ShadowsForge 3: Retaking America

First there was Alexis Synclair.  Then came Diane Starling.  Followed by Valerie Leonard.  Add Crystal whose last name the band never did learn.  Mix well with the men of ShadowsForge and the stage is set for competition, confusion and adventure.

            Trouble comes in many shapes, sizes and hair color in this third installment of the ShadowsForge series.  Travel along with the band as they rearrange their women to find the perfect fit.

~*~

Join Geoff Richards, Ty Synclair, Jordan Cantrell, Jon Wiles, and Brian Cummings as they return to the U.S. for additional tour dates, internal strife and unexpected surprises as they cross the Atlantic intent on
Retaking America.

"Lady Alexis," Geoff smiled, "Would you mind very much if I borrowed Ty for a while?  I'd like his opinion on – some band business.  Would you mind?"

Alexis, her dark brown eyes sparkling, gave Ty a knowing look as she stood.  "Sure. No problem. Who am I to come between old mates?  I'll go read, or knit some booties or something."  She turned toward the bedroom.  Ty was on his feet in an instant, catching her before she reached the door.

"What do you mean booties?" His voice held a mixture of excitement and fear.  He leaned down, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.  He brushed her blue-black waist-length hair over her shoulder, while glancing from abdomen to face of his wife of eight months.

"Nothing.  I wondered if you were paying attention." She grinned.  She pushed his thick mane back from his face, caressing the softness of his curls.

Ty hovered eight inches above her as he stood, looking down into her dark eyes.  "You like to scare me, don't you?"

"Were you scared?" She placed her hand on his chest.  He took her hand, kissing her palm.

"You're damn right." 

"Good."  Alexis grinned, continuing toward the bedroom door.  As she walked away, Ty swatted her.  "Ooh," she cooed, "Promises, promises." 

Ty reached out to swat her again.  She dashed through the door, laughing as she slammed it behind her.

Ty returned to the table, glancing once more at the closed door with a serene smile on his face.

"Can you imagine me a father?" He lifted his wine glass to his lips.

"Can you imagine me a husband?" Geoff countered, receiving the reaction he fully expected.  Ty froze, the glass held an inch from his mouth. He stared at Geoff as if he had grown a third eye.  When Ty didn't respond, Geoff continued.  "How long did you live without Elsbeth after you met her, when you thought you knew she was the one for you?"  Ty raised his eyebrows as he lowered his glass to the table.

"Why bring her up?  Kind of a bad example, don't you think?"  Ty's first marriage ended painfully in less than a year and he didn’t want to think about it, much less discuss it, ever again.

"Because I know you didn't live without Alexis once you two met.  Lightening bolts, fireworks, gunfire and all that.  With Elsbeth, you at least thought about what you were doing; not that it hasn't worked out a lot better this time round." He picked up his glass and toasted the lady beyond the closed door before draining the dark red liquid.  He refilled the glass, taking another long swallow.

"Let me think." Ty pushed back from the table, lifting his glass to his lips.  He sipped thoughtfully before he continued.  "I first saw Elsbeth at a meet and greet in –oh, hell, I can't remember where we were.  It was one of those small dives we played in the early days.  I remember it was a warm evening.  She was wearing a white dress, very summery and sexy.  She was absolutely beautiful."  Ty closed his eyes for a moment before frowning.  “I’d rather think about Alexis, you know.”

"Could you have left Elly behind, say – if we had to tour another country or another continent?  Could you have walked away from her and been happy about it?  Or even Alexis.  Could you have left her in California when we went home?"  Geoff sat his glass down and leaned forward, lacing his fingers.

"I had a hard enough time leaving her in the hospital for those five days while we went on.  I know what you're thinking.  And, believe me, I agonized over the decision that I had to make about leaving either Alexis or ShadowsForge.  I wanted what was best for me at the time."  Ty sipped from his glass.

"You'll probably think I've gone over the edge.  I know it doesn't sound like me but I think I want a wife, kids – the family thing.  I want to perform and then go home with the same woman every night.  Like you do."  Geoff slouched in the chair.  "I want to be one man – the man that I really am.  Not what Nigel and the 'Managers Elite' want us to be. You know what I'm saying.  You said it, too, about eight or nine months ago.  I'm proud of who I am and want to be myself for a change.  I guess I'm getting tired of this 'bad boy' routine."  Geoff rose to pace about the room. 

