I Remember You

by Scarlett Metal

  “I bet you could get it if you really tried. You know people.” She shrugged.

  “Mom,” he looked at her sternly. “Please.Drop.It. She has her life here and I have mine in LA. We’ve both moved on. It was a chance meeting. It meant nothing.”

  His mother put her hands on her hips as they arrived at their rooms. “Lance! Don’t even give me that crap! I know full well you think of her all the time. She’s the reason you can’t settle down with a girl for more than a few weeks. She’s the one you write all your songs about. I’m your mother! I know you, so don’t try to fool me and tell me otherwise. And I know you two belong together whether you like to hear it or not. There’s a reason you ran into her today. Fate has stepped in. Don’t ignore it!”

  Lance shook his head and unlocked the door to his hotel room, opening it. “Whatever, Mom. You couldn’t be more wrong.” He turned to her before walking into his room. “I think I’m going to stay in for dinner. I’ll see you in the morning.” He didn’t want to listen to her talk about Samantha the rest of the night. He suddenly wasn’t very hungry anymore anyway.

  He walked into his room and shut the door behind him, leaving his mom standing open-mouthed in the hallway. He felt bad for talking to her that way, but she couldn’t seem to get it through her head. He and Samantha were done. Fate had nothing to do with it, right?

  He went right to the mini bar in his room and opened a beer. He flipped on the TV and flopped down on the bed. He decided he was going to drink his dinner tonight. Maybe enough alcohol would drown out the memory of Samantha from his mind.

  ***

  Samantha got home from yoga, her head no clearer than it was right after she saw Lance. She thought for sure she’d gotten him out of her system years ago. Sure, she had followed his success a little bit. She didn’t listen to his music much so she didn’t have to listen to him sing about all the women he sounded so in love with, but she couldn’t be more proud about the fact he was a rock star like he had dreamed. She always knew if he put his mind to it, he could succeed at whatever he wanted to.

  She wondered how his child was that he’d had with Nicole. She knew he wasn’t still with Nicole, so how long had that relationship lasted? Was he a good dad? He had issues with his own father, so she had a feeling he made a real effort to be a good dad to his child. Her eyes filled with tears, remembering how at one time she had thought she’d be the one having children with him.

  She sighed and threw her keys on the table and opened the refrigerator. Maybe a glass of wine would calm her nerves. She poured a glass of her favorite wine and grabbed her latest celebrity gossip magazine. Surely some mindless reading would numb her brain for a bit.

  She took a sip and started to page through the magazine. She almost spit out her wine when she got to the page about Lance and his latest girlfriend breaking up. She felt a surge of hope in her chest. He’s single! Samantha chuckled then as she looked closer at the picture. That girl was beautiful. He’d never give her a second look after being with someone like that. She was too plain looking with her shoulder length dark blond hair and green eyes. She glanced down and smiled. Her chest sure couldn’t compete with those girls either but at least her breasts were real.

  Samantha threw the magazine on the coffee table. Obviously that wasn’t going to get off of Lance tonight. Maybe some writing would distract her. Losing herself in her characters was usually a good way to put aside real life if even for just a little bit.

  She fired up her laptop and opened up a new, blank document. She’d been toying with a few ideas for her next book, so now was as good a time as any to get started. Samantha turned on the radio, turning it to her favorite local station. She let out a laugh as one of Lance’s songs came on the radio. Maybe fate was trying to tell her something.

  She suddenly remembered she’d heard on the radio earlier in the week Lance’s band, the Forbidden Gods, had a show nearby tomorrow night. That would explain why he was in town now to take care of some family business.

  Samantha pulled up the band’s website. She clicked on the “Tour Dates” tab and scanned the list. Sure enough, the Forbidden Gods have a concert tomorrow night in the town about an hour away. After a few clicks, she discovered the show was sold out. Bummer! She did a search on Craigslist and found a ticket for sale. She sent an email to the person who placed the ad and was excited to receive a quick response minutes later stating they still had the ticket and it was hers if she wanted.

  She read the email over and over again. Should she? Why though? What was the point? Wouldn’t it make things harder for her in the long run? Finally, she decided, what the hell? She had nothing going on that night and he wouldn’t even notice her in the huge crowd. She replied to the email and made arrangements to pick it up tomorrow around lunchtime.

  Samantha finally shut her laptop with a frustrated sigh. There would be no writing done tonight – or tomorrow probably. She was too wound up now at the thought of going to Lance’s show. She snuggled up on the couch and decided to watch some mindless TV for a while. When she finally headed to bed, she managed to drift off with memories of Lance playing his guitar for her in his mom’s basement. She couldn’t wait to see her rock star ex-boyfriend in all of his glory.

  Chapter Four

  Lance paced his dressing room. He was ready to do the show and get the hell out of town. Maybe once he got back on the road, he would finally get Samantha off of his mind.

  He was edgy, and he knew the rest of the band could tell. He’d been quiet for the past two days and when he did talk to them, he was short and abrupt. Jason, the band’s drummer and his best friend since they were kids, pulled him aside before the show.

