Indecent Proposal (Book 5 of the Forbidden Series)

10

Ronny played a lively blues tune on a harmonica one of the desk Sergeants had given him while he waited in the holding cell. He amused both the men in the cell and the cops passing by. The odd one asked for an autograph while he waited for his lawyer to get him out. It wasn’t the first time he had been in a holding cell and likely wouldn’t be the last.

He had been arrested for his fair share of bar fights with the boys back in the day. Sharing this cell with David and Mike after breaking a pool stick over some poor sap. He had been in lockup for over six hours now, and he was the most popular inmate in the adjoining cells. The other men were clapping their hands and singing along to the song he was playing, many of them turning out to be huge fans and counting themselves lucky to have been arrested that night so that they could spend the evening with him.

The media had caught wind of his arrest which did not surprise him in the least. He had not been in custody for more than an hour or two when he noticed the flashing lights coming from outside the high barred window, the lights of cameras. The paparazzi were camped outside waiting to catch him leaving when they released him.

Ronny lounged comfortably on his metal bench playing another song. He sat up straight when he saw two uniformed officers bringing in someone new for the holding cell. He chuckled as he saw Darcy cursing out the officers that forced him into the cell before taking off his handcuffs. Vi must have come down and pressed charges. It was the only explanation for seeing him. His face had bruised and swollen from their earlier encounter.

“Welcome to jail.” Ronny smiled as Darcy took a seat.

“You just stay over there,” Darcy warned taking a seat as far away from Ronny as he possibly could.

“How’s your face?” Ronny mocked.

“Go to hell.” Darcy snarled. “You’re ruining my life.”

“I’ve only begun to ruin your life,” Ronny promised. He hadn’t liked Darcy from the beginning, but after this evening he despised the man. He would pull out all the stops to see that this man got what he deserved. He would not let this jerk keep hurting Vi and her children. His emotional and physiological torment ended now, and Ronny would see that Darcy never touched Vi again.

“This is none of your business. Why can’t you stay out of it?”

“I’m making it my business.”

Darcy grinned proud of himself. “I saw all those cameras coming in. Your face is going to be plastered all over the news. Everyone’s going to know you got busted for assault.”

Ronny laughed. Clearly, this guy knew very little about musicians and celebrities. He most definitely would be all over the media and so would his charges. However, as a rock star, his bad boy statues would only serve to boost his popularity. “You are correct,” he agreed, “and when I walk out those doors they are all going to be asking me why did I do it? Now I can do one of two things. I can say ‘no comment,’ or I can tell them the whole sorted truth with names and details. Which means they will still be waiting here for you when you get out, and your face will be plastered right up there beside mine as the man that set me off. Tell me, Anderson, what will this do to your legal career?”

Darcy suddenly looked nervous. He had not thought that far in advance. When Ronny was done with this man, he would not be able to practice law ever again. He would strip him of his livelihood. Of his honour and his pride. He would ruin this man, but not before he saw that Vi got what she deserved out of him.

An officer came to the cell door taking out his keys. “Ok boys say goodbye to the celebrity he has been sprung.” There was a collective groan from the men in the cell as Ronny rose to his feet.

“Well, it’s been, fun boys. Good luck with all your respective issues.” Ronny said waving to the other men. He handed the harmonica back to the officer as he stepped through the cell door. “Thanks, it helped pass the time.”

“My pleasure.” The officer smiled.

Ronny turned back to the men in the cell. “Oh, by the way, boys. My friend here is a woman beater. Why don’t you boys make him feel welcome?” He grinned at Darcy. “Enjoy your stay.” He then headed out with the officer to be processed.

It took time to deal with the paparazzi. Ronny had called for a taxi home, but it was well into the wee hours of the morning when he found himself on his front steps. He paid the driver and headed inside. He barely made it to the door when it flung open, and Vi came out onto the front step in a silk robe and threw her arms around him. “Thank god you’re back.” She said, happy to see him.

“I told you I would be back by morning.” Ronny smiled holding her close.

“I’m sorry you got arrested because of me.” She apologized.

“It was worth it.” He said caressing her golden hair. “You are worth it.” He rubbed her arms and escorted her back inside. It was starting to get cool out. “Let’s not stay outside. Where are the children?”

“In bed.” She said as he shut the door behind him and locked it. “By the way, they love the house.” She smiled.

