Chapter Fourteen, Flight
Posted by DiF on Saturday, August 13, 2011
Title: Don’t Look Away: Chapter Fourteen, Flight
Rating: PG-13 [language, alcohol]
Summary: Pete and the band head to the States for the US tour. What about Cady?
Setting the last suitcase by the front door, Pete turned to find his girlfriend. With Kit due to arrive any moment, they really did not have any time to linger. Stepping into the bedroom, he leaned against the doorframe, his eyes trained on her as she ran lip gloss over her curvy lips. Dropping her lip gloss into her purse, she turned and smiled at him. Though they had made love the previous night, Pete nearly jumped forward to take her back in his arms. Instead, he managed to temper himself, remaining where he is.
“How is it that every time I look at you, you are more beautiful than the moment before?” he questioned softly.
Her eyes held his as she approached him, “I have no idea, Pete.”
“You make it look so effortless.”
“Well considering I’m not attempting to be prettier than the last time you saw me, I guess it is,” she responded and kissed him briefly, her hand resting on his arm. “Pete? Are you nervous about flying?”
“No. What makes you say that?” he asked.
“You’re tense.”
“I am not,” he refuted.
She squeezed his arm briefly, “Sure, you’re not.”
“I am not!” he repeated.
Cady kissed him briefly, “Sure, you’re not.”
Before Pete could once more argue against her claims, a knock sounded at the door. Pulling away, he turned to answer it, knowing it was likely Kit. He frowned as he opened the door, only to find the band’s manager standing there.
“All ready?” he asked.
Pete glanced at Cady as she stopped to pull her shoes on, “We are.”
“Uh, about that,” Kit rubbed the back of his neck.
“What?”
His eyes darted to Cady, “I couldn’t get you on the plane.”
“Why not?” she headed towards him
“It was full,” he responded.
Cady sighed, “And there was nothing else?”
“I honestly do not have the time to–”
“I am not going anywhere without Cady,” Pete growled.
“Pete, I–”
Cady touched his arm gently, “Pete, I’ll figure it out myself. And I’ll catch up with you guys as soon as I can. You take my luggage with you.”
“But he said he would–”
She kissed his mouth quickly, “Go with Kit now. I will be with you before you even miss me. I swear to you.”
“But–”
“You have two shows in New York, right? I will be with you before the second one. Even if I have to swim across the ocean myself, I will be there,” she vowed, kissing him again. “I will be there.”
Sighing he nodded, “I will ring you as soon as I’m at the… hotel?”
“You can stay in my apartment,” Cady pulled away and dug her keys out of her purse, “if you want.”
His fingers instantly closed around the keys, “I will see you soon.”
As soon as Pete and Kit left the apartment, she snatched up the phone and dialed her London travel agent. Catching the man likely as he entered his office, she set him to booking her flight back to New York as soon as possible, with a promise of a return phone call by noon. Hanging up the phone, she paced over to the window and parted the curtains. Though she knew it impossible, a part of her yearned to see Pete down on the dreary sidewalk, returning to her.
Sighing, she let the curtain fall back in place and glanced over at the still silent phone. It had only been a few minutes; she should not expect an instant solution. The agent likely had to get settled in his day first before getting to work on her flight. He would call soon though. Or at least she hoped he would. Maybe if she called and offered to up his commission he would work faster. Returning to the phone, her fingers reached to it and halted because of a knock at the door.
Turning to the door, she opened it without even checking the peephole. Her lips parted in a slight gasp of surprise before curving into a smile.
“James, what a pleasant surprise,” she stated softly.
“Cadence,” he reached for her hand and kissed it briefly, “might I be able to convince you to breakfast with me?”
“All you need to do is ask,” she responded.
Jimmy smiled, “Will you have breakfast with me on this dreary London morning?”
“Absolutely. Let me grab my purse and we can be on our way,” Cady smiled before turning around.
Stepping into the apartment behind her, his dark eyes glanced around before asking, “And where is Townshend?”
Clicking the matching purse to her black and white geometric dress, her blue eyes went to his, “Pete left about an hour ago to head to the States.”
“And he did not take you?” his eyebrows arched.
“No. There were some issues with the plane tickets. Once they’re straightened out, I’ll join the band,” she explained.
“Well if you would like the company until such time, I would be honored if you would consider mine, Cadence.”
“I would love that, James,” she smiled again. “Where are we heading for breakfast?”
Sitting on the plane, Pete sighed and looked out the window. He really did not like being apart from Cady. He knew it was not likely to be the first time, that it happened in relationships all the time, especially when one was a musician. But that did not mean he had to like it at all. Because he did not. Regardless there had not been anything he could do about it. She would be beside him before long; he had the utmost trust and confidence in her.
“Have you anything for the new album?” Kit asked as he returned to his seat beside Pete after visiting the loo.
His blue eyes left the ocean below to look at his manager, “To be honest, I have very little for the new album.”
“Christ, Pete, we have bloody studio time booked in New York. We need something.”
“Fuck,” he looked back at the window. “How do you expect me to think about music when you kept my girlfriend off this plane that isn’t even full?”
Kit said nothing for a long moment, “Because you’re a professional, Pete. This is yourjob.”
“Fuck you, Kit,” he muttered.
