A Rock & Roll Romance

Chapter Eighteen

"Ok let's call it a day." Johnny said to the cast. He was stood behind the camera as the last scene wrapped. "Let's all reconvene Monday." The cast and crew began to go their separate ways when Stephen rushed over. "Are you sure that's it for the weekend?" Johnny shrugged "Yeah I need some time to rethink that scene, it's not how I want it." "Ok well do you mind if I shoot back to London to see G? I'll get the first flight back Monday." "Nah don't be silly man. Go. Take some time" they had been working on the film for 3 weeks now, and Meghan was enjoying watching the process. She captured content and posted teaser images not giving too much away but more often than not she spent most days sitting beside Johnny listening to him work.

"Shall we share a ride back?" Johnny asked placing a cigarette behind his ear and one in his mouth. "Sure thing, I'm done here." Meghan said picking up her bag. She had decided to always dress fairly professionally like she had seen some of the other executives do, and her pencil skirt and silk sleeveless blouse combo were doing things to her body that she liked. Giving her a figure for one. She placed her bag on her arm and pushed her sunglasses up on her head before kissing Stephen's cheek. "Say hi to G for me, and tell her I'll email her some more of the raw footage from yesterday." "Will do hun. See ya next week." The man said before jumping in a waiting car. Johnny took his time thanking the crew and then the cast before finally jumping in the car beside Meghan. She sat back and rested her head on the headrest closing her eyes. "You ok?" He asked. "Yeah fine. Sorry just tired. Haven't slept that well the past few nights." "Oh.." "nothing to worry about, just me being me. I get a little insomnia myself every now and then." "Oh sorry to hear that." "Don't be, there's nothing for you to apologise for. I'm hoping tonight will be better." Johnny nodded. As he looked out the window at the passing scenery he said "Sure looks like there's another storm rolling in!" "They've been batttering Europe for two weeks now I wish they would just go away." Meghan smirked, her and Johnny had often joked about the weather since arriving in Italy. It seemed flash flooding and storms were becoming a regular thing but rarely during the day, nearly always at night.

After a fairly quiet uneventful evening Meghan bid Johnny goodnight. He claimed he would FaceTime his kids and then go to bed himself, as she left the room. The woman climbed the stairs and entered the bedroom she had been allocated, it was stunningly chic, and she did what she needed to do in order to prepare for bed. She hoped sleep would come to her that night, she was sick of waking up after a few hours and spending the rest of the night lying in darkness. She undertook all her skincare, before climbing into the overly large bed.

Meanwhile, Johnny was downstairs pottering around waiting his kids to call. He wandered with his glass of wine in his hand and looked out of the large glass doors. The rain had started to fall and was getting heavier by the minute. It reflected his mood, he was happy that his life was moving on and that he had his career back, but there didn't seem to be any substance anymore, his two teenagers were growing fast and soon would be taking on the world themselves, his siblings all were successful in their own right, he had nobody to share his big comeback with. Not intimately anyway.

A few hours later, close to 2am, Meghan had given up. She had been awake just under an hour already and decided to put on her robe and head down to the kitchen to get some milk. A childhood trait of hers that she never grew out of. Covering the pale slip she had on, she tied the robe round her middle before grabbing her phone and quietly slipping onto the landing and down the grand staircase. A few dimly lit lamps had been left on throughout the ground floor level but overall it was dark. She headed into the kitchen and sat at the island sipping a large glass of milk and scrolling aimlessly through her phone, telling herself within minutes she would begin reading to tire herself out.

Johnny tossed and turned, he hadn't yet fallen asleep and if he had, it was a mere doze that lasted no longer than 5 minutes. His body played tricks on him and this had been the way for a long time. He would feel tired, even yawn but then when it came to lying down to sleep his brain went into overload. He could hear the lashing of rain hitting the stone house, and the distant sound of the water of the lake being penetrated by large raindrops, nothing seemed to soothe him though.

Meghan wiped her mouth with her sleeve after finishing her glass. Slowly standing she headed to the sink, and placed the glass in it. She lent against the worktop looking round. She couldn't believe this was her life, if somebody had told her at the start of the year that she would be in that position she would have laughed in their face. She couldn't have predicted how the summer would have gone but she slowly came to terms with the fact she wouldn't change it for anything. She pushed off the worktop and began the journey back to her bedroom, thanking the lord it was a Saturday the next day and she would be able to lie in if she ever got back to sleep. She slowly made her way up the stairs, her hand gliding along the mahogany bannister, she loved the smooth luxurious feel of it, rounding the corner down the landing to where the bedrooms began she got lost in her mind daydreaming about owning a house like this one day, the memories one could make in it.

Johnny had enough, he sat up pushing the sheets off his body and turned so his legs were dangling off the side of the bed. He pushed his hair back off his face before grabbing his cigarette tin from the bedside table. He switched the lamp on and stood, there was a slight chill in the air and noticing he was naked he donned some sweats before heading for the door. He opened it as his eyes struggled to see in the dark and took a step out onto the landing when he bumped into a figure who shrieked rather loudly making him jump and shout out. "FUCK." "Ahhhhhh" filled the silent night. He stumbled to find the light switch along the wall and turned it on, he saw a very scared looking Meghan in front of him in nothing but a silk robe and slip. He only knew about the latter as the robe gaped open probably from their clash of bodies. "Holy mother fucking god Johnny, you scared me!" Meghan said gasping for breath as she placed a hand over her chest. Johnny who was equally as stunned "I'm sorry doll. But you scared me too. What were you doing hanging outside my room?" Meghan's eyes widened, "Oh no I was heading back to mine. I just went to get a drink. Couldn't sleep. Are you ok?" She asked sweetly as she tied her robe tighter. "Can't sleep, haven't even drifted off yet." Johnny said sadly shrugging. It was only then he noticed he was topless and he had caught the woman staring, he smiled assuming she was admiring his tattoos.

Meghan noticed rather quickly that Johnny was barely dressed. Not that her attire was much better but as her eyes scanned his body, she couldn't help but feel some form of attraction, after all he had been voted the world's sexiest man, twice. Her eyes gazed over his body subtly before reaching his and maintaining eye contact.

He saw as she admired his body, and wanted to cheekily ask if she liked what she saw, but he didn't have a chance to ask her because the lights quickly fizzled out making them both jump once more. "Johnny?" Meghan said sound nervous from the pitch black "It's ok I'm here." He reached for the switch again, and it did nothing. He glanced back into his bedroom to see the lamp was off too. "Power is out." He said annoyed. "Must be the storm." Meghan said wrapping her arms round herself. "It will be ok doll." "I hope so.." Meghan said nervously, and Johnny couldn't help but wonder why.