“I’m glad to hear they are having fun. We will have a dinner guest tomorrow.” He said ushering Vi toward the stairs.

“We will?”

“An old friend of mine is in town. I’m sure the kids will find it entertaining.” He said as they went upstairs. He was tired and simply wanted to go to bed after a long night behind bars. Ronny followed Vi into the bedroom and shut the door. “I’m beat.” He said as he began to undress for the night.

“Does that mean you’re not interested in a little welcome home fun?” She smiled untying her belt and letting her silk robe fall open to reveal a red lace negligee with black trim. A sly smile graced his face as he felt his loins stiffen.

“I think I’m experiencing my second wind.”

***

His fingers flew over the ivory keys of his piano playing one of his favourite songs. The house was still asleep, but Ronny rose early each morning. He found it difficult to sleep lately. He wasn’t entirely sure why. Instead of staying in bed tossing and turning he simply occupied his time in other ways. His favourite of which was his music. When he played, it was like his soul took flight. Ronny closed his eyes as his fingers played each crisp note. He could feel the music within him. It was an incredible feeling that nothing could compete with.

Ronny opened his eyes when he heard the sound of footsteps coming into the room. He stopped playing when he saw Davis standing in the archway. The boy was dressed for the day in a pair of faded jeans and a dark blue hooded sweatshirt. His hands tucked awkwardly in his pants pockets as he stared at Ronny.

“Good morning.” Ronny smiled at the boy.

“Morning,” Davis said back. “Where’s my mom?”

“She is still sleeping. We had a late night.”

“Why aren’t you sleeping then?” Davis asked coming into the room to look at the instruments on display.

“I don’t sleep much. Just force of habit.”

“Do you play all these?” Davis asked.

“Yes. Do you play anything?” Ronny asked watching the boy as he wandered the room.

“I tried when I was younger, but we couldn’t afford to keep paying for the lessons.” He said.

“What were you learning to play?” Ronny asked.

“The guitar.” He said looking at the one he had on display.

Ronny rose from the bench seat. “I could give you a few lessons if you like.” He watched as Davis’ eyes lit up with excitement.

“Really? Lessons from a rock star that would be awesome.”

“Are you hungry?” He asked. “I was just about to go start breakfast.”

“You cook?” Davis asked surprised. “Dad always just made Mom do that.” He said following Ronny as he headed for the kitchen.

“A man should know how to cook.”

“What for? That’s what women are for, and if you don’t have one of those, there’s always takeout.” Davis said coming into the kitchen and leaning lazily against the counter.

Ronny shook his head. The boy’s father filled his head with a lot of nonsense. “You don’t have a girlfriend do you, Davis?” He asked knowingly.

Davis frowned. “No, not really. I don’t do well with the girls. I was seeing one girl for a few weeks, but then she hooked up with the football captain.” He grumbled. “He is a senior and way more popular. Did you ever play sports?”

Ronny wandered around his kitchen gathering the things he needed to prepare the meal he had planned. “With my friends at a picnic occasionally, but not team sports no.”

“I bet you would have been a killer football player, just look how big you are.”

Ronny smirked, it wasn’t the first time he’d been told that. “Maybe, but I’m not much for sports.”

“I bet you were popular in school though right.”

“Not really.” He confessed. “I did alright with some girls, but for the most part I was a poor black kid in a white-dominated town that hung out in my basement playing my drums way too loud.” He said. “It wasn’t until I was an adult that I started getting good with the ladies.”

“Because you became a rock star.”

“Because I learnt how to deal with women.” He corrected Davis. “I still had a few years before I made it in the industry, but I had learnt how to deal with women long before then.” He said tossing his ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

“Oh really?” Davis perked up his interest. “So, what’s the secret with women?” He asked casually.

Ronny grinned. He had a feeling he would catch the boy’s attention. He passed Davis the mixing bowl and the spoon. “Stir this.” He instructed. Obediently Davis began to mix the mixture. Ronny proceeded to gather his pans and preheat what he needed. “Well one tip I would give you is to learn to cook. Women love a man that can cook for them. If you want to turn a woman on, turn on your oven. Plus, if you are poor and hard up for cash like I was in my youth, it’s a cheap and easy way to impress a woman and still pull off a romantic date that will win you some brownie points.”

“Ok learn to cook,” Davis repeated.

