Seeing the small Cleveland skyline makes me happy to be home. I feel lighter and less angry. I miss Gerdie like nobody’s business, and I even stopped at some flea market on the way back, picking up some homemade bird treats.
I pull up into my apartment complex and some sort of commotion is happening in the front lawn. I park and get out, grabbing my bag and goodies for Gerdie. The closer I get the more I recognize Kristen standing on the front stoop, having it out with my landlord.
“Hey? What are you doing—”
“Jesus Christ, Beller! Where the hell have you been?” Kristen pushes away from my landlord, who looks annoyed but relieved. Meeting me, she grabs me and squeezes me into a bear hug. Well, a mini bear hug since she’s five foot four and like a whopping hundred pounds probably wet.
“I went to visit my parents. I needed some time off.”
She pulls away, investigating me. “You went home?”
“I wouldn’t call it home anymore, but yeah. I just needed a break. Time to think.”
“Katie, I’ve been worried sick about you. I’ve been calling you. I’ve left you a billion messages. Your damn answering machine is full again, and Dex, God that guy needs to get laid or slipped some ecstasy. He’s one crabby asshole.”
Oh, man, I bet Dex loved getting hounded by Kristen. They met a few times before, never really hitting it off. She didn’t care for Dex’s biker attitude. Even less for Dex’s friend Tank, who showed her all the ways a body could be bent then never called her again.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t bring my phone with.”
Sighing, she grabs for some of the things in my hands. “Katie, that’s what phones are for. Seriously. I was about to call the cops if your landlord here didn’t let me into your apartment. I thought you were dead or something.”
My eyes widen. “Geez, morbid much?” I say, holding in my laugh, but her no joke expression tells me she isn’t going to be laughing with me. “For real, sorry. I just needed a time-out. I’m totally good now. Come on.” I guide her back up the steps and sidestep my angry landlord. I get us settled in my apartment and while she runs back to her car to grab her bags, I go to coo Gerdie. I tell him about all the other pretty birds I saw on my journey and that as much as I searched I didn’t see a match for him, so he was stuck with me. If I was going to be a spinster for the remainder of my days, so was he. Fresh water and his yummy homemade bird treat later, I meet Kristen in the living room. She’s opened a bottle of whiskey and placed two glasses on the coffee table. I take a seat, tucking my feet under my butt.
She pours us each a two-fingered glass and hands one to me.
“So, you gonna fill me in on what the heck has been going on?”
I take a good swig of the amber liquid, allowing me some time to figure out how to approach this. “Nothing really. Just work and vacation. Got to see some great—”
“I’m being serious, Katie. I want the truth for real this time.”
And if anyone deserves the truth it’s her. “I’m in love with Chase Green. And he is not mine to be in love with.”
Her eyes widen at my confession.
“I know. I, Katie Beller, have a heart after all.”
“I’m not going to act like I’m surprised. But seeing as you two are on a real name basis, I will just assume it was serious?” She looks at me with sad eyes. I only nod. “Can I ask when this started?”
Another sip. “Day four of the first tour.”
She swears, taking a drink of her whiskey. “Shit, that soon?”
I nod.
“Was he ever inappropriate? Is there something I should know that concerns you or the tour?”
“No, of course not. He was a complete gentleman… And it was mutual. Nothing he did was without my thumbs-up.” We fall silent for a moment, both sipping on our drinks.
“The club?” she asks.
“Yep,” I reply.
She nods again. “And I assume he wasn’t just in your room calling for a new key at seven in the morning either that one time.”
I shake my head. “Definitely doing more than getting a new key.”
“Got it.” More silence. More sipping.
“And the girlfriend?”
“I knew nothing about the girlfriend.” I finish off my drink, grabbing for the bottle. I fill mine three fingers deep this time, leaning forward and offering the same courtesy to Kristen. I sit back and try to play it cool. Kristen reaches out, covering my hand with hers.
“I’m sorry, Kat.”
“I know. Me too.”
“I don’t want to continue talking about this if it upsets you. But I do have to address some things. I know right now you need the friend and not the publicist, but I have to let you know.”
“Know what?”
“Please hear me out. Everything before you decide or make any decisions. Please.”
I nod, but I know I’m not going to like where this is going.
“As your publicist, I have to let you know that there were rumors going on about you and Charlie Bates. Apparently, you claimed you two were having sex. And someone started posting about it on the Internet.”
I sit up straighter. “Who? I didn’t tell anyone about Chase and me.” But when I dig into my brain bank who could have even known, it hits me. “Fucking Chrissy Baker.”
“I don’t know who that is, but the posts did come from a local account. I would assume the same.”
