A New Life

We'd just ordered our drinks when Billy Joe took the stage, and it was like I was taking a trip down memory lane as I listened to him play. Both Hillary and Chris were getting into his music and I was pleased that they were enjoying themselves.

Our food came shortly thereafter, and the moment I began to cut into my steak, I heard Billy Joe step up to the microphone and say, "Ladies and Gentlemen, it just so happens that an old friend of mine is here tonight," making me immediately look up to find him grinning at me from ear-to-ear. Then he continued and said, "Mister Travis Jameson, who is now playing keyboards for Mia, is here tonight, and I was wondering if he'd like to come and play with an old buddy. Come on ladies and gents, put your hands together and see if we can convince him to get up and play."

The spotlight suddenly hit our table as the crowd, Hillary and Chris included, all came to their feet with uproarious applause. "Shit," I said, under my breath as I rose to my feet and made my way to the stage.

~~~~~~

"Damn, boy," Billy Joe smiled, as I took the stage, "It's good to see ya, kid."

"Hi, Billy Joe," I grinned, "I appreciate you getting me up here, but this is your show brother."

"Shit man," he laughed, "You didn't think I was gonna let you get outta her without playing, did ya?"

~~~~~~

We'd played together for a good half hour, and when I took my seat again, a fresh hot steak was in the place of the other one which had gotten cold while I was on stage.

"My goodness," Hillary smiled, "You do get around, don't you?"

"Nah," I non-chalantly replied, "Billy Joe is an old friend of mine from a long time ago."

"Bullshit," Chris laughed, "You're a star and you just don't know it."

~~~~~~

When our night came to an end and we were back at their dorm, Chris made a hasty retreat after thanking me for the night out, leaving Hillary and I alone for a few moments.

"So, you're leaving tomorrow?" she asked.

"Unfortunately," I said, "The bus leaves at nine o'clock in the morning."

"I had a nice time tonight," she warmly replied, "I was wrong about you, Travis."

"What," I asked, "What do you mean?"

"You're a nice guy," she smiled, kissing me on the cheek, "I doubt it will ever happen, but I hope we meet again someday."

"You never know," I wistfully replied, "In the mean time, you take care of yourself, Hillary."

"I will," she smiled, kissing me again, "Bye, Travis," and then she turned and walked away.

~~~~~~

Chapter Two

"Well," Mia said, the next morning as were boarding the tour bus, "It seems you had a nice time last night."

"Yeah," I smiled, "I did."

Then she held up the entertainment section of the Dallas Times Herald where a picture of me and Billy Joe stood out in the headlines, and snarled, "You play for me, and only me. Do you understand me, boy?"

"Wait a minute, Mia," I smiled, "It wasn't what you think...."

"I don't give a shit what it was," she spat, snatching a hold of my arm, ""I've got you under contract for the next eighteen months and you'll do what I say, God dammit."

"Take your fucking hands off of me," I growled, jerking my arm loose from her grip as I boarded the bus.

~~~~~~

Our next show was in Houston at the Hofheinz Pavilion on the University of Houston campus; and it gave me a bit of comfort knowing that we were going to my old stomping grounds to play. The ride from Dallas to Houston down I-45 takes at least four to five hours, but then again I've driven it when it took over six hours. It was only once, but please keep in mind that Houston is the fifth largest city in the world, and then I think that you'll be able to understand what I'm talking about.

The bus ride may have given me the opportunity to get a "refreshing" couple of hours' sleep, but when I awoke; I was still a little upset with Mia for the way she'd treated me, and what she'd said was down right rude, as well as without reason. And the more I thought about it, the more pissed off I became, even to the point that I dug into my briefcase that I carried with me.

After retrieving and then intently perusing and re-reading my contract, I found a clause therein that would hopefully put a stop to Mia ever acting that way toward me again. The clause was designed and put in the contracts to keep the band members from saying anything to the artists that was considered inappropriate. However, because of the wording, it worked to the advantage of both the artist and the band members. In other words, it basically stated that, "If you can't say anything good, then don't say anything at all."

~~~~~~

The need to use my contract disappeared the moment our busses pulled up in front of the hotel. Mia made it at point to seek me out and apologize before she said anything else to anyone.

"I'm very sorry for acting the way I did to you before we left this morning, Travis," Mia said, hugging me," I get a little too big for my britches some times. Can you forgive me, sweetie?"

"Hell, Mia," I smiled, "Forget about it, I already have."

