Sarah and Kevin 27

Kevin, Scott and Tom sat at the kitchen table with the remains of breakfast and lunch around them.

"What if she kicks us out?" Tom asked grimly.

"Then we're back where we were in January." Kevin said. "My mom wants me back home anyway."

"You need to convince her otherwise," Scott said.

"Why me?"

"Are you kidding? Have you seen the way she looks at you?" Scott asked.

"Same way you look at her," Tom said with a little laugh.

Kevin just looked down at his hands.

They heard a bedroom door open and close closely followed by the closing of the bathroom door. They sat in silence and looked at each other.

"What the hell!" Peter's voice came from the bathroom.

"What?" he snarled as he walked in and they were all staring at him. His left eye was black and his left cheek swollen. He pointed angrily at Kevin. "You probably had something to do with this." He pointed at his face.

"Don't even act like you don't remember, you prick!" Kevin yelled .

"I don't even remember coming back here," Peter snapped.

"You're full of shit!" Kevin stood up angrily. Peter took a couple of steps toward him but Scott and Tom sprang between them.

"Let me refresh your memory, asshole. You came home this morning at about 4:30 and tried to rape Sarah. You're lucky all you have is a couple of bruises." Kevin was yelling.

"Yeah, right," Peter said and sat down in the nearest empty chair. He grabbed an apple out of the basket on the table. As he raised it to his mouth, Scott grabbed his arm.

"He's not lying, man. Kevin pulled you off her. Her face is a mess and we thought we were gonna have to take her to the hospital." Scott said.

Peter pulled his arm away. "What is this, some kind of intervention? Scare Peter straight day?" He took a bite of apple.

"She's on Kevin's bed. Go look." Tom said.

Suddenly, Peter looked frightened. He swallowed the piece of apple and looked up at Scott. "No shit?"

"No shit." Sarah's voice came from behind them.

Sarah and Kevin 26

Kevin put his hand over hers and leaned down. "Sarah, did he...ugh." Kevin bowed his head and closed his eyes. He couldn't even say it. He felt her hand on his cheek and he looked down at her.

"No. He didn't." she said, shaking her head.

He pressed his lips together. "You're just saying that so we won't take you."

"No. Honest. Please."

An odd sense of relief passed over him. "Do you think you can sit up?"

"Yes."

They helped her sit up. Kevin put his arm around her shoulders for support.

"Don't you think you should go and get some x-rays taken?" Kevin asked.

She shook her head. "Better if no one sees me."

"Want to try to stand?"

She took a deep breath. "OK."

She staggered a little when she first stood up. Kevin put his arm around her waist. She leaned heavily into him as she tried to walk.

"Here," he said and picked her up like a baby, carrying her into his bedroom. He laid her on his bed and sat down next to her.

"Tell me what you need." he said.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Ice pack, shirt and the phone."

"One of my shirts OK?"

She nodded.

He helped her sit up and take off her torn shirt. She kept her eyes closed until his shirt was on her. He laid her back down and left to get the ice pack and the phone.

When he returned, she took the ice pack and asked, "Which side needs it more?" He gritted his teeth and gently touched her right cheek. She rolled onto her right side, putting the pack under her face. He handed her the phone. "Can I be alone?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah." He grabbed a t-shirt and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Sarah and Kevin 25

Kevin sat up in bed, his heart thudding, and looked around wildly. Tom was already struggling to get his pants on. Kevin shoved his glasses onto his face and dragged his blue jeans on. Tom scrambled over Kevin's bed and ran out the door. Kevin nearly slammed into Scott as he bolted for the kitchen.

Peter was lying on top of Sarah in the middle of the kitchen floor. She was screaming and pulling his hair, trying to free herself. Kevin grabbed the back of Peter's shirt and picked him up off of Sarah and dropped him next to her. She rolled away from them. Kevin jumped on Peter and punched him in the face. Peter struggled beneath him, trying to throw Kevin off. Kevin pulled his fist back again, but Scott caught his arm.

"Sarah. Sarah. Are you OK?" Tom spoke softly to her. She lay on her side, curled up, facing the cabinets. She didn't respond.

"Tom, come help me with Peter," Scott ordered. "Kevin, go take care of Sarah."

Kevin stood up with Scott's help and dropped to his knees next to Sarah. His hands shook. He put his hand on her shoulder and spoke in her ear.

"Sarah. Can you hear me?" He couldn't stop his voice from shaking.

She nodded a little. Kevin sighed in relief. He pulled on her shoulder.

"Here, roll over so I can see you," he said quietly in her ear.

She grimaced as she rolled onto her back. Her lips and nose were covered in blood. It looked like she was going to have a black eye and there were already angry red marks that were turning purple on both her cheeks and her jaw. Her blouse was torn open so he could see her underclothes.

"Oh, my god." Kevin said, his voice cracking. She pulled at her blouse, trying to cover herself.

Kevin pulled the sides together as best he could.and she grabbed the edges, holding them together.

"Stay here." he said and stood up. He got a dish towel and wet half of it in the sink. He knelt down beside her again and gently wiped the blood from her face. Tears poured down her temples and she took choking gasps between her silent sobs. Kevin's heart hurt. He tried to dry her tears with the clean part of the towel.

"Jesus Christ," Scott said from behind him, holding Sarah's glasses over Kevin's shoulder. He took them and gently put them on her. "Should we take her to the hospital?" Scott asked.

"Oh my god! No!" Sarah cried.

Sarah and Kevin 24

Sarah rolled over and looked at the clock again. Now it said 4:16 am. Oh well, I might as well get up, she thought. She hadn't really slept but there was no point in trying now.

She got up and got dressed. She brushed her hair and braided it, twisting the braid into a bun. She put on a little eye liner and blush and went downstairs.

I can't believe he's not back. There aren't even any bars around here that are open this late.
As she walked into the kitchen and turned on the light, the back door opened. Peter fell in.

"Oh, my god. Are you OK?" She went over to help him up.

She got him on his feet and into the kitchen. That's when his expression changed. It went from blank to cruel as if he had just remembered his threat from the evening before.

"Bitch," he said and grabbed the front of her blouse. He pushed her back against the sink and pushed a knee between her legs. Grabbing her shirt with both hands, he ripped it open, sending the button's flying.

"Don't do this!" she cried.

Grabbing her arms he forced her to the floor and held her down by straddling her hips. He sat up and slapped her, sending her glasses flying. She cried out.

"Like that?" Peter mocked and backhanded her on her other cheek. She started to scream but he hit her again. She covered her face with her hands.

"Shut up!" Peter moved down and tried pulling up her skirt.

"Stop!" she screamed, trying to squirm away. She took a deep, choking breath. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" she screamed as loud as she could until Peter's hand came down on her mouth, silencing her.

Sarah and Kevin 23

"What do you help her for? We lose an hour of practice every night because of you," Peter snapped.

