Ready For Flynn, Part 2 : A Rockstar Romance (The Ready For Flynn)

by K. L. Shandwick

  I snickered but felt sorry for Valerie. I knew she’d kill me if she knew that Lee had seen what we did.

  “Well, I knew it was you because I was waiting for y’all, but I couldn’t miss poor Valerie’s flattened ass and her curly dark hair bobbing up and down against the outside glass wall.”

  Staring open mouthed, I took a moment to reflect on the flash back playing in my mind, then chuckled heartily at him, “Fuck. Not a word, you hear?”

  Lee leaned forward in his chair and picked up a bottle of water, unscrewed the lid and drank thirstily from it. Pulling it away from his mouth, he grinned wickedly, “You’re the boss,” he said.

  We had a long conversation about his life, and I learned that Lee had no time to be involved with women. His job was twenty-four-seven, and the down time he had was when I was at home in Chicago or lately at Val’s parent’s place. He admitted he had a little more time now that I was with her, but expressed his concerns about what would happen when the baby arrived. He was right. I needed more security if I was putting myself back out there in public.

  He agreed to call the agency, and we’d decided that he should choose the best people for the job. Two more at least, that way all three of us would be covered. I knew I’d have to talk to Valerie about help with taking care of our baby because she couldn’t drag a baby to the venues we played. Somehow, I wasn’t looking forward to that conversation either.

  By the time we left the gym and headed back to the house, it was 8:20 pm. The lamp was on in the hallway, and there was a soft glow of light from upstairs. Otherwise, the house was in darkness. We’d left Craig and Simone in Iowa, and Niamh and Teague had gone home to bed. I thought Valerie was still in the office and wondered if she’d eaten. Lee put the house alarm on and went to his quarters while I took the steps a few at a time in search of my girl.

  Seeing the light in the office I pushed the door fully open expecting her to be hard at it, but the desk was a mess of papers, her laptop was open, and there were post-it notes everywhere. I turned and walked down the corridor to our bedroom at the end of the hallway, and found her curled up on the bed sound asleep. At first, I thought something was wrong and ran to be by her side. Valerie rolled on her back and stretched, letting out a long groan of pleasure when she did it.

  “Sorry, I was so tired. I thought I’d take a nap for ten minutes. What time is it?”

  “Almost 8:30 pm,” I smiled affectionately, and my heart squeezed with my love for her as I watched her blink through the sting in her eyes.

  “Oh, no, I’ve been asleep for nearly two hours. I’m toast.”

  “I love toast remember? Right, no more work tonight. You are eating, bath and bed, and that’s an order.”

  “Four orders,” she retorted.

  “Whatever. In fact, get ready for bed. I’ll bring whatever Niamh made for dinner up here,” I’d said, slapping her tight little ass and walking toward the door. “Do as you’re told, I’m putting my foot down,” I ordered.

  I went to the kitchen, and luckily the food was oven-roasted vegetables and salad with some sweet potato wedges. It was simple, not too heavy, but nutritious for her and our baby.

  When I went back to the room she was sitting up in bed, hair still damp from the shower and tied up in a pony holder on the top of her head. She looked innocently stunning. I dished food up on a tray, and we talked through some last minute things that had to do with court the following day. Before long she yawned and struggled to stay awake long enough for me to take our dirty dishes away and set them outside the bedroom door.

  The food must have zapped the last of her energy because she was asleep before her head hit the pillow. I showered again and slipped between the sheets. Pulling her close I tucked her head under my chin and basked again in the warmth of her body and knew I’d never get enough of that feeling. My hand slid to her belly, and I couldn’t help but smile when the flutters started. I lay there waiting for the next, but like Valerie, my day had tired me out, and I passed out before I felt anything else.

  *****

  Waking up without Valerie sucked. She’d already snuck out and left me in bed. Rolling over, I glanced at the clock. It was 6:55 am. Three hours from now I’ll be face to face with Bernie again.

