#Please I already have low hopes because there's no Adam and Barbara

[corpsefetti]

The Beetlejuice sequel will either make or break the rest of my entire life

[totally-incorrect-theatre-quotes]

Beetlejuice 12/18/2019

This will be long but this is a compilation of everything that stuck out to me about the show! Spoilers Obviously 

Who was in the cast:

Sophia Anne Caruso- Lydia

Alex Brightman- Beetlejuice

Kerry Butler- Barbara

Leslie Kritzer- Delia

Adam Dannheisser - Charles

David Josefsberg - Adam 

Act I:

The theater was GORGEOUS, the stage was beautiful, the music before the show was so good. The crowd was so excited, the ushers were so nice. It was just a wonderful experience before the show even started

Invisible started and I almost cried. Sophia is such an amazing singer, and hearing her sing live? She has so much power in her voice it gave me chills

I also liked looking through the ensemble and recognizing the cast members

The costumes were so stunning

The minute Beetlejuice arrived on stage everyone started clapping for a solid minute and he just waited there with a big grin on his face

OH MY GOD HIS SINGING was amazing

The sandworm was HUGE like I knew it would be big but it was literally huge

I was surprised that a lot of Beetlejuice’s jokes fell flat, they were hilarious

He said something along the lines of “I feel so out of place...like a gay republican”

I died

The MAITLANDS seeing them for the first time was so good!!! David plays an amazing Adam. Adam needs ot be protected at all costs, he is such a good husband

Barbara would do this low and growly voice during “Not Yet” and it was so funny. 

Beetlejuice just hanging around them before they died was very funny. He would have one liners that were just hilarious

When the Maitlands fell through the fucking floor boards, I knew it was gonna happen but like it still shocked me

THE SAD PUPPET SHOW

Literally five minutes after he found out there was a kid in the audience Barbara says “You give me the creeps” and he goes “Well you give me a boner!”

The whole being dead thing reprise was SO GOOD. It was so amazing to watch live

Charles is so much more RAUNCHY than I expected, very sex oriented lol but so blunt about it

LYDIA 

Can I just say that Sophia Anne Caruso plays teenage angst SO WELL. Like I 100% felt the sadness Lydia was feeling, it was so palpable

Just once more what the fuck did Lydia think was happening??? How dare she be surprised that they were moving. Like I love her but come on...

There’s a point during the scene where Lydia straight up gets this evil look on her face, starts giggling and goes up to Delia all innocently, trying to make it seem like this is hard for her to do and she’s breaking through. She does the whole “knock know” and when Delia said you don’t open the doors Lydia straight up started crying and said “I guess you’ll never know”

Dead Mom made me sob, Sophia has so much power when she is singing. There were points where Lydia would be near tears and it was so sad but so incredible. 

Fright of their lives was very funny. BUT THEY CHANGED THE KATHRINE HEPBURN joke. 

Adam is such a supportive husband

I also loved: “What are things that make you scared” and Adam goes “THE ELECTROAL COLLEGE! WHY DOES OHIO HAVE SO MUCH POWER” and Barbara deadass goes “Can I change my answer”

“WEll that was a soliloquy so you’re the rude one”

LETS HAUNT THIS BITCH

“No Reason” was also very funny, Delia tries so hard. This woman dabbed, did Fortnight dances, and just is a ray of sunshine. It’s just not what Lydia needs. Lydia was so savage during that song she took zero shits

Delia looked so upset when Lydia said “and good people die” It was very obvious she knew Lydia was talking about her mom, she went over to hug her but Lydia went under her arm

LYDIA MEETING THE MAITLANDS so adorable

Lydia telling the story about her mom. She looked so happy to have someone to talk to about it. 

“Every year me and my mom would build these haunted houses but it was during the summer so nobody was expecting it. One time she dressed up as the ghost of edgar allen poe! I thought she was so scary, but nobody knew who she was...because people don’t read.”

Also Adam is adorable, his dad joke made the whole audience groan

Lydia just needs to affection. She was like “I don’t have many friends...it’s nice to know I have you guys in the attic.”

