Rock and Roll Never Forgets (The Rock and Roll Trilogy) (4 page)

“
I
’
d like that, too,” she answered, as she nervously sipped the wine.

“
Good.” He took her wine glass and set it aside. He placed a hand gently on her neck and drew her closer. As he leaned in to kiss her, she knew this wouldn’t be one of the casual
‘
hello kisses
’
she’d received so far. This one would be passionate, and she braced herself. First it was a brush of the lips, soft and gentle, and then he drew back to look at her.

It rattled her. The look was deep, intense, lingering. Leaning in again, his other hand went to her back, and he pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms around her, and it was the kiss she had dreamed of. But it wasn’t a dream at all. Beth’s hands slid lightly around his waist and up his back as she responded to the kiss
.

There was a knock at the door, and as he let her go he whispered her name in a raspy voice;
“
Bethy…”

She pulled a shaky hand through her hair
;
he’d kissed her breath away, and she attempted to get it back. There was such passion in that kiss. The feel of his arms around her, his lips on hers, left her shaking
.

Andy opened the door and let a young man in to set up
for their meal.
He spread a white linen table-cloth over the table and lit candles. There was another knock, and the meal arrived. Andy looked on as Beth attempted to regain her composure, and smiled
.

“
Shall we?
”
Andy motioned to the table as the staff left the room. Beth rose on wobbly knees. He went to her, putting his arms around her, he kissed the top of her head. It was a sweet gesture.

He pulled the chair out for her and they sat down to enjoy a nice meal of
C
hicken Marsala, and she learned that Italian was his favorite cuisine. He opened another bottle of wine, Chianti, to go with the meal.

We savored the wonderful dinner he’d chosen, but I was feeling so much emotion that I wasn’t really hungry…

Afterward they returned to the sofa. Andy slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer as soft music played. “This feels nice,” he whispered in her ear, sneaking a kiss on her neck, and she shivered.

“Mmm hmm,” she murmured, closing her eyes.

After a while Andy rose, took her hand, and pulled her from the sofa into his arms. Lacing his fingers with hers they moved with the music. He hummed in her ear as he nuzzled her neck.
It was a tender, romantic moment. H
e led her to the bed, but there was no rush for anything more.

“Lay with me, I just need to feel you in my arms,” he said. “I dream about this every night when we talk on the phone, Bethy, just holding you, feeling you in my arms,” he said. “I want more. I want you, but for now, please just come lay with me.”

Sunday morning Roddy woke them with a phone call. The guys had to get on the road and Kimmy and Beth needed to head home. Roddy had the car brought around to a private entrance at the rear of the hotel. They said their good-byes and got ready to leave. Andy walked Beth to the car.

“Be safe,” he said. “I’ll call this evening.”

“Had a great time,” Kimmy piped in. “Thanks!”

Looking at Beth he reached for her hand and held it. “It was a pleasure.”

The drive home seemed long. It was the same nine hours, no different from the trip up, except that Beth’s thoughts were elsewhere. Kimmy was driving and it gave Beth time to ponder.

Kimmy asked, “Need a chat?”

“No, not really, just thinking.”

“And?” 

“Wondering… wondering what next,” Beth said with a smile.

“Take it slow. It seems that he is.” Kimmy looked at her friend, “Right?”

“Yep,” and that was all she needed to say.

25

Rock and Roll Never Forgets

Chapter Four

T
raveler
was off to the Northeast for a few dates. Andy and Beth fell into what had become their routine
:
nightly phone calls and conversation into the wee hours. Beth loved it, but she continually wondered. She prayed that it would never end, but he was Andy Stevens, and she was ‘just a girl.’ Two weeks passed and
Traveler
was heading south to South Carolina
.

During one of their late-night calls, Andy asked, “Can you come to Charleston? I need to see you, Bethy. Roddy will make all the arrangements, but I’d like to fly you in for the show there. It’s only one night, but it’s close. Can you pull that off? I’ll have him get Kimmy a ticket too, if you’d like. But I really need to see you. I’ve missed you.”

Kimmy would have gone, if Beth asked. They talked and both agreed that Beth needed time alone with him to see what was progressing
.

She flew out early on Saturday afternoon. A driver met her at the airport. He held a placard that read “Bethy”. It reminded her of a scene from a movie and she loved it. She arrived at the hotel and Roddy was waiting. They dropped her bags at the front desk and left for the arena, arriving backstage just in time. The show was about to begin.

