You're all I ned to get by

You're all I need to get by

Like the sweet morning dew,
I took one look at you,
And it was plain to see,
you were my destiny.
With my arms open wide,
I threw away my pride
I'll sacrifice for you
Dedicate my life for you
I will go where you lead
Always there in time of need
And when I lose my will
You'll be there to push me up the hill
There's no looking back for us
We got love sure enough,
that's enough
You're All I need to get by.
You're all I want to strive for
and do a little more
All the joys under the sun
wrapped up into one
You're all I need to get by.

"I cannot believe you just ate an entire pizza by yourself.” Jessica said following Zac back into the suite.

Dinner tonight had been a singular event. The kids had been noisy and cranky. When we had walked out of the hotel, I had literally felt the heat of the 150 or more flashes from the cameras focused on us. The boys had been bombarded with requests for autographs through the entire meal. No one had been able to agree on what type of pizza they wanted. Taylor’s cell phone rang about 15 times, apparently someone had found his number and posted it on a website, so another newly memorized number down the drain. Emory had started in (again) on the idea of getting married in Ireland, causing what passed as an argument between Ike and Emory. Diana and Walker spoke in hushed tones throughout the meal, making me more than a little nervous, because their eyes kept straying towards Taylor and I. Zac and Loveboat had argued about everything through the entire meal. Hell, if Zac had said the sky was blue, she probably would have argued that actually it wasn’t. And vice versa. I mostly just sat and sighed a lot. All I had really wanted was to be alone with Taylor.

“Zac, your gut is huge.” Taylor said, sitting in an armchair and pulling me down onto his lap. Zac absently lifted his hand and flipped Taylor off as he reached for the remote. As the television blazed to life, the activity in the suite raged. The kids were yelling and running around trying to get out of going to bed, Diana was chasing after a mostly naked Zoë. Loveboat was wrestling with Mac. Walker was yelling that a little quiet would be good since he was on an important phone call. Taylor leaned forward and whispered in my ear. “I don’t want to stay here… We should go down to the village and walk around or something.”

“Okay.” I said standing back up. “I need to go do something. The pizza is sitting like a ton of lead in my stomach.”

“Ugh…” Zac moaned. I watched as Taylor wandered sleepily down the hall to his room. He had such a sweet, sexy walk. “I think I ate too much.”

“Well genius, no one forced you to eat an entire pizza by yourself.” Loveboat said as she wandered through the living room on her way to the kitchenette. She had Zoë’s shirt in her hand. She had the unenviable task of getting not just fruit punch, but a little tomato sauce and Sharpie out of Zoë’s favorite t-shirt.

“You know, if I want anymore shit out of you, I’ll just squeeze your ass.” Zac said.

“Zachary Walker Hanson!” Diana said as she hurried through the living room. “Have you completely forgotten everything you’ve been taught?”

“No. Sorry Mom.” He said as Tay came back up to me, his jacket on, his wallet chain hanging down. “Hey! Where are you two going?”

“Cause, I’m so full I need to go walk or something.” Zac said jumping up. “Wait, I’ll go with you.”

“Zac…” Taylor began shaking his head. But Zac ignored him and ran down the hall to snag his own jacket. “I wanted us to have a chance to be alone.”

“Yeah.” He agreed as Zac came bounding back out of their room, his leather jacket in his hand.

“Are you guys going out?” Diana asked as she settled onto the couch with a squirming Zoë. Zoë was having a hard time falling asleep without her Zubbie. So, Diana had decided that some reading was in order. I suppose she was trying to read her to sleep.

“Take Loveboat with you.” Diana said pulling Zoë’s thumb out of her mouth. “She’s never been to New York before and really, it isn’t fair to expect her to sit in a hotel room with your Dad and I as her only company.”

“Deadly.” Diana said gently pulling Zoë’s thumb out of her mouth again. “Take her or you get to stay home.”

“Fine,” Zac said sighing. As Jessica came out the kid’s room, Zac just looked at her with barely concealed dislike. “Go get your coat, we’re going out.”

“Oh… okay.” She said hesitantly. “But I have to change, I have fruit punch and pizza on this.” She said looking down at what she was wearing.

“Fine, but hurry.” Zac said as we followed her out of their suite and down the hall towards the room we were sharing. She slid the card into the reader and opened the door. “Good God!! Ike!” Zac yelled jumping back and covering his eyes.

I followed Loveboat into the room and burst out laughing at what lay before me on the bed. Isaac and Emory were lying on the bed mostly naked, their eyes enormous as if they were deer caught in the headlights. “Jesus, doesn’t anyone knock anymore?” Isaac demanded, scrambling to pull his pants back on.

