Music Man Pt. 07

Chapter Forty Four

Cassie was not needed during Ged's first night home, and on Friday morning they both slept late and awoke groggy, with a dawning sense of giddiness that they were truly back together. Ged's erection became obvious as her hands wandered over his body, and he muttered, "I have to go to the..." was enough to make her spring out of bed and accompany him to the bathroom.

He bent forward to allow her to aim his wilting penis into the bowl, and, having finished and being wiped by her now expert hand, turned and sat on the bowl.

"Put the extractor on," he said, "I'll call when i've finished. Sorry."

It was the moment he dreaded. Somehow having a nurse wipe his bottom was professional business and he felt only minor embarrassment, but now this was the woman he loved having to do this distasteful service for him.

However, there was nothing he could do about it, and having completed the action he called her. She entered, gave no indication of disgust or discomfort, but cleaned him up and flushed for him.

"Thanks," he said, "I wish you didn't have to do that."

"I don't have to," she said, as she thoroughly washed her hands. "I love you and I'm glad to do it."

"It's not pleasant."

"It's necessary. Now come down for breakfast, or do you want to shower and dress first?" she said with a laugh. She was still naked and so was he, and both were happy to be so.

"Shower?" he asked. "I can't shower," he waved his bandaged and plastered hands at her.

She produced two large freezer bags and two thick elastic bands. "I think you can with these," she said, fitting them over his dressings and securing them with the elastic bands.

"You need to keep your hands upwards so the water can run off," she advised, turning to run the water and get it at the right temperature. "Ready?" she asked with a grin.

"Yeah," he said, "This will be luxury!"

"You bet it will, with a maid to wash you all over!"

They laughed as they walked into the huge shower.

She washed Ged first, getting an immediate response from his cock as she made sure that area was clean after the night before. Then she washed herself, while he stood and watched, his cock coming to full mast, as he held his hands upwards.

She dried him and then herself, and instructed him to keep his hands upwards while she dried then removed the plastic bags and dried his forearms.

Then she dressed him and herself, and they went for breakfast, some of which he fed himself, balancing the spoon of cereal on his bandage and hooking his finger over the spoon to hold it in place. It was a slow business but Cassie made no move to help him until he put the spoon down with a sigh, and she took over without a word.

He was grateful and impressed that she was giving him every chance to do things for himself, and only intervening without comment when it was obvious he could not manage.

She was acutely aware that his normal practice after breakfast always had been to deal with his emails and check his banks and cards. It seemed a long time ago she had witnessed this, though it was only two years. So much had happened and none of it good. Her guilt came back with a vengeance.

He saw her face fall.

"What's the matter?" he asked. He was still so euphoric after their activities the previous night and their expressions of love and recommitment, to say nothing of their intimacy in the morning, that he wondered whether she had had second thoughts.

"It's all my fault," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "Your beautiful hands. If I'd trusted you as I promised, this would never have happened."

"Cassie," he reproved her, "you've got to stop thinking like this. We can't see into the future. If that louse at school hadn't used you and made you have the abortion, we probably would never have met. Your life would have been different, and so would mine.

"If I'd not agreed to the tour, I'd probably be a director of some company by now and have two hands and have composed no songs. Please put it behind you. Look what you're doing for me. I'm so happy we're back together again. We'll get through this together. No recriminations."

She leant against him and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, you're too good to me," she said. "Now! Time for you to do your chores. Come on!"

He wondered what she meant, since he was capable of so little, but followed her dutifully into his office.

"Do you mind me seeing your accounts and emails, you know, they may be personal?" she asked as she pulled another chair over to the computer desk and sat him down beside her.

"No," he said. "No secrets between us. You get to see it all."

There was a mountain of emails, most of which were to be deleted, and none required an early answer. Then his current account, and the account into which fed the royalties for his songs and recordings. She gasped when she saw it, and the steady stream of money that came into it from all over the world.

He laughed and directed her to another account that he called his savings account.

"This is a joke, right?" she said looking at the seven figure balance.

"Well, it makes me cheerful," chuckled Ged. "You realise that there are investments and various tax free savings - all legal," he said. "I have stocks and shares as well, but they aren't doing too well since the crash."

