Give Me Love

Chapter 15

“Jimmy! Great show tonight!” Mike high-fived me as I made my way out of the studio a month later.

“Thanks buddy!” I exclaimed, before turning around. “You seen Andie?”

“In her office as usual, man.”

“She’s been in there every night? She’s been toughing it out.”

Mike nodded. “Well they did sent Miles on an early vacation. She thinks she has to do double the work.”

I sucked my teeth and sighed. “Jeez, I haven’t seen her in a week. All we’ve been doing it playing phone tag. You would think that if worked in the same building I could get some time with her.”

“Relationships.” He chuckled.

“They’re worth it!” I headed to the elevator to the office floors. I softly knocked on her door and when I opened it, she was there typing feverishly.

“Jimmy, hey.” She smiled, continuing to type.

I walked in front of her desk and she didn’t pay me any attention. “Nancy called me today. They’re having a dress fitting tomorrow. You aren’t answering your phone calls?”

“Yeah, I know. I got her voicemail. A.D. left a lot of work to be done, I need to help finish it.” She sighed and put both her elbows on her desk, hands on cheeks. “I’m almost done.”

“Well that’s good.” I took her hand and kissed it, thinking of a way to get her out of this office. “Don’t you think Miles can finish the rest up when he gets back? We have scripts for at least 2 months thanks to you.”

She shook her head. “I ought to finish, babe. I really want to be the writer that actually deserves the Emmy if we win.”

“You were nominated. That’s so much to be proud of.” I smiled, trying to get her to smiled back. Her lips curved into a smile.

“I guess so.” She shimmied out of her chair and gave me a hug. Her head was nuzzled in between my shoulder and neck. “I missed you.”

“I missed you more. I’m starting to think we would’ve done better if Lorne sent you to work for Seth.”

She pulled away and had a shocked look on her face. “I’ll go tell Seth then.” She grabbed her purse and ran out of the door. I followed her out. I watched as she turned around repeatedly, like a little kid. She got to the elevators and, knowing the elevators are slow, I had won at this race. Once I finally caught up to her, she was leaning against the doors laughing.

“You’re just something that’s worth the chase.”

She smiled, leaning in to kiss me. The doors to the elevator flew open, sending us flying onto the elevator floor with me on top of her.

“And you’re something to fall for.” She giggled, still laying on the floor in front of me. The doors were closed and no buttons were pressed. I looked at her, and the way her hair spread out on the floor, and the way she got nervous when I got close to her. I bet she always wondered why I stared at her like this. “Are we gonna just lay here all night?”

“We could.” I smirked. “But no.”
I got up from the floor and extended my hand to her to grab. Once we were upright, I pressed “ground” and we were on our way.

-

I decided to take her out to dinner at this italian place near 30 Rock. She deserved it, she’s been working hard and besides, we haven’t been out for a while.

“I can’t wait to go to LA, I’ve never been.” She smiled, looking up at me from the menu.

I gasped. “Never? We’re gonna have so much fun! Hopefully I can bring Winnie, she loves the beach. New York’s beaches don’t compare.”

“And I need to find a dress! Jeez, this is going to be a process.”

“You’ll be drop dead gorgeous in anything.”

Our waiter arrived to our table and took our menus. “Hi I’m Brent, and I’ll be serving you today. Do we know what we want?”

“Um, yeah I’ll..” I looked at Andie and the way she stared at our waiter. I brushed it off. “I’ll have a-”

“I hate you. I fucking hate you.” Andie snapped, causing people to begin to look at us.

I looked around too, trying to figure out who she was talking to. “Babe, I didn’t do anything.”

She got up from her seat slowly and pointed at the waiter. “I want you to go to hell!” She grabbed her glass of water and threw it at him, literally the entire glass. She ran out of the place and I had to run after her.

“Andie!” I grabbed her arm and she was crying hysterically, cheeks red.

“I’m sorry, I have to go.. somewhere.” She kept trying to squirm away from my grip. I was still confused. “Who was that guy?”

“My ex-boyfriend.” My grip immediately loosened and she ran off. I tried to run after her, but what was I going to say? What was I going to do? He made her life a living hell.

“Sir, she left her purse.” Brent walked out, face bleeding from the glass on his face. I quickly grabbed it from him.

“Is there something else you want kid? Because I’m 3 seconds away from punching your teeth in.” I turned away from him, clutching her purse. Where could she have possibly gone? I spent half the night walking around Midtown looking for her.. I just didn’t understand. I looked in her purse and her phone was gone. She had nothing in it but her earrings and perfume. I decided to call her.

“Jimmy..” I heard her sniffle.

“Andie! Where are you?”

She sighed and I heard some rustling. “Listen, I have to go. I don’t want to be with you until I’m completely right for you. I’m not right for myself right now. I spend my days working, and I go home and drink, cut, whatever. I love you so much, but I have to go.”  Just like that.. she was out of my life again.

I arrived to work the next morning, agitated. A.D. was back from vacation.

“Hey Jimmy, tell Andie I said thanks for finishing all that stuff! I called her twice and no pick up!” He waved. “I heard she took her vacation too.”

I nodded and walked into my office, forgetting to greet my assistant.

I just wanted her to be happy. I was starting to think I wasn’t good enough.

As the days and weeks went by, I became increasingly lonely. With Nancy getting married in less than a month and still no sign of Andie, I thought calling Nancy would help me figure out where she went.

“Nance.” I said as soon as she picked up.

“What’s up? Is Winnie alright?” She asked.

“She’s fine, sleeping. But I have a question.”

“Okay,” she said sweetly. “Go ahead.”

“Have you heard from Andie?”

“You haven’t?” She spoke as if she was surprised. “Well, she flew to Pittsburgh to be with her family. But she’s been to New York a few times for dress rehearsals and everything. She’ll be here for the wedding.”

“So she’s been here?”

“Yeah,” Nancy sighed. “I don’t think I was supposed to tell you.” She giggled.

“I’ll pretend like I didn’t know.” I smiled. “Hey Nancy?”

“Yeah Jim?”

“Thank you.”

She was silent. “She told me she missed you a lot. I know she loves you a lot as well. She’s just getting more help.”

“That’s great. So great. Anything you need, I’m just a call away okay?”

“I know Jimmy.” She laughed. “I have to go. Tell Winnie I said hi!”

I looked down at Winnie sleeping in my lap and smiled noticing how she smiled in her sleep. Andie used to do the same thing.