Chapter Eight, Just as You Are
Posted by DiF on Saturday, August 13, 2011
Title: Don’t Look Away: Chapter Eight, Just as You Are
Rating: PG-13 [language]
Summary: Pete & Cady go out on the town and get settled in their new flat. Special guest star in this episode. And the band makes a brief appearance.
Waking before Cady, something he attributed to the time change more than anything, Pete watched her doze in his arms. Her lips twitched ever so slightly, her eyelids vibrated. He reached up with his right hand and gently caressed her cheek, watching her lips curve into a slight smile at his touch. As she did not wake at all, something he was actually grateful for, his eyes continued to observe her. His fingers wandered from her cheek and traced along the graceful curve of her eyebrow before trailing down her nose. His thumb traced over her plump bottom lip and he struggled so hard to not lean in to kiss her. Deciding that was not a bad way to wake up, at least in his mind, Pete wiggled in bed to better position himself to kiss her. As their lips touched, Cady inhaled deeply, indicating she was awake.
“Good morning, Pete,” she muttered softly.
“Good morning, baby,” he smiled. “Did you sleep all right?”
“Of course,” she snuggled closer to him. “What are we doing today?”
“Well we have to find some place to live. And I suppose Kit will expect me to check in the band,” Pete stated.
“Suppose that means we can’t stay in bed all day,” she frowned.
“Sure we can. We don’t have to do any of that.”
Cady smiled crookedly and stretched up to kiss him, “Yes, we do. Kit cannot afford to keep us in this hotel that long at all. I am certain he is just as broke as you.”
Pete frowned, “Baby, I can’t afford to get us a place.”
She quickly kissed his downturned mouth, “We will get us a nice place together. No one will even think for a moment that you’re not the successful, put together man you should be. And don’t you dare complain to me about being able to afford it or not. Did I not already give you quite a bit of money to keep in your billfold?”
“But it’s your money,” he argued.
“It’s our money,” she instantly retorted. “You need to stop worrying about where the money came from. I don’t. You shouldn’t either.”
“But, Cady, it’s your money.”
She kissed him again, “I have told you numerous times, Pete, that I am fine supporting us until you are in the black. Really, love, it is no big deal. No one else needs to know about it. I don’t want them to, you don’t want them to. I love you and I think it’s perfectly fine for me to take care of you for now. You can shower me with all sorts of silly material things in the future, my love.”
“But, Cady–”
Pulling away from him quickly, she rolled out of bed, “Let’s get ready and go find some place to live so you can focus on turning some aspect of our new flat into a studio.”
“But, Cady,” he got out of bed and followed her into the bathroom, “I can’t pay any bills. I’m sure of it.”
She turned around quickly, “Stop it, Pete. Stop it right now. Push that worry from your mind. I will take care of the finances. I’m good at that. Hell I bet I can even straighten out yours. Stop worrying about it. No one is going to know if you contribute five pounds or five hundred pounds to our monthly living expenses. It is none of their business and we are going to keep it that way. Understood?”
“But–”
“Dammit, Pete. No, just no,” she pushed him out of the bathroom.
Faced with the bathroom door, Pete took a deep breath. Why did he always bring up the financial situation? They had gone over it more than enough, clearly more than Cady cared to ever go over it again. He knew she was uncomfortable with having money and he was uncomfortable with not having it. Clearly where they intersected should be their common ground. And she was right. Logically it made sense; she would pay for things discreetly for now, he would pay for things once everything else got straightened out. And he would do his part by getting to work on a new single as soon as he could. But first they needed a place to live. And that was not going to happen while she was locked away in the bathroom, pissed at him.
He would order room service and hope that breakfast cheered her. Her eyes did light up when she stepped out of the bathroom to the sights and smells of breakfast. She skipped right over to him, plopping down in his lap before he could say a thing. Her lips kissed his before she turned to see what was for breakfast.
“Oh this is a proper English breakfast if I ever saw one,” she commented, reaching for a tea cup.
“Well you are in England now, Cady,” he responded.
“And happy to be here,” Cady claimed, kissed him again, and offered him the tea cup. “Where are we going to look for a place?”
“I… don’t know.”
She kissed him again after he sipped the tea, “We’ll figure it out before long. I’m sure of it.”
Standing in front of the four story brick building, Cady nodded as she looked up at it. Even though they had already visited a number of flats all over town, she knew this was the one. If it were up to her, she would sign papers and plop money down on it without even looking at it. But she had a feeling that would cause Pete undue stress. So her hand slipped into his and she trailed behind him and the building manager. They walked up a flight of slightly creaky steps before stopping in front of a door. The manager was trying to sell the neighborhood as a good place for a young couple to settle down, but Cady was not paying any attention at all. As soon as the door was open, she pulled free of Pete’s grip and headed directly into the flat.
The building manager went quiet, watching Cady as she quickly glanced around, making her way to the windows at the opposite end. Pete joined her a moment later, his hand touching her lower back. She turned, her blue eyes meeting his. Asking the question without words, Pete received an answer just as silently.
He turned to the manager, “How soon can we move in?”
A half an hour later, the manager handed the keys over to Pete after he handed the signed lease to the manager. Cady instantly looped her arms around Pete’s neck and kissed him. The manager quickly left the space, saying very little except a brief welcome to the neighborhood. As soon as the door clicked behind him, Cady squealed, pulled away from Pete, and danced around the empty flat. He laughed until she spun by him, grabbed his hands, and forced him to dance with her in their new home.
Pulling him to the windows, she stopped, wrapping his arms around her waist. His chin rested on her shoulder, his lips turning to kiss her ear ever so briefly. She squeezed his hands after folding her arms over his.
“I know it’s not perfect, but just look, Pete. Is that not the most perfect view of an English garden?” she uttered.
He squeezed her slightly, “It’s wonderful, Cady. Absolutely wonderful.”
“Oh Pete!” she pulled out of his arms to turn around and kiss him deeply. “This is ourfirst home!”
His smile increased, “I’m so glad you’re happy.”
“Oh, baby, I am,” she nodded, before picking up his arm and checking the watch on his wrist. “Oh no. We have to go.”
“Why? Where do we have to be?”
“We have to get to the furniture store before they close so we can buy a bed and other things!”
His eyes glanced around the empty flat, “Cady, I don’t know that we’ll have time to properly shop. It is late already.”
“The least we can do is go order a bed for tomorrow. I can live out of a suitcase for as long as it takes, but I’m not sleeping on the floor,” she stated, pulling from his arms and heading to the door.
“But we’re not checking out of the hotel tonight,” he pointed out, hurrying after her.
“I know that. But we need a bed for tomorrow night. If we get in before they close, we can get it delivered tomorrow. Hurry up, Pete,” Cady explained.
Hopping out of a cab at the nearest furniture store, Pete decided he was buying a new car as soon as he could so they wouldn’t have to walk or take a cab everywhere. Surely Cady would not argue against that. As he followed her into the store, not about to bring up the money thing again, his eyes widened slightly. There was no way they could afford the items in that store, not even on credit. No way. It was all more than he–
“Oh, Pete, that one there,” she pointed at a bed further from the natural pathway of the store.
His eyes traced her point. While it could not have been an inexpensive bed, just from the looks of the store as it were, perhaps it was tucked away because it was not the most expensive one. In fact compared to the ornately carved beds they had passed, it looked positively plain. The tall headboard was plain, covered with a white fabric. It was without a footboard and the mattress rested on a fabric-covered platform that reminded him of the base of a couch. It was simple, modern, and something he would not mind bedding down with Cady in. Following her over to it, Pete smiled as she sat down and patted the mattress next to her. The moment he sat down, she laid back. With a smirk, he did the same.