Then he became more pensive, as he looked around at his guitars, keyboard and piano. There was the mixing desk and another, dedicated computer for his music. He could play none of it, nor compose anything.

Cassie saw his gaze and his expression. She got up and went to the piano, sat down, and played. She played 'Connie', then a number of his other compositions. Then she produced a book of Beethoven Sonatas, and played all three movements of the 'Moonlight', cursing over her mistakes, then another book and from it some Chopin.

He was dumbstruck. She had never played in his presence in all the time they were together, and he could see that her technical ability and even her style and interpretation far outclassed his own, even though he had the higher qualification.

"Ged, my love," she said. "I can be your hands until you're better. You'll just have to get used to telling me what to do."

He was overcome, and broke down in tears. It was partly his disability, partly her generosity, sensitivity and skill, and his heart was full. She immediately left the piano and came to him, enveloping him in her arms, his head against her breast, kissing his forehead.

"Why didn't I know how well you play?" he haltingly asked when he was more under control. "You can play far better than I can!"

"I don't know," she replied. "I felt shy I think. I used to play when you weren't at home."

'You can play as often as you like, you're so talented!" He grinned at her, and she flushed with embarrassment at his praise.

As usual, while she thought he ought to go for a walk to build up his strength, she merely suggested it might be a good idea, and again he appreciated her delicacy in allowing him his autonomy. So they went walking in the sunny morning, returning in time for lunch, a cheese salad which she fed to him.

Once again he rested in the early afternoon, and she undressed and dressed him as before. She prepared a beef stew, and once in the oven, she looked for him in the living room, and found he was missing. She found him at the computer, laboriously typing with his left index finger.

She stood for a minute enjoying the sight of him totally absorbed in his task, and then he noticed her, and looked unaccountably guilty.

She smiled. "Glad to see you're managing," she said. "You will say if you want me to do anything won't you?"

He looked relieved. "I thought you were going to scold me for doing this. I had an idea for a lyric and wanted to get it down while I thought of it."

He began to hum a tune, and she immediately sped to the piano and to his amazement, played the tune in key with his singing.

"Cassie?"

"Yes, my sweet?"

"You have perfect pitch?"

"Yes, my darling."

"If I show you how to work the keyboard, we could record the music on it, together."

"Sounds good."

"It will!" he laughed, and she was delighted that he was so positive and cheerful at every little success.

They spent an hour playing with the equipment, as she familiarised herself with it and they put together a new song. They sang it together and she played, and afterwards cheered and laughed at their success. He hugged her with his arms and she hugged him back and then there was kissing.

She felt him hardening, as he nuzzled and kissed her neck.

"Hold on, boy!" she shouted. "It's dinner time and it'll spoil. Patience lover, patience!"

But after dinner their patience ran out and they found themselves in the bedroom, she stripping him and then herself. The process had its effect on him and he was erect and ready before her last garment, her thong, slid down her long legs and she, like him, was naked.

"Lie down on your back," she ordered, standing hands on hips and legs apart. "It's time we did this properly!"

He lay back and she straddled him, grasping his hard cock and feeding it to her as she sank onto him. There was no resistance and he realised she was very ready. His face gave the thought away.

"I've been ready since we played the song together," she said. "That thong is thoaking!" and she giggled at the expression of surprise and lust on his face. "Tell me if I'm hurting you," she added as she began to rise and fall, squeezing him with her Kegel muscles rhythmically as she did so. He moaned and groaned at each of her movements, and was frustrated that he could not fondle her breasts as they gently shook with her undulations.

She saw his expression and the involuntary movements of his arms to her sides, and leant forward to present her nipples closer to his face.

He was amazed at first and then realised that when they coupled before the tour, she always seemed to know what he wanted without being asked. He lifted his head and took each nipple into his mouth in turn, flicking with his tongue, sucking on them and nipping them gently with his teeth.

She sighed and gasped, and began to bounce as his ministrations brought her closer to her release. Her fingers went to her sex and she strummed herself. On his part there was the gathering and gentle ache as he felt the first tendrils of his climax.

