Chapter Nine

Slumber Party

"Girl's night!" Eve exclaimed when Cristina opened the door. She walked inside, not waiting for Cristina to invite her inside. Two black garbage bags were held in Eve's clenched fists. She dropped them on the floor in the living room before rushing Cristina to give her a hug. Cristina prepared herself for the night, ordering pizza and buying candy and soft drinks. It had been so long since she had a night with somebody. "I brought some horror movies with me," Eve told her. "I noticed the other night that you were a fan."

"What did you bring?" Cristina asked.

"Nightmare on Elm Street, Suspiria and Scream," Eve answered. "I thought the three would last us all night if we started them at dark." Cristina smiled; Eve's excitement was infectious. "How was your week?"

"Uneventful. I had an interview. I have one coming up with Within Temptation. They are going to be here in a few months, after their singer has her baby. The Pacifier and Epica interviews...he wants me to do more." Cristina picked up one of the garbage bags and moved it a little further into the room. "Are you moving in?" she asked. Eve laughed.

"No. These are some clothes I am getting rid of. I thought I would let you take a look first and see if there was anything you wanted before I donated them. I know you are a bit smaller than I am, but some of these outfits will probably fit you – they are pretty snug on me."

"Diva wear?" Cristina asked.

"Si." The two of them shared a laugh. They sat down on the couch. Cristina ripped into the bag. She noted the clothing looked pricey. "Man, Italian is such a beautiful language."

"Michael and Alex seem to think so. Alex asks me to speak it for him all the time." Eve laughed. Cristina looked at her friend. "Is Michael's girlfriend abusive?" she blurted. "I worry about him." Eve sighed.

"It's complicated, Cristina," she explained. Eve thought carefully about the next words she spoke. "They aren't a good match for each other. It's becoming pretty obvious. But neither side seems to want to do anything."

"What a shame," Cristina mused, shaking her head. "I have not met this woman. I suspect that I may be a problem."

"I don't know," Eve lied. She knew that Mike's friendship with Cristina was sticking in Maryse's craw in the worst possible way. Eve didn't want to make Cristina feel guilty; her friendship with Mike seemed to be the best thing he had going at the moment. She clapped her hands, startling Cristina. "I can't wait for tonight," Eve told her with a smile, hoping to change the subject. "This is going to be fun."

"Yes," Cristina agreed. She stood, moving to the fridge to get a can of Pepsi for herself and Eve. "I have been looking forward to this all week." Returning, she handed Eve a can. "You are the first girl friend I have made here in America."

"I'm honored. But don't you ever go out?" Eve asked. Cristina shook her head.

"My accent...I get..." Cristina struggled to find the word. Eve smiled sadly.

"Self-conscious?" she asked. Cristina nodded. "Your accent is beautiful. Never let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Thank you." They clinked their soda cans together. Cristina looked at the garments in the bag. "These look expensive. I cannot take these."

"You can and you will. Whatever you don't like, I'll donate, but take some of these off my hands. Please?" Cristina looked into Eve's face and sighed, nodding her head. She found a black bandage dress she liked. She draped it over the back of her couch. New clothing wasn't in her budget, and she had to admit it that it felt nice to get some new things, second-hand or not.

Dressed to kill in a tiny black dress that left little to the imagination, Maryse had stood in front of the bathroom mirror, fluffing her white-blonde ponytail. Her eyes were lined with black, her lips nude and wet with gloss. Mike asked her where she was going, if he could expect her home, and she told him that he wasn't her father. She murmured under her breath in French, gathering her Louis Vuitton clutch and leaving, casually yelling over her shoulder for him not to wait up for her. She took the keys to his BMW.

He stood at the top of the stairs, feeling like a dope as she walked outside and shut the door behind her, never turning back to look at him. Things were getting worse between the two of them, and he didn't think either side could deny it at this point. There was something going on with Maryse, and he didn't like it.