Delia: “That was the most impressive rogering you’ve ever given me” Charles: “I’m very good at sex”

ICONIC

Charles proposing and Delia being so happy, so cute. But then Lydia runs in and Delia has to hide

LYDIA IS SO DRAMATIC. I’m talking she's fake fainting about the scary ghosts, collapsing to the floor. A+ performace, it was so funny

WHEN LYDIA FIND DELIA heart breaking. She was crying I just wanted someone to hug her. The Maitlands looked so concerned, Charles didn’t make any attempts to comfort her which kinda made me pissed at him because he was being very selfish. Also when Lydia cried, “I wish I was dead.” he didn’t even bother to follower her. Do better Charles

Beetle juice's multiple limbs very funny gag

Also he started scatting

Poor Lydia :(

Lydia started like having a mental break down when BJ started singing “I’m gonna have a new best friend!” like someone please give this girl a break. She so smol

Beetlejuice stopping her from killing herself 

“Say my name” was SO INCREDIBLE

the line “and kill him” was said so quietly that he was like trying to have Lydia not hear him

FAKE CARTWHEEL

Any time Lydia said Beetlejuice a light would shine on BJ but then go out when she would go beeeeeee- “cuz/” “being” “be a doll”

Nice lighting touch

The lighting, in general, was amazing

Lydia was so intrested in the possesion of Adam and Barbara it was so cool to see the little glimmer of a plan forming in her head

SHE PUSHED BJ off the roof and when she goes “what he was already dead” the Maitlands just kinda shrug like “she right” 

Charles and Delia trying to High-five but missing? Cute ass couple, they are actually really cute together

Maxie Dean is a creep and has ZERO RIGHTS

Lydia’s yellow dress and how excited Delia was and how relieved Charles was

Day-O was fantastic Lydia looked so happy but then it started failing and instantly she got very angry but a sad kind of angry. She had such a look of hesitation on her face when she summoned BJ but she went through with it when she looked over at her dad and he was giving Delia a kiss.

You could see in her eyes that Lydia almost instantly regretted it when she saw just how chaotic he was being, but she just kept going because she thought she had no other alternative. 

Charles reaching out for Lydia before he got pushed out of the house and Lydia looking at him as if she just wanted him to come and get her? HEART BREAKING

“It’s our house now kid!”

Intermission:

I got a cool cup and bought some merch. Very cool

Act II:

When Skye came on stage someone behind me said “Who is she??” like bitch just WATCH

Dana was amazing as Skye, Skye deserves the world she is so pure

LYDIA so chaotic as Skye definitely has a bby crush on Lydia

“Boo. Hope I didn’t scare you!”- Skye

Then Lydia scares her, Skye starts hyperventilating and Lydia goes “you’re fun!” and Skye says “I like you too!”

Poor Skye :(

Poor everyone in “That Beautiful sound”

Lydia SMILING. Any time she smiled it felt like a blessing. She seemed so happy

The clones do acrobatics in the aisles I did not expect that, it was so intense

NPR where tote bags come from

“And a book you’re never going to read” “the hand book for the recently decease?” “yep but you’re not recently deceased so...do you wanna see a sad puppet show??”

Beetlejuice looking so betrayed when Lydia left....

Lydia upstairs with the Maitlands. Omg Lydia looked so cute when she was holding the book and just kinda swaying in her spot when she was talking about it

“and we? We are old book smell people”

Lydia loving the smell of old books? Cute, adorable, 10/10

Adam being a dad

ADAM BOOPING her nose with the chalk. I would DIE for them

Lydia yelling at the maitlands when they won’t help her find her mom. WOW she had so much anger behind her voice but it was so sad because you can tell she was trying not to cry

Barbara 2.0 was amazing

Lydia walking across the stage trying to open the book :(

Charles and Delia coming back for Lydia and both of them flirting with each other...like bruh you’ve come to rescue your daughter please help her....

Beetlejuice tricking Lydia :(

Delia falling off the couch and just seeing her crawl off stage to do her Ms. Argentina quick change. ICONIC

Lydia accidentally exorcising Barbara was SO MUCH SADDER THAN I HAD EXPECTED like Lydia was having a mental breakdown she was os upset and lost and confused

When Beetlejuice showed up her face went so pale and she looked so scared.

