Friday, May 6, 2011

Chapter 20

Richie winced as he heard the harshness of his tone.  He had no right to snap at Annie.  She was just trying to help, to encourage him.  He closed his eyes, steeling himself for her question:  Why?

But it didn't come.

Richie heard Annabelle let out a soft breath, then he felt her cheek settle again upon his chest.  "Oh."  The word was so soft it was almost carried away on the breeze.

Guilt stabbed through Richie's gut at the smallness of her voice.  He had hurt Annie's feelings.  Goddammit, his stupid, selfish, defensive pride had gotten the better of him again.  Why couldn't he just keep his fucking mouth shut and go along with her pretty, well-intentioned lies?

Richie sighed, frustrated with himself.  Maybe Annie didn't mean her encouraging words that way, but that's what they were:  unwitting lies.  False hopes that like in fairy tales there would be a happy ending and all his dreams would come true.

Again his heart throbbed with regret as he felt Annie's breath against his skin.  Richie gently squeezed her to his side in a one-armed embrace as he dropped his lips against her hair, kissing the crown of her head.

"Annie, I'm sorry."

The little squeeze of her hand in his, resting on his chest, was her only reply.

Annie blinked rapidly, her long lashes brushing against Richie's pec as she listened to his heartbeat under her ear.  His words had stunned her more than hurt.  I quit.  How could that be?  Richie had just been up on a stage a couple hours ago, right in front of her very eyes, playing and singing more amazingly than anyone she had ever seen before.

How could he quit, walk away from something he so obviously loved so much?

"Annie...."  She heard her name rumbling in Richie's chest.  Still she didn't answer, unconsciously holding her breath in anticipation of his next words.

"Annie, please.  I didn't mean to bite your head off.  I just... it's just...."  Richie carefully forced the admission from his lips.  "It's hard for me to think about, okay?"

Annabelle couldn't hold her tongue any longer.  "You love playing."

"Yeah, I do."

"And you did it tonight."

"Yeah."

A long pause hung in the air, the quiet between-song patter of the radio DJ and the rush of the waves breaking heavy silence.  When Annie spoke again Richie felt more than heard her words, her voice was so soft.

"You played tonight for me."

Richie closed his eyes and gave Annie's hand a squeeze, pressing it against his chest.  "Yeah."  He swallowed hard, wanting to explain but not quite sure how to say it without sounding like a condescending prick.

"I wanted to... Uh...  To give you something.  To thank you for how nice you've been to me, since I've been here.  And... well... Richie sighed heavily.  "I don't have much to give.  I don't even know how the Hell I'm gonna pay Eddie for my car come Monday."

Again Richie felt Annie's hand move in his, her fingertips curling against his chest.  Heartened by the small gesture, he continued.  "You  seemed to want me to play so bad..."  Richie's words trailed off as a little lump formed in his throat.  He cleared it away with a husky growl.

"So I guilted you into playing, huh?"  Annie's voice was stronger, but carrying a gentle tease.

"No."  Richie answered honestly.  "You didn't guilt me.  Seriously, Annie."  He sighed again.  "To be honest, I really wanted to play.  The minute I walked in the door and saw the band, then when Sammy offered..."  A little smile curved his lips at the memory of the familiar rush he had felt when he strapped on the gold Gibson.  "I wanted to play.  Not just for you, but for me too."

Annie blinked again, not understanding Richie's confession.  "Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?  Like you're guilty or something?"  Curious, she again raised her head to search Richie's expression.  "It ain't illegal to play the guitar, you know."

Her soft, slightly sarcastic observation made Richie snort out a little chuckle in spite of himself.  "Yeah, I know."  He looked into Annie's beautiful blue eyes and saw her confusion.  His heart melted.

"Annie, I wanted to play, but at the same time I didn't want to.  Because I knew it would just make it harder when it was over."

Annie's brow furrowed as she tried to decipher his words.  "What?"

"I told you how I came down here looking for a job, right?  In Memphis?"

"Yes."

"And it didn't work out."

Annie nodded, carefully watching Richie's expression.  She felt a pang of sympathy as Richie pulled his gaze from hers and swallowed hard.

"Annie, I came to Memphis to try to make it as a musician. To try to get somebody to listen to my songs, maybe to record one."  Richie's husky voice wavered slightly.  "But I failed.  Turns out I'm nothin' special.  So I'm going back home to Jersey.  To get a real job."

"Richie... I'm sorry."

Richie shook his head at her sympathetic comfort.  "Don't be.  It's for the best."  He took a deep breath.  "I gotta grow up, start acting like a man.  Get a job, put some money in the bank."  He snorted softly and let a bittersweet half-smile curve his mouth. "Be able to afford a place to live besides the backseat of a piece-of-shit car that breaks down on the side of the road."

Annie smiled at his attempt at humor.  "But Richie... why does that mean you have to quit playin' your guitar?  You told me you were in a couple bands, you played at bars and clubs down at the seashore.  Why can't you have a day job and play your music at night and on weekends?"

