Between a Rock and a Hard Place

by Jenna Galicki

  “Alyssa’s here.” The sadistic vision of Alyssa with the needle in her hand made Jessi giggle. “I don’t think anyone wants to mess with her. Are you all set for tomorrow?”

  “What’s tomorrow?”

  “Your first show in Hong Kong.”

  “Oh, yeah. Audra is going to videotape it for you. I’m going to look right into the camera when we play Without You, so you know that I’m thinking about you. I’m always thinking about you, Jessi.”

  It was quiet on the other end. She listened to the silence and the rush of his breath into the phone. She realized she was going to miss Immortal Angel take the stage for the first time in another country. It was another blow to her bruised heart. It was a milestone in his life and she wasn’t part of it. She had worked almost as hard as he did to get to this point in his career and she was 8000 miles away, relegated to view his performance on a two inch video screen after it was over. Her vision blurred and she took a deep breath to keep the tears of disappointment from falling.

  “I’m homesick.” Tommy’s sad, low voice filled the gap.

  It made her insides collapse to hear him so despondent, but she knew she needed to be strong. “We’ll be together soon.”

  “I know. I’ll call as much as I can. I love you, hon.”

  “I love you, too, baby.”

  “Angel wants to say hello.”

  “OK. Put him on.”

  “Hello, sweetheart.” Angel sang into the phone, and his melodic voice lifted her spirits. A little bit, anyway.

  “How’s Hong Kong?”

  “Exactly like you see on TV. The stores are fabulous, but I haven’t had a chance to visit any. As soon as we get five minutes of free time I’m going to buy you some presents.”

  “Buy me one of everything.” She smiled into the phone. Angel was always thoughtful, and he instinctively knew her taste. Tommy was more of the flowers-and-candy type, but Angel could buy her a pair of shoes or a top that she would have bought for herself. “Do you have everything ready for tomorrow?”

  “Yes. I think so. Tommy helped me unpack my outfit for the show, but you know I’ll forget something last minute and go scrambling through my suitcases.”

  “Did Audra give you an updated schedule?”

  “Yeah.” The sound of papers rustled in the background. “It’s right here. I’m taping it to the mirror.”

  “What’s your room like?”

  “I’m sorry. I forgot to send you a video. I’ll do it as soon as we hang up. The room is amazing! I know Audra was responsible for booking us a gorgeous suite.”

  “Did you expect anything less from your number one groupie?”

  “I thought you were my number one groupie?” There was a smile in his voice.

  “You’re right.” A small laugh floated from her throat. “I’m your number one fan.”

  “What were you and Alyssa up to today?”

  She rubbed the metal ball in her tongue on the roof of her mouth. “We stayed home and drank tequila and ate pizza.” Alyssa ate pizza. She couldn’t even eat applesauce.

  “Alyssa drank?” She could hear the concern in Angel’s voice.

  “Yeah, but not much. Don’t tell Damien.”

  “Of course not. I just can’t remember the last time I saw her take a drink. Those days were a long time ago. But now that you mentioned it,” he teased her, “you’re slurring your speech a little bit.”

  It was the tongue ring, and she thought she was doing a good job of speaking clearly. “I might have had the lion’s share of the bottle.”

  “You drank the whole bottle? I knew leaving you two girls alone would spell trouble.”

  “We’ll try to stay out of jail.”

  Angel laughed. “I hope so. You sound tired, sweetheart. Get some rest.”

  She suppressed a yawn and it hurt her tongue. “Let me talk to Tommy one more time.”

  “OK. Sweet dreams. Love you.”

  “Night, Angel. Love you, too.”

  “Couldn’t sleep without giving me a goodnight kiss?” Tommy sounded happier. The depressed damper in his voice now took on his usual teasing tone.

  “Never.” She cradled the phone in her hand and pressed a long kiss into it. “Try to get some rest before the show tomorrow night. Don’t run yourself into the ground. And don’t let Angel visit every boutique in Hong Kong. You’ll never make it to the show. Give him a kiss for me.”

  “Will do, hon. I love you. Goodnight.”