  I sat up and swung my feet to the floor. Three more hours and maybe my life could go back to normal. It wasn’t that I was unhappy with the one I had at that point, it was just that I’d hated the fact that someone else who’d done me a wrong appeared to be calling the shots. I knew it wasn’t really like that, but waiting to have control over my own money was frustrating.

  *****

  Time went by in a blur, Valerie got up and went into the office doing what she did best, I knew if I went to her she’d insist on coming with me to court. A couple of times, Niamh tried to initiate conversation with me, but I closed her down. It wasn’t that I hadn’t wanted to talk it was just that my mind was elsewhere.

  Lee brought the car out front at 8:40 am and my nerves kicked in. I’d refused to allow Valerie to come with me to court, so she kissed me, and told me it would all be okay. I hadn’t wanted her to be tarnished by some of the fans or reporters I may have encountered on the way, and for once she didn’t argue with me.

  The ride to the courthouse seemed to drag, even though it was only twenty minutes away—it took ten minutes just to leave the property because the fans had come out in force. I realized the court appearance must have been on the news as we drove past hundreds of them outside the gates with ‘Good Luck’ written on banners, bed sheets, cardboard and other make-shift materials.

  My stomach was in knots by the time we walked into the drab looking stone courthouse building. Clayton had been waiting for us on the sidewalk outside with Ravi and leaned in to open the door as soon as we’d pulled up. Lee had arranged a driver for us that morning, so he was stuck to me like glue as we fought our way through camera crews and hundreds of reporters all expecting a trial date at the end of the hearing. I remember thinking how bloodthirsty they were, and that they were going to be disappointed we’d already struck a deal.

  Clay briefed me on the protocol again for entering the court, and what to expect during the briefing, then we made our way inside. My eyes instantly flew to the back of Bernie’s head as he sat staring straight ahead at the judge’s bench and the witness stand in front of him.

  I’d expected to feel rage and hate, but all I felt was pity. Call me whatever you want. I wasn’t pleased that someone would lose their freedom for any reason. Feelings from the past threatened to engulf me, and a thought that my own father had once sat in the same position where Bernie was right then almost choked me.

  Then I thought of the lives of my mom and brother taken before their time by my dad, and that made me stronger to face Bernie’s fate. A court official came out of a side door, and all my thoughts vanished.

  The clerk said, “All rise, the court is now in session, the Honorable Judge Warren Grant presiding.”

  The room was practically empty apart from the public prosecutor, Clayton, Ravi, his assistant, the lawyer firm representing Bernie, and a tired and frightened looking shell of the man that was once my boss. Bernie was directed to take the stand for the judge to address him. He walked slowly with his head down, and never gave me eye contact once.

  The Judge said, “In the matter of the State vs. Mr. Bernard Dunn, how do you plead?”

  Bernie replied, “Guilty, your Honor.”

  “Counsel, have you reached a settlement?” the judge asked.

  The prosecutor responded, “Yes, your Honor. The people have agreed to time served and four years imprisonment, as long as Mr. Dunn completes an approved rehabilitation and anger management counseling course, agrees to take full responsibility for his actions, and adequately compensates my client for loss of earnings due to his crime against him.”

  The judge addressed Bernie again, “Mr. Dunn, do you know that by pleading guilty you lose the right to a jury trial?”

  Bernie
Dunn cleared his throat: “Yes, your Honor.”

  The Judge asked, “Do you give up that right?”

  Bernie replied, “Yes, your Honor.”

  The judge questioned, “Do you understand what giving up that right means?”

  Bernie responded, quietly, “Yes.”

  The judge peered over his half-spectacles, “Do you know that you are waiving the right to cross-examine your accusers?”

  Bernie answered in a small voice, “Yes.”

  The Judge continued, “Do you know that you are waiving your privilege against self-incrimination?”

  Bernie cleared his throat, “Yes.”

  The judge turned in his chair to face Bernie as much as he could, “Did anyone force you into accepting this settlement?”

  Bernie shook his head, “No.”

