Rock and Roll Never Forgets (The Rock and Roll Trilogy) by Barbara Stewart Page B

you be?” she whispered.
    “ I ’ ll be here. I won ’ t come to your bed. I know you ’ re troubled by all of this. But I won’t leave, I ’ ll be right here.” He leaned and kissed her forehead. “ Good night, Bethy.”
    Around four, she rolled over and looked, but the bed was empty. The apartment was dark. Beth walked to the living room and found Andy sprawled on the sofa. She pulled the loose cushions from behind him to give him more room, and lightly tossed a blanket over him. He had opened the windows and it was cool in the room.
    He stirred, leaning up on his elbow. “ Hey,” he said, sleep heavy in his voice.
    “ Hey, back to you,” Beth said. “ You comfortable?” 
    “ No, come here,” he said as he scooted back into the sofa where the cushions had been. She walked over and sat on the edge. He eased her down, pulled the blanket over them and wrapped his arms around her. Spooning her, he said, “ Now, I ’ m comfortable, what about you?” 
    “ Mmm hmm,” she murmured and fell back asleep .
     
    Monday morning when she awoke it was around 7:30. She slipped off the sofa and into the kitchen to start some coffee. She needed it, and she knew Andy would want some. She walked into the closet in her room, thinking about what to wear. Her hand brushed the black evening dress from the Grammy Awards and she began to cry. She slid to the floor and hugged her knees, as tears turned into sobs. She sat like that for a while. Finally, Andy came looking, and found her there. He didn ’ t say anything, just sat on the floor behind her, scooted close and wrapped his body around her. He sweetly kissed the top of her head as he held her.
    “ I never feel secure,” she said finally, feeling the need to explain .
    “ Why?" he asked, stroking her hair.
    “ I ’ m not glamorous. I’m not a groupie. I ’ m surely not beautiful. I ’ m just a girl, Andy, just a plain’ol, simple girl.”
    He buried his face in her neck, and kissed lightly. “ The girl I love,” he said as he held her, gently rocking her in his arms.
    “ Why me Andy? ”  
    He pulled her legs around, pulling her on his lap. He thought a minute, and turned her to face him. “ When I walked into the room that night in Orlando, I saw those eyes and they captured me. It was like I could see your heart, and I knew it was a good heart. You crawled into my soul, became part of me. I saw the inner beauty, and regardless of what you think, the outside wasn ’ t bad either,” he laughed .
    “We started talking,” he continued, “And you mesmerized me. I felt as though you were allowing me to see what made you tick. It was like I had known you forever, and I liked it, a lot. I ’ ve enjoyed our late night phone calls more than I can tell you. You ’ re a real person, a smart, beautiful woman. Not some giggly bimbo trying to get my attention. Those are the kind of women I meet, the ones who constantly surround me. You and I had a meaningful conversation. I think I fell in love with you at that moment. There was no one there that night but you; no one who mattered anyway.” 
    He looked into her eyes and pulled her to him. “Let’s go have that coffee,” he whispered in her ear. They went to the kitchen, and the coffee was good. It seemed to pour life back into her tired body .
    “ I don ’ t know how to make you more comfortable in this relationship, Bethy, except to tell you that I love you. It ’ s you and me, my love.” He reached across the table and took her hand. “We should get ready for the funeral,” he said .
    She looked at him, and peered into those eyes that seemed to see her soul.
    “ I love you,” he said, and again she cried.
    ~ ~ ~
     
    That misunderstanding helped Andy realize that he needed to gently ease her into his lifestyle. He didn’t realize how hard it was for her until then. Now it was their life, no longer just his, and he needed to remember that. He knew it was hard, the road, the travel, the lack of