Title: Don’t Look Away: Chapter Four, Fake Love
Rating: R [language, violence]

Summary: Pete needs money. Really.




Kissing him once more, Cady smiled, “Let’s go grab some breakfast. There is a fabulous diner about two blocks from here.”

Nodding Pete enfolded her hand in his. He obviously let her take the lead, though it was barely perceptible to anyone outside of the pair. Neither spoke and while Pete wanted to crawl into her thoughts, he didn’t dare break their precious moments. It was more than enough to just hold her hand, just be with her. He wondered how she had located him, especially given the infinite directions he could have taken. Could she have merely felt when he was near? He was certain he knew when she neared, felt his heart jump just a moment before spying her. Were they already so closely connected?

Cady stopped, practically causing Pete to stumble as he hadn’t expected that, “This is it.”

Glancing up at the unassuming sign, Pete nodded, squeezing Cady’s hand gently. She lead him into the restaurant, greeted the waitresses and headed directly to a table in the corner. Dropping his hand she scootched into the booth and patted the red leather seat beside her. Not even sixty seconds later a waitress appeared with a single menu, placing it in front of Pete.

“Well it’s about time you brought a man in with you,” the waitress declared, filling their coffee cups up. “I was considering introducing you to my son if something didn’t change soon.”

“Marta, your son is sixteen.”

“Not Bruno,” she tucked the coffee carafe away. “Julius. He’ll be twenty in a few weeks. You can’t be more than seventeen if a day. So introduce me to your man.”

Not feeling the need to declare that she would be nineteen in two months, Cady responded, “Marta, this is Pete. Pete, this is Marta, the one who has taken care of me for months.”

“Pleasure to meet you, ma’am,” he stated.

“Ooooooh. You’re a Brit! That’s why Cady’s been looking for: a dignified accent!” she grinned. “Now’s I understand why she’s never had a man before.”

“Marta,” Cady warned though she was smiling.

“I’ll give you a minute to look over the menu, Pete. Then we’ll talk about how you treat my Cady,” the waitress declared before walking away.

Pete was only quiet until she was out of earshot, “If you were living with Jimi why does she think—”

“I spent many a morning here while he was fucking whatever he brought home at daybreak,” she explained. “Part of the reason I moved where I did is because of its proximity to this diner.”

“You mean we’re close to Jimi’s?” he remembered the guitarist’s apartment – and the state he had left it in.

“About seven blocks north of here. My place is a bit further in the opposite direction. Trust me, love, we shouldn’t run into Jimi any time soon. I never have since I began staying at my place occasionally,” she explained.

“You’ve had the place for awhile but still lived with him?”

“Daddy bought it two months ago. I only bought the bed two weeks ago and everything else right before I left to find you.”

“Why?”

“Because I knew no matter if you remembered me or not, Monterey was the last gasp of Jimi and me,” she answered.

“But—”

“I almost forgot your hot cocoa packets,” Marta returned to the table. “You decide what you want this morning, Pete? Besides Cady of course.”

Pete flushed and didn’t respond.

Shaking one of the cocoa packets into her coffee, Cady stated, “Give us a couple of minutes, Marta. He hasn’t even looked at the menu.”

As the waitress ambled away, Pete turned his attention down to the menu. Immediately noticing it was upside down, he righted it and struggled to focus on the words. His mind was still racing along the lines of their earlier conversation. If things were so horrible with Jimi, why did she stay with him so long – especially since her father had so readily and presumably easily purchased the flat for her? What was the rea—

Lips touched his ear, “Hello, Pete?”

His unfocused eyes quickly snapped to hers.

Without pause Cady kissed his slightly parted lips but did not deepen the kiss. Instead she pulled back and looked deeply into his dark blue eyes. She could see him quickly considering a million things.

“Baby,” she breathed, her fingers caressing his cheek before kissing him again, “it’s time for breakfast, not deep thoughts.”

“But—”

“We can talk about anything you want – later. Find something to eat before Marta harasses you again. No doubt you could use the energy,” her hand dropped down to his leg and squeezed his thigh.

“I... okay. What would you recommend?”



