Out of The Box Awakening

by Theriot, Jennifer

  When he’s finished the song, I make a suggestion. “Would you like me to go downstairs and make us a tea and Bailey’s toddy? I’m going to make myself one. Don’t stop playing though.”

  His eyes light up as he looks at me. “Yeah, sure of course, if it’s not too much trouble. That sounds great, thanks!”

  I head down to the kitchen and make us each a cup, with my famous additions, then go back to the music room. Tommy is indeed a good-looking young man, definitely a younger version of Ash, and such a nice guy. We drink our tea and he asks if I play piano.

  “Unfortunately, ‘Heart and Soul’ and ‘Chopsticks’ are my only repertoire.”

  “Okay, then, you ready? Let’s do it to it!” he says.

  We sit at the piano and do our best “Heart and Soul” duet, then lead into “Chopsticks.” When we’ve finished we high five.

  “That was fun. Damn! You’re pretty good, Olivia!”

  We talk for a while longer. He’s very easy to talk to, and I can sense that he is enjoying my company as well. Since I don’t know him, I hesitantly ask about his mother, not knowing if he is okay talking about her. He tells me that he is basically the black sheep of the family. He begins to open up to me.

  “My mom…well what can I say: she was Mom. Wesley and Hayden, my brothers, they were the chosen ones. They did what she expected. I, on the other hand, am more like Dad. We both love music and I just couldn’t do the college thing. I tried, I really did but it just wasn’t my scene. I was into music, tattoos and the wild life. I think I disappointed her, but Dad was always supportive and encouraged me to stay on my path to a music career if that’s what I really wanted. I never quite seemed to be able to please my mom, but Dad always told me not to beat myself up over it. He told me that sometimes you just can’t please everyone and that’s ok. I just wish Mom could have realized before she died that I—that I was—that I am a good person.”

  His face is sad, and I feel so bad for him. I realize I’ve only just met him, but I could just take him in my arms like I would one of my own children and tell him it’s okay

  “Oh, Tommy,” I reassure him, “I’m sure she’s in heaven and proud as hell of you right now.”

  He smiles. I think hearing that made him feel better. “Thanks, Olivia, that means a lot—a lot more than you know. Listen, our band is playing in Chicago tomorrow night and then in Highland Park on Sunday night, so if you and your husband would like to come with Dad to watch us, that would mean a lot. I don’t know if you even like our kind of music or not, but I’d really like you to come watch us. We think we’re pretty good.” He laughed at his boast, but clearly meant it.

  I tell him that Alan has gone to London for three weeks, but that I love all kinds and would love to come with Ash to watch him play music if Ash wanted me to tag along.

  “I’m pretty sure Dad would love that!”

  We talk about my kids for a while longer and about how Alan and I ended up in Highland Park. Tommy is absolutely the nicest guy. He thanks me for the toddy before heading up to his room to sleep.

  “Hey, thanks for everything, Olivia. I really enjoyed talking to you. For the record, you play a sick ‘Heart and Soul’! If I don’t see you before I head out tomorrow, I hope to see you at the club.”

  In the morning, I get a text from Ash. “Hey, there, Sunshine! Tommy tells me you guys met. Sorry, I forgot to tell you he was staying at the house. I’ll be home about 4:00, so if you would like, we can drive into Chicago and watch him play tonight.”

  I text him back, “Yes! Absolutely! Looking forward to it!”

  Chapter 8

  I’m excited all day about going into the city to watch Avenue, Tommy’s band. Ash and I grab a bite to eat at a local chophouse, and then head in to Chicago. We finally arrive at the club. Ash is so proud of Tommy, I can tell. He’s gotten us a table up front by the band, so I feel like a groupie. I’m amazed to see so many people here. I assume the band is very popular. The band finally takes the stage. Tommy introduces them all and gives a shout-out to his dad and lady friend, who are here to watch. Lady friend…hmmmm, this sounds interesting.

  Ash and I are totally into the music. We both love every single minute of the show. The band is pretty awesome. At one point Tommy walks on stage. He comes close to our table, bends down, and sings to us. The girls in the club are screaming for him. This boy is definitely a rock star. He has a raspy, sexy voice and he’s a younger version of Ash. The two are definitely cut from the same mold. Both are over-the-top good-looking, tall, lean, but well-built and awesome musicians. It is a shame that Anne didn’t see Tommy was talented as he is. If he were my son, I would be the proudest momma in the whole world!

