~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So I turn the radio on,
I turn the radio up
And this woman was playing my song
Lover's in love and the other's run away
Lover is crying cause the other won't stay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paige and Glen sat at a table near the back of the restaurant, near the bar, looking over their menues. Suddenly, it occrued to Paige that Glen was trying to get her attention.
"Hey, Paige. Earth to Paige. What planet are you on?" he asked, waving his hand in front of her face.
"Huh? Oh, sorry." Paige mumbled. "What were you saying?"
"What were you looking at?" he asked, taking a bite of biscuit.
"Oh, nothing." Paige said. "Just... That couple over there behind the bar. They've been arguing since we got here."
Glen turned to see a young, pretty brown-haired woman glaring at a tall, sandy-haired man. From the looks of it, the argument was pretty serious, although with all the noise in the restaurant Glen couldn't tell what they were saying.
"Damnit, Leo, I'm at work. Can't we talk about this some other time?" Piper demanded, pushing past him to serve a customer that had just ordered a drink.
"That's part of the problem, Piper. There never is any other time." Leo countered.
"And who's fault is that?" she asked.
"Piper, I'm a doctor." he said slowly, as if explaining something to a small child. "I work long hours. That's just part of my job."
"Well, right now I'm at my job, Leo, and I can't do it with you hovering over me, fighting all night."
"You want me to leave?"
"If you're going to keep yelling at me? Yeah, I want you to leave."
"Fine." Leo shoved past her, grabbed his coat, and stormed out of the restaurant. Piper sat down on a bar stool, putting her head on one hand. That arguement had barely been the tip of the iceberg. Lately, she and Leo had been fighting almost constantly, usually about stupid things. It wasn't that she didn't love him; she did, more than anything. Even so, they just couldn't seem to find time for each other anymore.
Sighing, her gaze fell on a couple in the back of the restaurant. They were laughing, and kidding around like old friends, just like she and Leo used to do. A sad smile formed on Piper's lips. The young woman looked happy, contented. In love. 'That,' she thought, 'that is what it should be like. No yelling, no screaming, no blowing stupid disagreements way out of proportion. That is how it should be with me and Leo.' With that thought, Piper hopped off the stool and got to work. For the rest of the night, she kept her eye wistfully on that couple.
Paige giggled, taking another sip of her martini. "I cannot beilieve that really happened."
"Would I lie to you?" Glen asked. He'd been telling her some of the more amusing tales from his trip to Australia.
Paige looked at her watch. "Oh wow, Glen it's eleven already!"
"Damn, we've been here three hours?" he asked disbelievingly.
Paige nodded, and Glen got the check from the waiter. "Let's go back to the loft." he said. "There was one more thing I wanted to do tonight."
-x-
Fifteen minutes later, they were back at her place. Glen went over to the nightstand, and pulled out a bottle of Paige's favourite red wine.
"When did you get this?" she asked, lighting some of the many candles she kept around the apartment.
"A few days ago." he answered.
She sent him a look that clearly asked him to be more specific.
"When you were at work, that one day you couldn't get out of it." he supplied.
"Oh." Paige nodded and blew out the match.
They cuddled on the couch, watching the flames dance. Glen poured them each a glass of wine. Paige raised hers in toast.
"To your trip. Have fun, and come back soon. I'll miss you, damnit."
Glen laughed, and their glasses clinked. "I'll drink to that. I'll miss you like hell, sweetie."
Paige smiled, and they each took a sip of wine. They fell into silence, drinking and thinking. She leaned against him comfortably, savoring the moment. Glen was by nature an adventurer, and somehow she knew that this would be the last surprise visit for a long time. The thought made her sad, so she pushed it to the back of her mind.
By the time they had to leave for the airport, the bottle of wine was more than half empty. They were both feeling quite tipsy, so Paige suggested calling a cab, and Glen agreed. The ride to the airport was quiet and melancholy, each of them lost in thought. When they got there, they agreed to say good-bye at the cab. Paige didn't think she could stand watching his plane leave.
"So, I'll call you when I get there." he said, trying to make this as casual as possible. After all, it wasn't the first time she'd stayed behind while he'd gone off somewhere.
"You'd better." she replied.
He leaned down and kissed her, then opened the cab door for her to get in. They didn't say good-bye. Not even "see you soon". He stared after her cab until it was out of sight. Then, he went to board the plane.
