TANTRIC (Book 3 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 31: Frontmen Wear A Heavy Crown

So Leed's got a lot on his mind as the gang tries to wind down in Nashville.  Let's check in and see where his head is...

Song: I Took A Pill In Ibiza by Mike Posner because I think all these guys took pills in Ibiza, in the reminenscence Leed and Adam share about their first world tour in this chapter...

Leed

Ollie does not like altitude.

Thank god we are on a private jet. The only thing that keeps him from wailing is being bouncy-walked up and down the aisle. Tam and Ben had their turns, and now it's mine.

"Come on,Little Man, you got to get with the flight program," I croon as I take him from Ben. "You are part of the jet-set now. That's right. Jet-set." Ollie thinks the rhyming sound is funny. His mouth moves up and down in the smile he's still learning to make as gooey bubbles froth. "Oh you like that, yeah? Jet-set-net. Jet-set-met. Jet-set-wet." I bounce him as I say each word, my heart feeling dangerously puffed in my chest at his toothless smile. I've missed the little booger over the last few days. "Jet-set-...Shit," I say, as Ollie spits up all over my shirt.

Pretty much the whole plane erupts in snickers. Ollie turns his head towards Tam's laugh, and then wobbles his head around, taking in everyone's smiles and snickers. He looks surprised, like he doesn't get the joke. I laugh at his comical expression.

His eyes light and he lets loose with a cackle.

"Holy shit," I nearly squeal. I mean, I don't squeal, but if I did, I would have, because he's still very new to laughing. I didn't tell Tam about the time Ash made him laugh.  Tam hasn't heard him yet. 

Tam heard it too, she's on her feet, then at my side in a flash. "Do it again," she baby-talks him. He just looks at her like "What?"

Tam looks crushed that she didn't get to see his face during his first laugh.

Okay, we'll do the whole thing again. Exactly the same way. Everybody hit your mark," I command as I begin to bounce him. "Jet-set-net. Jet-set-wet. Jet..set... Shit!"

Everyone laughs again, especially Trace and Kat, mostly at me for being such a dad, then I laugh 'cause I love my kid and I don't give a shit if they think I'm out of the cool club, and now Ollie's got the pattern. He laughs too. Tam claps her hands and squeals, in a much more squeal-ly way than I did. She and I do the pattern a couple of more times and his cackle gets longer and cuter each time. Then Ben gets in the picture. Ollie thinks Ben is the funniest of us anyway, and Ben makes all kinds of different rhymes and laughs to Ollie, and Ollie giggles right back. When he starts to tire of Ben's antics, I transfer him to a football hold and dive bomb Ashlynn's head with him and she covers her head and squeals. "No, no, don't puke on me Ollie! Baddy-daddy! Baddy-daddy!" And now he gets that rhymes are funny and he laughs at Ashlynn's words too.

Figuring that his laughs have normalized whatever ear-popping weirdness he was having from the altitude, I fall into the seat beside Ash and sit him on her lap. He's finally content.She draws her knees up at once to support him, and sings to him as she moves his hands in time to the song. He's totally chill now, just enjoying the way she moves him and listening to her lovely voice.

Out of the corner of my eye, I'm aware of Tamara watching us thoughtfully, so I resist the urge to put my arm around Ash and kiss her temple, but it's hard. When I see her with Ollie, how she is with him, between the kid and her ways, I feel flooded and I want to let it out... wrap both my arms around 'em and thank the Universe for the vibe we seem to be growing.

But I promised Ash low-key and no-drama.

Tamara walks over a bottle of seltzer water, a fresh cloth, and one of Ollie's silcone-grabby-motor-skill-toys. She hands Ashlynn the toy with a fakish smile and kneels in front of me, pouring the soda water on the cloth.