“Well you wanted your mommy so this is what you get!” I CRIED that was so uncalled for

When the whole family was trapped Lydia really looked like a scared little kid because she is...like you forget how young Lydia is but there are several moments in the show where you are reminded that she is a scared, and lonely little girl who misses her mom

Charles trying to reach out to her but being chained to a wall, heart breaking. This scene made me so sad in general

Lydia agreeing to Marry him but her voice cracking and sounding so scared :(

THE HUG SHE GIVES BARBARA before she runs off

Charles pushing Adam and Barbara down so he could follow her

The whole Netherworld scene was so good

Poor Lydia was being pushed around, and pulled, and dragged, she looked so scared. Like she would try to run away from people but they would just grab her and pull her back. She looked like she was hyperventilating and just needed a hug but any time Charles got close to her 

Lydia calling for her mom in the Netherworld and crying

HOME WAS CHILLING

Charles and Lydia making uP sobbing, I legit sobbed 

OTHO’s real name being Kevin...very funny 

Delia had NO MERCY when she found out his name was Kevin

Adam’s name plack being “Sexy”

BJ fliritng with Adam in general was pretty funny

When BJ didn’t buy the wedding thing and went to go kill Charles Lydia did no freaking hesitate and went to go grab the art peice to kill him with

ADAM FOR THE WIN

Creepy Old guy was very funny

When BJ came back to life and everything was shaking on stage Sophia straight up yeeted her hat off stage, I laughed so loud even though nothing else funny was happening on stage

Lydia looked so mortified when she killed BJ

Juno coming back for Lydia and Lydia actaully looking scared, but then the threat paused and Juno tricked BJ with love, and then went right back to Lydia. The whole family trying to protect her...veyr soft

BJ AND THE SAND WORM

Bj giving Lydia the cowboy hat

Jump in the line made me CRY 

Lydia flying :D

End of Show

Instant standing ovation 

I got to stage door and got autographs from Presley, Dana, Kerry, and David

[peterkayscarshare]

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow By OverTheRainbow chp 4

Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow – By Over The Rainbow

Chapter 4 - ....All My Troubles Seemed So Far Away

Yesterday was bad, today had been another shitter. Tomorrow already looked like it wouldn't get much better. He wasn't rating with next week's chances either. Come to think of it he could probably write off the foreseeable future. He'd woken up with a bad 'ead. By the time he'd left the house it was bangin. It wasn't helped by the fact that he'd driven for twenty minutes and was on the A56 towards Bury before he realised he didn't need to do that anymore. He could just sail in and sail out. Travel in silence. No more chatter about last night's telly, or which celebrity was doing what to whom and why. No more singing along to blasts from the past, no more Golden Hour and "Who's in the Toaster?" No more debates about dinosaurs and conspiracy theories and favourite albums and childhood pets and movies and holidays and past romances...and regrets. No more questions about his day....he suddenly realised with a sense of almost overwhelming panic that he never really asked her about hers...why did he never ask her about her day? Why didn't he ask that simple question!? Why did he act like those things didn't matter to him when they did? Why did he let her think she didn't matter when she did? When she does...when she always would. She would matter to him when nothing else ever mattered again. Kayleigh Kitson would "matter" to him until the day he died. In that moment all he wanted in this world was to ask her about her day. To hear her voice telling him about what promotion she was working on. To hear her asking him for ideas about how to make a BOGOF deal on Toilet Duck exciting. Just to have her next to him, to look to his left and see her face, to know she was there, with her perfume and her smile and her laughter, filling up his senses and warming his heart. Losing her had completely frozen it. The thought that she must hate him now, had shattered it to bits. He knew there was nothing left. He was convinced if he shook, he'd rattle as the pieces rolled around in his chest.

