At that particular moment, Charles Watkins was stnading directly in front of Kevin, spouting on about the importance of being where he's supposed to be and being there on time.
After ten minutes of this, the amused look finally fell from his face and was replaced by one of tiredness. He leaned forward in his chair and Charles quit talking, noticing Kevin's first reaction to anything since he'd been there.
"Look, guys, a friend of mine was in trouble and I was very worried. I'm sorry if my mind wasn't on work for the past few weeks. My friend is ok now and I can reapply myself. It's no big deal."
The four men looked at one another and aftera moment Nathan Giles, who had, until now, been standing back, came forward and sat in a chair directly in front of Kevin.
"Kevin," he said "The four of us have been in this business for years. A lot longer than you have and if we've only learned one thing, it's that time is money and every second counts. We are ont lecturing you because you were late, it's because we're noticing a pattern. It's happened to the best of them and we're trying to prevent it if we can. In this business you can have a family or you could have a career but it's very difficult to have both. The reason I'm telling you this is because we all know that your 'friend' is a woman. Now, we're not telling you that you can't see her, we're just asking you to re-evaluate your priorities."
After he was finished, Kevin calmly stood up and said "I'm not trying to be rude here Nate, but I really don't see how this is any of your business." Kevin gave them one last look before calmly striding toward the door.
As his hand touched the knob, Nathan's voice reached him. "Have you stopped for a minute to think of her, Kevin?" As Kevin turned around, the thought fleeted through his mind that that was all he'd done since he met her.
When he turned around, Nathan continued. "The promotional tour startes in three weeks. Immediately after that is the World Tour. Do you think she's going to wait around for you Kevin? Are you going to make her sit at home alone waiting for you sporatic phone calls?"
Kevin glared at every man in the room before leaving and slamming the door after him.
******************************
The sounds of the children playing on the playground a few yards away didn't penetrate Kevin's mind. His thoughts were too far gone, his mind a million miles away. He watched the wind rustle the tree leaves a few feet way as he thought about all htat was said earlier. Nathan had said it was difficult to have a family and a career but he'd known that going in to it. The image that kept filling his mind was the one that Nathan had painted for him. The image of DRew sitting at home alone, waiting.
He stood up with his hands in his pockets and walked through the park as he thought.
He loved Drew to distraction and he knew that she cared for him. Leaving her was going to be hard enough as it is but leaving her knowing she'd be unhappy was nearly impossible.
As soon as he thoguht of it, the image of Drew in another man's arms filled his mind. He saw her being held by another man, kissed by another man. The bird that had landed near him flew away frantically as he kicked a pile of rocks almost violently.
Stop being so selfish, Richardson.He told himself. You have to think of Drew's happiness.
He watched the birds fly overhead and he knew what he had to do. He was going to spend every freee moment with her until he left but he couldn't leave her waiting for him. He had to let her go.
******************************
Keivn knocked on Drew's front door, forcing his mood to lift. He had dinner plans with Drew and eh refused ot let his bad mood keep him from enjoying her company that night.
He was jerked out of his thoughts when the intercom outside the door came on. "Hey, the door's open, come on in. I'm still getting ready. You can wait for me in the living room."
Kevin smiled at her voice and entered the house. He crossed the living room and took a sear on the sofa to wait on Drew. As he sat there, he looked around the room. A corner of a piece of pater sticking out of the drawer of the table next to the couch caught his eye.
His curiousity got the best of him and he grabbed the paper and tugged it out. On the paper was what looked to be Drew's handwriting in a poem. He caught his breath as he read what she wrote.
One day at a time
I hold him here
He keeps me safe
I keep him near
Our nights are none
Our days are few
He'll leave me soon
I know it's true
I turn my head
Close my eyes
To shield my heart
Is what's wise
He's going, gone
Out of my grasp
I don't understand
Why it couldn't last
Time is ticking
I hold my breath
The day will come
But I'm not ready yet
He showed me what
I haven't seen
How can I survive
That taken from me?
I want to be him
Not to leave me
Somethings are more important
I'll just have to see
Maybe he'll come back
I'll seem him again
I'll not dwell
On what could have been
But for now he's here
And he's mine
I'll try not to listen
To the ticking of time
Our time is limited
This I know
And my fears inside
I'll try not to show
Till I see him again
I'll wait patiently
To hope one day
He'll come back to me
Kevin heard her coming and he quickly put the paper back where he found it.
"Ok, I'm ready." she said as she entered the room. She looked absolutly stunning but she could have walked through the door wearing a potato sack and kevin wouldn't have thought she looked anything less than beautiful.
He pushed himself off of the couch, went to stand in front of her and kissed her softly. All the sadness he felt was in that kiss and somehow he thought Drew felt it too. He pulled wawy from her and Keivn thought he saw tears shining in her beautiful eyes before she smiled to cover it. Silently, they left her house to go to the restuarant.
