The phone rang, and Mandy tripped over the bag of groceries going for it, landing hard on her hip. She cursed loudly, then picked up the phone. "What?"
"Nice to hear you too, darling." Curt's voice was full of laughter. "Something wrong?"
Mandy blushed and twisted the cord around her fingers, then shifted her weight and suppressed another curse when her hip twinged. "Sorry Curt, I fell, just before I got to the phone." She picked up the bag and set it on the counter, then went to the refrigerator for ice. "And now my hip hurts."
He sounded concerned, and Mandy smiled, putting the ice cubes into a towel. "How did you fall? Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I tripped over my groceries." She put the ice pack against her leg, holding it firmly with one hand, then went over and pressed her leg and ice against the counter as she checked the groceries. "And I broke some of my eggs. Dammit."
"I didn't mean to make you rush for the phone. Just wanted to see if you were settling in all right. And if you wanted to come to a concert?"
She sighed and threw out the broken eggs, setting down the ice and concentrating on putting the rest of the food away. "It's alright, I suppose. It's quiet. My life hasn't been quiet in so long." Mandy wiped away a tear and took a deep breath. "A concert? One of yours?"
Curt exhaled slowly, and Mandy wondered if he was fighting tears, too. "Quiet, huh? Sounds nice." A moment passed, then he cleared his throat. "Yeah, a concert. I'll be in it, but it's not exactly mine. It's a farewell concert."
"Farewell?"
A sigh, and Mandy shut the refrigerator and put the ice back on her leg. "To glitter rock. We both know it's kind of..."
"Dying."
He chuckled bitterly; Mandy could almost see him nod. "Yeah. I'll be there, along with Jack. And a bunch of other people. Will you come?"
She closed her eyes and clenched her hand around the phone, trying to maintain control over her voice. "Will Brian be there?"
His breath gusted out of him and Mandy felt bad for asking. But she had to know. "I don't know. I don't think so." Curt's voice was low, almost too soft to hear. "I hope not."
"And you want me there?" Memories, always the memories, and Mandy wondered if they'd ever leave her alone. Curt, his eyes smouldering as he laughed and leaned down to trace his lips up her thigh. She shook her head, trying to focus on the present. The past was gone. She needed to let it go.
"Yeah." Curt sounded like he knew the type of thoughts she was having. Sometimes she felt so close to him, even though they were too far apart.
A concert. Well, why not? Curt wanted her there. And she didn't want to miss him anymore. "Yes. When is it?"
Curt let out a deep breath, and chuckled. "I'll send you the info with your ticket. What's your address?" Mandy told him, and she could hear the pen scratching as he took it down. She thought of his hands, and smiled.
"So, I'll see you then?" She asked, wondering if he would understand what she was really asking. Then Mandy wondered if she was really asking what she thought she was.
He laughed, and Mandy joined him. "That's the idea, yeah."
"OK," she replied, and clutched the phone. Her leg was still throbbing, and Mandy shifted her ice, trying to numb it. "Curt?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think about us at night?" Mandy bit her lip. She hadn't meant to ask that, but she wanted to know. It had been on her mind for a long time.
It sounded to Mandy as though Curt's breath had caught. She twisted the cord around her fingers and accidentally let go of her ice. It hit her foot, hard, and she winced, and bent to pick it back up. Her hand was shaking, and she pressed the ice against her leg harder, trying to focus on anything but the awful silence over the line.
"Yeah," he said finally, voice soft, and Mandy let up on the ice and tried not to cry. "All the time." Curt swallowed, and she bit her lips and willed the tears to go away. "I- I got to go, ok? I'll send you the stuff."
"Ok," Mandy whispered. A breath, then she said, "I love you," and hung up before he could answer. She pressed her hand to her mouth and shuddered, then wiped her eyes. Glancing around, she picked up a knife and started chopping things for dinner, her thoughts racing. Seeing Curt, and soon, and she'd told him. Dropping the knife, she buried her face in her hands and sighed. It would be ok. It had to be.