"Because I think I owe it to her to help her. She does a pretty good job taking care of us," he said, quietly.

"Bullshit. You're just trying to get in her bed. When she starts opening her legs, let me know so I can get my share."

Before Kevin could move, Scott and Tom were between them.

"Ya know, the competition is still on. And I'm going to be sleeping with her before the end of the month." Peter snarled over Scott's shoulder.

Kevin laughed at him. "Yeah, right. She was on to you from day one. You don't have a snowball's chance in hell with her."

"I'll have her on her back by the end of the month. You watch."

Kevin just laughed again and turned to pick up his guitar.

***

A couple weeks passed and Peter seemed to be calming down. Maybe he's not going to binge this time.

"OK, you guys. Dinner's ready," Sarah called them to the table. Kevin got up and went into the kitchen.

Peter was the last one to arrive. Sarah had a bowl of fruit salad in one hand and a bowl of green beans in the other when he stalked in. He stepped in front of her, took her face in his hands and kissed her full on the mouth. Kevin stood up, but Tom did, too and blocked his way.

"Peter, what the hell..?" Scott began.

When Peter released her, she stepped around him and set the bowls on the table. Then she turned around and slapped Peter in the face. His head spun around and welts appeared instantly on his cheek. Kevin snorted derisively.

"You bitch," he snarled and grabbed her arms, yanking her toward him. She gasped.

Kevin pushed past Tom and tried to get in between them, but Peter would not let her go.

"What the hell are you doing, you asshole?" Kevin yelled in his face.

Peter released her, shoving her, and she fell backward onto the floor.

"That was your last mistake, bitch," Peter said and pushed past Kevin and stormed out, slamming the back door behind him.

Kevin was torn between wanting to kill Peter and comfort Sarah. He took a deep breath and knelt beside her. She sat, legs stretched before her with her hands over her face, breathing hard.
Kevin tugged her skirt down to cover her knees.

"Sarah. Are you OK?"

She nodded and looked up into his face, eyes wide.

Scott and Tom came over and helped her stand up. She stumbled a little and Kevin put his arm around her waist. He helped her to a chair and then pulled one over and sat in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"He's going out drinking, isn't he?" she asked quietly. Kevin nodded.

"Oh, my god, you guys. I am so sorry."

"It's not your fault. He was looking for an excuse." Kevin said,

Sarah bowed her head. "I wish I hadn't been the one to give it to him."

Sarah and Kevin 22

March

It was shortly after the beginning of March when Kevin noticed the change coming over Peter. Kevin had seen this several times before and it usually ended with Peter going out, getting drunk and getting in trouble.

Peter started sleeping later and later into the day. When he was awake, he was irritable and restless. He got into an argument with someone every chance he had. Twice in the last week, Scott and Tom had been forced to pry Peter and him apart.

It was a Monday night when Sarah asked him about it.

"What is going on with Peter? He's like a testosterone bomb about to detonate." she asked.

"Yeah, I know." Kevin said. He wasn't sure if he should tell her what he knew or not.

"Why?" she asked.

Kevin sighed and picked up a glass to dry.

"He hasn't had a drink in almost two months."

She stopped washing and turned to look at him.

"And?"

"And he probably feels like he needs one. Or...ten," Kevin said.

"Ten? Anyway, I never said you guys couldn't drink. I just said you can't drink here," she said, pointing at the floor.

Kevin shook his head. "Peter has been doing this ever since I've known him. He'll stay sober for a while and then he'll start getting agitated and then he'll go on a binge. Usually, he gets in trouble, gets mad at himself and stays sober for a while again. Moving in here has made him stay sober, so..."

"So what you're telling me is that he's some kind of alcoholic?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

Sarah looked down at the dishwater for a moment and then looked back at him.

"How do you guys deal with it?"

Kevin shrugged. "We usually just try to keep him out of trouble and if that's not possible, we just bail him out of whatever mess he's in."

Sarah exhaled, blowing her cheeks out. "Well, at least I know what his problem is. I think I liked him better when he was coming on to me all the time."

"I didn't."

Sarah's cheeks reddened. "I didn't really, either. I..." she stopped, shook her head and returned
her attention to the dishes.

When they were finished, Kevin went downstairs to practice.

Sarah and Kevin 21

Their lips met. Kevin couldn't believe how soft her mouth was. She returned his kiss. He sat back and looked into her eyes again. He wasn't sure what he read in them, but he pulled her so that she was laying on him. He kissed her again. Again, she kissed him back. She rested her head on his chest but then took a deep breath and sat back away from him.

"I'd better go upstairs," she said so quietly he barely heard her. She stood up, hooking her shoes over her fingers.

"Are you staying up?" she asked.

He shook his head. She walked to the fireplace then turned to look at him before she turned it off. In the darkness, he heard her door open and close and her footsteps up the stairs.
Kevin leaned his head on his arm. Should I have kissed her? Should I have tried to follow her upstairs? I don't know, I don't know.

There was a hollow pain in the center of his chest. He knew what was wrong. He wanted to knock on her door and tell her how he felt about her. She was his angel, his muse and he couldn't believe she was so close and so far away at the same time.

He started imagining what it would be like to be with her. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He knew Peter would laugh in his face if he knew what had just happened. Peter would have pressed his advantage and would be in bed with her right now.

Kevin relaxed, his body slumped on the couch.

Sarah, can't you see how I feel about you?

He got up and went to bed.

Sarah and Kevin 20

"Sure," he said. She walked ahead of him, turning off the kitchen light. She sat down on the sofa and unbuckled her shoes, sighing. She pulled the comb from her hair and let it fall down her back. Leaning forward, she stared into the fire for a few moments and then began talking.

"David was a fireman. He died trying to save a little girl from a burning house. She had hidden in a closet and the house collapsed on both of them before he could get her out." Sarah took a deep breath.

"Mark and David were close. Their bond was almost like the one twins have. When David died, Mark was devastated. I was six months pregnant at the time. I think Mark was taking consolation in the fact that I was carrying David's child.

"Well, three days after the funeral, I miscarried. It was pretty bad and they ended up taking me into surgery. I had to have a partial hysterectomy and the baby died. It was a little boy." Her voice cracked. "We buried him next to David." Kevin watched a tear roll down her cheek. She ran her fingers through her hair. It hung halfway down her back. She leaned back on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.

"Anyway, Mark was with me through it all. He stayed with me in the hospital and took care of me after they let me come home. He helped me sort out all the financial crap that you have to deal with after a spouse dies. He really was a godsend."

"Eventually, we ended up sleeping together. At first, it was OK. He kept telling me he loved me and that he wanted to marry me. But, I only wanted David back. Finally, about six months after David's death, I had to break it off with him.

"Don't get me wrong. Mark is a good man. He'll make a good husband for someone. Just not me. He's not what I want." She frowned.