"You know what?" she mischievously asked.

"No," I chuckled, "What?"

"I wanted to tell you that," she paused for effect, "You're gonna make some girl very happy some day."

"Don't even think about it, silly girl," I grinned.

~~~~~~

Before we left Dallas that morning, I'd made previous arrangements to pay for and have my own suite at the hotel we were staying at in Houston for the two nights we were going to be there. The reason for that was because my parents, as well as my little sister and one of her friends, were all going to come up for the both night's performances. And I'd only been in my suite for about thirty minutes when I heard a knock at the door.

"Hello, big brother," Tara sweetly cooed, hugging me as soon as I opened the door to my suite, "I sure have missed you, Travis."

"Who is this pretty gal you've brought with ya, little sister," I smiled; noticing that someone was standing behind her.

This girl was roughly the same height and build as Tara, and they even had the same hair color. That was where it ended though; because Tara's eyes were blue and this girl's eyes were green. Still though, she was very pretty, and as Tara took her hand and pulled her into the suite, she smiled and said, "Allow me to introduce you to my sorority sister, room mate and best friend, Miss Amanda Harris...Mandy, this is my big bother, Travis."

"Hi, Travis," Mandy smiled, extending her hand, "Tara's told me so much about you that I feel like I already know you."

"It's nice to meet you, too," I grinned, shaking her hand, "Come on in and make yourself at home, Miss Amanda."

"Please," she giggled, "It's just plain old Mandy."

"Alright then, Mandy it is," I chuckled, "Where's Mom and Dad, Tara?"

"They won't be here for another hour, Travis," my sister laughed, "Mom was getting her hair done when we left." I've always been able to tell when Tara wanted something so, with the same forlorn look on her face that she'd used on me when we were younger, she squeezed my hand and sweetly said, "I hope it's alright with you that Mandy and I came up a little early, I'm not going to get to see much of you in the coming months ya know."

Like I said before, Tara was a genuine pain in the ass when we were growing up; but since she'd been going to college, I sensed a maturity in her, a sign that she'd grown up immensely in the past couple of years. And because of that, there was no way I could ever be at odds with her over this so; I simply pulled her into my arms and hugged her tightly to me. Then with a soft kiss on her cheek, I smiled and told her, "Of course it's alright with me, baby girl."

"Aww, that's so sweet," Mandy sweetly smiled, "I wish that I had a big brother."

"See," Tara giggled, "I told you, didn't I?"

~~~~~~

I'd just finished getting Tara's and Mandy's gear stowed into the bedroom they would be sharing when I heard a knock on the door.

"The door's open," I loudly said, "Come on in."

When Mia walked into my suite, I thought that Tara and Mandy were both gonna faint (they're both big Mia fans) when I non-chalantly said, "Oh, hey Mia, what's up?"

"Hi, Travis," Mia smiled, looking at Tara and Mandy, "Which one is your little sister?"

"Um...that would be me," Tara said, blushing profusely, "I'm Tara...and this is my friend, Mandy."

"It's nice to meet you, Tara," Mia smiled, "You, too, Mandy."

"It's very nice to meet you, too," Tara gushed.

"Yes, it is," Mandy smiled, "Nice to meet you, I mean."

"Do you two have any plans this afternoon," Mia slyly giggled, winking at me, "Or are you gonna hang out with Travis

"I don't really know," Tara said, looking at me.

"I've got a great idea," Mia excitedly smiled, "Why don't the three of us go have a ladies afternoon out, my treat?"

"I don't know," Tara sheepishly replied, "I mean, my Parents are going to....."

"Go," I interrupted, laughing, "You and Mandy go with Mia and have a good time, sis. I'll see to it that Mom and Dad are taken care of, now go."

~~~~~~

"Hey, you two," I smiled, greeting my parents at the door of my hotel suite, "Come on in."

"Wow, Travis," Mom grinned, looking around the suite, "This sure is nice, honey."

"I have to agree, son," Dad proudly smiled, "It looks like you're on the right track."

"Thank you, both," I smiled, hugging them at the same time, "It means a lot to me to hear you two say these things."

"Did Tara and Mandy make it here okay?" Mom suddenly asked, with concern in her voice.

"Relax, Mia took the girls out for a little while," I laughed, "They'll be back way before show time, I promise."

~~~~~~

Okay," I smiled, as Tara and Mandy came strolling into the suite looking like rock stars, "Who are you two and what have you done with my sister and her friend?"

