Decades

What They Had

They were on tour again, and Lindsey was relieved to be back on the road with Stevie. He loved his two children and had a third on the way. His much younger wife was a good mother, and overall, their life together was fine. But, thoughts of Stevie haunted him. When they were on tour, their committed relationships seemed to slide, and with the intense focus on each other, their love had a way of taking root again quickly.

Lindsey was looking forward to this. He wasn't proud of it, but he lived for these times every three or four years when he knew he could soften Stevie's resolve, and she'd come back to him, if only briefly.

—---------

When they met for rehearsals, Stevie looked amazing. Lindsey had to fight to look at anything other than her. They'd sat beside each other at lunch and caught up, tuning out the other band members and crew and focusing on each other. They heard Mick's voice across the table and both turned his way, laughing at some crack one of them had just made.

"Is Edward joining us?"

Edward? Lindsey wondered. Who was Edward? Not the guy she'd gone out on the blind date when they'd gotten back together on The Dance tour! Was she still involved with him? Had they been involved? Lindsey's mind raced toward uncomfortable places that he didn't know existed.

Stevie's face was a little flushed, and Lindsey sensed she wasn't thrilled with Mick's mention of him. "He's going to be coming to Phoenix, I think." Hoping the subject would drop there.

Lindsey raised a curious eyebrow, "Who's Edward?"

Sighing, Stevie reminded him of the attorney she'd gone out with in 1997 when they were on tour as if Lindsey could have possibly forgotten.

"So, you guys kept in touch?" Lindsey asked, trying to sound casual. He worked hard to keep the jealousy from his voice.

Stevie simply answered, "We did." She was reluctant to volunteer any information. Though Lindsey had a pregnant wife and two kids, it still felt disloyal to discuss her love life in front of Lindsey. Not that he'd care, she thought.

But, care he most certainly did. He knew how selfish it was. He wanted to have his cake and eat it, too. He had a family and a partner, but he hated the idea that she might have someone other than him.

Later, he picked Mick's brain about Stevie and Edward. They'd remained friends after meeting in '97 and, in the last year and a half, had become more than friends. Mick seemed to think they were pretty serious. When they'd had dinner in LA one night, Edward had even hinted at proposing to Stevie.

Lindsey's stomach turned at the thought. Of course, she deserved not to be alone. She'd never deserved to repeat the cycle of their doomed relationship for her entire life. She was his, though, and he couldn't stand the idea that that could ever change.

—-----------

The American leg of the tour began, and so did their flirtation. Before long, they were spending time together after the shows and visiting each other's dressing rooms prior to going on stage. Things were progressing as usual for them—small touches here, a breathless stolen kiss there.

Touring worked a special magic. They were in a bubble, and the rest of the world became a fuzzy, distant memory. It was easy to fall into familiar habits, and Lindsey, for one, couldn't wait.

On their off night, Lindsey knocked on Stevie's door with a big brown bag and a grocery store bouquet. "Let's stay up all night and watch movies and eat junk food, Nicks," Lindsey suggested.

Her eyes lit up, and she pulled him inside. "What's in the bag, Buckingham?" she took it from him and unpacked its contents on the bar in the kitchen. She was thrilled to see a box of animal crackers and wheeled towards him, doing a little happy dance and giving him a peck on the cheek.