"Nice to hear you too, darling." Curt's voice was full of laughter. "Something wrong?"
Mandy blushed and twisted the cord around her fingers, then shifted her weight and suppressed another curse when her hip twinged. "Sorry Curt, I fell, just before I got to the phone." She picked up the bag and set it on the counter, then went to the refrigerator for ice. "And now my hip hurts."
He sounded concerned, and Mandy smiled, putting the ice cubes into a towel. "How did you fall? Are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I tripped over my groceries." She put the ice pack against her leg, holding it firmly with one hand, then went over and pressed her leg and ice against the counter as she checked the groceries. "And I broke some of my eggs. Dammit."
"I didn't mean to make you rush for the phone. Just wanted to see if you were settling in all right. And if you wanted to come to a concert?"
She sighed and threw out the broken eggs, setting down the ice and concentrating on putting the rest of the food away. "It's alright, I suppose. It's quiet. My life hasn't been quiet in so long." Mandy wiped away a tear and took a deep breath. "A concert? One of yours?"
Curt exhaled slowly, and Mandy wondered if he was fighting tears, too. "Quiet, huh? Sounds nice." A moment passed, then he cleared his throat. "Yeah, a concert. I'll be in it, but it's not exactly mine. It's a farewell concert."
"Farewell?"
A sigh, and Mandy shut the refrigerator and put the ice back on her leg. "To glitter rock. We both know it's kind of..."
"Dying."
He chuckled bitterly; Mandy could almost see him nod. "Yeah. I'll be there, along with Jack. And a bunch of other people. Will you come?"
She closed her eyes and clenched her hand around the phone, trying to maintain control over her voice. "Will Brian be there?"
His breath gusted out of him and Mandy felt bad for asking. But she had to know. "I don't know. I don't think so." Curt's voice was low, almost too soft to hear. "I hope not."
"And you want me there?" Memories, always the memories, and Mandy wondered if they'd ever leave her alone. Curt, his eyes smouldering as he laughed and leaned down to trace his lips up her thigh. She shook her head, trying to focus on the present. The past was gone. She needed to let it go.
"Yeah." Curt sounded like he knew the type of thoughts she was having. Sometimes she felt so close to him, even though they were too far apart.
A concert. Well, why not? Curt wanted her there. And she didn't want to miss him anymore. "Yes. When is it?"
Curt let out a deep breath, and chuckled. "I'll send you the info with your ticket. What's your address?" Mandy told him, and she could hear the pen scratching as he took it down. She thought of his hands, and smiled.
"So, I'll see you then?" She asked, wondering if he would understand what she was really asking. Then Mandy wondered if she was really asking what she thought she was.
He laughed, and Mandy joined him. "That's the idea, yeah."
"OK," she replied, and clutched the phone. Her leg was still throbbing, and Mandy shifted her ice, trying to numb it. "Curt?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think about us at night?" Mandy bit her lip. She hadn't meant to ask that, but she wanted to know. It had been on her mind for a long time.
It sounded to Mandy as though Curt's breath had caught. She twisted the cord around her fingers and accidentally let go of her ice. It hit her foot, hard, and she winced, and bent to pick it back up. Her hand was shaking, and she pressed the ice against her leg harder, trying to focus on anything but the awful silence over the line.
"Yeah," he said finally, voice soft, and Mandy let up on the ice and tried not to cry. "All the time." Curt swallowed, and she bit her lips and willed the tears to go away. "I- I got to go, ok? I'll send you the stuff."
"Ok," Mandy whispered. A breath, then she said, "I love you," and hung up before he could answer. She pressed her hand to her mouth and shuddered, then wiped her eyes. Glancing around, she picked up a knife and started chopping things for dinner, her thoughts racing. Seeing Curt, and soon, and she'd told him. Dropping the knife, she buried her face in her hands and sighed. It would be ok. It had to be.