Chapter 3

Do you mind if I kiss you?

May 7th 1990

Beacon Hill, Massachusetts

Rufus had awoken the next morning to the feeling of Alison's legs moving next to his head. He turned to his side just as she was waking up.

"Hi," she said, biting her lip. "We umm…we fell asleep."

Rufus itched the back of his head. "Yeah we did," he laughed. "It was the poison dinner you fed me last night."

"Oh be quiet," she poked him.

"Don't poke me!" he moved in closer and started to tickle her.

"No!" she laughed squirming away. "Don't…..don't tickle me," she breathed. "I…I hate it….RUFUS!" she laughed, trying to jump from the couch.

He let go and couldn't help but laugh at her. "You still haven't changed."

"And what's that suppose to mean?" she put her hand on her hip, eying him trying to look stern.

"Just the same things that bugged you in high school still do. And I can always tell when you're lying," he laughed.

"Well that makes two of us Humphrey. You always scratch the back of your neck when you're lying. You can always fake a smile when your mad, but you'll never quite look at me in the eye," she crossed her arms. "So don't think you're the only one that can read people."

He rolled his eyes and got off the couch, stretching his arms out. He glanced down at his watch and noticed that it was after ten o'clock. "Shit," he looked for his shoes. "I was supposed to be at Aarons at nine. We were supposed to pack up the vans."

She looked at him and quickly got off the couch grabbing her keys. "Here take my jeep and go."

He looked at her, "You sure?"

"Yeah, Katie left her car here if I need one. Just bring it back in one piece alright," she smirked. "I don't think my father would enjoy you totaling another car of his."

He looked up at her as he tied his shoe. "That was not my fault!" he laughed. "That ditch came out of nowhere!"

"Yeah and it decided to do donuts in that field on its own as well, right?" she opened the fridge and pulled out some orange juice.

Exactly, he laughed grabbing a banana from the counter. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"I'll be here," she started to pour herself some cereal. "And remember what I said!"

"Yeah, yeah" he said as he walked out the front door. He walked down the sidewalk and to her car. He couldn't believe that he was late. He knew the guys were going to give him crap for it. Driving down the road he thought about the previous night. He actually had fun. He had forgotten what it was like to hang out with her.

Lily had always been go, go, go, not that he minded, she was damn exciting and it thrilled him. But it was nice to have someone take care of him, something that Alison always did for him. Not that Alison didn't like to have fun, she was just more quiet and reserved, but when she let her hair down she was a lot of fun too.

He started to think about Lily again. It had been a little over three months now and he still thought about her everyday. He just didn't know what happened between them. He never thought their worlds were that much different. Maybe his mother was right. Money liked money and that's how it always would be. Sighing, he didn't know what to think. Lily was always throwing him for a loop.

He pulled into the parking garage and then ran across the street to the warehouse behind the bar. Aaron was the first to see him. "Where the hell have you been Humphrey? This is taking us forever!"

"Hey sorry," he hurried and picked up a speaker lifting it into the van.

"Yeah man," Dusty looked at him. "You never came back to the house last night."

Mike looked up from behind the back of the van and grinned. "You were out with that blonde," he remembered. "You must have been hittin' it all night," he slapped him on the back.

Dusty looked up surprised. "Really?"

"Shut up," Rufus looked at Mike, as he closed the van door.

"What," he laughed. "I know she's like rest of the hookers that come back looking for you after the shows. Gotta love the groupies."

"Shut the hell up," Rufus looked him straight in the eye. "Don't talk about Alison like that. "

"Hey," he held his hands up. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Nothing, just shut up," he walked back into the building.

Mike turned to look at Dusty. "What's the deal with that chic?" he asked.

"Alison?" he asked. "They dated for like one…two years back in high school."

"So what are they like together now?" he looked around. "Cause she ain't no Lily."

"Nah, I don't think so," he shook his head. 'As much as I like Alison, she's too serious for him. She likes structure. That's why him and Lily worked out so well. That chic was crazy."

"She was," he grinned. "Rufus fucked that up. It's not the same without her."

