Once Upon A Rock Star

by Yessi Smith

  Perfect, perfect, perfect.

  Boo.

  I tugged her long red pigtail and kissed her cheek. “I hope your dad paid out for that tooth, that’s at least five bucks.”

  She gasped and then whispered, “Shhh Uncle Gabe he gave me ten.”

  “Ten?” Zane and I said in unison.

  Wes rolled his eyes, “It was her first tooth!”

  “So you give her more money than I earned on my first album?” Zane joked.

  “That was a really shi — I mean, not good, um, album.” I corrected for small ears.

  Jill frowned, “Uncle Gabe, that’s not nice, I like Zane.”

  “Everyone likes Zane.” I teased, “It’s his chiseled features and smooth voice, plus you know, that baby skin with—“

  Zane flipped me off behind her back while Wes coughed into his hand. His blond hair was long on one side, and shaved on the other, his daughter inherited his blue eyes and inspiring demeanor. You couldn’t help but want to be around them, just because they were them.

  Positive.

  Happy.

  Just genuinely good people.

  Yeah some days I hated Wes, I even texted that to him.

  He only ever responded with a heart and a middle finger.

  He was a brother.

  And I needed brothers if I was going to make it through.

  “So,” Wes walked up and whispered something in Jill’s ear, she hopped off my lap and went running. “How are you holding up?”

  “What is this?” I frowned, “Do you guys have me on some sort of prayer chain? A meal chain? God please don’t tell me it’s on the news.”

  “Of course it’s on the news.” Wes scoffed, then showed me the phone screen, “You’re Gabe Hyde, it’s your first child, you just won five Grammy’s, it’s everywhere.”

  Zane growled in the back of his throat.

  I tossed him a get over it stare.

  “It was a good album!” He threw up his hands. We’d been up for Album of the year two years running, he won last year, I won this year.

  “Suck it up, loser.” I winked.

  Wes just laughed.

  “Where’d Jill go?”

  “You’ll see.” He said cryptically. “Was that you pounding on the piano keys earlier? Beating it into submission?”

  “No, that was music.” I corrected.

  “Bullshit that was…” Wes made a face. “I don’t know what it was but it was bad.”

  “Thanks man, that’s what I wanted to hear, while my wife is in labor, while she could be bleeding, and—“

  “—Gabe,” Wes sat down next to me and patted my back. “She’s going to be fine, I promise. Kiersten’s up there with her, Fallon keeps making jokes to distract her — it’s fine. The rest of the girls are headed over, trust me, she has plenty to keep her occupied.”

  “Except me.” I grumbled.

  “She doesn’t want you to see her in pain — she’s doing this FOR you.”

  “Yeah.” I looked down at my tatted fingers. “I know.”

  Chapter Two

  Saylor

  “I want this baby out, NOW!” I screamed, I never screamed, I gave an apologetic look to my best friend Kiersten who simply hummed and handed me another piece of ice.

  Fallon’s eyes were so wide I thought they were going to bug out of her head. “You sure you’re comfortable?” She kept her gaze on my face.

  The tub was warm.

  The oils felt good on my skin.

  But the lower half of my body was dying a slow death.

  Kiersten checked her phone. “Wes just got her, Gabe is going crazy.”

  My chest hurt from the thought. But he’d had such a rough year, and after losing his fiancée over five years ago, I knew this was just one thing that freaked him out more.

  Losing me.

  Us losing each other.

  Not that he could control it.

  We’d been inseparable through three world tours, and now four albums. We’d worked together non-stop then decided it was time to start a family.

  I just didn’t realize how petrified Gabe would be, when I was thrust into a situation he couldn’t control with money, fame, knowledge — anything.

  “He’ll be okay.” Fallon said softly. I’d only met her last year while Zane and Gabe toured together, we became fast friends, she had a quick wit about her for being so young. I loved her like the sister I never had, just like Kiersten.

  “He can come up when it’s close.” I nodded, more for myself than anyone else.