By the time he arrived at work he was late. His inadvertent detour had cost him. He hated being late. It set a bad example to the staff. Like fraternising with colleagues after work...or falling in love with your Car Share buddy. Ted 2 was sweeping up the early autumn leaves that were starting to fall in the car park. He was wearing a company sweatshirt for a change. The weather had taken a turn. It had been colder these past few days. For all his bluster about him, it turned out he was a nice lad. He'd spoken to him earlier in the week. His name was Ethan, Ethan Bask. He was in his second year of Medicine at Edinburgh. His Dad hadn't been well; John remembered that his Mum Barbara had mentioned that her husband was having tests. Ethan wanted to come home for the summer to help out. He was glad of a chance to make a few quid. He had a girlfriend. Jenna. They were on the same course. He showed John a picture on his phone. A daft selfie they'd taken with a giant plastic "Nessie" when they'd spent a weekend camping up at Loch Ness. She was a beautiful girl, with a kind, gentle face. They looked happy together. He was a lucky lad. Ethan was leaving at the end of the month. Back to Edinburgh. Jenna had spent the summer in Thailand and would be home in a fortnight. A few of the staff were organising a leaving do for him. John planned to chip in a few quid and some beers. He'd call in to wish him well. Leaving dos. One of the limited exceptions to his "no fraternising rule"....the less said about the amendment pertaining to flame haired, brown eyed promotion representatives, the better. It occurred to him that he hadn't mentioned Ethan's imminent departure to Kayleigh. Partly, he reasoned, because he knew it would make her sad to see him go and partly because the prospect of her being saddened by the news saddened him. She'd doubtless hear it from the staff Newsletter...or as she was better known...Elsie. I'm sure she'll break it to her with her customary tact and diplomacy, he thought.

John spent much of the rest of the day squirrelled away in non-foods. He took a sudden notion to carry out a stock take. Not strictly necessary but highly advantageous when you're avoiding the food aisles. The place was a bloody mess. He was furious at the slipping standards, at the poor presentation, at the amount of waste. He'd torn a strip off Adam Arnold. He was the section supervisor. "How did you let it get in such a state?! Look at it! It's a mess. If you couldn't handle it, why didn't you say something? This is how it starts. You think you're in control. You think nothing can hurt you, then you realise you're in over your head!" Suddenly he stopped. He could see Adam's puzzled face. "Hurt me?" John struggled to recover his composure, "I meant professionally...hurt you professionally. This mess is costing the company money. Get it fixed...or you'll be up the road!" With that he stormed out and back to his office. He slammed the door shut and slumped in his chair. Christ! He was a bloody mess never mind Non-Foods. Rachel appeared with a bottle of water and two Nurofen. She'd heard he had a headache. She'd been buzzin around him all day like a wasp at a picnic. He wished she'd take her arse kissing routine and sod off....after she left the Nurofen of course. He turned on his computer and opened up his emails....and it all suddenly got very much worse...

From: Cath Hilton

To: John Redmond

Subject: Company Car Share Scheme

 Hi John,

I hope this finds you well. Kayleigh called in to the office today to confirm that you've decided, mutually, to end your Car Share Buddy arrangement. I'm sorry to hear this. You were one of our more successful pairings and we'd hoped to feature you both in the Autumn Corporate Bulletin. I completely understand your reasoning though. A ninety minute detour every day is not only inconvenient but hardly consistent with an environmentally friendly travel policy. Kayleigh has now signed and returned the attached form confirming the end of the arrangement. I'd be very grateful if you could please do the same as soon as possible.

Additionally, as the driver, you will be aware that the parking space you are currently occupying will now be subject to review. Pending your acquiring a new Car Share Buddy. HR can of course assist you with this process and should you wish to seek a new "buddy", we will make appropriate enquiries on your behalf. You should note that in the event that no "buddy” can be found, or you choose to no longer participate in the scheme, the parking space will be withdrawn in accordance with company policy, within 30 days. I've attached a copy of the policy for your review.

