The Song

Part Forty-Six

A few days later and we’d fallen into the swing of our LA lifestyle. Sometimes I went with Aston to the studio, other days I wandered around by myself or sat at the keyboard in the front room of the apartment and played away. I hunted around for clues about my life all the while, trying to figure out who I’d become these last few years.

“So…” Aston said, sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve got this thing tonight…”

“A thing?”

“A performance, kind of. An appearance.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“The boys and I are booked to do a few songs at a club tonight,” Aston said, “And then they want us to like, hang out and do VIP and that.”

“Ok.”

“Just letting you know that it’ll be a late night for me.”

“Can I come?” I asked.

“You want to come?” Aston grinned.

“I mean, I know clubs aren’t really my thing, but I’d love to see you guys perform… I haven’t yet.”

“Oh yeah.”

“I don’t have to go, it might just be good to do,” I said with a shrug.

“You can come,” Aston said, “I don’t mind. As long as you want to be there you’re always welcome to come with me.”

“You’re sure?”

“Course!” he smiled.

“Ok.”

“I’ve got to come back to get ready after studio so we can go over together,” Aston said.

“Good,” I replied, “I don’t really want to go over by myself!”

He winked at me, grabbing his things as he headed out the door. I spent the day playing through a pile of songbooks that I’d left in LA, most of the stuff unfinished ideas I’d jotted down.

As it pushed into late afternoon I wandered into the main bedroom, digging through the wardrobe for something to wear out. I settled on the pretty black and floral dress Aston had insisted on buying for me. Now was as good a time as any, right?

I put the dress on the back of the bedroom door and then slipped on my shoes, wandering down to the grocery store round the corner from the apartment. After purchasing some food to make dinner and a bouquet of flowers to decorate the kitchen I headed back, ready to whip up dinner for Aston and I.

“Now do we have a vase…” I said, opening cupboards in the kitchen.

Leaning up on my tiptoes I tried the cupboard above the sink, a sparkly glint catching my eye as I did.

“Hmm…” I muttered, grabbing down the vase I’d found and going to inspect the little shelf above the sink. In a bright blue shot glass was a ring.

I took the ring out and inspected it. To be honest it sort of reminded me of my wedding band, but it was a lot thinner and less intricate. Setting it back in the shot glass I decided to wait until Aston got home to see if I could get the story behind the ring.

Cobbling a few things together in a roasting dish I put dinner in the oven, heading off for a shower and then combing and drying my long brown hair.

“Jess?!” a voice called out as I pulled on some underwear and wrapped myself in a dressing gown.

“Coming!”

I wandered out into the main room where Aston was dropping his bag and kicking off his shoes.

“Um interesting attire,” he said.

“I’m getting ready!” I scoffed, “It’s not like I’m naked!”

“Still…” he teased.

I rolled my eyes at him, wandering into the kitchen. The apartment had an open floor plan, the breakfast bar of the kitchen serving as the only real divider between spaces. I checked the food quick and then grabbed out the things I’d bought to make a quick salad, throwing them together in a bowl.

“So you’re still planning on coming?” Aston asked.

“Yeah,” I said, “I’m gonna wear that black dress you got me.”

“I was going to suggest that,” Aston said, grabbing a bottle of wine out of the fridge and pouring out two glasses of icy white.

“I actually wanted to ask you something,” I said, grabbing the shot glass from the shelf above the sink and pouring the ring into my hand, holding it open for Aston to see, “Do you know this ring?”

“Holy shit where did you find that?” Aston asked with a shocked expression.

“In this shot glass, on the shelf above the sink there,” I shrugged, holding out the glass.

“It’s probably good you can’t remember losing it,” Aston said, “Or you’d be kicking yourself big time.”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s your promise ring!” he said, “You lost it the last time we were here and then tore this place apart. You were so mad when you lost it, and I tried to offer to replace it but you weren’t having it!”

“Oh yeah, you said…”

“I’m glad you found it,” Aston grinned, taking it from me, “It means a lot.”

“Yeah?”

“Sure. How about you serve up the food and I’ll finish the salad, then I’ll tell you about when I gave it to you.”

“Ok,” I grinned, going to grab the food out of the oven.

Over dinner Aston told me about my first first trip to LA, telling me about how he took me down to the same beach we’d gone on our first day of this trip and given me the promise ring.

“It’s sort of fitting that we went to that beach the other day, and that you found this ring.”

“Why?” I asked.

“It’s your first time in LA, again.”

I grinned across the table at him, still in my dressing gown. I was feeling less and less awkward around him and more and more like we were really a married couple.

“It’s pretty,” I said, slipping the ring on my right hand and inspecting it. It fit perfectly and looked like it belonged on my right hand.

“You were really mad when you lost it.”

“Well I’m glad I found it,” I said, “Thanks for telling me the story.”

“Course,” Aston said, “How long is it going to take you to get ready? We should probably get a taxi in like an hour or so.”

“That’s plenty of time,” I said, picking up our plates, “Go get yourself showered.”

“’Kay…” Aston said, standing up from the table.

I watched him start off down the hall and then he stopped turning back towards me.

“You ok…”

“Going with the flow,” he said, pecking my lips quickly before turning back towards the bedroom without another word.

I felt my cheeks blush red as the bedroom door shut, but not in an awkward way. More in a, really flattered and wanting more way.