Aubrey (Revolving With Axis)

099: Rafe

Aftermath.

Camera flashes bothered me sometimes, my eyes just got so they couldn't take any more images to my brain, and it all seemed to shut down. I occasionally get migraines. This was one of those times.

We made it back to the bus, buzzed with energy, and ready to relax. I went in to find my darling girl in her pajamas, curled in the recliner, her favorite—with her iPAD, looking at something, who knows. She was full of surprises.

I had showered. I kissed her distractedly, and she smiled and handed me her glass, which was half full of something herbal. Not for the first time I praised God that He was giving me a girl who knew something about herbs. It was refreshing, if not tasty, but I finished it and rinsed out the sink. We'd taken to sharing drinks these days, another one of those couple things we seemed prone to.

I went to change into pajamas too, while the guys all loaded into the bus and the lounges. There was a lot of noise and Holli literally yelled that I had a migraine. The bus went fairly silent, as everyone started whispering to keep the headliner happy. We were rolling by the time I sat on the couch in the lounge near Aubrey.

"Did you watch the show?"

"All of it."

"Where were you? Backstage?"

"Yes. Left."

"I missed you."

"Sorry. I saw you the whole time."

            "So, give me the dope."

            "I think you need to take special care to enunciate really well. You are already really good at it, but tonight you seemed a little slurred, maybe the sound tech's fault. I didn't think of that. I loved that you did Fall into the Ocean, loved it, it was amazing. Love, Love, Love!"

            "And you noticed the rest?"

            She looked up with shining eyes. "I know you won't be able to do it all the time, but yeah, I noticed. And I am impressed. Nice touch to a nice day."

            I leaned forward and turned her chair to face me. She set the iPAD to one side and leaned into me. "How's the headache?"

            "Over stimulated maybe. I get them sometimes."

            "I have some stuff. We'll have to go to bed."

            "I'm all for that. What do you have. Drugs?"

            She got up and laughed as Ben and Jeff and a girl I hadn't noticed came down the hall past us, we had to squish to one side.

            "Where are you going?" Ben asked. Jeff had his hand on the girl's naked back, her dress was so low in the back as to be nearly backless. I could see her boobs to the sides and her butt. The thing was so short--- well anyway, I didn't care what he did. This sort of thing actually did happen occasionally. I looked at Aubrey who was pointedly looking away. She hopped up on the bunk and as we shut the curtains she said what was on her mind.

            "So, what are you planning to do with that girl? Keep her?"

            "No, he'll let her off in Matamoros, and she probably lives there, or will find her own ride back."

            "He's going to sleep with her tonight?"

            "He might not be the only one. Skank, huh?"

            "It's none of my business."

            "It is your business, you live here right now, she's just visiting."

            "That's a laugh, Rafe. I have nothing to say." She crawled to her headboard cupboard and got something out. "Lie down."

            I did as I was told. She scooted around to my feet. Her cool hands slipped my socks off. I started to sit up, thinking the socks were sweaty. She gently shushed me, her eyes tender and determined. I closed mine and tried to relax, the headache had hit the point where I didn't care about anything else. I felt her hand on my feet and then my ankles and calves. There was this incredible smell in the air--- jasmine or lavender. This lasted a few minutes till I was starting to sleep, there was no talking and she'd turned the lights down to almost nothing. I must have drifted in the pain, when next I came to-- my head was in her lap, and she was massaging the back of my neck with some kind of oil, peppermint, I think. I smelled it close to my face.

            "Shhhh...." She whispered as I started to tense up, she kept up the gentle massage, and the sweet scent lingered around.

            I don't know how long she'd been there, but suddenly, the pain was gone. I mean gone. The bus came back into focus, the night faded away and I turned on my side and fell deeply asleep.

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