Should you require any further information on this, or any other matter, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Kind Regards,

Cath

Catherine Hilton

Human Resources Executive

 She'd gone to HR. Already! She'd said it was "mutual". It wasn't mutual. She's the one who got out of the bloody car!! How the Hell was that MUTUAL?! None of this was "mutual". It wasn't friggin "inconvenient" either! How could she not know! How could she not see! He'd have driven to the ends of the bloody earth for her! He stood up...he was going to find her. He was going to talk to her....she couldn't do this to him. It was driving him mental. He sat down. He stood up again....he sat down again. He put his head in his hands. After a moment and several calming breaths he began to regain his composure...or what was left of it. She'd gone to HR. She wanted it to end. That was what she wanted. He'd been enough of an asshole to her already. If this was what she really wanted, he'd sign the damn form. He'd make it official. He'd let her go...again. It was becoming like death by a thousand cuts. He hit print and signed his life away. This time it felt like he really had.

Rachel had been waiting for him as he left. She was pappin on about a weekend she'd had up in Newcastle and getting her heal stuck in a grate. He'd tuned her out somewhere around her "hilarious" anecdote about Vaseline and a Fireman actually called "Geordie". He wanted to crawl up his own asshole. Instead he slumped against the car. Every part of him was exhausted. He felt like he might just die before this perpetual earache finally ended. Then the door opened and there she was. Like a ray of sunlight, like a dagger in his heart, there she was. Every fibre of his being wanted to go to her. His eyes couldn't look away; he stood up straight as though his subconscious mind was saying go! Go and get her! Look! Run! Quick! There she is! It's Kayleigh, our Kayleigh! We want her back! Get her back John! God he wished she could read his mind right now. There'd been times when he'd been glad she couldn't....particularly that time when he'd bought her a Mr Whippy and she started sucking on the flake...what!?....I mean fair dos...it was outrageous...and shit hot. Anyway, who sucks on a flake?!! She wanted to melt the chocolate apparently. It wasn't just the chocolate that was meltin that day...She looked amazing....he'd wanted her more than he wanted his next breath...By the time he drifted back to the present she was gone. Like a cloud had covered up the sun. He was stood there with Rachel making low level background noise and she was gone. Inspiration took over, "Oh, is that the time! Listen I must dash. I'm picking up my brother from the airport. See ya!" Before she could finish her enquiry about where his brother had been and what time the flight was arriving? John was in the car, seatbelt on and he was off. He saw her crossing at the traffic lights. The early evening sun caught her hair. For a moment he considered changing lanes, catching up with her, offering her a lift but he knew it was futile. He turned right, she walked straight on towards the tram station, her head down, looking at her phone. Probably checking Heart Searchers, he thought. Probably getting a "wink" from some bloke with a bloody dodgy user name. Up to now they'd just been a random assortment of losers and weirdos but the thought of her being in any real danger terrified him. The thought of her actually falling in love with any of them terrified him almost as much. He was due to announce the Christmas Team in a couple of days’ time. The thought of working with her on it had thrilled him. Finding "legitimate" excuses to talk to her during working hours. Maybe the odd very necessary trip to a wholesaler, by way of a nice little pub/restaurant, or a country house hotel. Watching the look of innocent delight on her face, as she helped select the decorations and watched the Christmas lights...and his not so innocent delight at the prospect of catching his favourite Elf under the mistletoe. Along with everything else, that dream was gone. She wasn't in work the next day. Annual leave apparently. He didn't remember her mentioning that she had any plans. It wasn't as though the day was improved by her absence. It was all just one long, endless, slow moving nightmare. If only he'd known then, what tomorrow would bring.

She was leaving. He heard it second hand from Cath Hilton when he left the signed form with HR that brought a final end to their journeys together. He literally couldn't hear anything else after she said it. It was like there was a buzzing in his ears. Nothing else mattered. Where she was going, what she was doing...nothing. She was leaving. He thought proximity without intimacy was a circle of hell, distance without hope was far worse. One month and that was it. He'd most likely never see her again. He finally caught something about cosmetics, Preston and a company car but she might as well have said NASA, Florida and a Space Shuttle. It all meant the same thing. She was leaving. He saw her later that day. He'd gone down to the shop floor to announce the Christmas Team. He'd left her name on the list. For some pathetic reason he just wanted her to hear him say it out loud. To say her full name out loud. Kayleigh Kitson...one last time...this one's for you. There was some light muttering and a faint chuckle as he'd announced her name before Elsie piped up, "Here, Mr Redmond. You know Kayleigh's off to pastures new don't ya?" "Yes Elsie I'm aware." He looked at Kayleigh in that moment and she looked down at the floor as though the tiles were the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen. "I'll consider her replacement when she leaves. The people on this list were my first choice. I thought they should know that." For a second Kayleigh closed her eyes. It was such a subtle moment it could be easily missed. By anyone whose heart wasn't breaking too. "The A Team, eh Mr Redmond. Are you Mr T?!...here…Mr R!?" Elsie's roaring laughter shattered the moment...and a few eardrums. He took the moment to escape back to his office, leaving behind the pleased, the disappointed and the, frankly, couldn't care less, to absorb his announcement. He had no idea what Kayleigh was feeling... then again he never did...till it was too bloody late.