"Do you know what you want?" Kevin asked.

She turned to face him and looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding slowly.

Kevin felt the hot blood rushing around in his veins. A shiver ran down his spine and his heart began thudding in his chest. He leaned forward, reached out and laced his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck. Gently, he pulled her toward him. She came willingly.

Sarah and Kevin 19

They did not have a gig that night, so after they ate dinner, they went downstairs to practice. At 10:30, they decided to call it a night and went their separate ways.

Kevin went into the living room and turned on the fireplace. He sat on the floor and leaned against the couch, staring at the flames. I wonder when she'll be home. He thought about how she looked when she left. He felt heat in his veins that had nothing to do with the fire before him.

An hour later he heard the back door open. He was going to stand up, but he heard them talking and decided not to make himself known.

"Thanks for taking me. You know I love weddings."

"Thanks for coming with me. Hey, your fireplace is on."

"Oh, that's OK. I'll turn it off before I go to bed."

"Those assholes are going to be the death of you."

"Oh, they are not and I'm tired of hearing that shit from you."

A heavy sigh. "Sorry. Sorry." Extended silence. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"No. I told you that the day you invited me and I reminded you today on the way to the church. Did you think I would change my mind?"

The sound of a kiss. "Alright, that's far enough, Mark."

"Please. It's been so long."

"Damn it, Mark. Stop!"

That was all Kevin waited to hear. He stood up and walked into the kitchen, flicking on the light.

Mark had her arms in a death grip and his face buried in her neck. His head snapped up.

"Everything OK, Sarah?" Kevin asked, looking at Mark. He released her and she moved closer to Kevin.

"Everything's fine. Good night, Mark."

He shot them both a dirty look and turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

Sarah looked down, hand on her neck where Mark's mouth had been. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Are you really OK?"

"Yeah. Or I will be, anyway." She tried to smile up at him.

"Are you going upstairs?" he asked.

"No. I'm going to sit down here for a while."

"Do you want me to stay up with you?"

"Only if you want to listen to me complain." she laughed a little.

Sarah and Kevin 18

Sarah started getting ready for the wedding. Mark was supposed to pick her up at one o'clock. She could hear her musicians moving around downstairs. She smiled to herself. God, am I lucky or what? Other than having to fight Peter off, this experiment is going pretty well.

She went into the bathroom and plugged in her curling iron. While she waited for it to heat up, she put on her make up. Uninvited, a thought popped into her head. I wish Kevin was taking me to this wedding instead of Mark. She blinked at her reflection. Yeah, I really do. What would it be like to have Kevin's arms around her as they slow-danced? To feel his hands against her body? A familiar tingle ran through her. She sighed and brushed her hair.

When she was finally dressed and her hair was piled and pinned and curled, she looked at herself in the full length mirror by the closet. I look alright. She smiled at herself. I wonder what Kevin will say when he sees me. Her face turned red at the intruding thought. She took a deep breath and went downstairs.

***

Although he had heard her walking around upstairs, Kevin did not see Sarah until about one o'clock on Saturday. He heard her walking down her stairs and so he nonchalantly made his way into the living room so he would be around when she came out.

When Sarah stepped into the living room, Kevin's mouth went completely dry.

"Whoa," he said.

She was wearing a black suit jacket with a red satin blouse underneath and a skirt that stopped about three inches above her knees. She had on black nylons and high heeled black sandals. She wore a black pearl necklace and her hair was pulled back into a roll and pinned in place with a black and red comb. A strand of hair at each of her temples was loose so it hung to her shoulders. Her lipstick was red and her eyes were made up much more than usual. She still wore her glasses. She blushed as Kevin looked her up and down.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she said with a smile and walked into the kitchen. The heels made her legs look awesome.

Peter, Scott and Tom came up from the basement and came into the kitchen. All three of them wolf-whistled at her and she blushed clear to her hairline.

Peter stepped over to her and took her hand. He lifted it to his lips and kissed it. "You are beautiful," he said and kissed her hand again.

"Well, thank you," she said. Peter still had her hand against his lips when Mark walked in.

His face turned as red as Sarah's. "Are you ready or do you have something to take care of before you go?" Mark snapped.

"I'm not going to grace that with an answer. Goodbye you guys."

"Bye" they said. Mark turned and gave them all a black look before following her out the door.

Peter started laughing after the door closed. "What an asshole." They all laughed and nodded in agreement.

Sarah and Kevin 17

Sarah's eyes filled with tears. She blinked hard and they ran down her cheeks. Kevin took her face in his hands and brushed the tears away with his thumbs. He resisted the urge to kiss her trembling lips. Instead, he kissed her forehead. He took a deep breath. She smelled like a warm summer day. Biting the inside of his cheek to keep his libido in check, he took a step away from her.

She smiled up at him. "Thank you," she whispered. She patted his cheek and slipped past him, out of the kitchen and up to her rooms. Kevin went to the computer to send a quick note home before going down to practice.

"Hi Mom,
Scott got us lined up for a few gigs. He thinks we'll get more as it gets closer to summer. We're also going to send a CD in to be considered for the music festival. If we get chosen to play there, we'll have a good chance to be heard by someone from a recording studio.
Peter is still after Sarah constantly, but she keeps blowing him off. I've never seen a woman who could hold him at bay like she has. She's pretty amazing. Unfortunately, it's just making him try harder instead of discouraging him.
Hope everything's OK with you.
Love,
Kevin"

After practice that night, Kevin went into his bedroom and turned on the bedside lamp. He pulled the top drawer of his nightstand open. All the way in the back there was a small, blue velvet box. He pulled it out and opened it. His mother's engagement ring sparkled at him. He laid down on his bed and stared at if for a while. What would Sarah say if I offered it to her? We hardly know each other. A lot of people get engaged when they hardly know each other. God, I've never felt this way about a woman before. He smiled and closed the box, returning it to it's hiding place in the drawer.

Sarah and Kevin 16

February

"OK, you guys," Sarah said one evening as they sat down to dinner. "Saturday is Valentine's Day and I have a wedding to go to. So, I'd like to trade Sunday for Saturday. I'll cook on Sunday instead, OK?"

"Are you going alone?" Peter asked.

"No. Mark invited me. That's why he was here a couple weeks ago," she said to Kevin. He nodded.

"Mark is your brother-in-law, right?" Peter asked.

"Right," she said and took a bite of her roll.

"He seems really protective of you," Peter said. Sarah nodded and rolled her eyes.

"Is there something going on between you?" Peter asked.

Kevin could see her carefully weighing her answers.

"That's a little personal don't you think?" Sarah asked.

"I just want to know where I stand," Peter answered with a slow smile.

Kevin gritted his teeth. Scott and Tom looked like they had stopped breathing. All eyes were on Sarah.

