| A week later Brian was more worried than ever about Sue. She had told him that the guy, Spencer Newman, so he had found out, was hanging around, ringing Sue and dropping by to visit. She had done her best to avoid him, but she had told him on the many phone calls Brian had made to her, that he was persistent. Most times she was able to get him to leave fairly quick, but there was one time he had kissed her, and there had been nothing she could do to have stopped him. She rang Brian crying the moment he had left making Brian's blood boil at the thought of him kissing Sue and upsetting her, but being stuck here on tour made it impossible for him to do anything. Brian had organised a bodyguard to keep an eye on Sue, without her knowledge. He didn't think she would feel comfortable having someone watching her, but it eased his mind slightly knowing someone was watching out for her. The guy he had found, Will, was highly recommended by his own bodyguard. Brian had interviewed him when he visited them on tour, laying down all the guidelines of this potentially difficult job. Brian had like Will on sight. He was a gentle looking man, one that wouldn't frighten Sue if she saw him hanging around. His smile was calming and Brian was instantly at ease with him. His credentials were impeccable and he took many notes about what Brian was telling him of the situation. He suggested a code word to be used if he ever arrived at Sue's unexpectedly and he suggested he do the same with Sue. That would make Sue feel better about any sudden contact Brian was sure. After an hour meeting with Will, Brian stood and shook the big man's hand, feeling dwarfed by him. He thanked him for coming to see him, and hired him for the job at hand. The hiring of Will eased Brian's concerns a little, but he was still agitated. He knew what it was. It was all about how he felt about Sue, his body craving for more than they had already shared. He couldn't stop thinking about her, and would ring her on the phone any chance he got and they would talk for hours when they could. His whole existence right now, revolved around the concerts and talking with Sue. To date his performances were not affected by the way he was feeling, though he didn't know how much longer, but in every other aspect he was a total wreck. Kevin was worried about him and pulled him up a week after Brian had returned from the three days with Sue. "Brian, are you okay?" Kevin asked him gently one afternoon before a concert while they rested in Brian's dressing room. He knew he wasn't okay and he sensed he needed to take this slowly and not come out accusingly. Brian kept fiddling with the blanket that lay beside him, barely listening to Kevin as he spoke. His mind, as it was lately, was back in Orlando. When Kevin said his name again he looked up. "Are you okay?" Kevin asked again. Brian sighed. He didn't know how to answer him. Was he alright? "Not really Kevin. I'm worried about Sue." He got up and started pacing the small room. "You're worried about her?" Brian hadn't explained the situation to anyone and knew it was about time he shared his concerns. Kevin was the perfect person to tell. "Yeah I'm worried about her, really worried, but I also miss her like crazy." Brian admitted to Kevin. "Why are you worried?" Kevin asked him as Jac came into the room. Kevin motioned for her to join them knowing she would be a help to Brian at this time. He had admitted he missed her, he was sure Jac could help with that, but being worried didn't sound good. Brian sat back down but he couldn't keep still. Jac sat down next to Brian putting a calming arm around him, ready to listen. She could tell by the atmosphere in the room this wasn't good. Brian wasn't often in such a state. She didn't think she had ever seen him like this. He began to enlighten them on the situation back in Orlando, leaving both of them horrified. Jac sat close to Brian, leaving the comforting arm across Brian's shoulder as he talked. "And to top all that off, I am really missing her. I never thought anyone could affect me like that. But Sue has." He looked at Kevin. "This is your fault." Kevin laughed, breaking the mood for a moment. "My fault?" "Yeah, you insisted on us meeting." "But that's a good thing Brian." Brian nodded. "Listen, after tomorrow's concert we have another 2 days off. You go back to Orlando for a day. I'm sure we can handle the interviews and appearances at this end." Brian looked up at Kevin, relief in his eyes. "The others would want you to go too. They are all worried about you." "I'm okay. I am not the one that needs worrying about." "That's where you are wrong cuz. You don't even realise how this is knocking you around. Go to her. Reassure yourself that she is okay." He stopped and looked at Brian, eye to eye. "Maybe you can convince her to come back with you for a while." "I would like nothing more than to have her by my side Kevin. I'll try my hardest to try and talk her into it. I need her here with me." Jac, who had been silent for the most part, spoke up. "Brian, go to her. Tell her how you feel. Hold her in your arms and just tell her." Brian smiled, a faraway look in his eyes. "I want to hold her and never let her go." Jac looked at Kevin. She was worried about Brian, but at the same time delighted that he had found Sue and was comfortable enough to admit how he felt. He so often kept his feelings to himself so she knew this time it was really serious. Back in Orlando, Sue was living a life filled with stress. It was unsettling to wonder if and when the other guy, Spencer, so Brian had told her, would turn up at her door or ring her on the phone. She certainly wasn't going out of her way to find him. It was getting to the stage that she was locking herself up in her house and not wanting any contact with anyone. Her calls she was screening, knowing when it was Brian and not Spencer pretending to be Brian. She was beginning to get headaches and the stress was really getting to her. She didn't know how much more she could take. The one time she had accidentally let Spencer into the house he had taken her by surprise. She has been going out to collect her mail when he pulled up in his