“You better have something by the time this plane leaves. Or like bloody hell am I letting you skip away from the band and stay in your girlfriend’s apartment,” he stated before getting up and moving to one of the empty seats on the plane.
Folding his arms across his chest, Pete tried to ignore all of Kit’s words. He was a grown man. He did not need anyone telling him what he could and could not do. He would do what he liked. There was nothing Kit could do about it. He would stay in Cady’s apartment, waiting for her there. It would also give him the perfect chance to show to James what happens when he lies. He would –
“Fuck,” Pete shook his head as an idea flitting through his thoughts. “Kit, I have an idea.”
The manager instantly left his conversation with John and returned to sitting next to the guitarist, “Yes?”
“They just shut down the pirate radio stations, right?”
Kit nodded.
“Well what if we designed a concept album around the idea of a radio station? We could intersperse ads with songs and…”
Thinking on it for a moment, the manager slowly nodded, “It could work.”
Pete snatched out a magazine from the pocket in front of him, quickly flipping through it, “Some of the songs will clearly play on the pop commercial aspect of the concept, but not all of them…”
Smirking, Kit produced a pad of paper for Pete and a pen. Remaining next to the songwriter, he offered his opinions as Pete hurriedly sketched out ideas. The Who were going to sell out – on purpose.
In the company of Jimmy Page, Cady was able to forget she missed Pete almost entirely. They shared breakfast at a small, quaint restaurant. He was sweet, courteous, and very attentive. Even when other pretty girls spoke to him, flirted with him, he paid attention solely to Cady. He likely knew exactly what he was doing, just as she knew, but that did not change the fact that Jimmy’s attention was making her smile. Even the dreary London weather was not dampening her mood while in his presence.
As the two walked along the sidewalk, Cady could not help but feel the inexplicable need to step closer to him. His fingertips brushed her hand, causing her eyes to dart to his. The guitarist stopped and turned fully to her. His hand reached up and brushed a damp strand of hair from her face and he smiled.
“If it would be all right with you, Cadence, I would like to see you again,” he stated softly.
“Do you not see me now?”
“I do,” Jimmy smiled again. “But I presume you do not wish to spend all day with me.”
“I…I have nothing else to fill my time with. I mean,” her eyes widened slightly, “I would love to spend more time with you. Perhaps you can show me more of London?”
“It would be my pleasure, but are you not expecting to hear from Townshend?”
Cady frowned slightly, “I doubt he has reached New York yet, James. It has only been a few hours. But I was expecting to hear from my travel agent. If we can stop somewhere for me to call him, then I can go anywhere you take me.”
“We are near your flat. It makes the most sense to stop there to make your call. And then we can determine where to go from there,” Jimmy suggested.
“All right. Which way?”
Once they reached the apartment, Cady sat to call the travel agent while Jimmy wandered about the flat. She paid him little attention as she waited for the agent to answer. The phone seemed to ring forever without an answer and that began to worry her. After seemingly the thirtieth ring, she hung the phone up and frowned.
Jimmy glanced her way, instantly setting down the book he found on the coffee table and approached her, “No answer?”
She shook her head, “I do not understand. He knows how important it is for me to get to New York as soon as possible. It is not like this is a leisure booking.”
He sat next to her on the couch, “Explain to me the entire situation.”
“Well, you see, Kit was supposed to…”
Ten minutes later, Jimmy sat silent, turning her words over in his head. He could tell something was definitely amiss in her story and was a bit surprised she had not noticed it. For a moment, he considered playing along with Kit and keeping Cady in London, away from Pete and the band. While that would benefit Jimmy, he was not entirely certain it would be good for Cady.
Getting to his feet, Jimmy approached the single white plastic phone, “I shall see what I can do for you.”
“What do you mean?”
Shaking his head as his call was answered; Jimmy quickly instructed his travel agent to book a one-way flight to New York for Cady as soon as possible. Giving the agent Cady’s number to return the call and confirm the flight; he thanked her and hung up the phone.
“I will see you to the airport by Friday. I am certain of it,” he declared, returning to sit beside her.
“You don’t think my travel agent will come through for me?”
“Does Kit know of your agent?”
She nodded.
“Cadence,” he grasped her hand gently, “I do believe that Kit is blocking you from joining up with the band. If he knows your travel agent and your agent did not book you a flight right away, something is peculiar. So I will purchase the ticket for you. He will not be able to st–”
“No, James, that is unnecessary. I can purchase my own plane ticket.”
His eyebrow arched, sensing more in her statement than the mere words, “I am not saying that you cannot, Cadence. Merely that Kit will be unable to block your flight.”
“I’m sorry. That’s very thoughtful of you. You must allow me to repay you for your kindness,” Cady stated.
Before he could reply, the phone next to her rang. Turning Cady quickly answered it. A smile lit up her face nearly instantly. She had a flight booked for New York, arriving mid-Saturday.
After hanging up the phone, she turned back to Jimmy and quickly kissed his cheek, “Thank you, James. Shall we head out now?”
“Pete, we need to go now,” John tugged on his sleeve.
“Just one more minute. I almost have it,” he shrugged off his friend’s hand.
“No, really, Pete. Everyone else has gotten off the plane. You can finish it at the hotel,” the bassist declared.
He suddenly dropped his pen and looked around, “I’m not going to the hotel. I am going to Cady’s. But you’re right; I can finish this there and meet you guys at the studio tomorrow morning.”
