Music of the Heart (22 page)

              “Wow.  I don’t think I have any other words Ashleigh.  Where did that come from?”

              “I’m just full of surprises.”  Smiling, I lean down to kiss him and get ready to roll off of him.  He grabs me before I can roll off and deepens the kiss.  This kiss is different than normal.  It’s not the animalistic one he gives me where he assaults my mouth with his.  This one is tender but has a sense of urgency to it. 

              Pulling away from him, I look him in the eye with a questioning stare.

              “Hey, you okay?  You seem different all of a sudden.”

              Cross just looks at me and gives me one more tender kiss.  This one feels like love.  Oh God.  I think I’m falling in love with Cross.  I can’t tell him though.  What if he feels different?   I’m pretty sure he didn’t include love in his forever future.  That’s a conversation for later though.  Now, I’m tired and have to be up in five hours to head to the airport.

              Pulling my back towards his front, he spoons me as we fall sound asleep.  It doesn’t take me any time before I have drifted off to sleep.

**********

              As I wake up, I realize I beat my alarm from going off and look over to see Cross still asleep.  I turn the alarm off so I don’t wake him and head to take a shower.  Standing under the hot shower, I let the water beat down on me.  As I lather shampoo in my hair, I feel two hands circle my body and grab my breasts. 

              I don’t say a word and just let him do his thing.  Feeling his lips on my neck, I instantly start to get turned on.  I know I only have an hour to get ready before I need to leave but he’s making me want him again.  I look at him and with a smirk, let him know I want him.

              “You better make it quick.  Flight leaves in two hours.”

              Shower sex is nothing to toss aside.  It’s intimate and sensual.  His hands are about as magical as his tongue and he lathers up my conditioner to my hair and while I start to rinse it out, he washes my body with my soap paying extra attention to cleaning my breasts and my thighs.

              Thank God I have a big seat in my shower.  Sitting down, he pulls me over and I slide right on his erection.  We waste no time and before I know it, I’m screaming his name out. As we slow down, I passionately kiss him and I press my breasts against him.  He stands up while holding me and while he is still inside of me.  I finally let go and drop my legs to the ground knowing I need to get ready.

              As I put the finishing touches on my make-up and throw my travel clothes on, he comes back in fully dressed with a steaming cup of coffee. 

              “Thank you so much.  I need this so bad.”

              I’m putting on my jewelry and adding lipstick when I see him staring at me through my mirror.

              “Stop staring.  Remember, it’s kind of creepy.”

              “Sorry.  I’m just remembering how happy you look right now since we won’t see each other for a while.”

              He stands up and walks towards me.  Wrapping his arms around my chest from behind, he hugs me and kisses me on my temple. 

              “I’ll miss you Cross.  Be safe traveling to China.  You mentioned you’d be gone for a while, right?”

              “Possibly a month.  I promise I will stay in touch with you.  I know the time difference will be crazy so it may be a lot of texts but I will be in touch with you every day.  I promise.”

              Kissing him goodbye, he leaves to get ready for work as I wait for Allie to get here so we can head to the airport.

CROSS

              I’ve been in China for two weeks and I have texted or talked to Ashleigh every single day or night.  The time difference is thirteen hours so we’ve actually been able to talk a lot.  I try to call her when I wake up around 7 a.m. because it’s early evening there and it works out well for us. 

              I really miss her but I know she’s having fun.  I called Allie, her assistant, before I left for China and asked her to update me on Ashleigh’s throat and voice during this tour.  I’m really worried about her but even more so I’m worried what she’s going to do when Jamie tells her she’s on a permanent break in a few weeks.

              I’m mostly worried about what is going to happen when and if she finds out I’m the one to blame for her break.  I just won her heart.  I don’t want to lose it again.

              Somehow I get through the next two weeks even though I miss her like crazy.  My flight is scheduled to arrive back in Atlanta tomorrow night but I fly out the next day to California for two weeks.  By the time I get back, it will be mid March and Jamie will have talked to her already.  The only thing keeping me anyway sane about it is Jamie will not bring my name up and she will never know I am the reason behind her break.  At least for now.

Chapter Twenty-Five

ASHLEIGH

              I am performing my last show for this part of the tour tonight in Nashville.  I am headed to the label tomorrow for a quick meeting.  I get a few weeks off before the MLB Tour begins and then I hit all thirty teams to sing the national anthem, have meet and greets with fans and throw out the first pitch.

              Once the show is over, I head back to the hotel and get some much needed sleep.  The next morning, Allie has room service delivered to my room and I get ready to head to JMA Music for a meeting with my people.