“Hello beautiful,” Andy said grabbing her for a quick hug and a peck on the cheek as he made his way to the stage. Roddy dragged two stools to the side and Beth joined him. They watched as the band entered from the other side of the stage
.

Traveler
did nine songs and left the stage. The crowd went wild, bringing them back for one more song, and then one more
after that
. When it was over, the guys began filing past. Nathan stopped to hug Beth. And then, sitting there with Roddy, she knew he was close. She felt him before she saw him, sensed his presence before he touched her. A warm sensation washed over her. He came up from behind and kissed her neck.

“Welcome to Charleston,” he whispered in her ear as Roddy slipped away. He took her hand, “Come with me,” he said. They slipped out a back door and into a
waiting town car
, not the bus with the guys. In the car Andy pulled her to him and wrapped her in his arms.

“Bethy, I’ve missed you,” he said as he kissed her, and it was one of those passionate kisses.

“Wow,” she sighed, “I’ve missed you, too.”

He held her tighter, and pulled her on his lap and kissed again. “We’re going to the hotel so I can clean up. Roddy made a late dinner reservation for us at a little local place. Being this late I think we can get in and have a nice meal without too much interference. I want to take you on a date Bethy,” he said and kissed her again.

“A date?” she laughed.

“I need to woo and impress you,” he laughed, and nuzzled her neck. He kissed a place behind her ear that sent a shiver up her spine and he grinned.

July 22, 1978 ~
None of that was necessary. I was already gone! He had a hold of my heart and I prayed
he’d never let go…

Her bags were in Andy’s room when they arrived. She freshened up a little and waited as he showered.
‘A date,’
she smiled thinking about it. Andy came out in light-colored jeans
,
a black pull-over shirt
,
and smelled like heaven. The
driver
was still waiting when they went back out. The restaurant was close. It was small and candle
-
lit, and they sat at a corner table. They enjoyed ‘low-country’ fare, and some bold red wine. Andy held her hand as they talked and shared the evening as though they’d known each other a lifetime.

Later, the
driver
was there to return them to the hotel. As they rode
,
Andy held her hand, and sat silently, deep in thought
.

“
When we head out in the morning
,
we’re flying to Los Angeles,” he said, at last. “We
’
ll be doing three shows and some TV appearances for a week. Then we
’
re on a ten-day break; some downtime to get ready for the next leg of the tour. I
’
d like you to spend some of that time with me, maybe fly you to Houston for a few days. What do you think?”

With no hesitation Beth said,
“
I
’
d like that.” 

“
Good,
”
h
e said and kissed her.
“
Roddy will make it happen. I
’
ve told him if you want or need anything he’s to take care of it. He
’
ll be how you can reach me if you need me. Anytime. Anyplace. You only need to call him.” 

Back in the room, Beth went to the sofa and waited while Andy started some of his favorite ‘chill music.’ With each beat of her heart she knew that he could hear it. She knew what her bags being brought to his room meant. Finally, he went to her
, t
aking her hands in his
,
Andy brought her to her feet. Pulling her into his embrace, his hands lightly, softly caressed wherever they touched.

“Did I say I’ve missed you?” he asked, kissing her neck, his breath warm on her skin
.

“Mmm hmm,” she murmured, barely able to breathe. The smell of him was intoxicating.

“Did I say how much?” he added as he nuzzled lower, leaving a trail of kisses from her neck down to the place where the lacy fabric of her blouse skimmed her chest. “Did I say how bad I want you, Bethy?” he whispered, looking into her eyes as he guided her to the bed.

She knew she quit breathing,
anticipating what she knew came next
. She knew with each touch, with each breath, that this would be the night they made love for the first time. She felt excited and nervous, iced with anxiousness and anticipation. Together they fell on the bed, his kisses sweet, tender, and romantic. Slowly he unbuttoned and pushed the lace blouse aside.
He noticed that she wore no
bra, and it excited him
.

She lay back, watching him, waiting for what came next. His touch was exciting as he kissed and caressed. Beth drew in a breath just shy of a gasp. He lifted his head to look at her and grinned. Slowly he made his way to the jeans she wore and the exploration continued. With every touch her breath hitched. It was a slow lingering process. He was taking his time with her. Beth
’
s hands roamed his body. As she helped him undress, she allowed her fingers to explore with a light touch. Finally, unable to wait any longer, their bodies joined together
.