“What? No,” John replied. “You cannot just leave us hanging.”
Gathering up his things quickly, he nodded, “I’ll explain it as we walk.”
The band remained close and silent next to Pete. Though disbelief flashed across their faces by the time they reached the curb, everyone was on board with the guitarist’s ideas. John and Keith even decided between themselves to work on commercial jingles for the album.
“So I am going to go back to Cady’s flat and work on songs. I will have something by tomorrow morning,” Pete declared.
“Can you not do so at the hotel?” Kit asked.
Pete’s blue eyes snapped to the band manager, “No. I am going to my girlfriend’s apartment. There is nothing you can say to change my mind.”
“But–”
“Nothing,” he repeated before hailing his own cab. “I will meet you at the studio in the morning.”
Grabbing his luggage, including the guitar he bought in New York last visit, and Cady’s, Pete jumped into the cab before the rest of the band could say any more. With brief directions to the flat, he itched to pull out the lyrics he had been working on when the plane landed. However, his eyes focused on the busy city life. It was a much different experience to watch the buildings blur by when not tripping out of his mind. He supposed New York had some charm, though to be honest he did not see it. If it had not been for Cady, he would not think twice about the busy American city. He supposed she would want to still return to the city, that she had set down some roots there. Despite her familial struggles, she must have wanted to maintain something with America. They would have to discuss it in the near future.
The scene outside the window slowly became familiar and he knew he was nearly home. The moment that thought crossed his mind, Pete leaned back from the window. It certainly wasn’t his home, so why did he think that? Is it because it was the first place he connected with Cady? No, that was the bench back in London. The first place he knew he loved her? No, that was the bench back in London. The first place he woke up in her arms? Yes, that it was. And the first place they made love. Perhaps that was why he nostalgically thought of that flat as a home.
After paying his fare and receiving help from the cab driver getting his luggage inside to the lift, Pete headed up to the fourth floor. Kicking his own luggage down the hall while carrying his guitar and Cady’s suitcases, he considered stopping and speaking with James, but that was just a bad idea – at least for now.
Setting her suitcases down, Pete pulled out the keys to the flat. After wrangling all of the cases into the apartment, he paused and looked around. Sighing, he realized he missed Cady more than he was willing to admit. Maybe staying there was not such a good idea. The apartment practically breathed Cady.
Closing the door behind him, he crossed over to the telephone and instantly snatched it up. Waiting for the operator to connect him to London, he drummed his fingers on the telephone stand and glanced around the light, open space. Of course, he knew the flat would scream everything he loved about her; it was her apartment. His eyes just settled on the bed when the British operator spoke. Waiting for the woman to ring him through to Cady, Pete remained focused on the bed. This would be the perfect opportunity to look at all of her paintings at his leisure. As soon as he finished up his song cycle, he was going to do just that.
After about ten rings, the operator came back on the line, “There’s no answer, sir.”
Pete frowned, “Thank you. I will try again later.”
Hanging up the phone he instantly tried to reason away why Cady had not answered the phone. She had already showered, so that could not be it. Perhaps she had already left for the airport. Perhaps she was already on a plane on her way to reunite with him. Yes, that had to be it. He would see his love in the morning. Until then he had songs to finish enough to present to the band. Cady was fine. He believed that.
Seated in a small alcove, candlelight casting warm shadows on the pair, their heads nearly touched as he whispered in her ear. A large grin lit Cady’s face before she pulled back to meet his eyes. Shaking her head, she reached for her wineglass.
“You, Mr. Page, are incorrigible,” she stated before finishing her glass of pinot noir.
“Am I so?” his dark eyes held hers.
Cady nodded.
“Perhaps we should test your theory after dessert?” he suggested.
Her eyes dropped to her plate briefly, “And how do you propose we do that?”
Jimmy remained silent for a moment, sipping his wine, “Perhaps a better solution would be to take dessert back to your flat where we can discuss such without interruption?”
Seemingly as to punctuate his point, their server appeared and inquired as to the quality of their meal. Practically dismissing the well-dressed man with a wave of his hand after Cady’s glass was refilled, Jimmy leaned back to her. Rather than whisper in her ear this time, he kissed it gently. When she did not pull away or react negatively, his hand dropped to her thigh and gently squeezed it. Her eyes fluttered to his only then as she set down her wine glass.
“Shall we skip dessert?”
“Oh, but, James,” her hand dropped to the one in her lap and pulled it free, “I was so looking forward to the Midnight Passion Sundae.”
His eyes instantly snapped to the server and he beckoned the man back over, “The lady would like the Midnight Passion Sundae, please.”
“Right away, sir.”
A busboy swept away their dishes a moment later while the pair continued to speak in low tones while sipping their wine. Cady was well into her third glass of the evening when their dessert arrived, not even realizing Jimmy had yet to finish a single glass, nor that he seemed to keep filling her glass before it emptied.
“Your Midnight Passion Sundae, Miss,” the server set a white platter with swirls of dark chocolate sauce dripping over chocolate ice cream which partially concealed a slender banana and flowers made of strawberries.
“Thank you,” she grinned.
