If You Were My Love (Double Love Series Part 1)

With Our Crosses To Bear

Santa Monica, California
Tuesday, August 30, 2022
(10:30 am)
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"All the leaves are brown...and the sky is gray...I've been for a walk...on a winter's day...I'd be safe and warm...if I was in L.A....California dreaming...on such a winter's day..."

Lindsey was on top of the world dancing around Stevie's kitchen, the song that they was the reason they met playing from the If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears by The Mamas And The Papas on the turntable in the living room. Coffee was brewing for them, and dressed in a pair of track shorts left over by Waddy before Covid during an overnight stay after rehearsal, was mixing batter in a ceramic bowl for their infamous blueberry pancakes. Lily the dog was at his feet, chowing down on her own breakfast, and Stevie emerged from the bedroom holding a t-shirt and two aspirin in her hand.

"I've got presents!" she announced gleefully, twirling along to the music and causing her black silk robe to fly behind her like one of her stage shawls. She grabbed Lindsey for a kiss before holding out the aspirin and saying, "These are to combat drinking a pitcher of margaritas in our fucking seventies last night...I took two and it is doing the trick." She watched him pour water from the front panel of the stainless steel refrigerator and use it to swallow the pills. "And...close your eyes and hold out your hands, sweetheart."

"Are you going to put something dirty in my hands? Is my dirty girl back again?" He was giving a goofy grin as he closed his eyes. Their decades old sexy game of "dirty girl" had made an appearance in the wee hours of the morning before they'd finally fallen asleep.

"Not quite, you filthy old man," she teased, giggling. "But I leave for tour in like a week, so...trust me, baby...your dirty girl will definitely come back before then!" She placed the t-shirt into his waiting hands and said, "Open up, baby!"

Lindsey opened his eyes and unfolded the Rolling Stones concert t-shirt they had been stealing from one another since 1970. It was faded and worn but clean...and he nearly cried.

"The legend lives," he said as he pulled it over his head. "Although...here I was thinking you'd want me shirtless..." He faked a pouty look.

"And let my blueberry pancakes burn when I pounce on you and we totally miss breakfast?" she teased. "Cook, Buckingham! Show me that skill of yours! I mean, you are a multi-faceted man, what with the pancakes and the perfect coffee and the guitar playing and the mind-blowing sex and all..."

"I should fire my publicist," he teased back, and he pulled her in for a kiss. She stood on tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck as they kissed, and he turned her around and backed her against the refrigerator as she squealed. He began running his hand along the silk of her sleeve, and her heard her moaning into his mouth when he pressed himself against her.

"Baby..." Stevie was breathless by the time he began kissing her neck. "You owe me blueberry pancakes," she panted, her hands gripping his biceps, and she looked into his eyes. "Use your talents, baby."

"I believe I was," he teased, and with one more kiss, he returned to the pancake batter. Stevie went to the living room to change the song on the turntable to the first song on the album she'd purchased at the record store with Robin in 1966, "Monday Monday".

"I'm going to go check on your clothes from yesterday, sweetheart," she announced when she returned to the kitchen. "They're in the dryer now." She had thrown the clothes he'd worn the night before into the washing machine so he could wear them clean after they'd shared a shower this morning, and Lindsey had watched her wandering around the apartment in her bathrobe, hair pulled up into a messy bun so she didn't ruin good hair in the shower - despite Lindsey's protests as she'd stood in his arms under the hot water the he wanted to play with her hair, to which she'd said, "I keep it up for a reason, Linds...this is absolutely NOT natural beauty going on here!" She had taken aspirin to counter-act their margaritas at El Carmen along with the supplements and medications she took in the morning with a large glass of ice water, making jokes about being a grandmother now and reminding him of Little Robin calling her Grandma Stevie. Then she'd sprung into action, cleaning up the mess made from the night before and offering to wash his jeans, t-shirt, underwear and socks from last night so he didn't have to put "yesterday's clothes on this morning's squeaky-clean new body." He'd never forgotten that Stevie was a natural nurturer, that she'd always been the first one to offer her home to visitors and provide cashmere blankets and fresh linens, that she kept house every bit as well as Barbara had and took care of things whenever someone was under the weather, and that she had spent 1971 to 1975 making sure he was fed, clothed and lived in a clean and beautiful home, however small and however little money they had - complete with ironing star patches onto his jeans and sitting with sewing needles in front of All In The Family and Love, American Style at night to fray them into the latest ripped fashion. When Stevie Nicks loved you, she loved with her whole heart and then some, and she took care of you above all else. He remembered all of that...but seeing it in action this morning was different. He almost wanted to cry, watching that sweet, beautiful woman in a bathrobe - the Stevie Nicks so few people were lucky enough to see in action - taking care of him this morning because he was hers and she loved him. He couldn't believe how his life had changed in less than twenty-four hours.