  Kiersten and Fallon shared a look before Kiersten gave me another ice cube.

  “Plus,” I chomped down, “He’s supposed to be working on that stupid song, doesn’t he have until midnight?”

  “Yeah,” Fallon yawned, “Zane said he’d help but I’m not gonna lie, situations like this make his anxiety kind of skyrocket, if you see a few empty bags of marshmallows lying around, you know the culprit.”

  “Freak.” I teased. “You know last time he was here he literally picked every marshmallow out of the Lucky Charms box? Gabe was so pissed.”

  “That,” Fallon burst out laughing, “was on purpose.”

  “Men.” I agreed as another contraction hit.

  I loved my girls.

  I was fine.

  I could wait a bit longer.

  The last thing Gabe needed was to see someone he loved in pain.

  Chapter Three

  Gabe

  “What if we start it a bit slower here,” I marked the page, “And then increase the tempo here?”

  Zane yawned.

  “That good huh?” I chucked the pencil at his face.

  Jill was in the playroom with her little brother. I could hear them giggling over some Disney movie Wes had put on.

  “What do you think?” I asked Wes.

  He looked between us. “I think asking the tone-deaf guy is probably a bad call.”

  “Tone-deaf and can’t throw.” I teased.

  He glared. “It was one throw, two weeks ago, and I’m telling you Sherman had PI!”

  “Sureeeee.” Zane teased.

  Wes ran a hand through his hair. “Hate you guys sometimes.”

  “But yeah no pressure about playoffs.” I deflected.

  “How’s that song coming along again?” Wes asked the room. “You know, the one for the movie? The one that needs to be done oh… let me see.” He checked his Rolex, “In six hours?”

  “Hey, don’t you turn thirty this year?” Zane piped up.

  I burst out laughing and gave him a high five.

  “Your birthday is LITERALLY a week after mine.” Wes started pacing, “All right, Kiersten says you can head—“

  I ran so fast toward the stairs that I tripped over my own feet and nearly chipped a tooth on the railing, by the time I made it into the room my heart was in my throat and my eyes were having a hard time focusing. Saylor’s thick dark hair was pulled into a knot on her head, her face was makeup free, she was sitting in this hot tub looking thing that kept me separated from her and all I wanted was to pull her into my arms, to hold her, to tell her I’d keep her safe from everything, forever.

  And then her jaw clenched as she closed her eyes.

  The nurse nodded her approval. I lost it, I couldn’t remember the nurse’s name, or even the midwife we’d visited for the last few months.

  The doctor stared at me while I stared back blankly, tears filling my eyes. “This is normal right?”

  “Completely.” The doctor smiled. “Why don’t you go and hold her while she pushes.”

  “Pushes?” I repeated. “Pushing? We’re pushing now?”

  “I’m pushing now.” Saylor said through clenched teeth.

  I rushed over to her and braced her from behind as the doctor nodded, “All right on this next contraction I want you to push, ready—“

  It was a half hour.

  The entire time I was there, was only thirty minutes of my life.

  It felt like th
irty years.

  I aged thirty years.

  And then suddenly I was holding a tiny bundle. My guitar weighed more than the bundle, and yet, it was the most precious thing I’d ever held.

  “She’s perfect.” I choked out.

  “Yes,” Saylor sighed, “Our little Kimmy is.”

  I closed my eyes.

  So undeserving. The life I had. The second chances I’d been given, with Saylor, with the life I had.

  I knew I would never deserve it. I could only try.

  Chapter Four

  Gabe

  4 Weeks Later

  Everyone left.

  My song still wasn’t done.

  And I had no leads on what I should sing about.

  Kimmy started bawling the minute I told Saylor to lay down, so with my guitar pick in my mouth I rushed upstairs, picked up my girl, and started rocking her to sleep.

  She wouldn’t have it though.