Ronny opened his fridge and took out some fresh fruit and Canadian bacon. He began to slice up what he would need. “Also, different women want different things. So, you got to know what you want out of a relationship to pick what sort of woman you want to hook up with. If you randomly hook up with anyone because they were close and said yes well, I suppose it works, but it’s a waste of time. It’s no fun for anyone. Also, the most popular girl in school might be hot and a great status symbol on your arm but you’d be surprised how often she is not that much fun.”

“Then who is?”

“So many girls.” He said. “If you give them a chance. You’d be surprised what you can discover about a woman if you treat her right. Now start pouring the batter into the pan.” He instructed.

“Are we making pancakes?” Davis asked as he scooped the thick batter into the cast iron pan.

“Yes, with Canadian bacon, fruit salad, and fresh juice,” Ronny said tossing the chopped fruit into a bowl.

“So, what’s this right way to treat a woman?” Davis asked.

“Well first off when you’re seeing a woman, you see her, and only her. If you make her feel like she is the only women in the world she will be more willing to treat you the same. Also, any woman can be beautiful if given a chance. Not every woman can look like Beyoncé but if you make her feel like she does you will unlock a side of her she wouldn’t show to someone else.”

“Any other advice?” Davis asked flipping the pancakes.

“Confidence. If you don’t have confidence, they won't respect you. Confidence is sexy.” Ronny grinned tossing the bacon into a pan. “Of course, money helps too. So, get yourself a good future, but watch your bank account carefully. Don’t let women get control of it, and if you’re looking for a real deal sort of girl make sure she ain’t in it for the money.”

“Did you ever marry?” Davis asked with curiosity.

“No.”

“So, then I guess you don’t have any kids?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Ronny smiled. “I like my freedom.”

“So, you do not intend to get serious with my mom then?” Davis asked staring at him. “You’re just killing time so to speak.” There was a touch of annoyance in his tone. Ronny understood the boy was trying to be protective of his mother. After years of watching his father mistreat his mother, it was understandable that Davis would only want the best for her.

Ronny tended the bacon making sure it would not burn. “Your mother and I have a mutually satisfactory agreement.”

“So, you’re both using each other.” The boy said.

“In every relationship, you are using the other person for something. As long as both parties are aware and happy, there is nothing wrong with it.” He explained. “Your mother makes me happy. I believe I do the same for her.”

“Good morning?” A little voice came from the entranceway. Ronny turned to see little Brea coming into the kitchen. “Pancakes!” She giggled jumping into a seat at the kitchen table.

“Oh my god Davis is cooking, we best call poison control now.” Teased Parker, coming in behind her little sister.

“I only put poison in yours,” Davis promised with a grin.

Ronny chuckled they reminded him of Kat and Damian growing up on the tour buses. Mike had wanted his family near since they spent so very much time on the road those first ten years. Chase had toured with them raising their two young kids on the tour bus and out of hotel rooms. They had all felt like a bunch of daddies those first few years. Having a small hand in the raising of those two little hellions. Both Kat and Damien had grown into amazing people he was proud to have been a part of their lives.

He had also had the pleasure of watching Eric’s boys grow up. Roughhousing and playing cops and robbers. Being there to break up the sibling squabbles between David’s son and daughter as they grew up. Watching them all grow and blossom into vibrant, confident adults. He loved children, loved being an uncle. Of course, he had no siblings of his own and therefore had no blood-related nieces and nephews, but his friends’ children were just as good. He adored them all and them him, and now there was a whole new litter of babies being born between Damien’s twins and Layla’s daughter and son. A whole new generation to watch grow and to spoil rotten.

Ronny had never really considered being a father. He wasn’t sure if he would be any good at it. Being an uncle was easy. At the end of the day, you could give them back. Go home to his own quiet, carefree life. Granted he saw there to be certain rewards to being a father. Having a little piece of you carried on. The simple, joyous moments like their first step or when they call you daddy the first time. Watching your son succeed. Walking your daughter down the aisle at her wedding, and of course grandchildren.

“I smell pancakes,” Briar said coming into the kitchen with Vi right behind her. Ronny smiled at Vi. She was dressed in a fine light green dress that tied up around her neck. Her beautiful hair tied back in a loose braid down her back.

