Rock 'n' Roll Baby

“We need a home.”

“We have the apartment,” I remind him.

“I think we can afford something better. It’s tiny. Bailey needs her own space.” I know he’s right, but I like that we are all so close together.

“Maybe I like being crammed in with you.” I turn on his lap, straddling him.

“I love being crammed inside of you too, Cherry.”

I smack him on his shoulder and shake my head at his comment. “I’m being serious.” I rub myself on him a little, feeling his hard cock press into me.

“Me too.” He pulls the shoulder of my robe down and peppers soft kisses along it. “Let me buy you a house. I want Bailey to have a yard to play in and”—he pauses and I turn to look at him—“I want her to have siblings. Sooner rather than later.”

“We have all the time in the world.” I lean down, brushing my mouth against his. He deepens the kiss.

“Bailey.” Linc pulls back from the kiss. I can see the mashed potatoes in his hair.

“You got him good.” I turn in his lap to hold my hand out for a high-five. Her little fist hits it and she lets out a giggle.

Linc pulls his shirt off, using it to wipe the mashed potatoes off him. “You sure you want me?” His hand slips around my stomach, pulling me back into him.

“I want another one.”

“Linc, I’m not on anything and you’re inside me every morning and night. What do you think that means?”

“That I’m missing getting inside of you in the middle of the day.”

“Maybe.” I drop another kiss on his mouth. “Why don’t we eat dinner, give Bailey a bath and then you can give me a bath since you interrupted my last one?”

“Deal.” I try to get off his lap, but he doesn’t let me up. “You can eat here. You’re the one who likes cramped spaces.”

I settle into him. “You know, most famous rock stars would be out on the town. Partying it up.”

“I’ve got the two cutest girls in the world in my hotel room. Why would I go anywhere?”

“I love you,” I tell him before I take a giant bite of my cheeseburger.

“Good, because I already got us a place and we’re getting married in the backyard next week.”

I pull the burger away from my mouth. “What?”

“I have it all planned already. Brian helped me.” I smile, happy that the two of them finally get along. It was a rocky road to navigate at first, but now they respect one another and Brian is the best uncle to Bailey. Don’t tell Nick and Benjy that, though.

“I love you,” I say again.

“Love you too, Cherry girl. Always and forever.”

Epilogue

At Home With the Biermans

Cherry Bierman is pregnant with Linc’s second child. It’s the first line of the email I receive from the band’s manager in reply to my multiple requests for a feature on the young couple. My prior inquiries—all ten of them—have been ignored. The band manager, Kate Wilson, meets me at the airport and drives me three hours to Shindale, where the band Local Hero grew up and have made their home.

When I arrive at the Bierman residence, Cherry apologizes because Linc’s on the phone with Nick and Benjy. “They’re FaceTiming a session.”

Nick has started producing tracks for other acts and Benjy is also writing music on his own. Linc joins us a half hour later with a big smile on his face. The call went well. He won’t tell me any secrets, though, no matter how many times I ask. Cherry says that he’s always been like this. He doesn’t like anyone to hear the songs until they’re finished. Except for Cherry, of course. Linc surmises that at least half the songs are inspired by her but he won’t tell me which ones.

The need for the FaceTime session is because the band’s on hiatus. Officially, they are working on their second album and taking their time doing so. The smash release of Persona Non Grata, the band’s debut album, was followed by a grueling ninety day tour around the world. Four continents and two years later, it is time for a break.

Unofficially, though, it’s because Cherry Bierman is pregnant. The story of the first pregnancy is well-known band lore by now. Through a series of misunderstandings, Linc wasn’t aware that he had a kid until he went home to play a festival. Local Hero was a rising band, opening for popular acts and amassing a giant following of their own. Despite all the success, Linc was becoming increasingly depressed. Worried that the new band might be a one-hit wonder, the band’s first manager suggested a tour stop at home. When Linc arrived home, he discovered he was a father and told the band he was going to quit. Cherry refused to allow this and agreed to go on tour with them.