“Whatever.” Isaac said as he yanked his t-shirt over his head. Emory was also pulling her clothing back on, but a lot less angrily. “What are you doing in here?”

“We’re going to go walk around the village.” I said as dug through my suitcase to find a sweater. I finally found my favorite navy Cashmere sweater. “I need to get some exercise after that meal.”

“Yeah?” Emory said as she smoothed her skirt down. “Ike, please, let’s go with them.”

“But, I wanted some time alone with you.” Isaac whined as Emory retrieved her shoes and socks from where they had apparently been thrown off by Isaac.

“Join the club.” Taylor mumbled as he sank onto the edge of the bed. He picked up the phone and hit the appropriate numbers for the front desk.

“Shut up.” Taylor said flipping him off yet again. Taylor turned his attention away from the five of us moving around the room.

“Actually, I’m gonna lay money on the fact you and Cleo won’t be able to find any time alone the entire time you’re here.” Zac said falling back onto my bed.

“Why do you say that?” I asked stripping off my shorts and pulling on a pair of baggy jeans.

“Cause, I heard my mom and dad talking and they said that they were going to make sure the two of you never found yourselves alone anywhere.” Zac said smiling triumphantly.

“Do you really have to ask that?” Zac said. “I mean, it’s fairly obvious. Every time you two get alone, everyone knows what you are… Holy mother of… Who are you?”

I turned to see Loveboat walking out of the bathroom. She was transformed. She had put on a skintight blue and green plaid skirt with an equally tight dark blue baby doll t-shirt. She was wearing a pair of dark blue tights with green and blue boots. Her body was shown to it’s most optimal in that outfit. She looked so strong and lean. Her body really was what one would call a knockout.

But the most amazing transformation was her face and hair. Instead of having her hair pulled back in a scrunchy, it was loose and softly curling around her face. The way her longish red hair framed her face was a stunning effect. Her cheekbones were as high as Taylor’s. Without her glasses on, her eyes were alarmingly blue… Way bluer than Taylors. She had quickly applied some makeup. Her eyes shone with vitality, matching the glitter eye shadow and blue mascara. But her lips were something else altogether. Her lips were lined with a deep red liner and filled in with a glittering red gloss. Accentuating how full and soft they were. In fact, the only person with lips nearly as amazing as hers were Zac’s. “Ha ha, very funny Hanson…” Loveboat said as she grabbed a form fitting leather jacket out of her bag.

“Okay, we’ll go over this one more time,” Zac said sighing deeply. “My name is Zachary. You can’t call me Hanson when we’re with my family, it’ll only cause confusion.”

“Well, let’s see,” she says looking at each person in the room quickly. “We have Cleo, Taylor, Emory, Isaac and you… Hanson.”

“She’s got you there.” Taylor said hugging me. “I can’t wait until I can call you Hanson.”

“Augh, shut up!” Zac said grabbing his stomach as if he were going to be sick. “I can’t take any more of your saccharine on top of the pizza I ate.”

“By the way, that was a truly impressive display.” Loveboat said as she pulled the door open.

“Bite me.” Zac said as he slipped by her. As he passed, he reached out and flicked her on the arm. A simple, harmless gesture, one he’d done to me a thousand times. But as he did, I noticed that his hand lingered.

“No thanks Hanson, I prefer low-fat food.” She said smiling as she stuck her foot out and tripped him.

As we waited for the elevator, Tay came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I looked over at Ike and Emory and they were attached at the lips. Really, isn’t there a point where you’ve had enough kissing for a day? And then, I looked at Zac and Loveboat. They were leaning against the wall opposite the elevators; she was watching the lights flashing showing the floor and Zac was watching… Her? Zac was almost completely enraptured in Loveboat.

“Well, looky there, maybe he doesn’t hate her as much as he claims.” He whispered back as the elevator door slid opened punctuated with an electronic ding.

“So, where were you two going to go?” Emory asked as the elevator descended.

“I was going to just have the Cab driver drop us off at Washington Square, but since we’re all going, I called and asked if the van could take us downtown…” Taylor said watching as Zac carefully moved a little bit closer to Loveboat. He took a deep breath, his eyes closing.

Suddenly, Loveboat noticed what Zac was doing. “What is your main problem?” She asked shoving him. “Have you gone psycho on me?”

“Hardly… I was trying to figure out if that stench was emanating from you.” Zac said stepping across the elevator and standing next to me. “Cleo, protect me from the bad, bad woman.”

