That Was Then, This Is Now

Part 7

"Tim! you have got to be kidding me!" my manager yells at me as he burst through the studio door.

"jack, hey what's up?" I ask him, concerned about his tone.

"please Tim explain to me why the hell you are on the cover of every tabloid magazine walking faith down the boulevard last night?" I can't believe this. I was just being a good person and now were going to have to do all this damage control because everyone will think we're back together and then people will say that if I can get back with my ex then I'll get back with using and me and my career do not need that kind of pressure. I'm doing so well, my public appeal ratings are good, the focus groups we've been testing on love me, I do not need a scandal.

"Jack, man I'm sorry. She was drunk and I just thought if I didn't take her home she could get hurt." I explain.

"Tim I know you loved her," not past tense Jack, "but you can't let her be the reason you don't sell this next album."

"Jack, this Faith you're talking about not the plague." I reason.

"I need to speak with PR. Is there any other little bit of information you feel you need to share with me?"

"um, yeah she came here this morning to pick up her phone, she left it in my truck and needed to come get it."

"Okay. Well hopefully there weren't any paparazzi but if someone saw her coming in ill liaison with Gary and see if we could say she came to see someone else, or maybe had a look at the premises for her next album." He suggests as he walks out of the door. He's pissed, not at me just the situation. But this is Jack and he's going to make this whole thing blow over. Surely. I've been in the studio all day working on this new song. All I've got is the first verse but I can tell it's going to be good. It's a ballad so I probably won't sing it so I'll sell the demo if I ever finish it. This day has been a rollercoaster, from dropping Faith home at 2am, to having a song stuck in my head, to having faith in the studio with me to having Jack yell at me for helping faith. Wild. I decide to head home and once I'm inside my apartment I pull out my not book and try to finish the song but yet again I just star at the few lines on the paper that I wrote hours ago. Suddenly my phone starts ringing and I don't know the number but since it's my personal phone I answer anyway.

"hello, Tim speaking."

"Tim, its me Faith." I recognise her voice as soon as she says my name.

"Faith? How did you get this number?" I ask confused.

"You haven't changed your number and I just kind of remembered it." She says. There is a silence for few seconds that neither of us knows how to fill so I try my best.

"how can I help you?" I ask her.

"your song. That verse you let me read today. I've had it stuck in my head all day and I have a few suggestions for the rest of the song. Unless you've finished it."

"no! I've got writers block and I haven't added anything since you read it." I tell her.

"oh really?" she asked with some excitement in her voice. "well maybe we can meet tomorrow and I can share my notes with you." She says.

"um I think if you and I meet tomorrow Jack would kill me."

"oh have you gotten the 'you can't be this careless in public' speech to?" she asks.

"yep, followed by the guilt trip for making them actually have to do some PR work." I laugh.

"they're ridiculous." She states. I mean she's not wrong but they have a job to do and the biggest part of that job is to protect us. "what if I come over now?" she asks.

"um..." I'm not sure. "yeah, if you go in the parking garage you should get in without hassle." I say before I change my own mind.

"okay cool, I'll see you in a minute." She says hanging up. What have I just agreed to. Faith is coming here. To our old apartment. She's going to think I'm pathetic I realise looking around the room. All the furniture is the same. The couches she picked, the art she picked, hell the vases too. Everything she put in here is still in its place. I never had a reason to change it. I liked what she picked. I tidy up a bit as I wait for her, not that there's much just a few books and my guitar that I ned to pack away. As the time ticks by I remember that I should ring her with the key code to get up, but just as I reach for my phone I hear the elevator open.

"Tim?" I hear from the room over and suddenly I'm to aware that I've got on only some grey sweat pants and a white v neck t-shirt. At least they're clean.

"Faith, I'm in the living room." I holler.

"hi." She says standing in front of me. Her hair is tied back, her face is bare and all she has on are baggy jeans and a cotton shirt. She is so stunning.

"hi." I say back unsure of what protocol is.

"Tim I don't want us to be awkward." She releases.

"me neither." I tell her. I want us to go back 4 years and be madly in love. I want to hold her right now.

"okay good. Then lets write that song."