Two hours after their arrival, Marta finally brought their check. While they had finished their meal awhile before, she took her time, mostly to continue watching the two interact. Cady had been a regular for many months and the waitress had a soft spot for the young woman. She knew little about her but that hardly mattered. And she wasn’t about to let this British man take her away without feeling him out. Marta presumed their love was young, but the more she watched the stolen kisses and glances, the more certain she was that Pete would do exactly for Cady that Marta wished. He was the One for the young woman. Only then did she bring their bill.

Quickly Cady snatched up the bill before Pete even had a chance. He didn’t have any money so he certainly couldn’t pay but it bothered him all the same. Something about the setup had to change. He needed to get some money.

“Baby,” he spoke softly, “this needs to stop. I am uncomfortable that you’re paying for everything. I’m going to get some money today and this is going to stop.”

Cady set a twenty dollar bill on the table and nudged him to slid out, “And how are you going to do that, Pete?”

He got out of the booth, “I can busk.”

“Without an instrument?” she asked as she headed towards the door, waving goodbye to her friends.

“Oh right,” Pete dutifully followed. “I’ll sell Karen’s ring.”

“Do you know where it is?”

He frowned, “Well not at the moment. I’ll call the American management. I’m sure I’m owed money for this last tour.”

Cady stopped just outside the diner, turned, and kissed him, “It’s okay, love. I am completely fine supporting us.”

“But, dammit, Cady, I’m not!” he shouted.

She blinked and touched her pointer finger to his lips, “We’ll discuss it when we get home, okay?”

Falling sullenly silent, Pete nodded. He waited for her to turn down the sidewalk and fell instep beside her. They barely walked a silent block before he began to feel guilty for snapping at her. On top of that he felt very imbalanced by the fact they walked without talking, without touching. That wasn’t right.

“Baby, I’m ... I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Pete. You’re entitled to feel how you feel,” she responded.

For a moment he stared at her, nearly running into a tree in the process, “I... well okay. But I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

Cady stopped and quickly turned to him, catching his mouth in a kiss, “You’re a passionate man, Pete. I not only understand that, but I rather like it. I understand where you’re coming from and we will discuss it more at home. The rest of New York does not need to be in on our business. I promise we’ll find a solution you can deal with. Promise.”

Pete slowly nodded and leaned in to kiss her again, something that made her smile. With not even a second of hesitation, her arms looped around his neck. Her mother would probably have a heart attack if she saw her kissing someone wantonly on the street. And there was something about that thought that very much fueled Cady’s display. She pushed the kiss deeper, her arms pressing her so close to Pete there was no space between them. He clearly had no objections as his arms tightened about her waist, his tongue passionately combated hers. Anyone on the block could hardly ignore their suddenly passionate embrace.

“Pete,” she finally pulled out of the kiss, though her lips were still practically touching his, “we should... go home.”

“Yes,” he agreed, but stole another brief kiss.

Pulling away from him, Cady slipped her hand into his and lead him down the street. They passed open boutiques, art galleries, and small cafés and restaurants. Few residential buildings existed in the Soho area, but that didn’t mean people weren’t living there. Like others in her building, which was still claimed as a warehouse officially to the government by those who owned it, including her father, Cady had been drawn into the nearly lifeless neighborhood because of the artists already trickling into the void. She didn’t care that legally she couldn’t live there. She was and so many other were too. While others perhaps lived in fear that one day the New York officials would chase them out, Cady never thought twice about it, mainly because she knew her father would never allow it. Soho was like a young Greenwich Village in her mind. And it didn’t hurt that it shared a name with a district in London, something she would always link with Pete even if he himself was not from that area.

“What are you thinking?” Pete asked softly.

She shook her head, released his hand, and reached into her purse for her keys. Realizing Pete had the real set and therefore was the only one who could get access to the building as that key was on the ring, she closed her purse and tucked it under her arm. Stopping outside the wrought iron gates, Cady turned to him, her eyes looking to his expectantly. Pete merely kissed her.

Cady giggled, “Silly. We can’t get in the building unless you let us in.”

“Huh?”

“Key, Pete,” she held out her hand.

“Oh oh, right,” he shoved his hand into his right pocket.