"I'm coming," he groaned, the sounds squeezed out of him as he tried to hold off for her.

"Yes, come!" she cried, "I'm there! Oh fucking hell! Yes, I am! Yes, oh yesss!" and she bucked and shook, and as it took her hard, she felt him throb, and he grunted and groaned as the semen shot from him into her clasping vagina again and again.

She fell forward onto him, breathless and laughing. "Oh, that's so good!" she panted, little hiccups escaping her as the final twitches of her orgasm fell away.

The weekend passed peacefully as they began to fall into a routine and he began to feel more at ease with her more personal and intimate ministrations.

On Saturday morning she got out his razor. He looked uncertain. She put one leg up on the vanity unit and displayed her shaved sex.

"See?" she said. "I do know how to shave!" and giggled. "I was thinking about your face, but I can go down below if you want!"

"Just stay up here!" he said grinning. "I trust you."

Thus he stayed clean shaven - up there.

She suggested a walk each day to get his strength up and he suggested an hour or so in the music room, so she could experiment with the equipment. It inevitably led to a torrid sex session in the bedroom.

On Monday morning by joint agreement, they reconnected the phones, and the calls began almost immediately.

Gus rang asking, like everyone who phoned subsequently, how he was. Cassie held the phone to his ear for the call, while Gus and Ged commiserated over his hands and the consequent impossibility of Ged's performing.

After that call Cassie investigated the speaker-phone facility.

"I'm not holding the phone to your ear every time," she said. "When it rings if you're nearer, all you need do is press that button. It's what your operational finger is for."

"Not the only thing," he said with a lewd grin.

She arched her eyebrows, "No, of course, you can call me on your mobile!"

She laughed, deliberately affecting not to understand his suggestion. He sighed, and she laughed louder.

The next call was from Vivienne, happy he was home and inviting him to the group's practice the next evening at her place, and to the Friday evening at the pub. He cast an enquiring glance at Cassie who nodded enthusiastically.

"And..." Viv hesitated, conscious of treading on shaky ground.

"We're getting on well," he said with a laugh. "She might even come along tomorrow."

"Oh, good. I'm so glad."

Graham phoned to update Ged on the Zak saga, to tell Cassie that Zak had sent in his response to the petition and to advise Cassie to meet Zak to agree finances.

Cassie was adamant that after Zak's attack on Ged she would not meet him, but Graham urged her to meet, telling her it would speed up the divorce and assuring her that he would be there as well. It was purely business and he urged her to suppress any feelings of antipathy she had towards her ex. Reluctantly she agreed.

There were more calls, from the Frobishers in London, and from Karin who was concerned whether he was coping at home. She giggled when he told her that Cassie was handling him well.

The BBC called asking if they could do a fly on the wall documentary about his recovery, which he refused but said they could interview him at crucial points.

The next call came from Marie. She was upset. He reassured her he was fine apart from his hands.

"It must be awful for you all alone at home," she said. "How are you managing? Shall I come and help?"

"I'm OK, Sweetie," he said. "I've got a very good nurse and housekeeper."

"Really?"

"Yes," he smiled, and the smile came across in his voice. "I think you know her," and waited.

"You mean...?"

"Yes."

A screech! Then another, then "Mum, Dad! Cassie's looking after Ged at his house!"

Then of course he had to talk to 'Mum' and 'Dad'. Yes she was staying with him. Yes, she was acting as his hands, yes they were back together. He was touched by their excitement and their assurances that he was doing the right thing. He told them he knew he was, and was rewarded with a brilliant smile from Cassie.

It reminded Ged that he had not phoned his mother since he left the hospital, and so he rectified that, keying in her number with his finger. She had phoned the hospital and had been told that he and Cassie had left, and that he was in her care. He assured her he was fine and Cassie got her turn to say he had been well behaved.

His mother laughed and hoped he had not been too well behaved to which Cassie responded that she did not know what his mother could possibly mean. More laughter.

It was Cassie that answered the last call they received that day. It was from Cheryl.

"Hello?" said Cassie.

Silence.

"Hello?" said Cassie.

