Title: Love Runs Deeper: Chapter Four, Peaceful and Ethereal
Rating: PG [mild language]

Summary: Lindsey helps Lily out, not entirely with her knowledge.



 

Glancing at Lindsey, Lily reached for the soda bottle, but decided against it. Sugar that late at night, especially with the prospect of sleeping soon, was a bad idea. Noticing she did not actually pick up her bottle of Coke, Lindsey set his beer bottle down. He turned to face her fully.

“I don’t… I don’t have anything to sleep in,” she commented, glancing down at her faded tee shirt and jeans.

“Easily remedied,” he smiled and got to his feet.

Rummaging through his drawers, Lindsey returned with a long tee shirt. Lily accepted it as she stood, kissing his cheek. He watched her disappear into the bathroom and picked up his beer to finish it. As the bottle touched his lips, the door opened again. His eyes snapped to hers.

“Um, Lindsey?” she asked softly.

“Yeah?”

“Do you think… I’ve never… I’ve never seen a tub this big and I don’t even have a tub back at my place… do you think it would be all right if I took a bath?”

He quickly smiled, “Be my guest.”

“Thanks,” she flashed him a smile and disappeared back into the bathroom.

He finished his beer as he heard the water run, a smile teasing the corners of his mouth. While he had not intended that night to go like that at all, he was certainly pleased. With their date up in the air, pampering her briefly seemed to be on hold as well. Now that she was in his hotel room, Lindsey knew he could put much of it into action that night, starting with the bath and ending with sleeping in his bed. What little she had shared with him, only made Lindsey want to care for her even more. With that thought in mind, he finished off his beer and picked up her soda. After dumping out the rest of the Coke, he tossed both bottles into the small wastebasket and picked up the nearest phone.

With his call complete and his attire changed to PJs, Lindsey picked up his guitar. Glancing over to the couch, he shrugged and sat on the bed instead, as it was closer. Closing his eyes, he let his fingers wander into place on the neck. With a smile he began to play, knowing instantly her melody inhabited his instrument. He was midway through the song when the door to the bathroom opened and out stepped the beautiful woman, wearing just his tee shirt. His eyes met hers as he continued to play, a smile instantly lighting her face.

When the last sweet note hung in the air, Lily clapped softly, “Beautiful.”

“Just as much as the woman who inspired it,” he declared.

Before she could ask whom he meant, a soft knock sounded at the door. Setting his instrument aside, Lindsey jumped up and hurried over to the door. He accepted the tray, paid a tip, and closed the door. Turning slowly, he carried the silver tray over to the nearest table and carefully set it down. His eyes flicked to hers, beckoning her over. Dropping her clothes in a nearby armchair, Lily slowly approached Lindsey. He turned slightly, handing her a large, steaming white mug.

Accepting it, she inhaled it deeply, “Hot cocoa?”

“I thought it might help you relax,” he stated, lifting the other mug and clinking it with hers.

Lily giggled softly, “Thank you, Lindsey.”

Blowing softly across the hot liquid, she sipped it, closing her eyes, “Mmmmm.”

“Sit on the couch?” he offered.

She suppressed a yawn, “Would it be wrong to drink this in bed?”

Lindsey did not even blink, “Not at all.”

He set down his mug and quickly moved to the bed, stripping back the feather comforter and top sheet. His eyes flicked to Lily and he patted the bed. With another soft giggle, the sound of which made his soul soar, she approached the bed and handed him her cup of cocoa. Holding the white mug as she crawled into the middle of the king-sized bed, his eyes flicked to the curve of her ass, settling on her plain white panties. He smirked to himself, pulling his gaze away a moment before she turned and sat down. Her fingers reached out for the cup. Leaning forward, Lindsey offered her the mug. Her right hand curled around the handle, her left hand quickly buried in his hair and pulled him into a quick kiss. Lindsey stole another one quickly before pulling away to turn out most of the lights and grab his cocoa.

Stopping before the bed, Lindsey’s eyes went to hers, the single lamp on the bedside table behind her barely lighting the room, “Oh, I’m sorry. I can sleep on the couch. I did not mean to presume.”

“It’s your bed, Lindsey,” she declared. “And there’s more than enough room for both of us. There’s no reason for you to sleep on the couch.”

“Well if you’re sure…”

“I’m sure.”

He set his cup down and crawled into bed next to her, keeping a few inches between them. Lily instantly shifted over, nudging his arm with her elbow. Reading her intentions, Lindsey looped his arm around her, not caring that his mug of cocoa was now out of reach. That mattered little because she sipped hers a few more times before offering it to him. Silently they shared the mug of rich chocolate until it was empty.

