Chapter Twenty-One
JC sat restlessly on the bus; it had been a week since he had heard from Krista. She was supposed to be back from home today. He was dying to know how she was, what she was doing, anything. Her phone had been turned off the entire week and he guessed that she wanted some space. Why is what he couldn’t understand? She had finally admitted that she loved him. Not in words but in the way they had made love. It was love, he knew it! The bus parked at the hotel and JC basically jumped off and anxiously went up to her floor. He knew her room number by heart, 4325. He knocked on the door. Krista, laughing, opened the door. She was drinking a beer and talking to someone in the room. Krista turned and stopped laughing when she saw JC.
“Krissie?” He asked and she shook off the shock of
seeing him,
“Oh
hey JC, what’s up?” She asked
nonchalantly, only thing was, she never called him JC.
“I
was wondering how you were?” He said
slowly,
“I’m
good, you?”
“Worried
over you, can I talk to you?”
“Um,
we’re kind of having a meeting right now.
So, it’s not really a good time.”
JC
nodded to the beer in her hand, “You always drink during your meetings?”
She
rolled her eyes, “It’s just a beer, JC. I have to get back. Tell the guys hi for
me, bye.” She said rather coldly and
shut the door.
What the hell was all that about? Where was his Krissie? So many questions ran through his mind as he
went up to his room. He thought that all of his problems would be over once
Krista came back. Now he had only more
problems.
Krista sat back and watched the guys
do their sound checks. Okay she was
only watching JC. Her mind had been
racing over him the past week. She
tried her best to avoid him but it was really hard. Thank God they only had three weeks left on this tour. Three agonizing weeks of being around
JC. Krista remembered their night of
passion before she left. He had told
her that he loved her. She hated him
for telling her that and most of all she hated herself for hurting him. They didn’t work, never could work, didn’t
he realize that? Why did he have to
give her those looks, the ones that made her melt inside? The ones that made her heart ache and
wouldn’t let the tears stop. It was
such torture, but she couldn’t tear herself away most of the time. This time she knew she had to; it was for
his own good as well as hers.
Krista got up and went backstage to
find Pauley, James and Dan. They were
all munching on snacks and sitting around the back room. They were all set with the stage and just
waiting to go back out and perform. She
grabbed a pudding snack and picked at it,
“Krissie
come here hon.” Dan called to her softly.
She went over to him and he pulled her onto his lap straddling him.
“What’s
going on in that pretty little head of yours?”
He asked gently and she shrugged her shoulders still slowly eating her
pudding. Pauley and James were now
engrossed in a video game and could care less who was in the room. Dan went on, “You’re not happy, I know
that. I’m just trying to figure out,
why?” He wrapped his arms around her
and pulled her closer.
“I
don’t know Dan.” She said softly,
“That’s
bullshit and don’t say it has anything to do with Aunt Joanie.” She glared at him,
“How
do you know?” She shot back and he
tucked a piece of hair behind her ear,
“Because
I know you.” Krista was silent except
to offer him some of her pudding, which he happily accepted. She took a deep breath,
“I
just want to be happy, that’s all I want.”
She rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes trying to keep
the tears in,
“Then
be happy, do what will make you happy.”
He said and she pulled her head back,
“But
I don’t want to endanger the band.”
“If
you’re not happy, then that affects the band.
I don’t want you to blame the band for keeping you from being happy.”
“I
would never-”
“Kris,
you know what I’m talking about, just think about it.” Krista was silent again and fed him more
pudding,
“Okay.”
“So,
can I at least get a smile? I don’t
want to resort to drastic measures here but…”
“But
what? What are you gonna do?” She asked playfully,
“Tickle
you to death.” He replied and Krista
tried to back away but he held her close,
“I
don’t think so.” She said and he
laughed,
“Really? Huh?
Come on.” She broke out a smile,
“That’s
what I’m talking about. Was that so
hard?”
“No.” She shook her head.
Dan
started humming a song and she smiled even more, “I like that song.”
“I
know, it always makes you smile.” He
said and started singing, “When I’m 64”, by the Beatles.
“When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now,Will you still be sending me a Valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine?If I'd been out 'till quarter to three, would you lock the door?Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four?” “Eh, you probably won’t be eating much by the time you’re 64, so sure.” She shrugged with a smile. “I don’t know, the price of Ensure is constantly rising.” He teased before singing more of the song.
“I could be handy, mending a fuse, when your lights have gone.You can knit a sweater by the fireside, Sunday mornings, go for a ride.Doing the garden, digging the weeds, who could ask for more?Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty four?
Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight, if it's not to dear. We shall scrimp and save.Ah, grandchildren on your knee, Vera, Chuck, and Dave.” “I need to have a talk with my kids about the names they choose for their children.” Krista laughed, glad that Dan was cheering her up. She really needed it. “Send me a postcard, drop me a line stating point of view.Indicate precisely what you mean to say, yours sincerely wasting away.Give me your answer, fill in a form, mine forever more.Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty four?”
“I’ll probably always need you
Dan. Why that is, I still haven’t
figured it out.” She teased scraping the pudding
container with her finger and went to smear it on his face to which he
maneuvered into his mouth. He gently
sucked it and then let it go as Krista let out a giggle. They heard a bottle slam down and the couple
looked up in shock. Krista met JC’s
angry, confused and sad eyes before he turned and stalked out of the room. Krista sadly looked down into her lap. There
went her good mood, all it took was one look from JC. A single tear slipped down her face and dropped into her hands.
“Care
to explain?” Dan asked softly and
Krista hugged Dan tightly,
“He
said he loved me!” She said and the
floodgates of tears opened up.