“No need for protection, I wouldn’t touch you for anything.” Loveboat said as the doors slid open at the lobby.

The wall of sound that hit us as we walked into the lobby was astounding. Loveboat flinched as the noise surged the closer to the doors we got. “Don’t let them intimidate you.” I said leaning in, practically yelling in her ear. “They can smell fear.”

“Okay.” Loveboat said as the doorman opened the doors for us. Isaac grabbed Emory’s hand, Taylor wrapped his arm around my shoulders and Zac… Well, Zac reached over and put his arm around Loveboat’s waist, hurrying her forward toward the waiting van. Taylor rushed me forward so quickly, I didn’t hear the usual insults or threats. “Is it always that crazy?”

“Yes.” I said scooting over so that Zac could fit next to me on the bench Taylor and I were sitting on. Poor Loveboat ended up sitting on the bench with a madly making out Ike and Emory. “But eventually, you do get used to it. Well, sort of.”

“Okay, Isaac, we need to have a serious talk.” Zac said his voice dropping, he sounded astoundingly like Walker. “You two will have the rest of your lives to feel each other up. So, I suggest that we declare this evening PDA free. What do you say?”

“Oh please, don’t even get me started on you two…” Zac said rolling his eyes and gagging. “I swear to you that Taylor told Cleo “you complete me” on the phone the other day…”

“Actually, you did.” I said. “You sounded like you’d had a little too much wine and you said it to my answering machine.”

I put my arm around his shoulder and kissed him on the back of the neck. “Well, you do complete me…” I whispered against his neck. “Life is very sad and empty with you gone… Cause baby, you’re all I need to get by… Like the sweet morning dew…” I started singing in Taylors ear. Before I was done with the first line, Taylor joined in. Taylor could always be convinced to sing. “I took one look at you/ And it was plain to see, you were my destiny/ With my arms open wide/ I threw away my pride/ I'll sacrifice for you/ Dedicate my life for you/ I will go where you lead/ Always there in time of need.”

“Oh please, don’t encourage her to sing.” Zac said slumping against me. “For the love of all that is holy, do not encourage her to sing.”

“Actually, I thought Cleo and Taylor sounded really nice together.” Emory said. “I think it’s funny that Cleo sings the lower part when they sing together.”

“Yeah, that is funny.” Zac said as Taylor reached over and slugged him. “Oh, that hurt you asshole!”

“Whatever.” Taylor said knowing that this one single response would make Zac mad.

“Please, don’t start fighting before we even decide what we’re doing.” Isaac said his eyes scanning the road in front of us. “What are we doing?”

“Well, I don’t think we should try wandering around the village with all of us…” Taylor said.

“Let’s go bowling,” Taylor said to me. “Hey, pull over at that bowling alley…”

“Really?” I asked as the driver pulled up in front of the seedy looking bowling alley.

“It’s not up to me.” I said realizing everyone was looking at me. “What do you think?”

“Sounds fun to me.” Emory said smiling. Of course, she wanted to go, she’d do anything Isaac wanted.

“I’m all for bowling.” Loveboat said smiling. “I would never turn down an opportunity to humiliate Hanson.”

“There isn’t a doubt in my mind.” Loveboat said as she climbed out of the van. As we walked through the doors, she looked at me and asked. “Are you a good bowler?”

“Me?” I asked as we walked down the stairs into a whole new world. There was an enormous bowling alley spread out before us, 50 lanes, a snack bar, a gift shop, all below ground. “I’m very bad at bowling… I actually have a bowling phobia…”

“I’ve got to use the restroom.” Taylor said as we stopped behind a counter.

“Me too.” Isaac said. “Zac, you pay for the game and shoes and I’ll snag some snacks as we come back.”

“Okay, but you owe me. You should ask Cleo about the time she got her finger stuck in the ball. In our family, we refer to it as “the bowling incident.” Zac said squeezing by us and up to the counter. “What size shoes do you wear? I know that Cleo wears 8 ½…”

“Holy mother… you have HUGE feet.” Zac said sliding his credit card across the counter.

As he arranged for shoes and lanes, etc., Emory, Loveboat and I walked over to where the balls were stored. “So, you got your finger stuck in a bowling ball?” Emory asked.

“Yes, but it wasn’t as bad as all that…” I said choosing a bright orange ball with extremely large holes for my fingers. “I just chose a ball with a hole that was too small for my thumb. It got stuck and when I threw it… Well, it stayed on my finger and when I swung my arm back it released. Emory, if you and Ike never have kids, consider this my apology.”