Sarah's eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. "My relationship with Mark has little to nothing to do with where you stand, Mr. Tansara. But for the record, no, there's nothing between us." Her tone dripped like water from a melting icicle. The smile fell from Peter's face. He raised his hands.

"Alright. Sorry. Didn't mean to piss you off," he said. He didn't sound sorry at all.

"Apology accepted," Sarah said. "So is Saturday OK with everyone." They all answered in the affirmative.

Kevin couldn't keep the smile off his face for the rest of the meal.

After dinner, Peter couldn't get downstairs fast enough.

Kevin waited until Peter was at the bottom and turned to smile at Sarah. "You really put him in his place." he said, laughing.

Sarah sighed. "I didn't want to, but he left me no choice. Why does he have to talk to me like that?"

"Don't feel bad. His ego is plenty big. He'll recover fine." Kevin said, ruefully.

"I suppose," Sarah answered.

They finished the dishes quickly and in silence.

Kevin turned to her. "You know why he talks to you like that. He's trying to wear you down so that..." Kevin couldn't finish the sentence.

"I know. I keep trying to make my purpose clear and it's like he doesn't even hear me." She sighed again. "Maybe I went about this mentoring thing all wrong." She looked down at the floor.

Kevin reached out and grabbed her shoulders. She looked up at him, startled. "Sarah, don't say that. You have no idea how thankful we all are for you. Even Peter.

"I thought my life was over. I was going to go back to Madison and get a regular job and never get what I really wanted. You came out of nowhere like...an angel and saved me. Even if we never get the break we need, even if I still end up going home and getting a regular job, I will always be thankful for what you have done." He had to whisper to keep his voice from shaking.

Sarah and Kevin 15

After practice, Kevin went into Peter and Scott's room and sat at the computer. Scott had just got them online earlier that afternoon. He typed a quick note.

"Hi Mom,
Scott got the computer set up and we scraped together the money to get online.
Sarah's a really good cook and we're all still alive and well.
I wrote another song and Scott is getting us work again.
I'll keep you updated.
Love,
Kevin."

***

The next evening after dinner, Peter lingered in the kitchen while Sarah and Kevin cleared the table. As Sarah filled the sink, Peter came over and stood next to her. Kevin felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

"How long ago did he pass away?" Peter asked gently. Sarah stopped what she was doing for a moment.

"Four years ago," she said quietly, not looking up. She continued to fill the sink.

"You should have told me. I wouldn't have come on so strong," Peter said.

"I don't like to talk about it," she said, still keeping her head down.

Kevin bit his lip as he watched Peter and Sarah. He wanted to tell her what a phony Peter was. That he didn't give a crap about her husband, or her or anything except getting her in bed.
Peter reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"If you ever do want to talk about it let me know, OK?" Peter said.

Sarah nodded without taking her eyes off the dishwater.

Peter squeezed her shoulder and gave Kevin a look of triumph as he walked out of the kitchen and down the basement stairs.

Sarah bowed her head even lower and clenched her fists. When he was out of earshot, she looked at Kevin.

"He thinks he's got me all figured out doesn't he?" She spit the words out in a low growl.

"Yeah, he does." Kevin agreed.

"He doesn't know the half of it." She snarled and began washing the dishes like she was trying to scrub the glaze off the plates.

"Peter's just used to the kind of women who hang around after a show. Not a lot upstairs, ya know?" Kevin felt he should explain, even though Peter didn't deserve it.

She turned and looked at him. "You don't have to make excuses for him. It's obvious where he thinks he's going with this." She frowned and returned to doing the dishes.

They worked in silence for a few moments.

"So," Sarah said and sighed. "Do you all write music together or does just one of you do that?"

For the rest of the time they spent cleaning up the kitchen, Kevin filled her in on the creative processes of MourningStar. She asked questions and expressed amazement at Kevin's ability to write music.

Too soon, the dishes were done.

"Thanks for your help again," Sarah said and smiled at him.

Kevin smiled back. She turned and went to her quarters.

Sarah and Kevin 14

After dinner, Peter stomped downstairs. Scott and Tom followed him but Tom gave her a shy smile before going down to practice. Kevin stood up and helped her clear the table.

"How long did it take you to write all of that?" Kevin asked.

"About a year and a half for each. I also write a weekly column for the local rag." She sighed. "I think Peter wanted me to say that I wrote erotica so he could 'help me with my research'." Sarah mocked Peter's sexy voice.

Kevin laughed. "Most women melt at his feet when he talks like that."

Sarah nodded. "I can see that. I'll bet he can be persuasive. And persistent."

"Yeah." Kevin said sourly. "He always gets what he wants."

"Oh well. There's a first time for everything." Sarah said and filled the kitchen sink. Kevin smiled as they washed dishes together.

The next two weeks passed quickly. Scott got them some work and Sarah kept them sheltered and fed. It was a Wednesday night when Kevin met Mark again.

Kevin had taken to doing the dishes with Sarah every night. Thankfully, Peter left them alone while they did this. Wednesday night, Kevin was drying dishes as usual when the back door opened.

"Sarah Jane," said a voice. Kevin turned to see the red haired cop in his civvies stepping in the back door. He gave Kevin a withering look.

Sarah lifted her head and looked out the window over the sink into the darkness. "Yes, Mark?" her voice was flat.

"You still mad at me?" he asked.

She sighed. "I'm over it. But I hear you were harassing my musicians. Wanna explain?" She turned around and leaned against the sink, arms crossed.

"Just watching out for my own," he said.

"Kevin, this is my brother-in-law, Mark. I imagine he didn't introduce himself when he pulled you over."

Kevin nodded at him. He nodded back coldly.

"Can I talk to you alone?" Mark asked Sarah, obviously ignoring Kevin.

"I'll see you later," Kevin said to Sarah and walked past Mark and down the stairs. He heard Sarah sigh as he left the kitchen.

"Man, you look pissed." Peter said when Kevin reached the bottom of the stairs.

"That cop with the red hair that stopped us is here. He's her brother-in-law." Kevin said.

"Her brother-in-law?" Peter asked. "Did she call him that?"

"Yeah, why?" Kevin asked.

"Because if she called him that, she must be widowed. If she were divorced, she would call him her ex-brother-in-law." Peter told him.

"Congratulations, Sherlock," Kevin said. "So what?"

"So, no wonder she's been giving me the brush off. She must be still mourning him. I just need to change my tactics and, boom, I'm in. If you know what I mean." Peter was very proud of himself.

Kevin felt sick to his stomach. Peter was like an unstoppable force when he was after a woman. Most of them did not stand a chance once he turned on the charm. Kevin had been impressed with Sarah's ability to blow off Peter's advances. But now that Peter thought he had her figured out, maybe she would succumb just like the rest.

"Do you ever not think with your dick? Seriously?" Kevin asked.

