Rock Notes (Book One of the Heartbeat Series) (5 page)

“Hey don’t worry I’ll get you back and I’ll meet Jillian.” He laughed and then said, “If I don’t get you to her soon your phone will never stop ringing.”

Jillian was already in my driveway when we arrived. Just like so many others, she knew who Max Rand was, but she’s never met him. When he jumped out and came to open my door, her eyes got large. And then, when he took my computer and belongings into his arm, she smiled brightly. When he walked up to my door and met with her, he took her hand lightly and introduced himself, and she melted. He had that way with all the girls and lately the grown women as well.

“Rand thank you so much for the ride and the writing opportunity. I will talk to you later to go over your travel schedule.” I gave him a quick hug and started to move away.

He pulled me close and said, “Madison, we leave in the morning. It’s going to be a packed schedule, first Florida, and then we come back to Philly for a few weeks. Then we have Atlanta, Texas and back here to Philly to regroup.” He then moved one hand to touch the side of my face as his lips lingered on my cheek what seemed a very long moment. I nervously pulled my face away, and then Rand said, “I spoke with my Uncle Maxwell and all arrangements are done. We will be by around ten tomorrow morning, so you better get packing!”

He pulled me in for a hug and smiled to Jillian who was standing behind me. When he released me, I was still leaning toward him even after he had left and driven off.

Jillian whispered, voice quivering “Holy Shit!”

Chapter Two – Traveling

T
hank God for Jillian again in my life, I was frantic, talking incomplete sentences. Filling her in on the past two amazing days and trying to pack for a few weeks, when I had so much trouble dressing for just the other evening. Jillian was shocked that I had gotten up enough confidence to approach Max Rand. She didn’t know that I had on other occasions attempted to reach out to his manager Maxwell, but had not gotten a reply. I hadn’t shared this will Rand either.

Jillian worked for an advertising firm in the city and we had become close over the years when I wrote for the city column but so much closer when I had died inside and needed someone to bring me back to life after Thomas’s exit. She helped me so. She was like the sister I never had. She was always fiercely supportive of me. She understood my goals and my passion for writing and encouraged me. My father was not supportive of me becoming a writer. He thought I was a dreamer and wanted something more from me.

After Thomas and I divorced, my own father questioned me about what I did wrong that lead us to divorce. With all my insecurities this only brought me down and so I wasn’t really in touch with him anymore. I felt as though I didn’t measure up in his eyes, that perhaps it was my mom he saw when he looked at me. I always saw his disappointment.

As I started to pack Jillian was going over and over what I should do, not do, what to wear, not to wear and she was still beaming about the meeting and seeing the handsome Max Rand. Actually, a thought had entered my head that Jillian would have been a girl I could see with Rand. Why with her stunning good looks and long, straight, always perfectly placed reddish hair, she knew how to take over a room of people. Her smile captivated all, and I know that she had the biggest heart in the world, and he surely needed heart. But then I thought here I was, just plain simple Madison, I too needed love, but couldn’t go there again. I was trying to be calm playing off that I too was overwhelmed by his great looks and his new found kindness toward me.

Jillian said shaking her head, “Madison, he is so freaking hot why didn’t you sleep with him? I would have jumped in bed with him, you’re crazy.”

“I felt him come near me last night, but nothing happened,” I thought about last night and licked my lower lip.

“Madison, there’s a vibe coming off you two.”

“Girlfriend something is here, it feels really good,” I smiled; I too had a feeling but didn’t want to act on it knowing Rand emphasized he could never love again.

While finishing up packing, we decided that we would go for a drink and a bite to eat in the city when we headed in to pick up my car. I don’t know how I did it, but packing wasn’t that bad. Perhaps all those business trips I packed Thomas for came in handy, as I got it all done in a few hours time. Jillian spoke all the way to get my car. “I want you to check in weekly, not daily that would be too much, but girlfriend if you have great news or sex, especially sex I want to hear it right away.” She told me perhaps we could meet up. It would surely be fun for us to catch up for a girl’s weekend while I was on the road and take in the show.

I decided on the way into the city that I needed a haircut. It had been a good few months; my hair had grown out longer and lacked shape. I wanted it styled nicely to have it take less time to style while on the trip. Not that this mattered but I was thinking I wanted to look better, perhaps because I was finally feeling a bit better about myself. For so many months I simply pulled my hair back and wore slight makeup, not out to impress anyone anymore.

Jillian said, “Great let’s get you beautified. I have wanted to get my nails touched up and we can talk, because I have missed you the past few days.”

After our girl primping we stopped to grab a bite at a local eatery called, Matyson. How appropriate. We loved this place. Their lunches were good and their dinners better. We chatted and had a few glasses of wine and finally I told her I really needed a decent night sleep so I was going to go. I only had a few blocks to walk to get my car and before I grabbed my purse a few familiar faces stopped by our table.

Jillian could not contain her excitement for me and blurted out, “Maddy’s leaving with a band to write about them, isn’t this exciting?” The faces were familiar because they were old friends of both of us, but one was still friends with Thomas and I hoped this would not get back to him. As we hadn’t spoken in months, I kept out of any gossip about him and expected that he do the same. For awhile from friends, I had heard Thomas and the woman he was seeing weren’t working out. I also know he was asking what I had been up to. I know I wasn’t dating, considering it or even trying to find love. It’s not that I can’t love again, but I wasn’t sure I would pick wisely. I was still trying to understand what happened to Thomas and me. I then spoke, “It’s really not a big deal about the band” and tried to downplay it and asked them what they had been up to lately hoping we could change the conversation.