“Oh yes, this is the one, Pete,” she turned on her side to face him. “Definitely.”
Just before Pete could turn to face her as well, a salesman approached the couple, “Gran' afternoon. Ratha comfortable bed, in'it?”
Sitting up and then standing, Pete nodded, “It is. How much, including delivery?”
“Jont it ta be 'a' size?”
He glanced back at his girlfriend and then the bed, “Cady? What size do you think?”
She rolled over, accidentally flashing her panties at Pete, “Any bigger and it won’t fit in our flat. I’m okay with cuddling.”
Pete could not respond, his thoughts focusing on the brief glimpse of what he shouldn’t have seen, wondering if the salesman had seen it as well. Couldn’t Cady be more ladylike in public? He certainly did not want to be sharing her with all of the world.
“Sa dis size?”
His eyes snapped to the salesman, “Yes. Yes. How much?”
“Wi' deliveree, t' bed costs three 'undred pounds.”
He looked back to Cady, trying to figure out how to tell her that he thought it was too much to spend on a bed. It was only for the bed, not the linens or anything else they would need. They would be much better off if they went somewhere else and… she was pouting. He couldn’t tell her no. That was the bed she wanted; that was the bed they were buying.
“We’ll pay half now in cash, the other half upon delivery,” Pete declared.
“Ahl nip on 'n gerr t' papers for theur ta fill art,” the salesman stated before heading away from them.
Jumping up, Cady threw her arms around Pete and kissed him quickly, “I am so proud of you.”
“Because I can’t tell you no?”
“No, silly,” she kissed him again, “because you just agreed to use my money to buy our bed, without really fighting me on it.”
He frowned, “Cady, I don’t think–”
“I don’t care. I am proud of you. Tomorrow we’ll go get linens and curtains and… and…” she bubbled.
Unable to help smiling at her happiness, he squeezed her slightly, “Whatever you want, baby.”
She rubbed her nose with his, “Where are we going for dinner tonight? Or do you want to go to Kit’s now and get all our things and take them to the new place?”
“I… let’s do the last first. Then we can find a restaurant near our new home,” Pete suggested.
“Fabulous!” she kissed him again as the salesman returned.
“Will theur be needin enny otha furniture? Eur dinin table? Chairs 'n eur sofeur?” he asked.
Cady was about to ask to be directed to whatever it was he was talking about, not entirely sure how to translate his accent, but Pete shook his head, “The bed will do us for now. Thank you.”
After he had filled out the paperwork with their new address and the delivery time, fished out the money from his wallet, and shook the salesman’s hand, Pete turned and led Cady from the shop before she could get distracted into browsing and likely buying more furniture. He knew they could find suitable furniture for their new flat while keeping costs down. But now wasn’t the time as shops were closing up. They would fetch their belongings from Kit’s place and settle down for the night. It had already been a long day of looking at residences; they could relax now.
Two hours later, Cady scooted in the booth over to Pete. His arm easily slipped about her shoulders, pulling her close. With a smile, her sparkling eyes looked into his briefly before she kissed him.
“You know something, Pete?”
“What, baby?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy before.”
“While I don’t like the thought that you have not been happy before, I am honored to be part of the reason you are now. But tell me what I’ve done to make you happy and what more I can do,” Pete requested, completely ignoring the looks from other patrons as he encouraged Cady’s cuddling.
“I wasn’t always unhappy, if that’s any consolation, but never this happy. I’ve never been in a place where someone quite obviously cares so much for me. We found our first home together today, Pete. That’s astounding,” she explained. “I have a home with someone, a real home.”
“You lived with Jimi before.”
She crinkled her nose, “That wasn’t a home. Not in the least.”
He touched her wrinkled nose, “I promise you will always have a home with me.”
Smiling, Cady kissed him quickly once more, “I’m so lucky to have found you.”
“I am more so. Definitely.”
Hand in Pete’s, Cady followed him out of the tube. Her eyes danced about, taking in the rapidly changing sites of the nightlife. While she had spent a great deal in London before, with Jimi, she had not really spent much time out and about in it – at least not in the manner she expected she would be with Pete. Jimi had only taken her to gigs, to the studio. Even though she had snuck away on many occasions, it was different actually being escorted about.
Suddenly she recognized their location and came to a complete halt. Snapping to a stop, Pete turned to see what had caught Cady’s eyes. His gaze followed hers and he smiled. Silently she pulled him over to the partially hidden bench. The couple quickly sat, Cady crawling into Pete’s lap once possible. She rubbed her nose with his.
“Do you know where we are?” she muttered.
“Of course I do.”
“Where?”
Pete looked around, “Well there’s a number of clubs here. We’re just outside the–”
“Pete!” she interrupted. “This is our bench.”
“I know,” he smiled and quickly kissed her. “I have a confession.”
“I’m not a priest, but okay.”
He chuckled, “Anyways, whenever I couldn’t help thinking of you, I would come here and sit on this bench.”
“You did?”
Pete nodded, “I think a part of me was hoping you would just reappear.”
She nuzzled him again, “Well I’m here now.”
“That you are,” he kissed her slowly for a few moments. “And I want everyone to see you. Come dance with me.”
A few minutes later, Pete led Cady out onto the dance floor. With a quick kiss, she soon found the rhythm of the music and began to gyrate and wiggle to the music. Pete could not help but smile at her actions. Her every movement was natural, organic, and even erotic. She was beautiful and she was all his. He could already feel everyone’s envy, especially when the music drove her back to wrapping around him. He had the most beautiful woman in the entire world kissing him, loving him. They all should be jealous.
“Pete, I need a drink,” Cady declared.
He kissed her quickly, “Keep dancing. I’ll be right back.”
Quickly grabbing a drink from the bar, Pete returned to Cady and froze. She was no longer dancing alone. While he did not really think she would dance alone infinitely, he had not expected her new partner to be someone he knew, someone she even knew. But there she was, circling the dance floor with none other than Keith Moon, who grinned like a child in a candy store. He nearly dropped her drink. But as they danced past him, Pete’s eyes connected with Cady’s and she quickly pulled out of Keith’s arms. Though the drummer reached for her instantly, she evaded his grasp and skipped back into Pete’s arms, kissed his mouth, and slipped the drink from his hand.
“Look who I found!” she claimed, motioning to Keith.
“’ello, Pete!” he grinned, his arm reaching to snake around Cady’s waist and pull her back to the dance floor. “I’m going to keep this one dancing!”
She stepped out of his reach, keeping herself in Pete’s arms as she worked on the cool drink, “Keith said that John’s here too. But I haven’t been introduced to him.”
Pete’s eyes quickly glanced over the crowd, looking for John Entwistle. Finding the bassist in the crowd, talking up a blond while he sipped on amber liquor, he decided introducing her to his best mate would not be a bad idea at all. John was much safer than Keith and would perhaps help shield Cady from the drummer. Wordlessly he turned her about and led her with his hand on her lower back to meet the bassist.
“Evenin’, John,” Pete greeted as they approached him.
“’ello, Pete!” he grinned, sticking his hand out. “Glad to see you made it ‘ome in one piece!”
“Home is relative,” he responded. “In any event, I’d like you to meet Cady, my girlfriend.”