Richie gazed silently at Annie for a long moment, trying to formulate a gentle answer to her question.  Of course he had considered what she proposed, working by day and doing music on his off-time.  But what was the point?  It's not like it was ever going to be more than a hobby.  That much was clear, after his experience in Memphis.

He sighed.  "Because, Annie.  As much as I love it, it would be just too hard.  To play nothin' but old cover tunes in shithole bars for the rest of my life..." Richie swallowed again as the lump rose in his throat.  "It would... I just... couldn't."

Annie's heart squeezed at the resignation in Richie's husky voice.  She pulled her hand from his and reached up to touch his lips with a gentle finger.  "Well that's a damned shame.  Because if those folks that make records could see what I saw tonight.... Richie, you're somethin' special."

Richie's eyes moistened.  "No, Annie.  I'm really not."  He blinked rapidly, willing himself not to cry in front of her.  "I'm just... ordinary.  A stupid, starry-eyed kid who thinks he knows how to be a songwriter, a guitar player."  He smiled wanly.  "Just 'cause I can play Stairway to Heaven and I have about three fans back in some smoky Jersey dive don't exactly make me a rock star."

Annie giggled softly and leaned up to brush his lips against his.  "Yeah, but now you're more than just a local sensation.  You got a whole mess of new fans down here in Darien.  Just tonight, just sittin' in with the house band."

Richie couldn't help but chuckle at Annie's sweet sentiment.  "Yeah, well.  It was a one-time deal.  My farewell gig."  He sighed again.  "Besides, nobody ever made it big covering other people's stuff.  You gotta be original, come up with your own songs."

Annie pursed her lips and gave him a quizzical look.  "But you do write your own songs, right? That's what you told me last night."

"Yeah."  Richie snorted ironically.  "At least I used to."  He gazed into Annie's eyes for a long moment, watching them swirl deep sapphire.  "Truth is, Annie... I haven't written anything in a long time.  Months."

"Why not?"

Richie shrugged tiredly.  "I just... I just lost it, somehow.  I can't write, not music, not lyrics... It's gone."

"Maybe it's just temporary.  Like writer's block.  I heard that happens sometimes."  Annie covered Richie's hand with hers and squeezed gently.  "Maybe you just need some new inspiration, is all.  It'll come back."

"No, Annie." Richie shook his head and gave her a sad smile.  "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but you're wrong.  I know myself.  It's done.  I'm done."

Annie regarded Richie for a long moment, her heart breaking at the resignation she saw in his mournful expression.  Then she sighed.  "I'm sorry, Richie."

"S'okay.  Not your fault."  Richie raised his head, reaching for her lips.  She leaned up to meet him and they shared a tender kiss.  "But thank you."  Richie whispered against Annie's lips.

Annie blinked back the little tears that sprang to her eyes at his words.  She felt Richie's arm tighten around her waist, hugging her closer.  "Richie..."

"Hmm?"

"The Lord works in mysterious ways, you know."

Richie blinked at Annie for a long moment, surprised.  "Huh?  What makes you say that?"

Annie smiled gently.  "I don't know.  I just... for some reason I feel like you're here for a purpose, with me.  Like you were meant to be here."  Because God knows you need me as much as I need you.

Richie returned her smile.  "Like Karma, you mean?  Fate brought us together?"

"Call it whatever you want."  Annie released Richie's hand and slipped her arm across his waist, dropping her cheek again to his chest as she hugged him.  "I'm just glad you wandered into Darien."

Richie's heart swelled as he pulled her closer.  "Me too, Annie."  He dropped another kiss against her hair as he blinked rapidly, overcome by a rush of emotion.  He felt lighter, as if a stone weight had been lifted from his chest.  His moonlight confession to Annabelle had somehow soothed his weary soul.

And her declaration of belief that they were meant to be together made Richie's heart smile.

"Richie?"

"Yeah?"

Annie giggled softly.  "Umm.... I gotta pee."

Richie couldn't help himself.  He burst into laughter at her unexpected comment.  "Umm... okay.  I guess if you gotta go, you gotta go."

Annie pushed herself up off his chest, grinning sheepishly.  "Sorry.  Guess I just ruined that moment, huh?"  She shifted beside him until she was sitting on her hip.

Richie levered himself up onto his elbows and chortled softly.  "Yeah, you totally did.  But it's okay."

Annie leaned down to give him a sweet kiss.  "Be right back."  With that she scooted away from Richie, moving down to the tailgate of the pickup and dangling her legs over the edge.  She looked back at him, over her shoulder.  "Don't watch, okay?"

"I won't."  Richie sat up and raised his hand, two fingers pressed together and pointed skyward.  "Scout's honor."

Annie laughed again before slipping off the tailgate.  Richie watched her move along the driver's side of the truck and pull open the door.  "What the Hell are you doing?" he asked playfully.  "Gonna drive to the nearest outhouse?"

"No."  Annie leaned into the pickup's cab, ducking from his view.  A few seconds later she reappeared, waving a small box of tissues at Richie.  "Kleenex.  It's a little more complicated for me to take a pee out in nature than it is for you."