Pulling out his smashed pack of cigarettes and his lighter, he began to panic. He could not have lost the keys. That would be absolutely disastrous. What would they do? There was no way he would remember where he walked. They would be—

Cady reached into his other pocket and pulled the keys out, seeing panic fill his eyes. Quickly kissing his mouth, she turned, opened the gate, and headed up to the building. Flipping through the keys without really looking at them, she inserted the larger key into the lock and opened the door. On the other side one of her neighbors was heading out of the elevator with a large canvas. After greeting him happily, Cady stepped to the side and held the door open for him. Once the artist was gone, Pete stepped into the building, still feeling embarrassed that Cady had to find the keys in his pocket.

“Come on, sweetie,” she held her hand out to him.

Quickly slipping his hand into hers though he didn’t meet her eyes, Pete trailed Cady to the elevator. They entered the large freight elevator and he dropped her hand to pull the grate in place. Not bothering to press any buttons, she slipped around him so that their eyes could meet. Her arms draped loosely about his shoulders and she leaned in and kissed him briefly.

“I love you, Pete,” she muttered.

“Baby, I was panicking over keys that were in my pocket,” he grumbled.

She kissed him again, one arm leaving him so she could reach and hit the floor button, “Don’t worry so much, sweetie. Everything is fine. If you had lost them, I would get another set. Plain and simple.”

“But—” he stumbled forward, crashing her into the gate as the lift stopped.

Cady’s arms merely tightened about him, her lips pressed to his until he pulled away. Releasing Pete, she watched as he opened the grate. Without a thought she handed him the keys, letting him lead the way to the loft. Looking at the keys in his hand and then down the hallway, Pete felt panic once more returning. He had no clue whatsoever which door was Cady’s. Why hadn’t he thought this out before leaving? Why—

“You know, I rather like song fourteen on A Quick One,” Cady declared.

Eyebrows furrowing, his eyes quickly turned to hers, “Baby, there aren’t fourteen songs on that album.”

Rather than say anything, she motioned to the numbers on the doors with her eyes. Following her gaze, he noticed they were standing in front of flat twelve. Suddenly it dawned on him that she was telling him where they lived. Not really acknowledging it, he headed quickly down the hallway. Cady trailed behind, letting her fingers run over the walls. She reached Pete just as he opened the door to the loft. Pausing to kiss his cheek, she slipped the keys from his fingers and quickly deposited them in the basket on the small table next to the door.

“Cady, I feel—”

“Why don’t you take a shower, Pete?” she suggested. “And I’ll see if I can find your ring.”

Holding her eyes for a brief moment, he nodded as he closed the door. As he looked away from her, his gaze landed on the painting she had been working on before searching for him. Without a spoken word, Pete approached the canvas still drying on the easel. His lips parted ever so slightly as he looked over the heavy but vibrant brushstrokes. He may have dropped out of art school to pursue The Who full time, but he knew talent when he saw it. It didn’t even occur to him until a few minutes of staring at it, that he was looking at a portrait of himself. He was merely memorized by the colors and textures.

“Cady, did you... did you do this?” he asked softly, pulling his eyes away from his own eyes to look at her.

“Yeah,” she replied with a half-crooked smile. “If I had a photo or you sitting, it would be better. I was just painting from memory.”

“Cady, this is... this is amazing,” Pete turned back to the painting. “The way you’ve captured life and vitality and... you did this this morning?”

Cady nodded, “While you were out getting lost.”

“Seriously?” his eyes went to hers once more, not believing her.

“Well like I said, it’s not my best work. I was just doing it to get my thoughts off of you since I figured you needed some space and... I can do better.”

“Baby, this is remarkable,” he declared. “It really is. I was never that big on painting at art school myself, but baby, you have talent. I... if you call this crap, I cannot fathom what you would call okay.”

She flushed, “It’s nothing, really. Just something I do to fill up time.”

Pete stepped over to her, his hand cupping her cheek, “Cady, you have talent.”

She shrugged, “Doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does! You cannot let this go to waste. We should go and get you more supplies and—”

“It’s not a big deal, Pete. You should go shower so I can look for the ring. Really.”

While he certainly did not agree with her assessment that it was nothing, he could tell by the light in her eyes that she was not going to relent. Pete brushed his lips across hers quickly before stepping around her and heading to the bathroom. His mind was racing with a million thoughts, all brought on by Cady’s simple portrait of him. It was simple and yet exquisite – and it bothered him greatly that she didn’t think that it was.