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah…yeah we all know you wanted her."

"What can I say?" he smirked. "She was hot."

Rufus walked back out to the van carrying a few guitar stands. He loaded them back into the second van when Aaron walked up to him. "So last night we were talking and we wanted to know what you think about staying here and working on our demo instead of going back to New York? He could get another month lease on the house, it'd be cheaper than rent in the city."

"That's fine, whatever," he moved a few things around in the van.

"You sure man? I mean we were just tossin' out ideas last night. We want to know what you think. You haven't really said much lately. So….yeah." Aaron looked at him trying to gauge his reaction. He has no idea what he was thinking lately.

"Yeah I know," he looked down. He knew he hadn't been the same since Lily broke up with him and he would often just go out with girls to try and forget her. It had been hard the past three months but slowly he was starting to feel better, and each day was hurting less and less. "No, really it's fine. I'd like to stay here. I don't want to go back to New York yet."

"Okay," he nodded. "Good."

Rufus watched as Aaron jumped off the van and headed back into the building. He was actually relived that he didn't have to go back to the city yet. He had no idea where Lily was; If she went back home to California or in New York.

"Hey," Dusty looked over to Rufus.

"I don't need to be yelled at by you too," Rufus moved a few boxes around

in the back of the van.

"I'm not gonna yell," he put his hands up. "I just wondered how things went last night is all."

Rufus rolled his eye, "Fine."

"That's all you're gonna give me?" he laughed. "After you spent the entire night with Alison. Something you never did in the entire two years that you two dated. Come on man."

Rufus turned to him. "What do you want me to say?"

"Did ya sleep with her?" he went straight to the point.

"No," he said as he taped up a box of music. "I didn't."

"Shot you down again," he laughed. "She is something else. So what the hell did you do the entire night?"

Rufus stopped taping up the box and looked up at him. 'Why do you care so much?"

"Dude we haven't seen her in two years and all of a sudden she shows up back stage and you leave with her and don't come back till morning."

Rufus couldn't help but laugh, "You sound like a girl wanting to know what I did last night."

"Shit, forget I asked," he threw a box in the back of the van.

"We made dinner and just talked." He sat down in the back of the van not really looking at anything. "And we just fell asleep on the couch."

"How Brady Bunch," he laughed. "Sounds like Alison."

Rufus shook his head and pushed passed him. "Sometimes it's nice to have that. You don't have to be insane all the time."

"Hey," Dusty followed him. "I didn't say there was. You know I like Alison.

She's a real nice girl. But come on Rufus, you need someone like Lily."

"I do?" he laughed turning around. "And where did that get me? She left me. She's gone. "

"You know girls, Rufus. She'll probably come crawlin' back on her knees wanting you back."

Rufus shook his head as he entered the building. "She's not coming back," he whispered. "She's gone."

Dusty looked at him. "Then you need to stop moping around like the fucking death, man. You're right it has been three months. I know you loved her and all that shit and you went out for two years, but come on. You need to get your head back into the game. We're trying to get picked up here. And we can't do that with you draggin' us down."

Rufus sighed, he wanted to yell at him and tell him to fuck off, but he knew he was telling the truth. And after last night, how he treated Alison, he knew he had to stop. He couldn't wait around hoping that Lily would come back. He couldn't go out with a different girl every night to try and fill some void that never quite went away no matter how drunk or high he was. "I know."

"Listen we're all going out tonight. I think we all just need to get out and chill for a night. We've all been at each other's throats," he looked at him.

"Why don't you ask Alison to come? It'll be like high school," he laughed.

Rufus ran his hands threw his hair and looked at Aaron and Mike as they started to pack up the sub woofers. "Yeah, okay….I'll ask her."

"Good," he nodded. "We'll be down at the Bell around nine."

He pushed the box to the back of the van. "Okay."

The band had spent the morning and a good part of the afternoon packing up all of their equipment and placing it in storage until they went on the road again. None of them really said much to each other, just wanting to get everything finished. It gave Rufus time to think. He realized that Lily must be moving on with her life, so he should do the same with his. He hadn't been enjoying anything lately not even himself. It had been three months and it was time to move on.


