Love Note Pt. 01

Midnight came and went.

"Ahem," Kyle's fake cough snapped the cord between them. "You both win the staring contest -- neither of you blinked. Now, for the third time: Leo, could you weigh in on the bridge for this tune? We're stuck."

Ana had grabbed a throw from the foot of her pastel bed on her first day preparing for studio. It was now a part of her nightly kit. She very deliberately padded into the adjacent room and drew the blanket out of her backpack before heading to the couch, avoiding the gazes of all three men. The couch was old and weary, offering little support. But she liked being alone and getting a chance to lie down.

Her sore back protested, but she closed her eyes anyway.

***

She was on a stage beneath a clear, starry sky. An audience of elite spectators stared up at her, perplexed by her attire: the pastel green throw. She looked out at their expensive gowns, tuxes and jewels -- and didn't know how to tell them that she wasn't worth watching; she wasn't beautiful or talented in the ways they'd prefer.

The longer she stood there, the more they began to murmur. Just as her humiliation was about to solidify, a gentle breeze started up. It played through the crowd, rushing towards her. Instinctively, Ana opened her arms, welcoming it. Her blanket fell and she didn't care about being seen naked. As she turned to face north, the breeze suddenly gathered strength, whipping around her, lifting her. Laying a kiss at her temple.

"Anaïs."

Her eyes flew open. Leo was kneeling beside her. Ana noted his clean smell, stubble and concerned eyes... and wanted him to wrap his arms around her.

The kiss in her dream... Had he...?

"Hey. Are you okay?"

She blinked, tried to nod, but ended up just blinking again. She must have been asleep a while; the room felt much cooler. Cold, in fact.

"We ordered some pizza," Leo continued. "Come eat."

The ache had taken a firm hold of her neck, shoulders and arms. Her back was no longer her own. No wonder she couldn't nod. Ana winced as she sat up, finally noting the smell of melted cheese.

"Hey, hey... easy." Leo shot up and his arm wrapped around her middle when her first attempt at getting up turned into a collapse. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Her mouth was almost burningly dry. "Just groggy."

She pulled away as soon as she could stand. Dragging her feet all the way to the table a few steps from the couch gave her something to concentrate on -- other than Leo's sceptical vigilance.

She was hungry, but two bites into her first slice of pizza, Ana pushed her supper away.

"Tell me what's wrong."

Kyle and Eric were laughing in the booth, their voices muted, the lighting bright on their faces. Ana allowed herself two long blinks as she tried to focus on them. Even her eyelids hurt.

"What's the time?" she asked.

"After two. Now what's wrong with you? Are you sick?"

Kyle stepped out of the booth. "Who's sick? Ana, what's wrong?"

Kyle was so simple and easy to deal with. Ana felt him rub her aching shoulders and smiled despite the pain.

"I'm okay, Kyle," she repeated. "I've just had a headache that won't go away for the last few days; and my muscles are stiff."

He frowned. "Then what the hell have you been doing coming in here each night after a full day's work?"

"Babysitting the talent," she smiled.

"Rubbish. Go home."

Her head was feeling heavy.

"Can't." Her answer was muffled by her touching her forehead to the table top.

Kyle rubbed her back. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, sexy."

Ana turned her head sideways with a sigh. Kyle's warming hands and concern felt good; even his silly endearment made her smile. It was nice to know that someone cared. Someone easy to be around. If she ever remembered to quit pushing everyone away, she could have more friends and enjoy this feeling regularly.

She couldn't see all of Leo from her prone position -- but what she did see was the blatant disapproval in his eyes just as he turned and walked out the room. Yes, easier people were... easier.

Her eyes must have slipped shut again without her knowledge, because when she finally opened them again, more of her body felt sore and the room on the brink of freezing. Was that right for a summer's night...?

Something had disturbed her.

Or someone.

"Hey... come on."

Obviously this was another dream. Why else would Leo be touching her, so tenderly, too? And speaking to her in a nicer tone than he'd granted her in nearly a week?

Ana forced her eyes open and peered at her watch. It wasn't even four o'clock yet. Her groan was barely audible past the tender rawness of her throat.