"Sorry, I must have the wrong number."

"No, I don't think you have, Cheryl."

Pause. "Cassie?"

"Yep!"

"Oh, I'm so glad! Are you...?"

"Yes, we are."

"About bloody time!" Cheryl laughed. "You living there?"

"Yes, his hands are both inoperative, so I'm his hands."

"Oooh, sexy!"

"Sometimes. Fortunately, his hands are the only parts of him that are incapacitated!"

This earned a filthy laugh from her girl friend. "Enough information!" she giggled. "Please come for dinner on Sunday. Please! Please!"

Ged had arrived during the exchange, and nodded his agreement. So that was arranged.

As soon as Cassie disconnected he asked her, "How d'you feel about playing for me tomorrow. I can still sing, and we could take the keyboard along."

Cassie looked uncertain for a moment, then nodded. "We'd better practise," she said. So they spent the rest of the day and much of Tuesday, practising the pieces he was likely to be singing with the group, and alone.

Ged was impressed by her dedication. She practised and practised until she felt it was perfect, which was long after when Ged thought it was! So they both felt more than confident they were prepared for the group's practice.

It amused Ged the way things went on Tuesday. They arrived with Cassie carrying the keyboard but the group took one look at his hands and there was a horrified silence as they realised the implications of the injuries. Strangely no one wondered why he'd brought the keyboard, at least not then.

"Do they know how serious...?" asked Ben.

"No," said Ged. "Six weeks from now they're going to check. I'll know about the left hand sooner, I think."

There was another silence, then Vivienne came to life. "We'd better get started," she said, then noticed the keyboard. "Ged? The keyboard? Your hands?"

"Ah," he smiled. "I have four hands, two aren't working at the moment, but the other two are just fine."

There was consternation, and the group looked at him as if he were mad. Then Ben saw it.

"Cassie? You play?"

"A damn sight better than I do," said Ged. He nodded at Cassie, and Ben lugged the keyboard in. Ged sang his new song and Cassie accompanied it, but instead of playing the tune, played an accompaniment of her own, which complemented the song perfectly.

The group watched and listened open mouthed.

"God, that was good!" said an admiring Vivienne.

So began a new relationship. Cassie had shown herself able to play keyboard as well as, if not better than Ged did, though she could not play the guitar.

So August passed into September, but although the sun was lower in the sky, the temperatures were mid summer ones and it was very warm that first week. It was purgatory for Ged's plastered hand.

They joined the group on Friday at the pub. Ged would shoot admiring glances at Cassie as she played away, wrapped up in the music.

On Sunday, Cheryl's glee at their reunification and Brendan's smile was gratifying to the pair and they had to narrate the path to their present state.

Cheryl was horrified at Zak's part in Ged's disability and wanted to know whether the damage was reparable, which of course they did not know. It cast something of a damper on the celebration.

Monday the sixth of September saw Cassie's meeting with Zak at Graham's office.

Zak had been remanded on bail to the Crown Court, with an injunction against making any contact with Ged. There was enough DNA evidence gleaned from his house since he had omitted to wash any of his clothes after the attack.

Cassie arrived early to be in Graham's office before Zak arrived. She did not want to meet him outside. Ten minutes later, Graham's secretary ushered him into the conference room.

"Mr Copthorne," she announced and stood aside to allow him to enter.

"Good morning, Mr Copthorne," Graham greeted him, and without waiting for a reply (none was forthcoming) he gestured to a chair at the opposite side of the table from where Cassie and he were seated. Cassie did not greet him, or even acknowledge his existence.

Zak sat down. "Get on with it," he growled.

Graham was unruffled, though Cassie bridled at the rudeness.

"This meeting is to reach agreement on the division of assets from the marriage," Graham began. "Mrs Copthorne, as I think you already know, wants nothing from you or the marriage, and is willing to sign an affidavit to that effect for the court." Graham sat back and indicated that it was Zak's turn to speak.

"Well, she would," he said sullenly. "She knows I'm unemployed but she's earning good money. I want a 50/50 split."

Cassie sat forward, but Graham shook his head and she sat back again.