Hand in Glove - COMPLETED -
A Stick Shift Lips Rockstar Romance, Book One -
Go on, get hooked...
Ashton Wright is the quintessential artist with a tortured past. Singer-songwriter and frontman for a struggling Chicago indie band, the Stick Shift Li...
Chloe was glad she had decided to get on the early train to her mother's house. She didn't want to watch Ashton go through the motions of getting ready for something he wasn't looking forward to. He'd been kind enough to drop her off at the station and she thanked him again for carrying her in from the car last night after the party.
Chloe thought about that crazy party. She now realized why Ashton had been so reluctant to take her. It sure was an eye opener, an experience she would definitely not soon forget.
Hopefully, Ashton would enjoy his shows this weekend. Somewhere in the pit of her stomach, she couldn't help but miss him, especially after the dream she'd had last night. She'd dreamt that he'd held her safe and warm in his arms. It had felt so real to her that when she woke up that morning, she swore she could still smell his scent on her skin.
The long train ride proved to be a nice buffer, allowing Chloe time to figure out just how to best describe her new job to her mother. Her mother, Rosa, was quite the traditional church-going, Catholic lady. It wasn't going to be easy to tell her that her daughter was now a personal assistant for a singer in a rock band. It was bad enough when her single daughter was living on her own in the city, but now she was not only working for but living with a strange man. No matter how Chloe tried to describe it in her head, it just didn't sound convincing. Oh well, she'll just have to understand, Chloe told herself.
She greeted her mother at the door with a big hug. The house smelled wonderful, just like it always did when she visited. Rosa always had something going on in the kitchen when one of her kids came over. "Come sit, you look tired, Chloe. I've missed you so much, kiddo." Even before Chloe sat down, there was a heaping bowl of soup in front of her. She took a moment and breathed it in, then greedily spooned the tasty broth up into her mouth. While she ate, Rosa filled her in on all the updates on the family, her brothers and, of course, all the gossip in the church groups.
"So, Chloe, it's been so long since you've come home, or even called. I was starting to worry. You kids just don't understand how much a mother worries." Rosa was an expert on laying on the guilt. Chloe knew this all too well.
"I'm sorry, Mom, you're right. I know it's no excuse, but I've been busy these last few weeks."
"Too busy to call your mother?" Rosa said incredulously. "What's got you so busy? Taking care of all those lazy college kids? What about finding another job away from all that? I didn't raise you to be a housekeeper," she huffed. Rosa never quite understood her daughter's choice to go to art school. She'd always wanted Chloe to become a nurse or something practical like that. Still, she accepted Chloe's choices without much resistance, often telling her that most of all, she wanted her kids to be happy. She made them promise to get an education first, then a good job before getting married.
"Actually, Mom, I have a new job now," Chloe said, taking a deep breath as she proceeded to explain, the best she could. Chloe emphasized things like great pay, lots of responsibility, company car and an expense account. Everything was great up until she got to the part about being a personal assistant for a successful singer-songwriter who just also happened to be a single man.
"What?" Rosa gasped. "Oh, come on, you're joking, aren't you? Now hold on just a minute, young lady. Who do you think you're kidding?" Rosa said with her hands on her hips.
It took a few hours of convincing before Rosa even started to come around. "What am I going to tell the ladies at church?" Rosa asked with obvious dismay.
"Tell them whatever you like, but that's just the way it is for now. I've committed to a two-year contract. You're simply going to have to accept it," Chloe stated with conviction. "Now, are we going to have some fun this weekend, or are we just going to sit here arguing?" she asked with a frustrated sigh.
"You're right, Chloe. You're an adult now and I respect your decisions, but I don't have to like them," Rosa said with a hesitant smile. "Why don't you go upstairs and have a nap. Later, we can go have some fun."
"Thank you, Mother. It's good to be home," Chloe smiled with relief.
The weekend went by in a flash. There were shopping trips, gossip, and more gossip. By the time Chloe got into the train headed back to Chicago, she was exhausted. It was hard to say goodbye but she was glad to get back to her life, to Ashton.
Hopefully, he'd be in better spirits today. He'd told her he would be there to pick her up at the station. Chloe felt her pulse race as the train came to a stop. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was afraid he might have forgotten. Maybe he hadn't gotten back from his road trip.
Lifting her heavy bag off the train, she braced herself for disappointment. Worst case scenario, she would just take a taxi.
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To be continued...
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