No Way Back (a Taylor Hawkins fan fiction)

Chapter 9 - What's the Story There

Taylor and Gen arrived at the Grohl house about an hour after they had been so rudely interrupted from their watery fun by a neighbor needing Taylor's advice on lawn maintenance.

Gen's hair was tied back in a ponytail and she had yet another one of Taylor's T-shirts half tucked into her jeans and hanging off of one shoulder.

"How do you seem to make all my clothes look hot?" he asked, squinting at her through aviator sunglasses. She shrugged nonchalantly as the door opened and Dave greeted them with a toothy grin.

"Welcome! Long time, no see! Please come in come in!" He ushered them into the house dramatically and Kate waved from the kitchen. "We have a shit-ton of food left over from yesterday so it is your job to help us consume it."

"Oh I get it," Taylor responded dryly, "you don't actually want to hang out, you just don't have enough Tupperware?"

"You got it man," Dave laughed, "The girls are with Jordyn and JD is chilling out with his Grandma today. I don't want to hang out with you at all, I want you to get your damn truck out of my driveway so I can MAKE LOVE TO MY WIFE..." he made sure to yell the last bit so it was audible in the kitchen. "but it seems Kate thought it would be a nice gesture to feed you first."

"Well isn't she just a doll," Taylor drawled, "at least one of you has some class."

They headed out towards the back patio but Kate called Gen to join her in the kitchen.

"How was the rest of your night?" she asked Gen conspiratorially, craning her neck to make sure the men were out of earshot. Gen blushed.

"It was nice."

Kate raised an eyebrow pouring 2 glasses of white wine and handing one to Gen.

"Nice?"

"Yes nice," Gen said, taking a sip. She looked at the ground and her voice grew soft. "This morning was better."

"HA!" Kate slapped her hand on the counter where she'd been assembling sandwiches. "I knew it!" She smiled wickedly. "You like him, huh?"

Gen nodded, eyes still cast downwards.

"He likes you too, I can tell." She paused, running a hand through her hair. "I watched him go through the split with Ali and there were definitely a lot of girls afterwards. I kind of turned a blind eye because I knew he was just getting it all out of his system, but he seems different with you."

Gen looked up at Kate, eyes wide.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she confided, her voice quavering. "I'm scared shitless."

"Hey," Kate softened, seeing the emotion painted on Gen's face. "What's the storythere?" Gen shook her head and sighed heavily.

"Musicians and I... it's a long story, a bad story... a horror story really. It's like my romantic life is Friday the 13th - you think it's over and then they write another sequel."

"Well how about you take a sip of that Pinot Grigio" Kate replied, nodding to the glass in Gen's hand, "and give me the Coles notes."

***

"So, the bartender..." Dave nudged Taylor, taking a sip of his beer, "what's up with that?"

Taylor lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply.

"I don't know man. She's fucking cool, and shit..." he exhaled, "she's hot as hell too."

"She's definitely cute, I dig her, she seems down to earth."

"She is, man," Taylor agreed, "I don't know, I really like having her around."

"That's a first since - "