"No to whatever you just tried to say," Leo replied. "I've called security to lock up -- and now need you to help me get you downstairs."

He was right -- everyone was gone. It was both quiet and slightly dimmer in there than she was used to.

"Uh uh," she shook her head. "We... have another three hours before... before our breakfast break."

He ignored her; got her into a teetering position, then scooped her up into his arms. "Put your arms around me."

Ana woke up instantly. She hadn't been picked up since her early teens and had long ago accepted that nobody could anymore. Her headache was firmly set at both temples and a general fogginess filled the entirety of her skull. Yet even through all that, she was able to make out the ease with which he walked with her in his arms... and the warmth that eased through her at his scent.

Her head on his shoulder, the tip of her nose pressed to his throat, Ana couldn't help but think of all those songs with all those promises about not letting the one go. Ever.

She'd spent the last few days listening to the three men work on the New Year's set for Karma, but had never actually listened to any of Leo's albums. Thandi had told her to, but after the first few mornings of waking to the sappy accompaniment of Marvin Gaye, Babyface and Dwele, Ana had preferred the apartment in silence once her friend had left for Botswana.

But now she wondered about what Leo sang about. Had he ever held someone like this, whispered to them as he carried them under the stars? Had he ever written a song for someone he never wanted to let go...? Ever?

He buckled her into the plush leather seat of a black Audi and then something bothered her as the car glided through the dark. She tried to pinpoint it, but sleep was lapping at the edges of her concentration and her stiff body was submitting to bliss of being embraced by warm, cream-coloured leather. It wasn't cold outdoors per se, even for the pre-dawn hour -- but she was shivering faintly and Leo must have turned on a low heat setting on her seat to help her relax.

An unfortunate side effect was that it also infused her pelvic area with a slow-building throb that had her glancing at her silent companion repeatedly throughout the drive. His hair was in his eyes, tousled from being raked in absorbed moments. Dark, messy... tempting.

Just like him.

Parts of his face were in shadow, so she couldn't even guess at his thoughts or mood -- but those lips... Her hips rolled subtly as she remembered what those lips could do. The heat rose, travelling through her, turning her spine into a bright, symmetrical bolt of hot lightning.

The niggling error came to her when the car stopped and a gate she had only ever seen once before quietly slid open: He'd been driving the wrong way.

"What are we doing here?" she asked.

"I brought you to my place so I can take care of you."

"No."

Leo waved at the night duty guards and drove through the country estate to his house. The complex grounds included a small park in the centre and his house was at the top of the uphill slope that began beyond the park. The other widely-spaced properties were all shadowy cocoons.

She'd been too pissed off and anxious on her last visit here to notice how tranquil the place was. When they stepped out of the car -- Ana refusing to be picked up this time -- the view of the park's trees and man-made lake below in the moonlight was breath-taking.

Leo left the car outside the ground-floor garage and stood patiently near the steps that led up to the patio and main entrance on the first floor. Ana took her time listening to the stillness and watching the light undulate on the water. When she turned she noted the long balcony running the length of the second floor, the bedrooms' floor, and wondered about the view from there.

Leo's golden eyes looked hot... amber.

She slowly passed him on her way up to the front door. "This is kidnapping."

"I know." He unlocked from behind her, one hand absentmindedly touching her hip as the rest of him pressed up behind her, fitting to her as if they came home together at dawn all the time and no longer needed to think about making their bodies work together.

"I could do without your bossiness." She was walking ahead of him, pausing at the couch to toss her backpack on it.

"Of course." He picked up her bag and took her hand.

At the top floor, he walked her past a few doors then opened the one at the end. The thick carpeting nearly made her moan and sink to the floor.

"I know how to take care of myself," she told him.

Leo pressed a few buttons on a console and the motorised ceiling-to-floor drapes hummed shut as the recessed lights came on. The room was big enough to house a small family and was decorated in unmistakably expensive and masculine tones. Ana stared at the king-sized dark imbuia bed with its plush cream duvet.

"I never said you can't take care of yourself," Leo murmured, taking her hand again. "I'm just asking for permission to help, just this once."

