Part 22



”This is quite amazing,” Ned says after he listened to mine and Steel’s song. It’s called Something Lost in Paradise and is completely finished now.

”Thanks,” I smile. ”I like to sing rock, it’s exciting.”

”It will definetly become a hit. Your and Shawn’s fans will be thrilled.”

”They better, I don’t work my ass off for nothing.”

It is just after noon and this is one of my endless days in the studio. I’m mostly isolated in here with the recording people. I never had any problems with it before, I used to find the quietness good for my focus but I am missing the sounds from my family life at home. I love my baby and I enjoy the nightly feedings. I don’t allow Matt to get up in the night, I want him to sleep enough so he can care for Lilee during the day.

”You are almost back in shape again.” He shakes his head at me. He’s sitting in the chair next to me. ”I hope you are eating enough, it is stressful to have a baby.”

”I’m alright, Ned. Don’t worry about me.”

”I like your new agent, she is not a pain like Rick was.”

”Yes I agree, I’m very satisfied with her so far. I can’t wait to get out on the road again. Matt wants me to work as much as possible to get this album done. I will have more time to be home after I’m finished here.”

”Your Matt is a good man, Darlene.”
”I know he is. It’s a rollercoaster to get everything to work, but it is worth it. As much as I love to be home with them, I still want to keep working with music.”

”There is no need to quit. You don’t have to work very hard either after the album is done, we will make sure you don’t have to go on long tours. I think Megan said she will focus a lot on bringing you into TV-shows and magazines.”

”I look forward to it. I should even take up on Allie’s offer to be in her show.”

”As in Second light? Your fans will love it. Even Anne is hooked on that series.”

I laugh at his expression, he clearly hates to watch it but I bet his wife forces him to.

”I really hate acting so it better be worth it,” I grimace.

”You are a natural, you can easily switch careers.”

”When hell freezes over.”

”Anyway, this duet with Shawn will be prepared so we can release it as soon as possible. How does that sound?”

”Very exciting. Just tell me when we are making the music video and I’ll be ready.”

”You’re always ready, you were born to do this.”

I smile sadly with a shrug.

”Yeah I guess. It’s just complicated.”

”Fame is complicated. You can never escape it once you are in.”

”Being on stage is the best feeling in the world. I will never give that up.”

”No one is asking you to, everyone is dying for your attention.”

I lean back in my chair with a sigh. I feel tired and confused. My nails are undone, I used to have them manicured all the time.

”I don’t feel very special. I never did, I just love what I do.”

Ned puts his hand on my shoulder. He worries about me. He is my boss but he always had this fatherly way to treat me.

”Rick pushed you too hard Darlene. It affected you a lot. You have reached the stars, just forget what he made you do and be yourself. No more fake side okay?”

”I’ll try,” I promise, but I know it will be really hard to let go of old routines.

-

”Yuck, how can anyone drink this!”

I laugh at Eric’s disgusted expression. He hands over the bottle to me like it is contaminated and I grab the warm bottle with a teasing grin.

”I told you to check the temperature on your wrist.”

I put the bottle to Lilee’s mouth and she hungrily starts drinking from it.

”She’s quite cute when she reaches her tiny hands up like that,” Eric says completely charmed over the little baby.

”You can feed her next time if you want.”

I look down on her gorgeous brown eyes. She makes me so happy, she’s a part of me and Matt and gosh I love that man…

”You have that lovesick expression on your face again Molly,” Eric says with a wink so I blush.

”Oh you stop it!”

”It must be nice to be in a perfect relationship,” he says longingly.

”Call Anne if you want her. You two will be perfect together.”

”I did call her,” he admits fast.

”Ooh, so what happened?” I exclaim excitedly.

He starts walking nervously back and forth in the room.

”I made a fool of myself,” he finally says.

”No way! What happened?”

”I was so nervous I started singing Can’t take my eyes off from you. She started laughing and I don’t think she understood I was serious. I hang up pretty fast after that.”

I start laughing really hard, so hard it’s hard to hold Lilee but I try to get myself together.

