One (Bar Dance) (20 page)

Chapter Twenty Six

I went back down to my floor and cleaned out my locker. I said good-bye to everyone. I nearly dried out another sharpie signing scrubs for the kids. I was sad knowing that I may never come back but then again it could only be six months. The thought of that was the only thing that kept me from falling apart.

I managed to get down to the parking garage
by way of security. I signed a hat for Rasmussen and a couple pieces of paper for his kids. Not unlike Elaine Chapman his teenage girls had downloaded my album and were driving him crazy with it also.

I had no idea it had taken off like this. I looked at my phone and of course had no cell service at the bottom of a parking garage. I figured that is also why I didn’t know about the photographers. They couldn’t access underground parking and were camped out on ground level. I also lived in a gated community. Not great security there but there was security none the less.

I really needed Sam and some advice. I drove up and out to go to her bar to find her. She told me to go home and look at all the financials that had been sent to me first. She also told me that if I didn’t understand them the first person that I should be calling was Bray. If anyone could probably understand them it would be him.

I told her, “He should have already explained them to me.”

She looked at me with a hard stare, “Have you asked him to explain them to you?”

I finally admitted to her, “I only looked at the first
one that came from the accounting firm. There wasn’t much information to get from it. The first bank statement either. It showed a couple hundred dollars. I haven’t opened any since then.”

She glowered at me, “This is your fault then. Go look at them. Call Bray over tonight or tomorrow morning.” She softened her tone. “I’ll bring bagels around ten.” She walked around the bar and gave me a hug.”

“Thanks Sam. I needed that.”

She gave me a chin nod as if to say ‘get out’. Then she gave me a hard swat on the butt as I turned.

I gave her the finger over my shoulder as I walked out to her laughter.

She was always good for me.

**

I had all of the envelopes in a pile in front of me.
Not a ton of them. We hadn’t been live for that long. The oldest was on the bottom. The newest on top. I turned the pile over and went through each one. One by one they started to make a little more sense, in a way. I still didn’t grasp the whole picture. The last one was a bank statement. The numbers matched what the accountant had sent. The numbers boggled my mind so bad that I went through them again.

Then again.

On the third time through I dropped my head in my hands and whispered, “Holly fuck.”

I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I hadn’t heard Rand walk in until he sat down next to me. “Well that’s not quite the greeting that I was hoping for.”

I jumped on my stool. Rand took one look at my face and panic spread across his. “What happened?”

I pushed the pile of papers towards him. “Start at the bottom and look through them will you
? Please.”

He nodded as I stood on shaky knees. I walked to the fridge. I pulled out a bottle of wine then a beer. I poured myself a glass and drank it in gulps. Refilled it and went to sit next to Rand again. I watched his face as he read every piece of paper. He got to the last one and scanned the numbers.
He went back through them quickly. Then he did a third scan same as I had. Then his whispered, “Holy fuck.”

I know too much of the whites of my eyes were showing because I couldn’t seem to close them. “I got put on leave of absence from the hospital today. Too much of a security risk.”

His posture slouched. “I’m sorry. I know how much the kids mean to you.”

I nodded. “I feel bad but I guess I can afford it.” I pulled another letter out of an envelope. It was from Vince.

I handed it to Rand. He read it then put it back in the envelope. It had basically asked me just to do national interviews. He had still hinted that he wanted me on tour but had accepted my terms that I wouldn’t do it.

Rand walked around the counter. He got another beer then refilled my glass. He stayed on the other side. Arms on the counter staring at me. “Do you want to go on tour?”

“No.” I shook my head as I answered immediately.

“Do you want to do the interviews?”

I shook my head, “No. But I’m beginning to think that I need to.”

Rand pulled out the drawer that held take out menus. “Call Bray and have him and Angie pick up food on the way. I’ll call it in.”

I started giggling. “I want Mexican.”

**

Bray said that they would come over after answering the phone by way of, “I was wondering when the hell you would call me.”

We ate without discussing music. We talked for a while after without discussing music. I couldn’t stand it anymore so I finally blurted, “I have a six month leave of absence without anything to do.”

Bray threw his head back as he burst out laughing. When he finally calmed he looked at Angie then me. “You want to record some more?”

I looked to Rand and he nodded. “
You have any new stuff?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I have one or two. You opposed to other writers?”

“Not if they’re good.” I answered.

Angie walked to her bag that she had dropped by the front door. She pulled out six file folders. She walked them to the table and put them in front of me.

Bray explained. “I have one there. The Hall brothers have one. Stubbs surprisingly has been writing for years. He has two. Vince also sent one for you to look through. The most surprising is that Alice and the boys started writing for you exclusively.”

I raised my eyes with wide wonder.

Bray shook his head. “I haven’t looked at any of them. They all asked me not to. I just color coded the files so that I knew who they came from.”

I opened the first file. At least twenty songs were in it. Same with the rest.
“There are…” I took a deep breath, “How do I choose?”

“Put them in piles
like you did before. Can’t live without, like, maybe, dislike, hate. We’ll sort through them together.” Bray said. “We have a couple of albums there.”