  “What’s up, man? Are you ok?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.

  Lance ran his fingers through his hair. He decided to be honest with Jason. “I ran into Samantha yesterday.”

  “Where?” Jason raised an eyebrow at him and twirled a drumstick in his hand.

  “It was at a gas station and we didn’t talk very long. She was on her way out and I stopped with Mom for some smokes and a drink.”

  “How did she look?” He asked quietly. Jason had been there through the whole Nicole fiasco and when Lance and Samantha broke up. Besides his mom, he was probably the only person who knew how much she still affected him.

  Lance turned his back to Jason. “Good…She looked good, man,” he murmured, picturing her standing there again, dressed so simple, but looking so beautiful.

  Jason walked over to him and put his hand on his shoulder. “Is that why you’ve been such a mess the past two days, dude?”

  Lance didn’t say a word. His friend knew him too well. Jason sighed. “Are you going to be ok for the show tonight?” He asked.

  Lance whipped around and gave Jason a hard look. “Of course! We’ve been over for years. I’m way over her, and I’m sure she has some dude that’s the total opposite of me. Someone who’s good for her and more deserving of her than I ever was or ever will be.”

  Jason chuckled. “Who are you kidding? You’ve never gotten over Samantha. You’ve tried. I’ll give you that, but I know you. I was there back in the day and I’ve been there since. You still love her. You probably always will. All those songs we write together – I know they’re about her. You don’t have to hide it from me.”

  Lance’s shoulders slumped. “I know. I don’t know why I can’t get her out of my head. I think I did for a while. Or at least I was good at burying it down deep. Seeing her stirred it all back up again. It sucks.” He took a drink from his water bottle and threw it across the room in frustration.

  Jason opened the door and motioned for Lanced to follow him. “Well, let’s go do the show and then after we can get blinding drunk together - no chicks.” Jason was happily married with two boys, so he stayed away from the groupies after shows. Tonight, Lance had no interest in them either. He wanted to forget about Samantha and stay far away from women.

  Lance laughed and shook his head.
He grabbed his guitar and followed Jason out the door. For the next few hours he was going to lose himself in his music and try to get Samantha out of his head.

  ***

  Samantha drove to the concert with her heart racing, her palms sweaty as she gripped the steering wheel. She was going to be in the front row at the Forbidden Gods concert! She hadn’t realized it until she had picked up the ticket that it was in the front row. No wonder it cost so much. In her nervous state, she hadn’t bothered to ask or even to barter on the price.

  What if Lance saw her there in the front? She almost changed her mind about going but realized he would probably never even notice she was there. He’d be too busy playing and the crowd would be dark anyway. Part of her was thrilled she’d get to see him play up close. She remembered how sexy he’d been when he played his guitar, even in his mom’s basement.

  She glanced at herself in the rearview mirror. She’d worn her makeup heavier than normal, but still tasteful. Her blonde hair was down around her face. A nervous laugh escaped her in the car. Who was she trying to impress anyway?

  She arrived at the arena and parked her car. She’d gotten there early so she didn’t have to walk too far in her high-heeled boots. It had taken her a little bit of practice walking around her house in these things and she still didn’t feel very confident in them.

  As she walked to her seat, she couldn’t help but notice the halls filled with hundreds of adoring fans of the Forbidden Gods. Many of them were female, but there were plenty of guys there too. The lines at the t-shirt stands were fairly long and Samantha thought for a minute about getting a shirt but decided against it. It would seem weird to wear her ex-boyfriend’s bands’ t-shirt, wouldn’t it?

  She found her seat, discovering she was very close to the stage. She was off to the right of the stage and she wondered which side Lance would play on. Part of her hoped he’d be right in front of her but she was also terrified he would see her and wonder what she was doing there. What if he did see her and totally ignored her?

  It wasn’t long before the opening act came on and performed a few songs. They were good, but Samantha was too nervous about seeing Lance to even hear them. When their set ended, she sat down, thinking she might puke from the butterflies in her stomach. Soon she was going to see him!

  As she waited for the Forbidden Gods show to start, Samantha couldn’t help but overhear the conversation going on next to her.

  “Maybe they’ll notice us,” the bleached blonde with the tiny shirt and even tinier skirt giggled.

  “I hope so,” the brunette muttered as she checked her lipstick in her compact mirror. “I’m hoping Lance will take me backstage and use those magic fingers on me. I heard he’s amazing in bed, but I’ll take any of them really.”

  Samantha rolled her eyes and felt a pang of jealousy in her gut at the girl’s words. She had no stake on Lance, so why did it bother her to hear that so much? Cause you still love him. Samantha’s eyes filled with tears as she came to the realization. She did still love Lance. As much as she’d tried to deny it all these years, she’d never got over him completely.

  Suddenly, the lights went dim, and the crowd started cheering. Everyone jumped to their feet and Samantha ran her hands through her hair and stood up, joining in with the crowd’s excitement. She didn’t want to draw any attention to herself in the front row by sitting there.