The second time he saw her she was leaving for the night. He was observing that his rear tyre needed air yet again and supposed it was a slow puncture, when she suddenly emerged through the staff entrance. He watched her for a second; she studiously attempted to ignore him. Then, as though he no longer had control of his mind or his body he said out loud, "Congratulations." She stopped and for a second, she didn't move. He assumed she was ignoring him or maybe she didn't hear, then she slowly turned around and faced him. She looked shocked and momentarily confused. He suspected he did too. He couldn't even control his own mouth these days. Then like a drowning man reaching for a lifeline, he said, "I mean it. I'm happy for you. I want you to be happy.... and I know it's not enough but I am sorry. More than you know". The silence was deafening. "I wish you'd talk to me Kayleigh. I need you to talk to me...." "I'm talked out John and anyway...I think you've said enough. I may live in a fairy-tale but I'm not stupid....sometimes there's just no "happy ever after" is there?" With that, she turned and walked away.

[neverisalongtime-ja-blog]

Chapter 16: Back to normality

Hello beautiful people of Tumblr and other social media, is Thursday again and I’ll leave you with chapter 16.

I know that maybe this chapter is a little bit “Blah” but next chapter is super good!

Remember that I’ll be posting short stories that complement in a way the fic on Anastasia’s Instagram profile. The first one is about Mandy!

Anastasia_Truman

Much love to you all! ❤️️

——————————————————

Read chapter 15

Everything was going well and getting back to normality. Anastasia was enjoying her relationship to the fullest. They had just two weeks before heading back to Europe to continue the tour so they tried to take advantage of every day in LA as much as they could.

One afternoon, Josh invited Anastasia to one of his favorite restaurants. Surprisingly it was a Brazilian food place. He said to her that he ate there at least twice a month.

-          It’s a nice surprise that you like Brazilian food – Anastasia said while drinking a mixed juice.

-          I love Brazil. I have so many memories from my travels there.

-          Good memories?

-          Amazing memories – Josh answered and she did’t want to go further with the subject.

-          I’m so happy because my father is in town! – Anastasia said clapping low.

-          Really?

-          Yes, he landed last night and is in Malibu right now. I would love you to meet him – Josh looked at her with a stoic expression on his face.

-          Wow… I would love that – Josh smiled – Are you sure?

-          Yes! My father is amazing and super cool.

-          Meeting the parents, huh?

-          That worries you?

-          No, it excites me.

-          You already know Barbara and she is like my mother. Mark is gonna be there too.

-          When is it?

-          Tonight – Anastasia said trying not to look into his eyes.

-          TONIGHT? – Josh raised his voice.

-          Sorry to tell you last minute. We can go to my house and get ready there – At this point Josh had clothes in Anastasia’s house and Anastasia has some of hers at Josh’s place.

-          All right, I accept the invitation – Anastasia always shared a small laugh when Josh used formal sentences.

The two arrived at her house, as they planned to, and after watching some TV the two fell asleep. Sleep wasn’t something you get to do a lot on tours so every chance they had, they didn’t even think about it. Anastasia woke up by the sound of her phone, opened her eyes and saw Josh sleeping next to her, it was the most comforting view she had had in a while. Anastasia rolled over trying to take her phone and not wake up Josh in the process. She received a message from her sister Barbara.

“Are you coming or what?”

She saw the time and it was late, very late. She moved Josh's arm tenderly first and he didn’t respond, she moved it again, nothing happened, then she called his name softly, but he was still fully asleep. She was getting frustrated.