  It was like she was allergic to closing her eyes — not that I cared, I could stare into her eyes for years and never get bored. Her yawns made me think that I could find anything fascinating about her if I just looked hard enough.

  “Look at that,” I mused, “Your daddy’s one of the biggest rockers in the world, and just like that, brought down by seven pounds six ounces of pure beauty.”

  She sighed.

  I kissed her fingertips, her hand was so small, so pale next to the ink on my fingers.

  I kissed her cheeks.

  I wanted to exist near her for the rest of my life.

  I didn’t even hear the door open.

  “Sexiest thing, I have ever seen.” Saylor said with a sleep filled voice. “I brought you a bottle.”

  I turned and winked.

  She sagged against the door. “If I wasn’t so tired I’d tell you to strip right now.”

  “Oh?” I looked down. “I”m already halfway there.”

  “Don’t remind me,” She eyed my bare stomach, the ink, the six pack I kept so she’d keep licking between the lines. “I want you so bad.”

  “If I get her to sleep?”

  She yawned.

  I wasn’t even disappointed. We had years to have sex. Our lifetime.

  But this moment, it would be gone tomorrow, she’d be one more day older.

  And I wanted to cherish today.

  I knew how precious it was.

  “Ughhhhh.” Saylor stomped her foot then walked over to me, her body had changed and I couldn’t quit looking at her chest if I tried. Swear they were like a homing beacon for my eyes only. “I want you.” She rose up on her toes, swiping her tongue across my lower lip.

  With a moan I pulled Kimmy to one side and wrapped my arm around her body pulling her tight against my naked chest as I thrust my tongue inside, tasting her, tasting home.

  Kimmy started crying.

  We broke apart.

  “Welcome to parenthood, rockstar.” Saylor winked.

  “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” I whispered, our foreheads touching.

  She ran her hands through my light blond hair, “You finish your song yet?”

  Stress ate away at my chest. “Not yet, I’m kind of stumped.”

  “Just write what you know.”

  “What’s that?”

  She looked down at Kimmy then back at me. “Love. Loss. Redemption. Take your pick.” She slapped my ass and walked off. “Oh and the bottle’s downstairs ready for you.”

  I saluted her and walked slowly down the stairs, through the darkness of the kitchen. I tested the bottle then gave it to Kimmy. I sat at the piano and sighed.

  Then started to sing.

  “Think of me when you sleep… no matter where you go I’ll be…” I frowned and then kept singing, until I had one verse. Two verses.

  A chorus.

  By the time I knew it Kimmy was sound asleep. I carefully walked back upstairs put her in her crib, then made my way back to the piano.

  My hands flew over the keys.

  Thankfully my recording room was completely sound proof.

  I banged out the song so fast, and sang it with such passion and conviction that by the time I was done, I was exhausted, sweat poured down my face.

  And then Saylor was sitting next to me.

  She placed the monitor on the piano, and then pulled her shirt over her head.

  I sucked in a breath as her chest heaved, and then she slowly turned to me. “That’s the sexiest song I’ve ever heard.”

  “It’s about the sexiest woman alive — and the gift she just gave me…” I nipped her lower lips. “Hope it’s okay to use you as inspiration.”

  She moaned against my mouth as I slowly moved my hands to her hips, and lifted her off the piano bench, sliding her shorts down to her ankles at the same time. “Tell me if I hurt you.”

  “Impossible.” She responded to my touch so sensually that I was hard the minute she breathed in my direction. Straining for release against my jeans, wanting nothing more than to plunge into her and feel her walls around me.

  “Gabe,” She moaned. “Please. And don’t do that thing where you want me to orgasm like five times before you finish, I want this hard and fast.”

  I jerked in surprise. “But you’re meant to be loved to—“

  “—Gabe, if that baby wakes up before you’re pounding into me I will strangle you in your sleep.”

  I grinned wide. “I kinda like this new feisty mom side of you, hey are you gonna get the mom cut too? Maybe some mom jeans—“

  She silenced me with a kiss that rocked me to my core, then hastily unbuttoned my jeans and jerked them from my hips, grabbed my cock and began to pump with her hand.

