Keep Coming Back to Love

by Christa Maurice

  “It’s okay. I have to go in to the office tomorrow. I might as well get used to the attention.”

  “I was thinking about that. I have some things you can do on the computer. I’m going to have one sent to Mrs. Callisto’s so you can work from home for a while.”

  There was that word again. Home.

  “We’re all in this together, kiddo.” Joe hugged her. “You’re never gonna be alone.”

  Candy leaned her head on his chest. Now she knew where home was. Wherever these people were.

  * * * *

  Mr. Dale was staring at him, ignoring whatever Candy was telling him about the promotions stuff she’d cooked up with Joe. In the two weeks since they’d moved her stuff out of her dad’s, her bruises had cleared up, her eye healed and she had returned to the office with Joe where she’d gotten back to work on their marketing campaign.

  Jason slapped him on the back of the head hard enough to drive his mouth into the microphone in his hand.

  “Asshole,” Tyler snapped, wiping his lip. Blood, fantastic.

  “Language.” Mr. Dale raised both eyebrows.

  “If you could remember the fucking lyrics.” Jason sneered.

  “Boys!” Mr. Dale snapped.

  “I can remember the lyrics.” Tyler slouched. “It’s a hard song to sing. Even Joe Elliott says so.”

  “It’s not that hard,” Brian said.

  “You try it. It’s too fu—it’s too fast.” Tyler rubbed his neck. Two weeks, he’d been sleeping in his car. The day after he’d rescued Candy from her dad, he’d tried to brave his own and gotten threatened with a beer bottle again. Mom said Dad had gotten laid off, and all he did now was sit around the house, drinking. She’d sent Tiff to Gramma Lewis’s for the rest of the summer and she was staying at one of her teacher friend’s houses. He’d told her he was staying with a friend so she wouldn’t worry. “It’s a stupid song anyway.”

  “It’s Def Leppard,” Jason wailed, as though Tyler had blasphemed.

  “So? It sucks.”

  Jason took a step toward him, but Mr. Dale stood up. “Boys. Tyler, what is the matter? You’re off and you’ve been off for days. Candy is fine so it’s not that. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle.” His lip throbbed and that wasn’t the only body part that was. Two weeks that he hadn’t been able to get any time alone with Candy either. They couldn’t do anything that couldn’t be witnessed by Mr. Dale or Mrs. Callisto. Another week of this and he wasn’t going to be able to stand up straight. Either from the car or from the blue balls.

  “Obviously it is something you can’t handle or you wouldn’t be screwing up left, right and center.” Marc slid a cigarette out of the pack in his pocket, glanced at Mr. Dale and slid it right back in.

  “It’s just a dumb song.” Tyler scowled at his shoes.

  “You loved it when it came out, Tyler. You were the one who wanted to do this song.” Candy lifted the mic out of his hand and inspected his lip. Her fingers felt amazing as she brushed the swelling. The mic was off anyway. He was only holding it so he had something to do with his hands.

  “You look tired.” Candy stroked her fingers across his cheek. “Are you drinking enough water at work?”

  “I think he needs some alone time with the little woman.” Marc snickered and the others joined him.

  Candy blushed and looked at the floor.

  “Boys.” Mr. Dale sighed. “Okay, band meeting.”

  The others groaned, but Tyler figured at least it gave him a chance to sit next to Candy while they talked about the marketing and whatever upcoming gigs where confirmed.

  When they’d all settled in the living room with glasses of milk and a plate of Fudge Stripe cookies, Mr. Dale asked, “What’s going on, Tyler?”

  “What? Nothing.” This had nothing to do with marketing or gigs.

  “Bullshit.” Mr. Dale leaned his elbows on his knees. “You haven’t been able to sing for a week. You forget the words to everything and you get tongue tied.”

  “That song is stupid.”

  “It’s not just that one song.”

