Two Ghosts (Bad Idea Sequel)

036. I CAN TELL THAT IT'S GONNA BE A LONG ROAD

"GET up, Styles."

"My stomach hurts. And it's winter."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kelsey ripped another layer of blankets off of me as my eyes fluttered open. "It's the season of hibernation. Aka sleep. Aka letting your client get his beauty sleep so he doesn't fire you." I groaned as she paused and began to smirk a bit. It might have been the only time I've seen her even come close to a smile. "You and I both know you'd never fire me." I had to laugh, only because she was right.

"You've got a lot on the agenda for today," Kelsey ripped open the blackout curtains draped around the hotel room, making me squint my eyes to see her. "You've got a phone interview with BBC at 11:00. After that, you've got to go to a lunch with Cindy Crawford at 1:30. A fitting at 4, and then your final album promotion party at seven."

Hearing all of the things spoken out loud that I had to do today made me want to recoil back into the safety of the hotel bed that smelled strangely of eucalyptus and mint even more. Hearing the words 'final album promotion' created knots inside of my stomach. Mostly because everyone knew it was the end of an era, and now they'd harass me for more new music.

I hadn't yet decided what I'd call the new album yet. I quite like the idea 'Do You Know Who You Are?'. Kelsey had argued against that idea quite viciously, saying that it was too long of a name and hard to remember. She said if I wanted to use it that bad, it could be used as a promotion quote. All of this was happening too fast, and I wasn't ready. It hadn't even been two years since my debut album dropped.

"Can I take the interview from here?" I felt silly that I had to ask permission to do so, but here I was asking. Kelsey had a way of getting whatever it was that she wanted, and I felt small in her presence. "In bed?" She asked and tilted her head to the side.

I nodded. "I mean, I don't see why not. All I ask is that you meet me in the lobby of the hotel at 1:15 so we have enough time to meet Cindy at 1:30. Other than that, the day is yours, Styles."

___

"Thank you for having me, Nick. It's always lovely to appear on the show, even if I'm not physically in the studio." I stared at the window and made telling facial expressions as if I was there, trying to prove to an audience that I actually wanted to be there and not back at home. "Anytime, Styles. Stop by soon." Nick replied and hung up the phone, leaving me with my long awaited hour and fifteen minutes of free time.

I cant remember the last time I'd been in New York, let alone by myself, with no distractions. I think the last time I stayed in Manhattan was during the Supernova Sessions. When she passed out, and had to go to the hospital. Now that I think back on it, it's easy to see that those were the beginning moments of a tough pregnancy. At the time it just seemed like an overworked pop star. Perhaps it was a combination of both, which is why the pregnancy didn't work out.

With the two year anniversary of Harry Styles approaching in the next few months, the death of Moon was also approaching quickly behind it. I tried not to think about it, because the thought of it made me so utterly depressed it hurt to even breathe, but it still didn't change the fact that it was a reality.

Having Blair back felt comforting in a strange way, because it felt like a piece of Moon was preserved just for me. Maybe I'm insane for believing that, I don't really care. It helps me sleep at night, with the exciting possibility that I've gotten her back. It hadn't been easy, but we'd been working on it.

Being in New York reminded me of Blair. It seemed like the city belonged to us, and only us. Even if that was also a crazy thought. It was a reason to escape all of the draining California drama, along with the painful memories that followed it closely. I laced up my shoes and grabbed my keys off of the desk, heading out the door and down the hall, toward the elevator.

____

"Wow, it's beautiful." I stared up at the high ceilings, observing the hanging bulbs that cascaded down a rod of dark iron, complimented with the bits of greenery spread throughout the loft. Natural light from the city flooded through the windows of the penthouse, capturing the balance between brightness and darkness.

"It sure is. I think buying a place in New York is smart. Gets you away from all of that California chaos." The realtor chuckled, her heels clicking across the floor rhythmically. She was right, however. Living in Los Angeles for so long, a part of you becomes accustomed to the pure insanity of the city. In fact, you don't realize how long you've been living in it until you travel and venture away from all of the chaos. Sure, New York is dealt with it's own kind of crazy.

In a way, I think a part of me longs for that. It keeps me on my toes. It keeps life exciting, actually. The only difference between New York and Los Angeles is that New York is just a little less insane. Not by much, but it is a noticeable difference. Before I knew it, I had a ballpoint pen in my grip and I'd signed more papers than I could even fathom. The shining light from above radiated on my forehead. Maybe now I could get rid of this pale skin across my body. Maybe now I could venture out more, at least for a few weeks.

That is, until the paparazzi figures out we've moved in together in New York. That is going to be one hell of a shit show.

© GRANDEGALORE 2021
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this was an embarrassingly
long wait i apologize
more is coming !