His eyes flicked to the girl at Pete’s side and he smiled, “’ello, love. Pleasure to finally put a name to such a pretty face.”
She smiled sweetly, “Great to formally meet you too, John. Who’s your friend?
John looked to the blond and smirked, “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
Cady instantly rolled her eyes as did the other woman who then walked away. While the drummer who had followed them over turned to watch the woman walk away, John shrugged and took another drink of whatever whiskey he was drinking. Setting her empty glass on the counter he leaned on, she smiled and asked John to dance. The bassist’s eyes flicked to Pete who shrugged slightly in approval. A moment later, Cady and John whirled about the dance floor as psychedelic rainbow forms danced on their bodies.
Ordering another drink, Pete leaned on the counter, waiting for his order.
“You okay?” Keith asked, sipping a beer.
“Of course I am,” Pete responded. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well… uh…” his brown eyes went back to the dance floor. “The fact your girl is grinding with Jimmy?”
His eyes snapped to Cady. Just as Keith had mentioned, she was dancing with Jimmy Page, one of the guitarists for The Yardbirds. The dark man, who was almost exactly the same height as Cady – even though both wore short heels, wrapped his arms about the young woman, whispering in her ear as he led her around the dance floor. Pete just knew he was trying to seduce his woman, to steal her from him. Why the hell had John let Jimmy cut in?
Quickly draining his drink, he slammed it down on the counter and headed back out on the dance floor. Stalking towards them, he shot a glare at John who was dancing with a redhead with too much eye shadow on. As he reached his girlfriend and the former session player, his arm quickly slinked around Cady’s waist and pulled her away from Jimmy. Before she could even so much as squeak at the interruption, his mouth crashed down upon hers.
“Hello, Pete,” she muttered when he pulled away. “You okay, love?”
“I think it’s time to go home,” he stated darkly.
“What? Why? I was having fun,” Cady proclaimed as he pulled her off the dance floor.
“I could see that.”
She pulled out of his grasp, halting at the very edge of the dance floor, “Do not tell me that you’re jealous.”
“Cady, he was practically fucking you out there!” he retorted, waving to the dance floor behind him.
“Who?”
“Jimmy Page, that’s who!” his voice rose over the music enough that a number of people turned to look at the couple.
Without pause, Cady framed his face with both of her hands and kissed him hard, “I loveyou, Peter. You. I could dance with Adonis himself and I would still choose you without even a thought. You have nothing to worry about.”
“But–”
“I love you, Pete,” she kissed him again. “You.”
“But–”
“Come on,” Cady’s hand dropped to his and she pulled him back towards the dance floor. “Let me show you and everyone here who I belong to.”
Legs folded under her, Cady’s eyes quickly scanned the newsprint before her. While Pete sipped his tea on the other side of the room, reading the paper far more closely, she searched for ideas and deals on furnishings for their new flat. The night before she pulled vows out of Keith and John to help them move Pete’s things into the apartment in an hour or so, provided either were even awake. Of course, Cady had no issues in calling Pete’s bandmates and waking them up for their assistance. She wanted to get all of their things out of Kit’s flat sooner than later so they could get to shopping.
“Pete, do you want a more modern feel or something older?”
“Whatever you want, Cady,” he responded, not even glancing up.
“Blue or green?”
“What are you coloring?”
“Everything,” Cady answered.
“Whatever you choose is fine with me.”
Looking at him, she tilted her head to the side, very aware he was not paying much attention to her at the moment, “I think I’m no longer going to wear clothes.”
“As you wish.”
“Do you think a crib or a cradle is a better choice for the space?”
“Whatever you want.”
“I’m running away with Jimmy Page since I conceived his baby last night while you blinked and looked away,” she blurted out.
Pete’s eyes snapped up to her with those words, “What?”
Cady quickly got off the bed and approached him, pulling the newspaper from his hand and sitting in his lap, “You haven’t been paying attention to a word I’ve said.”
“I was reading the pa–”
“And I fucked Jimmy Page last night.”
His eyes widened, “What? When? I did not get that boozed.”
She rolled her eyes, “We need to call Keith and John and make sure they’re up and moving to help us move into our flat.”
“What about Jimmy Page?”
“You know, I didn’t ask him last night if he would help us move. He doesn’t really seem the kind to be hauling boxes up a few flights of stairs without some strong motivation,” Cady responded.
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Uh huh,” she got back up. “Call Keith and John and then Kit. We need to check out of this hotel and get moving, Pete. We have a lot to do today.”
Within the hour, Cady stood in the center of the new apartment, directing the boxes in place as the four men brought them upstairs. Once the last one was stowed, Cady pulled Kit aside and asked his opinion of where to shop for everything else for their flat. He rattled off a few shop names but was interrupted before detailing much by the delivery of Pete and Cady’s bed. Fracturing the conversation, she attended Pete and the delivery men as they attempted to set up the bed in the bedroom while Keith and John returned from a quick beer run. The moment Pete’s fingers got too close to be pinched by the bed, Cady sent him out of the room to let the store’s men do their job without endangering his job.
Kit seized the opportunity to bring up the band’s work, “We need to put out a single. Last week.”
“Fuck, Kit, I’ve only been back in England two days. Give me a minute to relax,” Pete responded.
“You’ve already had that,” he retorted. “I’ve booked studio time for the end of the week.”
“But we don’t have anything to record.”
“You better get something ready then.”
“Fuck, Kit. I–”
“And I called Roger for a meeting,” the manager stated. “We’ll meet with him in an hour.”
“I’m supposed to go shopping with Cady,” Pete replied.
“Sorry but band priorities come–”
Cady skipped out of the bedroom and wrapped her arms around Pete’s neck from behind, kissing his cheek loudly, “It fits just perfectly, Pete. Come see and you can help me decide what to look for today.”
“Um, well, baby, I can’t go shopping with you today,” he spoke up. “At least not for awhile. I have to meet with the band.”
Her eyes flicked around the room, “But everyone is here… except Roger. Can’t you just do it now and call him about it or something?”
Pete glanced to Kit for the answer.
“Sorry, but that won’t work. We have very particular things to discuss and a phone call simply will not do. Besides do you even have your phone turned on yet?” Kit countered.
“Fuck, no,” Pete grumbled, glancing over his shoulder at Cady. “Show me the bedroom and I’ll try and catch up with you shopping later today. Are you okay going alone?”
She pouted but nodded, releasing him, “I suppose so.”
Forty-five minutes later, Pete kissed Cady before leaving her in a heavy shopping area. He promised to come and find her sooner than later, but she did not really expect to see him before the shops closed. Sighing as the car pulled away with the majority of the band in it, she turned and looked up and down the street. With a shrug, she randomly chose to go left and began to wander. Passing a book shop and then a small art gallery, Cady did no more than glance in the windows until she reached an antique shop. Though she was thinking of a more updated look for their flat, considering their bed, she thought she might be able to find a couple of Art Nouveau pieces to blend seamlessly into whatever else she found that day.
Her fingers trailed over trinkets and random lamps, but nothing really struck her fancy. Most of the items tended to be Victorian in design if not age. That really would not do. About to give up, a brass lamp with dark maroon hemispherical glass shade caught her eye. Stepping towards it, her fingertips grazed the lampshade before tracing down the almost human-like figures decorating the support. A slight smile teased the edge of her lips. This was something she could work with.
“Rather nice lamp, but if you’re looking for Art Nouveau, this isn’t really the shop for it,” a familiar voice interrupted her visualization of the new flat designed around the lamp.
