Author's Note: I think this is the longest I've ever gone without posting. But ta da, I finally have some time before I get ready for Turkey Day. Hope all my American's here have a happy day and all you foreigners...uh, well, Happy Last Thursday of November.
When we last left Mia and Michael things were starting to get sticky.
(oh, an the song mentioned here is Just Friends by Mr. Gavin Degraw. Listen to it. It's lovely)
Mia
I made dinner that night and waited for him to come home. After he didn't come home by eight I called his cell. "Hey," I said trying to sound upbeat.
"Hey, what's up?" he asked.
"Um, dinner," I replied, hoping he'd catch the hint, something he'd always been good at doing.
"Oh what are you having?" he asked.
"Michael, I made our dinner. Where are you?" I asked, allowing myself to sound upset.
"Shit. I totally forgot. I told Jesse I'd go to this release party. It was totally last minute. I got dressed right at the studio in someone else's clothes."
"You couldn't call me because…."
"C'mon babe would that be a good idea? Having you show up here?"
I held back from screaming at him. We weren't that couple. I wasn't that girl. "To inform me that I would be eating for one tonight."
"Oh, sorry. I….look Mia, it's just going to take a bit of getting used to, you being here. Ya know?"
"Excuse me?"
"I mean…you know. Having to check in all the time."
"You are unbelievable," I snapped before I hung up.
Michael:
Yeah, I'm a total jerk. But I need my space. She'd always respected it. Why was she acting so different now? I mean, she had left for well over a month and expects me to just drop any other plans just because she was home for an unspecified time? It isn't fair and she can't possibly expect me to just come running home.
"I gotta go," I said patting Jesse on the back.
"Are you joking me?" he said laughing. "The Pussycat Dolls are just about to go on. You can't leave-"
"I'm pretty tired. I have a lot to do."
As I say this I feel someone's hand on my shoulder. I turn and see a familiar face.
"S-Sadie," I stammered. "Hi."
She looked surprised. "You remember."
No shit I remember. "Yeah, of course. How uh, how are you?"
She smirked, "I'm perfectly fine," she replied, her hopes of surprising me fulfilled.
"What are ya doing around here?" I asked.
Jesse slipped his arm around her. "She's one of my girls," he replied.
I gave him a look. "Yeah, I gotta get going."
"What, the girlfriend wants you home?" Sadie said with a smirk.
"Well, I haven't seen her much in the past few months so I'd like to spend some time alone with her."
"She was always pretty needy," Sadie replied.
"You know Mia?" Jesse asked.
"Of course, she was the reason Michael and I broke up."
He looked at me with a smile, "We'll hafta compare notes."
Vomit. "I dunno about that. A gentleman never kisses and tells. I hafta go though. Thanks for inviting me."
I quietly opened the door to our apartment and all the lights were off. I tossed my keys into the basket by the door. I saw that the light on the answering machine was blinking. Why hadn't she answered the phone?"
"Mia, it's me, Felix. You probably already left but just incase you are in the shower or something. Could you bring- wait, never mind, you are already here. Forget it. Hi Michael!"
What the fuck was going on?
I sat in the den flipping through the channels on our TV without looking at what I was flipping past. What the fuck was FELIX calling for? I couldn't exactly call her and demand an answer. Not after what I said to her. Why the hell had I even said that? Why?
MIA:
After fuming over Michael for a good fifteen minutes the phone rang. "Hello?" I snapped.
"Mia?" a familiar voice asked.
"Felix?"
"Thank God!" he said with a laugh.
"Is everything okay?" I asked nervously. I hadn't spoken to him in months.
"Yeah, I just have to ask a huge favor of you."
"Uh, what?"
"I just…I have a CD…it's going to be released soon. There's a song about you. I want your opinion on it."
My face drained of any possible color. "About me?"
"It's not mean," he said reassuringly. "I had an idea about it and I want to talk to you in person about it."
I looked at the clock. "Sure. I'll be right over. Where are you now?"
"We're on West 16th Street. Do you want me to come get you? Will you be safe?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'll be fine. I'll call a cab. What number are you?"
"123 and a half. Apartment 3A."
"Okay, I'll be there within a half hour. Should I bring anything?"
"Nah," he replied after thinking for about a minute.
"You are so indecisive. I bet I'll have a call when I get home from you."
"Probably. Okay, be safe. You have my number if you need help."
"I'm not a damsel in distress," I teased. "But yes, I have your number. I'll see you."
I got there and his fiancée, Lissa answered. "Hi," she said cheerfully, hugging me.
"Hi," I said uneasily. How could she be so cool around me? I'm here to discuss a song about his and my break up.
"I'm just about to go listen to a band for the wedding. How are your plans going?" she asked, swinging her bag over her shoulder.
I shrugged, "Nothing yet."
"Oh…right. How is your brother holding up?"
"He's good-"
"We were just talking about it the other day and think it's a total joke that the authorities are taking these allegations seriously. He'll come out better than ever."
I nodded, tired of talking about it already. "He will, I'm sure of it."
"Felix is in the bedroom. You can go on ahead."
I watched as she left the apartment without a care in the world. Totally okay with her fiancé's ex-girlfriend being alone with him.