Sitting on the bed cross-legged and facing the bathroom, Cady waited for Pete to come out after showering. It seemed like he had been in there forever, though it may not have been that long. Her excitement probably skewed time. In all honesty she hadn’t expected to find the ring. First she had called the cleaner who laundered all of Pete’s clothes the day before, but they hadn’t seen anything. Then she quickly ransacked the flat, paying careful attention to spaces under the furniture. She practically squealed upon finding the ring on the wooden floor under the sofa. Certainly Pete would be happy too.

Of course all of her thoughts disappeared when he finally did appear in the doorway. With only a white towel about his waist, his dark hair weighted down with water, Pete was quite the image. She wanted nothing more than to jump up and steal away his towel, but she restrained herself. His eyes went to hers and he smiled as she wiggled slightly on the bed.

“I thought you were never going to come out of there,” she admitted as he slowly approached her.

“Would you have broken down the door if that were the case?”

“Absolutely.”

Pete grinned and leaned down to kiss her, “Then next time I shall stay in longer.”

Her nose crinkled some, “We’re going to have to head to the store to get you your own shampoo and such. You smell like a girl.”

“I kinda like it. Makes me think of you whenever I get a whiff of myself,” he teased.

Shaking her head, Cady pushed him away, “Guess what?”

Sitting on the bed beside her, he brushed her long hair from her shoulder and kissed the bit of flesh exposed at her neckline, “What?”

“I found it.”

“Found what?” he asked distractedly, his hand reaching to cup her breast. “Are you not wearing a bra?”

“Of course not,” Cady answered quickly. “And I found the ring.”

“What ring?” his fingers circled her quickly puckering nipple to pinch it.

“Karen’s ring.”

Pete’s head snapped away from her, his hand frozen mid-caress, “You did?”

She held it up triumphantly, “Now we can go to the pawn shop and get you a guitar.”

His hand left her breast to pluck the ring out of her fingers. Staring at it for a moment, Pete leaned fully from her so that his other hand could turn the ring over. As he looked at the simple diamond ring, floods of memories badgered him, mostly happy ones. He had been happy with Karen, the first pretty woman to give a damn about him and his big nose. But if it had been real happiness, he wouldn’t be sitting on the other side of the ocean next to a far more beautiful woman. No, he and Karen were never meant to be forever, despite what everyone else likely thought. Cady was his One; he knew that in the depths of his soul.

“Then I’ll get dressed and we’ll go do that,” he held out the ring. “You hold onto that since I can’t.”

Nodding, Cady accepted it and slid the ring onto her middle finger, “We’ll have to leave Soho to find a decent pawn shop. I know of a few in Greenwich but it might be better to go deeper into town. Jimi never let me go with him, so I don’t know where he would go for guitars or anything like that.”

Pete got to his feet and approached Cady’s closet, “I don’t need a guitar.”

“Sure you don’t,” she laid back so that she couldn’t easily watch him dress.

“I just want to be able to take care of you.”

“Baby, it takes more than a couple of bucks to take care of me,” Cady claimed.

Dropping his towel and stepping into shorts, he glanced at her, “Which is why I want to call the American office too.”

“Pete,” she propped herself back up with her elbows, “I already told you that I have no issues paying for things, paying for everything. I have money.”

“But I have issues with it,” he faced her as he buttoned his pants. “I shouldn’t be relying on you to take care of everything. I’m twenty-two years old. I should be taking care of myself. Hell, I should be taking care of you.”

“Because that’s what the world expects you to do? To find yourself a woman and spend the rest of your life taking care of her?” Cady countered. “I love you, Pete, but I don’t need you to take care of me and you know it. Just because the rest of the world expects you to pay for everything and make all of the decisions and whatever else is a holdover from the fifties, I don’t. I can support us just fine.”

Pulling a shirt off a hanger, Pete approached her, “It’s not just what everyone thinks, but I just feel weird not doing my part. I feel...”

“Like less of a man?”

He flinched as her words hit home, “Yes.”

