Craig met the other members of his band at a swank restaurant in downtown Nashville Friday afternoon and they all had lunch with a business exec from Craig's brother's record company. Somehow Brent persuaded someone to come and listen to their band and now there was a record deal on the table. Craig sat listening to the man talk with his elbow on the table and his chin resting on his hand. He was waiting to hear some magic numbers. He was also waiting to hear how much of his life he was selling to the devil. He wasn't sure he was ready to make such a commitment. He had finally found the love of his life and the thought of being away from her as much as his own brother was away from his family was disheartening. He wanted a record deal so bad he could taste it but ... what he would be sacrificing would be tantamount to just about everything he waited his whole life for ... the woman he was going to marry. He took a deep breath and sat upright in his chair and eyed the other guys. They all but had massive grins on their faces. The deal what they truly wanted. And, make no mistake, he did too but he felt as though he was selling his soul to Satan. The record exec sat back in his chair and folded his hands in front of him. He was waiting for a response. Craig cleared his throat.

"Uh, well, we are going to think on it a day or two. The guys and I will talk about it and call you. Is that satisfactory?" He said. Drew, the singer kicked him under the table. Craig flinched and gave Drew a stern look. The record exec stood up indicating that the meeting was over.

"I wouldn't ask any less of you. It was good meeting with you gentleman." He passed out his business cards to all the boys at the table, shook hands and then he was off leaving the offer laying in piles on the table. Brad, the bassist, began gathering up the loose pages and set it in a stack in the middle of the table.

"Holy fuck! Our dreams -- now realized!" He said. Craig shook his head.

"I don't know, it's a lot of sacrifice. I kinda like being small." Drew sighed and shook his head.

"Man, don't start this shit. What are you scared of?" Craig just looked at him.

"Scared? I'm not scared of anything! I just don't know about selling ourselves short ...." Craig looked anxiously at the door. He wanted to take Mandie out tonight and needed to get home. Drew wasn't having any of it.

"Don't even get that look on your face Craig. We're going to discuss this here and now." Craig sighed and put his hand on one hip. Oh this means that they could be there for hours ... He wasn't up for it ...

"Drew ... " Drew sat down and pointed to the chair for Craig. Craig shook his head. "I have somewhere to go Drew. We can sleep on it and talk about it over the weekend." Drew pointed to the chair.

"Have a seat Craig." Craig looked at the other two who were waiting. Craig sat down, checked his watch and then looked at Drew. Drew draped his arm over the back of the chair and leaned toward the table. "You want in on this don't you?" He watched Craig carefully. "Because the three of us do and don't think we will hesitate to go on without you. Forest Fire can, and will, find a new guitarist." Craig felt that hit him like a ton of bricks. How dare he? Craig felt heat rise up from his belly.

"Would you really do that Drew?" He asked uncomfortably. Drew's nod confirmed it.

"Damn straight I would. Fame ... and fortune is what we've been seeking since we started this whole thing years ago. You were in on it with us and now ..." He shook his head. "You seem to have cooled off. Well, we haven't. We're moving on without you, man." Craig felt like a man trapped in a corner with no way out. He felt little trickles of sweat drip down his back. He thought about Mandie and their future. What would she want him to do? He knew what she would want, she would want him to go for it. He sighed and his shoulders sagged a little.

"Ok Drew. Do what you think is best for the band. I'll be in on it with you." Mike, the drummer shook his head.

"Not unless you are really IN it Craig. We don't want to get half famous and you drop out to work at Pizza Hut or something." He said, Drew nodded in agreement.

"I'm in it!" Craig said firmly then checked his watch again. It was quarter to five. Mandie would be leaving work very soon if she hadn't already. He stood, grabbed his jacked off the back of the chair and slipped it on. "I have a date with Mandie tonight and I have to go." Drew looked down at the table absently.

"Don't let her get in the way of this, Craig. I see it coming." He spoke never taking his eyes off the table. Craig rolled his eyes, sighed, and looked at Drew and then the other two.

"Don't worry about that. Mandie wants this as bad as I do. Good night." He said and strolled off leaving the other three staring at their futures in a pile of paperwork on the table.

Mandie drove home from the radio station a nervous wreck. She still could not believe that Marcus showed up at her job, unannounced and certainly unwanted. He was her ex-boyfriend and he was in a rival band. She had met him a few years back when she had first fallen in love with Craig and followed him and his band around like a little puppy dog. When Craig first spurned her advances, she turned to the drummer from another band that had been playing alongside Forest Fire. He was more than willing to give her the attention she desired. Until she discovered he scratched the itch of many young girls like herself. It wasn't an easy break-up and he left her feeling afraid for her own safety. He could be a violent man when he wanted to and had even slapped her once. Mandie did not like that one bit and now that she was with child ... and now he was showing up here ... She felt her breathing coming quicker as she drove, soft music playing in the background. She had taken to listening to soft music these past few weeks, trying to relax her on the way home from work but tonight it wasn't working. She pressed 'play' on the CD player and Adema began to blast her eardrums. She needed something to distract her from Marcus. She saw him standing in front of her desk, leaning on one hip, a knowing smile on his face. He had grown a goatee and with his bright, blue eyes and jet black wavy hair he was a sight. She had to admit he looked good. But looks were deceiving when it came to Marcus. He could be a real charmer one minute and the next - explode right in your face. She was too shocked to even get up from her desk and greet him. She, instead, looked around the room wildly searching for a way out in case things got ugly. She laid her hand on her phone absently.

