Chapter 6: Working For The Weekend.

I love you OK," Craig said for the umpteenth time.

"Craig, I know you just told me." Ashely exclaimed.

"It feels like eternity since the last time I last told you so I'll say it again but in a different languages Je t'aime, Eu te amo, Я люб.."

"OK, OK I get it." Ashley laughed.

"I just can't say enough to you. Ash, when are you going to come here and visit me?"

"It's only going to be a couple of weeks, I just need to tie up some lose ends with BBC Global and then I'll be on my way to New York. You just don't know how much I miss you, so are you going to tell me who you saw today or are you going to keep me guessing."

"You won't believe who I saw it was.."

"Craig." Craig's co-worker Ron walked by his office and gave him the signal that the boss was not too far behind him.

"Ash," Craig hurriedly replied." I have to go but I'll call you tonight when I get home."

"You might have to make it tomorrow I'm going to be really busy so I'll talk to you then, bye."

"OK, well I love yo." Craig uttered but Ash had already hung up the phone.

"Finally your off the phone." Ron walked into Craig's office.

"Where's the boss?" Craig looked around for signs of him.

"He just left," Ron picked up a miniature guitar model replica from Craig's desk.

"Why did you give me the signal if the boss left for the day." Craig angrily exclaimed.

"Because you've been on the phone the same time every day seven days a week." Ron strummed the small strings on the guitar.

"I only work five." Craig snatched the guitar from Ron.

"Well, I'm sure when you're not here in the office you're at home calling her at the exact same time."

"That's not true." Craig gave Ron an evil glare but in a way it was true. Craig called Ash almost every day of the week at the exact same time at three because that was when she was coming home from work except for Sundays when she was off if she wasn't on a special assignment and when he got home he called her to wish her sweet dreams before she went to bed. "You know what," Craig exclaimed. "I won't call Ash anytime today."

"That's because you already called her." Ron chuckled.

"OK smart ass, I won't call her anytime this weekend."

"How am I suppose to know if your going to stick to your word or not, today's Friday."

"Drop in every night like you do when your kids and the wife are getting on your nerves and check better yet bring them along."

"Fine," Ron pulled out a picture of his family from his wallet and held it by his face. " But the wife, the kids and I will be watching you." Ron stared at Craig eerily while holding the picture of his family near his face. He backed out of the office slowly.

Craig chuckled to himself. Ron was a riot even since the first day he met him when he was just a newbie starting out in the music business as a rock star. Ron was interviewing Craig for the cover story of Rolling Rock U.S. when his first album went platinum in less then a week and triple platinum after a month. Once the interview was over Craig had to take photographs but Jake the photographer had falling ill.Ron had tried to get in touch with the people at RR for rescheduling that would have taken months to do since Craig schedule was pretty hectic and backed up then the interview and shoot alone had cost him a missed opportunity to see his family for Christmas break. Craig didn't want to take any chances he told Ron he knew how to work a camera and started shooting film of himself with a little help from the photographers assistants with the lighting and such. Ron didn't think the pictures would turn out great and he was right they didn't they turned out phenomenal and Jake almost got a promotion until Ron came clean to his boss and told the truth. The people at Rolling Rock weren't too pleased that they had put photographs shot by a amateur on they're cover in newsstands all across America, Canada and parts of Europe and South America, Jake was demoted and Ron was almost fired but when word leaked out in the tabloids that Craig had taken photographs of himself in that month's magazine it was they're best selling ever. Rolling Rock sales sky rocked after that, Ron was promoted and when Craig decided he wanted to take a break from the fast pace music world they offered him a cushy nice paying job as they're head photographer before they're competitors got to him.

Craig picked up his name tag and put his feet on his desk. He felt really good that he was finally relaxing and not getting ready for some nightly gig sure he missed it sometimes but for now he was happy doing something else he equally loved. Craig also liked that he was in one place and not traveling all over the world in less then a day. The only thing he was upset about was that Ashley was so far away 3,461 miles or 5,570 km to be exact. He only had a couple of months to work with the Rolling Rock New York office until he was put on assignment with the other Rolling Rock internationally hopefully England would be in that list.

