Unexpected Turn Of Events

Stupid idea

It's just past 3 in the afternoon and Stevie hears the front door open. She knows it's Jeff. He doesn't stop to say hello, going straight to his home office. Usually, Stevie's indifferent, but since all those text messages between Jeff and some woman the day before, she's curious. 

As Stevie's getting closer to where Jeff is, she hears him talking to someone on the phone. She frowns, as she listens to his muffled conversation.

"You knew that was never going to happen... Yes! See, you know what you are to me, so why don't you-..." He gets cut off and he sighs. "Listen, if not Aimee, I wouldn't be still in contact with you..." Another sigh. "I thought you finally understood the last time we had this conversation... I'm not going to listen to another of your tirades... Do not threaten me!" He hisses. "I don't have time or the patience to be talking to you. Stop calling me." He adds, sounding angry and hangs up.

What the hell?, Stevie thinks to herself as she hurries away from the door, so she wouldn't get caught, what was that all about? Who was he talking to? And who's Aimee?

There's no question - there's another woman. Stevie hates to admit it to herself, but she's... she feels hurt. But before she can dwell on it, Max brings her back to the present moment. 

"Are you sure he's coming? You didn't accidentally give him the wrong address?"

Seeing her son so excited causes Stevie to smile. "I'm sure I gave Li- Mr. Buckingham the right address." Max doesn't seem to notice her slip up, because without saying anything else, he goes back to his room. 

The doorbell rings at exactly 4 pm and Stevie goes to answer the door, but Jeff rushes to get ahead of her. "I'll get it." He says, glancing at her briefly.

The second the two men lock eyes, Lindsey clenches his jaw and his grip on his own guitar case tightens. He's heard a lot about Jeff, but... he can't give it away. Lindsey holds out his hand. "Mr. Moore, I presume?"

"And you are?" Jeff asks, tightly gripping Lindsey's hand.

"Lindsey Buckingham. I'm here to help out your son."

Giving a nod of his head, Jeff shows Lindsey to enter the house, whose eyes instantly settle on Stevie and he smiles just a little, knowing Jeff can't see his face. 

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Moore."

"Mr. Buckingham." Stevie plays along, while Jeff watches the two. "Call me Stevie, everyone does." Jeff doesn't think anything of it, luckily. Or so Stevie thinks.

Having heard voices downstairs, Max joins the three, introducing himself to Lindsey. "How long have you been playing?"

"Oh, uh..." Lindsey thinks for a moment. "I don't even remember it's been so long. I got my first guitar when I was still just a boy."

"I've got some catching up to do." Max jokes, facing Stevie. "Should we go to my room?"

"Wherever you'd like." She gives a shrug of her shoulders, suddenly noticing how close Jeff is standing to her. She gives him a look, then feels his arm wrap around her waist. Lindsey doesn't miss it. "You can go to the garden." Stevie suggests, but Jeff has something to say to that.

"I don't think that's a good idea, we don't want to bother the neighbors. Max should probably have a few lessons first."

"No one became Peter Green the second they picked up a guitar." Lindsey can't help himself and Stevie tries not to laugh. The look on Jeff's face says that he's got no idea who Lindsey is talking about. "You know, Peter Green? Fleetwood Mac?" Lindsey then shrugs. "Oh well." Turning to Max, he says, showing to his guitar case. "Shall we?" 

Max leads the way up the stairs and to his room, closing the door, when Lindsey walks in. Looking around, Lindsey sees a record player and a box of records next to it. There are several posters up on the walls; AC/DC, Queen, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, the biggest one of them being Pink Floyd. 

"You've got good taste." 

"It comes from my Mom." Max says, taking his guitar. "The records I own, most of them used to be hers, but Dad doesn't really enjoy that kind of music, so she stopped playing them."

Asshole, Lindsey thinks. Laying his instrument over his lap, he says. "Okay, let's start from the very basics."

As soon as Stevie and Jeff are left alone, she pulls away from him. Her mind wanders back to the phone conversation she overheard and a part of her wants to ask, but should she? Maybe... maybe it's nothing. 

Jeff notices her mood has changed.  "What's up with you?"

"Nothing." She replies with a shrug of her shoulders, as she walks away from Jeff and to the living room, where she turns on the TV, hoping he'll understand that she doesn't want to talk.

No such luck. 

Jeff takes a seat next to her and reaches for the remote, muting the TV. "Why would you tell him to call you Stevie? You just met the guy."

"Mrs. Moore sounds too formal."

"But that's how people address each other, when they haven't met before." She doesn't say anything to that. "Have you met before?"

Stevie's heartbeat quickens, but she hopes she doesn't show that she's flustered. "What? No. Where would I have met him? We haven't met before. I don't know him." She says all at once, causing Jeff to raise an eyebrow at her. 

Studying her face for a moment longer, Jeff gets back up on his feet and goes to his office, as Stevie exhales heavily, relieved he's gone. 

This was such a stupid idea.