  After the show, Tommy, Ash, and I, along with the rest of the band, hang out in the club and have more drinks. The band is…well, to say the very least, it’s interesting. The other guys are nice. I’ve never hung out with musicians before, so I’m not quite sure what to expect. They’re all extremely good-looking. They have lots of tattoos. They’re all very polite, but one guy in particular is quite the cocky, conceited show-off. He has short, spiky, dark hair and piercing blue eyes, along with many, many tattoos. He has a slender build and is wearing a black V-neck T-shirt and tight jeans. If I were about thirty years younger, this would be the bad boy I would love to hang with!

  “Olivia, this is Bert,” Tommy says. “He’s the founding member of our band.”

  “Nice to meet you, Bert. So, tell me, is Bert a family name?”

  They all start laughing, but I don’t get it. I’m kind of embarrassed. What’s so damn funny, anyway? Ash quietly whispers in my ear that ‘Bert,’ or Prince Albert, refers to an area of his body that is pierced for sexual pleasure. Oh, excuse me? That is totally new to me. I’ve heard of tongues and lips being pierced, and that supposedly brings some kind of sexual pleasure, but geez! The penis? Oh my God! Tommy tells me to ignore them and that I really don’t want to know the origin of what they call him, but I wave him off, saying, “Ewwww! I get it.” Tommy laughs at me and pats me on the shoulder.

  I just can’t believe a guy would lie there and get his penis pierced, period! But Tommy says the girls really like it, so it must be good. Bert tells me that his real name is Todd. He seems like a nice enough guy, even if he is a show-off. Definitely, the girls all like him—and I guess I now know why.

  Ash tells me to ignore them, and asks if I’m uncomfortable. I tell him that I’m enjoying everything, and that this definitely doesn’t bother me. I remind him I have two boys of my own. He’s surprised but pleased, I think. The guys all find it amusing that I can hang with the best of them, and they all seem to be pretty comfortable around us. One of them, Brian, comments to Ash, “Damn, your lady is hot, Mr. H.” Ash tells him that I am not his lady, but he is responsible for me tonight. Brian says, “I’ll bet you are, H. Just be responsible. Wrap that rascal, dude!” We’re both a tad embarrassed, but we laugh it off.

  Brian is tattooed, like the rest of the band, and has a shaved head. He plays the drums and is from Louisiana, he tells me. He has a thick, muscular build, and I can tell the girls love him, too! Girls keep walking past our table non-stop, hoping to get noticed. The only one who notices any of them, of course, is Todd. He makes crude remarks at the ones who are worthy of comment. Some of those girls barely have any clothes on. Generation gap, I guess.

  After what were probably too many drinks, Ash says he thinks we should get going. He thinks we should stay in the city at his condo, since we’ve been drinking and he really doesn’t want to drive far. The valet brings his car, and we head toward the beautiful condo overlooking the famous Lake Shore Drive…“LSD,” as they call it. I’m amazed as we go out onto the terrace in the unit. It’s breathtaking. I can see the lights of the city. It is pretty windy. Guess that’s why they call Chicago the Windy City.

  “Olivia,” Ash says, “I can’t tell you when I’ve had this much fun recently. Thanks so much for coming. It means a lot. I know you’re really pisse
d that Alan had to go to London, but I hope you know that I will do what I can to make sure you don’t get into a funk.”

  “Thanks Ash. That means so much. You may be sorry you offered, because I may be calling on you every day to ‘de-funk’ me.” I laugh, trying to lighten my tone, then continue, “Believe me, you’re probably gonna be very sorry you said that!”

  He gives me an eyebrow-up and a wink. There is definitely an attraction on both sides that I can feel. I feel safe, though. “Safe flirting” with Ash. It is innocent…right? Yeah, right!

  Ash shows me to my bedroom and tells me to make myself at home. “Sleep as late as you want Olivia. We can grab breakfast or brunch and head back to the house when you’re ready. We’ll go watch Tommy tomorrow night in Highland Park if you’d like. I would love it if you’d go with me.”

  I tell him that he can’t keep me away!