Turning, her blue eyes met soft gray and she smiled, “Jimmy.”
“Good afternoon, Cadence. How do you fare?” he swept up her hand and kissed it.
She grinned a bit more, “Not so lonely now. How lucky I am to run into you.”
Jimmy frowned, his fingers still holding hers, “Has Pete abandoned you? I always thought him to be a smart man, but that may prove counter.”
“He had to go to a band meeting,” Cady responded. “So I am left to shop alone.”
“Ah but no longer alone,” he replied. “What is it you shop for?”
“I have an entire flat besides the bed to fill,” she explained. “Pete has no furniture; all of mine is in New York.”
“And your taste is Art Nouveau?” his dark eyes motioned to the lamp.
“Not necessarily. But it certainly is not Victorian.”
“Then let us go elsewhere,” he suggested. “I have the afternoon free, if you would care for the company.”
“Most definitely.”
Fidgeting John looked back and forth as Roger and Pete argued about the direction the next album should go. Knowing full well that Pete hadn’t any song written – as he had claimed so himself back at his flat – meant this fight was full of nothing but hot air. He understood that Pete wanted to be with his new girlfriend, not the band, but fuck, he was supposed to meet with Alison in about an hour to head out on their honeymoon. Had they all forgotten the wedding two days before? He couldn’t blame Pete, since he had been in flight during the wedding, but the rest of them should have known.
“IT IS FUCKING RIDICULOUS! IT IS JUST FUCKING POT. THEY’RE ONLY LOCKED UP BECAUSE THEY’RE FAMOUS!” Pete burst out, drawing the bassist’s eyes to him.
“Well what do you suggest then?” Roger responded.
“Release a single in protest,” Kit suggested, focusing on Pete. “If you can’t write a song by the studio time Friday, then we’ll record Stones songs.”
The band fell silent for a moment, considering the suggestion.
“A’ight,” Keith was the first to agree. “Sounds good ta me.”
“No objections?” Kit looked around at the band. “Good. We’ll meet at the studio at noon on Friday.”
“Except me,” John spoke up.
All eyes trained on him.
“I’m leaving on my honeymoon in an hour.”
“Oh, fuck, man. I’m sorry I missed it,” Pete instantly frowned.
“It’s okay. You were on a plane making your way here with your lovely lady. Nothing you could have done about it, mate,” John responded.
“You go enjoy your honeymoon. I’ll take care of everything while you’re gone,” he offered. “In fact you better leave now. Don’t want to be late to your own honeymoon.”
After John departed, the rest of the band sat around silently for a few minutes. Already Pete was beginning to feel the pressure to perform – and yet all he wanted to do was find Cady and spend time with her. Fuck The Who; he had a woman to love, a woman to shop for curtains with. All the rest of this was unimportant.
“Well okay then,” Pete got to his feet. “I’ll see you all on Friday.”
Before Pete could slip out of the room, Roger spoke up, “The girl… is she the one from Monterey?”
“I left California with her, what the fuck do you think?”
Roger scowled, “I don’t like her.”
“And I don’t care. You have nothing to do with my relationship, Roger.”
“She’s changed you, mate.”
“What? Can’t stand me being happy? Too fucking bad,” he spat and stomped towards the door. “Stay out of my business. I stay out of yours.”
Before Roger could continue his declarations of dislike of Cady, Pete left. He really did have no desire to hear anything negative about Cady – because it was all lies. He knew that. Cady was wonderful, perhaps not perfect, but wonderful. If Roger could not handle him being happy, it was Roger’s problem not his. Fuck the pretentious prick. He had more important things to worry about, like trying to locate Cady on the street he left her and making up for the fact he left her alone to shop for their home. That was going to be far more trying than the singer not liking his girlfriend.
Arriving via taxi in the approximate locale he left Cady, Pete began to wander the street. Shops were close to shuttering up, something that did not bode well at all to him. Had she gone home? What if he didn’t find her? What if someone had kidnapped her and were – no, he couldn’t think such things. She was likely just browsing something or other for their new home. That was the logical thing; that was what she was doing.
Glancing in a coffeehouse, Pete froze. He had found her, but she wasn’t alone. Not in the least. Jealousy and anger instantly shot through his veins, almost as powerful as the spell that came over him while on stage. Of all the people in the world, in London, she had to be with him. Maybe her teasing that morning had not been all in cruel jest. Maybe she did fancy him. Maybe she–
Pushing the door open, Pete stomped in. He ignored everyone, his intense blue eyes trained on Cady and Jimmy seated at a table not far from the window. Had she chosen such a place to put her new found romance on display? Was this how she was going to end things with him, by replacing him with another guitarist? Did she–
“Pete!” she chirped, jumping up and flinging her arms around his neck. “Oh how I have missed you.”
Her lips touched his before he could say a thing, slightly tempering his anger.
“Did you guys figure out whatever it was Kit wanted you to?” she asked.
“What’s he doing here?” he ignored her question, his eyes motioning to Jimmy.
“Oh I ran into Jimmy in one of the antique shops. It’s rather good I did too. I wouldn’t have found–”
“Did you fuck him?”
“Whoa, what?” her eyes snapped to his.
“Did you fuck him?”
“Um, no. He just went shopping with me, though I had a hard time picking out things without you,” she responded cautiously. “Jimmy suggested we wait here until you showed up. The shop with the items I think would work perfectly agreed to stay open until you had a chance to give your opinion.”
“Uh huh,” Pete responded, stepping out of her embrace, his attention going to Jimmy. “What are you intentions with my girlfriend?”
Jimmy’s brows knitted in confusion, “I do not understand.”
“Are you trying to seduce Cady?”
He glanced at her, “No, of course not, Pete. I merely bumped into Cadence while she was shopping alone. I could not in good conscience leave her be in a part of the city she is unfamiliar. That would be unkind and ungentlemanly.”
“Are you implying that I’m–”
Cady stepped between the two men, her hands on Pete’s chest, pushing him away, “Stop it. Stop it right now, Pete.”
He looked into her eyes, “Cady, he–”
“Was a perfect gentleman. Now come on and help me decide what linens to put on ourbed,” she instructed, nudging him towards the door.
“But Jimmy–”
“There is no ‘but Jimmy.’ I don’t know what you think happened in the two hours you left me alone here but I assure you it was all innocent. Jimmy might not be; I don’t know him well enough to truly tell. But nothing happened between us. So strike it out of your mind and come and pick out fucking sheets for our bed,” she spoke softly.
His eyes caught Jimmy’s briefly before Cady pushed him fully out of the coffeehouse. Though he had no reason to doubt her, none at all, Pete could not help but feel like in some way Jimmy was undercutting their young relationship. Why the fuck was it always a Jimmy or a Jimi who caused him issues with Cady? What was that all about?
“Oh and by the way, I bought something special for you today, but now I don’t think you deserve it,” she stated, glancing at the traffic, waiting for a break to cross.
His face softened, seeing her anger and disappointment on her face, “Cady, it’s not that I don’t trust you. Jimmy Page is just–”
“A man. But guess what, Pete? You’re my man. That means you automatically trump every other man in the world. I’m not going to fuck around on you. I love you. No one can ever change that. Stop doubting my love.”
“It’s just… it’s just hard to fathom why a beautiful woman like you would want an ugly geezer like me,” he admitted softly. “Jimmy is–”
Cady instantly turned to Pete and halted his words with a kiss, “You are beautiful just the way you are, Pete. And I mean it. Just the way you are.”