Rufus got back to Alison's around three o'clock that afternoon and knocked on her door.

She opened the door. "Hey," she smiled.

He dangled the keys in front of her. "Only lost a hubcap."

"Stop it," she rolled her eyes snatching the keys. "Do you want to come in?"

"No, I can't," he shook his head. "Aaron followed me over here, he's going to take me back home."

"Oh, okay," she nodded.

He looked down and then back up at her. "But umm…. Later tonight we're all going out tonight to the Bell. Just to chill….hang out. Are…are you busy?"

She leaned against the door thinking for a moment. "No, I'm not busy."

"Pick you up at eight-thirty?" he looked at her.

"Sure," she smiled. "It'll be nice to hang out with everyone again."

"Yeah it will be," he nodded.

"I didn't realize how much I've missed everyone until I saw them all."

"Yeah, they missed you too," he laughed. "Even Dusty."

"Oh I'm sure that he does," she rolled her eyes. 'What about Mike?"

"Like I said, Mike is an ass. Don't pay any attention to him," he looked at her. "Just stay away from him."

She laughed, "I don't think that'll be a problem."

"Right," he looked at her. "I should probably go. Eight-thirty?"

"Eight-thirty."

She watched as Rufus turned and walked down the side walk and into Aaron's truck. Closing the door she leaned up against it for a moment thinking about everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours. It was nice being around the gang again and catching up on old times. She wasn't expecting anything out of it, and she knew that Rufus felt the same way.

She decided to take a little nap before tonight because she didn't get much the night before and she would probably be staying out late again tonight. She walked into her room and got under the covers, falling asleep soon as her head hit the pillow.


Rufus knocked on her door at quarter to nine. He quickly glanced as his watch when he heard her voice.

"Come in," she called from her bedroom. "Rufus? I'm almost ready I just have to get my shoes."

"Take your time," he sat on the couch. "No hurry."

She quickly came out of the bed room putting her earrings on and grabbing her purse off the kitchen table. "Ready," she smiled.

Rufus looked at her and grabbed her keys locking the door. "You look nice," he smiled.

"You don't look half bad yourself, Humphrey," she smiled jumping up into his truck.

He rolled his eyes and started the engine. "So what did you do today?"

"Took a nap," she laughed. "I was so tired."

He shook his head laughing back. "I did the same thing when I got back to

the house."

"What happened to the Rufus that would stay up for days on end writing music," she looked at him. "Grow soft?"

"Grew old," he snickered.

"Yes you're right, twenty is so old. You might need a walker soon to hold yourself up when you sing."

"Shut up," he pushed her lightly.

She smiled and looked out the window as they drove. She was glad to finally be able to spend some time with old friends. It was definitely something she needed. "So where are we going again?"

"The Bell in Hand Tavern," he looked at her. "It's a bar in the West End over on Union. You've never been there?"

She shook her head. "I usually stay around campus here in Beacon Hill and over in Back Bay."

"You should branch out more," he laughed.

"Yeah I know you told me that," she rolled her eyes turning to him. "So when are you going back to New York?"

"I'm not," he looked back to the road. "We decided to stay here and work on our set lists and stuff. We'll be here for at least another month."

She nodded as he drove into the parking lot of the bar. She looked around and noticed there weren't many cars. "Not very busy."

"Nope," he smiled. "We like to come here and chill," he turned off the car.

"It's pretty mellow here. 'You eat dinner?"

"No," she shook her head opening the door. "I didn't get a chance to. I was running a bit behind."

He rounded the car and they walked inside. "They have good pizza here."

"I shouldn't be eating pizza," she laughed. "When you're in training pretty much everything is off limits."

He rolled his eyes. "One time is not going to kill you. Besides you look great, you could never get fat."

"We'll see," she walked through the door, looking around.

Rufus looked around noticing everyone toward the back. "Over there," he pointed, putting his hand on her back leading her toward them.

"Hey!" Dusty looked up. "Blast from the past seeing you two walk in together."