"Um. No. Besides, I'm doing this for all of us. Once I am 'in' we can do whatever we want." Peter sneered. Kevin clenched his fist and took a step toward Peter. He was envisioning how Peter would look with a fat, bloody lip.

"All right. Shut up and get ready to play." Scott said.

Sarah and Kevin 13

The next night Sarah made some kind of chicken and broccoli casserole. They sat down to dinner and ate in silence for several moments.

"So, what do you do upstairs all day?" Peter asked between bites.

Sarah looked at him for a moment. "I write." she said as if she was unsure of how they would receive that information.

Kevin lifted his head to stare at her. "You write?" he asked.

Sarah nodded at him. "Yeah."

"Do you have anything published?" Scott asked.

"Two novels and a book of short stories." she said.

"Damn," Scott said appreciatively.

Kevin continued to stare at her. Not only was she a good cook and cute as hell, she was an artist, too.

"What kind of novels do you write?" Peter asked.

"Oh, dragons and swords and maiden's in distress."

"Really. Anybody ever get together in your books?" Peter raised his eyebrows suggestively. Kevin gritted his teeth.

"Of course." she said matter of factly.

"Ever do any research?" Peter purred. "I'd be interested in helping you in any way I can."

Sarah put her elbows on the table and folded her hands in front of her mouth. Her eyes glittered like she was trying not to laugh. "Really? When was the last time you slew a dragon? And exactly how did you do it?" Kevin smiled and Tom nearly spit out his pop.

"Forget it," Peter said, exasperated.

She nodded and they finished dinner in silence.

Sarah and Kevin 12

After dinner that night, Kevin lingered behind when the rest went downstairs to practice. He was debating whether he should offer to help with the dishes or not. He knew if he asked, she would tell him no. Instead, he just started helping her.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," she said.

"What if I said I wanted to?" Kevin asked her, a plate in each hand. She cocked her head to the side and looked at him for a moment.

"Far be it from me to stop you from doing something you want to do." she said and filled the sink with water. She started piling dishes in the sink.

Kevin brought all the dishes to the counter for her and then took the table cloth outside and shook it. He put it back on the table.

"Where are your dish towels?" She pointed to a drawer. He opened it and pulled out a towel.

As she washed, he dried the dishes and stacked them on the counter for her. They worked together in silence. Occasionally, their arms would touch. Kevin felt comfortable. He had washed dishes with his mom for as long as he could remember.

"How long have you lived here?" he asked.

"Almost nine years."

"And before that?

I lived with my Aunt.": she said and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "What about you? Are you from around here?"

"I grew up near Madison. I moved to Chicago to find a band to play with. My mom still lives up there. She was expecting me home this week.

"What did she say when you told her where you were?" she smiled as she scrubbed at a pan.

"She told me to be careful." Kevin laughed a little.

"Yeah. I'll bet she did." Sarah laughed back.

They finished the dishes in silence.

"Thanks for your help," she said and began putting the dishes away.

"No problem." He watched her for a moment and turned to go downstairs.

Sarah and Kevin 11

Sarah stopped and turned to look at him. She had a can in each hand. Kevin looked into her eyes and for a minute he felt like he was drowning and he didn't want to come up for air. Then, suddenly, the gates came down in her eyes and he was shut out. She turned back to her groceries. "If you think of it, you could put me in the "Thank You" section of your multi-platinum CD," she said with a little laugh. Kevin thought her cheeks were a little pinker than before.

Kevin heard footsteps on the basement stairs. Soon, Peter was standing in the kitchen leaning against the kitchen sink so that Kevin and she were separated from each other.

"What kind of good stuff are you cooking up for us tonight?"

"Sloppy Joe's, beans, and potato salad."

"Sounds good. I thought about you a lot today."

Sarah turned and looked at him. Kevin could see her expression. At first she squinted at Peter. Then her eyes opened wide and her cheeks reddened. She quickly turned back to putting her groceries away. When she finally finished, she began pulling out pots and pans. She put a large pot on the stove and she put some hamburger on to brown. Peter watched her, looking her up and down the entire time. Kevin felt his heart thudding in his chest. After breaking up the hamburger with a spatula, Sarah turned around and looked Peter in the eye.

"You know, Mr. Tansara, that I invited you here to help resurrect your musical career, right? I expect you to treat me with respect and to stop acting like I owe you sexual favors as well as financial ones." Her voice was very quiet, clipped and cold. There was no mistaking the anger in her eyes. Kevin watched in delight as Peter seemed taken aback for a moment. He just stood and blinked at her like he was not sure of what he was seeing. "Have I made myself clear?" she asked.

Unfortunately, Peter regained his bravado pretty quickly. He gave her a slow smile and walked toward her. Kevin stood up, alarmed.

"Actually, I was hoping to grant you some sexual favors." He was so close to her that she tried to take a step back, but the oven was behind her. "But, I'll ease up for now, as a favor to you."

Without touching her, he turned and walked toward the bedrooms. Sarah pressed her lips together and shook her head. She took a deep breath and went back to her ground beef. Kevin sat back down in the chair and echoed her sigh.

Sarah and Kevin 10

They woke up the next day to the smell of something baking in the kitchen. When they got there, they found the coffee pot full and a basket of blueberry muffins on the table. No sign of Sarah, though. They took turns taking showers and then they went their separate ways.
Kevin went into the green bedroom where Peter and Scott had set up camp and used the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mom, it's me." Kevin said with a smile.

"Hi, Kev. I was expecting you to come home. Did something change?"

"Mom, you'll never believe it when I tell you..." Kevin went on to explain what had happened in the last 48 hours.

"Are you sure everything is OK?" Kevin interpreted this as: "Are you sure she's not an axe murderer?"

"Well, so far she has cooked for us three times and we're all still alive. I think everything will be OK. As long as Peter doesn't ruin it." Kevin recounted Peter's antics to her.

"He is kind of a loose cannon, isn't he? I guess that's what makes him good at what he does." Kevin's mother was always trying to find the good in everything.

"I guess so, Mom."

"Just be careful, dear. When Scott gets your computer set up, email me."

"I will. Love you."

"I love you, too, dear."

Kevin hung up the phone and went back to his room. I really didn't feel like "his" yet. There was a little desk in the corner. He took his writing materials out of his sack and began working on a song that was stuck in his head.

It was about 4:00 that afternoon that Kevin heard the back door open. Kevin stood up and stretched and wandered into the kitchen.

Sarah was bringing groceries in and setting them on the table. "Hi," she said.

"Hey. Need some help?" So far, every time he talked to her he felt like a dork.

"No. I only have one more trip," and she walked out the door again.

Kevin watched her through the kitchen window as she walked out to the garage. She looked like a penguin waddling through the snow in her black cloak. Kevin smiled.

She came out of the garage and closed the door. He watched her walk back toward the house. He went and held open the door for her.

