Two weeks later, Madison strolled over the pad extremely early on a Monday morning. She never slept as well when Micky didn't stay with her, but they had made an agreement that he would spend some nights at home. She also wasn't used to the hectic schedule that went along with the gig. They performed at Club George Thursday through Saturday nights, and rehearsed almost non-stop Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving Sunday as their only day off. She was exhausted but she was also enjoying the gig. Not that she wanted to make a career out of it, writing was her first passion, but she was finding it easier to get up on stage every night.
She was just turning the coffeepot on when Mike came downstairs. "What are you doing here so early?" He asked.
"I couldn't sleep. Coffee will be ready soon." She followed him into the living room. "Hey, Mike, can I talk to you?"
"Sure." He walked over to the bandstand and picked up his guitar. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you too."
"I just wanted to apologize." She sat down on the edge of the bandstand. "I'm sorry we gave you such a hard time about Samantha."
Madison had already apologized to Samantha for trying to play matchmaker after she confided in her that nothing had happened. Samantha was convinced that Mike wasn't attracted to her at all. Since the night he had walked her home, he went out of his way to avoid her. But something good had come out of it. Madison and Samantha were becoming good friends. They had already been shopping together twice and went to see a movie together with Peter and Micky one night.
"Don't worry about it." Mike smiled. "Hey, can I play a new song for you?"
"Sure!" Madison was glad she had apologized even though she knew Mike would never hold a grudge. "Let me get some coffee first. You want some?"
"Please." Mike tuned his guitar while Madison went and got two cups of coffee.
"Okay, I'm ready." She sat back down on the edge of the bandstand.
"It's called 'The Door Into Summer'." He played it for her. "What do you think?" He asked cautiously.
"It's really great!" She answered.
"I'm glad you like it." He smiled then took a sip of coffee. "I want you to sing it with me."
"Excuse me?" Her eyes grew wide.
"You heard me." He laughed. "We've got all week to practice."
"I don't know Michael." She took a big gulp of coffee and shook her head.
"What don't you know, doll?" Micky came sliding down the banister making a perfect landing at the bottom.
"Mike wrote a new song and he wants me to sing it with him." Her voice cracked.
"I think that's a groovy idea." Micky sat down next to her. "You should do it."
"And I think you've both gone insane." She laughed. "Singing backup is one thing but this was never in my contract."
"You don't have a contract." Micky laughed.
"Sing it with me once and if you don't like it, I promise never to mention it again." Mike held up his right hand in a solemn oath.
Madison looked at Mike then over at Micky, who was nodding. "Alright, one time." Micky went over and curled up in Madison's spot on the couch. "What are you doing?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Seeing what it feels like to sit here instead of up there." He laughed.
Mike handed the lyrics to Madison and strapped on his guitar again. He counted off and started playing.
With his fool's gold stacked up all around him
From a killing in the market on the war
The children left King Midas there, as they found him
In his counting house where nothing counts but more.
And he thought he heard the echo of a penny whistle band
And the laughter from a distant caravan
And the brightly painted line of circus wagons in the sand
Fading though the door into summer.
Well, it's travel onto "maybe next year" 's places
As a trade-in for a name upon the door
And he pays for every year he cannot buy back with his tears
As he finds out there's been no one keeping score.
And he thought he heard the echo of a penny whistle band
And the laughter from a distant caravan
And the brightly painted line of circus wagons in the sand
Fading though the door into summer.
They finished the song and both looked over at Micky, who was already on his feet clapping and whistling through his teeth, only to be joined by Davy and Peter, who had wandered into the room during the song. "So, what are you trying to say?" Madison laughed looking at all of them.
"That you should definitely do this." Micky answered walking back over to her and kissing her cheek.
"Shouldn't we take a vote or something?" She stalled.
Mike stood up. "Okay, all those in favor of Madison singing this song with me, raise your hands." Four hands immediately went up. "All those opposed." Madison sheepishly put hers up. "Sorry, Maddie, you're outnumbered four to one."
"Alright, I'll do it." She huffed. "But I want lots of practice." She looked at Mike sternly.
