“I just drank too much last night.”
I see a movement off to the side. Someone is in her office with her. I’m instantly humiliated I walked in on a private conversation or a professional meeting. “Well, well, well…if it isn’t the consequences of your own actions.” It’s Simon. But Simon is dressed in all his leather and chains like he’s back to being Damian Miles.
I breathe out a heavy whine. I don’t have time for his brand of crazy right now. “Gail, have you seen or heard from Dex? Is he dead?”
Gail’s eyebrows meet. “He told me he had some family issues and needed a few days off. Didn’t he tell you?”
“No, is his mother sick?”
“I don’t know. But in other more important keeping-your-job here news, Damian Miles wants his life and music career back. We need to discuss the end of the tell-all.”
He wants his career back? I spent weeks with him away from Dex for absolutely nothing? “What the fuck, Simon?”
“There’s no ending,” Gail chirps.
“Sure there is…Damian crowd-surfing naked on a horde of women into the sunset, chasing after his next high,” I growl. I’m so angry, if I had the strength to lift my arm, I would smack him.
“That’s not too bad, but with him going back on tour, will people want to read anything you write about him?”
“I’ll send you what I have. Trust me. People will want to read it. It’s like watching a train wreck. He’s a horrible human being when he’s Damian Miles. I have a ton of secrets on him.”
Damian smiles proudly at me. “Gail, love. May I speak with our little Janie alone for a bit?”
Gail darts her eyes back and forth between us and nods her head. I’ve never seen her act submissive to anyone. I briefly wonder if she’s played his coffee table at one time. She walks out of her office and closes the door behind her. I bet she’s standing there staring at it, trying to listen in.
“You never fell for my Damian charms.”
“What charms? Damian has none.”
“Sometimes, Writer Girl, talking to you hurts my head.”
“Nah, Damian. I think your horns are just coming in.”
He kisses my temple. “What happened with Dex?”
I shake my head and tears fill my eyes. “I don’t even know. It could be nothing and I could be worried for no reason. Or…”
“Oh love, you have a good head there. Listen to it.”
I nod.
“In another life, Simon would have loved to have loved you.”
“Well, that’s the strangest thing I’ve ever heard you say. But I think I get it, and thank you.”
“Yeah? Good, love. Look out for a new song from us, yeah? I think you’ll love it.”
I nod again. There’s nothing to say.
He wipes at my tears. “Is he really worth these?”
“I thought so,” I whisper.
“Well, then if he’s the man you think he is, everything will be fine. And if not, best to learn now, yeah?”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”
I spend the rest of the day marinating my grey matter in the never-ending cat and dog YouTube loop. I sit ramrod straight in my chair pumping water and pain relievers into my body for fear if I even slightly move my head, the mushy pile of mind snot that is my brain might fall out of one of my ears. I email everything I have about Damian Miles to Gail and she loves every last word of it.
