Sheet Music - A Rock 'n' Roll Love Story

“Wow,” Annie sighed quietly to herself.  She had never seen the inside of the Ritz Hotel lobby, with all its gilded trimmings and elegant furnishings.  It was as if she had stepped into another world.

Michael ushered her on, making small talk with the over-attentive hotel staff, and jumped into the first available empty elevator.

“Do you mind if I change out of these clothes before we take off?” he asked, pushing the ‘P’ for penthouse on the floor directory panel of the elevator.

“Fine.”

When the elevator doors opened they were greeted by two security guards who recognized Michael immediately.  A third guard waited outside the door to Michael’s suite, which let them inside before shutting the door.  Then Michael flipped on the light switch and illuminated Annie’s surroundings.

“All this security for one man?” she commented.

“Not just me.  Brian and the other guys have rooms on this floor too.”

“Michael, this isn’t a room.  It’s an apartment,” Annie giggled, amazed by the size and decorative touches around her.  I’ve never been in the lobby of this hotel, never mind the penthouse suite!”

“Go head, and take a look around if you want.  I’m going to take a quick shower and change.  I’ll be right back,” he said, disappearing into the back room that Annie figured to be the bedroom.

She walked into the expansive living room and toward a wall of windows, then stood mesmerized by the view below and beyond her.  Below was the famous public gardens at Boston Common and beyond was a sea of twinkling lights and skyscrapers, each one appearing larger than the next.

“Nice view, isn’t it?” Michael’s voice called to her.  She jumped when she heard his voice and turned to face him.  His hair was combed off the forehead, and wet.  Fresh jeans were zipped but not buttoned, and he was still wrestling to pull on a clean, white t-shirt over his damp chest.  She wondered if he could hear her gasp at the sight of him from across the room, and blushed at the thought he may have.

“Would you like something to drink?” he called to her from the kitchen.

“Water would be nice.”

“Good thing, because all I have in here is juices and bottled water.  Over a decade sober and management still has the staff clean the liquor out of our rooms before we check-in.  How’s that for trust?” he joked.

Michael brought Annie a glass with ice and a bottle of water.  Then flopped himself into the overstuffed couch making himself at home.  Annie remained standing by the window, almost afraid to move in any direction.

“Does it make you uncomfortable to be here with me?” he asked, a hint of sadness in his voice.  “Because if it does, we can go for a ride or I can take you back to your friend.”

“No, this is fine,” she replied, slowly approaching the couch and sitting on the opposite end.  She poured the water into her glass and prayed he hadn’t noticed her trembling hands.  “I came here for a purpose.  Too much needs to be said and I can’t let my nerves stop that.  Turns out, this is harder than I thought it would be.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m nervous too.”

A long unsettling pause followed, and Annie began to fidget.

“Do you want me to go first?” he asked, resting his arm across the back of the couch behind her.

“No, I will.  I’m just having a little trouble getting started, that’s all.”

“Maybe if you closed your eyes,” he suggested

Instantly, the memory of the first time he asked her to play her music for him came to mind.  Annie tossed her head in his direction, a full smile forming on her face, several loose strands of her hair landing haphazardly on his forearm stretched behind her neck.

It was that exact glance, her shy smile, and pale blue eyes that seemed to dance with life, that had haunted his dreams on too many restless nights in the previous months.  Seeing it now made every nerve ending in his body come to attention.  His eyes dropped to her lips, sweet and so pleasurable to kiss.  Arousal slowly began to creep into his groin

“It wouldn’t help if I closed my eyes, Michael.  I’d still be able to smell you.”

He tipped his head curiously. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” he asked, forcing the weight of his stare from her mouth.

“It’s a good thing.  I always loved your scent.”

The levity eased some of the tension between them and Annie began to relax.

“I guess the best place to start is the beginning,” she sighed.  Then, taking a deep breath, she began.  “You were right.  I was an addict.  It began at your house.  I was so desperate to be with you, I over-medicated myself to mask the pain.  I was afraid if you knew the amount of pain I was in, you would have brought me back to the hospital and we wouldn’t be together.  It was wrong to do that because the physical pain was only part of what I was really suffering.  The emotional scars left from that accident far outweighed anything else I was dealing with.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”