My Musical Cowboy

“Are you okay, love? You’re awfully quiet. And where are we going? The beach is deserted, and I’m feeling a chill coming on?” she prodded him. He just kept on walking without saying a word. He didn’t know how she would take it, only that most women got freaked out when guys asked them the big question, but the truth was that he loved her and loved her company, the s*x was great, and she was now fully integrated into his life. They saw each other four times a week, mostly due to her busy schedule, but she always made time to travel to his place out of town for a night or two. He too had his wits wrapped around her. She was a part of him, and anything to the contrary would break his heart to smithereens.

“Just a lil bit longer sunshine. We’re almost there,” he said hoping that he had bought more time. The moon shone brightly in the horizon and the winds died down as if in his favor. The water’s scent and warmth engulfed them as they dug their feet into the soft sand on the waterline. When Lilies looked back, they were about two kilometers from the other people, and she felt a little uneasy. The view was great, but he was acting so weird that she needed to know what she was getting herself in to.

She let go of his arm and looked at him with her hands crossed on her chest. She was not going to take another step before she knew what Cody was up to. He looked at her briefly and then went down on one knee after pulling a small velvet case from his pocket. Lilies froze in amazement. Her mind went blank as her ears primed to what Cody was saying.

“My love, ever since I lay my eyes on you, my heart has led me to believe that we can shape our own destiny. You have been there for me through the toughest of times and in my joyous moments. I want you to be a part of my life, and there is nothing in this world that would get between you and my love. I ask you with the deepest sincerity to be my wife.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as if from a gush in her eyes. She knelt beside him and cried softly.

“Yes! Yes, Cody, I will,” she said amidst sobs as she spread out her fingers, ready to take his ring. Cody felt the sting of his own tears in his eyes but held them back. She had said yes . . . She was going to be his wife. Cody slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed her hand gently before he got on his feet and took her in his arms. She looked into his eyes as he lowered his head to kiss her. The ring had set him back several thousand dollars, but Lilies was worth it. Cody’s parents had passed away when he was younger, and his sister had moved to Africa on a humanitarian mission. There was no way to reach her especially after they had fallen out when he opposed her marriage to a man old enough to be her father. His brother worked as a lumberjack in the city so he was sure that at least he would be at the wedding. They got married five months later in a glorious ceremony in Boston. Her father had insisted on it since most of her relatives wouldn’t be able to travel to the city. It was a beautiful ceremony, one worthy of the princess she really was.

When Cody’s career took off, Lilies was torn. She didn’t know how she was going to manage her schedule, so she did the one thing that surprised even Cody. She stepped down and decided to be a homemaker. Of course Cody was not so supportive, but she only smiled.

“I am a homemaker, and home is where the heart is. And my heart is with you,” she said before she kissed him, silencing him. He knew then that there was no changing her mind.

*****

Cody, Lilies, who was now his stylist, and Gordon waltzed out of Virginia Highlands Airport, suitcases in hand. He had the typical cowboy look, and his wife, just to fit in, donned a cowboy hat and a blue denim shirt. Mr. Gordon too had given the old cowboy look a try except his tummy was too huge, and he had had to abandon the tight jeans on the way to the airport for a more comfortable polyester trouser. The two had disapproved, but there was nothing they could do about Gordon’s wardrobe. As they walked towards the stretch limo, the place was full of fans, proving that Outspace Records had undertaken a massive advertising campaign.

Cody was now a star, and there was no looking back. He pictured the stocky manager of The Stallion registering shock on his face as he watched the TV that evening. He had lost his job in just a month after it was apparent that he and Lilies weren’t just going to drop out after a few nights. The manager had come up with the flimsiest of reasons to fire him hoping to extinguish his existence and win over Lilies’ heart. But the shock was far from over. Lilies disappeared from The Stallion completely and could only be seen in the cowboy’s company.

Cody’s first performance was in Bristol, Tennessee, the birthplace of country music. He was received with jubilation and was even more surprised when the audience sang along to his songs. He would perform there for two days and later headed down south. Most of the support staff on his tour would hit on his wife openly, but he couldn’t do anything since the portfolio said he was single. She enjoyed the attention, but he didn’t quite take to it kindly. On several occasions, scuffles ensued between him and other staff, and he was brushed off sympathetically. Lilies was a jewel and everybody’s favorite, but her husband’s behavior was getting to her.

“Maybe you should just come out clean and spoil everything,” she would say every time he seemed carried away or on the nights she sneaked into his cabin only to find girls scuttling for a chance to spend the night with him. On one occasion, Lilies had to physically wrestle down a drunken girl who had insisted on blowing Cody right in front of her. Even though a fight ensued between them, the two made up as they made passionate love afterward. On several occasions, the manager just sat back and enjoyed the drama whenever they went out to relax. It was all he could do to ensure he protected his asset. They had separate hotel rooms, but Cody couldn’t let her out of his sight. He would sneak into her room the moment he had the all clear.

Matters got worse when he was performing in Denver three months to the end of the tour. He had just got off the stage and headed for the dressing room when two girls sneaked into the cabin. He was tired and sweaty, and when he walked in, he took off his clothes and dropped them in a pile on the floor before disappearing into the shower cubicle. After a refreshing shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and then reached for a towel to dry his hair. He stepped out of the shower cubicle cursing when he didn’t find the towels on the ramp. But what he saw shocked him.