  “I love you, too. Night.”

  She held the phone to her chest and lay back down on the bed. Its emptiness engulfed her once again and the sadness crept back into her heart. At least Tommy and Angel had each other. She was alone.

  Her phone buzzed announcing a text message from Angel. It was the video of their hotel room that he promised to send. She watched it with tired eyes and fell asleep, comforted by the glimpse of the two of them on the screen before it clicked off.

  Chapter Seven

  Angel was nervous for the first show in Hong Kong and paced around the dressing room. Even though they received an overwhelming reception at the airport, the culture was different. They needed a translator most of the time when they spoke to the press. He didn’t know if the audience would understand him when he spoke to them.

  He searched for the set list to see how much time was allotted for banter. If he needed to cut out the chitchat between songs because the fans didn’t understand English, the show would fall short.

  “Look who wants to wish you luck for tonight’s show!” Audra escorted Kira into the dressing room.

  “Kira! What are you doing here?”

  She ambushed Angel with a hug. “I couldn’t miss Immortal Angel’s first show in another country.”

  “This is a nice surprise. How long are you staying?”

  “Only a few days. I wish I could have taken the plane with you from New York. It would have been amazing to travel across the world with the band.” She was genuinely happy for the band’s success. “I always dreamed this would happen. Audra and I used to stay up late at night sometimes, after one of your shows in Brooklyn, and talk about what the future held for Immortal Angel. I wish I could stay for the entire tour, but I have obligations at Falcon. I’m working directly with my father now, scouting out new talent and learning the ins and outs of record contracts.”

  Angel was astounded at the transformation in both Audra and Kira. They were making their way into the family business and would no doubt be high power executives one day. He would still always view them as the young girls who fawned over him and the band at every performance, though. They both held a special place in his heart. “I appreciate everything you girls have done for us. You’re not just friends, you’re family. Are you sitting front row, like always?”

  “No.” Kira pouted a little. “Audra has to stay on call, so we’re going to watch from the side of the stage together. I can’t wait for the show. And I can’t believe my sister is working with you!”

  She gave him another quick hug, wished everyone luck and ran out the door.

  The band waited at the side of the stage, engaged in excited chatter. Amidst the flurry of activity from the production crew and the energy of the audience chanting for Immortal Angel to take the stage, Tommy fell silent. Jessi’s absence stole some of his enthusiasm about tonight’s performance. He chewed on his pick and tried to imagine that she was there with him.

  Angel leaned on his shoulder, pulled the curtain back so they could get a better look at the audience, and sighed. “She would have loved this, but Europe will be just as fun. More fun, because Jessi will be there with us.”

  Angel knew exactly what to say to lift Tommy’s spirits, even though he still wished Jessi could have participated in the first leg of the tour.

  The lights went down and the fans cheered. Some of the thrill of tonight’s show returned, and Tommy’s foot tapped out an impatient rhythm on the floor.

  Angel’s arm held him a little tighter. “Let’s
do this for Jessi.”

  Tommy nodded. Tonight’s show would be a silent dedication to her. He wouldn’t let her absence hamper his performance. He clamped down on a bunch of chords and his pick jumped across the strings. He ran on stage and slid on his knees. Two girls in the front row held up a banner, and one of them reached up with a black Sharpie. Tommy took it and sprawled his name across their sign, sending the girls into a frenzied squeal.

  Jimmy stood up behind his drum kit and slapped his sticks together. Damien’s deep bass resounded up through the amp and Tommy’s electric guitar brought the melody of Cyanide Sensation to life.

  Angel sauntered up to the front of the stage, propelled his hips forward toward the audience and sent the front row into a flurry of screams.

  When the song was over, the crowd applauded and cheered, but as soon as the band started to play the next song, they quieted down to listen to the music. They sang along in English, but mostly just the chorus. Culture was vastly different, but music was their universal connection.

  Fueled by the adrenaline of the crowd, Tommy jumped on the amp and broke out into a spontaneous guitar solo. He jumped back down and ran to the opposite side of the stage, and almost collided with Damien. Jimmy crashed a cymbal in his ear as he ran past, and it still echoed in his head.