  The judge glanced back at his papers, “Are you pleading guilty because you, in fact, drugged the victim?”

  Bernie answered, flatly and looked at his hands, “Yes.”

  The judge turned to Bernie again, “Mr. Dunn, you are hereby sentenced to four years and six months in jail, of which you have already served six months, on the conditions that you complete a court-approved anger management course, pay the defendant, Mr. Flynn Docherty, the sum of two million dollars for personal injury and loss of earnings. I understand there are also other financial implications related to this crime. As you have pleaded guilty to the charge for which you have already been sentenced I am in the position to award punitive damages in the sum of seven million four hundred thousand dollars for loss of revenue to the tour concert venues, and promotional companies you had contracts with.”

  Clay turned and winked at me then shook my hand. I was a bit overwhelmed when I saw Bernie’s legs buckle as he was being led out a door to the side of the courtroom to start the rest of his jail time, and Clayton hadn’t missed it.

  “He got off lightly, thanks to you. You could have been dead. Remember that.”

  Chapter 32 ~ Flynn

  Moving forward

  Facing the press after the sentence was handed down wasn’t easy, but I’d told myself I’d faced more difficult things in life. The wait was over, but the act of a jealous, manipulative man had put him in jail. Tyler Chisolm was the one who never really paid the true price for his wrongdoing, preferring to snitch on his friend to save his own ass.

  Hundreds of clicks from camera shutters and questions followed one another on the steps of the courthouse. I never responded once. Clay told reporters that Bernie had made the deal, and in return, I could go back to work. Ten minutes of answering questions we never wanted to answer, I was back in the SUV, and we were speeding away from the scene.

  I rang Valerie as soon as we were clear, and she told me a press release on behalf of the band was being aired by FOX and SKY news channels from midday. They had agreed to play the video, and MTV had wanted to run it after twenty-four hours. We had no time to lose according to Valerie. Four radio station interviews were set for the following Tuesday, and two cable channels and a chat show were offering live spots for the night after those. I doubted very much whether Bernie would have ever achieved all that for a band he managed.

  The rest of the day was a blur, but the one thing I knew for sure was that RedA were hot property thanks to my wonderful pregnant manager, and more importantly everyone who I’d heard her speak with seemed to treat her with respect. I’d been worried that given her age and condition. Not many pregnant nineteen-year-olds could command the attention of most hard-nosed businessmen.

  I watched Valerie wander around, a wad of paper in hand, and my heart skipped a beat. After months of seeing her day and night, she still had that effect on me, just like she had the first time I saw her. She was even more beautiful carrying my child, if that was possible.

  Our break had come at just the right time for her. She hadn’t wanted people to be aware of the pregnancy, and only a handful of people outside the inner circle of friends knew about it. I had to give credit to Jonah for that as well. Val hadn’t looked pregnant at all in her business daywear, but at home in her yoga pants or sweats and a t-shirt she had become notably bigger every day.

  We celebrated that evening with dinner at an intimate Italian restaurant I’d been to a few times. They were a great family run affair, and Leonardo junior, the thirty-something owner’s son, always snuck me in through the kitchen and seated me at a large booth in the back. When he saw Valerie for the first time, his eyes widened and he couldn’t hide the affect she had on him if his life had depended on it. Casting his eyes down her body he glanced back at me and nodded his head, “Bellissimo, you’re girl is lovely.”

  I knew Leo better than that. I could see even though she was pregnant he’d thought she was as hot as fuck. And she was. He behaved like the perfect host throughout our visit—anything less and I’d have whooped his ass.

  As for Valerie, I wish I could have said the same for her. Every mouthful of food she took appeared to be ecstasy if the noises she elicited during dinner were anything to go by. I was transfixed watching her, a boner making my napkin look like I was performing some magic trick under the table. Of course, she noticed and milked it with all she was worth.

  “That look,” she said, making a small circle with her fork to frame my face.

  “What look?” I asked innocently, thinking I was well and truly busted.

