All I Want Is Everything

Cat's out of the bag

Think about it, there must be higher love
Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above
Without it, life is wasted time
Look inside your heart, I'll look inside mine

Steve Winwood, Higher Love

Ella stood in the arch to the music room, entranced. Bucky was at his drums, eyes closed, shirtless and sweaty, and for this alone he would have her attention, but she felt like she'd never listened to him before. She took out her microcassette recorder as his drumming sparked ideas. So many ideas.

Bucky opened his eyes and smiled at her, putting his drumsticks down, and Ella walked over and straddled his lap. "That's amazing, James," she said. "I don't think I've heard you play like that before. It felt like you were coaxing the drums, which is different from how you usually play."

"Thanks, Bella," he said, giving her a  kiss. "I'm all sweaty, you don't want to get that pretty outfit gross."

"I like you all sweaty," she purred. "The cloth will wash." He laughed, then set his hands on her hips.

"All that session work is really broadening my horizons," he said. "Right now I'm playing for a band that's primarily jazz but is trying to develop their own thing. I don't think it'll take off, but it's really interesting."

"I like hot jazz," Ella said thoughtfully. "And the Cool." Bucky shrugged.

"If Linda Ronstadt can hit the charts with big band music, what's stopping you?" he asked playfully.

"That's something to think about," she said. Bucky's brow furrowed, then cleared.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot to tell you," he said. "Fury called. He's got the final contracts for you for the tour. There was something else..." he pretended to think for a moment. "Oh, yeah. "Live in Denver" has just been certified platinum." And he stood, a big smile on his handsome face holding her up in a hug. She whooped, then grabbed his face for a big kiss. He swung her around. "You missed the Grammy nomination cutoff, but Fury says he'll be mounting a big campaign this year." He kissed her again. "We need to find another place for it. Wall space in here is getting scarce." Ella swiped her cheeks.

"This one means so much," she choked out. He let her go to retrieve a bottle of champagne from a cooler placed unobtrusively by the door.

"What's this, Bella?" She turned to see him pick up the garment bag from the store.

"Oh, right." She shook her head, then looked at him from under her lashes. "Well, I let the cat out of the bag." Bucky handed her a glass.

"To the most talented woman in rock," he said, tapping their glasses together. She blushed. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Bec and I--"

"That's always troubling when you say that," he said playfully.

"We got the flowers ordered for her wedding to Sammy," Ella said primly. "But she poked at me so much that I let it slip that we're engaged." Bucky started to laugh.

"She should have been a prosecutor," he said fondly. "She can get anybody to talk. I can't blame you, but now we're going to have to get our butts up and get things planned. But what's in that bag you brought home? It looks like you've got a sleeping bag in there. Are we going camping?"

"I've never been camping," she said, diverted. "Maybe we should try it sometime. But no," she said, getting back on track. "That's my wedding dress."

"Wow," Bucky said, gulping his wine. "Can I see?"

"Isn't it bad luck?"

"I think that's seeing the bride on the wedding day. Unless you're set on it being a surprise?"