  A guitar started playing. She knew, even in the dark, it was Lance. A spotlight appeared on stage and her breath caught in her throat when she saw him standing there playing his guitar.

  ***

  Lance jumped up and down a bit to settle his nerves as he waited for the lights to go dim in the arena. He took a deep breath. He always got a little stage fright before every show, but once he got out there and started playing, he calmed down immediately. He heard the crowd roar, and the adrenaline pumped through his veins as he walked out on stage in the dark.

  His fingers moved over the strings on his guitar, playing the first chords of their opening song and the crowd got even louder. The spotlight went on above him as he played and the crowd started to chant his name. His fingers worked the strings on the guitar, playing the Forbidden Gods’ opening song like he’d done a million times before. He briefly thought of Samantha and then forced her out of his head as the rest of the band joined him on stage.

  Lance went through their first set almost as if he was going through the motions. He was exhausted and even the scantily dressed girls in the front row couldn’t get his attention.

  Halfway through the show, he walked over to the right side of the stage to play his solo. He glanced down at the front row, hearing a shrill voice screaming his name. He had to keep from rolling his eyes at the busty brunette that was trying to get his attention. He glanced over next to her and almost dropped his guitar pick when he saw who was sitting next to her. It was Samantha! What the hell was she doing there? They locked eyes and she smiled nervously at him.

  Lance started his guitar solo with new enthusiasm. He was surprised she was there and from the smile on her face, she looked like she was enjoying their show. He was going to make sure she continued to enjoy it.

  The crowd was going wild as he played with a passion he hadn’t felt in a while. When he was done, the crowd screamed and he looked down at Samantha. He winked at her and ran his hand through his sweaty hair before flinging his pick out into the crowd. She was grinning at him from ear to ear.

  He had an idea. He walked over to his lead singer and whispered something in his ear. He nodded and went back over to his microphone.

  “Ladies and gents, we have a special song we want to play for you tonight. It’s an oldie, but it’s one of our favs from back when we were all kids and tonight it goes out to a special someone. And she knows who she is.”

  The crowd started to roar. Lance couldn’t help but grin as he changed his electric guitar for his acoustic. Samantha was going to be so surprised when she heard what they were playing next. And he hoped she liked it.

  ***

  Samantha watched in awe as Lance performed. He was so talented and had come such a long way from playing for her in his mom’s basement. While he was one of the quieter members of the band, he definitely knew how to work the crowd as he moved around the stage. He was incredibly sexy in his leather pants and t-shirt and she couldn’t help but imagine those fingers playing her body like he did the strings on the guitar just like the groupie next to her talked about.

  When she saw him head over to her side of the stage, she started to tremble, wondering if he would even notice her. When they locked eyes, she saw the recognition in his eyes and then the big smile. She let out a relieved breath, smiling back at him.

  She’d always thought Lance was gorgeous, but seeing him play his guitar on stage for a crowd of screaming fans was even hotter than she could’ve imagined. Suddenly, Samantha felt it was one hundred degrees in the arena and her clothes were too tight.

  She watched as Lance talked to the lead singer for a minute. When he announced they were going to play a special song for a special someone, she didn’t even think twice as Lance he changed guitars.

  Her breath caught in her throat when she heard the opening chords of the next song. In just a few notes she knew it right away what it was. She’d listened to endlessly back when they were together and even after they’d broken up. It was ‘I Remember You’ by Skid Row. Their song. Her gaze locked with his stayed glued there the length of the song. He remembered.

  If she wasn’t sure before if she wasn’t over him, there was no doubt now. Hearing that song and hearing him play that song for her with his band, brought all those old feelings even closer to the surface.

  The song ended and the crowd roared their approval. Tears filled her eyes. He was amazing. He gave her another wink and she gave him wink back. Hearing his band play that song meant more to her than he would ever know.

  He motioned to the security guard and her heart dropped when he walked over to the brunet
te next to her. Lance shook his head and motioned to Sam. She had to resist the urge to squeal and jump up and down like a schoolgirl. The brunette and her friend shot daggers at Samantha as she walked past them. She thought about turning around and sticking her tongue out at them in victory but thought better of it.

  Sam stood backstage, her body trembling as she watched him finished the show. She couldn’t wait for him to be done so they could talk. Every once in a while, he would glance over to her and smile or wink. When some girls threw their panties on the stage by him, he turned and grinned at her sheepishly. She returned his look with a smile and a shake of her head.

  When the Forbidden Gods finished their set and came off stage before their encore, Lance went over to Samantha. The stage was dark and he pressed his lips to her ear. “I’m so glad you came.” She closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of him. The combination of sweat, his soap, and just a hint of cigarette smoke made her knees weak. She opened her mouth to say something and suddenly felt his lips on hers. Lance’s hands cupped her face as his lips pressed against hers, his tongue tracing her lips. She gasped and silently cursed the guitar in between them, wanting to press her body against him.