  “That, I’m-going-to-fuck-you-so-hard look you’re doing with your eyes.”

  “My eyes are not doing anything. I think you are mistaking your dirty thoughts and reading what you want to see there,” I’d teased her back.

  “Swear you’re not having kinky fantasies right now, but remember you swore to always be honest with me.”

  “It’s not my fault, babe. You sound like you’re getting off on that carbonara.”

  “I am,” she smirked wickedly and put another forkful into her mouth while her toes ran up the inside of my leg and rubbed slowly along my excited dick.

  “As soon as you’ve had this baby you are going over my knee,”

  “Well, actually, you’re not having a baby, want me to put you over mine?”

  “Valerie, you are nineteen, what would you know about spanking?”

  “I’ve been around it loads. I take pictures remember?”

  “And you’d be up for that?”

  “What, spanking you?”

  “Fuck off, no way. I meant me spanking you?”

  “Most times when you’re inside me you slap my ass anyway,” she smiled knowing she was tormenting me. Her toes brushed back and forth over my hard length then she tried to grip my shaft with them and sent a shiver down my back.

  “I’m not having this conversation here. Put your foot down or I’ll fuck you right here in this booth.”

  Valerie’s face registered her panic, and I could see that after the episode in the glass elevator she knew I’d find a way to make that happen.

  “Okay you win, now let me finish my food,” she said smiling down at it. She pushed it around her plate as if she were still distracted by our conversation for a moment before she started eating again.

  Three more mouthfuls later, she dropped the fork and pushed the plate away groaning and holding her stomach, “Ohh, that dish was exceptional. Very tasty.”

  “Good, we’re not staying for dessert,” I stated.

  “Why not?” she asked, her brow bunching in the middle.

  “I’m not sitting through that noise again. I’ll come in my jeans.”

  Val’s lips curved, and she giggled, “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  My hand cupped my aching balls through the material, “Never been more,” I said with a pointed stare.

  I settled the bill, and we left through the restaurant kitchen to find Lee and the car in the back alleyway. I opened the door and smacked her ass softly as she climbed in in front of me. Valerie snuggled up to me, and her arm wove its way around mine.

  “Monday is B-day.”

  “B-day
?”

  “Baby day. It’s the day we see our baby in 4D. Can you believe we get to see what it looks like before it’s even here? I’m so excited.”

  I have to admit that news kind of freaked me out, but I nodded because the last thing I wanted was not to be okay with anything to do with Valerie, the baby or the pregnancy. There was so much to talk about now that I could focus. Questions floated across my mind, and my erection deflated under the weight of responsibility I felt about managing my girl, my child and my career. I’m not even twenty-five.

  We never made love that night. It felt…weird when I thought about seeing my baby on the screen the next time we went to the doctor’s office.

  *****

  Saturday was a fun day with Teague. We arrived at his school shortly before 10:00 am and two of the kids he’d had issues with before ran up to him like they were best buddies. “Hi, Teague. Hi, Flynn. Teague, my mommy said your dad is the hottest guy on the planet.”

  Teague turned to me in all seriousness and asked, “Is that true?”

  I chuckled and shook my head, “Women, what do they know, buddy? They make up stuff like that all the time.”

  The little guy smiled at his friends, and the other one said, “My mom said she wouldn’t kick you out of bed, but my dad said if he ever found you there he’d kick your ass.”

  I almost choked and chuckled at the honesty of the kids, they had no idea what they were talking about, but had taken what their parents had said as gospel.

  Watching Teague stride out with confidence with all the other kids made my being there worthwhile. His little toothy smile was a mile wide, and the way he kept glancing over to see if I was still watching was super cute. At halftime, he came storming across the field and jumped up into my arms.

  “Did you see me score, Flynn? Wasn’t I awesome? I’m easily the best player here,” he boasted. “Mr. Robson said if I keep playing the way I am when I get to high school I might be good enough to get a scholarship to go to college. What’s college?”