✦ ✧ ✩ Curtain Call ✦ ✧ ✩ - Charlie Gillespie

Chapter 23

I looked up at her and then back at the playlist. It was true, every single one of those was directly related to everything I felt about him since the moment I met him.

"What am I gonna do now?" I said, looking over at the bag of cassette tapes that I had to give Kenny the next day.

"You can always you know, just give it to him" Maeve said, and bobbled her head at me.

"Are you insane? I might as well take a knee and pull out a ring" I replied, letting my heads rest in my arms in frustration "I think I'll just say I misplaced it"

"Ok, but he is going to be heartbroken when he sees everyone but him got one" she said. I hated that she was right but what was I supposed to do just confess my undying love for one of my best friends through music? What am I the main character of a cliché filled novel? No way. I don't want to start another problem between us, we are doing so good, I thought to myself as I put the cassette and guitar pick case I got him in a drawer in my bedroom.

"I guess he'll just have to be, he knows I'm clumsy maybe he won't mind that much"

"Just repeat that to yourself until you believe it" Maeve said, rolling her eyes.

A text from Kenny came through:

"Hey Eri, are the cassette tapes ready?" he said, I looked down at my phone and drafted the text a million times

"What do you think is a better option 'Hey boss I unconsciously confessed my undying passionate love for my coworker, that's under me and has a girlfriend, so I'm sorry but that's a no' or 'Hey boss I misplaced Charlie's very expensive cassette tape after carrying it for 5 minutes because I'm an irresponsible piece of shit'?"

Maeve just wacked the back of my head and walked away.

"Hey Kenny, yes they are all ready! But I can't seem to find Charlie's, let's do this anyway and I'll just talk to him later" I finally texted him.

"Ok Eri, no worries. I'll trust he'll understand." he replied.

"At least I dealt with that" I thought and threw my phone on my bed.

"Ok let's get ready for this" I told Maeve "Do you want to give Owen's his?" I asked, with his tape in my hand.

"Oh would you let me?" she said, and joyfully grabbed it from my hand. We made our way to set and called everyone up once Kenny was with me and Maeve.

"Ok, Eri thought of this and I agreed that this would be the funniest thing, so we have a gift for you guys" Kenny started, as everyone got closer, "As an ode to the 90s, here's some cassette tapes with a personalized playlist our resident professional people reader here made." I giggled at him and handed out the tapes.

Once I got to Charlie I hid my face between my hands and told him to step aside with me.

"I'm so sorry but it seems like I misplaced yours. I'm so so so sorry"

"Ugh Eri! And this is the coolest thing too! What are you doing to me?" He said, and smiled down at me.

"I'm really really sorry" and gave him a little guilt-tripping smile "I really wanted you to have yours"

"It's ok, I know you are a bit clumsy. Maybe you can just show me what was on it" he replied.

"Yeah sure! Anytime" I said, and I could feel jiminy cricket whisper in my ear that I was not going to become a real girl any time soon.

"I was actually thinking..." he continued and I tried to hide my anxious face "Maybe we could go out tonight, talk about things, as friends, you know, continue that plane talk"