Time had never passed more quickly for Andre. He dreaded he would have to leave Las Vegas for his big show at Louisiana by tomorrow morning. He had other things he needed to tidy up as quickly as he could,in no less than three months. He thought of Karla...Three months without her was going to be hell!.
But then, come to think of it...
It had been three weeks or more since he last set his eyes on her. After that time she had spent the night at his house, he'd been extra busy,and his schedules had been really tight.
He remembered that night...
Gosh!
He had almost made love to Karla. The feeling they had both shared,and how she responded to his every touch.
Damn!
He was crazy for her,he loved her,and couldn't keep lying to himself. Somehow, whenever she was around, everything else seemed to go into total oblivion.
But with his personality,and his reputation as a top-notch musical celebrity,he didn't think Karla would want someone like him by her side forever. Her,as an actress and a pro fashion model,with the taste of the industry already, certainly would want to go for someone with a more responsible profession. Recalling what she had told him about her ex being an attorney. She probably would have chosen George Sanders a hundred times or more over him if he wasn't a player.
But no!
He loved Karla immensely,and wanted her to be with him forever. But then....,things weren't just going right, especially the way he wanted. He hadn't time to show her how much he loved her. She was just the perfect woman for him. Apart from all the beauty and aura she possessed,Karla was a wonderful woman. Just dating her almost a year,made him realize that.
Jeez,...
He had dated Karla almost a year without making love to her just yet. He laughed at the thought.
But it was true. He found it hard to admit the fact that he had no will power whenever he was with her. And he feared at that being the main reason they barely spent time together. He wanted her, desperately, needed her,and whenever she wasn't
there,he felt miserable.
Even after three weeks or more,his body still throbbed with need and yearning for her. With a groan of frustration,he picked up the receiver and dialed her number.
Karla was just about taking a shower for the night before the telephone rang. She rushed to pick up the receiver and smiled when she saw it was Andre calling.
"Hey darling,hope you're okay?" She spoke into the receiver.
"Karla. Yeah,I'm fine"
She frowned at the sound of his voice. His tone was sober, she had noticed. And she didn't at all like that. -"Andre,you okay?"
He cleared his throat properly. "Yes babe,I'm okay. I'm fine really." He paused,then continued at once -"I'd be leaving for Louisiana tomorrow morning. I have a lot to see to."
Karla heaved a sigh of relief. At least,he was okay.
"Oh Alright. So when would you return?"
"Prolly June or mid July, depending." Came his response.
-"What? June or prolly mid July???" Karla frowned.
They were already in the month of March.
Two months or more without Andre....she thought. How horrific.
She was even complaining of the three weeks they had spent apart,not being able to see each other. And by tomorrow,he'd be leaving for Louisiana ,only to return after two months or more.
Why hadn't he told her before now?
"Karla hold on i ---"
"Why are you telling me this now Andre? You're leaving tomorrow,and this is how you call to tell me?" She interrupted brokenly. She tried to fight back the hurt as tears welled up in her eyes,but she couldn't.
Andre's heart throbbed painfully. He didn't like that he just made her cry. --"Karla" he called,not sure where to begin. "I'm sorry" he ended breathlessly.
Karla didn't utter a word. She was right. It made perfect sense to her how. Andre didn't quite love her as much as she did him. She felt so unimportant to him, almost the least thing on his mind. She felt so stupid to have thought Andre loved her even half as much as she did. After a long silence,she spoke, "It's fine Andre,we'd see whenever you return. Have a lovely night" she said hesitantly and slammed the receiver shut.
Now what had he done?
He felt guilty. More than guilty. It was never his intention to hurt Karla in anyway,and now she was hurt, deeply. But what had he been thinking all these while not to have told her earlier on about his trip to Louisiana. And it wasn't like he he had given her the quality time she deserved with him, together.
Karla broke down in years just after she'd dropped the receiver. She dreaded picking the call.
But now what?
Andre was leaving tomorrow morning and there was nothing she could do about it, absolutely nothing. She felt a stab of hurt deep down inside her. His fame and career was much more important to him than anything else, including her. He didn't care about the way she felt, didn't even want to care.
Oh!, But she loved him. What was happening to her?
It seemed like she had been cast under a spell when it had to do with Andre. Without a doubt,she knew she loved him,so deeply. She wished things could go the way she wanted. She could forfeit everything and anything just to be with Andre. Including her Career. But in his case,it was a different thing all together. An unimportant attention seeking hedgehog.