  “Shit,” I cursed, “You weren’t kidding.”

  “Now!” She kissed me harder.

  I wasn’t complaining.

  I laid her down across the piano bench and thrust into her so fast that I saw stars, and then accidentally pressed my left hand onto the piano keys.

  She laughed when I almost fell over, before I surged harder into her, again, and again. She screamed my name while I swore hers.

  “I love you.” My voice was strained, my vision blurred.

  She jerked my head down, our mouths met in a heated kiss. “I love you too.”

  It was over faster than it started.

  Still inside her, I drug out kisses down her neck, and then breathed in her scent, just as a little scream from the camera alerted us to either a poppy diaper or hunger.

  I leaned down and bit her softly on the shoulder, then whispered in her ear. “Tag, you’re it.”

  She pulled away from me, then eyed my cock until I was hard again, then shrugged and said, “Okay!”

  “Unfair!” I called after her.

  “Marriage!” She yelled back.

  “Parenthood.” I countered.

  She peeked around the corner and winked. “I’ll be ready for round two once the minion is asleep again.”

  “Thank God.” I was so aroused again I couldn’t see striaght.

  “Oh and Gabe?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I love the song.”

  I love you.

  And I always will.

  Chapter Five

  Saylor

  “You sure this is a good idea?” I asked for the tenth time as Gabe ushered me out the door. We hadn’t had a date in months. I’d basically been chained to my little girl nursing, and when she suddenly stopped at three months for no reason, it was bottle after bottle after bottle.

  Girl could eat.

  Just like her dad.

  Anxiety swirled around my belly as Gabe tugged my arm. “Your mom loves Kimmy, they’re having grandma time and you know how much your brother likes to help out.”

  I sighed and glanced back at the house, then nodded.

  Gabe let out a long exhale, “Seriously, it’s going to be fine.”

  I nodded again as emotion lodged in my throat, and then I finally glanced at the street in confusion.

  A
huge limo was waiting for us.

  “What’s this?” I pointed. “We’re not driving?”

  “Nope.” Gabe grinned wide. “You need a night out, we need a night together, and I want to make sure you have enough alcohol in your system so that I can not only take advantage of you in the car ride back, but so that you relax, and have fun with your friends.”

  “Our friends.” I corrected with a smile.

  “Our friends.” He pressed a kiss to my lips, as the driver opened the door for us. Waiting inside were two glasses of champagne and a fresh bowl of chocolate covered strawberries.

  “Oooo,” I grabbed a glass and downed it. “We celebrating anything?”

  “Parenthood?” Gabe took his glass and then clinked it against mine. “Survival?”

  I scrunched up my nose. “Your new album?”

  He looked away, but I caught his proud expression. I elbowed him a few times before he finally took my mouth again in a scorching kiss. “It’s my best work.”

  “It really is.” I cupped his cheek with my hand. “It’s… your soul.”

  “It’s because of you and baby K.”

  Tears filled my eyes. “We aren’t going to go through the night without talking about her every second are we?”

  “Not a chance in hell.” He laughed against my mouth. “Today I think she said dada.”

  “She did not!” I swatted him. “She said mama!”

  We argued the entire way to the restaurant.

  I forgot how crazy the paparazzi could get. When my door opened, I had to hide my stunned expression by turning around, gave myself a few seconds to put my game face on, then held Gabe’s hand.

  He winked at me, then kissed my cheek as camera flashes went off.

  He was literally one of the biggest names in the music industry — and I honesty missed seeing people yell his name — seeing the joy on his face when others found meaning in his songs. He’d changed my life in so many ways — it was an honor to watch him impact others.

  Well that and the fact that his ass looked amazing in those jeans, pair that with his leather jacket, aviators, and button down shirt flannel that wasn’t really even buttoned and I was already looking forward to the ride home.