Pulling away once the cup was empty and leaning over him, Lily placed it on the nightstand next to his, briefly considering picking that mug up and sharing it with Lindsey as well. Instead she left it were it was and quickly turned over. His eyes watched as she stretched and turned out the other light. Not entirely sure if he should lie down or not, Lindsey waited for some indication.

“Are you going to sit up all night?” she teased.

With a silent smirk, Lindsey shifted down in the bed. Before he could even think, Lily wiggled over to him, snuggled against his bare chest, pulling the blanket over them. He smiled as her wet hair covered his upper arm like a wet web. The night was going much better than he had expected upon finding her absence at the start of it.

“Lindsey?” she asked softly, her fingers gently drawing circles on his chest.

“Mmmhmmm?”

“You’ll make sure I get up in time to get back to my place to get my work clothes right?”

“Of course,” he responded, his thoughts following the patterns she traced. “I’ll even drive you to work so you don’t have to take the bus.”

She remained silent for a moment, “Thank… you… good night.”



Waking with Lily curled around him, sleeping soundly, Lindsey could not bring himself to rouse her. He knew she needed to be to work by ten and it was only eight-thirty. There was still plenty of time for her to sleep more. Five hours of sleep was not enough, no matter what she told him, thusly he would allow her to sleep as long as possible and order up breakfast in the meantime.

After ordering food and taking care of business in the bathroom, he silently dressed. Lily turned over in bed, but did not sit up or even appear to be waking. Lindsey headed to the door, hoping to catch the food delivery before a knock, keeping the sweet girl still slumbering. Slowly pulling it open, he smiled, as the silver service tray appeared in the hallway a moment later, rolling towards his suite. He whispered to the room service attendant, accepting the tray while blocking entrance to the suite. As the door closed quietly, Lindsey carried the tray to the table, nearly losing balance and losing the glasses of juice. Never before had he thought carrying food-laden tray was very difficult, but now he certainly had more appreciation for not only the room service attendant, but also Lily’s job. Once relieved of the tray, he hurried back to the door and locked it, not that he really thought someone would walk in.

Returning to the table, he lifted the silver dome hiding the food, allowing the warm scents of breakfast foods to fill the room. Glancing at the clock, he watched the numbers click to read nine in the morning. He could not let her sleep any longer if she were to be on time to work. He headed to the bed and sat on the edge closest to her, clicking on the lamp on the bedside table. As the yellow-tinged light washed over her delicate features, Lindsey could not help but admire her peaceful and ethereal… beauty. However, he could not linger in the moment long at all. Gently his fingers reached up and caressed her cheek, tracing down her jawbone. As her eyes fluttered open, she looked up at him and smiled. Unable to resist, Lindsey leaned down and kissed her briefly.

“Good morning,” she muttered as he leaned back up.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he responded, causing her to flush. “Breakfast is ready and once you eat we will head to your place so that you can dress for work.”

Her eyes widened, “Shit. What time is it?”

“Just after nine,” he claimed. “It’s okay. We have plenty of time.”

Lily sat up, “No, Lindsey, we don’t. It takes at least fifteen minutes to drive to my place from here, traffic forbidding. I need at least fifteen minutes to get dressed and ready. And it takes thirty minutes at the minimum to get from my place to the office. There is no time.”

“Relax, Lily. We can just call your boss and let him know that–”

“Impossible. He’ll–”

He picked up the phone, “What’s the number?”

She sighed and blurted it out. Lindsey quickly dialed the number before handing over the receiver. Accepting it, she felt her heart pound furiously in her body. This was not going to go well. She could feel it. Perhaps that had to do with being fired the night before. She was not certain. Speaking directly to her boss, Lily first muttered an apology before following it up with a half-true explanation. Lindsey’s eyes remained focused on her face, trying to read in her expression what her boss could possibly be saying. His heart froze as her face fell and she dropped the phone back down on the base.

“Lily?” he muttered softly.

Her golden eyes turned to his, filling with tears, “He f-fired me.”

“What? Why? Because you’re late?”

“No,” she shook her head. “Well maybe. He said my behavior yesterday was unacceptable and my refusal to be timely today merely makes it easier on him. He told me to not bother coming in today or ever and that my last paycheck would be mailed to me.”

“After what happened yesterday, it’s probably for the better that–”

“Lindsey, you don’t understand. I need that job.”

“You do start that other diner job tonight. And it’s busier so I’m sure you’ll get more tips and–”

“I need that job. Fuck,” she pivoted out of the bed and began to pace. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I told Joe I would pay rent by Friday. And I need to pay a number of other bills too. I suppose I have about a week to get everything together with my last paychecks from each job. I’ll just have to figure out how to manage on just the diner job until I can find another daytime. Fuck. I’m only going to be getting three nights at the new diner for a while, during training and maybe after. I don’t know what I’m going to–”

Lindsey reached out and grasped her wrist, stopping her pace, “Lily, relax. We can find a solution to this. You don’t need to worry.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re a rock star. I don’t doubt you’re paying the same for a night here that I do for a month in my place. Your life worries involve screaming girls and guitar strings, not whether or not you’re going to sleep on a bench or–”

“Let me help,” he interjected.