car. It was anything but the classic car Brian drove. He invited himself inside and immediately pulled her into his arms to kiss her. There was nothing she could do but return the kiss with as little warmth as she could, but she was lucky to have got a phone call straight after interrupting them. Spencer stayed for about 2 hours, Sue trying to be as normal as possible, but it was hard to do. She really didn't want to tip him off just yet, not really knowing what he could be like if provoked. She was alone and it could get nasty, she had no idea. The moment he had gone she was ringing Brian, breaking down on the phone as she talked to him, needing to hear his voice to calm her down. Brian had done his best to do that, but when he hung up she still felt agitated and scared. She didn't want anything to do with Spencer. Brian had suggested a code word for them to use, so she always knew it was him who was ringing her and not Spencer. After some thinking of a word, laughing at some of the silly suggestions they both made, they decided on the word 'Tate'. It meant something to Brian that they doubted Spencer would know. Spencer called in a few days later but Sue had used the best of her dramatic ability to convince him she wasn't feeling well, going so far as to begin to heave as he stood at the door. She could see his disgust and emphasised it further. She knew if this were Brian he would be right by her side making sure she was okay guiding her in to sit down while he fussed over her. This person in front of her couldn't get away fast enough. Once he left she went on with her work that he had interrupted. Thirty minutes later there was another knock at the door. Sue froze and contemplated not going to the door. Surely Spencer wouldn't pursue her if she didn't answer. He knew she was ill. It had to be someone other than Spencer. She got up and walked to the door, opening it slowly. When she saw Spencer standing at the door again it took all her effort not to slam it shut in his face. She couldn't let him know how she felt. Then again, maybe she could. There was no reason why their relationship, or what he thought was a relationship had to go on. Just as she was about to close the door, he smiled. Sue blinked. This was Brian! "Brian?" she asked tentatively. It had to be him. No one smiled like her Brian, and the vibes were instantly different. "Brian Tate, at your service," he said to her smiling brightly, almost laughing as she threw the door open. She took hold of his arm, dragging him into the house so no one would see them. Little did she know though, that Spencer had never left and sat in his car across the road, watching inconspicuously. Not even Will had noticed. "Hi Baby. How are you?" He brushed her hair back off her face. "God it's good to see you," he told her before his lips came down to claim hers in a kiss of suppressed desire. When he pulled back his eyes looked searchingly into hers. He was asking her if she could tell. "Brian, I missed you so much. I wanted you here with me. I was scared." She told him even knowing it wasn't fair to be doing that to him. "Shhhh! It's okay now. I'm here." He continued to stroke her hair. "You know it's me right?" Sue looked back at him as if he was crazy. "Brian, the instant you smiled at me, no, even before that, I knew it was you." His eyes never left hers. He couldn't look away, he was too happy to be here in her arms, drinking in her features. "How? How did you know it was me?" Sue shrugged. "I don't know Brian. Instinct, chemistry, the love between us, maybe a combination of all those things. I just knew it was you. I can't mistake him for you. But I can tell when it is you." Brian didn't say a word at what Sue had said. He let his eyes do the talking then pulled her closer for another kiss. He had thought he missed her while he was away, but now that she was in his arms, what he had told Jac was true. He never wanted to let her go. He knew the time had come for the two of them to show each other how they felt about each other, but still he had some apprehension. His kiss must have demonstrated that because when he pulled back Sue had a funny look on her face. "Are you okay Brian?" she asked him. "Umm, yeah." He stepped back, taking both her hands in his. "I have just missed you so much, having you in front of me feels too good to be true." Sue smiled at him. She knew how he felt. "Come on inside. Would you like a drink?" He lifted her hand up to look. "Nothing hot. How is your hand?" he asked inspecting it. "It's fine now, thanks to you insisting on all that cold water. I think it was only red for a couple of days. So, nothing hot? A coke?" "Sounds good," he said following her into the kitchen not wanting to let her out of his sight. His body and mind were reacting to being in her presence again. He felt electrified. Brian played it cool for the next hour or so while Sue was telling him all about her week, how stressed she had been, on edge every time the phone rang or there was a knock at the door. It pained him that she was going through this without him. He wanted her to join him on tour, but for the next couple of weeks that wasn't possible. After that she would be clear to join him for a while for which he was glad. The whole time she talked, his need and desire grew, until he didn't think he could wait any longer. But he was not going to make their first time a rushed event. He would make her feel loved, cherished, desired like no one had ever done before. Sue looked up and caught Brian looking at her. His eyes must have told her what he was feeling because she stopped mid sentence. Time stood still for Brian as she got up from her chair and walked over to him, standing behind him and laying her arms around his shoulders from behind. "Brian?" she asked in a whispered tone in his ear. His body reacted instantly. He stood and turned in her arms, looking at her for a moment, his hands framing her face. "Oh God Sue I want you. I want to love you like no one ever has," he told her before crushing his lips to hers. It was a kiss of longing, but one Sue could still have backed away from if she had wanted. The fact that she didn't move only enflamed him further. |