It was exciting, breathtaking
,
and beautiful. I became his. His ‘Bethy’, and for the second time since I met Andy Stevens, my life
was forever changed.

Lying in his arms a
fterward, Andy whispered in her ear, “Bethy, I love that you didn’t close your eyes while we made love.”

“I wanted to see you, to remember this, forever,” she whispered back.

He wrapped her in his arms, and they slept.

The next morning the phone woke them, their naked bodies still entwined. Andy pulled her close and wanted nothing more than to lay there holding her, he didn’t want to let her go, but they needed to hurry. Beth’s flight was early and she had to get to the airport. The band would be flying out a short time later to head west. They showered and continued their exploration of each other.

Andy walked with her to the car and leaned in for a kiss. “Thank you for being here with me,” he whispered in her ear. He quickly changed his mind, and slid in on the seat beside her, wrapping her in his arms, he hugged her tightly.

“I
’
ll see you in a few days,” he whispered. He nuzzled her neck, kissed her again, and Beth sighed, thankful she was sitting down.

“
Thank you,” she said. Andy’s eyes narrowed, and he flashed a devilish smile,
that made them
both laugh out loud
.

“
I
’
ll call this evening, make sure you got home safe, and say good night,” he told her as he exited the car.

~ ~ ~

Returning home Beth slipped back into whatever ‘normal’ was; school
two nights a week
, work and the late-night phone marathons she shared with Andy. They both shared whatever had been going on since they last talked. Andy told her about the concert experiences and
Traveler
’s
media blitz. Beth had seen it, but it made her happy hearing about it, as Andy told her about the band’s visit to
The Tonight Show
.

“It was a blast, Bethy! We met Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon
; that comedian Andy Bauman, and
Doc Severinsen jammed with us before we came on stage!”

She loved his excitement as he recounted the experience. Finally, realizing that he was doing all the talking, he stopped, and then whispered, “Are you asleep?”

“No,” she laughed, “I was listening to you, enjoying your excitement.”

“Bethy, I love your laugh. I know you have to work tomorrow, but I
really
don’t want to hang up. Just hearing your voice… God, I wish you were here.”

She didn’t say anything, and finally he told her, “I’m counting the days.”

“Me too,” she said in a soft whisper.

~ ~ ~

Roddy and Beth talked
almost every day about something
,
making plans for her time w
ith Andy
once
he returned. The two of them developed a kinship that Beth loved from the beginning. He was Andy’s friend and confidant, and
he
became the same to her.

She couldn’t wait for the time away with Andy. She would be picked up after work on Friday afternoon, and return home in time for work Tuesday morning. She was beyond counting days; she had it down to hours… 

When Friday finally arrived, Beth was excited, wonder
ing
how she would make it through the day. She was anxious to experience another part of Andy’s life. She had everything almost packed and rushed home after work to finish. A
town car
arrived shortly after she did to take her to the
air
port. The
driver took her bags and she ran to the gate where Andy was
waiting
.

Oh my…
C
an one man be more beautiful?

He wrapped her in his arms, kissing her, whispering in her ear, “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy to see someone.
You look so good,” he said as he cupped her chin in his hand, “I’ve missed you,” he whispered. Towering over her, tilting her face up, he bent to kiss her.
She noticed that he looked tired as he led her to the waiting area. He had flown straight there from Los Angeles to meet her. As they waited he handed her an envelope. S
he opened
i
t to find her passport.

“
Kimmy helped
me
get it,”
he
explained.
“
I hope you don
’
t mind.”

She laughed, puzzled; “Well, I don’t need that for a trip to Houston.”

Andy laughed, too. “I have a surprise for you. You will need it to go to Eleuthera. We’re going to the Bahamas.
I called Kimmy
for help surprising you. S
he snuck in to get bathing suits and things she thought you would need to take along,”
he
explained.

Finally they called boarding for the flight. Andy took her hand and they walked out to the tarmac to board the plane. Three other couples joined them. It was a short flight filled with conversation, Andy filling her in on the past week and Beth telling him what she’d been doing. He told her about the cottage and the island. The plane landed, first, on the northern tip of the island and the other three couples got off. A short time later they were in the air again, and flew into a tiny airport toward the southern part of the island, in an area called Rock Sound, to begin their time in paradise.

31