He led her past the wall of closets to a door beyond them, dropping her bag on an armchair along the way. The bathroom was done in muted caramel and cream luxury. The enormous free-standing tub, a marble poem.

Ana walked in without another word.

Leo returned with fresh towels and a robe as she kicked off her sneakers and socks. The water hissed out of the faucets as he poured things into the rushing bubbles. He paused before leaving, his last look an order to shout if she needed anything. Ana nodded.

She grimaced at the protest screaming all the way up her legs, ribcage and arms as she undressed. The water felt so good as she sank into it, a tear actually escaped. She'd pushed herself harder than she should have all week long... and for the first time had someone setting up self-punishment boundaries and taking care of her.

She'd never had a man care before. Fuck her, sure. Because fucking is what she chose. But run her a bath with therapeutic salts? Nah.

It was the fact that it all felt so good that made her cry in relief. It was sad that something so simple could mean so much to her; that she'd never been given this before. And it was scary even contemplating liking any of this.

Most dangerous of all, was Leo -- the man who could put aside sexual attraction and personal differences... and a whole week of exhaustion... to make her feel like she mattered. The tingling permeating her skin could have been due to the hot water... or her thoughts. Hard to tell.

She got out when the fantasies about bathing there more than once began.

The bedroom was empty and she could make out faint music downstairs. Black pyjama pants and a white vest lay on the bed. Ana raised an eyebrow at that. A quick search did not produce her bag -- not that it would have mattered, she didn't have any clean clothes in it. And the ones she'd taken off in the bathroom made her grimace.

"They'll be big on you, but it's something to wear while I figure out how to run your clothes through the wash."

She turned to find Leo watching her, a tray in his hands. He set it on a low table near the curtained windows and turned back to her. He came closer. Ana pulled the robe tighter as he approached her.

He ran a thumb slowly in a half-moon under one eye; tracing a dark circle, no doubt. "How long has this been going on?"

Ana thought about deflecting, but was too tired. "Since the first day."

"And you were seriously just going to push on?" He was holding back the full force of his outrage, she could tell. "Have you at least been to a doctor? What caused this?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I've been fine for ages -- haven't done anything that could bring on this flu-like attack; haven't eaten anything out of the ordinary. I've been strong and busy all year. The gig I had before this was way harder and --"

"What were you doing?"

"A tv series," she replied. "My official job title was 'production manager', but the show was under-budgeted and understaffed. I ended up working like a maniac -- we all did -- research one moment and lugging lighting equipment around the next, location scout for a day then striking sets after that. I often went from D.O.P to gaffer to floor manager in the span of an hour. It was actually ridiculous, come to think of it."

She almost chuckled at the memory. When she looked up Leo was looking at her the way he had that first day, like he was really seeing her and didn't want to stop looking.

She fumbled on. "Anyway. If I could do that for six months straight with no glitch, it makes no sense for me to get sick now from a little sleep deprivation."

"Your body's crashing."

"Say what now?"

His lips compressed briefly. "It makes sense. You pushed yourself too hard for too long; when you eased up -- even just a little, your body basically collapsed in on itself. I've had some strenuous tours do the same to me."

"I'm shutting down?" Her eyes widened slowly. "Lovely..."

Leo smiled. "It's nothing a little pampering can't cure. Speaking of which, I need you to get dressed so I can give you your foot rub before bed."

"My wha...?" A stunned look entered her already large eyes. "No. You're not rubbing me."

And yet two minutes later she found herself dressed and sitting in an armchair, her feet in Leo lap and a bowl of vegetables in hers. There was also rooibos tea and orange juice on the tray he had set on the low table.

"I'm more of a chocolate milk kind of girl," she muttered at her bowl.

"Actually I would have called your skin-tone a rich, sun-kissed cinnamon -- but okay."

Her eyes narrowed at him. Leo chuckled, his large hands wrapping her feet in warmth. After running around all day every day, they were the weariest part of her. He had warmed some argan oil between his palms before making good on his foot-rub promise and Ana felt her eyes sting again at his thoughtfulness and the decadence of his touch.

"So, do you have any chocolate milk? I'd rather have that and a cigarette out on the balcony."