  The others all stared at him. Candy leaned her head on his shoulder. He had been having trouble remembering the words and his tongue did seem to be getting in the way a lot. Over the last week, he’d had more accidents on the jobsite than Brian. Some of the guys were threating to wrap him in Tyvek sheeting and stuff him the cement mixer. “My dad got laid off two weeks ago.”

  “So he’s been giving you grief?” Marc asked.

  “I haven’t given him a chance. I haven’t been back to the house.”

  “For two weeks?” Candy sat up. “Where have you been sleeping?”

  “My car.”

  “Jesus Christ.” Mr. Dale jumped out of his chair and started pacing the living room. “You boys will be the death of me. Where is your mother?”

  “She’s staying with a friend. I told her I was crashing on a friend’s couch.”

  Mr. Dale rubbed his hand through his hair. “And you didn’t think to tell us sooner?”

  “I was handling it.”

  “No you weren’t.” Jason cracked his knuckles.

  “Will you stop doing that?” Marc winced, glaring at Jason. “It’s not a problem. You can surf my couch until something changes. Problem solved. Let’s just break for the night. You need to get your head in the game for the show tomorrow.” He stood up and stretched.

  Candy took Tyler’s arm and held him back as the others went downstairs to collect their things. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I got you kicked out of your house the same night. Taking care of you was more important.” He swallowed. The same night even. Wasn’t she a lucky girl to have him? She’d be better off with Brian.

  “You didn’t get me kicked out. I had to get out of there one way or another. Dad was escalating.”

  “You should have told me he was hurting you.”

  “I didn’t think it was a problem.”

  “I didn’t think not being able to go home was a problem for me.”

  She frowned and nodded. “Mr. Dale still isn’t going to let us move in together.”

  “No.” God, living with her would be heaven. Even in a crummy little apartment, as long as they were together. Fall asleep with her every night and wake up with her every morning. Then he could be her hero. He swept a lock of hair off her cheek. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too. There’s got to be someplace we can go. There’s that no tell motel on Hawkins.” Her eyes were warm and hopeful. How he missed that.

  “I don’t want to get you shot.” He kissed her forehead. It made his swollen lip flare, but the rest of him felt pretty good about the move.

  The thunder of the rest of the band coming up the stairs forced them apart.

  Mr. Dale draped his arm over Tyler’s shoulders. “Don’t keep these things to yourself in the future. No matter what the problem is, we can solve it together. We’re a family.” He dropped his other arm over Candy’s shoulders. “Right?”

  Yeah. Family. And because they were family, Candy was starting to feel more like his sister than his girlfriend.

  * * * *

  Candy had her books and notes spread out on the conference room table. Spring finals were next week, she was ending her first year of college, and Touchstone had half a dozen important gigs coming up. She hadn’t been able to go to rehearsals for the last two weeks because she’d been too busy. Tyler had come by the office bearing dinner every night, but that was the only time she’d gotten to see him. Now that he was living with his mom and sister in an apartment across town, it was the only time they could be together at all.

  Joe leaned in the door. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Yeah, you look like you’re about to implode.” He strolled in and turned one of her textbooks over. “Econ. My favorite.” He flipped the book back over like seeing the cover gave hi
m nightmares. “In two weeks I have to go to LA again for some meetings. You in?”

  “LA? You want to take me to LA?”

  “Time to really get your feet wet, kid.”

  Candy frowned. “But I can’t. I have finals.”

  “This is after finals, dingbat.”

  Her frown deepened as she tried to grasp the concept of “after finals.” Last summer after graduation, she’d had a two-week break before she started summer classes. One actual year in college and she almost had enough credits to be a junior, but it meant she hadn’t stopped working.

  “Hey, you in there?” Joe knocked on her forehead.

  Candy blinked. “What do you need me to do in LA?”

  “Follow me around. Take notes. Look pretty.” Joe shrugged. “Nothing you don’t do naturally.”

  “Okay, why are you taking me?”

  Joe sat down in the chair next to her. Finally. The truth. “I’m trying to woo a big client. A music management company. They’re looking to add a publicity team to their menu of services and they need to know we know what we’re talking about. I don’t, but you do.”