Before Cady could object, Jimmy picked up her spoon, sliced through the ice cream and fruit, discovering a bed of dark brownie, and held it towards her in offering. Her eyes went to his and she opened her mouth. Without hesitation, he slipped the spoon past her lips, waiting for her to close before withdrawing. A bit of chocolate dribbled from her lips to her chin. Without hesitation, Jimmy set down the spoon and leaned forward to kiss up the chocolate. Cady giggled but did not resist. Finding success in this, Jimmy continued to feed her the dessert… sloppily.
With the plate empty, his hand remained on her chin. His lips touched hers once more, gently pressing to deepen the kiss. Smiling she pulled back just after his tongue slipped into her mouth.
“Pardon my intrusion,” the server stated, setting the bill on the table and quickly backing away.
Smirking, Jimmy scooped up the bill, glanced it over and pulled out his billfold. After leaving a few notes on the table, he stood and held out his hand to Cady. With a smile, her hand slipped into his. As she stood, her head spun quickly, causing her to close her eyes and take a deep breath. She had clearly drunk too much wine.
“James, I… I need to go home,” she muttered softly.
“Worry not, Cadence, I will escort you safely home,” he declared, slipping his arm around her waist.
The pair made their way out of the small restaurant. Jimmy instantly decided against walking the couple of blocks to Pete and Cady’s flat and hailed a cab. Even though it was only a few blocks, Cady snuggled drunkenly up against Jimmy, seemingly needing his support to even sit in the backseat. He helped her out of the car a few minutes later, their steps weaving towards the building entrance. Surprisingly they made it up to the flat easily, even with Cady’s lack of walking coordination.
Slipping her purse off her shoulder, Jimmy quickly shuffled through it for the keys to the apartment, unlocked the door, and led her inside. The purse was left on the nearest surface after he closed to door behind her. Cady kicked off her shoes and made her way over to the sofa. Trailing behind, Jimmy smiled as he watched her body sway. Her large blue eyes went to his as she sat, stopping him in his steps. Without a word, he turned and entered the kitchen. Cady sighed, closed her eyes, and leaned back on the couch. A minute later, the cushion beside her sunk with his weight and a glass of cool water pressed into her hand. Though she had not asked for it, she smiled crookedly and sipped it all the same, not even opening her eyes.
His fingers reached up and tucked a long dark curl over her shoulder, “Have you any idea how beautiful you are, Cadence?”
“Yes,” she responded, eyes remaining closed.
Jimmy smiled and leaned over, his lips brushing hers briefly, “You have a beauty even Venus would desire.”
Her lips curved into a smile briefly before meeting his once more in a kiss. As his tongue slipped beyond her lips, his hand gently removed the glass from hers. He set it upon the coffee table before them and returned his attention to her curvy lips. For a moment, his fingers remained on her chin as he deepened the kiss, gently searching for her resistance. Finding none, Jimmy’s fingers gently began to trace down her neck. He caressed her shoulder as his tongue surrounded hers, gently sucking. His palm ran over the swell of her breast, pausing to seek her hardening, cloth-covered nipple.
“James,” she gasped against his mouth.
“Shhh. Just relax, Cadence,” he responded before kissing her once more.
Her right hand reached up and she buried her fingers in his thick dark hair. She did no protest as his hand slipped under the hem of her blouse. Though a voice in the back of her head shouted loudly, it struggled to reach the forefront of her mind through her muddled, wine-drenched thoughts. All she knew in that moment is that his hand, his fingers, felt wonderful on her skin. She did not want him to stop touching her at all.
Jimmy did not attempt to remove her clothing at this point, though he did wish the blouse and bra were not impeding his actions. Instead, his fingers tugged down the soft bra fabric underneath her shirt. Clumsily he pinched her nipple gently, causing her to gasp and moan slightly. His fingers danced over to her other breast as his lips suckled upon her earlobe.
“Cadence,” he breathed in her ear, “I want to taste you.”
“James…” she moaned.
Figuring that was as much of an okay he was going to get, Jimmy gently pulled his hand from caressing her breasts. Slowly his hand began to trail down her stomach. As his hand reached the top of her pants, the nearby phone rang. Hoping her intoxication and arousal would be enough to keep her from noticing, Jimmy kissed her deeply. However Cady was not that far gone and pushed him away, struggling to get to her feet to answer the phone.
Leaning against the wall, she reached for the phone, “Hello?”
“Cady? Are you okay, baby? I’ve called a few times and you didn’t answer,” Pete’s concerned voice asked.
“I’m… fine. I just miss you and couldn’t stay in the apartment, waiting,” she stated, slumping down the wall to the floor, tears instantly running down her cheeks.
Getting up from the sofa, Jimmy slowly approached her. He squatted and reached for her, wanting to provide some comfort for the brunette. She shook her head and pushed away his hands, focusing on Pete’s kind words. With a sigh, the Yardbird headed towards the door. He glanced once more at her before stepping out. It was not over forever, but at least for that night.
“Pete… Pete, I… oh god I miss you. I have a flight out on Friday morning, but… that’s so far away,” she muttered softly. “Can you… can you play for me right now?”
“Hmmm. I’m not sure how to play with the phone so you can hear,” he responded. “I just have my acoustic with me right now.”
“Oh. Tell me… tell me about your day then? I want to know everything I’ve missed.”
