The Housekeeper's Daughter [Elvis]

Chapter 15 - How Could He...?!

I collapsed onto one of the two beds in my hotel room. I had already thrown off my jacket and tossed it onto one of the table chairs in the kitchen nook of the room. I was bushed. The concert was great, but drained the life out of me. I had fan meets after, back stage, and I had to sing and play my guitar for them, get pictures with them, and so forth. What a day. I shut my eyes and started to drift off...

The door slammed and my eyes popped open. I looked over and saw the Colonel walking in, his hat off. He threw it onto the kitchen table and planted his hands on his hips. "Well, today was quite interesting, wasn't it, Elvis?"

"Just another day's work," I said and shut my eyes, but there was no way I could fall asleep with the Colonel standing there. We shared this room, but I wouldn't be able to sleep until I knew he was sleeping in his bed. That was another reason why I didn't get much sleep - it took the Colonel a little while to drift off.

"Another day's work indeed," he spat, and I opened my eyes. His were filled with irritation. I sat up. I had to talk about this now.

"I know what you're thinkin'..."

"Yes, I know you do. You weren't supposed to sing that song at the concert. It wasn't in the program."

"I know that, I just felt like I should sing it. I've done it before in concerts." He huffed and looked over at the wall. I nodded, realizing it. "You're upset because you know I sang it for Megan."

"Yes." He met my gaze again. "You sang it for that girl when she was right there in the audience with her mother, her friend, her co-workers and your fanbase in all of DC! You even gave those workers of yours free tickets! What were you thinking, Elvis?!"

I got off the bed and stood in front of him, my gaze and tone of voice firm. "I just wanted to do somethin' nice for 'em, that's all, to thank 'em for all that they have done for me. And I sang that song for Megan because I wanted 'er to know how I was feelin' since I couldn't talk to 'er once in the past two weeks. It burned me when she refused me."

He knew about what happened in my room, at least just the talking parts of it. I didn't dare tell him the details.

"And she was right to refuse you! You've been acting' like a love-struck schoolboy ever since you first saw her face!"

"And Priscilla was no different?" I countered. "You know how I was around her. I did all that I could to see 'er, riskin' my reputation and the approval of her parents. And you were fine with it."

"You were in the army," he argued. "I wasn't in charge of you then."

"But you still let me continue seein' her when I was filmin' G.I. Blues."

"Because she was the daughter of a U.S. Air Force pilot!"

That stopped me short. I knew this was the reason, of course, but hearing straight from his mouth made my chest pinch. "You don't like me associatin' with Megan because her mother is a poor widow who cleans houses for a livin."

"Yes, neither of them are anything special, and I hope that you keep your distance from at least the younger of the both of them. You should've moved on when Megan left your house and didn't want to return."

I shoved my hands into my black slacks' pockets. I balled my hands into fists. "You know very well why I did that. She didn't deserve to be kicked out simply for the reason that she's a young, pretty face that can distract me."

"And that's exactly what she did. She distracted you. You fell for her, and you went out and made yourself look like a kidnapper in front of the whole nation! You put me through hell trying to settle down the press and everyone else after that stupid stint you pulled!"