-          Josh! – She called his name loud and moved his arm violently.

-          What’s up? – He asked opening his eyes big and fast.

-          It’s late- Anastasia said with a soft voice and smiling.

-          No – Josh said with sleepy voice – Let’s stay here.

He rolled over to get almost on top of Anastasia, and he started to kiss her neck. God! She loved his neck kisses; he kissed her shoulders and then her lips to end with a little bite, which turned her on. She kissed him back fiercely and scratched his back, now he was turned on, she could feel it. Anastasia began to breathe heavily, he started to tease her touching her belly and then going down with his fingertips, she was in heaven and he knew it. She bit her lip and he smiled and then, suddenly, he stopped, he got his face close to hers and whispered “It’s late” before getting up from the bed.

-          Are you serious? – Anastasia still breathing heavy for the rush and rage.

-          Come on! It’s late – He was laughing and enjoying the moment, thinking it was funny.

-          I’m gonna get my revenge Josh Adam Klinghoffer. I swear.

-          Oh yeah?

-          It won’t be pretty – Josh disappeared behind the bathroom door still laughing.

They arrived at Barbara’s mansion an hour late. She received them at the door.

-          Hi Josh – She saluted him with a kiss in the cheek and a hug. Then she turned to Anastasia and put an angry face - I'm mad at you. I’m starving.

-          I’m sorry – Anastasia said.

-          I’m sure you are late for inducing Josh into spontaneous sex.

-          WHAT? – Anastasia said opening her mouth disgusted – It wasn’t exactly like that – She looked at Josh who was laughing.

They walked to the living room where the rest of the family was waiting for them. Her brother, Mark, was playing with the twins and her father got up from his chair as soon as he saw her. Her father was old but invigorated, his skin was wrinkled and his brown hair hung loose over his shoulders, his blue eyes showed the perks of the age and his skinny body showed hints of his drug addiction past. Regardless, her father was full of life. His eyes shone as soon as he saw Anastasia and hugged her tightly. Despite the relationship with her mother, Nick always had showed careless love for her. After the hug, she introduced Josh to him. Josh was nervous but tried to remain calm, he wasn’t a guy who was often starstruck, he had played with such world-famous people that it was almost routinary for him, but Nick Truman was an institution in rock music and now his girlfriend’s father. Anastasia smiled imagine what was going through Josh's mind.

-          I’m glad to finally meet you – Nick said – These three – pointing to Anastasia, Barbara and Mark – had nothing but great things to say about you.

-          I’m happy to know that – Anastasia, Mark and Barbara were smiling in an exaggerated way at Josh, like making fun of the situation. He smiled back.

-          Sorry for the delay but you know how I am, always late! – Anastasia said.

-          We want to eat! – The twins screamed.

-          Well the Queen and King had spoken! We better get to the table.

                                                         °°° 

-          I would congratulate you for the food but I know you didn’t cook any of it – Anastasia said to her sister occupying a chair on the right side. Josh seated next to her and her brother on the head of the table while on the opposite side was Barbara. The twins and Nick took chairs on the left side.

-          A special occasion needs special food – Barbara said – Josh, if you are a vegetarian those broccoli nuggets are delicious.

-          No, I’m not – Josh said with a shy expression on his face – But I’ll give them a try.

-          Wow a Californian guy that eats meat, that’s a first – Mark said joking with Josh.

-          I couldn’t date a vegetarian guy – Anastasia said.

-          Yes, we all know how much you like meat, especially all kinds of sausages – Barbara said to her sister with an obvious double meaning, smirking.

-          I really hope you choke on those broccoli nuggets – Anastasia did not found her sister joke funny – She is lying – She said to Josh.

-          What? She just said you liked sausages – Josh and Barbara shared a look of complicity and everyone laughed, everyone but Anastasia, of course. “Josh is funny today”, she thought and remembered she owned him revenge.

After the dinner, the twins were falling asleep so they said goodbye to everyone, including “Uncle Josh” which put a big smile on Josh’s face. Barbara put them to sleep in their bed. She came back to the table to continue the conversation.