“Pete, you’re in my home, in my country, without anything to your name except, I suppose, the suit you were wearing when we left Monterey and whatever is in your wallet. This is a special circumstance so all the norms are thrown out the window. Sure we’ll go get rid of the ring, in part because I don’t want it anywhere near me. And you can call your office and see what they say. But don’t do it because you think you should. Do it because you want to. Fuck, if you’re just concerned about what other people think when I pull out money to pay and you don’t, I can give you cash to put in your wallet before we go out. The rest of the world doesn’t need to know where it came from,” she declared. “You are not less of a man because I’m taking care of you. In fact, I am very certain that your band is going to do something big and then you can spend the rest of our lives making up for this time. This isn’t charity, Pete. It’s me taking care of the man I love under special circumstances.”

Looking up at her as he finished the last button, Pete replied, “I... baby....”

“I love you, Pete. Do not be ashamed of me taking care of you. Please.”

Dipping down he kissed her softly, “Thank you, Cady. For everything you have done already and everything you have yet to do. I’ve never felt... I’ve never felt that anyone has ever cared as much as you do.”

“And to think we’re just at the beginning of this amazing journey,” she muttered before kissing him again. “You’ll see. Things are going to get so much better. I can feel it.”



Having never ventured to that part of the city before, Cady was a bit nervous, not that she let on at all. She remained cool, calm, and collected. Pete was anxious enough for the both of them. In fact if he didn’t relax soon, she was certain her fingers would fall off from lack of circulation. She thought once they located the pawn shop, he would feel better. Apparently that wasn’t the case.

Stopping outside the storefront with bar-covered windows, Pete muttered, “This place doesn’t look all that... friendly. I don’t think we should go in.”

“Pete, we came all this way to go to this pawn shop instead of the ones closer. We’re going in,” Cady declared.

“But—”

“We’re going in,” she tugged him towards the door.

The interior of the shop was no less unfriendly than the exterior. Bare light bulbs hung from the ceiling, seemingly every third one burnt out. Stale cigarette smoke cling to every surface while curls of fresh smoke wafted from the back of the shop. Cady felt more apprehensive with every second but she was not about to back down. With her shoulders squared, she headed directly to the back of the shop, pulling Pete along. Not unlike his sketchy shop, a dirty-looking man with a shotgun visibly resting on the counter flipped through a magazine. Cady’s eyes did not flick down to the pages, but Pete’s did. Instantly he wanted to whisk Cady out of there, away from the man casually looking at the lewdest pictures he had ever seen, just knowing the pictures mere presence would taint his woman.

Cady cleared her throat, wrenched her hand free of Pete’s, and tore the ring from her finger. Slamming it down on the open page and showing no indication she was the least bit bothered by the image of a wet, semen dripping vagina under her hand, she waited to be acknowledged. The man slowly looked up and smiled, the cigarette dangling from his lips not hiding the multitude of broken and discolored teeth.

“’Ello, sweetheart. You’re just in time for a little bit of fun with big Jim,” he leaned back in his chair, his hand obviously dropping into his lap to grope himself.

Cady smirked, “I don’t see anyone but my boyfriend here who is worthy of such. Besides I’m sure ‘Jim’ is small or else you wouldn’t be needing this trash.”

“Ooooh. She’s got a bit a fire this one. Do us a favor, man, and get lost so I can show her differently. I promise to return her in one piece, though I can’t say she won’t be marked, if you know what I mean,” his yellowed eyes flicked briefly to Pete.

“Cady, let’s go,” Pete muttered to her. “Nothing is worth this.”

Moving her hand aside to reveal the ring, she ignored Pete and addressed the dirty shopkeep, “How much will you give me for this?”

His eyes dropped down to the ring, “Oh honey, leave this scab. I can take care of you so much you don’t have to hock your pretty jewelry.”

Pete picked up the ring and shoved it in his pocket, “Fuck you. I can take care of my woman just fine. We don’t want your bloody money.”

Before Cady had the chance to argue or counter his words, Pete grabbed her hand and pulled her quickly out of the pawn shop. He stalked angrily down the block, saying not a word to her. Only when she stumbled on a sidewalk crack did he stop. Straightening back up and righting her clothes, Cady met his eyes. Only once before had she seen that kind of intensity: when he was irate at Monterey Pop. As she clearly was no fool, she knew better than to challenge him right then, even if he would have gotten more money for the ring from the pervert.