"They look good, don't they?" Mai smiled, coming in behind them after they'd had a chance to show off a bit, "I hope you're not mad at me for doing this."

After gently caressing my sister's cheek with the palm of my hand, I realized that she was no longer a girl, and had indeed grown into a beautiful woman. All I could do was to affectionately smile at Tara, and then to Mia, I said, "How could I ever be mad at someone for bringing out the true beauty in my little sister and her friend."

"I love you, big brother," Tara smiled, hugging me tightly, then slyly grinning, "Besides, Mandy and I want to look good for all the guys we're gonna see at the concert tonight."

"Damn, girl," I laughed, "Are you ever gonna stop being a pain in the ass?"

"Nope," she giggled, "Probably not."

~~~~~~

The show went great that night. My parents, as well as Tara and Mandy, all sat right down on the front row where I could see them clearly. It was a lot of fun watching Mom and Dad act just like a couple of teen-agers while clearly embarrassing my sister. However, they all had a great time, but no one person there acted more like a teen-ager than Tara did when Mia gave me a ten minute solo to play anything I wanted. I look back on that performance now with a smile on my face as the three people that I loved the most were all gathered to hear me play.

~~~~~~

"Would you be offended if your mother and I went back to the hotel?" Dad asked me after the show, "It is way past our bedtime, kid."

"Sure Dad," I smiled, "You and Mom go get some rest and I'll see you guys in the morning."

~~~~~~

As opposed to going to the "after party" that took place at the end of every show, I chose to go to a party that I knew was being thrown at my old fraternity house on the U of H campus. Also, there was no way in hell that I was going to leave Tara and Mandy to the devices of the animals that were always in attendance at these after parties so; I insisted that they come with me. Besides, I knew that because they were my guests at the Frat party, they would be treated with the utmost respect.

~~~~~~

When my sister pulled her car up to the Sigma Alpha Mu house, pleasant memories of days gone by filled my mind, making me smile. No sooner had we exited the car and were coming up the sidewalk, when a loud voice within the house shouted, "HE'S HERE, YOU GUYS. HE'S HERE!!!"

"Oh shit," I chuckled, as a very old friend of mine, Danny Reed, appeared at the door to greet us on the front porch.

"Hey Travis," he smiled, "Long time no see, brother."

"What's up, Danny," I grinned, hugging him, "How have you been, old friend?"

"It seems that you're doing better than me," he leered, salaciously drooling over Tara and Mandy, "You wouldn't care to share one with me, would you?"

"Don't even think about it, you horny bastard," I laughed, "This is my sister, Tara, and her friend, Mandy."

"Yeah," said Tara, "We go to school here, too, and we know how you guys are. So, as far as anyone in this fraternity is concerned; we're off limits. Do you get my drift?"

"That's right," Mandy triumphantly said, "We're off limits."

"Damn," Danny chuckled, "You girls are too damned pretty to be so mean." Then he smiled, and patting me on the shoulder, added, "That's alright though; everyone came out tonight to see Mister Superstar here."

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled, as Danny led us into the house.

~~~~~~

The moment I walked into the house I was greeted by people that I'd not seen in quite a while. I did admit later that it was really good to see some old friends that night. I even managed to make friends with some of my younger fraternity brothers as well as some of the girls from our sister sorority Kappa Delta Tau. I think I signed a hundred autographs that night, but I didn't mind, and because it was mostly for friends of mine; I made it a point to personalize each one of them as well.

I couldn't have been there for more than a couple of hours and was in the kitchen drinking beer and talking, when I heard a familiar female voice from my past say, "Well, well, Travis Jameson has finally decided to come back home to grace us with his presence."

I turned around to see my old girlfriend from my sophomore year, Nikki Blair, standing there looking better than I ever remembered. She was a blue-eyed blonde that looked great in the tight blue-jeans and the thin white blouse she was wearing. "Hi, Nikki," I smiled, "How're you doing?"

"Mmm," she purred, sliding up beside me, her arm circling my waist, "I'm doing a whole lot better now that you're here."

"Is that a fact?" I chuckled, "Maybe there's something we need to do about that, then."

However, before anyone else could say anything, Tara suddenly appeared in front of us with her hands on her hips and said, "Oh, no you don't, Nikki Blair, you nasty fucking whore."

"Tara," I scolded, "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me, Travis," Tara scowled, tears beginning to fill her eyes, "If I remember right, this fucking bitch broke your heart for no reason, well, if you call catching the clap from a football player nothing."

"Who the fuck are you, bitch?" Nikki growled.

"That's my little sister," I snapped, "You need to watch who you're calling a bitch

"I remember how you moped around the house for weeks after that, Travis," Tara sadly but angrily said, "And I told myself that if I ever got the chance; I was going to cuss this nasty fucking whore out."

"Well," Nikki huffed, as I crossed my arms and looked down my nose at her, "I guess I'm leaving then."

"You'd better, bitch," Tara said, watching Nikki as she walked away, "God, what a whore."

"Calm down, little sister," I grinned, hugging her, "You're gonna give yourself a heart attack."

"Oh, shut up," she smiled, "I just saved you a trip to the doctor as well as a chunk of your ass if he had to give you shot of penicillin."

