He Was a Friend

/49/ He's hurt. /

Art drank the last sip of his 8th bottle of beer. He was at Ricardo's drinking alone after witnessing how close Louise and Eric was during Eric's brother's wedding. He actually just went there just to quickly check how Louise looks, because she's usually wearing either sporty or too casual clothing and it's rare to see her in something formal like a dress.

But I just had to see that, he snorted.

He reached out to open his 9th bottle but he saw someone else's hands getting it and putting it far away from him.

It was Kristelle, his manager.

Oops.

"What's the problem now, Art? Seriously? How many are these? One, two... Eight bottles?" she questioned him with a scolding tone.

He sighed deeply and massaged his face.

"You were okay when you left the studio. Whatever happened between then and now?" she persisted, as she placed her bag on a nearby seat and sat in the chair beside him.

He covered his face with both his hands and left only his eyes, which are closed.

I can't hide this anyway. This is probably gonna affect me for the next few days.

"I feel like... I'm gonna be dumped soon," he croaked. "I have somehow foreseen this, but... I didn't expect it to hurt this much. I'm sorry if it might affect my work a little bit starting tomorrow."

It was Kristelle's turn to sigh, then.

"So it's about Louise, again. Everytime you get extremely happy, or extremely sad, it's about her," she opened the beer which she stopped him from getting.

Art looked at her with questioning eyes.

"I'm gonna drink one, since it looks like this will take long. I also want to get sleepy so that the moment I hit the bed, I'll sleep," she explained lazily.

He smiled at her for being understanding. He looked at his watch, and saw that it's already 11:30PM.

So I've been drinking for almost three hours now.

Kristelle crossed her arms and stared at him seriously, as if contemplating whether to tell whatever she's planning to say next.

"What is it?" he asked.

She drank a sip of her beer, placed her arms in the table, and stared at him.

"Alright. I was planning on raising this later, when everything's a lot more... sure and settled, but... I think it's only right that I tell you now, considering the state you are in," she started, while getting her pack of cigarettes on her bag.

His forehead knotted on her statement. Before he can even open his mouth to ask, she quickly answered his question.

"MJ plans for the band to have an Asia tour, starting on June, ending on August. Nine countries in total," she continued, as she lit her cigarette. MJ is their boss in their talent agency.

What?

Art blinked multiple times, as if trying to wake himself up.

"Sorry?" he tried to clarify one more time, thinking he might have been too drunk to catch that one.

Kristelle placed her cigarette in the ashtray and stared at him.

"You heard me correctly. A three-month Asia tour in the next four months. I heard they'll finalize the details within mid of next week and ask you guys if you're game on it the day it's confirmed."

Art nodded blankly.

"That would mean the next three months will be hell again for preparations."

Ah. Now I get what she means.

He did a face palm as he placed his elbows in his knees, trying to analyze his situation.

"Sooo... I'm currently in a losing state on winning Lou over, and not only that, I will be busy in the next three months or so, and as a finale, will be totally gone for another three months. I'm... pretty hopeless then, right?" he grimaced, with face full of complicated emotions.

Kristelle opened another bottle and gave it for him to drink.

"Drink. I'm driving you home anyway. Drink and think tomorrow," she commanded.

"I mean, I can't even avoid that tour if it gets decided. It's not like it will only affect me if I don't accept it. I have the whole band behind me. How can the vocalist be MIA?" he grabbed his hair in frustration.

Just why is everything complicated?

She tapped his back to calm him down.

"Just... just let me think about it. I haven't done everything I can for Lou, yet. Let me... try one last time. If that didn't work... I'll take it as a sign, that I'll have to let her go. Otherwise," he trailed off and massaged his nape.

She sighed and nodded and tapped her shoulders twice. "I got it. I understand. I'll work it out somehow, whichever it will be."

He stared at her.

"I said I got your back," she frowned and puffed her smoke once more.

That was all he can remember before his vision got blurred and finally doze off on the table.