  I sleep like a baby and head into the kitchen in the morning. Ash has coffee ready and the paper on the table. “Mornin’ Sunshine!” he says. God, how I love to hear that every morning. It makes my day. We have coffee and read the paper together. It seems so natural, so right. I can’t believe how incredibly beautiful this man is. Mussed up hair, slim, well-built body…he takes my breath away. But I can’t be feeling this. I have never felt anything for another man besides Alan and this is so confusing. Alan has been so different lately…I can’t put my finger on it, but he has changed, and I don’t know why.

  Ok—time to not over-think. I need to just enjoy the day and be excited about tonight.

  “So, have you called your kids about the holidays yet?” Ash asks.

  “I need to get on the Internet and book rooms for them, and then let them know soon, I guess.”

  Ash tells me that his boys will be in for Thanksgiving as well as Christmas. “Reba said she can come and help for both holidays if you need her.”

  “Ash, absolutely not! She needs to be with her own family. I’m used to doing holidays with no help. I love it, and wouldn’t have it any other way!”

  Ash tells me that Anne was one to make Reba come in for the holidays to cook and clean. “Anne wasn’t a hostess in the cooking and cleaning sense. She did fabulous occasions, but had to have help.”

  How sad. Why wouldn’t you let your help enjoy their family on holidays? Well, I’ll just have to show Ash that I can totally take control and make these holidays special.

  We head back to Highland Park when I realize I haven’t heard from Alan. The time difference is something I need to get used to. He is six hours ahead of me, so I check my phone and email. Nothing. I call, and his phone goes straight to voice mail. It’s not a workday, so I wonder where the hell he is and why he hasn’t called. It’s unnerving, to say the least. I find I do have a couple of missed calls from a number I don’t know, and there are two voice mails from the same number, but no one spoke on the messages. That is strange, but I give it little thought.

  In about fifteen minutes, I have an incoming call from Alan. “Hey, babe. What are you doing?”

  “I should ask you the same thing. Why the heck haven’t you called? I have been waiting to hear from you since you left.”

  Alan explains that he has been extremely busy and that he was waiting until he got back to his room to call. He tells me that he has been in contract negotiations with a new client and has had little or no time for himself. I tell him all about my evening going to see Tommy’s band. He is pleased that I am not just sitting around the house. I tell him that I am getting hotel arrangements in order for the kids to come in for Thanksgiving. He tells me that he should be back on the evening before Thanksgiving. I give him an update on my meal plans, and he seems pleased. I hear a voice in the background and ask where he is. He says that he is in the lobby of the hotel, and his clients have just come down for dinner, so he needs to go. Feeling that he is dismissing me, I tell him that we will talk later.

  Ash comes to my room and tells me that the club we’re going to tonight is more relaxed than the venue we went to in the city, and that I should dress casually for the evening. I decide to wear my KOL T-shirt, jean jacket, and skinny jeans with boots. Lainey and I went to see Kings of Leon, one of my favorite bands, when they played in Houston a year ago. We had such a good time and treated ourselves each to a T-shirt from the concert. Since I am most comfortable in T-shirts, I decide this will work for tonight. I slap on some mascara and lip-gloss and grab my purse.

  When I am dressed and ready to go, Ash comes down. He’s wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and a leather jacket. He looks so hot that I am ashamed for feeling this way. He and I connect, he ‘gets’ me, and I am so comfortable being around him. He is definitely set on keeping me de-funked, and I don’t object one bit!

  When we arrive at the club, we find that, once again, Tommy has reserved us the best table. We have a few drinks and some finger-food snacks before the band comes on. Tommy comes out and sits with us. As girls come into the club, I see them trying to get noticed. They walk past the table, trying to be nonchalant, just hoping Tommy will say something to them, or at least notice them. But Tommy seems oblivious to them. One brave girl comes over to the table and plunks herself right down on his lap. Geez! How brazen, I think to myself. She obviously knows him though, because he gives her a hug and tells her he will catch up with her later, in a slightly dismissive way. She seems put out, but he doesn’t seem to care. He scoots her off of his lap and doesn’t miss a beat talking to us. He seems content to hang with the older folks, for now.

