“Kevin,” Maggie said, looking up from her lesson plan book, “I only get four channels. Nothing has changed on them during the ten minutes you’ve been surfing.”
“Sorry. I thought I had the sound down enough to not bother you.”
“You do. It’s the flickering images from one channel to another that’s doing it. I’m sorry. I’ve got to get next week’s plans made out. My boss ‘talked’ to me today about the others I’ve been turning in. Apparently the way I’ve been doing them for three years now hasn’t been the correct way.”
He inwardly winced at the anger she was trying so hard to hide. She had been getting the rough end a lot lately at work. When she talked to him about it, her eyes didn’t dance as much as before. He hardly heard about ‘her kids’ and the amusing things they did anymore. In a way, it made it all that much harder for him to think about what he had to tell her. The phone rang, startling Maggie out of her frown. Sighing, she removed her glasses and picked up the phone.
“Hello?” Her expression of irritation slowly changed to one of confusion, then curiosity. “Yeah. Just a second, OK?”
“Kevin,” she said in a loud whisper, her hand over the mouthpiece, “there’s someone on the phone for you. Says his name is Brian.”
“Oh. Yeah, I gave him this number if he couldn’t reach me at my room. I hope that’s OK,” he told her, taking the receiver from her.
She shrugged, returning to her plan book, tapping her nose in thought with her pen. Kevin took the phone into the hallway, stretching the cord as far as it would. His words were indistinguishable as he spoke in hushed tones. Maggie wondered if she should listen. Nah, she thought, I’ve got too much going on to be nosy. I’ll let him have a little privacy.
Five minutes later, Kevin put the phone back on the end table beside the sofa. He sat down next to Maggie, allowing her to stretch her legs across his. He began rubbing her calves, knowing she liked that after being on her feet most of the day. Then again, since being together last week, they both knew what that would lead to. Maggie gave up on her work and tossed the books to the floor. As his hands made their way up her thigh, she rested her head against the arm of the couch. When he touched her there, she raised up, finding him grinning sensually at her. Taking her hand, he helped her up and led the way to her bedroom.
Later, they lay wrapped in each other’s arms, spent from their passion.
“It’s cold in here,” Kevin commented, pulling the covers over them.
“I know. I should have had the heater checked this summer. I didn’t think it would go out right when it started to get cold,” she told him, snuggling closer for warmth.
“Maggie,” he said, deciding now would be as good a time as any. “I need to tell you something. I should have told you a long time ago. But now it’s imperative you know.”
“That sounds serious,” she said, pulling away and propping up to look at him.
“I have to leave soon.”
“I know that. You will never spend the night.”
“Not that. I mean, I’ve got to leave soon to go back to work. I’m going to have to leave you and this place to do that.”
Maggie looked deeply into his eyes, encouraging him to continue.
“Remember when I said I was in the music business? I am, but that’s not the entire story. I’m a singer. In a band. We’re scheduled to resume our tour next week. I should have told you sooner, Maggie.”
She grinned at him. He couldn’t understand why she would be happy about him leaving. I guess I had her pegged wrong, he thought.
“So, she’s right. I didn’t believe her,” Maggie told him. Seeing the look of confusion on his face, she continued. “Kevin, it’s all right. Leah told me who you were last week. We were at lunch and she told me.”
“You’ve known since last week?” He asked, not believing this.
“Sort of. I thought she was just pulling my leg. I mean, if you were who she said, how could you have stayed here this long? Furthermore, what were you doing here in the first place?”
“I was enjoying being back to ‘real life,’ Maggie. I was enjoying being just plain Kevin, not Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys. What’s so funny?”
Maggie was shaking, doing everything possible not to laugh out loud. “I can’t believe I didn’t know! I mean, half of my students have your picture in their lockers, right outside my classroom! It just never dawned on me.”
“At least you didn’t say it was because I wasn’t George Strait,” he teased.
“Well…”
“Maggie!”
“I’m joking. I’m sure you’re a wonderful entertainer, Kevin. Why did you leave?”
He took a deep breath. Where to start?
“I wasn’t the only one, Mags. We all did. It was the classic rock and roll last hurrah fight. Egos had a lot to do with it. We all were getting these big heads, thinking what we did alone was better than what the others did. It was ridiculous. A few prospects for some solo projects came our way and that’s when it really started. Things were said and feelings were hurt. We became incredibly critical of each other, pointing out each other’s shortcomings. We got so defensive there at the end we made sure everyone knew who did what and got credit for it.”
Maggie nodded for him to continue.
“Like, if Nick came up with this idea for a different ending to a song, he let it be known it was his idea. If a new dance step was done, Howie claimed it. A new way of bantering on stage and AJ took credit. I said a few nasty things to them when they wouldn’t give me my proper recognition for a change in the song line-up. We probably acted worse than those punks you teach.”
“There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’.”
“I realize that now. We all do. We started as a group and should stay that way. I think we know that. Maybe all we needed was a little time away from each other to realize how much all five are actually needed to make it work,” he mused. “Then again, perhaps the time away healed the physical and emotional bruises. The others can be quite touchy about their stuff. What are you smiling about now?”
“The way you described it, I had this image of you all walking around the room, marking your territory. I guess if you had been dogs, you’d have…”
“Don’t go there, Maggie. I can do without that picture,” Kevin told her, tickling her sides, making her laugh. “I’m going to miss that sound.”
“When do you leave?” She asked, finding no luck in trying to push his hands away.
“This weekend,” he said, climbing on top of her, pinning her down with his weight. He continued his tickle assault, causing her to scream with laughter.
“I’ll miss you,” she gasped between giggles.
“You’ll what?” He asked, holding her arms by her head.
“I’ll miss you. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you. Whoever you are.”
Kevin found himself growing aroused again and ground his groin against hers. She moaned, lacing her fingers with his. He kissed her neck, nipping at her shoulder, causing her to shiver.
“I like that,” he told her quietly. “I like the way your body responds to me. Come with me.”
“If you’ll get it started, I’ll do my best,” she said, looking directly into his eyes.
“Not like that. Well, that’s good, too. I mean, come with me when I leave,” he said, sliding into her. He held absolutely still. She could feel him pulsating in her. She started to move against him.
“No,” he commanded, grabbing her hips and stopping her motion. “Not until you agree to go with me. I want to show you the world, Maggie. You would be so happy. I can make sure you’re taken care of then.”
Maggie flexed her muscles around him, taunting. The face he made told her he couldn’t wait much longer.
“Stop it,” he demanded, pulling nearly out of her. He began rubbing a finger on her clit, teasing. He stopped just before she came.
“Kevin,” she said, breathless, “don’t stop.”
“Tell me what I want to hear, Maggie. Trust me. It’ll be better than anything you’ve ever known in your life. You don’t have anything keeping you here. This house is more than you can handle by yourself. You’re not having fun with your job any more.” He touched her, stopping just at the right moment again. “I’ll have your dogs take care of. They can go to my place in Kentucky and roam outside all day if they want. I can have you with me always and do this anytime I want. Just tell me, Maggie.”
Slowly rubbing his finger in a circle on her, he brought her to the brink one last time. As he drove himself hard into her, she arched her back and called out, “Oh, yes, Kevin. Yes! I’ll go!” as he too found release.