That fucking little bitch. But then again, I should have kept my mouth shut.
“I want you to hear it from me, since I know you don’t go online. But his publicist made a statement that those allegations were false, and he didn’t even know you.” The liquor in my stomach churns and I close my eyes, trying to fight the urge not to throw up.
“Honey, listen to me.” She reaches out for my hand, but I brush her off.
“Seriously, it’s fine. He has an image to uphold and that would look bad if he attached his name to mine.” I take another drink, knowing the booze is going down too fast.
“Katie, you look like you’re about to lose it. It’s not fine.”
I stand up quickly, a little woozy on my feet. The three shots of whiskey find their way into my bloodstream, setting my balance off a bit. “I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew this was what would happen. I can only blame myself.”
Kristen puts her drink down, standing with me. “Katie, I know you’re blaming yourself for what happened, but it takes two. And you cannot take blame for the girlfriend part. You didn’t know. Can you just sit? Let me finish, before you shut down on me and drown yourself in this bottle?”
I roll my eyes and fall back onto the couch. She follows suit and begins. “Pretty quickly after that statement was released Charlie or Chase was blowing up my office. My cell. Any place he could reach me. I thought someone had died. When I finally was able to take his call, the first thing he said was, it wasn’t true. And that he did not put out that statement.”
What? Well, of course he didn’t, his publicist did. He took the easy way out and avoided it.
“He went on and on, honey. How he’s been trying to reach you, but you won’t take his call, and how he needs to speak with you. He would do anything.”
You can imagine how theatrical my “pfft” was this time around. “Yeah, right. Anything? Like lie to me? Shame me on social media that he doesn’t even know me?” My voice is rising. I notice my drink swishing, which means my hands have begun to shake.
“He told me that if I didn’t get you to talk to him, he’s pulling from the tour.”
I gasp at her confession. “He said what?”
“He threatened to pull out if I don’t convince you to take his call. One call. That’s all he asks.” That son of a bitch. How dare he use my best friend and all her hard work to get to me.
“I know it sounds bad. He’s a little fucker for putting us both in this situation. But he’s also desperate.”
Pffft! “For what?”
“You.”
No.
NO.
I made my peace with him. I forgave myself for the mistakes I made, and I just want to move on. I won’t spend any more time dwelling on anything Chase Green.
“Not going to happen,” I say, determined.
“And you shouldn’t.” Kristen nods.
“Okay. So, then it’s settled.”
“But…”
I KNEW there was a but.
“But from a business perspective, I need Charlie Bates on this tour. I’m sorry, but he trapped me in a corner. He knew I wouldn’t be able to get out unless I gave him what he wanted.”
What! “Are you serious? You’re picking him over me?”
“No! I swear, but you have to see how this is hard for me too. Yes, he’s a total dick on a stick for what he did. I would have dropped his sorry ass right away for what he did to you. But… it’s just that there is this small part of me that feels you should talk to him. He truly sounds horrible.”
Pfffffft! “Pffft! I don’t care.”
“You’re right. Forget I asked.” She picks up her glass, taking a sip. Good. I hope she’s dropping it. “So, enough Charlie Bates talk. How are you? How’s the bar? Too soon to talk about Dex?”
At that we both laugh. Dropping the Charlie Bates talk is for the best. I cozy up in my couch. “Dex is the same. Hot and angry.” I confess my little slip-up with him in the office. She isn’t too shocked to hear it and even though she pretends she doesn’t think he’s smokin’ hot, she demands every detail. And I give it to her.
I would never regret being with Dex, but it wasn’t right. He’s great in bed. A beast actually. But he wasn’t what I wanted. And I needed to stop sending the wrong signals because it wasn’t fair for him. Kristen was right. He was probably in love with me.
We catch up on any old friends’ gossip since she’s an avid social media whore and fills me in on my so-called fan page. I pretend I don’t really care, but then make her pull it up because I don’t believe it when she tells me I have twenty-seven thousand followers. I mean, holy shit! That’s like more people than the population of my hometown!
We drink more, laugh, and dance. Reliving our olden days by performing our synchronized dance to “Shoop” by Salt-n-Pepa. Once two in the morning hits, we both fall into my bed, drunk and drunker.
“Dude, I can’t remember the last time I had that much fun.” Kristen sighs, snuggling into my pillow.
“Me neither. I mean, can’t believe we both still remember the ‘Shoop’ dance.”
“Katie?”
“Yup?”
“I know you’re hurt. But will you consider it. Talking to him?”
I knew she’d eventually bring it back up. I know how much this tour means to her and as much as I’m done with Chase, I can’t take her down with me. “I’ll think about it.”
“Thanks, girl.”