Sheet Music - A Rock 'n' Roll Love Story

Suddenly the ring of his cell phone pierced the room.  Michael quickly retrieved it from his pocket.

“Sammy, where are you?” he asked.  “Okay, I’m about ten minutes from you.  Stay there and you can follow me back to the rehearsal hall.”

He slid the phone back into his pocket and looked back at Annie.  “Listen, there is something else I forgot to tell you last night,” he stated.  “I’m bringing a friend to practice with you today.  He’s a bass player.  We’ve know each other for years,” he said.  “His name is Samuel Isaacs, but everyone calls him Sammy.  I want him to jam with you today.”

“Why?” Annie asked, following Michael to the door.

“I think your band needs a bass player.  It will give you a richer, fuller sound.”

“I don’t think Gary will go for that.”

“I don’t give a shit what Gary has to say about it,” Michael replied.  “My job is to do whatever I feel is necessary to give your band a professional stage presence to better your chances of winning the final contest.  Plus, starting today I want you center stage singing lead vocals.”

“But, Michael…”

“Annie, you’re going to have to trust me on this.”

“What about Gary?”

“I’ll deal with him.”

“You make it sound so easy,” she replied.

Michael sighed.  “Nothing good is ever easy, Annie.  Remember that.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I hope I do, too,” he smiled.  “Come here,” he said quietly, sliding his arms around her waist.  “Annie, I have no regrets about being with you last night, if that’s what you’re thinking.  Last night was…”

She lifted her eyes and met his.  “Sheet music?”

He smiled brilliantly.  “Yeah.  Perfect sheet music.”

Then his expression turned serious.  “Listen.  Right now the contest has to come first.  You can’t hang your whole band out to dry just to be with me; I won’t let you.  Somehow you’ve got to realize that this can’t happen right now.  Should we get caught, and the way my luck goes - we will, and that would be very bad.  I can’t let that happen.  And I really don’t want to be the reason that our management pulls the plug on the contest either.  I’d never hear the end of it.”

Michael scratched his head.  “There’s a lot hanging in the balance and I’m not sure it’s worth it for you to throw away the opportunity the contest is offering you.  You’ve worked too hard to get to this point.”

Reluctantly, Annie nodded in agreement.  Deep down she knew he was right.

He pressed his face into the warmth of her neck..  “I want you to know how much it will pain me to be in the same room with you now.  Every time I look at you I’ll remember what it felt like to be with you, to be inside you.”

Annie closed her eyes and shivered at the memory he was evoking.

“If I had my way,” she teased.  “I’d take you back inside and hold you hostage in my bed for the next several months or until you got bored with me.”

Michael raised an eyebrow and smiled.  “Sounds like a wonderful plan but I really don’t see myself getting bored.  You might get tired long before I do.”

“Is that a challenge?” she asked with a grin.

“Maybe.”  He kissed her softly on the lips and stepped off the steps into the driveway.  “I’ve got to go meet Sammy so I’ll see you at practice.”

Annie waited almost a half an hour before she left for practice on foot.  She used the time to blow dry her hair and tidy up her rooms.  She made the bed slowly, touching the side he had slept on as if he were still there.  She lifted the pillow he had used to her face and filled her lungs with the scent of his hair.  Then her tears came.  She felt empty.  On the way out of the room she caught her reflection in mirror above her bureau and stopped.  She inhaled deeply and slowly released the air from her lungs.  Somehow she was going to have to find the strength to pretend everything was still professional and businesslike between her and Michael, as if last night had never happened.  If that’s what he wanted, then that is what he was going to get.