  Angel strutted over to Tommy and sang the first verse of Without You. Tommy looked down at the spiked guitar strap Jessi made for him and at the spiked leather jacket she made for Angel. They were a perfect match, a duo that complemented one another. He turned to the side of the stage and almost expected to see Jessi there. Her absence hit him hard. This was the first time she wasn’t at his side cheering him on. She was the one who filled him with confidence. She gave him the drive to push himself harder.

  Audra stepped from the sideline to videotape the show for Jessi. She was using a professional camcorder, not a grainy cell phone with sound distortion. Jessi would get a quality video. Tommy wished Jessi could see it live. He wished she could see the wall of people in front of them, but this was the best alternative. Angel continued to sing and Audra moved closer. He sang into the camera for a bit, then moved on to the other end of the stage.

  Audra focused on Tommy. He stared into the camera lens while Angel finished the song. Every word in the lyrics that Tommy wrote was meant to tell Angel and Jessi how much he loved and needed them both. It was the song that told the world about their relationship. It was his emancipation.

  Audra moved the camera closer to his face and he stared into it. He imagined Jessi on the other side of the lens, looking back at him the way she always did when he played for her, with her fingertips covering her lips and her shoulders raised high.

  At that moment, even though Jessi was thousands of miles away, he felt her presence beside him.

  Chapter Eight

  The bed was smaller than Tommy was used to, but it was plush and he sunk into it. The pillow enveloped his head in high quality goose down. Angel was still in the shower. Tommy tried to wait for him, but his eyes were heavy from too much champagne. He dreamt of tonight’s performance, the fans and the party that followed.

  The bed rocked and woke him.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you.” Angel slid under the covers and extended his arm, capturing Tommy in a warm embrace. Tommy nestled in the crook of Angel’s shoulder, but sleep no longer beckoned. He was uncomfortable sleeping on his side, even if it was in the arms of the man he loved most in the world. He stirred and flipped onto his back. “I’m not used to sleeping like this. The bed feels empty.”

  “It’s not empty. I’m here.” Angel sounded hurt.

  Tommy rolled back into Angel’s shoulder. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just used to being sandwiched between you and Jessi. I don’t know what to do with my other arm. He held it up in the air and looked at it.

  Angel took Tommy’s free hand and kissed it. “This hand belongs to me for the next few weeks.” He put Tommy’s hand flat on his chest over his heart. “Do you feel that?”

  Tommy pressed his hand into Angel’s muscular chest until he felt the steady beat of his heart. He kissed Angel’s shoulder and nodded up at him.

  “Each beat of my heart is telling you how much I love you. Every night this is where your hand will rest and listen to the depth of my love for you.”

  Tommy snuggled closer so there was no space between them and slung his leg over Angel’s knee. He kept the palm of his hand on Angel’s chest and felt the gentle beat of Angel’s heart pulsate against the fleshy part of his hand. Sleep carried him away with the echo of Angel’s heart in his ears.

  Tommy thought he was still dreaming. A gentle hand tucked strands of hair behind his ear. Warm lips met his neck just below his ear and they rested there long enough to make the hair on the back of his neck prickle. A hot, thick tongue licked tiny circles on the sensitive skin of his neck and warm breath blew on his cheek like a summer breeze. It sent a tingle down his back. The soft moan in his ear let him know that this wasn’t a dream. It was Angel.

  Tommy kept his eyes closed and reached for his lover’s cheek. He tilted his head to the side to allow Angel’s magnificent tongue to bathe him in delightful blistering heat. He sighed and turned his face to catch the fleshy godlike tongue in his mouth. He held Angel’s face in his hand and drank in the warm sensuous dew on Angel’s lips.

  “That’s the way I want you to wake me up every morning for the rest of my life.” Tommy slid his hand across Angel’s broad chest and around his waist. Before it reached its intended target, Angel removed his hand and held it.

  “That can wait. I have something better in mind. The sunrise.”