Pete paused, “Well, we recorded some of the songs I wrote on the flight over. The demos are pretty decent. I think you will like them. One of the songs…”
Rating: PG-13 [language, alcohol]
Summary: Pete and the band head to the States for the US tour. What about Cady?
Setting the last suitcase by the front door, Pete turned to find his girlfriend. With Kit due to arrive any moment, they really did not have any time to linger. Stepping into the bedroom, he leaned against the doorframe, his eyes trained on her as she ran lip gloss over her curvy lips. Dropping her lip gloss into her purse, she turned and smiled at him. Though they had made love the previous night, Pete nearly jumped forward to take her back in his arms. Instead, he managed to temper himself, remaining where he is.
“How is it that every time I look at you, you are more beautiful than the moment before?” he questioned softly.
Her eyes held his as she approached him, “I have no idea, Pete.”
“You make it look so effortless.”
“Well considering I’m not attempting to be prettier than the last time you saw me, I guess it is,” she responded and kissed him briefly, her hand resting on his arm. “Pete? Are you nervous about flying?”
“No. What makes you say that?” he asked.
“You’re tense.”
“I am not,” he refuted.
She squeezed his arm briefly, “Sure, you’re not.”
“I am not!” he repeated.
Cady kissed him briefly, “Sure, you’re not.”
Before Pete could once more argue against her claims, a knock sounded at the door. Pulling away, he turned to answer it, knowing it was likely Kit. He frowned as he opened the door, only to find the band’s manager standing there.
“All ready?” he asked.
Pete glanced at Cady as she stopped to pull her shoes on, “We are.”
“Uh, about that,” Kit rubbed the back of his neck.
“What?”
His eyes darted to Cady, “I couldn’t get you on the plane.”
“Why not?” she headed towards him
“It was full,” he responded.
Cady sighed, “And there was nothing else?”
“I honestly do not have the time to–”
“I am not going anywhere without Cady,” Pete growled.
“Pete, I–”
Cady touched his arm gently, “Pete, I’ll figure it out myself. And I’ll catch up with you guys as soon as I can. You take my luggage with you.”
“But he said he would–”
She kissed his mouth quickly, “Go with Kit now. I will be with you before you even miss me. I swear to you.”
“But–”
“You have two shows in New York, right? I will be with you before the second one. Even if I have to swim across the ocean myself, I will be there,” she vowed, kissing him again. “I will be there.”
Sighing he nodded, “I will ring you as soon as I’m at the… hotel?”
“You can stay in my apartment,” Cady pulled away and dug her keys out of her purse, “if you want.”
His fingers instantly closed around the keys, “I will see you soon.”
As soon as Pete and Kit left the apartment, she snatched up the phone and dialed her London travel agent. Catching the man likely as he entered his office, she set him to booking her flight back to New York as soon as possible, with a promise of a return phone call by noon. Hanging up the phone, she paced over to the window and parted the curtains. Though she knew it impossible, a part of her yearned to see Pete down on the dreary sidewalk, returning to her.
Sighing, she let the curtain fall back in place and glanced over at the still silent phone. It had only been a few minutes; she should not expect an instant solution. The agent likely had to get settled in his day first before getting to work on her flight. He would call soon though. Or at least she hoped he would. Maybe if she called and offered to up his commission he would work faster. Returning to the phone, her fingers reached to it and halted because of a knock at the door.
Turning to the door, she opened it without even checking the peephole. Her lips parted in a slight gasp of surprise before curving into a smile.
“James, what a pleasant surprise,” she stated softly.
“Cadence,” he reached for her hand and kissed it briefly, “might I be able to convince you to breakfast with me?”
“All you need to do is ask,” she responded.
Jimmy smiled, “Will you have breakfast with me on this dreary London morning?”
“Absolutely. Let me grab my purse and we can be on our way,” Cady smiled before turning around.
Stepping into the apartment behind her, his dark eyes glanced around before asking, “And where is Townshend?”
Clicking the matching purse to her black and white geometric dress, her blue eyes went to his, “Pete left about an hour ago to head to the States.”
“And he did not take you?” his eyebrows arched.
“No. There were some issues with the plane tickets. Once they’re straightened out, I’ll join the band,” she explained.
“Well if you would like the company until such time, I would be honored if you would consider mine, Cadence.”
“I would love that, James,” she smiled again. “Where are we heading for breakfast?”
Sitting on the plane, Pete sighed and looked out the window. He really did not like being apart from Cady. He knew it was not likely to be the first time, that it happened in relationships all the time, especially when one was a musician. But that did not mean he had to like it at all. Because he did not. Regardless there had not been anything he could do about it. She would be beside him before long; he had the utmost trust and confidence in her.
“Have you anything for the new album?” Kit asked as he returned to his seat beside Pete after visiting the loo.
His blue eyes left the ocean below to look at his manager, “To be honest, I have very little for the new album.”
“Christ, Pete, we have bloody studio time booked in New York. We need something.”
“Fuck,” he looked back at the window. “How do you expect me to think about music when you kept my girlfriend off this plane that isn’t even full?”
Kit said nothing for a long moment, “Because you’re a professional, Pete. This is yourjob.”
“Fuck you, Kit,” he muttered.
“You better have something by the time this plane leaves. Or like bloody hell am I letting you skip away from the band and stay in your girlfriend’s apartment,” he stated before getting up and moving to one of the empty seats on the plane.
