Ella and I were sitting at my kitchen table, having some brunch. Today the guys and I would be moving into the mansion they claimed was haunted. It was the place they'd be staying at for the next couple of months recording their new album.
"I'm gonna miss you! Promise me I can come visit?"
I chuckled, assuring her I could even sneak her in whenever she'd want to.
"Besides, you say you're gonna miss me but what about your fiancé? I still can't believe the news!"
Ella blushed a little bit as I told her how happy I was about their engagement. It must've been hard for her to be away from Anthony, especially now. But still, I hadn't seen her this excited... ever. I asked her if the couple had made any wedding plans. She hit me with the "OK, so..." and within a second, grabbed a notebook seemingly from nowhere. But I had time to listen. And I was happy to.
ZShe really deserved this happiness and if Anthony was the one to give it to her, so be it. Just kidding... kinda. Anthony was a good guy and even though he and John clashed at times, I knew him to be fair and thoughtful beyond all that stage appeal.
Pretty much all my stuff had been packed into boxes as John came to pick me up in a moving van. That's right, John. In a van. Driving it. John driving. The guy who drove once upon getting his driver's licence and never did it again after hitting a curb and nearly an unfortunate jogger who'd quite literally ended up in harms way. Damn, that's a long sentence. The jogger managed to escape the curb in time though, giving John's sensitive soul more of a scolding than anyone ever had.
But now Johnny the Pedestrian Slayer had gotten behind the wheel again because everyone else had to take care of their own shit and didn't have time to help the guy out.
"OK, now, you got this. Just... make sure you stay on the road. You know what the road looks like, right?" I chuckled as John threw me what could only be described as a death stare.
"Seriously though, it's not a long way to Laurel Canyon. I'll give you the instructions, just remember to ask at intersections because I won't remember that promise."
I kissed him on his slightly stubbled cheek. He looked very focused but still nervous. Then I had an idea that could help him relax.
"Just imagine this is playing music. You know you can do it, it's just the little technicalities you need to remember. And I'm just watching you in the audience", I reminded him, giving him a reassuring smile. He breathed deep and nodded.
And guess what, we made it! John's parking was a little questionable but I didn't want to ruin his moment. If the guys were going to shit on him for it, it'd be between them. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if these guys literally did shit on each other. I sure hoped not but honestly, with these guys, you'd never know.
Flea was already there, setting up some recording equipment. Whilst unpacking some stuff in the foyer, I met a bearded, delightful gentleman who turned out to be Rick Rubin, the band's new producer. OK, "gentleman" might've been an exaggeration, but he was polite enough. A bit on the sullen side, I guess.
The next morning I woke up feeling a tiny bit disoriented before realizing where I was. John was still sleeping next to me and I didn't want to wake him up. He'd been a bit restless at night, I think he was having some nightmares. Understandable, since recording an album was a huge deal and I was sure they were all under a whole lot of stress. All of a sudden John awoke, a few drops of sweat visible on his forehead.
"Goodmorning, you okay?" I asked with a furrowed brow.
After a brief moment of stretching his thin limbs, he looked at me with a tired smile on his face, greeting me with a groggy "Morning".
I couldn't help but gaze at him in pure adoration for a moment. I curled up next to him, feeling the warmth of his body as I brushed over his forehead with my thumb. We just lay there saying nothing.
People always talk about the little things in life and I think I'd finally learned what that meant. In that moment, there wasn't a place I would've rather been. I snapped out of my dreaming as John quietly said "hey", causing me to look up at him.
Without saying another word, he just pulled me closer and kissed me. I was taken by surprise by it and felt a thrill going thru my body as he did so. Slowly pulling away, he raised his gaze from my lips to my eyes and said;
"I'm really glad you're with me."
I snuggled closer.
"I'm with you, always."
