GraceRyan
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
It's fiction. Just part of my bored brain making crap up.
He had been trying to quit, but in light of recent events, Larry bummed a cigarette from Adam. Slowly, he wound his way home across the cobblestone streets. He lived only 10 minutes from Bono, but he needed a moment to himself before he entered his own home. Gloria had breezed into the large room turning Larry’s world upside down. He had not expected such emotion to well up inside him. She looked amazing.
Edge whistled. “Wow. Look at you.”
Gloria blushed. “Oh stop.”
Gloria was never a heavy person. Some might say voluptuous. Somehow in the last 8 months, she had become lean and toned. As she walked across the room, the muscles in her legs danced under her tanned skin.
Bono crushed her in a big hug. “Damn girl….you are solid. There is nothing left to hug!” He held her away from him. “Did you go to boot camp?”
She laughed. “No, I just started training for races. Just marathons and triathlons.”
Adam laughed. “Just marathons?”
“I am actually in the middle of training for a triathlon now” She turned to Bono and poked his stomach. “So I expect that we will be hitting the gym together.” She glanced back at Paul. “In a very safe, rehab-friendly way.”
“Would you look at the guns on her?” Bono pointed to the bicep peaking out from her blouse. “No journalist is messing with you. I may have to hire you as my bodyguard. Lar, I think she’s fitter than you.”
Larry finally found his voice. “I guess I better hit the gym too. You look great.”
He breathed her as she hugged him.” Thanks. I feel great which is the most important thing, We’ll definitely workout together. I’m always looking for new ideas”
He searched her face for any flicker of their past. Maybe he saw a glint? Maybe her hug lingered a bit? She had kissed his cheek, but did she kiss the others?
“How are Andrew and Jane?” Edge asked.
“They are good. Grace and Hope are both a little over 3 pounds and in the NICU, but getting stronger everyday,” she said.
“Tell them if they need anything at all,” Edge’s eyes glassed over. He knew the horrors of having a child in the hospital. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to have one so tiny there.
Gloria touched his arm. “I will.”
That was Gloria. She took care of everyone. Larry wondered, who took care of her?
He looked up at his home away from home. Dinner was probably done, but he could still smell the grilled chicken cling to air. Tossing his half smoked cigarette as far from the house as he could, he walked inside. Shouts and whoops rang up from the living room where his children played a video game. He considered greeting them, but knew all he’d get were half hearted groans for interrupting their tennis game. Ann was in the kitchen wiping down the counters.
“Hallo. How was practice?” she asked.
“Okay,” Larry shrugged. “Bono spent half the time on the phone. Didn’t get much done.” He wandered to the stove. “I missed supper, eh?”
“There’s a pot on the stove for you if you are hungry,” she replied.
He lifted the lid and peered inside. Looked like rice, chicken and vegetables. Bono and Adam were taking Gloria out for dinner and drinks being that they were currently bachelors. Larry could’ve gone. He considered it. He needed a night to collect his thoughts.
“Are you okay?” Ann asked snapping him out his trance.
“Yeah, fine.” He stirred the mixture with a spoon absentmindedly.
Her eyes narrowed with concern. “Are you sure?”
Casting a glance in the direction of the living room, he asked. “Are the kids busy with their game?”
“I’m pretty sure, “She sat at the kitchen table. “C’mon. Talk to me.”
Larry took a deep breath as he sat across from her. Scratching the back of his neck, he tried to think of where to start. “You remember the talk we had after I came back from North America….and the arrangement we discussed.”
She nodded. “I do.”
Larry had returned in November after 2 legs of the 360 tour with his head and house in disarray. He and Ann struggled through the holidays as the distance between them grew. Every tour took its toll on the family. Suddenly, Larry was a father and partner again. His kids had grown used to carrying on without him and it was an adjustment for everyone. This time, everything felt different – like a chore. Ann finally sat Larry down for a long overdue conversation over the state of them.
“Things aren’t working as they are, Love,” she said.
“I know, I know. I just have to get back into the groove of things,” he nodded.
“It’s not just the groove. It’s us. I love you, but you and I aren’t working like we did – like we should,” she said plainly.
That was why Larry loved Ann. There was no bull. Sure, they could go on months in torture. They have been through this cycle and much worse. The end of Vertigo tour nearly snapped them in two. Yet they managed to pull together for a time. He thought of promising to be better. He considered begging for another chance to make it right. But his heart didn’t feel it.
“You’re right,” he said after a long pause. “But I do not want this family to end. We’ve made a commitment to this family.”
“I’m not talking about that. Lar, we’ve never done things the conventional way. I’m trying to think of something that will work for everyone,” she took his rough hand. “I’m still a woman with needs. I want to be loved like that again. I want to love that way again – but for us – it can’t be that way together.”
And that was it. Together, they re-imagined their family. Family would always be first – but there was new freedom and hope for the future.
He searched her angular face. “Are you still certain about that? I know we’ve slipped and wavered here and there.”
“We were lonely. And it didn’t change things between us,” she shrugged. She leaned closer and looked deep in his blue eyes. “Someone has joined the tour, haven’t they?”
He bit his lip. “What do you mean?”
Ann raised one eyebrow. “Mullen, I’m blonde…not thick.” Ann had suspected there had been something between Gloria and Larry. Whether it was physical or just an energy they shared, she didn’t know. That was Larry’s story to tell, if he chose.
He ran his fingers through his hair noting it needed a cut before the tour started. “I dunno know, Ann. This just keeps coming up. I think I need to settle it once and for all.”
Ann hugged him. She knew this confusion tore him apart. “I’m fine. The kids are fine. As long as we respect each other and love them, it will be fine.”
Would Gloria want part in this mess? Larry knew for his sanity, he had to find the answer.
