Missing [ST]

Eighty Nine

Twenty Sixth of June:

The last three months had started significantly with Steven's thirty third birthday on a Thursday, which just so happened to be the day of Leah's job interview.

It was a morning slot, but she still had time to give him his presents before she left. A shopping hunt a day prior had provided a new scarf to decorate his microphone stand, and a Rolling Stone's t-shirt because time had just slipped away from her.

Leah knew they weren't her finest birthday ideas, but the simplicity didn't stop Steven from loving them, or him offering to drive and collect her from the interview.

Denying him profusely, Leah made a promise to celebrate his birthday properly when she returned home, and as it turned out, the cake she baked was great, and it wasn't even half the dessert.

Then it was the weekend, which kicked off with a job confirmation, another reason to celebrate, but when all of Aerosmith showed up a few hours later (they actually ended up staying the night because they got so drunk) the only sex that was mentioned was when Joe bought Steven a vibrating cock ring and lube as a birthday gift to show what a wonderful best friend he was.

The reaction from Steven was priceless, and apparently it wasn't even in retaliation to stealing the credit card. It was just because Joe wanted to see the laughs, and he got plenty of those, and so there could be bets on when it would be used.

On Sunday, Leah ushered hungover thirty-something-year-olds out the house to be picked up by not best-impressed, but forgiving wives and girlfriends, and later on welcomed Steven's parents and sister, for a family birthday lunch which was something Steven only just managed to roll out of bed for because he was so hungover.

He deeply regretted how much alcohol he drank, and made an oath he wouldn't touch a drop for at least the next month, if not two.

From Monday onwards, Leah worked five full days a week, the occasional weekend, and so far had not been needed for a month of night shifts. It was an adjustment, but the clients were nice, but maybe that was because they lived in a reasonably educated and expensive area, and people were used to paying their expenses over here.

She liked it though- she obviously missed working with Tina and called her when the time difference was convenient- but the new environment wasn't half as bad as she had imagined.

In addition to her career, and the fact Steven was off tour, the house slowly became a home when more of her things from England showed up early April.

Pictures, mirrors, furniture, lamps, and buying new things like utensils, rugs, plants for the garden, and an umbrella for the pool, gave their Duxbury home the flourishing finishing touches that meant it didn't echo so badly or feel so empty.

Arguably the best purchase of all was the magnificent, black Steinway grand piano that they had chosen after an extensive discussion about models and brands, and it was set up in the dining room that was not going to be used for its purpose because they had a table in the breakfast nook, plus the kitchen island that overlooked the garden.

Leah still refused to play for Steven despite saying she would, and much rather listened to him practising and singing (or scatting if it was something new and original) and only played the Steinway when he was out, or used his digital one with headphones in the unused office, just off the foyer.

Below was the double garage, a gym, and a recreation room which was going to have a pool table as well as continue its function as the game's room, and Steven's couch from his apartment had been moved into it since they bought a large, new one for the living room.

It wasn't explicitly a man cave, but in time there would probably be a sign like: "Aerosmith's Sex Dungeon. Do Not Enter."

As far as home DIY went, there were plans to convert one half of the garage into a band set-up; there were already amps, the infamous acoustic guitar found in the trash that Joey had written Pandora's Box on, and Steven wanted to buy a drum kit to make some noise, which he did enough of already.