Life’s Like This

“No…Darlene, I told you…the black ones should be finished by tomorrow, and the pink and white NEED to be out by next week.” Chris shifted weight impatiently. “Do I need to freaking fly to New York and take care of this?”

“Onions? Ketchup?” Tammi asked him, waving a hot dog in the air.

“Whatever,” he told her. She shrugged and began to create. “No, not you, Darlene! NOT whatever to you! You know what needs to be done…do it! I’m on vacation, for God’s sake.” Chris slapped the cellphone shut. “God,” he moaned, grabbing the hot dog from Tammi. “You forgot the sauerkraut!”

“That stuff is disgusting. Besides…that’s not an Alabama thing.” She smiled sweetly at him.

“But it IS a Pennsylvania thing.” Chris looked at the vendor. “Do you have sauerkraut?” The vendor handed him a small container. “Good.”

“What’s wrong now?” Tammi asked. Chris finished decorating his hot dog and they began to walk through the sunny park.

“Oh, bleh bleh bleh, the usual…I’m not there so they can’t do anything right. I’m beginning to regret this whole damn clothing thing…it only makes me look bad.”

“Who cares HOW it makes you look?” Tammi asked. “You have a bazillion dollars…you can buy a new image.”

“Ha ha ha…” Chris said wryly. “Image is everything, sweetheart.”

Tammi cringed at the bitterness in his voice. “Okay, can you please shove Industry Chris into the background for a while? I’m looking for Fun Chris…Crazy Chris…either one will do.”

“What are you talking about? They’re all Chris…I mean me,” Chris said, rolling his eyes as he realized he was speaking of himself in the third person.

“Not always,” she said. Chris opened his mouth to reply when three girls rushed over.

“OhmygoditsChrisKirkpatrick!” One girl said. “Can I have your autograph?”

“Can we take your picture?” The other two chorused.

“Sure, girls, no problem!” Chris pasted on what Tammi called his fan smile and quickly signed autographs. A girl shoved the camera at Tammi, and she groaned as she took her place in front of the small group.

“Are you his girlfriend?” One of the girls asked after the picture was taken.

“No,” Chris said. “You know we’re all single and lonely!”

“Aww,” they chorused. They thanked him and bounced away. He immediately frowned.

“Can I get five fucking minutes to myself?”

“They ARE the reason you’re where you’re at,” Tammi pointed out.

“I don’t care.” Chris smiled at her as he finished his hot dog. “Let’s drive out to the beach.”

The short drive to the beach was much more relaxing. Chris acted like his old self, singing along with the songs he liked and making fun of the songs he didn’t. Tammi watched him around the sides of her sunglasses, wistfully smiling as he winked at her. Chris was a good friend…and she knew that’s all he expected to ever be to her.

“So…you’re coming to JC’s cookout tomorrow, right?” Tammi asked as they walked on the beach.

“I will be making a royal appearance, yes,” Chris said, throwing a pebble into the water. “Why? Do you need a ride?”

“That’d be nice, thanks,” Tammi said. “It’s always weird arriving at a party alone.”

“Especially when JC and his woman are attached at the face all the time,” Chris commented.

“You’re just jealous,” Tammi teased.

“Hardly…I’m not interested in all that,” Chris said. “Unless you wanna play boyfriend and girlfriend tomorrow…that’d be funny.”

Tammi wanted to say she’d love nothing more, but instead she said, “Why can’t we just be us tomorrow? Why can’t you just be yourself?”

Chris stopped walking. “What is your problem, Tam? You’ve been saying stuff like that all day long.”

“Well…you bitch at the clothing people, trying to be some sort of FuNazi. Then you put on this fake grin and lie through your teeth to the fans. What happened to the guy I met and became friends with?”

“He’s here…and he’s everything you just described,” Chris said, angrily stalking ahead of her. Tammi sighed and followed him, running after him to apologize.

Chill out, Whatcha yelling for? Lay back, it’s all been done before…and if you could only let it be you will see…I like you the way you are, when we’re driving in your car and you’re talking to me one on one, but you’ve become somebody else round everyone else, you’re watching your back like you can’t relax, you’re trying to be cool, you look like a fool to me…

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