“No. I am not taking your pity money,” she declared, pulling her wrist free. “In fact, I’ll just head out now and try to figure things out. Thank you for–”

“But I have breakfast,” he motioned to the table.

Her eyes flicked to the food and though he thought he saw a flicker of desire, she turned away, “I’m not hungry.”

Lindsey quickly moved around her, blocking her route to the restroom and forcing her to look at him, “Lily, please. I know that’s not true. Eat breakfast with me. You’ll be able to figure out things better on a full stomach.”

Her eyes wavered, “But, Lindsey, I–”

“And I will take you anywhere you want to go afterwards.”

Her eyes went back to his, “Anywhere?”

He nodded, “Anywhere.”

“Okay,” she relented. “But I gotta pee first.”



Staring down at her hands for a long moment as they sat in the car outside her building, Lily tried to decide what to do. Having him wait in the car might have been better for her pride but it certainly was not proper or even polite to do so. She had only asked to return home in order to change out of her clothes from the day before; it would only be a short wait. No, she would not be impolite; especially after all he had done for her. She would do the right thing, pride be damned.

“I know you probably can tell by the exterior but my apartment is nothing compared to the hotel you’re staying in. I completely understand if you want to wait down here while I change,” she stated softly.

“Is that your wish?” he asked.

“I… if you want to come in, you can. It won’t take long,” Lily claimed.

Nodding, he turned off the car and quickly climbed out of the vehicle. Before Lily could open the door herself, Lindsey lifted the handle and offered his other hand to her. She smiled nervously at him as she accepted his hand. Stepping free of the car, allowing him to close the door, she led Lindsey up to the front door of the tattered building. Web-like cracks shot up the glass windows, centered on a tiny circular hole. Without even thinking about it, Lindsey’s hand tightened slightly on hers upon realization what exactly could have caused such damage to a window without completely shattering. Each creaky step they ascended was one more reason for him to find some way to get her out of the situation. He just was not sure how.

She pulled him away from the staircase once they reached the third level. They headed down the hallway, stopping in front of a crooked number where she inserted her key. Lily released his hand as she stepped across the threshold and into the apartment. Her fingers did not reach for the nearby light switch, knowing it would not flick anything on at all. Plus it had the benefit of hiding the disgrace that was her apartment. She only hoped she could get changed quickly enough for his eyes to fully adjust to the dim, window-lit room.

“Um… I’ll be right back,” she muttered, ducking into the bedroom.

Left in the dim room, Lindsey glanced around as his eyes adjusted. A single folding chair leaned against the wall near the uncovered yet filth-covered window. No other furniture decorated the living room at all, not even overturned boxes used as tables. Dark stains spotted the carpet and crept up the walls. Lindsey had every reason to believe if he flicked on the overhead light, cockroaches and other vermin would scamper for cover. The idea of them wandering free made his skin crawl and he instinctually reached for the light switch. Flicking it did not provide any light at all. Unsure if it was lack of electricity or a light bulb, he slowly approached the door she had disappeared through, but left open.

“Lily?” he muttered softly, pushing the door fully open.

With a lit camping lantern on an overturned milk crate as illumination, Lily glanced over her shoulder at Lindsey after pulling a fresh, yet worn thin shirt, over her head, “Yeah?”

“Almost ready?”

“Yeah. Just give me another minute,” she replied.

Lindsey nodded but did not return to the living room. Instead, he looked around her small bedroom, feeling a bit like he was intruding. With the minimal light provided by the battery-operated lamp, he could clearly see the uneven surface of her single mattress on the floor, making him frown slightly. Perhaps though, the most surprising part was her open closet. For all practical purposes, the closet overflowed with clothes, all business styles, although a bit out of fashion. He supposed that made sense that her money and effort would go into creating and maintaining a façade that would increase her chances of good, stable employment. There was a single chest of drawers, though it was missing the bottom two drawers. He presumed the other two held what did not hang in the closet. Yet inspecting her room, her whole apartment really, did not answer the biggest question on his mind: if she was working two jobs, both of which most could live on one alone, where was all her money going?

“I’m sorry,” Lily muttered.

“For what?” he asked, his eyes going to hers.

“It’s… I can’t say that it’s a mess in here. It just doesn’t get any cleaner as much as I’ve tried. It just… I just…”

He quickly approached her, cupped her cheek, and kissed her mouth softly, “You don’t need to apologize. I understand.”

