“I miss you so much.” Em said into the phone.
“Oh Baby, I miss you too. But it’ll only be two more days, and then I’ll be there.”
“I know. But right now two days seems like forever.”
“Em, do me a favor.”
“What?”
“Go out into the living room and tell Andy to hug you.”
“Why?”
“Just do it Sweetheart.”
“Alright, hold on.” Em opened the bedroom door and walked over to the couch. “Anton says you’re supposed to hug me.” Andy made a face at her.
“Give me the phone.” She handed it to him. “What chu talkin ‘bout foo?” Andy laughed into the phone. “Ok, yeah.” He handed the phone back to Em and then wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Em sighed and relaxed in Andy’s embrace. Andy let go and then put the phone back to Em’s ear.
“Do you feel any better?” Anton asked. Em smiled.
“Yes.” She said to Anton. “Thank you.” She whispered to Andy as she went back into her room.
“No problem.” Andy said.
“And thank you too.”
“It’s a gift.” He chuckled. “I know how much you need to be touched. Especially when you’re feeling like this. I’m just sorry I had to leave you.”
“I understand.”
“I know you do, that’s why I married you. But it’s still a crappy deal.”
“When does your plane get in again?”
“Seven in the morning. Can ya tell Scottie booked that flight?” Em laughed as Anton grumbled. “Can’t even have one last night in my hometown. Gotta get on a plane with Freak Boy so he can get home to his wife. Sheesh, you’d think he was in love or something.”
“God forbid.” Em giggled.
“I KNOW! Don’t see me holding up a rehearsal just so I can hear my beautiful wife’s voice, or fighting an urge to just screw the whole show so I can hold her tonight and make her smile while she’s sleeping.”
“No, not you.” Em said, the smile apparent in her voice.
“Nope, cuz I’m a tough New Yorker. I don’t just melt for any chic.”
“Not even one who’s glad that you’re holding up rehearsal and is secretly wishing you would fly home?”
“I love you Emmy.”
“I love you too Anton. But you really should get to rehearsal.”
“Are you going to be ok?”
“Yeah. I think I’m just going to sleep this mood off. We’re going to Mike’s house tonight.”
“Tell him I said hi.”
“I will.”
“Take care of yourself.”
“I will. Don’t miss your flight tomorrow night.”
“I won’t. You want me to stay on the phone?”
“I want you too, but you shouldn’t.”
“I hate leaving you like this.”
“You worry too much.”
“I love you.”
“Love you too. Bye Anton.”
“Bye Emmy.” Em hung up the phone. She sighed heavily and walked to the door.
“Hey Andy?”
“Yeah?” Andy got up from the couch and jogged over to the doorway.
“Were you and Reny planning anything for this afternoon?”
“Just lunch with Mae. Everybody else is doing something.”
“Well, I think I’m just going to take a nap.”
“Aww, did Andy keep you up all night again?” Reny teased as she walked towards them.
“Am I EVER going to live that down?” Andy cried. Em and Renee looked at each other for a second before saying;
“No.” Andy groaned and went back to watch TV.
“So what’s up?” Reny said. “You not feelin good again?”
“Not really. I just feel crappy in general.”
“Hmm, do you want me to call my doctor?”
“No,” Em smiled at Reny’s concern. “I’ll be ok. It’s nothing that a nap or two more days won’t cure.”
“Ooohhhh.” Reny laughed. “I know what you mean. Anyway, yeah, you just lay down. Do you want us to get you something on our way back?”
“Naw. I’m not hungry anyway.”
“LOT OF SNOW PEAS LAST NIGHT?” Reny yelled over her shoulder as her eyes twinkled with mischief.
“SHUT UP RE!” Andy’s voice echoed from the living room. The women laughed and Reny left Em to lie down. She shut the door and played a Sting cd softly so she could sleep. The bed seemed very empty all of a sudden.
****Flashback****
It had been a very long three weeks since Reny and Em had said their good-byes to Scott and Anton. Unison had flown off to Europe to do the compulsory interviews and performances to hype their tour, and Spark had gone off to Australia to promote the album they’d somehow managed to record while Reny recovered and Em acted. After an absolute media blitz of Australia, dance and vocal rehearsals for an opening slot on Unison’s ’05 European tour, and almost 24 hours on three different planes to get from Sydney to Lisbon, it was no wonder that when they arrived at the hotel that night all they wanted to do was sleep. The girls were exhausted.
“Are the guys here yet?” Reny asked as the girls waited in a van two blocks away from their hotel as their rooms were prepared.
“Not yet. There was a security problem at Heathrow and so they had to fly out of Gatwick.” Ron answered after radioing one of Unison’s security team that was already posted inside the hotel. “But the fans are going absolutely nuts already. It was a good idea for us to stop you girls here.”
“You’re so good to us.” Em said as she nuzzled Ron’s arm.
“Hey wench, get your own bodyguard, this ones mine.” Reny fought playfully.
“But my bodyguard is boring!” Em pouted. They all looked at the front seat where Tyrell was dozing.
“I’m in a state of cat-like readiness Miss Em, so you just shut your mouth.” Tyrell mumbled. They laughed.
“Ok girlies,” Ron said. “I just got the go-ahead.”