“Good morning beautiful.” Ronny smiled drawing Vi to him and kissed her lips. He took the bacon from the pan and placed it on a serving plate. Along with Davis’ pancakes and the fruit he placed the food on the table while Vi took the flat wear from the cupboards and set the table.

“You didn’t have to get up so early to cook I would have made breakfast when I got up,” Vi said placing the silverware on the table.

“I was up anyway.” He told her. “Besides it was a good time for Davis to learn.” He smiled at the boy. They all settled in at the table and dug into the meal. The girls teased their brother about his time in the kitchen. Ronny smiled and decided to spare the boy by changing the subject. “What would you like to do today?” He asked.

“Can we go to the park?” Brea asked.

“He is a rockstar dill weed; he doesn’t want to go to the park.” Parker snipped. “Let’s go to a movie.”

“We don’t want to see no baby movie,” Briar added.

“They're not,” Parker argued.

“Perhaps you would all like to go shopping?” Ronny offered, silencing all three girls. They stared at him in quiet awe.

“No,” Vi said disapproving of his suggestion. “Absolutely not. You have already spent far too much money.”

“Nonsense,” Ronny argued taking her hand in his and giving it a playful squeeze. “I bought you a whole new wardrobe. It is only fair they get a new one too.” He smiled and looked back at the girls. “Wouldn’t you all like some new clothes?” The girls all started chattering at once with excitement. “And Davis wouldn’t you like some flashy new clothes to impress the girls at school with?”

Now all four children were relentlessly begging their mother to allow them their shopping spree. Ronny relaxed in his seat with a sly smile as he watched Vi’s resistance slowly crumble until finally she threw up her hands and gave in. “Fine, alright we can go shopping.” She agreed and then pointed at Ronny. “But I do not want you spoiling them is that clear?”

“Crystal darling.”

***

He was spoiling them even after he promised not to. Ronny had taken them shopping to some of the most expensive designer shops and boutiques, outfitting all four children in the latest and hottest fashions. It was all too much, and the cost was phenomenal. She tried to object, but Ronny, as usual, would not hear of it. He happily bought each of them a full wardrobe and then took them all out for lunch.

After lunch, Ronny instructed the driver to a downtown spa where he treated the women to a pampered afternoon. They got their hair done, a manicure, and a facial; and while the ladies relaxed, Ronny took Davis out for some male bonding. When the boys returned, Davis was the proud owner of a brand-new guitar.

“You bought him a guitar?” Vi gasped.

“Well, I had to teach him on something.” Ronny shrugged.

“I asked you not to spoil them.” She griped.

“And I’m not.” He smiled. “They are alright kids, let them have some fun,” Ronny said kissing her softly. “I will not turn your kids into snobs I promise.”

She was glad to see her children so happy and that the five of them were getting along so well. She supposed a few things would not hurt. She didn’t want them to get accustomed to his generosity. Ronny and his money would not always be around. It was best they not get attached to his lifestyle.

They returned home that afternoon. The girls had gone downstairs to play in the hot tub and with the game console. Vi spent the rest of the afternoon watching Ronny teach Davis to play one of his band’s song on his new guitar in the parlour. They sat opposite of each other on the couches with a guitar in each of their laps.

Vi watched as Ronny showed Davis how to position his fingers and pluck the strings. She had never seen her son focused on something for so long. Vi couldn’t help but smile as she watched Ronny work with Davis. Darcy had never spent so much one on one time with their son. Ronny was very good with him; she appreciated the time he spent with Davis. Surrounded by so many girls, Davis desperately needed a positive male role modal in his life.

Darcy had never really been around. He had always been far too busy working and even when he was around he wasn’t there. His head was always somewhere else. Always too busy or too tired to deal with the children. She had always been the one left to do everything that involved the children. She was certain the only reason he had kept the children was to avoid having to pay her child support. She had no doubt he dumped the burden of caring for them on Davis in her absence.

Davis was very mature for his age and had always taken it upon himself to care for his sisters and stand up for Vi whenever she and Darcy would fight. He had often stepped in on her behalf and yelled at his father calling him out in her defence. She had tried so hard to keep Davis out of their fights, but the boy refused to stand by and listen to his father’s nasty verbal attacks.

Vi loved her son so much for his concern, but she wished he could be a child. He needed a real father in his life, all her children did. Vi smiled as she watched Ronny. He was so good with them, it was so easy. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he wanted the job?