Our Love is Torn (A Bruno Mars Fan Fiction)

Chapter 8

While Liz helped with this afternoon's shoot, she remembered how busy her morning had been. Still nervous Bruno would call her before she got her day started, Liz had turned off her phone. After all, she thought, she'd want it off for the bank interview anyway, so why not now? You know, just so she wouldn't forget. From her laptop, Liz sent the final version of her business plan to FEDEX so they could finish the professional copies for her and then got ready for her day. Elizabeth had been working on this plan for a while and crossed her fingers she could make it happen.

Having finished her presentation to the bank's loan officer, Liz was informed the request would be presented to the loan committee Monday afternoon and to expect a call sometime after that. Thanking the officer for her time and consideration of the loan, Elizabeth left the bank. Now she waited for their call, hopefully with good news. Liz had a thousand things on her mind: finding studio space; buying equipment; getting paying customers, and last but not least, her marriage. Liz had not yet told Bruno about her new endeavor. He had talked about her moving to LA, but there'd been no definite plans. She didn't want to interrupt his life and she wasn't going to interrupt hers. Liz had dreamed of owning her own business and she knew she'd be good at this one. How was she going to tell Bruno? How was he going to take it? Why did she always have to make everything so freaking complicated!

At a break Liz found a room, quiet and private, for her call to Bruno. Closing the door she turned her phone on and saw Bruno had left a message to call him back. Liz began to feel guilty that she was bailing on him until tomorrow night, but she had to do it. Bruno answered on the first try. When Lizzy heard his sultry voice say hello, her chest tightened and her breath caught. Bruno doesn't even do this on purpose she thought. He just says hello and women go weak. Liz wondered what she was doing keeping her distance from this hot man. He was wonderful, special, and he loved her.

"Hi, Bruno. How are you?" Liz said trying to recompose herself without him noticing she had lost it. "I'm missing you," Bruno said as a matter of fact. With a frown, Liz thought of how much she loved this curly headed guy, but knew she had to stay true to her plan.

Liz smiled as she spoke, "I miss you too, but it's only been a couple of days." 

"Lizzy, it's almost 30% of our life together." His statement made Liz laugh and she relaxed a little.

Well, I can see what you do in your spare time. I didn't realize you were such a math wiz," Liz said with an amused tone.

"Hey, chickie, I've got a lot of surprises for you. Besides, there's not too much more on this bus to keep me interested. You know if you were here, I wouldn't have a problem staying busy, sweetheart."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say," Liz teased.

"All of them, huh? Just exactly how many "thems" are we talking about?" Bruno teased back.

Liz scrunched her face and pretended to count, "Let me see, there's two, uh, six, no wait."

"Stop it Liz, that's gross."

"What? I'm just counting the ones from yesterday!"

Embarrassed but humored, Bruno pretended to be upset and nagged at Liz in his best girlfriend voice. "Now gurrl, I know you are not treating your man like this. He gone for two days and you be all up in some other brother's . . . " Bothered by what he was about to say, Bruno switched his voice back to normal and finished. "Uh, I want to stop that train of thought right now."

"Good. Looking back I wish I hadn't kept it going myself." Liz felt somewhat embarrassed and perplexed at their strange conversation. "So Bruno, that just happened? Why would we have a conversation like that?"

"Because we're horny and a week away from seeing each other," Bru said walking through the aisle of the tour bus.

"Horny? Maybe we could use a more romantic word Bruno."

"Nope. I'm horny. Straight up."

Getting more comfortable on one of the front, side facing seats of the tour bus, Bruno asked, "Soo, what's going on with you today?"

Liz put her head on the back of the chair and stated, "Work wise, I'm at the studio." Knowing this was her opportunity to make her excuses for tonight Liz continued, "We'll be going into the evening for a sunset shot. We're headed to a farmer's field in a minute to set up."

"Great, you'll be home in time to take a nap so we can have a nice, long conversation after my concert."

"I've got my own photo shoot tomorrow to rest up for," Lizzy quickly put in. Bruno knew Liz had a full schedule, but was getting frustrated that she wasn't trying to find time for him.

Laying down on his back with his knees bent Bruno expressed, "You're pretty hard to pin down girl. I haven't been able to really talk with you since Philly. I know it's only been a couple of days, but I can't stop thinking about you, about us. I'm still obsessed with this Everlasting thing. I've had another dream with us in the past. Liz there's so much detail it has to be real. Am I going to have to show up unexpectedly just so we can have some pillow talk? It almost seems like you're trying to avoid me."

"No, no Bruno. There is no one I'd rather be with than you. I feel it. I love you. It's just . . . I had plans already, before we met, and . . . I don't know. It's an adjustment from thinking of only me to adding another person into the mix," Lizzy winced thinking he'll only think this a lame excuse.

"Baby girl, I'm just giving you a hard time. We'll get it figured out. Long distance relationships are hard, right? Let's just keep this relaxed and try to have some one on one time every other day. No big pressure."

"I think it sounds good. So, Sunday?" Liz asked in relief.

"Better be lover."

"Better be love god." Liz giggled then heard a noise outside the door reminding her of where she was. "Oh, crap! I gotta go! Bruno, Sunday. Bye!" Lizzy pressed "End" on her phone and she was off.

As he chose the "End" function on his own phone to disconnect the call, Bruno thought of another meaning for that word. Could Liz be sending him signals that she was pulling away from him? Bruno knew Liz worried about his fans, his music, his life. He also knew Eric's words and demeanor had been rough on her, maybe rougher than he thought. He needed to fix this before the situation got out of hand Hmm. Well, by midnight Saturday, Liz would know there'd be no pulling away, no end to their love.

<3<3<3<3<3

A calm and heavy rain fell on the lamp lit city, finally breaking the lengthy hot spell. The fevered inhabitants were fatigued and their over worked air conditioners had become accustomed to fighting the heat, day and night. But this Saturday night one city dweller sleeping peacefully to the sound of the cooling rain hitting her window panes and the smell of the freshly cleaned air through her partially opened window. This single citizen slept so deeply and contentedly that at midnight she did not hear her obliging roommates open the dwelling door and gladly welcome a lone man into their shared apartment. She didn't see the well used doorknob to her bedroom turn or the shadowy silhouette of that man stand in her open doorway. Smelling the fresh air, a new scent entered her subconscious. A masculine, aromatic, fragrance carried her soul to all things enjoyable, signaling her physical body to happily sigh and present the world with an affectionate smile as she snuggled deeper into her nested bed. Continuing her uninterrupted sleep, she didn't notice the expectant man take off his hat and soundlessly place it on top of the dresser or hear the slight rustling of his damp clothing as he readied himself for the shelter and sanctity of her bed. Leaning as close as he dared, the man quietly spoke her name causing her to deeply breathe in his essence, transcending her to times before when love and passion comingled within her core. He spoke her name again and she curled from her ack to her side, moaning the recognized soul's name as he slipped between the flower printed sheets, cradling his yearning body to hers. During the wanderings of her dreams, the blissfully unconscious woman again heard the man's voice and felt his lips move behind her ear as he told of his humble love for her and felt the warmth of his tired head as he laid it down to sleep on the soft pillow beside her.