Part 20



”So, Anne,” I start saying slowly after kicking out all my guests, only keeping my sister to stay afterwards. ”You and Eric look so cute together!”

”Stop it Molly!” she yells blushing down to her toes.

”I knew you liked him!” I shout happily. ”I’m sure he likes you too. I will grill him next time I see him.”

Anne is trying to cover her red cheeks where she is sitting on the sofa with her legs close her chest. She is so cute with the golden locks framing her face, it is hard to believe what a skilled dancer she is right now, but on the other hand no one really see me as a super star either when I’m not all made up.

”He is really, really cute,” she admits shyly. ”What am I to do Molly? It will never work, we live so far apart and I have my school and my career. I don’t expect him to move because of me and I don’t think I’ll ever move back here.”

”I had my doubts about Matt too, but we made it work, didn’t we?”

”Are you saying I should get pregnant too?”

”No, that’s not what I meant!” I feel my cheeks getting hot and I’m sure they are red just like Anne’s.

”I don’t know, I never had a boyfriend before,” she mumbles hopelessly.

”Eric is the sweetest guy I know. Give him a chance and get to know him. He wants to break free from his family, go to school and get a job. It shouldn’t be too hard for him to move if he likes you.”

”If!” she cries. ”Maybe he see me as a little sister or something, embarrassing!”

”I’ll talk to him and see what he says. How is your new life?” I ask changing the subject and she sighs with relief.

”I told you over phone, but I guess you want to hear it face to face. Oh well older sister, I thought Anna was a nice person. Obviously a demon can have a nice side too, she is being so incredibly harsh towards me that I doubt if I ever will become professional.”

I smile compassionately and nod for her to continue.

”Other than that, it is more than I ever dreamed of, thanks to you.”

”I’m sorry, I told Anna to be hard on you,” I confess. ”I want you to get a hard skin before you graduate, it will be easier for you to work with demanding employers.”

”I understand that. I don’t mind it.”

I put my hand on my tummy, feeling the fat I want to get rid of. Matt is feeding Lilee in the kitchen, something Mrs Gregory was mad about. She believe it is a woman’s duty to breast feed, I have once again proven to be an awful match for her son. I keep listening to Anne’s stories, after all I am only having her home for the weekend and she is going back there tomorrow. My little sister is growing up and I missed most of her life due to my own dreams. My own dreams that still will be on the priority list.

”It turns out that Matt is one of my famous stalkers,” I tell her with a grin. ”Joan told me he was one. I must dig through my letters and see what he wrote.”

”Really!” Anne laughs. ”I thought he was too good to be true.”

”Oh, he is, but I don’t mind if he stay that way and admire me close up.”

”Naughty Molly! What did Matt defend himself with?”

”He told her to shut up, you should have seen him. He was so cute blushing!”

”I bet.”

”I love him so much, from the second I saw him. How could I get so lucky?”

”Are you lucky though? Are you sure he really loves you?”

I nod. There is no doubt after all these months I’ve known him.

”I can’t focus on small details, Darlene is who I am anyway. He loves me, not my fame. It feels like I’ve been over this conversations a thousand times.” I grimace and she mouths sorry. I shake my head. ”It’s okay, you just want to be sure.”

”It is still all so new, it will take time to get used to everything. Like when you dated Jamie, didn’t you want to scream it out to the whole world?”
”I did, just not to you. We weren’t close and I was too focused on myself.”

”I hope I won’t become like that.” She scrunches her nose.

”I’m sure you won’t. I won’t let you.”

-

I walk up through some icy stairs to the large house Rick managed to buy because of me. I don’t even want to think of how much money he made off me. It’s quite funny that he lives a lot better than me. I have been putting off meeting him, ignoring all his calls. I almost threw his present to Lilee in the trash, but I don’t like to waste it. It’s my daughters gift, not mine. I have been working a lot in the gym the latest week and I feel a lot more fit. I even got Eric to admit he likes Anne, but I’m not going to tell him that she likes him back. I told him to go for it and hopefully he does.

Rick has a really loud door bell, and I stomp my foot impatiently waiting for the large white wooden door to open. Finally Rick opens it with a surprised look. I walk past him and throw my white fur coat in his arms. I’m wearing a large silk green dress underneath that’s covering my slightly overweight body. I’m sure he doesn’t notice much difference.

”Darlene,” he says. ”Now isn’t a good time.”

”Why not?” I ask raising my eye brow.

He is about to answer when a girl joins the room. She looks like a young version of Bree.

”Didn’t you get rid of your guest?” she asks in a high pitched tone. ”Oh my god!” she shrieks when she recognise me. ”Darlene! Can I have your autograph please?”

”You can, but then you must leave. I have some serious business to discuss with Rick. You know that he is forty five years old, surely not a good age for a young girl like you to hang around with.”

I note down my signature on a post it and gives it to her.

”Well, Rick and I was just getting to know each other!” she says nervously. ”I guess I have to go.” She pulls out her jacket from a wardrobe and high heel boots. She grabs her bag before leaving the house to Rick’s protests.

”No, don’t leave Sarah! I can make her leave really fast, I promise.”

The girl just closes the door in his face and he turns angrily towards me.

”Why did you do that for!” he says annoyed.

”Going for little girls, Rick?”

”I’m not stupid, she’s eighteen. Now you just ruined my chance with her.”

”So you are allowed to ruin my relationships but I can’t do the same?”

”I never!” he gapes dumbfounded at me.

”Sure you didn’t Rick. I actually believed Jamie for a really long time until he got the guts to tell me the truth.”

”It’s not the same thing, it’s my job to keep you…”

”Skip the bullshit!” I yell to him. ”You played with my life, my feelings and made me very unhappy and insecure for a really long time. That’s unforgivable.”

