Once You've Tasted Love

Chapter 31

I was cooking dinner about a week later, when Gary came into the kitchen after a meeting, chewing on his bottom lip. 

"Evening Gaz" I smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips as usual. 

"Hiya" he greeted me back, but not with the same enthusiasm.

I instantly knew something was going on and my smile dropped. "Gary what is it?" 

"We need to talk" he said and looked to the floor, regret and fear written all over his face. 

I felt sick instantly. He was surely going to break-up with me, what else could it be? I felt it. I knew this was going to happen, I mean how could he possibly be happy with someone like me for longer than a few months? Wasn’t this always gonna happen? I had to hold the tears back, cause no, I didn’t expect it to really happen, I thought we were happy.

"What is it?" I looked up and my watery eyes met his green eyes and he gasped in shock "Don't cry! What are you thinking I'm going to say?" 

I sniffed "Please don't end this...Please don't leave me...We can try everything you want, but please, don’t..." 

"What?! No! Never! Stop crying" he said nervously and took my hand in his. 

I calmed myself down and took a deep breath "Sorry. It's just...I still can't believe that YOU chose ME and that you love me."

"It's okay, but stop crying." 

"So, you said we needed to talk?" 

Again he was chewing on his bottom lip now "Uhm...Don't hate me but...we have to delay our holiday." 

I snatched his hand away and laughed hysterically "This is a joke, right?"

Gary didn't even look at me "I'm afraid it isn't." 

I jumped up from my seat and believe me I was furious now. "Are you fucking serious?!" 

"Stop swearing. It's not my fault we have to do this." 

I snarled "Oh it isn't? Then who's is it?!" 

He gulped and his voice was barely a whisper "Management." 

I let out an angry laugh "Great. Fucking great." 

"Stop swearing" Gary said through gritted teeth.

"And may I ask why we have to delay our holiday?" 

"First, it'll only be a week. Secondly, it's because of a TV performance in Germany" and barely audible he added "on my birthday." 

That was it. "You have to be kidding me right? Not only that you come home TWO weeks before we're supposed to go on holiday and tell me 'Oh sorry babe, we have to delay our holiday for a week and there's no way around it.', no. Then you go and say 'Oh and I'm doing a TV performance in Germany on my birthday.' WHAT THE ACTUAL BLOODY FUCK ARE YOU THINKING?!" 

Now Gary’s voice got louder too "I said STOP swearing. And don't YELL at me." 

"No?! I'm not allowed to be mad? Makes it even better. Maybe I wouldn't be that mad if you would've told me earlier? Mhm? How does that sound, mister ‘I’m a popstar and everything has to move around me’?"

"I know it's spontaneous!" Gary said angrily and mad, but he still wasn't yelling at me, at least not yet, but I did.

I yelled "Then why agree to it?! I thought you were more in control today? Doesn't sound like that to me."

He yelled back "Because it's important!" 

My blood was boiling by now and the only thing I felt was anger. "Ohhhh... A fucking TV performance in bloody Germany is more important than me? Nice one Barlow. At least I know where your priorities are."
And with that I left the room, leaving him standing there, but a sudden grip on my wrist stopped me "Oh no. You don't just walk out on me like that. Forget it. But if you want to play it like that, fine have it your way." 

I was turned around to face Gary and somehow wriggled my arm out of his grip. "You. Are. My. Priority." Gary looked me in the eyes, sternly, his face only inches away from mine. 

"Oh really? Because if I was, we wouldn't have this argument right now." 

And then there was silence. And I looked into Gary’s face and all that I could see was guilt. "I'm sorry" he said and looked me in the eyes, pleading for forgiveness. 

I shook my head "Spare me the apology. It's not the fact that we have to delay it, it's the fact that it's on such a short call. Because, I have a normal job, where I can't just go in and say 'Sorry, but I'll be delaying my time off work because my popstar boyfriend has to sing a bit on telly while he was supposed to be on the Bahamas with me.' So if you really want me to forgive you, YOU will be the one who's going to tell that to my boss, and sort it out." 

He looked at me like a schoolboy that has been told off by his mum and I just blanked at him waiting for any reaction. He didn't say anything.

He just flung himself at me kissing me passionately and soon we were just panting at each other, the want and the sexual tension heavy between us.
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"Oh god..." I laid on top off Gary, panting, both of us trying to get our breath back. 

Gary panted "Clara, believe me, we have to fight more often." 

I stared at him in disbelief "What?!" 

He smirked "That make-up shag was hot." 

I rolled my eyes. 

"Don't roll your eyes at me, darling. And just to give you an answer to earlier: I will sort this out with your boss, promise." 

I nodded "Good. Sorry for shouting."

Gary smiled "It’s okay, I can understand why you got angry."

I smiled "I have the feeling we're a proper couple now, you know." 

He frowned "Why? What do you mean?" 

I giggled "This was our first real fight. Suppose we got through it without really ripping our heads off or breaking up." 

Gary laughed "I bloody hope that we got through it, and I agree that we are still very much together. But as much as I liked the aftermath of us fighting, I prefer not fighting with you much more if I'm honest."

I giggled "Same."