Instead she softly kissed him and said, “Let us catch a cab to Greenwich. We’ll try the shops there.”

It wasn’t until they were in a yellow taxi heading away from the dangerous neighborhood that Pete spoke, “One more minute of him wanking while looking at you and I would have...”

She picked up his hand, squeezing it gently, “And what good would you do for me in jail, the hospital, or worse dead?”

“I don’t know. He was sick, sick, sick,”

Her other hand touched his cheek, “Take a breath, love. We’re far away from him now. He’s not going to touch or look at me ever again.”

“I... we never should have gone there.”

“Agreed. But we wouldn’t have known that without trying. So just relax, Pete. We’ll go to a safer shop and then afterwards we can grad a bite to eat at a nearby deli.”

“Only if I can pay for it.”

“Of course, sweetie,” she kissed his cheek.

Paying their fare fifteen minutes later with cash discreetly tucked into his hand by Cady, Pete’s arm slipped protectively about her waist. Greenwich was a far cry from the last place. People smiled. Music drifted about the streets. Artists’ paintings surrounded their creators who worked on more. Each step Pete relaxed a bit more.

Cady however was the exact opposite. She had lived in the Village all those months with Jimi. Each step put them at risk of running into him – or in the very least someone who would tell Jimi where she was, who she was with. As much as she tried to reason it away – after all how much of a threat was someone who ignored her for weeks – her heart rate still increased.

“How much further?” Pete asked casually.

“Another block. You should look and see if they have a guitar to your liking,” she said.

“No. This is so I can take care of you.”

“Pete,” she warned.

“It is. The American office didn’t know how much they could give me yet.”

“But, sweetie, what if I say taking care of me involves you performing and creating music?”

“I... I doubt they’ll have anything,” he responded.

Having been to this shop on occasion with Jimi, Cady knew better, “Keep an open mind for me?”

“All right,” he agreed.

Stopping not much later in front of a door, Cady waited for Pete to open it. It took him two moments to realize they reached their destination as the facade alone was vastly different from the previous one. Items were happily displayed in the windows without bars or other barriers, marking it a regular store front in his mind. If he hadn’t seen the small sign in the window display marked with ‘pawn shop’ in highly decorative letterforms, Pete would never considered it to be one. This was a place he was vastly more comfortable taking Cady into and so he reached for the door.

A happy bell chimed as the door swung open. Smoke did not bellow out but rather dissonant music as someone played with one of the available instruments. Cady should not have suggested any place but there. As they entered, a happy bohemian greeted them.

Two seconds after the initial greeting he recognized the pretty brunette, “Cady! How great it is to see you again! Who is this you bring with you?”

“Derek, this is my boyfriend, Pete Townshend of The Who.”

“The one who destroyed his guitar on stage in Monterey?”

“The very one.”

Derek held his hand out, “Pleasure to meet you, man. Suppose you need to replace your gear?”

Forced to release Cady’s hand to shake the man’s, Pete responded, “Actually I have a ring to get rid of.”

His eyes darted to Cady, “Jimi gave you a ring?”

“Jimi never gave me shit. Pete bought it for a former flame,” Cady quickly explained. “Will you take a look at it?”

“Of course,” he nodded.

Pete fished it out of his pocket, “Thank you.”

The man accepted the ring, “Why don’t you have a look about and I’ll take a look at this.”

About to refuse, he remembered his promise to Cady and nodded. Derek left the two alone and Cady instantly directed Pete over to the instruments. A wall of instruments beckoned, everything from acoustic Gibsons to electric Fenders to bass guitars to trumpets to cymbals. Silently with a slight smile, Cady counted the seconds until Pete reached out to touch one of the guitars. Twenty-three seconds passed before he reached for the nearest guitar, his calloused finger touching its wooden body.

Leaning towards him, her lips near his ear, Cady whispered, “You can play it, Pete. It’s okay.”

“But I can’t afford to—”

“Take it down and play it, Pete. I’ll go check on our appraisal, okay?” she kissed his ear before pulling away.

Waiting for a minute for Pete to reach up and remove the guitar from its hook on the wall, she turned away and headed back towards the rear of the store where Derek sat at a table with a magnifying glass attached to his eye. He looked up as she approached, his monocle distorting his one eye so much it made her giggle. Shaking his head with a grin, he turned his attention back to the ring as Cady sat on the edge of the table.