"Hey," Ron poked his head inside Craig's office. "Got a minute?"

"Yeah," Craig replied.

"Guess what I got?" Ron waved a white envelope in the air.

"What's that?" Craig asked.

"Special delivery for Very Important People in this office." Ron opened the envelope.. "I can understand why I'm a V.I.P but why they put you on this list I have no idea." Ron chuckled. He pulled out two decorative tickets from the envelope. "Here you go." Ron gave a purple velvet lined ticket to Craig.

"You're invited to a La Femme celebration bash celebrating our newest fashion lines with special guest.." Craig read out loud a host of famous fashion designers, models and paused. "Is this for work tonight or pleasure?"

"A little bit of both but mostly work, time to put those photography skills to good use." Ron replied. "And You only been here for a week it took Jake months doing minimal paper work before he could even hold a camera."

Craig threw the invitation on the desk"This doesn't concern us RR is basically about the music not fashion shouldn't Cozmo Inc.or RR fashion mag. VIPE be covering this?"

"Yeah they are but this isn't an ordinary party, La Femme is breaking out big not only in the fashion world but the music world also. Ginger that new all girl rock band is helping to launch the new teen and young woman fashion line M.S. their not only modeling the line in the fashion show tonight but they're also performing tonight."

"So." Craig shrugged "You're still not telling me why I have to be there."

"Because George you're boss wants us there and you're the big rock star you're suppose to know the In's and Outs of the music business. You of all people know how hard it is to get an exclusive interview and picture of Ginger since they're so busy. Rolling Rock a big name were the only non fashion magazine covering this story,plus your clout as the big honcho in the music world didn't hurt either. "Ron threw two V.I.P backstage passes. "Their only giving us and exclusive interview and they only want you to take pictures of them backstage with never before seen M.S. clothing plus all access to barely naked super-models changing."

"Ron, you're a married man."

"Yeah I know but I ain't dead either, I'm only going to peek not take the girls home with me or something."

"I don't think Barb, would like that." Craig chuckled.

"Yeah, I'm a married man faithful to a t and all but did you see that designer for the M.S. line." Ron smiled. "Wow, if that girl would've came around when I was dating Barb she would've been Mrs. Ron Heart, but sigh she was far too young then but hey she's old enough for you to date." Ron elbowed Craig. "Just kidding, she's engaged to that big shot the head honcho in charge Frank or Felix."

"Fred," Craig uttered.

"Yeah that's him, How did you know, you've been studying up on the buildings history or something or maybe the history of Ms. M.S." Ron laughed. "I always knew you had a little rock star mentality in you were you checking up on her just in case?"

"Just in case what?"

"You know just in case you and Ashely don't pan out you two are still young and things happen. I didn't marry the first girl I proposed too not when ol' Barb came along and even though I talk about the ol' ball and chain I love her with all my heart."

"That's the same way I feel about Ash, Manny's a thing of the past."

"Whoa who's Manny."

"Ms. M.S."

"You mean, you know her."

"Yeah, I went to high school with her maybe dated her a little." Craig mumbled.

"What's that you say ol' sonny boy." Ron put his hand by ear.

"We might've dated in the past but that's all it is, in the past."

"So the rumor floating around is true."

"What rumor?"

The one that big mouth Gina started and it's been floating around the building all morning."

"What," Craig screamed.

"I'm just kidding she just told me and a couple of friends." Ron laughed. "She wanted to get some information from me on you but I didn't say a word, scout's honor." Ron drew an imaginary cross on his chest. "But you are going to tell me a little bit about you two we have a couple of minutes to burn before we have to get ready for the big bash."

"There's nothing really to say, we dated, broke up and moved on with our lives, that's all."

"Sure it is," Ron said sarcastically. "Girls like that you don't just move on from,at least tell me she wasn't that hot in high school?" Craig glanced at Ron. "Man she was, whew now you gotta tell me something about you and her or I'm just gonna bug you all night."

"Fine," Craig laughed and told Ron all the details about his past with Manny Santos.