Ty watched as his friend retrieved a pack of cigarettes from the table by the sofa.  Geoff dropped back into his chair, filling his empty glass before lighting a cigarette.  He swallowed the wine and poured out again, sitting back thoughtfully staring into the glass. 

"That does surprise me. I thought you liked your bad boy image.  You do it so well.”

Geoff smirked.  “Yeah, thanks.” 

“I know what it's like.  I was as restless as you are and I can understand.  I also know how I felt when I found Elsbeth wrapped up in my bed sheets with Jake.  I was pretty damned empty inside.  Empty and, at the same time, full – of pain.  It took four years to be able to trust a woman again.  And it took a special woman, at that."

"I get such a rush from what we've done with ShadowsForge." Geoff placed his cigarette in the ashtray.  "The thrill, the excitement, not to mention the physical work-out that gets my blood boiling. The money.  But none of this," he held up a clenched left fist as if he had gathered all that ShadowsForge was into his hand, "can compare to the rush when I’m with Valerie, when I hear her say my name.  Geoff Richards, not ShadowsForge. When she puts her hands on me or when I kiss her hand, which is about the only thing she's let me kiss."  He rolled his eyes.

Geoff took a deep breath before he continued.  "Attention from her is more than equal to the thrill of being on stage.  I'm sure that nothing we can ever accomplish can be as meaningful as having a wife or someday to have a kid."  Geoff retrieved his cigarette, taking a draw.  He blew it out slowly before he swept his hand through the gray cloud.  "It's a dream as tangible as smoke.  I don’t even know if she’d have me.  It’s taken most of a month and near death to get this far." 

Ty gave Geoff a reassuring smile.  "In time, you'll get your dream.  Look how far we've made it when the band was only a dream six years ago.  What we're doing now will make a better future to live our dreams in.  ShadowsForge is popular right now.  We give people escape from their everyday lives, if only for a couple of hours.  Some of those girls spend a lot of time dreaming about you.  It makes them happy.  So, okay, we make them happy, they make us happy.  For now.  And then, we move on with our lives.  Then we find the one, like I told you.  Do you remember?"

Geoff nodded, a silent brooding in his topaz eyes. 

Ty continued. "I'm all for you and Valerie getting together.  But I think that one of us getting married on this tour was enough.  It might damage popularity if two of us did.  Why don't you wait until after it's finished?  When we’re out of the public eye every night for a while.  The fans will think there's no one left worth having if you do this now.  What?  And leave all those skirts to Jordan, Jon and B.J.?  I'm afraid our fan base would drop like a gold brick."  They both laughed.

"Yeah, ShadowsForge is hot right now.  Real hot.  But how long will I have to put my life on hold to make them happy?"

"About two more months.  Listen to me."  Ty leaned his arms on the table.  "In time – if you're sure this isn't a hero thing because you saved her life.  If you really love her, it won't seem long.  Can you imagine what Nigel will say?  He keeps trying to get me to take off my ring.  Bad for publicity, he says.  I told him to get used to it.  Now you go telling him you’re getting married, he'll be a raving loony.  Clock tower sniper.  Probably lock J.C., Jon and Brian in a monastery between shows."

Geoff stood.  "Each night without Valerie here, I'm afraid of going out on the prowl and losing her because of it.  I've been sleeping alone for weeks.  Bloody hell.  I'm not used to that, y'know?  I'm only human."  Geoff grimaced in pain, the kind of pain Ty understood.

"So you want to marry her so you don't have to sleep alone?" A note of sarcasm crept into Ty’s voice.

"I want to marry her because I love her."  Geoff's countenance softened as he admitted something to Ty that he had hardly admitted to himself.  Geoff smiled.  "Can you imagine that?  Geoff Richards in love?  Freaking hell.”  He laughed at himself.  “Hey, thanks for listening.  I think I've had too much wine.  I need some air.  I'm going down to the lounge for a while."

"Get some entertainment.  You'll feel better for it.  I'll call Gary for you and..."

"I want to be on my own tonight.  I've had enough muscle around lately.”  Geoff crushed out the cigarette.  “Who knows?  Maybe I can get lucky and find someone warm and feminine to spend some time with – just for the evening.  To take the edge off."

Geoff pocketed his cigarettes and left the suite.  Ty heard his friend’s shuffling footsteps wandering down the hallway toward the elevator.  Alexis came out, laying her hand softly on Ty's shoulder as he sipped his wine.

"The fate of ShadowsForge rests on the shoulders of Geoff Richards." He spoke to the closed door, raising his glass toward his departed friend.  "May his burden be lightened by the events of this evening."