              “Good morning Ms. Kennedy.  Mr. Matthews asked me show you to the conference room.  I already have your coffee for you.  Is there anything else you need?”

              “No, Leslie.  I’m good but thank you.”

              I’m waiting on everyone to come in and finally see Claire, Grant and Mark walk in.  Greeting them all, they sit down and Leslie brings in more coffee and some breakfast pastries.  Finally, Jamie walks through the door and has a seat. 

              “Good morning Ashleigh.  Thank you for joining us today.  I don’t want to keep you long.  We just have a few things to go over with you.”

              I look over at Claire, Grant and Mark and I can instantly tell something is up and this is not just a ‘how are you doing’ meeting. 

              “What’s going on?  I can tell I’m not here for the hell of it so just spill it.  Why did you call me in for a meeting today Jamie?”

              “Well, we have some concerns.  I’ve been told you are having some medical problems with your voice and your throat.  I know all the details of what’s been going on with you and I’m genuinely concerned.”

              I notice movement out of the corner of my eye and see Dr. Whitley walking in the room.  He’s the specialist that Preston Hamilton set me up with and the one who confirmed what Dr. Gregory told me.  If I don’t calm down my touring and singing, my vocal fold hemorrhage will worsen and I will need surgery.

              “Dr. Whitley, what are you doing here?  Can someone tell me what in the hell is going on?”

              “Ashleigh, I was called in and asked to speak with your permission in regards to your condition.  Do I have your permission to talk about your visit with me?”

              Shit.  They all know.  I’ve kept it under wraps for so long and they somehow found out.  I look over at Allie and she looks sympathetic. 

              “Sure, Dr. Whitley.  Go ahead and discuss our visit.”

              For the next twenty minutes, Dr. Whitley explains to everyone in the room exactly what is going on with me and my voice.  I can see the looks on their faces and no one looks very thrilled with me right now.   Grant looks over at me and is really pissed.

              “Ashleigh, how could you not mention this to me?  I mean, I knew you were tired a lot and I know you work too hard sometimes but I honestly didn’t think anything was wrong with your voice.  You can’t keep things like this from me.  Especially not when we’ve got you on a long tour.”

              I calm down a bit when Claire starts talking and seems upset with me but sympathetic also.  But then I look over at Jamie and I know something else bad is about to happen.

              “Just spit it out Jamie.  I know you have something else you want to say.  Just tell me.”

              “Fine.  Look, I think you need a break from the road.”

              “A break?  What do you mean a break?  Like a few days off the tour or a couple of weeks?  I can handle that.  I’ll even agree to doctor visits weekly if needed.”

              “Oh, you’re going to be having weekly doctor visits.  But the type of break I’m talking about is a bit longer.”

              “How much longer Jamie?”

              I know it’s bad because he hesitates and looks away from me and at Dr. Whitley.  Dr. Whitley takes over for Jamie.

              “Ashleigh, I think it would be best for you and your career if you you took several months off from singing.  Kick back and relax.  Go on a much needed vacation.  Visit your…”

              “MONTHS!  Are you fucking kidding me right now?  I am not going to take a break for a few months.  I have the MLB tour in three weeks.  You can’t make me miss that.  I’m their spokesperson.”

              “Ashleigh, calm down.  The break isn’t for a few months.  It’s actually for six months.  You will be doing the MLB tour but you are not allowed to sing – only throwing out first pitches, autograph sessions and appearances.  Then, you are done until the fall.  No singing at all and you have to have weekly doctor visits.  We are just trying to keep you healthy and away from surgery.”

              By this point, I am in tears and I am beyond pissed off.

              “NO!  NO!  You cannot do this to me.  This is my job – my life.  I cannot and will not take a six month break.”

              “Unfortunately, you don’t have a choice, Ashleigh.  You either take this break and get healthy again or the label could be forced to drop you.  I like you a lot and I want you on our label for the foreseeable future so please take the break and come back healthy.”

              I have no fucking choice.  I don’t want to be dropped from the label.  Who in the hell put the bug in his ear about my throat.  God, I just need to cry.

              “Are we done here?  I need to leave.” 

              I excuse myself from the conference room and Allie is behind me calling for our car.  We head straight to the airport and home to Atlanta.  I don’t let anyone know I am home.  I just need time to mope and pout and cry.

CROSS

              Dixon called me and told me what happened to Ashleigh.  Hopefully, I played it off well that I didn’t know about any of it already.  Apparently, she is devastated and aside from being upset, she is extremely pissed off. 

He said she’s been holed up in her house for the past week.  No one even knew she was home until Allie called Merritt earlier today and told her what happened.