He eyes darkened sternly. "No sugary crap and definitely no cigarettes while you recuperate. Could you just follow my lead on this without being so difficult and stubborn all the time? A little broccoli won't kill you, Anaïs. I called Thandi before waking you at the office; I know that she's out of country until next week and that you have no one else to look after you while going through this. Just give me the chance to stand in for whoever you'd prefer -- and make up for pushing you twenty hours a day since meeting you."

He was right. More than right, in fact. She needed someone right then.

She had no idea where the food was from, but the vegetables were delicious -- as were the juice and tea... and his touch. The ache in her feet dimmed away as Leo worked while asking her about her previous jobs. He laughed a few times at her crazier tales and Ana couldn't help enjoying the sound.

She wasn't sure what to make of the man... but at least knew that she relished watching him laugh.

He was barefoot and wearing pyjama pants and a t-shirt, half reclining in a chair facing her own so her foot could rest on his lower abs. Either the lighting or his mood made his eyes look brighter as he talked -- Ana just knew she'd never seen them glow quite like that before. His hair was damp and pushed back, his chiselled features completely exposed to her scrutiny.

The man was absurdly good-looking. Not like the men in magazines and tv ads -- better. Much better.

In a real way.

His dark hair hadn't 'behaved' a single day since she'd met him and most likely wouldn't even if cut shorter. His eyes were slightly deep-set, often giving him an intimidatingly intense look; and the line of his jaw a little too rugged to ever be called perfect. But she liked how everything came together to make him look strong and self-assured. So... male. There was an air about him that made it clear he was never to be underestimated.

And that was the sexy god rubbing her feet... And telling her about some of his travels.

Ana tried really hard to participate in the conversation, but it was challenging. His hands had miraculously healed her feet and had moved up to a calf. That heat and conversing also meant paying attention to his one truly perfect part: his mouth. The form of his lips as they moved, as he smiled, along with the feel of his oiled hands on her flesh... More than once she lowered her lids, hoping her dark lashes were enough to shield the languid desire flowing through her.

Leo, for his part, was either oblivious -- or truly meant it when he said he simply wanted to help her feel better.

Once done with the first leg, he rested her calf in his thigh and turned to the other. Ana had never considered herself dainty by any means -- so, it was with great intrigue that she noted how small his strong hands made her legs and feet look.

When she looked back up at him, he was watching her expectantly.

"Huh?" she blinked.

"Rehearsals," he said. "Will Karma be ready for us to start rehearsals on Monday?"

She nodded. "Sure. Will you be able to manage days in rehearsal and nights at the studio?"

"I've done it before," he shrugged. "Shows are tougher with a live band. We need to rehearse as much as possible; no time for rest now."

Ana inclined her head. She hadn't said it to him in any way yet, but she couldn't deny that her respect for Leo was growing. She'd expected a whiny brat spewing demands and shirking his responsibilities. Instead he had put his commitment first right from the start. It couldn't be easy juggling everything he was. Yet he did more than was expected every day.

And he still made time to take care of her.

"Okay, bed for you," he announced. "You're barely keeping up with my absorbing conversation -- and my ego can't take being ignored much longer."

Ana straightened in her seat. "I'm sorry. I... I'm just distracted, I guess. This has been a most unusual night."

"In a good way?" he asked seriously.

There was some distance between them, a minimal sanity border... but it was still hard to ignore that he was sitting between her legs. She blinked at the one foot grazing his left hip and the other calf resting on his right thigh. Was this good? His treatment of her, yes. But this intimacy?

"Just unusual," she murmured. "And about to get stranger, no doubt -- since you seem to think you can keep me from having a cigarette before bed."

His eyes narrowed at her. There was mostly amusement there, but she could tell that he was also considering pushing her for a real an answer to his question.

He stuck with humour. "Challenge accepted, Ms Kem."

He stood then and, taking her hand in a way she didn't like liking, led her to the enormous bed. His bed.

Ana halted. "Uh uh. I thought you... Don't you have guestrooms?"

"Three," he answered, smiling. "But you're a high insomnia risk. And I... don't trust you not to sneak a puff if I leave you alone. So. Guard duty it is."