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Desperate for changing, starving
for truth
“Earth to Aliesa. Come in Aliesa.” A hand waved back and forth over her face. Rapidly blinking, she swatted it away. “K really,” she huffed indignantly. “Glad you could return to the land of the living.” Aliesa rolled her eyes. Kara ignored it. Tapping her spoon against her cup she placed it on the saucer in front of her before taking a sip of her coffee. “I know you’re spacey but this is ridiculous.” “I am not spacey.” Aliesa was met with an arched eyebrow. “Do you have any idea what I have spent the last twenty minutes talking about?” Aliesa bit her lip, staring blankly at her sister across the table, unable to respond. “Exactly,” Kara stated matter of factly before letting out a trademark sigh and eyeing her sister mournfully. Aliesa noted that it was the same expression that Kara had been giving her for the last two days. It was an expression that always had Aliesa feeling like she was being scolded for something she didn’t do. She swore sometimes her sister was worse than their mother. A fingernail found it’s way into her mouth as she blurted some sort of rationalization for her lack of attentiveness. “So I wasn’t paying attention. It’s not like we're discussing anything that important.” “How would you know you weren’t paying attention…and stop biting your nails,” Kara chastised poking Aliesa’s hand away from her lips. “You really need to break that habit,” she advised taking another sip of her coffee. “You’ve got to learn to cope Alie M. He’s only been gone a day. A day Aliesa!” she exclaimed before shaking her head with disdain. “What is going to happen when you tour and he’s out somewhere promoting and you don’t see each other for weeks on end?” Aliesa sighed to herself at the reminder that Ritchie was gone. He had left for some quick promotions abroad, leaving her to cope with her sister’s suspicions in his absence alone. And after the talk she had with Kara the other day, she was rethinking exactly what kind of message she was sending her sister as far as Ritchie and she were concerned. Kara was acting like she’d die without Ritchie by her side, and that she’d crumble any minute. She knew she acted the loving wife well, but she never thought of herself as the clingy type. She couldn’t imagine why after only a day’s observances Kara had thought otherwise. “I was not thinking about Ritchie,” Aliesa retorted raising her chin in defiance to the presumption. A picture was shoved up in front of her face before it was placed back down with the rest of the stack on the kitchen table. “Totally explains why you’ve been staring at these ever since we’ve sat down here.” “I was checking them over. They’re supposed to be for the Rolling Stone article and…” Aliesa drifted off when she saw that same mournful expression on her sister’s face. “Kara. I’m serious. This is an important milestone in my career. I’m getting a Rolling Stone cover and they flew Tom Holanden to take the pictures. TOM HOLANDEN. You know he is booked a year in advance? And he took the time to come out here and shoot? Do you know what it took to coordinate our schedules? Ritchie? Mine? Tom? Same day? It is my obligation to look over these pictures.” Kara didn’t look the least bit convinced. “You’ve been staring at the same one.” “I’m being thorough.” “Uh-huh.” Kara patted her sister’s hand. Aliesa’s eyes drifted back to the picture in front of her. Ritchie was sitting down on the couch, an arm on the armrest, a hand twirling a piece of her hair. She was laying stretched out, her head in his lap, her face looking up at his, laughing at whatever random thing he was saying. The look in his eyes... “So when is he coming back?” Aliesa traced his face as she answered her sister, still captivated by the expression she saw in his eyes. “Tomorrow.” “Good. Because I don’t think I can take any of your moping.” “I am NOT moping,” Aliesa challenged her eyes still not straying from the black and white photo in front of her. “Why are you so entranced in that picture?” “It’s a good picture.” “You’re doing it because you miss him.” Aliesa’s eyes flew up. “Well of course I miss him.” “No Alie M. Let me lay this one out for you. You REALLY miss him. Like if he walked in the door right now you’d jump him.” “KARA!” “What? It’s the truth.” “Don’t have to sound so brash.” “Oh you mean the jumping on him part? What's so brash about that? If I was married to him I wouldn't think twice about jumping him.” “KARA!” Kara laughed at her sister’s response. “YOU SO WANT HIM!” “You taking Lily bear to see a show in the square tomorrow?” “And she changes subjects,” Kara mused. “Yes Alie M. We are going tomorrow. Want to come?” “I can’t. I have rehearsals…” “And you have to wait around for Ritchie to come back.” “Kara I swear I can cope with him being gone for two days.” “What are you scared of?” “Scared of?” Kara nodded fingering the handle of her cup. “You’re defensive at the implication of missing your own husband. That tells me, you’re either in denial or you’re hiding something.” Aliesa shifted uncomfortably under her sister’s scrutiny. “K I’m not hiding anything. And I’m not in denial. I’m only defensive because you’re going on like I can’t handle him not being here. I just don’t want you to get the impression that my world revolves around Ritchie that’s all.” Kara tilted her head. “Why? Are you afraid that maybe it does?” Aliesa was saved from responding by the shrill ring of the phone. She stood up to get it. “I swear K you’re worse than mom… Hello? Oh hey…I was thinking the same thing…yeah Joan’s not letting me up for anything…uh-huh…yeah…yeah…I wouldn’t mind…in the afternoon…in a heartbeat…cause you’re sexy…I know…I will…love you too…bye.” “Ritchie?” “No, Scott.” Aliesa replied, looking idly at the phone before she set it down, in the process completely missing the odd look on her sister’s face, the look that would have told her Kara knew more than she needed to know. ****************************** She was dancing. Her hair was loose,
her eyes closed, swaying back and forth gracefully in time with the music.