"Anything you want." He grinned. "Let's go work at your place and we can try it out later as a group."
--------------------
Mike and Madison worked the rest of the morning on Mike's new song. "I'm starving." Madison commented. "Can we take a break?"
"Sure." Mike answered, he discovered he was also hungry.
"I'll go throw something together." She stood up and stretched then walked into the kitchen. Since the gig at the club had started, Madison hadn't been to the grocery store, so all she had was bologna and some stale potato chips. She made two sandwiches and brought them back into the living room. Mike had moved from the couch onto the floor and was playing a soft melody on his guitar. "What's that? I've never heard it before." Madison sat down across from him.
"It’s a new song I've been playing around with. I wrote it for Samantha." He said shyly.
"Samantha?" She practically choked on a bite of sandwich. "But I thought you didn't like her."
Mike sighed. "I do like her, a lot."
"I don't get it." Madison put her sandwich down. "For the past two weeks you've done nothing but avoid her."
"I know." He poked and played with his food. "I'm just not good at these kind of things. Besides, what would a groovy chick like that want with a dumb old hick like me?"
"Michael Nesmith you are not a dumb old hick!" Madison snapped. "And don't you ever say that again. You are a sweet, talented man."
"Thanks." Mike actually blushed. "But, even so, I wouldn't know what to say."
Madison got up on her knees. "Practice on me. Pretend I'm Sam and ask me out."
"That's silly." Mike laughed.
"No, it's not." Madison corrected. "Just try it."
In the meantime, Micky walked up to Madison's back door. He came over to see how the new song was coming along when he heard:
"Would you like to go out with me?" Mike asked.
"Yes!" Madison answered.
---------------------
After lunch, Mike and Madison went back over to the pad to rehearse with the rest of the band. They practiced a few warm up numbers then Mike handed out the music for his new song.
"Hey, Mick, is anything wrong?" Mike asked as Micky snatched the paper out of his hands. "You seem upset about something."
"I'm just fine." Micky replied coldly. "Come on, let's rehearse this."
Davy took Madison's place on the milk crate so she could stand next to Mike for the song. The first time through was pretty rough with everyone trying to get used to their parts and then halfway through Madison got a case of the giggles after Peter hit a bad note and made a scrunched up face. The second time, she moved over to sing with Mike into his microphone because Peter kept making faces at her trying to get her to crack up. In the meantime, Micky was getting more annoyed, his face turning red. On the third time through the song, Mike put his arm around Madison with his hand on the neck of the guitar. They had almost gotten through the entire song perfectly when Micky stopped playing, through his drumsticks across the room and stormed out the back door.
"What the hell was that all about?" Mike asked looking at Madison.
"I have no idea." She looked at Davy and Peter. "Do you know what's going on?"
"No." Peter answered and Davy shook his head.
"Well, I'm going to go find out." Madison set down the tambourine and headed out the back door.
--------------------
She spotted him walking quickly down the beach and ran to catch up with him. "Micky, stop!" She called running up beside him.
"Madison, I don't want to talk to you right now." He snapped, jamming his fists deep into his jeans.
"What's wrong?" She put her hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it off. "Micky, I want to know what's wrong."
He stopped abruptly and whirled around to face her. "Just leave me alone. Why don't you go spend time with your new boyfriend." He snarled.
"My new boyfriend?" Madison's voice cracked. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Mike!" He yelled. "I came over to see how you were doing with the song and I heard him ask you out."
"Micky, he didn't ask me out!" She yelled back. "He wants to ask Samantha out and he was practicing on me!"
"Damn it, Madison, don't lie to me." Micky bellowed. "I know what I heard."
"No, you heard the end of a conversation and not the whole thing." Madison shouted. "I'm not going to stand here and listen to your jealous ramblings. You obviously don't know me at all if you think I would do that to you. I don't lie to people I love!" She turned on her heal and ran back down the beach, sand spiting up behind her.
--------------------
Continue to Part 4
Back to the "As We Go Along" series
Storybook of You - FanFiction Page
Aimee's Shades of Monkees