  The band comes on. Ash and I sit close to each other, and live it up listening to the music. Ash is ever the proud dad, and I feel like he is enjoying the night. The guys in the band are in rare form, singing a very sexy song and deliberately playing to the ladies in the room. Tommy’s the lead singer, and definitely knows how to work the crowd. The girls are going nuts, gyrating all over the dance floor. Ash smiles and tells me that Tommy is in his element when he’s on the stage. I brave myself to drag Ash out on the dance floor. He follows reluctantly, and we start to dance.

  “I have no idea how to dance to this shit, woman! I can’t even believe you’re making me dance!” He laughs as he starts to dance. He is without a doubt the sexiest man I have ever put my eyes on and boy can he dance!

  Tommy sees us, laughs and points at his dad, then nods his head in approval. The band guys all point at us as well, and I see Todd wink at me and give me the big thumbs-up. We continue dancing. Ash is having fun, I can tell.

  “Liv, you really know how to dance to this stuff, don’t you? And you sure do know how to shake that thing!”

  When the number ends, we stand there laughing. I can honestly say that I’m having the time of my life. I love the music scene and wish this night would last forever.

  When we get back to our table, my phone vibrates. I have a text from Alan. He asks what I’m doing. I quickly text back and tell him that Ash and I are in town watching Tommy’s band. “Well, glad to know that you are having fun. I’ll call you tomorrow. Dinner meeting tonight with clients, so can’t talk. Have a good night.”

  I don’t even text back. I have a very uneasy feeling that something is going on—something I just can’t put my finger on, but an intuition. It would be 3:00 a.m. in London. Why would he still be out with clients? What the hell is going on? This is not a good feeling, but I won’t worry about it tonight. I’m having fun, and that is that. To hell with you, Alan!

  We have drinks after the show with the guys again, and they are so entertaining. They remark on my KOL shirt, and Tommy tells them that I am the coolest lady he knows. Ash chimes in and says he agrees. “She has a wide range of taste in music—you all should take note”. Todd asks me why I like Kings of Leon and I tell him that Lainey and I saw them play in Houston last year.

  “Yeah, they sort of had a meltdown after their Dallas show. I hear they’ve stopped playing for a while. They’re pretty good though. I hope they get back together. Good taste, Olivia!”

  We stay at the club long af
ter it closes. Ash puts some music on the jukebox and we enjoy our time with the band. We dance to the music Ash has chosen. Tommy pulls me out on the dance floor, and we dance to several songs.

  “Olivia, this has been so much fun. I haven’t seen Dad have such a good time in forever. You make him smile.”

  “Well, your dad is an amazing man, Tommy. You are so lucky to have a dad like him.”

  Ash comes up to me and says it is getting late. “We should probably head back to the house, Miss Party Hearty! Are you ready?”

  “Ready, designated driver! I had so much fun. Thanks so much for bringing me.”

  “No, thank you! I love watching Tommy’s band play and am so glad I found someone who truly enjoys music and the club scene. You are my new ‘go to’ gal for watching them.”

  “Yes, I am that girl!”

  Tommy sends me off with an Avenue T-shirt. “I know we’re not Kings of Leon or anything, but here, maybe you’ll wear it sometime.”

  “I will wear it proudly! Thanks so much Tommy!”

  Once we’re home, Ash makes us an espresso, before we head up to our respective rooms for bed. He tells me he will be leaving for the city early tomorrow, and that Ellen, his sister, will be stopping by sometime to pick up a punch bowl and some silver serving pieces for her daughter’s wedding shower.

  “Melissa is Ellen’s only child. She’s getting married in Palm Beach in May. One of Ellen’s friends is having a shower for her and her fiancé Trey next weekend, so she needs one of our punch bowls and some silver pieces. I’ll tell her to call on the house phone first, so you’ll know she’s on the way. She lives about ten miles from here.”

  The next morning, Ash has coffee made for us and greets me with his usual “Mornin’, Sunshine.” I look forward to this every morning. I love how his smile and greeting makes my crazy, messed-up world a better place. Reba arrives and begins her ritual and I head upstairs to get ready for my day. I have volunteering at the resale shop, so hope Ellen comes before I leave. As I come downstairs, I see a very pretty lady in the entryway. She’s blonde and petite and a very trendy dresser. Obviously, I missed the warning call.