The Champagne Lovers

Nine

"Hello Eliza"

Two words, two tiny little words, that had the power to flip my stomach upside down, and not in the exciting fluttery way those words used to, but in a sick anxious way.  My body instantly spun towards the voice, even though I didn't need to see his face to know exactly who was stood next to the stage.

"Don't call me that" I snapped as I turned away, looking back at the equipment and grabbed my clipboard fiddling with something that didn't need my attention, just to try and hide the fact that my hands were shaking from the adrenaline that was now pumping in my veins.

"aw come on now Eliza, don't be like that, in fact... I think... yeah, I'm pretty sure we were in this very room the first time I ever called you that.  Kind of nostalgic don't you think?" I could hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke, enjoying my poorly hidden discomfort.

I turned to face him, my eyes instantly meeting his, as my gaze fell on him.  His arms were casually resting under his chin on the metal railing edging the side of the stage where I stood.  He'd let his hair grow out since I'd seen him last, his dark almost black waves floating well below his ears grazing the black MSG t-shirt on his broad shoulders, his icy blue eyes sparkled as he tormented me.

When did he become like this, or was he always this way and I had just chosen not to see it?

His job kept him fit, he had always maintained the strength in his physique without trying, and it bothered me that despite every instinct fighting against it, I couldn't help but notice the curve of his upper arm straining against the black material, his sculpted waist just visible below the hem of his shirt where it had risen ever so slightly when he lifted his arms.

"look, we both have a job to do, can we please just be professional and do what we need to do? there's no real reason we even need to have any contact with each other, you just need to speak to the stage crew if you need anything" 

I braced my shoulders and tried to stand a little taller as I spoke, watching as he pulled up on the railing and ducked under climbing up to stand in front of me, standing this close I was hit with the familiar scent of his shampoo and body spray, I stepped away from him, turning back to the equipment again, he ignored my statement before he continued,

"You know I'd heard on the grapevine that you'd run away from London and had signed on as the errand girl and dogsbody for your little boys again, tell me Eliza, how does it feel to have achieved nothing in the last 10 years?"

That was it, I'd had enough of his tone and superiority, so I spun back to face him

"you know what Jack, you don't know anything about me any more, you took everything from me, my home, my friends, but I love my life now, I am proud of who I am and what I've achieved, and not that I have to justify anything to you but I'm the senior tour assistant for the biggest world tour on the calendar right now, so I've achieved plenty"

I paused to catch my breath and cut him off before he had the chance to say anything,

"To be in a role like this at my age... do you have any idea what that means? its career defining.  I am more than happy with the decisions I've made in the last year, let me tell you, I made the smartest choice I ever made when I decided to cut out everything and everyone that was rotten, everything that was ruining my life, and walk away, the bad gone with one easy choice"

I didn't even blink, my chest raising and falling exaggeratedly, my eyes locked on his, i lowered my voice trying to sound more controlled and divisive,

"you know it would be a real shame if I were to go to the venue director and tell him that his head Rigger was harassing me and that I wanted him removed from the show tonight, wouldn't look good for you would it, so why don't you back off and just LEAVE ME ALONE"