Chapter 7

"How was the tour, Daddy?" Audrey asked eagerly a few days after Brian had come home from a stint in Mexico, Peru, and Chile.

"Did you bring us anything?" Heath piped in.

"Heath, you dork. Surely you don't expect something every time he goes away. Geez." Audrey rolled her eyes and went back to her homework.

"Doesn't hurt to ask," he shrugged.

"Just as well, because you just got dear old Dad here," Brian replied. "Anyway, it's always interesting to go outside of the US now and again, though this time I must say I'm glad to be back on American soil."

Audrey looked at him with concern. "That bad?"

"I wouldn't say 'bad', sweetheart, but let's just say it could have been better. The coffee was lukewarm, like someone mixed water with sand, for starters. Then there is the whole language barrier issue, which is a good thing we have translators or I'd be totally clueless. I can't even read bathroom signs. Instead of the easy 'Women figure/men figure' pictures, they got to put it in writing."

"Oh God," Audrey groaned. "And you went into the wrong one."

"Yeah... and I got lipstick thrown at me."

Heath began to break out laughing.

"Heath, come on, that isn't funny!" Audrey scolded him. "That had to be embarrassing for Daddy."

"But…but….Dad walked into a girl's bathroom!" Heath howled, nearly falling out of the chair.

"Ah, nice to know my son can find humor in my pain," Brian sighed. "I had a big red dot on my forehead; you'd think we were in India and I was a single woman. But don't worry, I covered my eyes and backed out."

"Poor Daddy." Audrey said sympathetically.

"That was just the beginning. I walked out of there only to find the translator and Zeke laughing their asses off," Brian sighed.

Heath collapsed to the floor, laughing harder. "I bet!"

"Heath, seriously," Audrey glared at him. "Stop it."

She then turned to Brian. "That wouldn't by any chance be some strange form of revenge from you laughing at Zeke's pajamas the other night, would it?"

"Honestly? I actually think that was the reason for that whole prank. Not funny in the least, considering Maria nearly poked out my eye with a lipstick tube. Not exactly my personal highlight of the tour."

"Why were you making fun of Zeke's pajamas?" Heath wondered once he'd stopped laughing.

Brian gave him a look, trying to restrain himself from laughing. "Have you seen that shit? Imagine yourself having a giant bodyguard who sleeps in baby blue jammies with a matching nightcap and slippers. Try waking up at two in the morning to THAT sight! I almost feel sorry for his own kids."

Heath began to howl again; this time, Audrey joined him in a fit of giggles. "Now that is funny," she said.

"The thought of the sight is both funny and chilling at the same time," Brian agreed with a grin. "But I have something in mind to get even with him from pulling that bathroom stunt in Chile."

Heath was curious. "What?"

"Picture it now, kids," Brian answered, "Brian Kendrick's Bodyguard Zeke in Gay Love Affair Scandal Wearing Baby Blue Jammies! I can get Truth to lie next to him in bed while he sleeps and snap the picture, and then print it on the Net."

"Daddy, that's terrible," Audrey shook her head, giggling.

"What, and him bribing the translator to guiide me into the wrong bathroom wasn't?"

"No, that was just cruel."

"Ahh, finally someone who understands my agony. By the way, where's your mother?"

"Upstairs laying down on the heating pad," Audrey replied. "Something about her back hurting earlier."

"Oh God. Let me go look in on her."

"She said we can order what we like for dinner," Audrey called after him.

"Fine, you kids call for something. I'll take care of the bill when the food comes."

Brian then went upstairs, finding Steffi dozing on the bed, a heating pad tucked under her lower back.

"Hey." He gently touched Steffi, causing her to jump a little.

"Hey yourself."

"What happened?"

"I think I pulled something when I was cleaning earlier today. I took a a few aspirin and came here to lie down for a bit."

"Yeah, well, you should be careful not to fall asleep with that thing on. Is it doing any good?"

"A little, I think. I told the kids to get whatever they liked for dinner. Sorry for being such a dud right when you come home."

Brian nodded. "Don't worry about it; shit happens. They're ordering something as we speak. But, you know, a little massage might help."

Steffi smiled slightly. "Are you hinting at something?"

"Just offering," he smiled back.

"Well, in that case, offer accepted. How long before dinner arrives?"

"Hold on, I'll check."

Brian then went out, calling downstairs with Steffi's question.

"Thirty minutes!" Audrey called back.

"Half an hour,"Brian grinned, coming back into the bedroom.

"Great, now they're think we're setting up a quickie," Steffi giggled a little.

"Well, I don't know if I can do a quickie massage, but whatever kind makes you feel better, so be it."

"Then do your thing," Steffi grinned, putting the heating pad on the floor and turning over.

He lifted her shirt and pulled her pants down a little so the affected part of her back was exposed. The small of her back was especially enticing. Brian slid his right hand up to his left and began the soft firm kneading of the muscles, not surprised to find some tension there.

She must have had one hell of a pull cleaning house today, he thought.

He found the knots in her back and worked them out. She cooed every once in a while as Brian worked on the sore area, getting out the kinks. He stroked down her left side to her hips and then did the same for her right side. It had amazingly good to have them firmly squeezed and gently pressed, and Steffi hummed her approval.

Oh yes, this was far better than that damn heating pad, Steffi smiled to herself.

She was relaxed as his left hand and pressed firmly at the base of her back and gently rode it up the middle before repeating the step several times and then slid his hands under her back palms up and pulled them slowly up and out .at least ten times. Her smooth skin on his hands was beginning to arouse him…..

"DAD!" Heath yelled up the stairs, interrupting Brian's thoughts. "Food's here!"

Jesus, had it been half an hour already? "Thanks, buddy. I'll be right down."

"So much for the quickie," Brian joked, giving Steffi a gentle tap on the back.

"Hmmm, yeah," she responded. "Maybe I can actually join you all for dinner after all. Thanks for performing yet another miracle on me."