"Hey, baby." Marcus said to her while sitting down in the same chair Craig sat in just a few days before. "You're looking good. You been working out?" His eyes roamed the parts of her body he could see behind the desk. She felt herself flush. It used to be that he could turn her right on with a look like that.

"Marcus, what are you doing here?" Was all she could manage to say. Her throat was terribly dry.

"I have missed you Mandie. Came to see what you've been up to. Getting yourself INto ..." He licked his lips. She cleared her throat.

"Well," She hesitated. "I'm working here, but you can see that." She felt so stupid for saying that. "And I'm living with Craig now." The blue eyes flashed momentarily and he chuckled.

"Really?" He asked and shifted in his seat. "How'd you manage that? Last I heard he was fucking some red head whore from Kentucky." That statement was like a sword in Mandie's chest. Craig was dating a red head before he met her. She had never met the woman but heard she looked like a Playboy Playmate. She shook away the thought and turned her attention back to Marcus. He knew how to get to her, he always had.

"Well, now he's fucking me." She said confidently. He took out a pack of cigarettes, shook one out and stuck it in his mouth.

"Only you?" He said pulling out a lighter. She shot him a hateful look.

"Don't smoke in here." She said sternly. He raised an eyebrow and put away the lighter and took the cigarette from his mouth and held it. "Marcus, get to the point. What do you want from me? You certainly aren't here on a social visit." He got up from the chair and strolled around to where she was sitting. She sat straight upright as he approached her and touched her shoulders with both hands.

"Oh, but it is darling." He said softly leaning down and kissing her neck lightly. She felt goosebumps all over her neck and arms. The hand in her lap curled into a fist. "I have missed you Mandie babe. The way you used to claw my back while I was driving myself into you ..." He licked her then. She pulled away.

"Marcus, I, I ..." She stuttered. "I don't want you to do that now." He knelt down next to her so he was eye level and searched her eyes.

"Then when would you like me to?" He reached out to her and she pulled away. She felt her cheeks hot and red and it was starting to get warm, very warm in the room. It could have been because he was so close to her ...

"Never. Do yourself a favor, go sniffing around one of your other girlfriend's butts. Mine just isn't available." She looked away from him, pretending to look for something on her desk top. He got up and stood there a moment before walking back around the desk. His presence about filled the room. Mandie took a deep breath as he turned around.

"You want me Mandie." He said matter-of-fact. "As much as I want you. And we will be together again. THAT is a promise." He winked at her and walked back out the door. When he was gone she sat there shaking for a good 15 minutes. Now she was on her way home to Craig, feeling guilty about the reaction Marcus got out of her and worrying about what he was going to do. Would he try to sabotage her relationship with Craig? She couldn't get it out of her head. They guy in front of her stopped suddenly and she almost hit him. She was shaking and now feeling a little nauseated. Craig's truck was in his parking space as she pulled in and felt relieved. She rushed inside to find him sitting on the bed putting on his shoes. She pushed him backwards and kneeled on top of him. She kissed him with much enthusiasm. He wrapped his hands around her face and kissed her back. When they broke apart he smiled at her.

"Well, good to see you too Mandie!" He said. She got up and pulled him back up. She sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I missed you today." She said. He raised his eyebrows.

"I'm guessing that. Hey, miss me this much everyday, I won't mind." She laughed.

"Hey, I'm not smelling anything ..." She sniffed the air. "Are we skipping dinner tonight and going straight for the dessert?" She teased. He chuckled.

"No, get changed. I'm taking you out tonight." He got up with her in his arms and set her gently down on the bed. "Wear a dress or something." He said and went back into the other room. She watched him leave. He was wearing nice, black jeans and a grey and black sweater. The sweater accentuated his chest and broad shoulders. Mandie loved it. She got up and found a little red dress she knew Craig would love and slipped it on. She changed her shoes, played with her hair some and then joined Greg in the living room. He was sitting on the couch staring at the television. Mandie in the red dress tore his attention away from the news and he smiled. He got up and pulled her coat off the coat hook and helped her into it. He slid on his own black, leather jacket, felt the pocket for a lump. He found it. Satisfied, he held the front door open for her and they left ...

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