**

We indeed had a couple of albums there. Most of the songs were timeless. The fact that more arrived by lumps helped also.

Album four came out two days before our first child did. We named her Samantha Keiley Frasier.

Album six came out two months after Vincent Randall Frasier was born. Yes Vincent.

Vince Ross had become a firm person in our lives. I even considered him a friend.

Sammy was six and Vinny was three when album twelve came out. Rand had wanted one more child. I refused. I could barely keep up with these two.

Rand had Vinny over his shoulder because he was saving him from being beaten to death
by his sister with a doll. He had cut all the hair off of Sammy’s newest Barbie doll.

Vinny had his reasons lined up. Ken had a smooth head. He just didn’t understand why Barbie had long hair. He thought that they should match since Sammy was making him be party to the wedding of the two dolls.

Rand looked at me. Pleading with his eyes to make it better. I couldn’t since I was in a fit of giggles on the floor.

We had bought a new house when I found out that I was pregnant with Sammy. It was large enough that we
could have had a dozen kids. I just didn’t want that many. Rand finally deposited Vinny with me and went to parts unknown to calm Sammy down.

I took Vinny to our puzzle table. It had two going at the moment. That was not a surprise. I tried to keep them busy with things that took concentration but were fun. I looked up as Rand sat next to Vinny on the floor
a short time later. Sammy came and sat next to me and worked on her puzzle with her dad across from her. Still not happy but not trying to beat her brother any longer.

I knew that I was in heaven then. I had my beautiful daughter next to me. I had the two greatest men in my life across from me.

Rand had become my manager. He worked at the local drug store a few days a week. Mostly as a fill in just to keep his license. I volunteered at the hospital on occasion. Mostly because I could.

Our cell phone rang.
Yes, ours. We shared one cell phone. It just worked better for me that way. I heard bellowing over the line from the time that Rand hit answer until he held it out to me. “Layne.” He said without saying anything more.

I hit the speaker button so that I didn’t break an eardrum. “Hey.” I said to the room.

“She’s in labor Terra. You’re a nurse. You need to be here. Not me.”

I snickered. I couldn’t help it. “I wasn’t the one to get her pregnant
Layne. You did. You need to be there.”

Layne was Rand’s brother and his wife Sasha was my friend. Sasha had held out the longest from the charms of the Frasier men. Ultimately they had gotten together though. They just went through a few hard patches to get there.

“Terra, please.” Layne pleaded. He knew that I would come. “She needs you.”

I snickered. “No she doesn’t. She’s fine.”

Rand took pity on his brother. “Mom there to take the kids?”

I heard Layne sigh. “Of course she is. So are you coming Terra?”

What else could I say but yes. After all, isn’t that what family does for one another.

“Twenty minutes Layne.” I hit the end button. I did hear a sigh of relief as the call ended.

Vinny innocently looked between the two of us. “Are we bringing home a little brother for me so that I don’t have to have fake weddings?”

I glared at Rand. “No.” I said strongly.

Sammy asked me then. “A little sister?”

I looked down at her, then to Vinny. Lastly to Rand. I slumped to my elbows. “Dad and I will work on that in a few days.” I stood up. “Get your coats. We need to go see what flavor of cousin
Aunt Sasha and Uncle Layne have made for the two of you to teach bad habits to first.”

Rand walked to me. “We don’t have to have any more kids. Really we don’t,” He shrugged, “But I really want a couple more.”

I looked at the man before me. “Why? Don’t we already have perfection?”

He nodded. “I have more than I ever thought that I would have
before or since I met you.” He took a deep breath holding my chin. “But I know that I want more. I want another little princess that looks just like you. I want another little man to keep the first one busy just like I had with my brothers.” He looked at the kids that were coming back towards us. “Most importantly I want your life filled with the love that I grew up with. That takes lots of kids and grandkids and I think that we may need a dog or two as well.”

I leaned my head against his chest. “Two more kids but I draw the line at two dogs. That makes
six kids if you count the dogs. Just like your mom had. Even if two of them are furry.” I glanced up with a small grin. “That’s a hard limit my friend.”

Rand chuckled and lifted my chin. “So glad that I only took a time out the first time that we talked about being together.” He said as he kissed me.

“So glad you didn’t leave when I told you to go.” I whispered back.

Rand got a smirk on his face. “O
ne. You’re my only one.”

I giggled at the refere
nce to the name of my first album.

I stared into his eyes
and answered back. “My only one.”

We may have started ruff but the result now w
ere, well….We were one.

Just as we should be.

One couple.

One family.

The one and only love for each other.

Forever.

###

About Dani Joy

I’m an old married mommy.

Not really but I have been saying that since I was in my twenties.

While I was reading another crappy book I complained to my husband about it. He just shrugged at me then suggested that I write my own books instead whining about what was out there. So out came his laptop and here is another bar dance book.

I have my own laptop
now. Thank you very much. I have continued to write about the sexy brothers with their dancers.

I hope you enjoyed read
ing it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

If you want to contact me feel free to do so at
[email protected]
.

Thank you.