And so they went the back way not only to the hotel but also into it. European crowds were always more dangerous than American crowds and so they were never allowed to walk through them. They were usually pretty good about hiding from the masses because they’d split the crew among several hotels or stay somewhere outside the city they were playing in. But they had to make due with the crowd for now. Reny and Em finally reached their floor and their suite. Tyrell opened the door and the first thing they both saw were two bouquets of flowers; one of sunflowers and the other of irises.
“Aww, who sent us flowers?” Em asked, throwing aside her backpack. Reny got to the table first and took a card out of the sunflower bouquet. She began to laugh. “What’s it say?” Em asked as she too pulled out a card.
Em shook her head as she giggled.
“They are such dorks.” Reny said with a wide grin on her face.
“But they’re our dorks.” Em replied. The two girls giggled as Ron and Tyrell groaned.
“Are you two ok then?” Ron asked. “Because we want to get some sleep before our shift starts.”
“Yeah, we’re good. Who’s on now?” Reny asked.
“Double Stuff and James.” Tyrell answered as he and Ron left the suite. Double Stuff (who’s real name was Henry) and James came in and hugged the girls hello.
“If it makes you feel any better, that ‘dear God why did you make Australia so damn far away from Portugal’ feeling wears off after a good night’s sleep.” James said settling in to watch TV in the sitting room.
“Speak for yourself man.” Double Stuff laughed stretching his neck as though it still had a knot in it. Em went over and rubbed it for him.
“Poor Double.” She said and kissed his bald head. “I’ll give you a massage after I get out of the shower.”
“Hot damn. Thanks Em.” Double Stuff smiled and gloated to James.
“Boy,” James said over dramatically. “I wish somebody loved me enough to give me a massage. Maybe somebody who’s life I protect everyday?” Reny turned and gave him a dirty look, but soon cracked and laughed.
“I’ll do it, but I have to shower, cuz I stink!” She cried happily. Em laughed at her as they headed to their rooms.
“Hey guys! I smell just like you!” Em laughed, bringing up an old inside joke.
Later that night they’d gotten news that, once again, there had been some delay in Unison’s flight and the guys would be arriving even later than expected. Reny and Em gave up waiting with Double and James, who only teased them about how cute it was that they were waiting up for their boyfriends. But as Em lay in bed, she wasn’t tired. All of a sudden she heard the door to the suite close. She held her breath but didn’t hear anything but the muffled sounds of the TV. Then;
“Come on Double, don’t be like that man.” It was Anton’s voice.
“Sorry Stud, but she’s asleep.” His tone was serious.
“Double! This is Em we’re talking about!”
“Still, I can’t let just anybody into my girl’s room.” Em could hear the joking in Double’s voice now.
“Double…”
“Yes Anton?”
“I hate you.”
“Go in. But be quiet.” Double laughed. Em lay very still, and kept her back to the door. She heard Anton move to the open side of the bed and climb in. She resisted a smile. Anton slid closer to her and she got goosebumps as the heat from his body slid over her skin. He shifted her long hair so that he could bring his face up beside Em’s.
“You’re not even sleeping are you?” He whispered. Em couldn’t contain the laughter that bubbled up from insider her as his breath tickled her ear. Anton pulled her shoulder down so that she was lying on her back, looking up at him and laughing. “You could have just come out there and let me in, but instead you let me argue with Double.”
“Yeah pretty much.” Em laughed.
“Troublemaker.” He replied and kissed her. They shifted so they could both lay on their sides, arms and legs tangled together.
“You smell so good.” Em said into Anton’s neck, savoring the scent of soap and running her fingers through his damp hair.
“So do you.” He returned tightening his grip on her body. She pulled away suddenly.
“Thank you for the flowers!” She cried. “It was so sweet.” Anton laughed.
“You had me worried for a second there, I thought I’d squished your liver. You’re welcome. When we found out that we weren’t going to be able to meet you at the airport, or even here… we wanted you to know how much we missed you.”
“We missed you guys too.” Em said as she snuggled back into Anton. “Did Scottie come see Reny?”
“No. He wanted to, but he hasn’t shaved in about two weeks and besides, they’ve both got normal sleeping patterns so we figured they’d just see each other in the morning.”
“Well, then thank God for abnormal sleeping patterns.” Em giggled. She looked into Anton’s eyes and caressed his face.
“I love you Emmy.” He said, almost breathlessly. Em’s heart stopped momentarily; it was the first time he’d said that to her.
“I love you too.” She managed to whisper before she kissed him.
**** Em stretched and smiled as she awoke. Her bad mood was all but forgotten now and she was excited about going to Mike’s house.
“House.” She laughed aloud. “More like mansion.”
“Talkin to yourself again Emenemmers?” Alex said as he stuck his head into her room.
“You know it. Where’d you come from Alex?” She asked sitting up. He came to sit on the edge of the bed.
“Well…”
“If you tell me your mother, I swear I’ll smack you.”
“Nuts. Ok, then, I came from Sea World. Note the sexy farmer’s tan.” He rolled his sleeve up and flexed his muscle.
“Nice.” Em said sarcastically. He swatted her with a loose pillow.
“Reny was just going to come get you up anyway, so start getting ready to go to Mike’s.”
“Alright.” Em said smiling. Alex ruffled her already mussed hair before getting up to leave.
“And try not to talk to the voices in your head anymore…. It confuses the children.” Alex quipped before darting out the door so she couldn’t throw anything at him. But she yelled after him;
“Have Paul and Jeff been complaining again?”