”But, Darlene..”

”You’re fired.” I cut him off.

He is dead silent for a few seconds.

”Are you firing me because of Jamie?”

”Damn right I am. Me and my fans don’t need you in our life.”

I pull the coat off his hands and puts it on again.

”I’ll make sure you get your last pay check, but after that I never want to see you again. Lilee says thank you for the bunny by the way. I’m sure she wouldn’t exist today if you knew about me and Matt from the beginning.”

I walk out of the house with confidence. I feel a lot better already by not having him in my life anymore. I pick up my phone and press call on one of my contacts, using the headset.

”Darlene?” a tired voice answers on the other end.

”I’m Darlene silly,” I laugh ”Jamie, we need to talk.”

”I guess that is why you called.”

”Unless it is a bad time, you sound really tired. You should get back to sleep and call me when you are awake.”

”I’m not sure I want to hang up now that you are finally speaking with me again.”

”I called to tell you this, I finally kicked Rick out of my life.” I open the door to my car and makes myself comfortable before turning the engine on. I am halfway out of the fancy neighbourhood when Jamie finally responds.

”Congratulations.” There is no sign of happiness in his voice.

”Silly, I obviously mean that I am picking you over him. I’m not letting him win, you know? Our friendship is stronger than that. I forgive you Jamie.”

”Really?” he asks so hopefully I have to laugh.

”Of course, now count sheep and go to sleep.”

”Bye Darlene, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

”I’ll be expecting it.”

I smile the whole drive home. It feels like my life is coming out of old routines, it can only get better from now. I have a family to come home to and a life outside the spotlight.

-

Spring is in the air, the snow is melting away slowly and the sun is getting warmer every day. Me and Lilee are taking a walk, poor Matt is so tired I had to leave the apartment just so he could get some sleep. Matt has been wonderful the first month of Lilee’s life and he loves her so much. I can’t get enough watching them two together. He is going to spoil her so much! I have been working out a lot and I also made some progress in the studio with my new album. I have a new agent, a younger woman who understands me. My aunt clapped her hands when I told her, she said I should have done it a long time ago. She also adores my little girl beyond anything.

A car slows down and honks. It is a jeep with tinted glass and the driver’s window opens and I see Steel.

”Hello there good looking,” he says with his magnetic eyes checking us out. I meet his gaze and I can feel the tension between us, it is so strong and scaring at the same time.

”Hi back,” I manage to say without losing my cool. ”Are you out driving today?”

”Yes, with my boys. They want to meet your baby. There’s a coffee house ahead, can we meet there?”

”Why not?” I smile, thinking about his boys and how their reactions will be.

”We’ll wait outside for you,” he says and closes the window and drives away.

I shake my head as I walk after him quite fast. I am sexually starving but that doesn’t allow me to feel attracted to another man! Well, he can’t help that he’s got a high sex appeal. I just need to keep my head cold. I haven’t seen him since before Christmas and we still need to continue working on our duet. It only takes five minutes to reach them and Albin and Preston are jumping with joy. They lean all the way into the stroller to admire Lilee.

”Hey guys, be careful!” Steel tells them and I smile at him.

”I’m sure they won’t hurt her.”

”Not intentionally.” He rolls his eyes. ”They are wild kids. Should we go inside? I’m dying for coffee.”

I nod and we walk into the warm quiet café. I just buy a cup of tea but Steel and his kids choose two pastries each. We get a few curious glances from the other guests but they are not interested to talk with us.

”I’m not sure if it is a good idea to go out with a famous singer,” I tell him?

”I know, but I can make an exception if it is you,” he tells me with a wink and I kick his leg below the table so he grimace in pain.

”That wasn’t nice!” he says and his boys breaks out laughing.

”Molly, you’re funny! Do it again?” Albin begs.

”Only if he deserves it,” I tell him and pats his head. ”And remember, only girls are allowed to kick.”

”Hey, don’t put ideas into their heads!”

I pick up Lilee and drink my tea carefully.

”She’s really cute, just like you,” Steel says warmly. ”Isn’t that right boys?”

”Yes!” they shout happily. They’re both so adorable.

”You know that girls like to play with dolls and dresses?” I tease them stopping a blush to form on my cheeks.

”No way!” Albin chokes. ”I will teach her to play football!”

Preston waves his little hands in the air. He’s got cream all over his face trying to eat the cake on his plate.

”She can borrow my cars!”

”That’s nice of you two, but I think that might take a few years before she can.”

My phone vibrates and I pick it up to see a text message.

Madam, my friends want to meet Lilee. Interested?

I smile when I think of Eric and his friends. I text him back.

Sounds like fun, how about tomorrow?

He answers within seconds.

Wonderful, cya then =P

I turn my attention back to the Steel boys, not that I can call Steel a boy because he’s definetly a man. It is just safest that way, I don’t want my mind to start fantasising about him when I have my wonderful Matt.

”We should meet for the rest of the work,” Steel says. ”When do you want to continue?”

”How about next week?” I suggest. ”I would love to have the duet on my new album.” I hope no one in the café is listening to our conversation. ”How about we meet at the studio at eleven am?”

”Sure.”

-

Matt is still asleep when I get back home. I’ve been gone for three hours and Lilee is very hungry so I immediately start preparing her formula so I can feed her. He seriously need to go out and meet his friends a bit and get a break from home. But the thing I know for sure is that I need to get laid, and that fast. Matt wants to wait a few more weeks but I don’t agree with him. I finish feeding Lilee and puts her to sleep in her room. I sneak into our room and climbs naked into our bed and snuggles close to Matt. Feeling his hot smooth naked skin to mine makes me shiver with lust. I leave a trail of kisses from his stomach up to his mouth and he answers the kiss when I meet his lips.