Rocked Up

Carlos gets up to follow me.

“Wait,” Ronald calls to me from behind his desk. I have my hand on the door handle and my back to him. I don’t turn around, I am still and he can tell I’m listening.

“What are you going to do?” he asks.

“What do you mean?” I turn to face him with my reply.

“If I let you go, are you going to go to the competition?” he asks.

“No,” I answer.

“Then what’s the plan?”

“That’s not your concern.”

“Lael is my concern.”

“I’m buying the old theater,” I answer. I step closer and closer to him. I want him to know that I’m stating a fact and not asking for permission. “Lael and I will continue to make music, independently.”

Ronald eases back into his chair. Looks at the ceiling and smiles to himself. His thoughts are unreadable.

“The old theater,” he muses.

“I know I haven’t been the best father. Look, Brad, if this is what Lael truly wants…” Ronald drops his hand submissively. “I will give you the full two percent, if Lael owns half the theater.”

I’m not sure how to respond. I could not ask for a better outcome, but I’m put off by this human side of Ronald for some reason. I can’t find the words so I say nothing.

I stand up and shake his hand. We hold eye contact, his grip is firm and he doesn’t let go. I can’t read him, I just hold my ground and wait for him to let my hand go. Finally, he does. I head to the door.

“One more condition,” he says.

I turn around and raise an eye brow.

“Name the theater after her mother,” he says, while writing something. He seems to have moved on to other business already.

“Consider it done.”

And with that, I leave Ramsey Records.

When I step outside the air feels different. I feel light on my feet.

“I’ll get a car,” I say to Carlos. “Wait, something’s up here, what does this mean?” I show Carlos the screen on my phone.

“Your credit card declined, pal,” Carlos says.

“That’s never happened. Damn, my phone isn’t working right now!” I add.

“That was fast. He canceled your credit cards and phone.” Carlos can’t help but laugh. “This is what it’s like to be mortal, friend.”

“Can you take care of the car?” I ask.

“I’ll put it on your bill. You should get what you can from your condo while you can,” Carlos says.

I think about my guitar sitting on its stand in the corner, the one Mr. Robson had given me.

Carlos insists on waiting in the car while I go up to the condo. He makes a valid point that I’ll need a ride somewhere after I grab my things. As Carlos thought would be the case, I’m already locked out. Thankfully, I’ve become close with the doorman and he agrees to let me in to grab some stuff. I grab my guitar, and throw a few things in a suitcase. I am in and out in five minutes.

“So, where ya headed?” Carlos asks.

“Sherman Oaks,” I answer.

We sit in silence for the entire ride. When we stop in front of Lael’s little house, I hand him the realtor’s card Sugar had given me.

“How are you at negotiating?” I ask.

“I’ll see what I can do. I guess you want me to handle getting that check too? If you do get the theater I assume you will have an incorporation.”

“Umm …”

“I can help you with your plans, don’t worry. I’ll be in touch very soon,” Carlos says, shaking my hand.

“Thank you,” I say sincerely.

“Wait until you see my bill,” he says out of the open window while the car drives away.

Lael’s door is locked and no one is home, so I sit on the front porch next to all my worldly possessions and wait.

I wait for the love of my life.





Chapter Twenty-Two





Lael




“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Brad asks me as he pushes the cart.

I roll my eyes. “For the last time, yes.”

I don’t even look at him, just keep my gaze on all the houseware items as we stroll through the market place. Even though I know we’ve gotten a ton of stuff from the various baby showers, I’ve become obsessive about getting all the right things. I want the perfect nest to bring the baby home into.

I also don’t want to look at him because he’s unable to look at me lately without me feeling like I’m under a microscope. He’s been non-stop worrying about me for weeks, which in turn makes me feel worried and that’s the last thing I need right now.

Zen, I tell myself. Think Zen thoughts.

But Brad goes on. “It’s just that the doctor said that during the last week before you’re due, you should be at home resting.”

“Well that’s fine for Dr. Anderson to say, but Lael Ramsey likes to go to IKEA.”

“I’m also concerned about you talking in the third person.”

Now I glare at him. “Lael Ramsey would like you to shut up.”

“Maybe we should go back upstairs and get more Swedish meatballs in you.”

“I’m fine,” I tell him. “Plus there’s hot dog and ice cream after we go through the cashiers.”

The truth is, I’m hungry as hell all the time, I’m cranky and I’m huge. I’ve been waddling around in muumuus for what seems like forever and the only thing that’s been helping is keeping myself busy and taking my mind off of it.

I’m beyond ready for our baby girl to come out into the world and the more that I think about it, the more anxious and impatient I get.

Hence why strolling around IKEA seems to help my nerves and I’ll do anything to get through this last week.

“Are you sure?” Brad asks after a few moments, when I’ve grabbed a cheap spaghetti strainer and plunked it in the cart. I already have a few but who cares.

“Brad,” I warn him. “Leave me be.”

“Okay, okay. I just want everything to be perfect, you know.”

I nod. “I know. And I don’t know how perfect things will be but you know it’s going to be fine.”

“I know.”

The only problem, of course, with waddling with my big fat belly around IKEA (other than knocking items off the shelves) is that I get tired easily. My feet are so swollen and sore they resemble appendages belonging to Jabba the Hut.

I decide to call it a day, happy with my impulse purchases, plus the hot dog and ice cream, and Brad drives us back to our place in Sherman Oaks that we now share.

Christy moved out shortly after Brad lost his condo and had to move in. She got a full-time graphic design job in Orange County so she needed to move closer but we still see each other every weekend. And of course, I wanted the father of my child to live with me and Baby Groot.

Needless to say, the last nine months or so have been interesting.

Sometimes it’s been extremely happy, knowing that our baby is on the way. I’ve never felt so lovingly supported before and Brad has been amazing dealing with the pregnancy.