"I bet it was," he laughed and turned to Alison. "You want a beer, or is that off the list too?"

"I'll make an exception tonight," she sat down on the overstuffed leather couch. "I might even drink two."

"Dangerous," he laughed, giving the bartender their orders before sitting down next to her.

Alison turned to Aaron, "So I heard that you guys are staying."

He took a drink of beer. "We are. Rent's a hell of a lot cheaper here. And we still have the lease on our house."

"Yeah what about you?" Mary Sue looked at her. "Don't you usually go up to your boathouse for the summer?"

"It's being renovated this summer, so I just decided to stay here."

"I remember when we used to go up there on your dad's boat," Dusty laughed. "God those were some good summers."

"They were," Rufus nodded. The waitress came with their drinks and set them down at the table next to them. "Thanks, Hannah," he smiled.

"Sure thing," she smiled back at him.

"You do come here a lot," she laughed, watching the waitress's eyes linger on Rufus.

"Mmm…." he nodded taking a long drink of his beer.

She rolled her eyes and picked up her beer taking a sip. They all sat in the bar for a few hours laughing and talking about the past, and catching Alison up to the present. There was a comfortable air about them all, each feeling they could truly be themselves around one another.

For the first time in a long time Rufus finally felt like there wasn't some ugly mass hanging over him, that if he thought about would bring him down. He was with the people he knew he could count on and would always be there. It felt good to finally be free and just laugh and truly feel it. Not to say that he still didn't miss Lily, because he did. He knew he would always miss her, love her, but he knew he could no longer be with her. And he knew for a while that made him angry, and he was still angry, but he also realized that he couldn't take it out on others anymore. He wasn't going to hurt people because of a Lily's selfishness.

Alison had forgotten what it was like to hang out with everyone. They were so different than rest of her friends that she had in high school and in college. She remembered all her friends back in high school were so surprised when she started to hang out and then date Rufus. She was the quiet good girl, but she slowly came out of her shell a bit with him, they just worked in an easy kind of way. She was intimidated by them all at first, but soon came to learn they were quite real and what you saw with them you got, which was a refreshing change to the people she knew.

She couldn't help but laugh remembering when she brought Rufus home to meet her parents; his torn jeans and rocker shirt, and the hair that hastily covered his eyes. Her mother's first reaction was absolutely not, that is after her mouth closed from hanging agape for a few moments, but it was her father's reaction that she would truly never forget. He kind of just looked at him for a moment then held out his hand giving him a firm shake before dragging him out to the shed to help him "fix" a few things. She never did find out what was said that afternoon, but they never said a cross word about one another the entire time they were together. And her father even said he missed him after they went their separate ways.

In the two years that she dated Rufus they also had never slept together—came close, but never did. She just wasn't ready for that step, not while she was in high school. Even though Rufus never pushed her, and always respected that part of her, she knew it took a toll on their relationship. Sex was something she always had mixed emotions about. She grew up Catholic, and was taught it was wrong before marriage, and she knew that was probably part of the reason why she could never go through with it. When she reached collage age, it was definitely more about love for her and she never met that special person that quite made her feel like Rufus did.

"So do you have any show's coming up?" Mary Sue asked Alison. "I'd like to see how good you've gotten since I've last seen you."

"Yeah," Dusty laughed. "Can you still do that leg thing?" He tried to lift his leg up but ended up spilling his beer on the ground.

"Look what you did you idiot!" Mary Sue picked his empty bottle up off the floor.

"What," he shrugged his shoulders. "Richard's got great legs."

Rufus took another chug of beer and took his hand running it up Alison's calf. "She's always had great legs."

Alison rolled her eyes pushing his hand away. "I think you've had enough," she took his beer.

"Hey," he looked at her.

"You had enough," she stared back at him. "You're suppose to drive me home remember?"

"Fine," he sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"You gonna let a woman take your beer away, Humphrey," Mike took another swig from his drink. "Pussy."

Rufus didn't pay him any attention and turned back to Alison. "You wanna get out of here?"