Folding his arms across his chest, Pete tried to ignore all of Kit’s words. He was a grown man. He did not need anyone telling him what he could and could not do. He would do what he liked. There was nothing Kit could do about it. He would stay in Cady’s apartment, waiting for her there. It would also give him the perfect chance to show to James what happens when he lies. He would –
“Fuck,” Pete shook his head as an idea flitting through his thoughts. “Kit, I have an idea.”
The manager instantly left his conversation with John and returned to sitting next to the guitarist, “Yes?”
“They just shut down the pirate radio stations, right?”
Kit nodded.
“Well what if we designed a concept album around the idea of a radio station? We could intersperse ads with songs and…”
Thinking on it for a moment, the manager slowly nodded, “It could work.”
Pete snatched out a magazine from the pocket in front of him, quickly flipping through it, “Some of the songs will clearly play on the pop commercial aspect of the concept, but not all of them…”
Smirking, Kit produced a pad of paper for Pete and a pen. Remaining next to the songwriter, he offered his opinions as Pete hurriedly sketched out ideas. The Who were going to sell out – on purpose.
In the company of Jimmy Page, Cady was able to forget she missed Pete almost entirely. They shared breakfast at a small, quaint restaurant. He was sweet, courteous, and very attentive. Even when other pretty girls spoke to him, flirted with him, he paid attention solely to Cady. He likely knew exactly what he was doing, just as she knew, but that did not change the fact that Jimmy’s attention was making her smile. Even the dreary London weather was not dampening her mood while in his presence.
As the two walked along the sidewalk, Cady could not help but feel the inexplicable need to step closer to him. His fingertips brushed her hand, causing her eyes to dart to his. The guitarist stopped and turned fully to her. His hand reached up and brushed a damp strand of hair from her face and he smiled.
“If it would be all right with you, Cadence, I would like to see you again,” he stated softly.
“Do you not see me now?”
“I do,” Jimmy smiled again. “But I presume you do not wish to spend all day with me.”
“I…I have nothing else to fill my time with. I mean,” her eyes widened slightly, “I would love to spend more time with you. Perhaps you can show me more of London?”
“It would be my pleasure, but are you not expecting to hear from Townshend?”
Cady frowned slightly, “I doubt he has reached New York yet, James. It has only been a few hours. But I was expecting to hear from my travel agent. If we can stop somewhere for me to call him, then I can go anywhere you take me.”
“We are near your flat. It makes the most sense to stop there to make your call. And then we can determine where to go from there,” Jimmy suggested.
“All right. Which way?”
Once they reached the apartment, Cady sat to call the travel agent while Jimmy wandered about the flat. She paid him little attention as she waited for the agent to answer. The phone seemed to ring forever without an answer and that began to worry her. After seemingly the thirtieth ring, she hung the phone up and frowned.
Jimmy glanced her way, instantly setting down the book he found on the coffee table and approached her, “No answer?”
She shook her head, “I do not understand. He knows how important it is for me to get to New York as soon as possible. It is not like this is a leisure booking.”
He sat next to her on the couch, “Explain to me the entire situation.”
“Well, you see, Kit was supposed to…”
Ten minutes later, Jimmy sat silent, turning her words over in his head. He could tell something was definitely amiss in her story and was a bit surprised she had not noticed it. For a moment, he considered playing along with Kit and keeping Cady in London, away from Pete and the band. While that would benefit Jimmy, he was not entirely certain it would be good for Cady.
Getting to his feet, Jimmy approached the single white plastic phone, “I shall see what I can do for you.”
“What do you mean?”
Shaking his head as his call was answered; Jimmy quickly instructed his travel agent to book a one-way flight to New York for Cady as soon as possible. Giving the agent Cady’s number to return the call and confirm the flight; he thanked her and hung up the phone.
“I will see you to the airport by Friday. I am certain of it,” he declared, returning to sit beside her.
“You don’t think my travel agent will come through for me?”
“Does Kit know of your agent?”
She nodded.
“Cadence,” he grasped her hand gently, “I do believe that Kit is blocking you from joining up with the band. If he knows your travel agent and your agent did not book you a flight right away, something is peculiar. So I will purchase the ticket for you. He will not be able to st–”
“No, James, that is unnecessary. I can purchase my own plane ticket.”
His eyebrow arched, sensing more in her statement than the mere words, “I am not saying that you cannot, Cadence. Merely that Kit will be unable to block your flight.”
“I’m sorry. That’s very thoughtful of you. You must allow me to repay you for your kindness,” Cady stated.
Before he could reply, the phone next to her rang. Turning Cady quickly answered it. A smile lit up her face nearly instantly. She had a flight booked for New York, arriving mid-Saturday.
After hanging up the phone, she turned back to Jimmy and quickly kissed his cheek, “Thank you, James. Shall we head out now?”
“Pete, we need to go now,” John tugged on his sleeve.
“Just one more minute. I almost have it,” he shrugged off his friend’s hand.
“No, really, Pete. Everyone else has gotten off the plane. You can finish it at the hotel,” the bassist declared.
He suddenly dropped his pen and looked around, “I’m not going to the hotel. I am going to Cady’s. But you’re right; I can finish this there and meet you guys at the studio tomorrow morning.”
