Sheet Music - A Rock 'n' Roll Love Story

Barbara turned and jogged back to him.  “Wow, you sound like you actually care,” she started as she knelt in the sand facing him.

“Of course I do.  You’re my best friend’s wife.”

“Not anymore.”

“In my mind you are,” he answered, closing his eyes.

She studied his stretched frame in the sand.  His legs were long and muscled, crossed at the ankle and encased in tight jeans faded from years of use.  His torso was covered in a casual black long sleeve shirt, rolled up to the elbows, untucked and unbuttoned to the middle of his chest.  He looked magnificent in the dim light of the rising moon.

Without thinking, she slid over and straddled his hips.  His eyes flew open in shock.

“What are you doing?” he asked coldly.

Her fingers went to his shirt and began undoing the buttons.  He fumbled with his one good arm to stop her.  “Knock the shit off,” he slurred.

She bent forward, her face hovering above his.  “Why?  I can tell you like it.  You’re getting hard.”

“Probably because you’re grinding against me.  Don’t assume that means I want to fuck you, because I don’t.”

“You don’t or you won’t?”

“Both.  Now get off of me before one of us gets hurt.”

As he began to sit upright, Barbara slid her hands around his ribcage and onto the skin of his back.

“Come on, Mike,” she purred against his temple and rubbing the muscles of his back. “Just one time.  Would that be so terrible?”

His eyes blinked as he tried to focus on her face.  “I told you last night, it isn’t going to happen.  Now, get off and put your clothes back on.”

As the words left his mouth, he began pushing her off his thighs.  When he did, she dug her fingernails into his flesh trying to hold on and, in the process, left four-inch scratches on both sides of his ribs.  He screamed in agony and thrust her onto the sand.

“You crazy bitch!” he screamed.

He staggered to his feet and turned to survey the damage on his body.  “Great!  I’m bleeding now.”

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean…”

“The hell you didn’t,” he interjected.  Then his eyes connected with hers.  They were cold and angry.  “Put your clothes on and get the hell out of here.”

She stood motionless, almost afraid to move.

“What part of that didn’t you understand?” he asked, wiping the blood from his skin with his shirt.

“Michael…”

“Give me a break, Barb.  I’ve got enough problems in my life right now.  Do you really think I want to screw it up even more than it already is by getting involved with you?  If I was looking for sex I’d be home with my wife.”

“Ah, yes.  Your perfect wife.  She’ll be so proud of you when she hears you turned me down.”

Michael spun around and faced her.  “Don't go there,” he spat.  “If anything, you should be thrilled I finally found someone that makes me want to be faithful.”

He started handing the discarded clothes to her.  “Can’t you let it go so we can go back to being friends?  I was happy being friends.  But I hate this shit you’re laying on me now.  We’ve known each other way too long for this bullshit.”

Barbara finished dressing.  “Fine.  Go back to your beautiful wife, Michael.  I hope you make a dozen more babies and get fat together.”

She began to walk off and then stopped.  “By the way, I couldn’t find my panties.  If you find them, you can keep them as a souvenir.”

Michael watched until he could no longer see her walking on the pathway back to the cars.  His ribs ached and so did his brain.  He found the bottle of whiskey in the sand and raised it to his mouth then lay back down.  He thought of Annie.  Starting tomorrow, they were going to get their lives back on track.  Everything would be different in the morning, he thought, and drifted off to sleep.