Rating: PG-13 [language]
Summary: Pete & Cady go out on the town and get settled in their new flat. Special guest star in this episode. And the band makes a brief appearance.
Waking before Cady, something he attributed to the time change more than anything, Pete watched her doze in his arms. Her lips twitched ever so slightly, her eyelids vibrated. He reached up with his right hand and gently caressed her cheek, watching her lips curve into a slight smile at his touch. As she did not wake at all, something he was actually grateful for, his eyes continued to observe her. His fingers wandered from her cheek and traced along the graceful curve of her eyebrow before trailing down her nose. His thumb traced over her plump bottom lip and he struggled so hard to not lean in to kiss her. Deciding that was not a bad way to wake up, at least in his mind, Pete wiggled in bed to better position himself to kiss her. As their lips touched, Cady inhaled deeply, indicating she was awake.
“Good morning, Pete,” she muttered softly.
“Good morning, baby,” he smiled. “Did you sleep all right?”
“Of course,” she snuggled closer to him. “What are we doing today?”
“Well we have to find some place to live. And I suppose Kit will expect me to check in the band,” Pete stated.
“Suppose that means we can’t stay in bed all day,” she frowned.
“Sure we can. We don’t have to do any of that.”
Cady smiled crookedly and stretched up to kiss him, “Yes, we do. Kit cannot afford to keep us in this hotel that long at all. I am certain he is just as broke as you.”
Pete frowned, “Baby, I can’t afford to get us a place.”
She quickly kissed his downturned mouth, “We will get us a nice place together. No one will even think for a moment that you’re not the successful, put together man you should be. And don’t you dare complain to me about being able to afford it or not. Did I not already give you quite a bit of money to keep in your billfold?”
“But it’s your money,” he argued.
“It’s our money,” she instantly retorted. “You need to stop worrying about where the money came from. I don’t. You shouldn’t either.”
“But, Cady, it’s your money.”
She kissed him again, “I have told you numerous times, Pete, that I am fine supporting us until you are in the black. Really, love, it is no big deal. No one else needs to know about it. I don’t want them to, you don’t want them to. I love you and I think it’s perfectly fine for me to take care of you for now. You can shower me with all sorts of silly material things in the future, my love.”
“But, Cady–”
Pulling away from him quickly, she rolled out of bed, “Let’s get ready and go find some place to live so you can focus on turning some aspect of our new flat into a studio.”
“But, Cady,” he got out of bed and followed her into the bathroom, “I can’t pay any bills. I’m sure of it.”
She turned around quickly, “Stop it, Pete. Stop it right now. Push that worry from your mind. I will take care of the finances. I’m good at that. Hell I bet I can even straighten out yours. Stop worrying about it. No one is going to know if you contribute five pounds or five hundred pounds to our monthly living expenses. It is none of their business and we are going to keep it that way. Understood?”
“But–”
“Dammit, Pete. No, just no,” she pushed him out of the bathroom.
Faced with the bathroom door, Pete took a deep breath. Why did he always bring up the financial situation? They had gone over it more than enough, clearly more than Cady cared to ever go over it again. He knew she was uncomfortable with having money and he was uncomfortable with not having it. Clearly where they intersected should be their common ground. And she was right. Logically it made sense; she would pay for things discreetly for now, he would pay for things once everything else got straightened out. And he would do his part by getting to work on a new single as soon as he could. But first they needed a place to live. And that was not going to happen while she was locked away in the bathroom, pissed at him.
He would order room service and hope that breakfast cheered her. Her eyes did light up when she stepped out of the bathroom to the sights and smells of breakfast. She skipped right over to him, plopping down in his lap before he could say a thing. Her lips kissed his before she turned to see what was for breakfast.
“Oh this is a proper English breakfast if I ever saw one,” she commented, reaching for a tea cup.
“Well you are in England now, Cady,” he responded.
“And happy to be here,” Cady claimed, kissed him again, and offered him the tea cup. “Where are we going to look for a place?”
“I… don’t know.”
She kissed him again after he sipped the tea, “We’ll figure it out before long. I’m sure of it.”
Standing in front of the four story brick building, Cady nodded as she looked up at it. Even though they had already visited a number of flats all over town, she knew this was the one. If it were up to her, she would sign papers and plop money down on it without even looking at it. But she had a feeling that would cause Pete undue stress. So her hand slipped into his and she trailed behind him and the building manager. They walked up a flight of slightly creaky steps before stopping in front of a door. The manager was trying to sell the neighborhood as a good place for a young couple to settle down, but Cady was not paying any attention at all. As soon as the door was open, she pulled free of Pete’s grip and headed directly into the flat.
The building manager went quiet, watching Cady as she quickly glanced around, making her way to the windows at the opposite end. Pete joined her a moment later, his hand touching her lower back. She turned, her blue eyes meeting his. Asking the question without words, Pete received an answer just as silently.
He turned to the manager, “How soon can we move in?”
A half an hour later, the manager handed the keys over to Pete after he handed the signed lease to the manager. Cady instantly looped her arms around Pete’s neck and kissed him. The manager quickly left the space, saying very little except a brief welcome to the neighborhood. As soon as the door clicked behind him, Cady squealed, pulled away from Pete, and danced around the empty flat. He laughed until she spun by him, grabbed his hands, and forced him to dance with her in their new home.
Pulling him to the windows, she stopped, wrapping his arms around her waist. His chin rested on her shoulder, his lips turning to kiss her ear ever so briefly. She squeezed his hands after folding her arms over his.
“I know it’s not perfect, but just look, Pete. Is that not the most perfect view of an English garden?” she uttered.
He squeezed her slightly, “It’s wonderful, Cady. Absolutely wonderful.”
“Oh Pete!” she pulled out of his arms to turn around and kiss him deeply. “This is ourfirst home!”
His smile increased, “I’m so glad you’re happy.”
“Oh, baby, I am,” she nodded, before picking up his arm and checking the watch on his wrist. “Oh no. We have to go.”
“Why? Where do we have to be?”
“We have to get to the furniture store before they close so we can buy a bed and other things!”
His eyes glanced around the empty flat, “Cady, I don’t know that we’ll have time to properly shop. It is late already.”
“The least we can do is go order a bed for tomorrow. I can live out of a suitcase for as long as it takes, but I’m not sleeping on the floor,” she stated, pulling from his arms and heading to the door.
“But we’re not checking out of the hotel tonight,” he pointed out, hurrying after her.
“I know that. But we need a bed for tomorrow night. If we get in before they close, we can get it delivered tomorrow. Hurry up, Pete,” Cady explained.
Hopping out of a cab at the nearest furniture store, Pete decided he was buying a new car as soon as he could so they wouldn’t have to walk or take a cab everywhere. Surely Cady would not argue against that. As he followed her into the store, not about to bring up the money thing again, his eyes widened slightly. There was no way they could afford the items in that store, not even on credit. No way. It was all more than he–
“Oh, Pete, that one there,” she pointed at a bed further from the natural pathway of the store.
His eyes traced her point. While it could not have been an inexpensive bed, just from the looks of the store as it were, perhaps it was tucked away because it was not the most expensive one. In fact compared to the ornately carved beds they had passed, it looked positively plain. The tall headboard was plain, covered with a white fabric. It was without a footboard and the mattress rested on a fabric-covered platform that reminded him of the base of a couch. It was simple, modern, and something he would not mind bedding down with Cady in. Following her over to it, Pete smiled as she sat down and patted the mattress next to her. The moment he sat down, she laid back. With a smirk, he did the same.
