Desire ch. 12 - Sleep? What's that?

[itztigress3]

Chapter 12 – Sleep? What’s that?
POV: Emily/Zac
Word Count: 2454

July 6, 2009; Monday (12:15 am)

-Emily-

I parked at Sonic Ranch, glad to be sitting still after the 12 hours of driving and hearing the boys cutting up and blasting loud rock music behind me. The headache had started seven hours into the drive and after the stream was turned off I requested the volume be turned down, which they did.

We got out of the van and everyone stretched and moved a bit. We had to unload the car but we had no idea where the rooms were yet, so we walked inside first.

“Zac! Taylor! Isaac! Welcome!” Carrick was excited to see them, justified he had missed Fools Banquet.

“Hey! It’s been too long!” Taylor said.

There were hugs between them and I just waited, trying to suppress the headache.

“I did catch some of your stream but we’ve been super busy setting up.”

“That’s cool. We understand so no problem.” Isaac said.

“Zac, you said there would be four. Where is the other guy?”

Guy? I was no man! What the hell?

Zac stepped to the side out from in front of me. “Actually, it’s not a guy. This is Emily Daniels, she’s our General Manager.”

He really looked shocked that I was there.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, I’ve heard a lot about your skills at whipping things into shape.”

I glanced briefly to Zac. “Yeah, I have that ability. It’s nice to finally meet you too. I’ve heard a lot.”

He looked at Zac. “Are you sure that you’ll be ok sharing a room? Zac, all rooms have queen size beds and I am sure you knew that.”

I looked at Zac, wondered how he was going to explain this one. I damn sure wasn’t!

“Not a problem, she toured with us for the Walk and our bunks were close and we shared a few times on tour as well for budget purposes. It won’t be a problem and I asked her before we left.”

Taylor and Isaac looked as impressed as I did, but considering no one was else was here at the moment why not just tell him the reason was because he’d slept beside me for more than a year?

“Ok. Well you have three and Ike and Tay have six. Sorry there opposite sides I had Zac on a trundle bed with you guys but kind of glad I moved him.”

They giggled and got room keys and then we unloaded the van. It was mostly suitcases with cloths but there were some musical instruments like their guitars, so we got everything. Our room was very nice, had an attached bathroom as well.

“Nice rooms.” I said.

He smiled. “This is actually the master bedroom for the main part of the house. I will show you around tomorrow when it’s daylight. It’s very pretty here.”

I smiled. “I am counting on it!”

We didn’t do much unpacking, went and greeted some of the other guest that had arrived. Jacob, Andrew, and Paul were already present and we greeted them all. It was slated so far that just men were going to be here, it was what Carrick said as we met people.

“Well, not all men. This pretty lady is here.” Paul said as he gave me a side hug.

I pulled away rather quickly; none of the others had bothered to actually touch me. I did see Zac start to say something, and then stop.

“That is true, not fair though for one woman with the rest of us.” Jacob said.

“You won’t notice I am here. I’m not going to be part of groups so, I’ll be invisible.”

“You are anything but invisible.” Andrew said.

Taylor and Isaac glanced at Zac, who was trying very hard not to say anything, I wondered if he would be able to make a week without punching someone, the way he was acting now, the answer to that was no. They chatted a bit, but I finally called it quits and went to the bedroom, Zac was behind me within minutes.

“Are you ok? You’ve looked kind of miserable for the last ten or so minutes.”

“Headache. Are you ok? You looked pretty tense.”

“I’m ok.”

I put my pajamas on, took something for the headache and lay down. He changed and lay down with me, making sure the door was locked, he was really good at head massages when my head was hurting so bad and he did that until sleep took us both.

~ 8 am ~

When Zac got up I woke up, wondering why he was getting up so early, but then I heard Jacob outside the door.

“Go back to sleep.” He said.

“I’m awake now…”

I got up and he answered the door and told them he’d be out in a few, and then we got dressed for the day. We first got breakfast, which considering a bunch of men had cooked, was pretty good. After that, Zac showed me around the ranch so I’d know where things were. When he joined a group, I did what I said I was, I became invisible by not bothering anyone. I spent a good part of the morning wondering around the Ranch on my own, taking in the different rooms and the view outside and taking pictures.

However, when I did start sitting with groups I tried to stay near or with Ike, Tay, or Zac. Because I wasn’t too sure about the other men here and Paul kind of freaked me out when he hugged me the night before. About noon Casey showed up and I was rather shocked that Zac’s hug to him was more akin to his to me, but then Tay informed me they’d been good friends for a long time, when Alex arrived it was the same thing and the same reason.

By three there were 12 other men present in the house and me. It felt a little strange, but I tried to stay where a Hanson brother could see me. About 4:30 I managed to find myself outside with Casey’s group, but no Hanson brother. Paul was sitting beside me on my right and Casey the left. I was simply listening to everyone, but the line they had sucked; it was weirdly worded and sounded unnatural.

I was mumbling the lyrics about jealous behavior trying to come up with the words when the correct ones seem to tumble out by mistake.

“That’s it!” Casey almost yelled.

I jumped some confused, I wasn’t sure anyone could even hear me. He quickly repeated what I had said and everyone seemed to like it. I said they were welcome when they thanked me. I was simply listening to them finish it when I felt a hand on my thigh, I looked down and found Paul’s hand on my thigh and I moved his hand.

“Please, don’t do that.”

“You look very pretty.”

“Thank you.”

“You live in Tulsa, right? You work for Hanson.”

“Yeah, I do. I do work for them; I am the General Manager of their studio.”

He looked impressed. “I thought it was warehouse manager.”