“Oh dear, you nailed Isaac.” Loveboat asked watching as Zac went and put our shoes in the seats behind lanes 12 and 13. After he set everything down, he came bounding up the stairs and past me towards the restroom.

“Yeah, it was pretty bad. He spent most of the rest of the day with a bag of ice sitting in his lap.” I said wandering down to where our lovely multi-colored shoes were resting on the desk.

I began to type in our names into the overhead score panel. Me, Taylor and Zac on lane 13. Emory, Isaac and Loveboat on 12. “Jessica, do you mind that we call you Loveboat?”

“Not really, the first couple of days I worked for them it was totally confusing.” She said lacing up her bowling shoes.

“Well, Loveboat my lovely, I am going to re-christen you!” I said. “From this moment forward, you will be Anne, with an e…”

“That’s Jessica’s middle name.” I said laughing as Taylor snuffled into my hair, kissing my neck.

“Ah…” He said as he slid his feet in the biggest bowling shoes I’d ever seen.

“Hey, who’s Anne?” Zac demanded as he came bounding back to where we were sitting with bags of pretzels and chips.

“That’s Jessica’s middle name.” Taylor said standing in his ridiculously colored shoes.

Just then, Emory and Ike came sauntering down the steps to where we were sitting with a tray full of beers. “Hey,” Isaac began. “Who’s Anne?”

“Geez, aren’t we all a little touchy?” Isaac said setting the beers down. He handed a beer to each of us and then the fun began. Now, let me explain something about my athletic prowess. I can swim forever. I can run 10 miles a day. I can dribble a soccer ball the length of the field. But I cannot throw a bowling ball straight to save my soul. Taylor, Isaac and Zac all tried to explain to me about throwing straight, about not rotating my wrist as I released, about letting the ball go when I was on my left leg, since I’m right handed. But of course, none of it sank in. It all went right over my head. Soon, everyone had fairly decent scores (in the 80’s and 90’s) and I had 32.

On the second game, the scores climbed a little with Anne winning both games easily, while mine remained in the 30’s. Losing was never an acceptable choice if you were Zac. So, Zac’s snide little comments began to come more often and be just a little bit meaner. Soon, they were in a full on insult trading war. As their words got meaner and meaner, I noticed that they touched each other more and more often. And as the beers quickly disappeared, I noticed they were now sitting next to each other. Hands lingering on the others knees, arms, thighs. Anne had at first been very careful to always pull her skirt down when she sat, but now, she was just sitting and letting her skirt stay where it was. And, their insults were followed with lots and lots of laughing. And on more than one occasion I noticed Zac or Anne whispering in each other’s ear.

By the time we were playing our third game, I noticed my thumb wasn’t sliding out of the hole as easily as it had been earlier. I also noticed a significant number of empty beer bottles were gathering around the edges of where we sat. I put my head down on my knees trying to steady the room that was wavering back and forth. How did I drink that much? Why did Taylor let me drink that much?

“Cleo! Yo, Cleo!” Zac yelled directly into my ear. His breath was warm and smelled suspiciously like beer. “It’s your turn!”

“Jesus, Zac, you don’t have to yell.” I said blearily raising my head. Zac stood in front of me wearing a hideous turquoise and orange bowling shirt with the name Sticks embroidered just above the left pocket. In his hand, he held a shirt that matched his exactly, but the name Cleophus was embroidered onto this shirt. “Cause, I’ve called your name about 20 times and you haven’t answered. I was afraid you’d passed out. Put this on.”

I took the offered shirt and noticed that everyone else had one as well. I was now apparently on Team Hanson with Sticks, Taytor Tot, Loveboat, Dad and Golda. “Where’d you get these?” I asked as he pulled the shirt on over my t-shirt.

“The pro shop has an embroidery machine and the lady who runs it was still here.” Zac said his voice more slurred than it probably should have been. “I paid her an ungodly amount of money to stay and do them for us! They’re brilliant.”

“If you say so.” I said blearily stumbling up to where the balls were spinning around. I found my obnoxiously pink ball and spun it around until the holes were facing up. I fumbled with my fingers until I could pick up the suddenly 80 pound ball.

“Okay, now honey,” Taylor said behind me. I could smell his warm, natural boy scent envelope me from behind. His breath was warm against my neck and smelled strongly of beer. He moved in behind me, his legs sliding in behind mine, his hips nestling against my rear end, his arms sliding down my arms. “Now, you are going to take 3 steps forward, leading with your left foot. As you plant your left foot, swing your ball arm back and then aim the middle of your palm and the ball with the center arrows.”