"Mia?" he called out.
I followed the sound of his voice. "Hey."
"I totally just was leaving you a message. What's up?" he asked hugging me.
I held onto that hug, "Fine."
He gave me a look as we pulled apart. "Sure it is. But it's not my business. Wanna hear the song?"
I nodded, thankful that he didn't push me. He never really had. He led me to the living room where his piano was located. "My album is going to be released in a couple of months," he started. "This is the first single I wanted, but I wanted to make sure you were okay with it."
I sat on the couch and listened. It was the story of him catching onto my and Michael's affair.
insert Just Friends here>
After he finished I was smiling. "Now, I wrote this like, right after we broke up. I was really messed up and didn't know if I wanted you or if I never wanted to see you again," he explained. "So I'm not saying I want you to say that you-"
"I know," I said softly, remembering what seemed like so long ago. "I get it. What does Liss think of it?"
"She loved it. It was her idea to put it on the CD. And to talk to you about it."
"What am I to do?" I asked.
"Well, we're doing a video," he replied.
"Ah," I said laughing.
"I wanted your input on the actress and the concept."
Oh. I thought he was going to ask me to be in it. "Oh, I see. Well…off the top of my head?"
"Yeah."
We threw back and forth ideas until we came up with the perfect concept. It would open up with him playing the piano in a bar with an audience. And then the camera would pan across the audience and then stop on a couple. A flashback would bring the viewer to Felix seeing the scene that Michael and I had played right in front of him. The girl and the guy kissing on her steps and Felix catching it.
Then there are flashes of their relationship and lives.
Then the next scene is him confronting it at their home. She at first denies it, but finally admits it, both breaking down. Finally she admits that she loves the other guy. He visually begs her not to be so hasty.
But then it's brought back to the bar and he's staring at the girl and her boyfriend (whom she left Felix for). In the end Felix walks away from the piano and goes to his own girlfriend, but he and the other girl share a moment and smile.
"Art imitating life much?" he teased. "We're going to be casting once I pass this by them."
"They are letting you choose your own concept? A new artist?" I asked skeptically.
"I told them you were going to help me," he replied.
I laughed, "Confident huh?"
"I knew you couldn't resist my charms."
I playfully punched his shoulder. "I dunno about that. But, can I make another offer?"
"Go right ahead," he replied.
"I'll play me."
He looked panicked. "Oh I dunno-"
"Felix, think about it. I'm not doing anything now. When are you shooting?"
"I'm not sure."
"I can offer to your management my help. They'll be sure to push the shooting up soon. It'll be fun."
"Aren't you working though?"
I rolled my eyes. "I have yet to be asked to join the band on anything in the latest promotional tour. Plus, I have my family things to deal with."
He smirked, "You are sure you want to do this?"
"Totally."
"Okay then. I'll run this by them tomorrow and have them call you."
"Great," I said kissing his cheek. "I'll see you soon."
When I got home I looked over at Michael who was violently flipping through the channels on the TV. But I didn't say a word to him. I looked at the message machine. It wasn't flickering, but we had a message.
"Mia, it's me, Felix. You probably already left but just incase you are in the shower or something. Could you bring- wait, never mind, you are already here. Forget it. Hi Michael!"
So he had listened to that message. So what? I don't have to explain myself. "Good night," I said popping my head into the living room.
I walked down the hall to our bedroom and heard him shut off the TV and slam the remote onto the coffee table. I started undressing as he opened the door.
"Have fun?" he asked, trying to sound light.
"Mmmm," I replied pulling my night gown over my head. I went over to my dresser and started brushing my hair. It had started growing long again.
"What did he want you to bring over?"
"Oh I don't know. Never thought to ask."
I slid into bed and shut off the lamp on my side. I closed my eyes.
"Fine. I don't like that you went over there," he said after he shut his own light off fifteen minutes later. The silence had been deafening.
"You don't have to like it," I replied sharply.
Silence followed that.
"Yes I do," he snapped. "Why didn't you tell me you were going over his apartment?" he asked, putting his light back on.
"I didn't realize I had to check in with you but you don't have to check in with me."
"You know I didn't mean it like that. You going to your ex boyfriend's apartment is way different than me going to an industry party-"
"Hate to remind you," I snapped, "But I'm in your band. So is Manny, Kevin and Orlando. It's not just about you."
His face was red with fury. "I'm fully aware of that. What happened over at Felix's?"
What was the point in fighting with him? "He wrote a song about me and wanted my permission to release it as a single. He was treating me with an ounce of respect. Unlike someone else has been doing lately."
"He's perfect huh?" he snapped.
"Never said that. Just said that he was respecting me and therefore I offered to be the actress in the song about me."
He stood at the foot of the bed with an open mouth. "Are you serious?"
"Dead. Goodnight."
The next morning he woke me up with breakfast in bed. My favorite cinnamon buns from across town. Tea and honey. "Good sucking up," I replied, looking sideways at him.
He looked sad. "I'm sorry," he apologized. " I fucked up."
Who can stay mad at a guy who was clearly crying? And who got them cinnamon buns? Hmmm? Who? Anyone who can do that has ice cold blood.