"Thank you," she said and set the last bag on the table.

"Sure."

She took off her coat. She was dressed all in black again. She sat down on the step that led into the kitchen and took her boots off. She was even wearing black socks. Kevin frowned a little and wondered if she was in mourning for someone. Sarah stood up and began putting the groceries away. Kevin sat in the dining room chair farthest from where she was working so as not to be in her way.

"So, is Scott busy getting shows lined up for you guys?" she asked.

"Yeah. He said it will be a couple weeks until the places can work us in again. Now that we're not out of business any more." Kevin crossed his arms. "Thanks to you." he said quietly.

Sarah and Kevin 9

About an hour later, Peter stopped singing and inhaled deeply through his nose. "Man, do you smell that? Think it's done?"

They walked up the stairs.

The table was set and Sarah was taking the pizzas from the oven. They were two, huge, rectangular pizzas, one pepperoni and cheese and one green pepper, onion and cheese.

"Nice timing," said Sarah as she cut the pizzas into squares.

They sat down and ate in silence, but it did not feel as uncomfortable as it had that morning.

"So, why are you doing this for us?" asked Scott.

"Still suspicious, huh?" Sara smiled at him.

"Kind of." he answered.

Sarah took a sip of her iced tea and shrugged.

"I've thought of mentoring a band for a long time. I talked to Jimmy two years ago and asked him to keep an eye out for a promising band who could use the kind of help that I could offer. He brought you to my attention and here you are."

"You still haven't told us why," Tom pointed out.

Sarah looked at him and blinked a couple of times.

"You're right. I guess I just enjoy cooking and cleaning and the like and you are the ones at the receiving end."

"Why not just find a man to take care of?" Peter asked.

"I did. Four of them."

"That's not..."

"That's not what you meant." Sarah cut him off. "I know. I'm not ready to share my life story with you just yet, Mr. Tansara. Sometimes it's better not to question every gift you receive. You might not like the answers you get." She stood up and started clearing the table.

There was an uncomfortable silence. Kevin stood up and headed downstairs. The rest of them followed.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Peter turned to Kevin. "What did I tell you? I'll have her eating out of my hand in less than a month."

"Are you deaf? She told you to shut up. Again. That's twice in one afternoon. I'm thinking you should take her advice."

"And I'm thinking that she's no different than any other woman. Her needs will need to be fulfilled eventually, and I'll be there for her when she's ready."

"I'm thinking that she is different than other women and you should respect that." Kevin said and picked up his bass.

Peter looked at him for a moment and then smiled. "Really? You think she's different, huh? Did I detect a note of admiration there?"

Kevin tuned his guitar with his back to Peter. He was not going to answer that question.

"Wanna lay bets on who sleeps with her first?" Kevin's chest tightened. He put his guitar down gently and then turned and grabbed the front of Peter's shirt, shoving him into the support post at the bottom of the stairs.

"This isn't about competition. Jimmy told us that she was a lady, remember? And you'd better start treating her like one. You got it?"

"It's a little early for you to be feeling jealous, ain't it?" Peter shoved Kevin away.

Tom grabbed Kevin's arm. "C'mon, dude. It ain't worth it."

Kevin took a deep breath and turned away to pick up his guitar again.

"Let's just practice, OK?" said Scott.

They played well into the night, only quitting when Peter could not stop yawning long enough to carry a tune.

Sarah and Kevin 8

Peter stood up. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but whatever."

"Did you get everything set up?" Kevin asked Peter.

"Just about."

"Let's go downstairs," Kevin looked hard at Peter.

"OK." Peter held his hands up and headed for the stairs. Kevin followed practically on his heels.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Kevin stepped in front of Peter.

"What in the hell were you doing up there?

"What?" Peter snarled.

Kevin looked down at Peter and gritted his teeth. "What do you mean, 'what'? You used every immature pick up line in the book. Seriously, are you trying to get us kicked out on the first day?"

"Not my fault you don't know how to flirt with women. And I already told you, I'm working on getting us a better deal."

"Whatever. She obviously wasn't enchanted by your intelligent banter." Kevin laughed at him.

Peter shrugged. "I just haven't found the right button to push, man. When I do, you'll know it 'cause she'll be screaming my name."

"You're full of shit, Tansara." Kevin shoved him.

Scott stepped between them. "What the hell is the problem, now? We haven't even been here for a whole day."

"That idiot is going to get us kicked out before we've been here a week. You should have heard how he was talking to her, like she was some drunk groupie."

"Again, not my fault you don't know how to flirt with women. Who's gotten laid more? My record speaks for itself." Peter laughed.

"My offer to rip your head off still stands, Tansara."

"Alright. Come on, let's see if this equipment works. OK? Scott said.

Silence reigned for a moment. "Fine," Peter growled and walked over to his mike. Kevin picked up his bass and they began practicing.

Sarah and Kevin 7

At about 4:30, Kevin was in the blue bedroom that he and Tom were sharing, sorting out his possessions when he heard Sarah's door open and close quietly. Scott, Tom and Peter were downstairs, setting up the equipment so that they could practice. Kevin waited for a moment and then walked out into the kitchen.

Sarah looked up from the cookbook that she was leafing through. She smiled at him.

"Hi," she said.

Kevin's mouth became a little dryer. "Hey," he said.

She found the recipe that she was looking for, set down the book and began pulling ingredients from the cabinets.

"I forgot to ask if you had any trouble finding the house. Were my directions OK?"

Kevin walked over and leaned on the counter where she was working.

"Yeah, they were fine. But we got stopped by the cops about a half mile from here."

Sarah turned toward him and put her hand on her hip. "Really." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah."

"One of them was a big guy with red hair?"

"Yeah."

She turned back to her work with a sigh. "Sorry about that. Mark thinks it's his job to protect me." She smiled, but it was cheerless. She began mixing dough in a large bowl. After dumping it on the counter, she began to knead it. Kevin watched her hands massage the dough. She had strong, soft looking hands. He looked down at her feet, they were bare beneath her skirt. Her toenails were painted red. Her fine, chestnut hair was wound into a bun, but it looked like it was about to mutiny at any moment. Kevin wondered how long it was.

"I'm making pizza. I figured that was a pretty safe food." Kevin was jerked out of his scrutiny.

"Oh, yeah. Pizza's good." I sound like a complete moron, he thought.

"Hey. I thought I heard voices up here." Peter walked into the kitchen and positioned himself on the other side of Sarah, so close that he was nearly breathing in her ear. Kevin's heart began to thud in his chest and he felt the heat rising in his face.

"I heard that you got pulled over this morning." Sarah said by way of greeting Peter.

"Yeah. I hate cops."

"The redhead thinks it's his job to watch over me. I'm sorry if he gave you a hard time." Sarah did not look at Peter as she spoke, keeping her eyes on the pizza dough.