“Oh yes, this is the one, Pete,” she turned on her side to face him. “Definitely.”
Just before Pete could turn to face her as well, a salesman approached the couple, “Gran' afternoon. Ratha comfortable bed, in'it?”
Sitting up and then standing, Pete nodded, “It is. How much, including delivery?”
“Jont it ta be 'a' size?”
He glanced back at his girlfriend and then the bed, “Cady? What size do you think?”
She rolled over, accidentally flashing her panties at Pete, “Any bigger and it won’t fit in our flat. I’m okay with cuddling.”
Pete could not respond, his thoughts focusing on the brief glimpse of what he shouldn’t have seen, wondering if the salesman had seen it as well. Couldn’t Cady be more ladylike in public? He certainly did not want to be sharing her with all of the world.
“Sa dis size?”
His eyes snapped to the salesman, “Yes. Yes. How much?”
“Wi' deliveree, t' bed costs three 'undred pounds.”
He looked back to Cady, trying to figure out how to tell her that he thought it was too much to spend on a bed. It was only for the bed, not the linens or anything else they would need. They would be much better off if they went somewhere else and… she was pouting. He couldn’t tell her no. That was the bed she wanted; that was the bed they were buying.
“We’ll pay half now in cash, the other half upon delivery,” Pete declared.
“Ahl nip on 'n gerr t' papers for theur ta fill art,” the salesman stated before heading away from them.
Jumping up, Cady threw her arms around Pete and kissed him quickly, “I am so proud of you.”
“Because I can’t tell you no?”
“No, silly,” she kissed him again, “because you just agreed to use my money to buy our bed, without really fighting me on it.”
He frowned, “Cady, I don’t think–”
“I don’t care. I am proud of you. Tomorrow we’ll go get linens and curtains and… and…” she bubbled.
Unable to help smiling at her happiness, he squeezed her slightly, “Whatever you want, baby.”
She rubbed her nose with his, “Where are we going for dinner tonight? Or do you want to go to Kit’s now and get all our things and take them to the new place?”
“I… let’s do the last first. Then we can find a restaurant near our new home,” Pete suggested.
“Fabulous!” she kissed him again as the salesman returned.
“Will theur be needin enny otha furniture? Eur dinin table? Chairs 'n eur sofeur?” he asked.
Cady was about to ask to be directed to whatever it was he was talking about, not entirely sure how to translate his accent, but Pete shook his head, “The bed will do us for now. Thank you.”
After he had filled out the paperwork with their new address and the delivery time, fished out the money from his wallet, and shook the salesman’s hand, Pete turned and led Cady from the shop before she could get distracted into browsing and likely buying more furniture. He knew they could find suitable furniture for their new flat while keeping costs down. But now wasn’t the time as shops were closing up. They would fetch their belongings from Kit’s place and settle down for the night. It had already been a long day of looking at residences; they could relax now.
Two hours later, Cady scooted in the booth over to Pete. His arm easily slipped about her shoulders, pulling her close. With a smile, her sparkling eyes looked into his briefly before she kissed him.
“You know something, Pete?”
“What, baby?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy before.”
“While I don’t like the thought that you have not been happy before, I am honored to be part of the reason you are now. But tell me what I’ve done to make you happy and what more I can do,” Pete requested, completely ignoring the looks from other patrons as he encouraged Cady’s cuddling.
“I wasn’t always unhappy, if that’s any consolation, but never this happy. I’ve never been in a place where someone quite obviously cares so much for me. We found our first home together today, Pete. That’s astounding,” she explained. “I have a home with someone, a real home.”
“You lived with Jimi before.”
She crinkled her nose, “That wasn’t a home. Not in the least.”
He touched her wrinkled nose, “I promise you will always have a home with me.”
Smiling, Cady kissed him quickly once more, “I’m so lucky to have found you.”
“I am more so. Definitely.”
Hand in Pete’s, Cady followed him out of the tube. Her eyes danced about, taking in the rapidly changing sites of the nightlife. While she had spent a great deal in London before, with Jimi, she had not really spent much time out and about in it – at least not in the manner she expected she would be with Pete. Jimi had only taken her to gigs, to the studio. Even though she had snuck away on many occasions, it was different actually being escorted about.
Suddenly she recognized their location and came to a complete halt. Snapping to a stop, Pete turned to see what had caught Cady’s eyes. His gaze followed hers and he smiled. Silently she pulled him over to the partially hidden bench. The couple quickly sat, Cady crawling into Pete’s lap once possible. She rubbed her nose with his.
“Do you know where we are?” she muttered.
“Of course I do.”
“Where?”
Pete looked around, “Well there’s a number of clubs here. We’re just outside the–”
“Pete!” she interrupted. “This is our bench.”
“I know,” he smiled and quickly kissed her. “I have a confession.”
“I’m not a priest, but okay.”
He chuckled, “Anyways, whenever I couldn’t help thinking of you, I would come here and sit on this bench.”
“You did?”
Pete nodded, “I think a part of me was hoping you would just reappear.”
She nuzzled him again, “Well I’m here now.”
“That you are,” he kissed her slowly for a few moments. “And I want everyone to see you. Come dance with me.”
A few minutes later, Pete led Cady out onto the dance floor. With a quick kiss, she soon found the rhythm of the music and began to gyrate and wiggle to the music. Pete could not help but smile at her actions. Her every movement was natural, organic, and even erotic. She was beautiful and she was all his. He could already feel everyone’s envy, especially when the music drove her back to wrapping around him. He had the most beautiful woman in the entire world kissing him, loving him. They all should be jealous.
“Pete, I need a drink,” Cady declared.
He kissed her quickly, “Keep dancing. I’ll be right back.”
Quickly grabbing a drink from the bar, Pete returned to Cady and froze. She was no longer dancing alone. While he did not really think she would dance alone infinitely, he had not expected her new partner to be someone he knew, someone she even knew. But there she was, circling the dance floor with none other than Keith Moon, who grinned like a child in a candy store. He nearly dropped her drink. But as they danced past him, Pete’s eyes connected with Cady’s and she quickly pulled out of Keith’s arms. Though the drummer reached for her instantly, she evaded his grasp and skipped back into Pete’s arms, kissed his mouth, and slipped the drink from his hand.
“Look who I found!” she claimed, motioning to Keith.
“’ello, Pete!” he grinned, his arm reaching to snake around Cady’s waist and pull her back to the dance floor. “I’m going to keep this one dancing!”
She stepped out of his reach, keeping herself in Pete’s arms as she worked on the cool drink, “Keith said that John’s here too. But I haven’t been introduced to him.”
Pete’s eyes quickly glanced over the crowd, looking for John Entwistle. Finding the bassist in the crowd, talking up a blond while he sipped on amber liquor, he decided introducing her to his best mate would not be a bad idea at all. John was much safer than Keith and would perhaps help shield Cady from the drummer. Wordlessly he turned her about and led her with his hand on her lower back to meet the bassist.
“Evenin’, John,” Pete greeted as they approached him.
“’ello, Pete!” he grinned, sticking his hand out. “Glad to see you made it ‘ome in one piece!”
“Home is relative,” he responded. “In any event, I’d like you to meet Cady, my girlfriend.”
His eyes flicked to the girl at Pete’s side and he smiled, “’ello, love. Pleasure to finally put a name to such a pretty face.”