“Okay.” I said. All of his instructions weren’t making much sense, but the proximity of his body was doing a very, very good job of totally distracting me.

“I know that you’re going to get a strike this time.” He said stepping away from me.

“I am?” I asked turning towards him. He looked so handsome and rumpled, his cheeks pink from the beer. He smiled a sweet crooked smile at me. I turned and tried to do just as he had told me. Three steps leading with my left foot, on my third step, I swung my hand with the ball back and then brought my hand forward to send the ball spinning down the lane, but…. There was no ball.

“Oh shit…” Taylor moaned behind me. I turned to see a brilliant red Taylor laying on the floor his hands grasping his pelvic region.

“Guess.” Zac said practically falling over he was laughing so hard. I watched as he turned and continued laughing as he headed toward the snack bar.

“Aw, baby, did I dent your package?” I asked smoothing his hair off of his sweating forehead.

“Dang, Cleo, you are dangerous.” Isaac said coming over and helping Taylor stand up. “Dude, you need to just sit and relax, the pain will probably not go away… But at least you won’t be laying on the floor of a bowling alley.”

“I’m so, so sorry.” I said as I helped him to sit. “Words cannot express how sorry I am.”

“Here, put this in your lap.” Zac said as he plopped a bag filled with ice into Taylors lap. Taylor visibly winced at the cold and the weight landing unceremoniously in his lap. “Cleo, you have flawless aim until you actually try to bowl. I mean, he was standing behind you with his hands on his hips and you let go of the ball right at the apex.”

“I didn’t let go of the ball.” I said suddenly feeling like I was going to cry. “I would never hurt you on purpose.”

“I know,” Taylor said smoothing my hair back. “I still feel like I may puke.”

“Cleo, don’t cry.” Taylor said putting his arm around my shoulder and pulling me against his chest. “Have you had a little too much beer?”

“A little too much?” Zac asked cocking an eyebrow in my direction. “That may be an understatement.”

“Zac, lay off Cleo.” Isaac said sitting behind me and rubbing my back. “I think you, my boy, have had as many beers as her. And you have crossed the line from being funny to being mean.”

Zac stood his arms crossed over his chest. I could practically hear the snotty remarks chasing themselves around his brain, his lip jutted out, his eyebrows pulled together. He looked a lot like his father right before he gave us a talking to. Then suddenly his face softened. “I’m sorry Cleo.”

“No problem Zac.” I said smiling at him. “And Tay, I’m really and truly sorry.”

“I know, but you know this may put a crimp in some of my plans.” Taylor said quietly, gently placing a kiss on the end of my nose.

“Loveboat, it’s your turn.” Zac yelled turning away from Tay and I in disgust.

“Wow, Anne,” Ike said as she walked up to snag her ball. “If you get one more strike, you’ll have a turkey.”

“Not even a problem.” Anne said as she dried her hands before grabbing her ball.

“You know I don’t have that much money Hanson.” Anne said. “Not that I’m worried I’ll have to pay you…”

“Sounds more like a punishment.” Anne said as she stepped up, released the ball perfectly. I watched as the ball rolled down the center of the lane and knocked over every last pin. Suddenly, on the overhead screen instead of our scores, a turkey went strutting across the screen. “Dang, I should have bet the money. Cause Hanson, I would have made sure you paid up.”

“I never agreed to anything.” Anne said crossing her arms across her chest. “And really, I would never consent to kissing him, ever.”

“What? Why not?” Zac asked. I watched his face as it went from smug to hurt to angry. “Why wouldn’t you want to kiss me? Girls all over the world want to kiss me!”

“Geez Zac! You’re a little conceited.” Taylor said from where he was sitting next to me.

“But, it’s true!” Zac protested. I could tell that her refusal to kiss him was hurting his pride a lot more than he liked to admit. “I could go down in front of the hotel and any of the girls out there would GLADLY kiss me. And I’m a damn good kisser, you can even ask Cleo.”

Suddenly five pairs of eyes locked onto me. “What? Zac, what are you talking about? How would I know that?”

“Cleo, don’t play dumb.” Isaac said. “We all know what happened in Mobile.”

“You all know what?” I asked, making my eyes as huge as possible, trying my hardest to make myself look totally innocent in every way.

“Cleo, you are so not an actress and your innocent act wouldn’t even fool Zoë.” Taylor said. I reacted by elbowing him and connecting with the sorest part of his anatomy. “Oh God, I really am going to puke…”