James Cymone, a beacon of femininity in the realm of fashion, finds herself ensnared in the pulsating embrace of family ties. Bound closely to her cousin, the illustrious Andre Cymone, James comes to see fate orchestrate a charged encounter between...
I wake up with a splitting headache. Thinking I could have my bags packed for my vacation on time was fruitless. The second I start, Susannah comes bounding into the room, firing off question after question about our break.
"So, what are we doing for the next few weeks?" She asks, eyeing my suitcase.
Shaking my head, I prepare for a potential problem. "Well, I'm going off the grid to recharge. I think the rest of the band is going to Vegas."
"And when you say 'you'..." She trails off with that annoying tone I hate.
I nod. "I mean alone. No distractions."
"But I thought we were finally going to get some quality time in before all of your commitments coming up," she whines, giving me that pout she loves to give when she doesn't get her way.
Did I mention I'm tired of the guilt trips as well? "Susannah, there is a lot going on right now. I have to clear my head or I won't be in the right mindset to fulfill my obligations."
"I just don't understand why you have to be gone for three whole weeks without me," she says, folding her arms like a child.
Snorting, I throw my bathing suit in the suitcase. "What you're not understanding is that this isn't about you. I need this time for me to clear my head so I can focus on the music."
"You make music in your sleep; there has never been a problem before," she says, clearly not believing me.
Which is part of the reason I feel this way. She's right; usually, the music comes easily to me... But it has been lukewarm at best since I asked her to marry me a couple of months ago. I hate to even think the words, but as much as I love her, I don't think she's the one. We haven't even told anyone that we're engaged. I want to be sure before we tell everyone. It's just that if we announce it too soon and I break the engagement... Wendy will no doubt leave the band and take Lisa with her. I need them both for this movie, so you can see my dilemma.
"Look, babe... Just give me this time to figure my shit out, and when this is over, we can get back to normal," I say, not even believing myself.
Yet she does, obviously, because she smiles brightly. "So you're saying after this movie business is over, we can finally set a date?"
"I said we would, didn't I? Now I gotta finish packing. You should head back with Wendy and Lisa," I say, trying hard to repress the same feeling of being a bad guy that I had the night I made James leave the studio so Jill could come by and get fucked.
It was also the same time period I asked Susannah to marry me. Maybe I am a bad guy...
"Okay, baby, take your time to get it together," Susannah says, kissing my cheek. "I love you."
I kiss her back and absentmindedly say, "You too..."
January 3rd, 1983
Honolulu, Hawaii
James' POV
" James quit splashing me! " Prince laughs as we play around in crystal blue water.
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