With Maryse gone, it was going to be a quiet night. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do with the free time. He thought about sending a message to Cristina, but he knew she was having a much-needed girl's night with Eve. He didn't want to interfere with her night, so instead he messaged Alex. He jumped at the chance to go out for wings and beer with his mentor. Mike slid on his leather jacket and his shoes and left the house. She wasn't the only one who could go out and have fun.

In the afterglow, Maryse refused to let Chris touch her. The man known to many as "The Masterpiece" sighed, murmuring something under his breath before he turned his back on Maryse to get some sleep. The two of them had met at a nightclub before taking the festivities to Maryse's home in the heart of LA. It had been a long time since Maryse had been inside her own home; Mike's was much bigger and had a swimming pool, so she liked to be there.

Covered to her breasts underneath her comforter, Maryse stared at her hand. She had chipped a nail digging it into Chris' back earlier in the night, but she didn't think Mike would notice before she got it fixed. He never noticed little things like manicures.

She had rules when she went out for the night: no biting, no marking and no hickeys. It was important that nobody got suspicious, especially Mike. What happened in the room between the two of them never left the room. It was her way of keeping relationships safe. Things were normal and boring with Mike; but when she went out, she found the things that she wasn't getting at home, the things Mike never could offer her.

Chris had fallen asleep in minutes. "Typical," she murmured under her breath. Her typical rule was nobody ever spent the night, but Chris was always impossible to wake up once he fell asleep. She thought about Mike, and the change in his attitude since he met that woman. She didn't care for it at all. Since meeting that woman, Mike wasn't as concerned about her feelings. She hadn't received a gift since the necklace. She scowled, wondering if Mike was buying the woman gifts.

Maryse wasn't stupid; she knew Mike had feelings for this journalist. She was sure there was some kind of affair going on. Maryse needed to do some more investigating. She thought about meeting the woman, letting her know that Mike belonged to her, whether he was aware of it or not.

Cristina and Eve clinked their wine glasses together in a toast. She had found quite a bit of clothing in the bags that she liked; now they all took up residence on the foot of her bed. They were watching Scream, drinking red wine and eating popcorn. "What is it like being a Diva?" Cristina asked.

"It's tough, but it's fun," Eve told her. "I've been all over the world. I've seen some incredible things. It has its moments where it can be frustrating, but it's also really rewarding." Cristina nodded. "I've had a good career, I've held the title twice. There's very little I have to complain about." She was quiet for a moment. "What about you? What's it like getting to interview musicians and review their albums?"

"I love it. I love music so much," Cristina confessed. They fell silent. Eve watched Cristina. All night she could tell the woman had Mike on her mind.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" Eve asked. Cristina sighed; she didn't have to answer. "I can see it all over your face. You are very emotive." Cristina looked at her hands. "Don't worry. I promise you he is fine."

"I know...it just...she seems dangerous."

"It is getting there," Eve agreed. "But Mike will get out." Cristina nodded, thinking about the jewelry shopping with Mike, how he had told her no rings. The picture was becoming clearer every day that passed, but it wasn't a pretty picture.

Mike looked over at Alex, who had passed out in the armchair beside him. After beer and wings at the bar, the two went back to the house to watch Talladega Nights. Alex was snoring softly, not loud enough to draw attention to himself or distract Mike from the movie. Mike got out of his chair and went into the kitchen for a glass of water. It was after four in the morning, and it was becoming clear that Maryse was not coming back to the house.

He thought about Maryse and what she was doing. He wondered if something had happened to her, or if she had gone home with a friend, or somebody else. Was she cheating on him? He didn't know, but the thought had been dangling in the back of his head for weeks.

They both needed a break, but neither side seemed to want to ask for it. Mike found he felt happier when Maryse wasn't around, when they weren't yelling at each other and he wasn't buying her forgiveness and affection. The older he got, the more Mike just wanted to settle down and have a normal life off the road. He was pretty sure their wants were two different things at this point.