“I just… I mean… let’s just get out of here,” she uttered.

“Of course. Where are we headed?”

“To a nursing home outside the city,” Lily replied. “It’s hard for me to get there without taking a cab.”

“Who are we visiting?” he asked, trailing her out of the derelict apartment after she turned off the lantern.

“My mother.”



Pulling into the parking lot of the nursing home Lily directed him to, Lindsey glanced around for an empty parking space and quickly parked. He glanced over at her, noticing a nearly palpable anxiety emanating from her. Without a thought, he leaned over and kissed her quickly. She smiled wanly before unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car. They had not spoken on the drive, other than her directions. He did not know why her mother was in a nursing home, nor had he brought up the state of her apartment. Her silence did not surprise him, but it did concern him – almost as much as it had seeing the state of her apartment. That last facet had been something he continued to go back to in his mind. He had to get her out of there. He did not know why or how, just that he needed to. So focused on this thought, he stumbled on the sidewalk curb as he followed her up to the building’s entrance.

“It’s probably best if you just wait in the waiting room. She doesn’t really take well to strangers,” Lily commented as they passed through the main doors.

“If that’s what you want,” he replied.

She stopped in the middle of the waiting room, turning to him and smiling, “Thank you, Lindsey. For everything.”

He smiled in response, “You’re welcome.”

He trailed behind her as she checked in at the desk, lingering back just enough to not seem like he was going to follow her. However, with as close as he was, he could hear every single word exchanged between Lily and the receptionist. He understood that the nursing home needed to be paid in order to function and provide care to its residents, but to threaten to throw out one because of an overdue balance? That had to be against their Hippocratic Oath.

Lily glanced at him, smiling slightly. Giving no indication he had heard the conversation, including her vow to give them both of her next two paychecks, Lindsey nodded at her and watched as she headed down the hallway. Once he could no longer see her, he stepped up to the receptionist desk.

“Can I help you, sir?”

“Yes. What is the balance on that young lady’s account?” he asked.

“Sir, I cannot do that,” she replied.

“Why not?”

“That information is confidential.”

Lindsey leaned forward, glancing at her nametag, “Rose, I appreciate the sentiment and I do not ask for such information to use against Lily. Rather I would like to help her. You like to help people. I can tell. Help me, help her.”

“I cannot tell you what you want to know, sir.”

He paused, “I want to pay her balance in full, right now. Actually for the rest of the year. I do not need nor want any information regarding her mother’s health, though I do fully expect her to receive the best of care.”

“Sir, I can’t–”

“How about this,” he pulled out his billfold and unfolded it, removing a credit card, “you run this card for whatever the amount is for the period I requested and I will sign the slip without even looking at the number. Then you have not provided any information to me that you should not and I have helped my girlfriend.”

She blinked, “I suppose… I suppose that could work.”

“Excellent,” he held out the credit card. “And make sure you charge enough to covereverything for the rest of the year.”

“Yes, sir.”

It took the receptionist a few minutes to process his payment, secretly getting his signature. After she returned his credit card and pulled open Lily’s file, her eyes read over the name on the imprint. Her eyes widened slightly and she looked up at him. Her lips moved in an unspoken question, seemingly asking the unthinkable.

“You’re… you’re…” she muttered.

“Yes?” his eyebrows rose, fully expecting to be pegged as someone like Peter Frampton.

“I love the Buckingham Nicks album, but you’re even better now that you’ve joined up with Fleetwood Mac,” she gushed. “Oh my god.”

He flushed slightly, tucking his wallet away, “I… well thank you.”

“Wait. Lily is your girlfriend? I thought you and Stevie…”

“No. And I want to keep Lily and I a secret as long as possible,” he declared. “If you know what I mean.”

The receptionist nodded quickly, “I won’t tell a soul you were even here.”

He smiled, “Thank you.”

Before she could say anything else, Lily approached the desk, her hand touching Lindsey’s arm to draw his attention to her. His eyes went to hers and he smiled. She tugged him away from the reception desk and sweetly kissed him.

“Thank you,” Lily stated softly.

“You’re welcome,” he responded cautiously.

“I haven’t seen my mother in over a month,” she explained. “She wasn’t lucid at all today, but it was good to at least see her. I’m hungry. Do you want to go find something for lunch?”

“I would love that,” Lindsey smiled, his hand slipping in hers. “A lot.”

His eyes met the receptionist’s once more and he subtly placed his finger to his lips. She grinned and nodded. Turning towards the glass doors, Lindsey led Lily out of the nursing home. He now knew where all her money had been going to, certain the nursing home was taking every penny. With that taken care of, he only hoped he could get her out of the dump she called home. One step at a time. One step at a time.