"That's OK. You can make it up to me sometime." Peter was practically purring. Sarah smiled and shook her head a little. Kevin gritted his teeth.

"I have a question for you." said Peter. "Why the 'no women' rule?"

Sarah took a deep breath and turned to look at him. "Because I don't want to be embarrassed walking through my own house."

Peter leaned forward as if to kiss her. Sarah stood her ground. Peter smiled and said, "I thought that you just wanted me all to yourself."

Sarah turned back to her dough. "Oh, boy. You're going to be trouble, aren't you?" Kevin could not tell if she was flattered or exasperated. She put the dough back into the bowl, covered it with a towel and put it into the oven. Kevin saw Peter's eyes rove over Sarah's body as she bent over. He clenched his fist and tried to take deep breath. Getting in a fight with Peter on their first day here would probably end in their eviction. She turned back toward them and went to the sink to wash her hands.

"I'll be anything you want." said Peter.

A grin split her face. Kevin frowned.

"Anything?" she asked, still washing her hands.

Peter leaned forward. "Anything," he promised.

"How about 'silent'?" she asked, still smiling, but not looking at him. Kevin laughed.

Sarah and Kevin 6

"No," Sarah said, looking him right in the eye. Kevin smiled and signed his paper.

"What if I don't sign?" Peter was starting to pout.

"Then you aren't staying here. It's totally up to you." She shrugged and held his gaze.

"Fine." Peter grumbled and signed the sheet and thrust it at her.

"Thank you." Sarah gathered up the sheets, signed them and tore off the top copy of each for herself and returned the second page to each of them. She stood up and began putting away the groceries. "As soon as I put these up, I'll take you on the grand tour."

The silence felt uncomfortable to Kevin, but Sarah did not seem perturbed at all. They just looked at each other, not sure what to make of her.

"Ready?" she asked when she was done. They nodded and she began walking toward the basement. "Let's start at the bottom."

There was a rather large open space to the right of the stairs. "This is where you can set up your stuff to practice. You don't have to worry abut volume. Just don't shatter the windows."

"This is a bathroom," she pointed toward a door at the back of the basement.

She showed them the weight bench and the washer and dryer to the left of the stairs and invited them to use both whenever they wished.

They followed her back up the stairs and she showed them the living room. The walls were beige and the carpet was a warm brown color. No TV, just a sofa, 3 chairs and a gas fireplace. She showed them how to turn it on.

She took them down the hallway to their rooms. "Here's the linen closet," she said and patted the closet door as they passed it. The two beds in each room were made neatly. One bedroom was blue and the other was green. The bathroom was blue and green and was situated between the two rooms.

"Go ahead and hang whatever you want on the walls. As long as you're here, the decorating is up to you." She walked past them and paused at the fourth door in the hallway. Setting her hand on the doorknob, she said,"This is the door to my space. Other than running a vacuum occasionally, I will not be in your rooms. I expect that you will respect my privacy as well."

"Is there a lock on that door?" Peter asked.

"Yes." Sarah put her left hand on her hip. Kevin smiled again. This one was not going to take any of Peter's crap. Peter looked sheepish and remained silent. She turned and caught Kevin's smile.

"What are you smiling at?" she asked quietly as she passed him, touching his arm. She walked into the kitchen again and they followed her. She picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip.

"Sunday's are my day off," she said. "I usually go to visit my Aunt. I will make sure that there is food for you to make for yourselves on that day. Otherwise I will be making a little something for breakfast and then supper each day. If you could take the time to make me lists of foods you really like and foods you really hate, that will make it easier for me to cook for you.

"Which of you is the business man?" she asked.

"I am," said Scott.

"OK. I would appreciate it if you would keep me apprised of your financial situation. When you are able to pay, we can talk about rent. The only bill you have to be responsible for now is the phone bill. There is a cordless phone in the green room. Any calls you make on that phone are your responsibility. I have already paid to have the extra line added to the house."

She finished her coffee and put the mug in the sink. "Now, unless you have any questions, I'll be off." Kevin had been staring at her the entire time and now she caught his eye. She blinked and then gave him a little smile. "OK. We'll eat around 6:00, if that works for you." She looked around and they all nodded. "Great. See you later." She left the kitchen. They heard the door to her rooms close and her footsteps up the stairs.

"Wow. She's got everything under control, don't she?" asked Scott. He flopped down in one of the kitchen chairs.

"She's kind of a bitch," said Peter. Kevin turned and gave him his dirtiest look.

"She's letting us stay here for free until we can get the band going again. Tansara, I swear to god, if you screw this up for us, I will personally tear your head off."

Peter looked up at Kevin with a sneer. "Screw it up? No way. In fact, I plan to negotiate a better deal for us after I get a chance to know her better." Peter laughed at Kevin's disgusted expression. "Why do you think she wants us here? She's lonely and she wants some action. I provide it for her and we can do whatever we want. Get it?" Peter poked Kevin in the chest.

Kevin shoved him away. "You're an idiot, Tansara." Kevin walked out of the house to begin unloading the van.

Sarah and Kevin 5

The door opened and a blast of frozen wind cut their laughter short. A woman walked in with an armload of groceries. Her face was covered by a black hood and scarf. She kicked the door closed with her foot and walked into the kitchen saying "Good morning, gentlemen." They mumbled a greeting to her and watched in silence as she set her groceries on the counter and removed her wrappings. Her black cloak came off first, revealing a black dress and black boots beneath. The dress was very loose-fitting, but even so it was obvious that she was voluptuously built. She unwrapped her scarf to show cheeks rosy from the cold and warm, chestnut hair. Her brown eyes blinked over her gold-rimmed glasses which were steamed up. She smiled at them and her cheeks turned a little redder under their scrutiny.

She took a deep breath. "In case you didn't guess, I'm Sarah." she said and stood on tiptoe to take a coffee mug from the cabinet. She poured herself a cup of coffee and said, "I hope I'm not as scary as you imagined." She walked over to the table and held her hand out to Scott, a question on her face.

"Scott Littner," he said, shaking her hand.

"Good to meet you," she said.

Next to moved to Peter. "Peter Tansara," he said, but instead of shaking her hand, he pulled it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Kevin watched this with irritation. Peter always had to put on a show.

Sarah smiled and gently pulled her hand away, nodding at him.

"Tom Marco," he said quietly, smiling up into her face as he shook her hand.

She stepped around to where Kevin was sitting. He held out his hand. "Kevin McLeod." She smiled down into his eyes and he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Nice to meet you all," she said. Walking to the corner of the kitchen away from then, she opened a drawer and pulled out some papers before returning to the table. She sat down in the empty seat between Peter and Scott. "Let's get the rough stuff over with." She handed out copies to each of them. "Go ahead and read this and sign it. Basically, it says that any one of us may terminate this lease at any time without notice. It also says that you agree to the rules that I set forth and that if you do not abide by them, I have the right to evict you with a police escort. Also, without notice."

