After changing my number yet again, the calls stopped for the time being. It was comforting having Kevin stay with me, I was less inclined to jump every time the phone rang, plus he always made sure to answer it no matter what time of the day or night, letting it be known he now lived with me. I was now sure though, that I was falling in love with him. Just my luck I thought ironically, to fall in love with my husband. It required all my acting skill to shield my feelings from him, I didn't want his quixotic personality to think he owed me anything other than friendship when we parted, and I did not want to put any pressure on him to stay with me. Kevin was affectionate, playful, serious, charming, moody, a perfectionist with his work and music, and possessed a temper that flared easily, but was at once contrite if he thought he'd hurt anybody's feelings. He was a complex package but and one look or touch from him sent my heart spiralling out of control. I found him great company, and we often talked till the early hours of the morning over a few glasses of wine with only the stereo for company. It was times like these that I could pretend that this marriage was for real and lose myself in our masquerade.
Over the last few days we hadn't really seen much of each other, I was busy in rehearsals with Ken and the cast. And Kevin had been in and out for meetings with the fellas and management and busy with the groups recording sessions. It was about eight o'clock when I heard the front door slam. 'It's just me Jax.' I heard him call. 'Where are you?'
'In the lounge Kev, I'm trying to remember my lines, and not very successfully.' I yelled back. I sat curled up, my feet tucked under me in one of the armchairs, my script balancing on my lap, as I struggled for some reason with this particular passage.'
'Can I help?' he stuck his head around the doorframe, and as always the sight of him made my heart leap. 'You might need to relax, I brought home this?' he waved a bottle of wine in front of him.
I laughed. 'Great Kev, red wine and Shakespeare, what a combination. Well I've never been predictable with my acting technique, so pour it out, lets see if it helps my memory any.'
'Struggling with it are you, do you want me to go through the script with you as well?' He uncorked the wine over at the bar and poured it out.
'Would you? That'll be a great help.' I asked relieved. I found it helped sometimes having someone to read back the script to me.
'Sure, here drink up.' he placed a glass of the ruby wine on the table beside me, as he picked up the script off my lap. Taking a sip of his own wine, he pulled a face as he read the front that had me giggling. 'Oh god Macbeth.' He staggered about dramatically. 'God I can't I read this stuff let alone speak it.'
Swirling the wine about in my glass my eyes shone with amusement as I grinned at him. 'Well Willie might just turn in his grave hearing his beautifully crafted words spoken in that Kentucky drawl of yours, but I won't mind, just stay as close as you can to Ken's adaptation and I'll manage.'
'No worries.' He grinned in an imitation of Kerry, as he pulled over a chair to face me. Rolling my eyes at him, I took the script out of his hands and found the place I wanted to memorise. 'From there ok? I'm trying to make my husband go through with his plans murder his king.'
'So a blood thirsty woman you'll be then Jax. Ok got it….. ummm here we go…If we should fail,……'
'We fail! But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we'll not fail….' I got into the swing of it, and about an hour and a bottle of wine later I was satisfied I had it under control. That only happened after Kevin stopped using an atrocious Scottish accent to make me laugh and let me settle into the role.
'That'll do for now, but I think you should leave the acting in this family to me.' I could have bit my tongue out for implying we were a family, but strangely he didn't say anything. The air was filled with tension as our attraction for each other battled against our innate common sense. Instead he leaned in close, his green eyes pinning me to the spot. Intense dark pools of swirling emotion kept me mesmerised as our gazes caught and held. His lips found mine and he caressed them softly, exploring them softly. His mouth was warm and he tasted of the sweet red wine we both had shared, and I sank deeper into his embrace starved for his touch, as I lost myself in his kiss. Then the strident screech of the phone shattered the moment, and I jumped back, at once feeling guilty and afraid. My heart raced and jumped, and I struggled to regain my equilibrium. Kevin with a calm I envied picked up the phone. 'Hello, Oh hi. Your kidding me aren't you. I'll be there in half an hour, yeah ok dude no worries. Bye.'
'I've got to go Jax, seems there's been a break in at the studio. They want me to make sure all our master tapes are ok. They can't get hold of Brian, he's with Sue. Being her last night in here in LA they've gone to ground. And AJ lost his cell earlier today, they can't reach Howie or Nick, so I'm it. I won't be long ok. Will you be ok?'
'Yeah sure.' I managed to croak out. 'I'll have a long soak in the bath, listen to some music and go over my script again. I'll see you when you get back. I hope everything is ok.'
'Oh it's just a precaution I think. They're probably worrying over nothing.' He bent over me and lightly touched his lips to mine. Flicking his finger against my cheek, he smiled. 'See you when I get back sweetheart, please make sure you've locked up ok?'
'Ok.' I whispered, then he was gone, leaving the room and me feeling strangely bereft of his presence. My lips still tingled from his kiss, and in a dream like state I wandered down and locked up before I went to have a bath.