”Don’t worry Eric, I’m sure she thought it was sweet. I’d never fall for a guy singing for me though.”

He drops down on the sofa with a moan.

”That’s it, I’m dead!”

”Calm down, you’re overreacting.”

”What am I going to do?”

”I don’t know, talk with her to start with?”

”It doesn’t matter, she can find someone better than me.”

”That’s the most stupid thing I ever heard!” I say angrily. ”You are a great guy, those doesn’t grow on trees.”

”I might not live long enough to become a father.”

”I never thought I would get children at all,” I mutter with evil thoughts towards Rick.

”What, why?” he says surprised.

”I just had bad luck in love, don’t change the subject! Are you not feeling well?”

I feel a cold hand around my heart just thinking about him getting worse.

”I’m more interested in your story.”
”I’ll tell you if you tell me,” I tell him sternly. ”You better not lie to me Mister!”

”I am not doing so well. The doctor said I might need a new heart this year, but since it isn’t that bad yet they won’t put me on the emergency list until it’s too late.”

I feel like crying, screaming, hitting something, but I just sit frozen with Lilee in my arms.

”So what happens now?” I ask him weakly.

”Nothing happens now. They said it might not be that bad and there is still a chance for me to keep being stable.”

It’s hard to hear my cheerful friend talk like he’s given up.

”Please Eric, live while you can. Work things out with my sister, I’m sure it will do you good. Meanwhile, I’ll be here for you.”

”Thanks, that really means a lot. You are a really good friend.”

”I don’t easily make friends so I better take care of those I have.”

I finish feeding Lilee and I hold her out to Eric.

”Why don’t you play with her?”

”Sure!”

He lights up immediately and takes her from me. It is nice to see them two together. She falls asleep after a while and we put her in her room.

”She’s the cutest kid ever,” he smiles and we return to the living room. ”What is your perfect boyfriend Matt doing today?”

”He’s playing golf with his dad. They do that at least once a week.”

”That’s a stupid sport.”

”Yeah I prefer swimming. The few times I tried golf, it was an awful experience.”

”My friends likes golfing but I never fell for it.”

”We should draw them into something we like then,” I add mischievously.

”I love to rescue pregnant women.”

I slap him playfully and he gives back by tickling me.

”Okay, okay I surrender!” I scream after a few minutes and he let me go with a teasing grin. It takes a while to regain my breath.

”Why don’t you tell me that unlucky love story you promised me.”

”Oh, right,” I say with a frown. ”You know, like most times. Girl meets boy, they fall in love.”
”Then the bad person comes and ruins it?”

”Yeah pretty much, though I didn’t know there was a bad person until recently. He said he didn’t want me when we broke up. I lost my confidence, if he didn’t want me then who would?”

”Yeah, it sucks but it all turned out alright.”

”It did,” I smile. ”It took me a while to work up my confidence.”

”So who was the bad guy?” he asks curiously.

I look him straight into his eyes. They are warm and filled with playfulness.

”I can tell you that complicated story Eric, but then you would have to shut up.”

”What? Are you indicating that I’m talking too much?”
”No, it’s just that my life is more complicated than you know.”

”I’m not dangerous, Molly. You can tell me anything.”

”The boyfriend who broke up with me is my best friend. He comes to see me in a few days and I want you to meet him.”

He looks at me like I’m stupid. I feel quite stupid too.

”Are you serious? How can you be best friends with your ex?”

”Yeah it’s funny because we loved each other for so long after our break-up. He still loves me but I finally let go of my feelings for him when I met Matt. He hurt me a lot but I can’t imagine a life without him. So will you see him?”

”I better see what kind of guy it is. How did that bad man convince him to break up with you?”

”He threatened to ruin his career. I wish he would have told me instead, we could have worked it through,” I say sadly.

”What a jerk! Who puts their job in front of a love?” he mutters.

”Jamie Allen.”

Eric sits quiet for a while, then he looks closely at me and shakes his head.

