Enough Is Enough

I

Another interesting (I think) idea from one of you, from a while ago.

~

"I could wait."

"No need, Karen, but thank you. I'm sure Lindsey will take me home." Stevie gave her a assistant a smile, putting on her sunglasses, before getting out of the car. "I'll call you, somehow, if I need you."

"Well, fine. Don't kill each other." Karen joked, well aware of the two's relationship or whatever the hell was going on between them. She waited for Stevie to go into the restaurant, before she drove away, wanting to make sure her boss went inside safely. 

Even though Lindsey was supposed to show up about ten minutes later at most, Stevie still didn't enjoy sitting by herself. She was used to having people around her and right now she felt vulnerable. She had been famous for the better part of her life and in those years, she had found herself in various unpleasant situation, but she usually had someone with her. She hated surrounding herself with bodyguards and she didn't even have Karen. 

Taking a sip of water she had asked for, Stevie almost chocked, seeing a woman in front of her, whom she wasn't expecting to see at all. "Stevie, hi. It's been a while."

"Hi." She faked a smile, standing up to give Lindsey's wife a hug. "Yes, it has."

"How you've been? You don't come around any more." Kristen tried to be nice, polite at least, but Stevie felt just how forced every word was.

"I know, I've been busy." She waved it off, hoping the next word was going to be goodbye.

"Of course." Kristen nodded, as if she understood what Stevie meant. "Are you here with someone?"

"No. Well, not yet. I'm... meeting a friend."

"Oh, well I won't keep you then. We'll be going." Kristen said, glancing at the woman, Stevie vaguely recognized, standing beside her. "It was nice seeing you."

"Yeah, you too."

They said goodbye and Stevie exhaled heavily, sitting down again. That was a very close call, suddenly she wasn't at all mad at Lindsey for being late.

Another few minutes passed by, when Stevie finally saw Lindsey coming her way, already wearing an apologetic expression on his face. Bringing a hand up to her face, he leaned in for a kiss, but Stevie turned away, his lips pressing against her cheek.

"Okay... I'm sorry, I know I'm late. I didn't think you would be this angry with me." He said, taking a seat opposite her.

"I'm not mad, because you're late, I'm mad because I was just having a very awkward conversation with your wife." She glared at him, resting her back against the chair as she crossed her arms. 

"What?" Lindsey frowned. "Where?"

"Here. She was having lunch with some friend. You two literally missed each other by five minutes."

"Shit, Steph. I'm sorry. I had no idea she would be here."

Sighing, Stevie nodded. "I know, but it was unpleasant."

"I get it, but don't think about it. Nothing happened. She's gone and now I'm here." He gave her a smile, which she didn't return.

A waiter approached them and once they ordered, Lindsey seemed to have forgotten all about what Stevie had just told him and he didn't seem to realize that she was genuinely upset. 

"So, have you thought about coming into the studio? Like I said, no pressure. I just want you to hear what we have and I think it could really excite you enough to join us."

"I have thought about it, but..." Shrugging her shoulders, she looked down, pretending to be interested in her freshly painted nails. 

"But what, Stevie? Come on..." Lindsey proceeded talking, but she zoned out, already knowing exactly what was coming out of his mouth. He was yet again telling her how she needed to be a part of the album, how much she would regret it if she didn't and so on. 

Stevie returned to the present moment, once he stopped talking, when the waiter returned with their food. Hoping that whatever Lindsey said last didn't require an answer, Stevie picked up the cutlery to cut into her fish.

"Steph?"

"Mm?" 

"Did you at all hear what I said?" It was strange that Lindsey's spoke to her calmly, usually he would get irritated if she didn't listen to him. "You seem to be somewhere else."

"I am." She nodded, shrugging her shoulders. 

"What's up? Tell me." He reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. 

"I've already told you, when you came in here."

"It's because of Kristen? Come on, Stevie, nothing-"

"Not now, no. Nothing happened." She shook her head, pulling her hand away from his touch. "But it could have. What if you had been here too? Sure, she didn't catch us in bed, but..." Sighing, she put down the fork, suddenly losing her appetite. "I guess, I'm just tired."

"Of what?"

"Of us, Lindsey. This is not what you promised me all those years ago."

Breaking the eye contact, Lindsey diverted his gaze somewhere past her. "We've talked about this so many times."

"Yes, we have. And what changed? Nothing ever does. You give me false hope, I shut up and we go on the same."

"Don't say that. I don't give you false hope, so you would stop hassling me. I know things haven't exactly worked out the way we wanted to, but it doesn't mean that I don't love you."

"And whose fault is it that things haven't exactly worked out?" She challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Can we please not do this here?" Lindsey asked. "We're in public and -"

"I don't really give a shit. I'm exhausted of having you only part time. I'm tired of being a secret."

"You're not exactly a secret."

"And that's even more fucked up, let me tell you."

Knowing her for so long and so well like he did, Lindsey chose not to say anything more. It would only result into a fight and that's certainly something he didn't want. 

"I think, I'm going to go." Stevie said, unzipping her handbag to retrieve her cellphone. 

"No, baby, don't. I wanted us to spend some time together."

"I did too, but I'm in a terrible mood and I want to go home."

"Don't let her ruin this." Lindsey referred to his wife. 

Stevie scoffed. "She ruined everything a long time ago. Actually, no. You did." She added, pressing the call button, waiting for Karen to answer. After the phone call, Stevie stood up to leave. "I would like it if you didn't contact me for a while."

"What? Stevie, you're crazy!" 

"Please, do something I ask of you." 

The look in her eyes broke his heart, yet he knew he had broken hers already nearly twenty years ago.