  “I know how to publicize one local band.”

  “You have the basics. Plus, you look pretty.”

  “I’m arm candy?”

  “Sort of, but not really. I want this client. You are uniquely experienced in what they are looking for. This is not charity, darlin’.”

  “And how many people in the office are going to hate me for getting this perk?”

  Joe leaned back in his chair. “In this business, if people don’t hate you, you’re doing it wrong. Besides,” he raised his voice so it would carry into the hall. “A few people around here need to get off their asses and get some real clients. Local hair salons and dental offices do not cover the lighting bill.”

  “Somebody’s in a mood today,” Candy muttered.

  “Hey, when it’s your office, you can run it any way you like. I prefer to use fear and intimidation. You in for LA or not?”

  “I’m in.”

  “You’re in for what?” Tyler asked. By the look on his face, he’d been standing at the door for more than just the last line. He had a bag from the deli around the corner in one hand and two Cokes in the other. His hair was still wet from the shower.

  “I’m outta here.” Joe walked out.

  “Joe’s taking me on a business trip.” Candy wrapped her arms around him.

  “To Los Angeles.” Tyler’s voice was flat and hard.

  “Isn’t it exciting?”

  Tyler licked his teeth. “I can’t stop you.”

  “Come on. You should be happy for me. He wants me to do this because of all the work I’ve done for you and the band.”

  “I’m thrilled.” He pulled away from her and set the bag on the table.

  “Tyler.”

  “Why should I be happy? I’ve hardly been able to see you for most of the last year and the first chance you get you’re going away with Joe.” He folded his arms.

  “Like we’re going to have any time together anyway. You have three hours a day between the time you get off work and the time you go to rehearsal.”

  “And you scheduled classes for most of that time all year long.”

  “It was one class and it was the only time it was offered. I can’t take the classes when they’re not offered and I needed that class to get my fall classes.”

  “Jason sees more of you than I do.”

  “You say that like it’s a treat for me.” Candy put her fists on her hips.

  “We haven’t been able to have sex for weeks.”

  Candy glanced at the door. Tyler didn’t have to pitch his voice to carry into the hall. He did it automatically. “Tyler, please, let’s not fight about this now.” She put her hands on his chest.

  Tyler lifted her fingers to his lips and closed his eyes. “I miss you. I want to be with you all the time and I never get to see you.”

  “I think about you all the time, too.” She shivered. His lips were so warm and soft on her fingers. The last time they’d had any time alone was over spring break. On the last day, they’d gotten a hotel room. That was seven weeks ago.

  Tyler pressed his lips to her palm. “Every night when I go to bed I think about being wrapped around you. I’m going to get an apartment. I want us to live together.”

  Live together? Now? Was he nuts? “Tyler, we can’t. We promised Mr. Dale.”

  “We promised Sandy we’d wait until you were at least a sophomore. You had enough credits to be a sophomore at the end of fall term.” Tyler stroked her cheek. “Candy, I want to be with you all the time. I want to marry you.”

  Marry? He was nuts. “But how would we live? Neither of us makes enough money, especially not with my tuition. We’ve got to think about this, Tyler.”

  “But you’ll think about it?”

  Candy swallowed. “I’ll think about it.”

  “That’s all I ask. I can make you happy, Candy. I know I can.”

  * * * *

  Tyler watched the shifting panorama of girls backstage. He’d seen Candy off on her big trip the day before yesterday. Mr. Dale had abruptly decided to visit some friends for the weekend right after Candy’s finals ended so they had his house to themselves. That helped burn off some of Tyler’s horniness, but not all of it. Surrounded by hot chicks, and he couldn’t have any of them.

  Brian dropped onto the couch next to him.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Tyler asked.

  “Fuck off.” Brian drained the beer bottle in his hand and dropped it on the floor.

  Tyler followed Brian’s gaze. Jason’s sister Tessa was making out with Marc across the room. That explained it.

  “Women suck,” Brian snarled.