She smiled sweetly, “Great to formally meet you too, John. Who’s your friend?
John looked to the blond and smirked, “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
Cady instantly rolled her eyes as did the other woman who then walked away. While the drummer who had followed them over turned to watch the woman walk away, John shrugged and took another drink of whatever whiskey he was drinking. Setting her empty glass on the counter he leaned on, she smiled and asked John to dance. The bassist’s eyes flicked to Pete who shrugged slightly in approval. A moment later, Cady and John whirled about the dance floor as psychedelic rainbow forms danced on their bodies.
Ordering another drink, Pete leaned on the counter, waiting for his order.
“You okay?” Keith asked, sipping a beer.
“Of course I am,” Pete responded. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Well… uh…” his brown eyes went back to the dance floor. “The fact your girl is grinding with Jimmy?”
His eyes snapped to Cady. Just as Keith had mentioned, she was dancing with Jimmy Page, one of the guitarists for The Yardbirds. The dark man, who was almost exactly the same height as Cady – even though both wore short heels, wrapped his arms about the young woman, whispering in her ear as he led her around the dance floor. Pete just knew he was trying to seduce his woman, to steal her from him. Why the hell had John let Jimmy cut in?
Quickly draining his drink, he slammed it down on the counter and headed back out on the dance floor. Stalking towards them, he shot a glare at John who was dancing with a redhead with too much eye shadow on. As he reached his girlfriend and the former session player, his arm quickly slinked around Cady’s waist and pulled her away from Jimmy. Before she could even so much as squeak at the interruption, his mouth crashed down upon hers.
“Hello, Pete,” she muttered when he pulled away. “You okay, love?”
“I think it’s time to go home,” he stated darkly.
“What? Why? I was having fun,” Cady proclaimed as he pulled her off the dance floor.
“I could see that.”
She pulled out of his grasp, halting at the very edge of the dance floor, “Do not tell me that you’re jealous.”
“Cady, he was practically fucking you out there!” he retorted, waving to the dance floor behind him.
“Who?”
“Jimmy Page, that’s who!” his voice rose over the music enough that a number of people turned to look at the couple.
Without pause, Cady framed his face with both of her hands and kissed him hard, “I loveyou, Peter. You. I could dance with Adonis himself and I would still choose you without even a thought. You have nothing to worry about.”
“But–”
“I love you, Pete,” she kissed him again. “You.”
“But–”
“Come on,” Cady’s hand dropped to his and she pulled him back towards the dance floor. “Let me show you and everyone here who I belong to.”
Legs folded under her, Cady’s eyes quickly scanned the newsprint before her. While Pete sipped his tea on the other side of the room, reading the paper far more closely, she searched for ideas and deals on furnishings for their new flat. The night before she pulled vows out of Keith and John to help them move Pete’s things into the apartment in an hour or so, provided either were even awake. Of course, Cady had no issues in calling Pete’s bandmates and waking them up for their assistance. She wanted to get all of their things out of Kit’s flat sooner than later so they could get to shopping.
“Pete, do you want a more modern feel or something older?”
“Whatever you want, Cady,” he responded, not even glancing up.
“Blue or green?”
“What are you coloring?”
“Everything,” Cady answered.
“Whatever you choose is fine with me.”
Looking at him, she tilted her head to the side, very aware he was not paying much attention to her at the moment, “I think I’m no longer going to wear clothes.”
“As you wish.”
“Do you think a crib or a cradle is a better choice for the space?”
“Whatever you want.”
“I’m running away with Jimmy Page since I conceived his baby last night while you blinked and looked away,” she blurted out.
Pete’s eyes snapped up to her with those words, “What?”
Cady quickly got off the bed and approached him, pulling the newspaper from his hand and sitting in his lap, “You haven’t been paying attention to a word I’ve said.”
“I was reading the pa–”
“And I fucked Jimmy Page last night.”
His eyes widened, “What? When? I did not get that boozed.”
She rolled her eyes, “We need to call Keith and John and make sure they’re up and moving to help us move into our flat.”
“What about Jimmy Page?”
“You know, I didn’t ask him last night if he would help us move. He doesn’t really seem the kind to be hauling boxes up a few flights of stairs without some strong motivation,” Cady responded.
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“Uh huh,” she got back up. “Call Keith and John and then Kit. We need to check out of this hotel and get moving, Pete. We have a lot to do today.”
Within the hour, Cady stood in the center of the new apartment, directing the boxes in place as the four men brought them upstairs. Once the last one was stowed, Cady pulled Kit aside and asked his opinion of where to shop for everything else for their flat. He rattled off a few shop names but was interrupted before detailing much by the delivery of Pete and Cady’s bed. Fracturing the conversation, she attended Pete and the delivery men as they attempted to set up the bed in the bedroom while Keith and John returned from a quick beer run. The moment Pete’s fingers got too close to be pinched by the bed, Cady sent him out of the room to let the store’s men do their job without endangering his job.
Kit seized the opportunity to bring up the band’s work, “We need to put out a single. Last week.”
“Fuck, Kit, I’ve only been back in England two days. Give me a minute to relax,” Pete responded.
“You’ve already had that,” he retorted. “I’ve booked studio time for the end of the week.”
“But we don’t have anything to record.”
“You better get something ready then.”
“Fuck, Kit. I–”
“And I called Roger for a meeting,” the manager stated. “We’ll meet with him in an hour.”
“I’m supposed to go shopping with Cady,” Pete replied.
“Sorry but band priorities come–”
Cady skipped out of the bedroom and wrapped her arms around Pete’s neck from behind, kissing his cheek loudly, “It fits just perfectly, Pete. Come see and you can help me decide what to look for today.”
“Um, well, baby, I can’t go shopping with you today,” he spoke up. “At least not for awhile. I have to meet with the band.”
Her eyes flicked around the room, “But everyone is here… except Roger. Can’t you just do it now and call him about it or something?”
Pete glanced to Kit for the answer.
“Sorry, but that won’t work. We have very particular things to discuss and a phone call simply will not do. Besides do you even have your phone turned on yet?” Kit countered.
“Fuck, no,” Pete grumbled, glancing over his shoulder at Cady. “Show me the bedroom and I’ll try and catch up with you shopping later today. Are you okay going alone?”
She pouted but nodded, releasing him, “I suppose so.”
Forty-five minutes later, Pete kissed Cady before leaving her in a heavy shopping area. He promised to come and find her sooner than later, but she did not really expect to see him before the shops closed. Sighing as the car pulled away with the majority of the band in it, she turned and looked up and down the street. With a shrug, she randomly chose to go left and began to wander. Passing a book shop and then a small art gallery, Cady did no more than glance in the windows until she reached an antique shop. Though she was thinking of a more updated look for their flat, considering their bed, she thought she might be able to find a couple of Art Nouveau pieces to blend seamlessly into whatever else she found that day.
Her fingers trailed over trinkets and random lamps, but nothing really struck her fancy. Most of the items tended to be Victorian in design if not age. That really would not do. About to give up, a brass lamp with dark maroon hemispherical glass shade caught her eye. Stepping towards it, her fingertips grazed the lampshade before tracing down the almost human-like figures decorating the support. A slight smile teased the edge of her lips. This was something she could work with.
“Rather nice lamp, but if you’re looking for Art Nouveau, this isn’t really the shop for it,” a familiar voice interrupted her visualization of the new flat designed around the lamp.