He had been trying to quit, but in light of recent events, Larry bummed a cigarette from Adam. Slowly, he wound his way home across the cobblestone streets. He lived only 10 minutes from Bono, but he needed a moment to himself before he entered his own home. Gloria had breezed into the large room turning Larry’s world upside down. He had not expected such emotion to well up inside him. She looked amazing.
Edge whistled. “Wow. Look at you.”
Gloria blushed. “Oh stop.”
Gloria was never a heavy person. Some might say voluptuous. Somehow in the last 8 months, she had become lean and toned. As she walked across the room, the muscles in her legs danced under her tanned skin.
Bono crushed her in a big hug. “Damn girl….you are solid. There is nothing left to hug!” He held her away from him. “Did you go to boot camp?”
She laughed. “No, I just started training for races. Just marathons and triathlons.”
Adam laughed. “Just marathons?”
“I am actually in the middle of training for a triathlon now” She turned to Bono and poked his stomach. “So I expect that we will be hitting the gym together.” She glanced back at Paul. “In a very safe, rehab-friendly way.”
“Would you look at the guns on her?” Bono pointed to the bicep peaking out from her blouse. “No journalist is messing with you. I may have to hire you as my bodyguard. Lar, I think she’s fitter than you.”
Larry finally found his voice. “I guess I better hit the gym too. You look great.”
He breathed her as she hugged him.” Thanks. I feel great which is the most important thing, We’ll definitely workout together. I’m always looking for new ideas”
He searched her face for any flicker of their past. Maybe he saw a glint? Maybe her hug lingered a bit? She had kissed his cheek, but did she kiss the others?
“How are Andrew and Jane?” Edge asked.
“They are good. Grace and Hope are both a little over 3 pounds and in the NICU, but getting stronger everyday,” she said.
“Tell them if they need anything at all,” Edge’s eyes glassed over. He knew the horrors of having a child in the hospital. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to have one so tiny there.
Gloria touched his arm. “I will.”
That was Gloria. She took care of everyone. Larry wondered, who took care of her?
He looked up at his home away from home. Dinner was probably done, but he could still smell the grilled chicken cling to air. Tossing his half smoked cigarette as far from the house as he could, he walked inside. Shouts and whoops rang up from the living room where his children played a video game. He considered greeting them, but knew all he’d get were half hearted groans for interrupting their tennis game. Ann was in the kitchen wiping down the counters.
“Hallo. How was practice?” she asked.
“Okay,” Larry shrugged. “Bono spent half the time on the phone. Didn’t get much done.” He wandered to the stove. “I missed supper, eh?”
“There’s a pot on the stove for you if you are hungry,” she replied.
He lifted the lid and peered inside. Looked like rice, chicken and vegetables. Bono and Adam were taking Gloria out for dinner and drinks being that they were currently bachelors. Larry could’ve gone. He considered it. He needed a night to collect his thoughts.
“Are you okay?” Ann asked snapping him out his trance.
“Yeah, fine.” He stirred the mixture with a spoon absentmindedly.
Her eyes narrowed with concern. “Are you sure?”
Casting a glance in the direction of the living room, he asked. “Are the kids busy with their game?”
“I’m pretty sure, “She sat at the kitchen table. “C’mon. Talk to me.”
Larry took a deep breath as he sat across from her. Scratching the back of his neck, he tried to think of where to start. “You remember the talk we had after I came back from North America….and the arrangement we discussed.”
She nodded. “I do.”
Larry had returned in November after 2 legs of the 360 tour with his head and house in disarray. He and Ann struggled through the holidays as the distance between them grew. Every tour took its toll on the family. Suddenly, Larry was a father and partner again. His kids had grown used to carrying on without him and it was an adjustment for everyone. This time, everything felt different – like a chore. Ann finally sat Larry down for a long overdue conversation over the state of them.
“Things aren’t working as they are, Love,” she said.
“I know, I know. I just have to get back into the groove of things,” he nodded.
“It’s not just the groove. It’s us. I love you, but you and I aren’t working like we did – like we should,” she said plainly.
That was why Larry loved Ann. There was no bull. Sure, they could go on months in torture. They have been through this cycle and much worse. The end of Vertigo tour nearly snapped them in two. Yet they managed to pull together for a time. He thought of promising to be better. He considered begging for another chance to make it right. But his heart didn’t feel it.
“You’re right,” he said after a long pause. “But I do not want this family to end. We’ve made a commitment to this family.”
“I’m not talking about that. Lar, we’ve never done things the conventional way. I’m trying to think of something that will work for everyone,” she took his rough hand. “I’m still a woman with needs. I want to be loved like that again. I want to love that way again – but for us – it can’t be that way together.”
And that was it. Together, they re-imagined their family. Family would always be first – but there was new freedom and hope for the future.
He searched her angular face. “Are you still certain about that? I know we’ve slipped and wavered here and there.”
“We were lonely. And it didn’t change things between us,” she shrugged. She leaned closer and looked deep in his blue eyes. “Someone has joined the tour, haven’t they?”
He bit his lip. “What do you mean?”
Ann raised one eyebrow. “Mullen, I’m blonde…not thick.” Ann had suspected there had been something between Gloria and Larry. Whether it was physical or just an energy they shared, she didn’t know. That was Larry’s story to tell, if he chose.
He ran his fingers through his hair noting it needed a cut before the tour started. “I dunno know, Ann. This just keeps coming up. I think I need to settle it once and for all.”
Ann hugged him. She knew this confusion tore him apart. “I’m fine. The kids are fine. As long as we respect each other and love them, it will be fine.”
Would Gloria want part in this mess? Larry knew for his sanity, he had to find the answer.
another amazing chapter 
I really like this story.
I can't wait to for chapter three! This is fantastic! Great job so far!
There's a bit of a reveal chapter 4 and 5.