“What? No,” John replied. “You cannot just leave us hanging.”
Gathering up his things quickly, he nodded, “I’ll explain it as we walk.”
The band remained close and silent next to Pete. Though disbelief flashed across their faces by the time they reached the curb, everyone was on board with the guitarist’s ideas. John and Keith even decided between themselves to work on commercial jingles for the album.
“So I am going to go back to Cady’s flat and work on songs. I will have something by tomorrow morning,” Pete declared.
“Can you not do so at the hotel?” Kit asked.
Pete’s blue eyes snapped to the band manager, “No. I am going to my girlfriend’s apartment. There is nothing you can say to change my mind.”
“But–”
“Nothing,” he repeated before hailing his own cab. “I will meet you at the studio in the morning.”
Grabbing his luggage, including the guitar he bought in New York last visit, and Cady’s, Pete jumped into the cab before the rest of the band could say any more. With brief directions to the flat, he itched to pull out the lyrics he had been working on when the plane landed. However, his eyes focused on the busy city life. It was a much different experience to watch the buildings blur by when not tripping out of his mind. He supposed New York had some charm, though to be honest he did not see it. If it had not been for Cady, he would not think twice about the busy American city. He supposed she would want to still return to the city, that she had set down some roots there. Despite her familial struggles, she must have wanted to maintain something with America. They would have to discuss it in the near future.
The scene outside the window slowly became familiar and he knew he was nearly home. The moment that thought crossed his mind, Pete leaned back from the window. It certainly wasn’t his home, so why did he think that? Is it because it was the first place he connected with Cady? No, that was the bench back in London. The first place he knew he loved her? No, that was the bench back in London. The first place he woke up in her arms? Yes, that it was. And the first place they made love. Perhaps that was why he nostalgically thought of that flat as a home.
After paying his fare and receiving help from the cab driver getting his luggage inside to the lift, Pete headed up to the fourth floor. Kicking his own luggage down the hall while carrying his guitar and Cady’s suitcases, he considered stopping and speaking with James, but that was just a bad idea – at least for now.
Setting her suitcases down, Pete pulled out the keys to the flat. After wrangling all of the cases into the apartment, he paused and looked around. Sighing, he realized he missed Cady more than he was willing to admit. Maybe staying there was not such a good idea. The apartment practically breathed Cady.
Closing the door behind him, he crossed over to the telephone and instantly snatched it up. Waiting for the operator to connect him to London, he drummed his fingers on the telephone stand and glanced around the light, open space. Of course, he knew the flat would scream everything he loved about her; it was her apartment. His eyes just settled on the bed when the British operator spoke. Waiting for the woman to ring him through to Cady, Pete remained focused on the bed. This would be the perfect opportunity to look at all of her paintings at his leisure. As soon as he finished up his song cycle, he was going to do just that.
After about ten rings, the operator came back on the line, “There’s no answer, sir.”
Pete frowned, “Thank you. I will try again later.”
Hanging up the phone he instantly tried to reason away why Cady had not answered the phone. She had already showered, so that could not be it. Perhaps she had already left for the airport. Perhaps she was already on a plane on her way to reunite with him. Yes, that had to be it. He would see his love in the morning. Until then he had songs to finish enough to present to the band. Cady was fine. He believed that.
Seated in a small alcove, candlelight casting warm shadows on the pair, their heads nearly touched as he whispered in her ear. A large grin lit Cady’s face before she pulled back to meet his eyes. Shaking her head, she reached for her wineglass.
“You, Mr. Page, are incorrigible,” she stated before finishing her glass of pinot noir.
“Am I so?” his dark eyes held hers.
Cady nodded.
“Perhaps we should test your theory after dessert?” he suggested.
Her eyes dropped to her plate briefly, “And how do you propose we do that?”
Jimmy remained silent for a moment, sipping his wine, “Perhaps a better solution would be to take dessert back to your flat where we can discuss such without interruption?”
Seemingly as to punctuate his point, their server appeared and inquired as to the quality of their meal. Practically dismissing the well-dressed man with a wave of his hand after Cady’s glass was refilled, Jimmy leaned back to her. Rather than whisper in her ear this time, he kissed it gently. When she did not pull away or react negatively, his hand dropped to her thigh and gently squeezed it. Her eyes fluttered to his only then as she set down her wine glass.
“Shall we skip dessert?”
“Oh, but, James,” her hand dropped to the one in her lap and pulled it free, “I was so looking forward to the Midnight Passion Sundae.”
His eyes instantly snapped to the server and he beckoned the man back over, “The lady would like the Midnight Passion Sundae, please.”
“Right away, sir.”
A busboy swept away their dishes a moment later while the pair continued to speak in low tones while sipping their wine. Cady was well into her third glass of the evening when their dessert arrived, not even realizing Jimmy had yet to finish a single glass, nor that he seemed to keep filling her glass before it emptied.
“Your Midnight Passion Sundae, Miss,” the server set a white platter with swirls of dark chocolate sauce dripping over chocolate ice cream which partially concealed a slender banana and flowers made of strawberries.
“Thank you,” she grinned.