”Do you expect me to believe that? If you were his girlfriend and best friend, then you certainly would have been known by the press and everyone.”

”Exactly,” I say weakly.

”The only girlfriend he kept as a best friend is Darlene…” He falls quiet and look at me again. ”Oh I’m an idiot! The calendar the first day we met, that was you wasn’t it? Your stupid answer back was that you’re fat or something.”

”I’m trying to get back into shape, I’m almost there.”

”So, my new friend just happens to be one of the most amazing singers in the whole world. Wow. Madam, I think we need donuts and lot’s of them.”

I jump up from the sofa and clap my hands excitedly. He looks at me with wonder.

”I’m still the Molly you know,” I add quickly.

”Yeah I don’t doubt that. I’ll go down to the corner shop and buy some. You can make some tea, I’ll be right back!”

I try to get my thoughts together when he leaves the apartment. Eric is in shock and I am totally shocked too! I had no idea I was even going to tell him. Donuts… Oh come on it is just a round thing with lots of sugar in it. I’ll never get over my love for donuts, that’s for sure. My phone starts ringing and I drop it when I press answer call, I pick it up quickly.

”Hello!” I pant breathlessly.

”Angel, are you alright?” a smooth voice says.

”Matt! No, I’m having a nervous attack at the moment.”

”Where is Lilee?” he asks with concern.

”Asleep in her room, I’m not that wicked.”

”I’m just taking care of my girls. What happened?”

I feel calm by his voice. I want him to come home and hug me.

”Are you on your way home?”

”Yes, sweetheart, I’m only fifteen minutes away.”

”I told Eric my secret.”

”Oh, Molly,” he laughs. ”I thought it was something more serious.”

”I didn’t mean to scare you! I’m so sorry. I’d call if something happened to Lilee.”

”I’m sure Eric is man enough to handle the truth, don’t worry about it.”

”You’re right, I’m silly as always.”

We end the call and Eric comes back a few minutes after that with a smile and a whole bag of donuts.

”Oh Eric,” I frown. ”I forgot to make tea.”

He ruffles my hair on his way to the kitchen and I follow him.

”I just figured something out while donut shopping for you, Madam,” he says.

”What’s that, Mister?” I ask politely while filling the kettle with water.

”You are way cuter than Darlene.”

It’s those kind of comments that makes me laugh my heart out. I’m so happy to be his friend. I hope he feels the same way about me. He gives me a smirk and I know everything is okay between us. I give him a bear hug and he hugs me back.

”Just look at the positive side, Eric! I just gave you something to talk with Anne about.”

”Indeed you did. And do you know the best part in having a superstar as a friend?”

”No, why don’t you tell me?”

”VIP tickets,” he grins.

-

”Are you sure you will be alright?”

I push Matt harshly out of the door.

”It is just one night, Matt. One night!”

”It doesn’t feel good to leave you two alone here.”

”Alone?” I roll my eyes. ”Then what’s the point of making girls and boy nights? You need to relax and have fun with your friends.”

”I’m too old to go out drinking, Luca will probably drag us to a strip bar.”

”Then you use that nice card I gave you and treat everyone a lap dance by a gorgeous girl.”

”You have really seen everything!”

”I’ll do a lap dance for you when you get home. Naked. How does that sound?”

”Amazing,” he moans and brings me into his arms for a deep long kiss. Lilee’s cries makes me break apart from him and I take a step back.

”Now isn’t the time to be doing this, you are going out!”

”Fine, bye Molly! Just call if you need me.”

”I will.”

I close the door and hurry to my crying baby who stops as soon as she sees me. She starts laughing when I walk up to her.

”You teasing baby, you just wanted attention! Come to mama.”

I take her in my arms, she is getting heavier and she is warm and so soft! I start singing for her and she listens to me with wide interested eyes. I finally got Matt to take a break. It will be nice to have a girls night just watching movies and painting nails. I almost feel normal. I want to be normal.

”We will have fun, won’t we Lilee?” I kiss her adorable cheeks and she laughs back.