It was mesmerizing. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. A smile
materialized on his lips as the music floated towards him, a song all too
familiar. It was one of his. Irony. He clasped his hands
together lightly and brought his forefingers to his lips. He pondered.
“More proof that red’s a good color for you,” Ritchie couldn’t help but say. “How long have you been standing there?” “Long enough.” She groaned, mentally cursing herself. “Hey. I always knew you had some moves Ali, but BOY I didn’t know you had some MOVES,” he teased shaking his butt back and forth as he made his way over to the stereo. Ritchie laughed a little as she cursed under her breath. “But I must say you’ve got good taste in music,” he smirked picking up the CD case on the shelf and waving it at her. “But I thought you liked Invincible better?” he remarked as the sounds of You Make Me A Better Man drifted away. “I was listening to the whole CD,” Aliesa answered flustered. “Mmmhmm…” he commented before something caught his eye. “What’s this?” he asked grabbing the shiny case. She moved to his side to see what he was questioning. “Oh that? Scott gave it to me this morning.” “Scott?” he repeated surprised. “YES RITCHIE…S-C-O-T-T,” Aliesa annunciated back slowly. He brushed off her attitude. “He was over?” She rolled her eyes. “Didn’t I just say that?” “No. I don’t think so,” he answered, an all-knowing tone injected in his words. His arms crossed his chest. “So he dropped by here?” “I ran into him outside of rehearsal.” “Your rehearsal? What was he doing there?” he inquired, his eyebrows furrowed. “What is this twenty questions? Geez,” Aliesa said as she turned away from him to lift the CD out of the player and back in its case. “How should I know? Do I look like Scott to you?” His jaw tensed. “I’m just curious to why he was around that’s all.” “For goodness sakes Ritchie! I ran into him. We talked. He gave me the CD. End of discussion,” she said mater of factly taking the CD case from his hands and dropping it back on the shelf. “I still don’t get why he was over at your rehearsals.” “Here’s an idea,” Aliesa said pausing bringing her finger to her lips before snapping. “Why don’t you ask him instead of me?” “Someone’s PMSing,” he noted as she moved past him. She spun around and gave him a dirty look at the comment. He threw his hands up in the air defensively. “I’m just commenting. I’ve got a right to an opinion.” She let out a breath. “I don’t…” she bit her lip. “It’s just a CD Ritchie. JUST a CD.” “Of unreleased material…” he expounded. “Yeah well Scott said I should take a listen. He wanted an OPINION.” “I’m sure that’s not all he wanted,” he muttered under his breath. “Excuse me?” He shrugged questioningly. She was getting tired of his dumb act. “Why are you so bothered? I mean he’s my friend too you know.” “Apparently…” “What is that supposed to mean?” “I don’t know Aliesa. Why don’t you tell me? I mean you seem to be talking to him more than I have,” he remarked agitatedly. THAT was it. She cocked her head to the side and spat it out. “Jealously isn’t your best trait.” “WHAT?” “You heard me.” “I’m not jealous!” he retorted back, his voice louder than he intended. She gave him a look. THE look. The I don’t believe a word you say so why don’t you admit it look. “I’m not,” he repeated again reassuringly, his tone softer. “Well stop acting like it then.” “I’m not the one avoiding the issue.” She looked at him blankly. “There’s an issue?” “Yes. No. I don’t know…” he said all of a sudden confused. She shortened the space between them, searching his eyes. “You okay?” “I’m fine,” he replied brushing her off. “Just tired. Long flight.” He ran his fingers through his hair briskly and shut his eyes. She touched his arm tenderly and bit her lip when his eyes opened back up to look at her. The reaction was instinctive. Her arms were around him before she had time to think about it, the words barely out of her mouth. “I missed you.” He stood there still a moment, before wrapping his arms around her. And then he sighed as he returned her embrace, pressing his lips against her hair. “Missed you too.” Chapter
25
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