Rubbing her eyes against a roaring headache,she trudged into her bathroom and filled her tub with hot water and vanilla lavender bath oils. She lit her candles, striped out of her bathing suit,and sank into the bath. She needed to calm her tension headache and think of what to do. Or not think at all.
With a deep sigh,she sat up, slushing water over the edge of the tub.
Andre.....
What was she going to do now?. Her mind was a mess,with thoughts whirling through her head. A complete turmoil. Shaking with urgency and nerves,she dried off,put on her night wear,and sat carefully on her bed.
She'd go see him very early in the morning, before he leaves. But then,she hadn't asked him what time his flight was. With the sudden burst of emotions then,she couldn't.
And what if he had left his house by the time she arrived? Probably making up his mind to leave very early to catch his flight?. She felt the need to call him and ask right away, but no,she wouldn't.
Tomorrow morning,and that was it. She concluded finally in her mind. That was the only thing she could do.
**********
Andre awakened at dawn, as he always did. His alarm clock apparently still operated,rang loudly into his ears. He slammed it shut with his hands and slipped off the bed. He hadn't gotten enough sleep lately, and today,he was scheduled to leave for his trip. He glanced at his wall clock, 7:30am. With a sigh followed by a yawn, he hurried into the bathroom to take a shower before he left for the airport. His plane had been scheduled to leave at 10:00am prompt. He had packed his box and luggages carefully the previous night before his scheduled departure. When he had finished everything,now it was 8:45am,he locked up his doors and headed out to get a cab which would take him straight to the airport. He was just about stepping out his gate when he caught sight of Karla stepping down a taxi. Even from the little distance away from him,he sensed her sadness.
"Karla" he called out softly and slowly met her gaze.
"Oh Andre" her voice was small and tight. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Soft at first, then wild with passion. Karla could feel his desire for her, burning like flames through his kiss. And the look in his dark brown eyes was just driving her insane.
She broke off the kiss abruptly. Her chest heaving as tears dropped down her eyes. He reached out tenderly to wipe the year off her face with thumb.
"What time do you leave?" She asked finally, grabbing the box from his hands. She had put on a simple short tight fitting blue gown and had worn just little makeup on her face. With a pair of blue sandals on her feet, exposing her beautifully polished peach colored toenails,she looked absolutely stunning.
"Ten" he replied frantically.
"I'd see you off at the airport".
"Okay" Andre replied. All at once,he flagged down a cab. He held hands with Karla as they silently rode to the airport.
He wanted to assure her it wouldn't be so bad, but that would have been a bold faced lie. Every minute, second or day without her felt completely miserable. He wanted to be sure she understood how much he loved her. How so damn important she was to him. But the back seat of a cab didn't seem the appropriate place to tell her that. Nothing would ever be the same for either of them again,and they both knew it. That was the problem.
The cab drooped them off,and Andre paid the tab. They walked together to check in his luggage and receive his seat assignment.
"You're on Concourse B" Karla said, looking down at his ticket.
"Yeah. And I'm scheduled to depart at ten" he repeated again. "Would you walk down to concourse B with me?" he asked softly.
She nodded. Karla looked at him with eyes brimming with tears. She walked down with him, her hands clenched tightly in his. They arrived at the appropriate gate,and walked over to the window. Karla could see his plane and knew it wouldn't be more than a few moments before the boarding call was announced.
"I'm sorry Karla" he braced his hands against her shoulders and closed his eyes. Feeling the need to reel in his emotions.
"Me too".
He frowned. She had done nothing wrong.
"For what?"
"Oh Andre" she whispered brokenly and wrapped her arms around his shoulder, hugging him tightly. - "I'm going to be so lost without you" She admitted truthfully.
"It's going to be hell" He wasn't willing to pretend otherwise. Certainly not at the moment. - "I'll phone as often as i can. I promise."
"No. I need you Andre"
His hold on her tightened. He was afraid. Afraid that after all this, everything might change.
His flight number was announced and Andre's heart clenched. It wouldn't be that long, he promised himself. A few moments later, his row assignment was called to board.
"That's you." She breathed reluctantly.
"I know."
But neither of them made a move to break apart. Andre was the last one to board a plane. He arrived at the nick of time and collapsed into his plane seat. He was convinced that Karla would be the death of him yet. He smiled as he snapped his seat belt into place.
If he was to die right at that moment,he mused,he'd leave this earth a happy man.....
********