Jillian got up and hugged me and said in a whisper, “I love you girlfriend, be safe and I’ll call you in the morning. Oh and try to have a great time.” She stayed behind at the restaurant as I left and struck up conversation with the others.

As I walked toward my car, I suddenly got pissed even as I was still several feet from the car. I saw a ticket on my windshield. I knew I parked in a spot that wasn’t metered, I was sure. I was getting angry, wondering why I would have a ticket. I looked at the signage near my car and it surely was a spot with no restrictions. I grabbed the ticket and threw it on the seat and climbed in. I set my purse on the seat and glanced down to the ticket. It read –

As I leave this note on yet another White Audi parked on 5
th
Street, I’m not sure this will get to you or at what time, but I may be at the 2
nd
Street Coffee Café so if you want to stop by maybe we can talk. I’d like to see you, Rand

Another heart stopping moment, from pissed that I got a ticket to the thought of catching up with him. I wondered if I should I just pass it up, or should I go. I had to do something first, so I got out of the car and walked the entire block to find the other white Audi and remove the note. I didn’t want any other person to get the note and be meeting up with Rand.

I walked in to the coffee shop smiling and heading upstairs. I looked about and saw that he was not there, I checked downstairs as well then I asked one of the employees carrying coffees and desserts to a table and she told me she thought he just left. Oh well, I guess I missed him, so I started back to my car. As I rounded the corner to 5
th
Street there he was leaning against my car. He looked so incredibly good, as my eyes traveled from the sidewalk level of his feet planted on the ground in front of me, to his chest, then to his lips smiling on his face. I felt the urge to run up and hug him, but who was I to even think that? He wasn’t that way with me; we were barely anything, just friendly.

I smiled and as I came close to the car. He moved toward me and took hold of my hand and pulled me into him. He kissed me, and it felt like my first kiss, a passion in his lips as he gazed directly into my eyes. As I shut my lids taking this in, I knew I wasn’t dreaming this, or over thinking this. I kissed him back with a sweetness and softness and nervousness. It was an amazingly sexy, long, lingering kiss, and he trailed his lips up over the side of my cheek and he said, “Madison, love the new hair.” He then nuzzled his messy dark hair into my head and breathed in. “You’re beautiful, so beautiful.”

My new hair style was going to be much easier and it was more sophisticated the stylist told me. I now had a look where long pieces trailed along the sides of my face and it was much shorter in the back.

He remained pressed into my hair and then started to lick at the piece at the side of my face. That turned into to a kiss on my ear, down my earring dropping off to my neck and then trailing on my neck to my collarbone area. I got lost in him as Rand continued lightly placing delicate kisses all around my neckline. His mouth was so warm on my skin. He was making me wet and aroused so quickly. I had forgotten I was on a street near my car. He felt so good, he made me feel again. I hadn’t felt like this for so long. He suddenly pulled back and I stared at him in surprise. I wanted more, I wish he didn’t stop. He then spoke, “Drive safe and be packed, we’ll see you tomorrow morning.” After a pause he said, “Good night my Madison.” His voice had taken on a low, sexy tone with these last words.

I was stunned and sat in the car and had to remember how to put the key into the ignition, how to actually start the car. Still shaken I had to turn on the headlights and move from the parking space to go home. He walked down the street and turned, I guess, to find his vehicle. Just before he was out of sight he turned and smiled. I had not taken my eyes off of him, watching him through my windshield. On the ride home I wanted to call and tell Jillian but didn’t because I didn’t know what this was. Was it a game, or was it real? Why would he kiss me if he feels nothing for anyone? So many questions were going through my head and then so many things I needed to get accomplished in just the next few hours. I had to send a reminder text to Jillian to get my mail. I had to pay my upcoming bills online before I left and, and I am sure I was forgetting something else.

The limo arrived on time the next morning and I felt like a princess or a prom queen as the band all got out welcoming me with hugs. Again, it was Kent that turned his tight bear hug into a stolen kiss, and Rand pulled him away. Then it was Rand that snuck a kiss into my hair inhaling deeply at the back of my head, and a lick to the lower part of my neck just where my hair fell, as I entered the limo. We loaded up and we were all heading to our first stop, Florida.

Thoughts were spinning in my head with travel and excitement and so much of this was out of character for me. As Rand led me to the seat next to him I noticed a tall pile of items on top. The band members chuckled at me, I picked up the pile and there were a few Rolling Isaac’s tee shirts, tank tops, a hat and a VIP Access Pass for me to have backstage access and/or the front row access to all their shows. Rand spoke, “Anytime you want, you can bring someone to our shows. Just give us a heads up and we’ll hook you up VIP Access passes for them.” I thought this was going to be great and perhaps Jillian could come to one of their shows in the future. A touch of sadness was creeping in on me as I realized how much I was missing my sister friend already and then I had to break into a laugh as at the bottom of the items there was a case of Red Bull with a note attached that read: