The Detective and the Rockstar

Chapter 18

          She opened her eyes with a jolt. Her heart was racing, and her breathing was ragged. She was sure she had a nightmare but couldn't remember what it was. She sat there on her bed for a minute, struggling to remember what had spooked her so badly. It was useless. The dream was gone.

         She kicked the sheets off her body and climbed out of bed. Her body ached a bit, but she wasn't worried about it. It always happened after a fight. She stretched her limbs. Their loud pops and snaps ended the silence in the bedroom. She rocked her shoulders back and forth, trying to get rid of the knots between her shoulder blades.

        She walked to the living room and opened the blinds to let in the sunlight. Turning, she saw Rio's hat still sitting on the coffee table. A smile formed on her lips. There was a warm feeling flooding her heart and it wasn't the sun's fault.

        She wanted to convince herself she didn't miss him. The bitter truth was that she missed everything about him. She stood there, grinning like an idiot and musing over everything she found precious about Rio.

         Annika knew she shouldn't entertain the fantasy of being with this man. Life was already complicated. Dating someone like Rio would make things crazy. Did she want a life where she was constantly in the limelight? At the fight, she wanted to start throwing hands at the people crowding her. Rio had a lot more fans than that, millions more. She had experienced a small portion of it and it mortified her. Still, it was nice to imagine being Rio's girlfriend. Maybe someday she could even become his wife.

        She walked to the kitchen and popped a pod in the coffee maker. She continued evaluating life with Rio as she decided what to eat. They had nothing in common apart from their love of poetry. Of course, Rio's love for writing was far more advanced than hers. Still, she liked poetry, especially his.

       She opened the pantry and grabbed a box of cereal. If she and Rio were married, he could make her breakfast for the rest of her life. That would be nice. She hated cooking and he loved to cook.

         She grabbed a bowl and plopped it on the counter. How many children would they have? Six? It would be something to have Rio's baby. She imagined he would be super attentive to her. He was the sort of guy who would wake in the middle of the night to hunt down the craziest foods to satiate the cravings of his pregnant wife.

         She touched her belly, visualizing Rio's baby being in there. He'd have the prettiest babies she imagined. She pictured them. Six adorable little boys and girls with soft dark hair she'd brush every day. They'd have the prettiest smiles, just like their father's.

          She was leaning on the counter with her elbows on the black granite and her chin on her palms. She was musing, lost in the wild fantasy of being with Rio. She felt giddy, like a schoolgirl dreaming about her first crush. What was it about Rio that made her crazy? She didn't know. All she was sure of was that he made her heart race and made her feel like there was something worth living this life for.

           Her coffee was done. She mixed in some sweet cream and walked to the living room. Maybe she should call him. The thought made her nervous. Her stomach churned and she began to sweat a bit. She didn't feel this way about Eric. Maybe it was because she worked with him and knew she would see him every day. Seeing Rio felt like a reward she was working hard for.

           She plopped on the couch and turned on the TV. The smell of the coffee disappointed her. She would rather smell Rio's perfume. It was as if it had permanently permeated his skin. He looked like a person who smelled nice and always did. She could get used to a man like him. She admired that he took such good care of himself. It wasn't like he had a choice. She wondered if Rio would ever lay on his couch dressed in an old sweatshirt with stains, smelling like beer and sweat. She doubted it. He was too refined for that. Even in his old internet videos, the man screamed class.