Sheet Music - A Rock 'n' Roll Love Story

“We’ll have to finish that later,” she smiled, with her face flush and arousal making her unsteady on her feet.

“I’m going to hold you to that,” he smiled.

“Okay.”

She made her way through the sea of cables on the floor and toward her microphone stand.  Several hours later, the band finished practice and were making plans to patronize a few uptown city nightclubs.  Michael turned his attention to Annie.

“What do you want to do?” he asked, stroking the back of her head.

“I want to get out of the city,” she whispered.  “Can you take me back to the Vineyard?”

“Sounds good to me.  I’ll make the arrangements,” he replied, pulling out his cell phone to call the airport.

Annie slept against Michael’s chest for most of the flight back to the Vineyard until air turbulence woke her.  The co-pilot came back into their cabin and asked if they were all right, then warned them of the impending nor’easter headed for the island.  All departing flights would be canceled, once they landed.  Michael shrugged it off.  Nothing was going to ruin his weekend with Annie.

It was raining heavily when they landed in Edgartown and the wind was near gale force.  Michael slowly made his way through the back roads of Vineyard Haven toward his beach house.

“Michael, none of these houses have lights on,” Annie commented with a note of concern in her voice.

“I think the power is out,” he replied, carefully navigating the jeep down the treacherous dirt road to his house.

She peered out her window trying to see familiar landmarks though the thick milky fog and wind-blown torrents of rain.  “Will we be all right out here if the power is out?”

He pulled the jeep into the driveway and brought it to a stop.  “Annie, you’ve lived on this island how long?  Don’t tell me a little nor’easter scares you now?”

“I’ve never been on the water when one of these storms roared through,” she answered nervously.

He patted her on the thigh and smiled.  “We’ll be fine.  Grab your coat and we’ll make a dash for the door.”

In a flash Michael bolted from the jeep and ran to the door, unlocking it and tossing their bags inside the kitchen.  Annie was right on his heels with her coat hovering above her head in an effort to stay dry.

“Go dry off and I’ll get some wood to start a fire,” he suggested, and darted out the deck door to the woodbin.

Annie found a couple of candles and lit them, placing them around the kitchen and living room.  She jumped when the door flew open and Michael stumbled back inside with his arms loaded with heavy chunks of tree, his clothes drenched through to the skin.

“You’re soaking wet,” she said, her voice full of concern.

“I’ll change after I get the fire started,” he replied, as he sunk to his knees and loaded up the fireplace rack with wood.

When he finished, Annie handed him a towel to dry his hair.  He pulled off his shirt and hung it over a chair to dry and headed for the bedroom.  Annie took her shoes off and sat on the floor in front of the fire.  She closed her eyes and basked in the warmth of the flames.  The wind vibrated against the cottage, and rain and sand pelted against the glass, creating an eerie atmosphere.  A shiver rocketed through her body.

“Are you cold?” he asked, entering the living room, pulling on an old sweatshirt over his damp hair as he walked.

“No, not really.  But I’m relieved to be inside,” she replied shifting her position to make room for him to sit beside her.

Michael spun the couch around to face the fire and used its base to sit against on the floor.  Annie did the same.  Then he hung his arms over his bent knees and dropped his head back against he couch cushions, resting his eyes.  “The fire feels nice,” he said.

A long pause hung between them, as Annie contemplated her next statement.  She knew how she wanted the conversation to end, but finding the right words to begin made her nervous.

“You know, I realized this morning that we talked for hours last night but never discussed the two subjects I wanted to talk about the most,” she began.

He rolled his head to face her.  “I was happy just hearing the sound of your voice.”

She smiled and turned her eyes to the fire.  “The conversations I had with Lacey about you were very…therapeutic for me.  She helped me put a lot of things into perspective and suddenly, it all made sense.”

“What does that all mean, Annie?”

She studied his face, his eyes and the sensuous lines of his mouth.  Just looking at him made her heart pound harder and the bottom drop from her stomach.  In the flickering glow of the fire, his sleepy eyes danced with love.  He filled her soul with such an inner peace.  Everything around them faded into obscurity.  The only sound she could hear was his breathing.

She reached out and brushed a layer of drying hair off his brow, then slid her fingers down the bridge of his long nose and over his full lips.