"Aren't any of these rules negotiable?" asked Peter, smiling at her.

Sarah and Kevin 4

They ended up spending the night at an oasis along the highway. No one bothered them since they looked as broke as the rest of the panhandlers who were staying there.
At about 8:00, they began driving to their new residence. Kevin and Tom were in the van with the equipment and Scott and Peter were in Scott's little Escort. By 8:45 they were on the country road that Sarah's house was supposed to be on. There was a police roadblock up ahead. When they reached it, they stopped. Kevin rolled down the window of the van when the officer walked up.

"Step out of the vehicle, please. Both of you." said the officer. Kevin knew better than to say anything. He opened the door and surrendered his license to the cop. Tom did the same. Kevin looked over and saw that Peter and Scott were also standing outside their car, handing over their licenses. In the meantime, another police car had pulled up behind them and a cop with a red buzz cut got out of the car and walked toward them. He motioned for them to come together.

"Where are you boys headed? asked the redhead. Scott gave him Sarah's address. The cop nodded as if he knew who they were. The cop who had originally taken their licenses came back.

"They're all clean, Mark." he told Red. Mark took the licenses and returned them, looking each of them in the eye. Before he left, he told them, "I don't expect to be hearing much from you boys at all. Do you understand?" They all nodded. The the cops got into their cars and drove away.

"What was that all about?" wondered Scott.

"Assholes" Peter said with a yawn and a stretch.

"I don't know. Let's just go." Kevin said and got back into the van.

When they arrived at the house, they pulled around behind it as they had been instructed. There was a one car garage with the door open. It was empty.

They got out of their vehicles and stood looking at the house for a moment. It wasn't very big. The siding was white and the fake shutters were painted black. The curtains were all closed on this side of the house. Kevin took a deep breath and began walking up the sidewalk. There was a note on the door.

"Welcome! Please let yourselves in. Coffee's fresh and breakfast is on the table."

Kevin opened the door and they walked in. There was a tiny foyer with stairs that led down to the basement. To their left was another door. Kevin opened it and the smell of cinnamon and coffee invited them into the kitchen. Everything was yellow and white. On the yellow and white checked table cloth was a large basket with a yellow and white gingham napkin. Kevin felt like he was inside a daisy. There were cinnamon rolls beneath the napkin.

"They're warm," Peter said, grabbing one.

There were four coffee mugs on the counter next to the coffee machine. Bowls of creamer and sugar with spoons stood beside the coffee maker. Kevin walked over and poured himself a cup.

"Anyone else want some?" he asked.

"Yeah." they all said. Kevin poured the coffee and brought the mugs, creamer and sugar bowl over to the table. There were five heavy wooden chairs around the table. Kevin was very conscious of the empty chair.

"Do ya think these are homemade?" Peter asked. "I wonder what she looks like."

Kevin looked at him sharply.

"What?" asked Peter. "You know you're wondering the same thing."

Kevin looked into his coffee. He was wondering the same thing, but he wasn't about to admit it out loud.

"These remind me of my grandma." said Scott as he bit into his second roll. "Maybe she's a blue hair."

"She didn't have a grandma voice," said Kevin. He smiled briefly as he remembered the sound of her voice over the speaker phone last night.

"Yeah, but none of the chicks I know can cook like this." said Peter.

"That's because the chicks you know are only good for one thing." said Tom, making everyone laugh.

Sarah and Kevin 3

"Yeah, right. Like how?" slurred Peter, crossing his arms.


Jimmy stared hard at Peter for a moment and then took a deep breath. "There's a place about an hour's drive north from here where you can live at no charge until you start making some money. Two meals a day. It's in the country, in the middle of two farmer's fields, so you can practice without driving the neighbor's crazy. There's only two rooms, so you would have to bunk up. What do you think?" Jimmy leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the desk.

For a moment they stared at him. Then they stared at each other. Scott shook his head.


"What's the catch?" Scott asked. "Do we have to do farm chores or something?"

Jimmy smiled. "No. the person who owns the house doesn't need any help."

"So, who is this person? And why do they want to help us?" Scott asked.


Kevin was starting to feel like he was watching a tennis match, turning his head from Scott to Jimmy and back to Scott again.

"Her name is Sarah. She lives in the attic of the house where you would be staying."


Peter sat up suddenly, grinning wolfishly. "Really?"

Jimmy pulled his feet off the desk and sat forward with a bang. "She's not you're type, Tansara.

She's a lady." The warning in Jimmy's voice was clear to everyone except Peter.


"Oh, so she's an old girl?" Peter shrugged. "That's OK, too."

Jimmy stood up and slammed his fist down on the desk. "Enough!" He looked down at the phone on his desk. "Sarah, I told you he was an idiot. Are you sure you want to do this?"


"Yes, I'm sure." A calm, smiling voice came from the speaker phone. A low chorus of swear words was directed at Peter and Scott punched him in the arm.

"My question still stands. What's the catch?" Scott asked.


"You follow my rules and you get to stay until you're ready to move out. No strings attached."

Kevin smiled at the sound of her voice. Something about it made him feel good.


"And the rules are...what?"

"Don't destroy the house. No drugs, alcohol, televisions or women. Cigarette smoking is done outside and you don't fling the butts out into the yard." She hesitated for a moment. "Knowing this, are you interested?"


Kevin, Tom and Scott looked at each other. Then they all looked at Peter who stared back indignantly. "What?" he asked loudly.

"You're the one with the 'problem'," Kevin accused in a low voice. "Do you think you can control yourself? For the sake of the band?"


Peter withered under their scrutiny. He held up his hands. "For the sake of the band, I will control myself." His words were slightly less slurred now.

"OK?" Scott whispered. Kevin and Tom nodded their heads vigorously. Scott looked at Peter. He nodded also, but more slowly.


Scott cleared his throat. "OK. We're interested."

"Great. The house is ready whenever you are." Kevin smiled back at the smile in her voice. He wondered what she looked like.


Kevin came back to reality when Tom smacked him on the leg. Scott was looking at him. "Are you ready to go? Or do you still have stuff in Jack's apartment?"

Kevin shook his head. Jack had given him the last of his stuff when he left for the show. He was going to have to spend the night in the van if he didn't find some place to crash.


"How about tomorrow?" Scott asked.

"That's fine," said Sarah. "Will you be here in the morning?"


"About 9:00?"

"OK. Jimmy will give you directions. See you tomorrow." They heard a click and a dial tone. Jimmy punched a button on his phone and there was silence in the room. He held out a sheet of paper to Scott. Jimmy gave them all a hard look.


"I promised Sarah that I wouldn't threaten you, but I lied. If any of you do anything to hurt her, you will rue the day you were born." With that, he waved them out of his office and picked up his phone.