“So what’s the prognosis, doctor?” she asked.

“This isn’t really a diamond,” he declared, relaxed his face to allow the monocle to drop free.

Cady glanced at Pete as he began to strum the guitar, “Pete thinks it is.”

“Well whoever sold it to him clearly deceived him. The best I could give you is fifty for it,” Derek claimed.

Sighing, she looked back to the shopkeeper, “And how much is the guitar he’s playing right now?”

His eyes flicked to the guitarist, “A hundred flat, but that does include a small amp.”

“Would you accept seventy-five for it?”

Derek looked back to her, “If he breaks it on stage, can I have it back?”

She smiled crookedly, “I’m sure that could be arranged.”

“Then it’s a deal,” he nodded once. “Let me guess, I’m supposed to not let onto Pete that you purchased the guitar for him and just give him the cash for the ring?”

“Why did I even think of going somewhere else? You know me too well.”

“Where else did you try?”

“Some scuzzy place uptown.”

His eyes widened slightly, “You did not. Not with this ring.”

“We did. But it never got to the inspection of the ring. The bastard was wanking off while staring at me so Pete pulled me out of the shop and we came directly here.”

“Wise man. I’ll give you the guitar for sixty just for that,” Derek stated, getting to his feet. “Shall we make our transaction while he’s still playing and then I’ll talk to him about the ring?”

After paying for the guitar quietly and tucking the receipt into her purse, Cady turned and looked at Pete. His eyes were closed as his fingers danced over the guitar. No matter what he said, there was no other solution than to take that guitar home with them. Money be damned, that made him happy. Her actions were supported by his pleasure right then and there. With a smile brightening her face, Cady headed over to her boyfriend, Derek following close behind.

Looking up from his playing, Pete nodded and attempted to hang the guitar back up. Cady interceded and held onto it, getting quizzical glances from him. Having played this game with Jimi before, Derek already knew how to approach the situation. He couldn’t help but think how lucky these musicians were to have Cady on their sides. It also made him wonder what Jimi had done to drive her away. He would ask him later.

“How much did you pay for the ring?”

“Two hundred pounds,” Pete instantly replied.

“Well I don’t know how much that is in American dollars, but you got taken, Pete,” he proclaimed.

“What do you mean?”

“This is no diamond,” he held out the ring.

Pete blinked, “It’s not?”

“But it’s rather fitting you gave a fake ring to someone who was a fake love, no?”

“I would suppose so,” though all of his body language indicated he was crestfallen.

“Due to the circumstances and the fact I like Cady, the best I can offer is a trade for that guitar and fifty dollars,” Derek stated.

“I don’t want the guitar,” Pete quickly claimed. “Just cash would do.”

“Pete,” Cady spoke up, “I think that’s a generous offer. And maybe the American office would be more willing to pay up if they thought you were working.”

His eyes went to hers as he weighed her words, “But...”

“She has a point, Pete. I may not know your particular circumstances but I’ve heard record companies giving out advances if they think you’ve got something cookin’,” Derek stated.

“I... okay,” he reluctantly agreed. “But if that isn’t the case, I can bring it back, right?”

Derek’s eyes briefly flicked to Cady, “Of course you can.”

Holding out the guitar Cady beamed, “Play for me, Pete. With the amp this time.”

He hesitated for a moment but did accepted the instrument from his girlfriend. Derek excused himself to work out the paperwork. Sitting on top of a larger amp, Cady continued to smile as Pete plucked the first string. With a bit of hesitation he began to play a song. When he didn’t raise his voice to sing his lyrics, Cady joined in, her voice barely strong enough to counter his guitar.

Lost in the song, neither heard the bell on the door chime. Perhaps if they had, they would have seen Jimi enter the shop. He didn’t glance in the couple’s direction, used to a wall of sound from the instrument section. Instead he stalked angrily back to the counter where Derek was counting out cash for Pete.

“How can I – oh, Jimi. Hello,” he greeted the guitarist though a shot of panic ripped through him. “What’s up?”

“That bitch... that bitch, has she been here?”

“Who?”