Mike looked at him growing irritated, something that always happened when he got drunk. "If it were Lily she'd be doing you beer for beer. That girl knew how to party."

"Mike, come on man," Aaron looked at him. "Give it a rest."

Alison looked between Mike and Rufus. "Yeah, let's go," she looked at her watch. "It's already after one."

"Past your bed time?" Mike smirked.

Rufus stood up and walked over to Mike, his fist balled at his side. "Rufus," Alison took his arm. "Please, let's just go." He turned and looked at her and she smiled softly at him. "Come on."

He took her hand and led her out of the bar. She turned and waved at the rest of them, mouthing that she was sorry. When they reached his truck Rufus stopped for a moment then kicked his tire a few times. She stood off to the side not really knowing if she should approach him or not. She watched him for a few seconds as he stared out onto the road. She bit her lip then went over to him placing a hand on his shoulder. "He was drunk. Don't let him get to you."

"I don't know why he always has to bring her up. I was finally getting over it," he sighed. "And I don't want him talking to you like that either."

"I'm fine," she shook her head. "I've dealt with worse."

He turned at looked at her. "You shouldn't have to."

She half smiled, "You want me to drive?"

"No I'm fine," he opened her door for her. "Let's go."

She quietly got in the car. They drove back to her apartment in silence, both thinking about the same thing. When they got back to her place Rufus cut the engine and quickly got out opening her door for her. "Thanks," she got out walking with him to her door. She opened her purse fumbling around looking for her keys.

Rufus looked at her for a moment. "I did have fun tonight."

Alison pulled out her keys and smiled at him. "I had a nice time too. Let's just not invite Mike next time."

He laughed and leaned closer to her. "Alison?"

"Yeah," she looked at him.

He lightly took her hand just barely holding it. "Do you mind if I kiss you?"

She sighed and shook her head softly. "No."

He smiled a little and kissed her on her cheek. He stood close to her for a moment before pulling back to look at her. "I'm really sorry for the other night. I never should have done that. You didn't deserve to be treated like that."

She looked down not knowing what to say so she just looked at him and nodded.

"Thanks for helping me keep my cool tonight. And for taking my beer away," he laughed. "Always looking out for me."

"Of course."

"You wanna do this again?" he asked. "Maybe just me and you next time?"

"Yeah," she shook her head. "I'd like that."

"Tuesday maybe?" he wondered. "Go see a movie or something. I mean if you're not busy…I don't really know your schedule. I know you're usually busy with rehearsals and stuff."

"Tuesdays fine," she smiled.

"Good."

She turned to unlock her door and turn on the light. "Good night, Rufus."

He started to walk down the sidewalk. "Night Al," he waved.


Up Next

Chapter 5- Humphrey's and Tour Buses

*Snippet*

Rufus walked into the kitchen of his family home and saw his mom standing over the stove. "Hey mom," he smiled from the entryway.

She quickly turned around. "Rufus!" she smiled. "Oh my son!"

He laughed walking into the kitchen giving her a hug. "Hi."

"Oh Rufus," she hugged him tightly. "I didn't know you were coming. Why didn't you tell me!"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Thought I'd surprise ya."

"Well this is a surprise," she pulled away looking at him. "Are you hungry? Want me to cook for you? You look so thin! What do you want?"

He shook his head not able to stop from laughing. "I'm fine mom."

"I wish you would have told me you were coming. I would have had things ready for you."

"Don't worry mom. I just came for the afternoon. I got some good news."

"Good news?" she smiled sitting at the kitchen table. Do I need to get your father?"

"I saw him coming in," he nodded. "He said he'd be in, in a second. But first I actually have a surprise for you."

"For me?" she smiled.

"Yeah, I brought someone with me."


The Bell-in-Hand Tavern is known as Americans first Tavern. The Tavern has been around since 1795. A gathering place for printers and politicians, sailors and students, it quickly became the most famous alehouse in the city. Today, the tradition continues. The patrons still come to eat, drink and enjoy each other's company. Live music and DJ on the weekends adds to the festivities. Bell is located on Union Street in Boston, MA.