  Tommy brought himself up on one elbow and leaned toward the window. It was still dark. He flashed Angel a whimsical and provocative smile. “I think we still have a few minutes before the sun comes up.”

  “We’re not watching it from the balcony. We’re going to watch the sunrise from the beach. Don’t bother to get dressed. We’re taking the sheets and blankets with us.”

  They carried the bedding down to the silvery sand. It glowed from beneath the sky that was between the stages of moon and sun.

  Tommy stood with his face to the sea, while a cool pre-dawn breeze blew his hair off his shoulders.

  “You’ll catch cold.” Angel draped a velour blanket over Tommy’s shoulders. “Come snuggle under the blanket with me. The sun’s about to come up.”

  Tommy pulled the corners of the blanket around him and let Angel guide him back to the pillows that were piled on top of the blankets on the sand. He settled into the makeshift bed that Angel created for them. They wrapped their arms and legs around one another in order to keep the heat from their bodies within the confines of the blanket.

  In a matter of seconds the sky transformed from a deep gray to shades of fuchsia and lilac. A golden sun peeked its head over the tranquil sea, sending luminescent ripples of color across its mirror-like surface.

  “It’s beautiful.” Angel placed a light kiss atop Tommy’s wind-strewn hair.

  Tommy looked up into the dark eyes of the man he loved and a warm sensation spread through his chest. “How did you get to be so romantic?”

  “Romance is all I think about when it comes to you, mi amor.”

  Tommy hugged his knees to his chest while he gazed up at the pastel sky. Soon it would be dawn and they would no longer be shielded in the haze of its colorful hues. The sea breeze blew his hair across his eyes and obscured his view.

  A cluster of blond tresses crossed Angel’s cheek. He caught them between his teeth and gave them a playful yank.

  Tommy offered Angel a naughty little smile. “Don’t tease me with your hair pulling, A. Just because we’re out in the open on this sandy beach, don’t think I won’t devour your body.” A romp in the sand was exactly what Tommy had in mind when he grabbed the bottle of lube from the dresser on the way out the door, but the fast-rising sun threatened to turn their love making into a bout of exhibitionism.

  Ang
el brushed Tommy’s tousled hair to the side and placed his lips on Tommy’s neck. “I would love nothing more than to make love to you under this glorious plum sky with the waves batting at our feet. But first, let’s go into the water.”

  “It’s freezing!”

  “It will be exhilarating. The heat from our bodies will provide the warmth we need.” Angel stood, dropped the blanket and held out his hand. “Let’s run in the water together.”

  Tommy watched the goose bumps rise on Angel’s outstretched arm. He knew that going into the water wasn’t a wise decision, but there was always something about Angel that made him yearn to try the unexpected. He took the blanket with him as he grabbed Angel’s hand and got to his feet. They huddled under the blanket, sunk their bare toes in the cool sand and laughed as they raced to the shoreline. A tiny wave crashed at their feet and rolled up the shoreline. Tommy shuddered as the icy water hit his toes. He hopped from foot to foot and laughed. “I don’t know about this, Angel.”

  “We’ll drop the blanket, run in and dive underwater. It will awaken our senses.”

  “I’m already awake. Tommy looked inside the blanket at his deflating erection. “At least I was before that freezing water covered my ankles.”

  Angel slipped out of his briefs and kicked them aside. “Your turn.”

  “I don’t know how you talk me into these things.” He wiggled his shorts down to the sand and stepped out of them. “On three?”

  Angel nodded and took Tommy’s hand. “Three!” The blanket flew into the air behind them as Angel pulled him toward the water. He laughed so hard that he stumbled, but Angel kept pulling him toward the shore. The first few jumps in the water were a shock to his nervous system, but by the time the water was up to his knees, he acclimated to the temperature and it was refreshing. Angel nodded at him and they both dove under the glassy shell of the sea. It was much warmer under the surface, but still chilly. He blew tiny bubbles out his nose while his hair languished in the salt water. He came up for air only a few feet from Angel. He pushed his hair back over his forehead only to be greeted by a face full of water from Angel’s playful splashing.