Decades

Suspicious Minds

Stevie and the rest of the band and Fleetwood Mac's inner circle did their best to shield Lindsey from the photos of Don and Stevie. She had to go on a date with Don the following night and was fairly anxious about the whole thing. She'd take extra care to avoid having photos taken that would be difficult to explain later.

She'd felt entirely too much anxiety about keeping the other photos from Lindsey. It felt dishonest. But she couldn't risk him snapping when they were so close to being done with this charade.

They were in New Orleans, and the weather was beautiful. Lindsey would have loved to have taken Stevie to hear some live music on Bourbon Street, but being photographed together might have been problematic, so they weren't able to plan anything.

Before leaving for her date with Don, Lindsey was in a foul mood. He bit her head off several times, and she was sick of it and was snapping back at him. It was miserable, and Stevie was looking forward to getting some time away if she was honest. She didn't want Don and Lindsey anywhere near each other, so she'd agreed that Don's car could pick her up at the hotel, but she wouldn't give him her room number, ensuring he wouldn't come up and butt heads with Lindsey.

When the limo pulled up, the driver opened the door, and Don got out, greeting her with a hug. She pulled away as he tried to kiss her, but Don let her know that the cameras were catching their greeting. All the more reason not to kiss, in her opinion. But he pressed his lips very close to hers, so she was sure it would look like the real thing on film.

As they drove away, Don sipped from his beer and poured her a brandy. She helped herself to a couple of bumps from her little necklace, offering Don some for good measure. As she took a sip of her drink, she calculated exactly how to handle Don. "Don, I'd like it if we could be friends again," she lifted her eyes and smiled warmly at him over her glass. Don agreed and told her he felt like they were friends.

"But, for that to happen, you have got to stop antagonizing Lindsey," she said sternly.

"I don't give a fuck about Buckingham. That guy has anger issues. You know he does. Not too long ago, you told me all about it. Nothing either one of us does will change that. He's always going to be a jealous control freak where you're concerned. He's nuts, and you know it as well as I do," Don said, mocking Lindsey.

"Listen, you don't have to care about Lindsey. But, if you care at all about me, if you think that recording with me or being seen with me is furthering your career, then you need to stand down. Because you're making my life more difficult, and I won't tolerate it," Stevie explained.

"You're making your own life more difficult by going out with that crazy mother fucker," Don told her.

"Stop it. I'll be the first to admit that Lindsey can be difficult, and our relationship is complicated. I wish I'd been honest with you from the beginning. I know you're angry with us both. But, I'm begging you not to make things harder than they have to be."

"I'll play nice if he does," Don told her.

The rest of the night flew by. The two did a little shopping, where Don actually purchased her a peace offering in the way of earrings. They were photographed through the jewelry store window. Later, they sampled pralines and beignets and had quite a few drinks at the different bars in the French Quarter. They enjoyed some jazz and were wowed by some of the musicians who were in various venues and even the talented street musicians.

Stevie was able to do a line or two in the bathrooms without being noticed. She felt energized and excited to be there, taking in the city.

The pair held hands as they wandered between night spots. A couple of the musicians recognized them and played their hearts out, earning generous tips from Don. The crowds were rowdy and loud, but for the most part, Stevie and Don were able to blend in, which was really an incredible luxury for the two of them. They actually felt normal for a change and enjoyed not having all the attention they'd become accustomed to. NOLA was a different world, and Stevie loved it. The photographers hired by the PR teams kept a discreet enough distance so as not to attract attention.