“You fucking know well who I mean. The cunt trashed my apartment and I’m certain she brought things to you for cash,” Jimi declared. “She fucking—”

“I haven’t seen her, Jimi. How do you know it was her who trashed your stuff?”

“Because all of her things are gone. And who else would know where the fuck my guitar was and purposefully smash it into pieces?” Jimi angrily questioned.

Though Derek immediately connected the guitar destruction to Pete, he knew better than to say so. He glanced over at the couple and quickly tried to find some way to dissuade Jimi from the murder in his eyes – or in the very least to distract him long enough for Cady and Pete to leave. However in that moment of hesitation, Cady kissed Pete, turned, and began to head in Derek’s direction. The shopkeep instantly began to fully panic.

About thirty seconds too late, Cady recognized the back of the man facing Derek. Had she noticed earlier, she could have escaped without him seeing her. But Jimi glanced over his shoulder in that exact moment. He quickly turned around to face her, anger and fire in his eyes.

“You,” he seethed.

“Hello, Jimi,” she responded coolly. “I’m surprised you have returned to New York. Surely California suits you better.”

“Fucking cunt,” he swore. “Why the fuck did you think it okay to destroy my things?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bull fucking shit. My place is thrashed and your things are gone. There is no way it’s unrelated.”

Cady remained cool, “Yes, my things are gone. I have fully moved into my own flat. I figured since you haven’t given a shit about me for months, you wouldn’t even notice.”

He blinked, “Why trash the place? What fucking purpose does that—”

“You would have to ask someone who knows. I didn’t do it, so I don’t know,” she claimed.

Jimi stared at her for a minute and slowly came to the conclusion she was telling the truth. Though she claimed she left because he had been ignoring her – which was true since he noticed his feelings for her doubled when they were in London and knew not how to act on them – Cady did not look particularly heartbroken. But perhaps if she had been hanging onto what she thought was nothing, her heart may have grown over the hurt. Fuck, he was at fault. He drove her away.

“Baby, are you ready to go?” Pete asked as he approached Cady and Jimi.

Jimi instantly bristled at the incursion, “Townshend, what the fuck are you doing here?”

Holding out her hand for Pete’s money and paperwork, Cady answered quickly, “None of your business.”

His dark eyes flicked to her, sudden realization lighting his eyes, “He’s fucking you!?”

Cady barely stepped between the two men before Pete could take a swing at him. Turning she pressed the money and paper to his chest, using it to push him away. Derek too had come out from behind the counter, ready to intercede as well. Slowly she managed to get Pete to back up, instructing him to grab his guitar and amp so they could leave. His angry eyes remained fixated on Jimi. Had Cady’s touch let up, he would have stormed Jimi and teach him the rudeness of his words.

“Just walk away, Pete,” she stated softly.

“But he—”

“I know, love. But he’s not worth it,” she responded. “Walk away.”

“Cady—”

“Walk away, Pete. Be the bigger man. Be the man I know and love.”

His eyes met hers briefly. He relaxed, reached up and took the cash and receipts from her. Shoving the paper into his pocket, he didn’t even blink and pulled Cady to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her possessively. Very aware Jimi was watching, Pete took the opportunity and flipped him off before completing the kiss. He pulled away and picked up the guitar and amp. With a final glare at Jimi, Pete followed Cady out of the pawn shop.

A block away he uttered, “If he ever comes near you again, I swear that I’ll—”

“Pete, no. You’re not going to—”

He stopped, “I do not think for a moment we can trust him. Not at all. No one will treat you half of what he’s considering. No one.”

Cady face him and framed his face with her hands, “I love you, Pete. But don’t make enemies because of me.”

“I don’t give a fuck about that. You’re the only one important to me.”

She kissed him quickly, “Do not endanger yourself on my behalf.”

“Are you saying he would kick my ass?”

“No no no. I do not doubt you could take Jimi, love. You have a hell of a lot more going for you. But the public repercussions—”

“I don’t bloody care. You are what is important to me.”

Cady kissed him again, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“And I’m hungry. Let’s get lunch before I take you home so we can make music,” she pulled away and turned back down the street.

“Are you saying....?”

“Exactly what is sounds like. Hurry up, sweetie. You’re going to need to refuel your energy stores before we go home.”