I paused. “I don’t believe I ever said what my previous title was.”

“Well, I have seen their website with your picture and title.”

“Oh. Yeah, it’s a recent change.”

He slid a little closer and I slid away, but bumped into Casey on the other side. I looked at him and he must have seen something.

“Emily, would you mind seeing what the other groups want for dinner? I was thinking spaghetti.”

I gave him my best thank you look and got up and speed walked inside, I ran into Isaac literally in the hallway.

“Ems?”

“Where is Zac?”

“He’s with his group in the studio. You look a little pale, are you ok?”

What could Zac do really? He was hitting on me because according to everyone I was single.

“Yeah, it’s just…I’m not use to people hitting on me anymore. Every guy I’m around knows about us. Paul was and it just…I don’t know freaked me out a bit.”

He smiled. “Yeah, I’ve seen the looks from Zac too. I was about to make dinner why don’t you join me?”

“Sounds fun, Casey mentioned spaghetti.”

“It’s what I was making.”

I followed Isaac to the kitchen where we fixed dinner for everyone. It was kind of nice to spend some time with Isaac alone, it was kind of rare that I was alone with him actually. We didn’t fix plates or anything but before it was done I went and called everyone. I got my seat beside Zac but Paul sat down on the other side. Dinner was pleasant though, Paul kept his hands to himself but I felt Zac’s knee against mine for the whole dinner.

After dinner they split again, but I followed Zac to his group which was Casey and two others, I then watched as he seemed to inhale Mt. Dew. I could understand why, I was tired as hell and the headache was coming back.  These sessions were different that the boy’s normal jam sessions, but I was finding them interesting. I was wondering how any of them were even staying awake, let along lucid enough to think straight. I really should go to bed, but I didn’t want to be in the room alone.

About nine I got up and wondered around, trying to stay awake, but I didn’t wonder long because Paul was also wondering around and he did make me uncomfortable. I was fighting the tiredness and the headache because I wanted to wait for Zac. But he was wide awake and I wondered if this was completely normal for them during these song retreats. Sometime about eleven though I laid my head over on his right shoulder, fully intent on hoping to just get his attention but I closed my eyes for just a moment, and then gave up.

-Zac-

After showing her around her had kind of wondered a bit and then sat around a group. I hated when she was not within my sight or within Ike or Tay’s because I couldn’t see what was going on or know. However, I had to deal with and I did try to all day. Emily moved around all day between groups, often being very quite but Casey did tell me after he came back in that she had helped their group without even trying too. He also told me that Paul had hit on her while she was there and that she seemed a little afraid, but she didn’t say anything to me about that. It pissed me off that he had actually hit on her, I knew Emily wouldn’t bite but still, it pissed me off. Yet, there was nothing I could do because no one here but my brothers knew we were even a couple, so they all felt she was single and available.

I kept my eyes on Paul during dinner and I was glad she came with me, she moved about nine but came back, I kind of thought she’d gone to bed because I knew she was tired. I felt her lean over onto my shoulder and when I glanced down she was asleep. Casey looked up and smiled at me.

“Is it your shampoo?”

I smiled. “No.”

“You should probably wake her up.”

“She’s not bothering me and I don’t plan on moving, so she’s ok.”

He smiled and it was almost like he knew, but he didn’t know she was my girlfriend. Although, maybe he should know he was one of my best friends. We sat there for another hour talking, playing, singing, and Emily slept through it all. He finally said he was crashing and I agreed with him, but he suggested waking Emily up and I knew her head had been hurting and waking her up would be make it worse, if I could get her to bed without really waking her up it would help her.

“I’ll just take her bed.”

He giggled. “You know Zac; the girls are supposed to be awake for that.”

I laughed. “Dude, I just don’t want to wake her up and I meant just taking her to the bed nothing more.”

He smiled and watched as I picked her up off the sofa, Emily opened her eyes for just a moment but when she saw me she got a hold of the back of my shirt and laid her head on my shoulder. Her other hand was holding onto my arm.

“It has to be the shampoo; Gabby and Julie hung all over you at Fool’s Banquet.”

I gave him a weak smile.

“Do you know where her room is?”

“Yeah, I do.” I had to go there myself really.

He smiled again. “Gabby said you knew where hers was too.”

“She told me and I actually did carry her to bed once too. I think it was late that week.”

We walked out of the room to the hallway.

“Is Julie or Gabby coming?” I asked.

“Carrick invited them and they said they would arrive Wednesday. Yeah, I am sure you knew where her room was.”

I looked at him. “What do you mean by that?”

“They hung on you; surely you didn’t deny them all week.”

“I did Casey; you should know me better than that.”

“Well, based on what we saw…I was kind of hoping you hadn’t taken their offer.”

“Yeah, I didn’t. Anyway, she is getting a little heavy. Sleep well and I’ll see you all later today.”

“Good Night Zac.”

“Night Casey.”

We turned opposite directions and I carried Emily to our room. I laid her down on the bed and then closed and locked the door. I didn’t want to wake her up so I just took her shoes off and managed to slide her pants off too without waking her up, the shirt and bra would have to stay. I stripped to boxers and then lay down beside her; she turned and curled up next to me.

I reviewed our week here earlier this year. I never much paid attention to how Gabby or Julie acted, sure I knew they were hitting on me and while I had carried her to bed, I hadn’t said what happen afterwards. I never slept with her but she damn sure tried. If they were coming then they were surely going to attach themselves to me and if Emily had problems with the pictures, what would she do when she saw it?

I bite my lower lip; I would have to tell her what happen at Fool’s Banquet.