Love is Only Sleeping

Intro

It was a typical Thursday night at The Troubadour, with the usual suspects all sitting together, drinking, laughing, and listening to some new bands. Tracey had just moved to L.A. six months before, and since pursuing her career in music, was able to make some pretty good, and famous, friends. Steve Martin, an aspiring comedian, became one of her closest confidants, and introduced her to some of the people who would influence her music and writing.

Steve had introduced her to Mike Nesmith when she started performing at The Troubadour four months ago, and he could tell that once Mike saw her singing, that he wanted to meet her. Shortly after Tracey and Mike became friends, she met the rest of The Monkees, Micky, Davy, and Peter. They would have parties at Micky's house every Sunday where they hung out by the pool, smoked pot, drank, wrote and played music. She also became close with Micky's wife, Samantha, and they would hang out without the boys and go shopping and out to eat during the week.

It was a dream for Tracey to be in L.A., and she was happy to find such a great group of friends. Her and Mike became especially close, and he would always pick her up to hang out at Micky's, and would always have her back, the first to defend her if someone made a bad comment about her. No one could say anything bad about Tracey to Mike, or he would punch them.

Tracey knew of Mike's protectiveness, and was grateful for his friendship. She found him attractive, but she knew of his past with women, and his personal life was in shambles, him having recently left his ex Phyllis for another woman. She decided friendship was in the cards for them, and would stay up late some nights talking with him and giving him advice.

Mike thought the world of Tracey, and she was the one friend he knew he could count on to tell him like it is, and vice-versa. They had a connection that he didn't have with a lot of people his age, nor women his age. He had a strong attraction to her, how could he not, with her long blonde hair, green eyes, curvy shape, and a smile you could never forget.

However, a girl like Tracey was too good for him, and because his personal life was a mess, he decided to stay friends and not jump in bed with her unless he knew it was for keeps. This of course made him crazy whenever Tracey was with a new boyfriend, or talked about guys in front of him. He wanted her, but his situation was too complicated. No guy was ever good enough for Tracey, according to him.

Tracey was sitting at the table with Mike, Micky, and Samantha, laughing at Steve as he walked by to tease Tracey.

She rolled her eyes, looked at Samantha, who said "You know, he's right..."

This wasn't the first time Steve called Mike a cock-block in front of her, and by the looks of it, Steve was right. Tracey was seated next to Mike, his arm around her, in typical fashion.

"Um, lot's of my guy friends sit like this with me, I don't see the big deal," Tracey said to the table, as she looked over at Mike, who just shrugged.

"Well, you're not going to meet any guys here if Mike is sitting with you like that," Micky joked.

But, he was right. Tracey started noticing Mike becoming more territorial of her since she broke-up with her last boyfriend of a few weeks. She wasn't looking for a relationship, and she was actually in the phase of just wanting to be single and hang out with her friends. She was in no hurry to get married, and the guys she met so far in L.A. had some major issues.

"Well, maybe I don't want a boyfriend," Tracey snapped back.

"Hey, calm down, I'm only joking," Micky said, smiling and making a goofy face at her, which made Tracey cackle loudly.

They left the bar about twenty minutes later, and Mike as always offered to drive Tracey home.

Mike was pretty quiet while driving, and Tracey turned on the radio.

He looked over at her while she was looking out the window, admiring her beauty. He wanted her so bad, and he knew if he had her now, he would just end up breaking her heart.

Tracey looked over at him and he smiled.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing, I'm just laughing about what Steve said," Mike said as he started laughing.

"He's such an ass!"

"Does it bother you?" Mike asked, jokingly.

"No, not really, does it bother you," Tracey asked, curious as to what he would say.

Mike grew quiet. What he wanted to tell her was that he was crazy about her and no other man could ever have her. He wanted to pull the car over, take her in his arms, and kiss her, and never let her go. But, he knew that couldn't happen. Not yet.

"Well, I don't want people getting the wrong idea about us," Mike said, regretfully.

Tracey felt a pain in her stomach. 'Oh shit,' she thought. 'Why does this upset me?'

"Yeah, I get it," Tracey said as he pulled the car up to her apartment complex.

Mike could tell Tracey was upset, she had the look of disappointment she would get on her face whenever a guy did her wrong, or when he would say something bad about his ex.

Their eyes met, and he asked Tracey "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," Tracey sighed. "I'm just tired and it's been a long day."

She started to open the door and looked back at Mike.

"So, see you Saturday?"

Mike forgot for a second what she meant, and then he remembered they had talked about writing new music at his house.

"Oh, yeah, that's right, Saturday. I'll pick you up around 2," Mike said as he smiled at her.

Tracey's heart started to beat a little faster as she saw him smile and look down shyly.

"Ok, well, good night," she said nervously as she turned to walk towards her apartment.

"Good night, Tracey," Mike yelled after her.

'If she only knew how I really felt,' he thought.

Tracey stepped into her apartment, shut the door behind her, and leaned her back against it as if the wind was knocked out of her.

'Oh God,' she thought. 'I think I might be in love with him.'