-          So you are touring right now? – Nick asked drinking his glass of wine.

-          Yes, we leave on Thursday to… wherever the hell we are going next – Anastasia couldn’t remember where they were heading to.

-          To Germany – Josh said smiling a bit.

-          Yes! To Munich! – Anastasia said sharing the smile.

-          I’m so proud of you, you have no idea – Her father said – I checked out some tunes from your own band, how was it called?

-          Dot Hacker, dad – Anastasia answered.

-          That, Dot Hacker, An send me some songs about a month ago and I must say I was pleased. You guys have a unique melody. Those tunes restored my faith in music – Josh was speechless.

-          Hearing that from you, sir, is such an honor.

-          Oh stop the formality, don’t call me sir, call me Nick – Josh smiled again.

-          He is so talented – Anastasia said and put her right hand in Josh’s left inner thigh.

He looked at her with fear and remembered she was going to get revenge for the episode at her house. Josh smiled and Anastasia smiled back at him.

-          And are you having fun? You aren’t drinking a lot, right? – Nick said to Anastasia.

-          Come on, you say it like I was some kind of alcoholic – Anastasia moved her hand close to Josh’s genital area. She could feel him tensing his muscles and that gave her a reason to laugh a little bit. The table had a long tablecloth so everyone was ignoring what was happening underneath.

-          I’m not saying that but I know you, you are my daughter – Anastasia rolled her eyes – Are you going to visit London?

-          Yes, at the end of the year.

Anastasia didn’t stop teasing and pleasing Josh and he had to be a total actor to not show his nervousness. She just kept touching him up and down, up and down... He couldn’t tell her to stop but he tried to let her know with his eyes, she just smiled and laid her torso to Josh’s side, while he put his left arm around her shoulders and began to pinch her slightly. She was all the way and started to feel the pressure in Josh pants, even underneath their bagginess. She smiled at Josh with satisfaction and took advantage of a moment of distraction of her relatives to whisper to him “I told you I would have my revenge”. Josh faked a smile and excused himself to the bathroom… the ugly part of being a guy.

-          He drank so much water today – Anastasia said to her family laughing and feeling almighty.

-          You should visit your mother when you get to London.

-          I will see… - Anastasia answered looking to the table – I’m going to London to play in front of thousands of people, I don’t want my mother’s bad energy around.

-          An… Don’t talk like that.

-          Don’t you come and tell me how I should I talk about my mother – Anastasia said disgusted.

                                                      °°°

-          You are crazy and I love you – Josh said getting inside his car.

-          That will teach you to think twice the next time you tease me and don’t finish the job.

-          The thing between you and your mom is that bad? – Josh had a special talent to change subjects abruptly.

-          I wouldn’t say it’s bad, I would say it’s null – Anastasia looked at the road through the windshield.

-          Are you going to see her in London? – Josh asked.

-          I guess so. I didn’t even call her when we were there the last time. It’s my mom after all.

-          Eric’s birthday is tomorrow – Josh changed subjects again.

-          I know! – Anastasia said looking at him – We are going to a new restaurant in Silver Lake.

-          I’m excited for you to hang out with my friends… my nice friends.

-          And you forget that many of them are my friends too.

-          Right, how didn’t we get together sooner? We had many people in common.

-          Everything happens when it has to happen.

Anastasia stroked Josh's cheek with the back of her hand and moved her fingers behind his ear and his neck.

-          Are you teasing me again? – Josh asked without taking his eyes off the road.

-          I hope this time it leads me somewhere – Josh looked at her.

She moved her body towards Josh and kissed his neck and his jaw line, the same jaw line that drove her crazy.

-          I’m driving – Josh said smiling with mischief – We can crash and die.

-          I’ll die happily – Anastasia responded.

She continued stroking Josh through every inch of his torso, head, thighs and everything in between. Josh used his right hand and arm to please Anastasia, thanking God for automatic transmission cars. He parked his car at the porch of his house and both of them were so full of desire that he couldn’t wait more and own her right there, inside his car. It was late and he lived in a gated community but the fact of getting caught turn them on even more. She spared no shouts of pleasure, something that Josh loved.

Read chapter 17