Sleepy from the wine and the unaccustomed release of my hidden feelings and from the stirring effect of Kevin's kiss, I relaxed in a trance like state, luxuriating in the hot fragrant water. Steam filled the bathroom covering the mirror with a film of moisture as I soaked in the bath, enjoying the peace and quiet, but the memory of his lips on mine gave my heart little peace. Feeling the water chill I climbed out. Trying to put the thought of his touch behind me, I sang softly to myself. It was then that I heard the first clap of thunder. It shook the house by its foundations making me jump. I giggled feeling foolish. 'Jac. You silly twit its just a storm, breathe you idiot.' I wandered into the bedroom and got dressed. Pulling on my pj's and running a comb through my thin short hair I sat on the bed. Another ear splitting clap of thunder rattled the windows and caused me to jump again. I clambered up on the bed making sure my feet were off the ground as I relived my old childhood fear of storms. The wind was picking up, and it had started to rain. Big splashes of water hit the bedroom window and the wind shook the panes of glass as it howled about building in its in its ferocity. Unnerved I put the tv on, any sort of background noise was comforting. I huddled under the quilt nervously as the tempest outside rose to a fever pitch. Max jumped on the bed with me, and kneaded the quilt with his claws as he made a spot comfortable enough for him to curl up and sleep. 'Max stop it.' I said as I patted him making him stop his dancing. I picked up my script and started to study it, going over my lines again for tomorrow's rehearsal. Over and over in my mind I ran through the scene making sure I was word perfect. Slowly I drifted into a doze, as the words on the page began to run into one, my eyes slowly closed shut and the land of oblivion called me, tempting me with its sweet dreams as sleep beckoned softly to me.
I awoke with a jolt, the hairs on the back of my neck rising. My script hit the floor as I moved suddenly in bed. The Tv was still on, the endless drone of the local tonight show was still on air. Max stirred, looking at me indignantly for disturbing him, before he disgustedly he settled back down again.
'Jac you're jumping at shadows.' I said to myself. Again I jumped startled, as another clap of thunder overhead filled my ears. 'Ok that's what woke me, thunder. It was just a big bang Jac. Kevin where are you? I hate storms, and Max you're no help. Look at you sleeping like the world isn't ending. Oh shit.' I cringed deep into the pillows as another loud crash filled my ears. I was terrified as the crescendo of noise rose and fell with every clap of thunder and lightening flash. My heart was thumping in my chest and I could barely breathe with fright. Then the phone rang. I listened to it ringing, silently willing it to go away. Its shrill scream drowned out even the storms ferocity. Biting my lip I thought, oh Kevin where are you? But its insistent ring demanded answering. Thinking it might be Kevin I picked it up. 'Hello. Is that you Kevin?'
The silence was deafening. 'Kev? Is that you? Please Kevin don't muck about with me.' I tried to steady my voice, but I was so unnerved, steadiness was impossible.
'No, not Kevin my love. It's me and don't hang up, there's a good girl. It's not good manners to hang up the phone you know.'
'Oh god, oh god. It's him' I whispered under my breath, I was shaking so much I could hardly hold the phone without dropping it. It suddenly felt like a hot potato in my hand.
'I just thought I'd let you know I'm in your vicinity. Does that frighten you my love? Now don't hang up my sweet, I'm close by, you know.'
'Who are you? Please leave me alone.' I pleaded.
'I can't, you see I love you. You should be my wife, and you will be you know. You will come to love me. That I do promise you.'
'Oh god Kevin.' My heart missed a beat, as I remembered the break in at the studios, and I was filled with fear for him. I cursed myself inwardly for mentioning Kevin to the lunatic on the phone, thinking to myself, stupid Jac stupid.
'Yes he might be a slight problem, but no doubt I can work around that.' the voice on the end of the line spoke in a calm, controlled manner that chilled me through to my bones. His icy demeanour frightened me more than pure rage could ever have done.
' Please just leave us alone.' In my worked up state I hung up the phone. I needed to get hold of Kevin and fast. My breaths were coming in gasps as in my panic I tried to reach Kevin on his cell, my fingers were like bananas as I hit every wrong number in my haste. 'Oh god Kev, please answer, please answer babe. Oh shit, message bank, not now, not now please. Kevin shit he rang again, he's nearby so he said. Kevin if you can hear me please ring me on my cell, so I know it's you. Kev the break in at the studios might be a trap, oh shit you probably know that by now. Kevin I'm scared, he's really frightened me this time.' I hardly knew if I made sense, such was my fright as the words just fell out of my mouth as I tripped over my tongue in my haste to get it all out. ' Kevin please come home now, I'm so scared, I'm so bloody scared.'
The storm outside had not abated, it just added to my apprehension. Every bang, thud and thumping noise had my nerves shredded. I sat down on the bed, head in hands trying to will myself into calmness. My cell rang, in my relief I picked it up. 'Kevin, shit were are you?' But the answering voice chilled my bones to the core.
'This isn't Kevin my love, it's me, surprise. Technology is a wonderful thing isn't it. Do you know how adorable you look in those blue silk pjs? All alone in your house are you? I hope you're not scared? You know you have such great taste my love, I especially like the touches of blue in your bedroom, oh but must you leave the lid off the toothpaste, now that's a disgusting habit my love. We will meet soon so don't you worry, and then I will show you what true love is all about. Not that pale weak emotion that the pretty boy you call your husband shows you. No I'll show you the real thing, what a real flesh and blood man can feel. And I'm so close I can almost reach out to touch you. To caress that soft smooth skin of yours, to feel what it's like as you lay beneath me.…. I can feel it now so soft, so silken..'
'Please just go away.. just leave me alone please .' I hung up. Tears were now falling down my cheeks as sheer terror at his words began to set in. He had obviously been in the house, he knew his way around, either that or he could see in. I jumped up and made sure the blinds were closed, surely no one could see in.
'Ok they're shut.' I paced about, checking everything in the room. Then another clap of thunder shook the foundations and the lights dimmed and flickered, before they finally faltered and the room was swallowed up in darkness.
'God not now. Please don't do this to me now.' I spoke to myself as I stumbled against the bed, stubbing my toe. I let rip with a few curses worthy of a soldier's mouth. Squinting as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I began to make out familiar shapes, but a noise on downstairs or so I thought stilled my movement. Straining to listen above the noise of the tempest outside, I stayed motionless. My beating heart was all but deafening to me, I felt like a rabbit trapped helpless in a cars headlights. Frozen with fear I edged towards the bedroom door. There was someone in the house.