Richie chuckled. "True."  He watched Annabelle close the truck's door, then step toward the front of the vehicle.  Respectfully he looked in the other direction, turning his gaze to moonlit ocean.

Richie sighed deeply as he settled back onto this elbows and watched the waves roll onto the small beach.  Despite the emotional conversation he and Annie had just shared, he felt good.  Relaxed.  Mellow.  He grinned sheepishly as he realized at least some of his candor had probably come from his chemically-lowered inhibitions.  Organic truth serum, he mused with a snort.

But he didn't mind.  Somehow it just felt right to share this with Annie.  She understood him.  Since Richie had been stranded in this little town Annie had taken care of him.  In so many ways, more than he could ever hope to repay her for.  She really was his Angel.

Maybe she was right about fate.  Maybe he was meant to find her.

A familiar tune from the radio brought a smile to Richie's lips.  The Stones never failed to lighten his mood, this song in particular.  The irony of hearing it now wasn't lost on Richie, considering where he had spent his evening.

I met a gin-soaked barroom queen in Memphis
She tried to take me upstairs for a ride
She had to heave me right across her shoulder
'Cause I just can't seem to drink you off my mind


It's the honky-tonk women
Gimme Gimme Gimme 
The honky-tonk blues...

Richie sat up and stretched to nudge at the volume dial on the little radio.  He inadvertently bumped the almost-empty Budweiser can Annie had set on the footlocker, knocking it from its perch.  Richie swore as he quickly retrieved the can from its landing place, on the black felt cowboy hat Annie had tossed aside earlier after pulling the feathered roach clip from its band.

"Fuck," Richie mumbled as he set the can back on the footlocker.  He brushed at the hat, attempting to swipe away the warm beer puddled on its brim.

"Whatcha doin' there?"

Annie's playful question made Richie jump. He gave her a guilty look of surprise, then grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry.  I spilled beer on your hat."  He gave the dark felt another swipe with his fingers, then dropped the hat on his lap.  His attention was quickly diverted from his mistake as he watched Annie settle her nude behind on the tailgate before turning to face him, swinging her legs up into the pickup bed.

Annie giggled at Richie's half-guilty, half-lustful expression as his gaze fell to her breasts.  She curled her knees up beside her, stacking her legs as she rested on her hip, posing for him.  She wagged her finger teasingly as she tsked-tsked in response to his confession.

"That's my favorite hat."  She grinned as she looked down at the Stetson in Richie's lap.  It was strategically placed, though inadvertently so.

"Sorry."

Annie pulled a fake pout.  "And now it's stained.  You really should be more careful."

Richie's lips curved upward as he realized she was teasing.  "Sorry," he repeated.  "I'll clean it for you when we get back to the house."  He watched Annie's gaze linger obviously on his lap.  Under the Stetson his cock jumped, responding to her attention.

"Hmmm.  Well, okay.  Hope you can get that beer stain out."  Annie gave Richie a sly smile before crawling forward, settling again on her hip next to him. She raised her hand to gently jab a finger against Richie's chest. "And the other one too."

"What other one?"  Richie leaned back onto his elbows in response to the pressure of Annie's finger between his pecs.  He smiled bemusedly at her playfulness as a little jolt of arousal fired through him.  He could feel his dick stirring in response to her coy tone.

"The one that's probably on the inside now."  Annie pulled her finger from Richie's chest and shifted to kneel beside him before dropping her hand to his lap.  With a little smirk Annie lifted the Stetson by its crown, turning it over and pretending to inspect its lining.

Richie sucked in a breath as the movement revealed his quickly-rising erection.  The brush of the night breeze over his cock aroused him further.  "Umm... I think the inside's okay..."

"Hmmm."  Annie shrugged noncommittally before placing the black hat atop her tousled golden waves.  She smiled beguilingly at Richie as she tugged the brim down low over her eyes.

Richie groaned appreciatively at the sight; she looked sexy as hell in that cowboy hat.  "It looks good on you," he rasped before sliding his tongue across his suddenly-dry lips.

"Thank you."  Annie smiled sweetly, then dropped her eyes to Richie's crotch.  "You really do like it, don't you?"  She giggled softly.

Richie grinned.  "What's not to like?"  He gasped at Annie's touch as she reached over to trail a fingertip along his shaft.  "I've always had a thing for Cowgirls."

"Oh really?  There many of those in New Jersey?"  Annie chuckled coyly.  She slowly encircled Richie's now-hard cock with her warm hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Not enough."

"That's too bad."

"Why's that?"  Richie grunted softly as she squeezed again.

Annie grinned cheekily. " 'Cause I don't think you've ever been properly ridden."  She giggled.  "And from the feel of things, you could use a nice, long ride right about now."

3 comments:

  1. Ride, cowboy ride!
    Or should we say cowgirl?!? LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Okay now I can't wait until next Friday!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Damn, Friday can't get here quick enough.

    ReplyDelete

Ramblings Welcome