September Rain Bk 2, Savor The Days Series (31 page)

Jake locked me in that glowing gaze of
his and took my left hand. He gave me a wink and dropped to his
knees. My free palm flew to my mouth, covering my shock. He spoke
into the microphone as the crowd continued to serenade
us.

“Baby, all I’ve got are my dreams and
my last name.” His voice came from everywhere. “I’d like nothing
more than to share them both with you.”

The collective coos from the club
roared as Jake set his microphone down and produced a ring. In the
palm of his open hand—it was a simple golden band, so lovely it
broke my heart.

“You’re proposing?” I
finally managed to speak through the tether on my throat. My mind
was racing a million different directions.
Did he really want me for life?

He gave me a heart-melting grin;
lopsided and sweet. “Did you honestly think I would take you all
the way to California just to live in sin?”

The crowd was louder. They were still
chanting but I couldn’t tell what they were saying. It didn’t sound
like lyrics anymore, but I couldn’t afford to listen. I was stifled
by this sudden turn of events. Jake was proposing: he wanted to
marry me. And I knew, deep in my gut, that I wanted the same thing.
But did I want it at seventeen?

The music started up again and Jakes
smile grew intense while I pondered.

What a question to
ask!
I thought. Because I had barely
finished high school. I was in the midst of leaving everything I
had ever known and following this boy to a strange place, a
different state—a whole other world—in hopes of standing beside
him, having the mere privilege of watching his dreams come true.
And with this question, Jake was proving that he wanted me to do
much more than just watch. He wanted me to be a part of it, to
participate, to make a new start together. To that honored request,
I could only give one answer.

I laughed into my hand and sank to my
knees, leveling the field.

Jake took up the microphone again and
spoke into it so everyone could hear. “What do you say, baby? Will
you have me?”

I leaned towards him and the mic.
“Hell yes!”

My voice echoed for half a
moment before everything broke into chaos. Jake took me with him as
he got to his feet holding me so hard, I almost couldn’t breathe.
He shouted into my ear as the decibel level in the club shot up.
Suddenly there were people crowding the stage. Music played much
louder now as the band looped back into the breakdown. Black And
White Mohawk was singing now.
“You’re the
reason I live, you’re the reason I die . . .”
Clothes were flying. The crowd was nuts. Plastic cups and
bottles littered everywhere around us.

Dazed, I was passed from Andrew to
Max, to every member of the Proselytes and who knows how many
others. Everyone was hugging me and punching Jake, screaming their
expletives and well-wishes over the noise before doing a stage dive
into the crazy-ass crowd. I searched for Avery as I was passed from
this person to that one, but didn’t see her anywhere.

By the time Jake got back to me, his
shoulders and biceps were covered in red welts. But he had a huge
smile and open arms that I immediately leapt into.

We kissed through the riotous racket
of the audience and then were suddenly in the confines of a small
room just off-stage that was meant for the bands to wait in while
they were introduced. It was the room where Max had warmed up. I
could see his drum pads set up on a small table in one corner
beside a case of water bottles.

“Were you surprised?” Jakes’ eyes
danced. His hands rested on the bare skin just above my jeans,
holding me as I snaked my legs around his waist. He hunched low and
shoved me against the wall beside a second door that led out to the
hallway behind the stage, pinning with his hips. “You aim to marry
me, Angel?”

“I can’t believe you did that!” My
breathless laugh gave way to gasps when he pressed his lips to my
neck. “Yes, Jake. I want you. Forever.”

He growled, smashing his body against
me so hard it almost hurt. “And I’m aching now, because we’ve only
got ten minutes and no place to go.”

I giggled again, overflowing with
joy.

“No locks on these damned doors.” His
fingers knotted into my hair, scratching my scalp, making me look
at him. His eyes were blazing. Molten desire.

I grabbed his red, bare shoulders and
kissed each one. “Do they hurt?”

“No,” He cupped my face and pecked my
forehead. “I’ll keep you happy, Angel.”

The clouded look in his eyes made my
heart prance. “Can I see my ring?”

Jake shook his head, “Oh, yeah.” He
pulled away, letting my feet rest on the ground for the first time
since we left the stage. “We have a day off in Phoenix and can get
it sized there.”

I kept my mouth shut tight when Jake
slipped the band onto my finger. It was beautifully simple and way
too big. Even for my thumb.

“This is the ring my grandfather gave
to my grandmother. She had fat fingers, but they were married for
sixty years, Angel.”

“Good omen.” I choked on the
words.

Jake tucked an arm around me and eased
my chin up, whispering. “My Angel, my Angel. I love to sing your
name. I’ll sing it my whole life.”

My insides liquefied with that
smoldering poetry. His body radiated a heat that lit me on fire.
The kiss that followed was pure, undiluted passion. His soft lips
savored mine, spinning me, stretching time, encasing me in the
weightless flames of his scorching tongue, burning me up and taking
me down into the deepest depths of love. Every cell in my body was
filled with worship and desire for him as he bit into my bottom
lip.

His hand gripped my throat in that way
he had, shooting a grievous need for him deep into my belly. I
moaned into his mouth when his fingers grazed the skin of my back.
I reached around him and gripped his leather-clad behind. He was
just describing the scandalous things he planned to do to me when a
short rap on the door I was pressed against interrupted. I felt it
disappear as it opened. Jake kept me pulled into his chest while
discreetly adjusting himself.

I was surprised to see Max stepping
inside the small room, looking between Jake and me with a nervous
smirk. He’d actually knocked. “Hate to interrupt—” Jake guffawed at
that—“but it’s almost time, assholes.”

Andrew fell in behind him, bowing in
an uncharacteristic, genial way. “Please accept my most heartfelt
congratulations, assholes.”

