Free Rock Starred: Love My Way by Karen Booth Page B

something. He's so sweet to me."
    "It's not an accusation. You made him a gift. That sounds serious to me." Gwen said something off the line and I could hear another voice in the background. "Katie, I'm sorry. I gotta go. Ted's got dinner ready."
    "Back to the normal Sunday routine? That's good."
    "We're hanging in there," she said, plainly hedging her answer. "Hey, are we still on for dinner Friday?"
    "Of course. Wouldn't miss it."
     
     Peter called me late that night after they'd played.
    "How was the show?" I asked.
    "What can I say? Cleveland rocks. What'd you do all night?"
    "Answered email, checked in on Mrs. G downstairs and ate ice cream for dinner."
    He groaned. "Sometimes I think you're trying to torture me. I love ice cream for dinner. I do it at all the time at home. It's harder to get away with it on the road. People look at you funny."
    I grinned and curled up on the couch, where Max soon joined me. "Not everyone can appreciate the benefits of such a meal."
    "What's your favorite flavor? No. Wait. Don't tell me. I want to guess. Hmm..."
    I giggled. "Don't overthink it."
    "Strawberry. No. Cookie Dough. No, I'm thinking you're more complicated than that. Mocha almond fudge."
    "Nice try. Mint chocolate chip."
    "Dammit. Bet you can't guess mine."
    "Rocky Road," I answered without hesitation. It just seemed like the obvious answer.
    "That's cheating. You didn't even stop to think about it."
    "Am I right?" I rolled to my back, which annoyed Max, but he quickly settled on my stomach.
    "Yes. You're right. It's been my favorite since I was a kid. I used to beg my mom to buy it, but we didn't always have money for things like that."
    "Do your parents still live in Chicago?"
    "I moved them out to the suburbs a few years ago. I put them through the wringer when I was growing up. I figured it was the least I could do."
    "You bought them a house?"
    "I did. It's not huge or anything, but it's paid for and my dad has a yard to mess around with. My mom is just happy to have a kitchen where everything works."
    "Wow. That's so great," I said, amazed by the scope of his generosity. "My mom still lives in the same house in New Jersey that I grew up in. My dad passed away a few years ago."
    "Do you have brothers and sisters?"
    "Nope. Only child."
    "Me too. Isn't that funny? That we're both only kids? I probably wouldn't have gotten in so much hot water if I'd had a sibling to rat on me."
    "Why? What did you do?" I asked, trying to conjure an image of Peter as a teenager—probably even lankier, hair too long, same spellbinding eyes.
    "Jesus, you name it. Smoking dope, skipping school, vandalism. Stupid-ass shit. My parents both worked all the time, so I was pretty out of control. It wasn't until a friend loaned me a guitar that things turned around. I took to it right away and the rest is history. I guess you could say that music saved me, more or less."
    We were both quiet after his admission. The only thing I could hear was the sound of my own breathing. "I was the same way with the camera. I took a class in high school and I couldn’t stop once I’d started. It was the only thing I wanted to do. My friends all thought I was completely obnoxious, taking pictures like crazy all the time."
    "And a star is born."
    I shook my head. "You’re way too generous. I’m a photographer, not a star."
    "Of course you’re a star. Let me ask you this. What is it about rock stars that you find appealing?"
    "Are we talking other rock stars or you? Because it’s not the same thing.”
    "I actually prefer to think of myself as a musician, but that’s beside the point. What’s the appeal? Just tell me the first thing that comes to mind.”
    I shrugged. I’d never really thought about it before. The attraction was visceral and in Peter’s case, defied description. "There’s just something sexy about somebody who is able to express things creatively. Just put everything out there. It’s a total turn-on. But that doesn’t apply to everyone.