~~~~~~

We'd been at the party for just under three hours when people began to dance in the living room of the frat house. Up until now Tara and Mandy had been socializing, and according to my sister, shooting down the advances of all the would-be Lotharios, all of whom had lust written across their faces, the little bastards.

I did get to see Tara in action though, as this one little shit head she was talking to began to come on to her. I don't know what she'd said to him, but the boy walked away with his tail between his legs, looking like a kid who just got slapped away from the table for farting. It was funny as hell, and I laughed open and loudly, not really giving a damn who heard me either.

Once the music began though, I saw her and Mandy, as well as several other girls there, all dancing around, looking like they were having a blast. This went on for several minutes until the tempo turned slow. From then it was only seconds before I heard Tara's voice saying, Come and dance with me, big brother," and then I felt her hand in mine, dragging me to the living room to dance.

"You've grown up to be a real nice guy," Tara smiled, as we danced together, "But there's something I think you need to know."

"What is it," I asked, "Are you okay?"

"No," she laughed, "I mean yes, I'm fine."

"Then what is it?" I asked, "Damn girl, you're killing me here."

"I wanted you to know that Mandy has a major crush on, big brother," Tara smiled, "She has since the first time I showed her a picture of you."

Bullshit," I grinned, "You're up to something. I know you too well."

"I'm not up to anything," she vehemently replied, "Listen to me, and listen good, Travis...She's done nothing but talk about you ever since I showed her that one picture of you, and that's been almost two years now. She wanted to know everything there was to know about you. Shit, she even went so far as to ask me about your past relationships and what it was that brought an end to them."

"Hmm," I skeptically replied, "It sounds like she's obsessed with me."

"Dammit Travis," Tara groaned, "Why is it so hard for you to believe that someone, whom I know to be a beautiful and kind woman, is crazy about you, even moreso now that she's met you and seen you play."

"Surely not," I said, "Hell, she's kid."

"She's almost a year and a half older than me," Tara pointedly said, "And that only makes her a little over a year younger than you."

"So, what am I supposed to do, Tara?"

"You know how she feels," she grinned, as the song ended, "The rest is up to you." And with that said, she walked away, glancing at me over her shoulder.

~~~~~~

I didn't quite know how to digest what my sister told me about her friend, and needing some time to take it all in, I walked out into the back yard where there was a horse shoe throwing tournament going on. As I sat and watched the guys play, I noticed that most of them had their girlfriends with them. It was then I began to feel lonely, and the thought not of having someone of my own to be with, permeated my very core, making my heart ache.

~~~~~~

The moment I walked back into the house, I made a beeline for the dee-jay. After slipping him a one-hundred- dollar bill, I was ensured by a nod of his head that he would fulfill my request.

The moment the slow music began I searched Mandy out. I saw her standing across the room talking with my sister and a couple of other girls they knew. I walked up to her, and with as light a touch as I could muster, I took her hand and softly said, "Honor me by sharing this dance with me."

"Oh yes," she cooed, "I'd love to, Travis."

~~~~~~

"I enjoyed the show tonight," Mandy purred, as we danced together, "And I really liked watching you play.

"Thank you, Mandy," I smiled, "I'm glad that Tara brought you along."

"Really?" she wistfully asked, "I didn't want to be a burden or..."

"Hey now," I smiled, interrupting her by lifting her chin so that I could look into her eyes, "How could someone as beautiful as you ever be a burden to me?"

"I knew I was right to feel the way I do about you, Travis," she smiled, hugging me tightly to her while she rested her cheek upon mine.