Turning, her blue eyes met soft gray and she smiled, “Jimmy.”
“Good afternoon, Cadence. How do you fare?” he swept up her hand and kissed it.
She grinned a bit more, “Not so lonely now. How lucky I am to run into you.”
Jimmy frowned, his fingers still holding hers, “Has Pete abandoned you? I always thought him to be a smart man, but that may prove counter.”
“He had to go to a band meeting,” Cady responded. “So I am left to shop alone.”
“Ah but no longer alone,” he replied. “What is it you shop for?”
“I have an entire flat besides the bed to fill,” she explained. “Pete has no furniture; all of mine is in New York.”
“And your taste is Art Nouveau?” his dark eyes motioned to the lamp.
“Not necessarily. But it certainly is not Victorian.”
“Then let us go elsewhere,” he suggested. “I have the afternoon free, if you would care for the company.”
“Most definitely.”
Fidgeting John looked back and forth as Roger and Pete argued about the direction the next album should go. Knowing full well that Pete hadn’t any song written – as he had claimed so himself back at his flat – meant this fight was full of nothing but hot air. He understood that Pete wanted to be with his new girlfriend, not the band, but fuck, he was supposed to meet with Alison in about an hour to head out on their honeymoon. Had they all forgotten the wedding two days before? He couldn’t blame Pete, since he had been in flight during the wedding, but the rest of them should have known.
“IT IS FUCKING RIDICULOUS! IT IS JUST FUCKING POT. THEY’RE ONLY LOCKED UP BECAUSE THEY’RE FAMOUS!” Pete burst out, drawing the bassist’s eyes to him.
“Well what do you suggest then?” Roger responded.
“Release a single in protest,” Kit suggested, focusing on Pete. “If you can’t write a song by the studio time Friday, then we’ll record Stones songs.”
The band fell silent for a moment, considering the suggestion.
“A’ight,” Keith was the first to agree. “Sounds good ta me.”
“No objections?” Kit looked around at the band. “Good. We’ll meet at the studio at noon on Friday.”
“Except me,” John spoke up.
All eyes trained on him.
“I’m leaving on my honeymoon in an hour.”
“Oh, fuck, man. I’m sorry I missed it,” Pete instantly frowned.
“It’s okay. You were on a plane making your way here with your lovely lady. Nothing you could have done about it, mate,” John responded.
“You go enjoy your honeymoon. I’ll take care of everything while you’re gone,” he offered. “In fact you better leave now. Don’t want to be late to your own honeymoon.”
After John departed, the rest of the band sat around silently for a few minutes. Already Pete was beginning to feel the pressure to perform – and yet all he wanted to do was find Cady and spend time with her. Fuck The Who; he had a woman to love, a woman to shop for curtains with. All the rest of this was unimportant.
“Well okay then,” Pete got to his feet. “I’ll see you all on Friday.”
Before Pete could slip out of the room, Roger spoke up, “The girl… is she the one from Monterey?”
“I left California with her, what the fuck do you think?”
Roger scowled, “I don’t like her.”
“And I don’t care. You have nothing to do with my relationship, Roger.”
“She’s changed you, mate.”
“What? Can’t stand me being happy? Too fucking bad,” he spat and stomped towards the door. “Stay out of my business. I stay out of yours.”
Before Roger could continue his declarations of dislike of Cady, Pete left. He really did have no desire to hear anything negative about Cady – because it was all lies. He knew that. Cady was wonderful, perhaps not perfect, but wonderful. If Roger could not handle him being happy, it was Roger’s problem not his. Fuck the pretentious prick. He had more important things to worry about, like trying to locate Cady on the street he left her and making up for the fact he left her alone to shop for their home. That was going to be far more trying than the singer not liking his girlfriend.
Arriving via taxi in the approximate locale he left Cady, Pete began to wander the street. Shops were close to shuttering up, something that did not bode well at all to him. Had she gone home? What if he didn’t find her? What if someone had kidnapped her and were – no, he couldn’t think such things. She was likely just browsing something or other for their new home. That was the logical thing; that was what she was doing.
Glancing in a coffeehouse, Pete froze. He had found her, but she wasn’t alone. Not in the least. Jealousy and anger instantly shot through his veins, almost as powerful as the spell that came over him while on stage. Of all the people in the world, in London, she had to be with him. Maybe her teasing that morning had not been all in cruel jest. Maybe she did fancy him. Maybe she–
Pushing the door open, Pete stomped in. He ignored everyone, his intense blue eyes trained on Cady and Jimmy seated at a table not far from the window. Had she chosen such a place to put her new found romance on display? Was this how she was going to end things with him, by replacing him with another guitarist? Did she–
“Pete!” she chirped, jumping up and flinging her arms around his neck. “Oh how I have missed you.”
Her lips touched his before he could say a thing, slightly tempering his anger.
“Did you guys figure out whatever it was Kit wanted you to?” she asked.
“What’s he doing here?” he ignored her question, his eyes motioning to Jimmy.
“Oh I ran into Jimmy in one of the antique shops. It’s rather good I did too. I wouldn’t have found–”
“Did you fuck him?”
“Whoa, what?” her eyes snapped to his.
“Did you fuck him?”
“Um, no. He just went shopping with me, though I had a hard time picking out things without you,” she responded cautiously. “Jimmy suggested we wait here until you showed up. The shop with the items I think would work perfectly agreed to stay open until you had a chance to give your opinion.”
“Uh huh,” Pete responded, stepping out of her embrace, his attention going to Jimmy. “What are you intentions with my girlfriend?”
Jimmy’s brows knitted in confusion, “I do not understand.”
“Are you trying to seduce Cady?”
He glanced at her, “No, of course not, Pete. I merely bumped into Cadence while she was shopping alone. I could not in good conscience leave her be in a part of the city she is unfamiliar. That would be unkind and ungentlemanly.”
“Are you implying that I’m–”
Cady stepped between the two men, her hands on Pete’s chest, pushing him away, “Stop it. Stop it right now, Pete.”
He looked into her eyes, “Cady, he–”
“Was a perfect gentleman. Now come on and help me decide what linens to put on ourbed,” she instructed, nudging him towards the door.
“But Jimmy–”
“There is no ‘but Jimmy.’ I don’t know what you think happened in the two hours you left me alone here but I assure you it was all innocent. Jimmy might not be; I don’t know him well enough to truly tell. But nothing happened between us. So strike it out of your mind and come and pick out fucking sheets for our bed,” she spoke softly.
His eyes caught Jimmy’s briefly before Cady pushed him fully out of the coffeehouse. Though he had no reason to doubt her, none at all, Pete could not help but feel like in some way Jimmy was undercutting their young relationship. Why the fuck was it always a Jimmy or a Jimi who caused him issues with Cady? What was that all about?
“Oh and by the way, I bought something special for you today, but now I don’t think you deserve it,” she stated, glancing at the traffic, waiting for a break to cross.
His face softened, seeing her anger and disappointment on her face, “Cady, it’s not that I don’t trust you. Jimmy Page is just–”
“A man. But guess what, Pete? You’re my man. That means you automatically trump every other man in the world. I’m not going to fuck around on you. I love you. No one can ever change that. Stop doubting my love.”
“It’s just… it’s just hard to fathom why a beautiful woman like you would want an ugly geezer like me,” he admitted softly. “Jimmy is–”
Cady instantly turned to Pete and halted his words with a kiss, “You are beautiful just the way you are, Pete. And I mean it. Just the way you are.”
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