It had a definite rock and roll vibe. When she saw the dress she had to have it. She looked great in it, but she was making a statement too. She was a rock star’s girlfriend. She was being defiant. There was going to be media at the opera. When word got out that Alessandria Berluci was giving a concert, she had to field calls from celebrities, royalty, and politicians from all over the world. What was supposed to be a small intimate event had turned into a major production and she’d put it all together in a matter of days.

  “Wow, Ducks, I love it.”

  “Thank you, Henry. You don’t look so bad yourself.” Henry was poured into a gold lamé gown with a strategically placed keyhole, revealing her spectacular cleavage. The skintight dress was so scandalous for the opera that it was perfect.

  Henry adjusted Charlotte’s bodice. “You are giving me a run for the money in the boob department.”

  Charlotte giggled. “We’ll take lots of pictures next to each other.”

  “Your mother is going to lay an egg.”

  “You think?” Good.

  “You look like a rock star’s girlfriend with the black leather and dog collar, but not sleazy.”

  Charlotte poked out her bottom lip. “Darn, I failed.”

  “You are making a statement in that dress.”

  “It’s Balmain. Old world elegance.”

  Henry snorted. “Very old world.”

  They laughed.

  “How are things between you and your mother?”

  “What have you heard?” Henry had only arrived home from London last night, she wasn’t sure how much Everett had informed her.

  “An earful. Did she really call Preston to ‘rescue’ you from Travis?”

&nb
sp; Charlotte put her hand on her hip. “She offered to pay for therapy.”

  Henry grimaced. “Oh my God. Why didn’t you call me?”

  “You were in London. Did you need to hear my tale of craziness?”

  Henry shook her head. “It would have livened up the stockholder meeting. And you are investing in Preston’s B and B.”

  “Saving a historic landmark. That is what I do.”

  “How did the foundation board take that?”

  She had a hard enough time shaking money out of them for projects in New Orleans. She wasn’t even going to try to save a building in Vermont. “I’m using my personal money. Travis and I are flying up in couple of weeks to see the place.”

  “You invested in a building, sight unseen?”

  “Do you think Preston would buy something ugly?”

  “Well, there is that. But back to your mother. Have you two settled your differences?”

  Charlotte put a pair of diamond studs in her ears. It was her only conservative piece of jewelry. “I’ve chosen to let things go until after the opera. But I’m ready to elope with Travis just to spite her.”

  Henry’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, has he asked you?”

  “No, but he wants me to make peace with her and let bygones be bygones.”

  “And you don’t?”

  Charlotte took one last look at herself in the mirror. “She wants me to choose, and if she’s going to toss an ultimatum out there, I’m choosing him. If he will have me.”

  “He’ll have you.”

  Was the diamond cuff too much? “He hasn’t gotten to that part yet.”

  “Don’t worry. He will.”

  Charlotte giggled. “I hope so.”

  “You do realize he is the perfect man for you.”

  “I know.” She left the cuff on. As decadent as this outfit was, she wanted more. After all, she was living lavishly. At least every once in a while. “Well, we need to get downstairs. It would be bad if I’m late.”

  Charlotte grabbed her clutch bag and headed downstairs. She was really excited to see Travis in his tux. She hoped he’d let his hair down. That would be so sexy. She stopped about halfway down. She spotted Everett at the bottom of the staircase. He moved a step to the side and Travis turned around and smiled at her. She studied his reddish brown hair in its new longish buzz cut. “You cut your hair.”