Jake and me both smiled, but said
nothing. I slid the huge ring off and pressed it into Jakes palm.
His forehead lined with concern when he looked at it.

“So I don’t lose it,” I explained and
he relaxed.

He looked nervous again as he stared
out at the door to the stage.

“As soon as we’re done tonight, you
both should go.” Max muttered. “We’ll load the stuff on our
own.”

Jake slapped him on the back. “I don’t
know. Can I trust you assholes not to lose my shit?”

“We’ll get Gary to help.” Andrew
announced, looking behind me where old Long Tooth himself was
ambling in. He smelled like beer. “You won’t lose Jakes’ shit, will
you, Gary?”

“Only if he asks me to; for insurance
purposes.” Gary smirked, looking at me and Jake. “That was
priceless. I thought you were gonna faint, you looked so damn
surprised.”

“I was.” My face cracked into a
beaming smile.

“I could never do anything like that.”
Gary bellowed.

His volume was sheer and bracing
inside what was a quiet space. The band was usually somber,
spending their last preshow moments reflecting on their goals for
that nights’ performance. Even though we’d been talking, every ones
voices were subdued. The noise was outside. It was Jake ritual, but
that night he didn’t seem to mind Gary’s jovial air.

“Man,” Gary looked quizzically at
Jake, “What if she said ‘no’?”

As if there was any danger
of that,
I thought, shaking my
head.

Jake answered, “That was the whole
point. No way she’d deny me in front of a crowd.”

Gary nodded, thoughtfully,
“Entrapment. Smart move,” he turned to wield his loud manner at
Max, inquiring about merchandise.

Jake held me tighter, leaning in to
whisper. “You know why I picked that song?”

“The name?” I whispered
back.

I felt his smile against my
cheek. “That song was playing the night I found you, again.
Angel
was coming through
the speakers. Angel was staring at my package.” He chuckled when I
gasped. “Don’t you remember?”

I leaned back, looking down at his
body and taking in the sight: his taut torso beneath the ribbed
cotton of his tank top, those sexy leather pants that hung on hips
in just the right way. “I’ve always loved those pants.”

His breath tickled my ear. “You had
that terrible band picture on your shirt, but my face was right
your heart. I knew then, it was all mine.”

I turned my head up and pecked his
cheek. How did he know that as I stood there in the hall that
night, watching him walk away, that I had secretly given him my
heart? “You have it always, Jake.”

The music from the clubs speakers
cut-out. That was my cue. I took Jakes’ hands in mine and kissed
them, muttering my preshow blessing. “Kick their asses.”

Jake pressed a palm to my cheek and
moved closer. The obvious hunger in his gaze had me pressing my
thighs together, aching over how much fun we could have with only
ten more minutes and a bathroom stall. Jake closed his eyes and
granted me one last, knee-buckling kiss. Everyone was watching, but
they said nothing. Even Gary must have known better than to screw
around right before hitting the stage.

After quietly showing myself out, I
checked the hallway and bathroom before making my way back to the
front, anxiously searching for Avery. It wouldn’t be long before
Analog’s set started and I needed to be up front. A few
people—girls mostly but some dudes, too—nodded and waived and
mouthed more well-wishes as I made my way through the crowd. I
could feel the heat in my cheeks rising with every blessing the
strangers dispensed. I was so damn proud.

I found Avery waiting up
front with a huge smile and a
Wet
Floor
sign propped near her feet. She was
saving my spot at front row, center stage, directly in front of
Jakes’ mic stand. When I got to her, she tapped the security guard
nearby and he removed the propped up sign, making room for
me.

“How does it feel Misses Analog
Controller—I mean Misses Haddon?” Her hug was warm and fierce.
“It’s really coming together for you.” When she pulled away her
eyes were wet. “Congrats.”

She jerked her head, gesturing, “I
better go punch a few bitches.” She headed to the crowded spot
right in front of Andrew like she always did. No punching was
necessary; the girls already standing there moved aside.

I planted my feet, preparing for the
onslaught of the crowd that looked to have doubled in size since
the last band played. A club staffer performed the final ritual
set-up of Analog’s last piece of equipment; taping up the
set-lists. The houselights dimmed to black as the MC-slash-club
manager announced the band.

I heard the close shuffle of feet over
the excited crowd that suddenly pushed from behind me and leaned
into the pressure.

The clicking count of Max’s drumsticks
further excited the throng. With the ring of the first note, the
drums kicked in, the bass thumped, and lights flashed on. Shouts
blasted like rapid gun fire. Fists went up, pumping the
air.

Jake’s long, melodic
enthusiasm was ringing above it all. “
Yeahhhh . . .
” he began. “This one’s
for my mother
.
”

I couldn’t stop my bursting laughter.
He was so bad—in the very best way. Jake looked down at me, gave a
quick wink and tossed a foot on top of the monitor at his feet,
leaning out, addressing the crowd with his sarcastic song about
lies and revenge.

I felt the building of the crowd
behind me, pushing with renewed ferocity, inching me to the very
edge of the stage as Jake played and sang. A glance back proved
what I suspected. Before the first chorus, the mosh pit was going,
bigger and badder than before. I turned my attention back to the
stage, touching Jake’s leather-clad legs when he leaned within
reach.

I sang along to every song and loved
every second. It is what the stuff of sonnets, like he said. It was
life and love and fun. It was Jake doing what he was born to do and
I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

My magician cast a powerful
spell.

+++

After the set, when Jake made his way
out to mingle amongst the common-folk, I did my duty and stayed
back. Though I wanted nothing more than to tackle him and drag him
back to my room, I had to let the wannabe groupies—that night most
of them looked old enough to be his mother—have their fun trying to
charm him. But Jake was the one who did the charming. He smiled and
signed shirts, EP’s and flyers, a few arms, a boob. It was
crazy.