Before Cady could object, Jimmy picked up her spoon, sliced through the ice cream and fruit, discovering a bed of dark brownie, and held it towards her in offering. Her eyes went to his and she opened her mouth. Without hesitation, he slipped the spoon past her lips, waiting for her to close before withdrawing. A bit of chocolate dribbled from her lips to her chin. Without hesitation, Jimmy set down the spoon and leaned forward to kiss up the chocolate. Cady giggled but did not resist. Finding success in this, Jimmy continued to feed her the dessert… sloppily.
With the plate empty, his hand remained on her chin. His lips touched hers once more, gently pressing to deepen the kiss. Smiling she pulled back just after his tongue slipped into her mouth.
“Pardon my intrusion,” the server stated, setting the bill on the table and quickly backing away.
Smirking, Jimmy scooped up the bill, glanced it over and pulled out his billfold. After leaving a few notes on the table, he stood and held out his hand to Cady. With a smile, her hand slipped into his. As she stood, her head spun quickly, causing her to close her eyes and take a deep breath. She had clearly drunk too much wine.
“James, I… I need to go home,” she muttered softly.
“Worry not, Cadence, I will escort you safely home,” he declared, slipping his arm around her waist.
The pair made their way out of the small restaurant. Jimmy instantly decided against walking the couple of blocks to Pete and Cady’s flat and hailed a cab. Even though it was only a few blocks, Cady snuggled drunkenly up against Jimmy, seemingly needing his support to even sit in the backseat. He helped her out of the car a few minutes later, their steps weaving towards the building entrance. Surprisingly they made it up to the flat easily, even with Cady’s lack of walking coordination.
Slipping her purse off her shoulder, Jimmy quickly shuffled through it for the keys to the apartment, unlocked the door, and led her inside. The purse was left on the nearest surface after he closed to door behind her. Cady kicked off her shoes and made her way over to the sofa. Trailing behind, Jimmy smiled as he watched her body sway. Her large blue eyes went to his as she sat, stopping him in his steps. Without a word, he turned and entered the kitchen. Cady sighed, closed her eyes, and leaned back on the couch. A minute later, the cushion beside her sunk with his weight and a glass of cool water pressed into her hand. Though she had not asked for it, she smiled crookedly and sipped it all the same, not even opening her eyes.
His fingers reached up and tucked a long dark curl over her shoulder, “Have you any idea how beautiful you are, Cadence?”
“Yes,” she responded, eyes remaining closed.
Jimmy smiled and leaned over, his lips brushing hers briefly, “You have a beauty even Venus would desire.”
Her lips curved into a smile briefly before meeting his once more in a kiss. As his tongue slipped beyond her lips, his hand gently removed the glass from hers. He set it upon the coffee table before them and returned his attention to her curvy lips. For a moment, his fingers remained on her chin as he deepened the kiss, gently searching for her resistance. Finding none, Jimmy’s fingers gently began to trace down her neck. He caressed her shoulder as his tongue surrounded hers, gently sucking. His palm ran over the swell of her breast, pausing to seek her hardening, cloth-covered nipple.
“James,” she gasped against his mouth.
“Shhh. Just relax, Cadence,” he responded before kissing her once more.
Her right hand reached up and she buried her fingers in his thick dark hair. She did no protest as his hand slipped under the hem of her blouse. Though a voice in the back of her head shouted loudly, it struggled to reach the forefront of her mind through her muddled, wine-drenched thoughts. All she knew in that moment is that his hand, his fingers, felt wonderful on her skin. She did not want him to stop touching her at all.
Jimmy did not attempt to remove her clothing at this point, though he did wish the blouse and bra were not impeding his actions. Instead, his fingers tugged down the soft bra fabric underneath her shirt. Clumsily he pinched her nipple gently, causing her to gasp and moan slightly. His fingers danced over to her other breast as his lips suckled upon her earlobe.
“Cadence,” he breathed in her ear, “I want to taste you.”
“James…” she moaned.
Figuring that was as much of an okay he was going to get, Jimmy gently pulled his hand from caressing her breasts. Slowly his hand began to trail down her stomach. As his hand reached the top of her pants, the nearby phone rang. Hoping her intoxication and arousal would be enough to keep her from noticing, Jimmy kissed her deeply. However Cady was not that far gone and pushed him away, struggling to get to her feet to answer the phone.
Leaning against the wall, she reached for the phone, “Hello?”
“Cady? Are you okay, baby? I’ve called a few times and you didn’t answer,” Pete’s concerned voice asked.
“I’m… fine. I just miss you and couldn’t stay in the apartment, waiting,” she stated, slumping down the wall to the floor, tears instantly running down her cheeks.
Getting up from the sofa, Jimmy slowly approached her. He squatted and reached for her, wanting to provide some comfort for the brunette. She shook her head and pushed away his hands, focusing on Pete’s kind words. With a sigh, the Yardbird headed towards the door. He glanced once more at her before stepping out. It was not over forever, but at least for that night.
“Pete… Pete, I… oh god I miss you. I have a flight out on Friday morning, but… that’s so far away,” she muttered softly. “Can you… can you play for me right now?”
“Hmmm. I’m not sure how to play with the phone so you can hear,” he responded. “I just have my acoustic with me right now.”
“Oh. Tell me… tell me about your day then? I want to know everything I’ve missed.”
Pete paused, “Well, we recorded some of the songs I wrote on the flight over. The demos are pretty decent. I think you will like them. One of the songs…”
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