  “I wouldn’t mind having one sucking on me right now.”

  Brian laughed.

  Tyler scanned the room. Jason had a girl with him. Bear had two. There were mobs of girls hanging around. Girls with boyfriends. Girls with girlfriends. Girls who would cheerfully go either way, all the way, and every which way. And he had a girlfriend in Los Angeles who would think about marrying him. “I asked Candy to marry me before she left.”

  “What’d she say?” Brian asked. Then he flinched. “Yeah, dumb question. Sorry.”

  “Me too. I’ve been dating her for two years. More than two years. You wouldn’t think she’d have to think about anything. By now it should be automatic.”

  “I know. It’s like I said. Women suck.”

  “Is there another beer over there?”

  Brian passed him a bottle. It was warm and nasty but better than nothing. They only had about ten minutes before they went out for the last set anyway. Once that was over, they’d tear down, head home, get a couple hours sleep and start all over again tomorrow at Rockin’ On the River. An endless grind. Candy was right. He worked all day the entire week and had three hours between work and rehearsal if they didn’t have a weeknight gig. Then all weekend, the band gigged. The only full days off he’d had since he joined the band had been the day his parents’ divorce came through and the three days he’d had the flu last fall. But that didn’t really count because he didn’t remember a lot of it. Candy worked part time at Joe’s office and took a full load of classes. Sandy had been knocking on doors to get the band a recording contract, but so far, nothing, even with the radio play Candy got them.

  “Do you think it’s worth it?” Tyler asked.

  “What?”

  Tyler gestured at the room. Graffiti covered walls, sagging, stained couches, Tessa making out with Marc, crowds of people who were their so-called friends, crap beer, and legal and illegal smoke. No free time, no privacy.

  “Hell, yeah.” Brian pursed his lips. “I think so.”

  “You think so what?” Bethany draped herself on the back of the couch around Brian. Tyler bit back a smile at what Candy would say about how Bethany was dressed. Electric green skirt sli
t up to her hip. Sheer black blouse. Black lace bra. A section of chain held closed with handcuffs as a belt. He didn’t even need to check to see if she was wearing fishnet stockings and high heels because she always wore fishnets and high heels. Claimed it was her trademark. He’d have to tell Candy about it when she called tomorrow.

  “Just wondering if it’s worth it.”

  “I can make it worth it for you.” She flicked open the buttons of Brian’s shirt and started drawing designs on his chest with her fingernails, painted to match her skirt.

  Tyler stared at her long green nails scraping across Brian’s skin. That would feel so good. Everybody said she was amazing in bed and everybody knew from firsthand experience. Brian leaned his head on her belly, smiling blissfully.

  “Maybe you should come to my place for an after party.” Bethany slithered into Brian’s lap and started on his neck.

  Fuck. Candy was thousands of miles away. Tyler shifted because watching was becoming painful. Why wouldn’t Candy move in with him? He was gonna marry her. Then he’d be able to wake up next to her every day and this shit wouldn’t bother him. Tyler stood up and walked out of the room. The bar was loud, dim and smoky. As much cigarette smoke as he ended up sucking down in bars, he ought to start a pack-a-day habit. The DJ was playing Sarah McLaughlin’s “I Will Remember You.” Was the whole fucking universe trying to rub his nose in the fact that his life sucked?

  All he wanted was Candy. Full time. But she was out in fucking California with her boss who’d been making her dreams come true since he met her and could treat her like a princess. They’d flown business class and had dinner at some fancy restaurant. They were staying at Joe’s California place because he had enough money to have more than one house. Woo-hoo.

  A girl leaned in to shout in his hear. “Hey, what are you doing over here by yourself?”

  Tyler checked out the owner of the voice. Cute. Not dressed like a whore. Long straight hair. About the same size and shape as Candy. If he closed his eyes… “Just taking a breather before the last set.”

  “You guys are really good. I’ve been to every one of your shows and I’ve been calling the radio station and requesting your song like every hour.”

  “Thanks. We need about two thousand more like you.”