****************
~from the song "Stay" by Lisa Loeb~
So I turn the radio on,
I turn the radio up
And this woman was playing my song
Lover's in love and the other's run away
Lover is crying cause the other won't stay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paige and Glen sat at a table near the back of the restaurant, near the bar, looking over their menues. Suddenly, it occrued to Paige that Glen was trying to get her attention.
"Hey, Paige. Earth to Paige. What planet are you on?" he asked, waving his hand in front of her face.
"Huh? Oh, sorry." Paige mumbled. "What were you saying?"
"What were you looking at?" he asked, taking a bite of biscuit.
"Oh, nothing." Paige said. "Just... That couple over there behind the bar. They've been arguing since we got here."
Glen turned to see a young, pretty brown-haired woman glaring at a tall, sandy-haired man. From the looks of it, the argument was pretty serious, although with all the noise in the restaurant Glen couldn't tell what they were saying.
"Damnit, Leo, I'm at work. Can't we talk about this some other time?" Piper demanded, pushing past him to serve a customer that had just ordered a drink.
"That's part of the problem, Piper. There never is any other time." Leo countered.
"And who's fault is that?" she asked.
"Piper, I'm a doctor." he said slowly, as if explaining something to a small child. "I work long hours. That's just part of my job."
"Well, right now I'm at my job, Leo, and I can't do it with you hovering over me, fighting all night."
"You want me to leave?"
"If you're going to keep yelling at me? Yeah, I want you to leave."
"Fine." Leo shoved past her, grabbed his coat, and stormed out of the restaurant. Piper sat down on a bar stool, putting her head on one hand. That arguement had barely been the tip of the iceberg. Lately, she and Leo had been fighting almost constantly, usually about stupid things. It wasn't that she didn't love him; she did, more than anything. Even so, they just couldn't seem to find time for each other anymore.
Sighing, her gaze fell on a couple in the back of the restaurant. They were laughing, and kidding around like old friends, just like she and Leo used to do. A sad smile formed on Piper's lips. The young woman looked happy, contented. In love. 'That,' she thought, 'that is what it should be like. No yelling, no screaming, no blowing stupid disagreements way out of proportion. That is how it should be with me and Leo.' With that thought, Piper hopped off the stool and got to work. For the rest of the night, she kept her eye wistfully on that couple.
Paige giggled, taking another sip of her martini. "I cannot beilieve that really happened."
"Would I lie to you?" Glen asked. He'd been telling her some of the more amusing tales from his trip to Australia.
Paige looked at her watch. "Oh wow, Glen it's eleven already!"
"Damn, we've been here three hours?" he asked disbelievingly.
Paige nodded, and Glen got the check from the waiter. "Let's go back to the loft." he said. "There was one more thing I wanted to do tonight."
-x-
Fifteen minutes later, they were back at her place. Glen went over to the nightstand, and pulled out a bottle of Paige's favourite red wine.
"When did you get this?" she asked, lighting some of the many candles she kept around the apartment.
"A few days ago." he answered.
She sent him a look that clearly asked him to be more specific.
"When you were at work, that one day you couldn't get out of it." he supplied.
"Oh." Paige nodded and blew out the match.
They cuddled on the couch, watching the flames dance. Glen poured them each a glass of wine. Paige raised hers in toast.
"To your trip. Have fun, and come back soon. I'll miss you, damnit."
Glen laughed, and their glasses clinked. "I'll drink to that. I'll miss you like hell, sweetie."
Paige smiled, and they each took a sip of wine. They fell into silence, drinking and thinking. She leaned against him comfortably, savoring the moment. Glen was by nature an adventurer, and somehow she knew that this would be the last surprise visit for a long time. The thought made her sad, so she pushed it to the back of her mind.
By the time they had to leave for the airport, the bottle of wine was more than half empty. They were both feeling quite tipsy, so Paige suggested calling a cab, and Glen agreed. The ride to the airport was quiet and melancholy, each of them lost in thought. When they got there, they agreed to say good-bye at the cab. Paige didn't think she could stand watching his plane leave.
"So, I'll call you when I get there." he said, trying to make this as casual as possible. After all, it wasn't the first time she'd stayed behind while he'd gone off somewhere.
"You'd better." she replied.
He leaned down and kissed her, then opened the cab door for her to get in. They didn't say good-bye. Not even "see you soon". He stared after her cab until it was out of sight. Then, he went to board the plane.
****************
~from the song "Stay" by Lisa Loeb~