Mysterious Ways - Chapter 30

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GraceRyan

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This is not real though based on a very real tour. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Comments are always welcomed. :)

Lawyers and accountants. Investor and contractors. Bono was tired of meetings with all of them. While he knew that a Broadway musical would be challenging, he hadn't anticipated months of nothing but struggles.

The theatre cluttered with the sound of hammers and drills. The actors attempted to sing over the din. Bono sat in the front row with a notebook on his lap as he put the finishing touches on a hastily written new song. Pushing his tinted glasses on top of his head, he rubbed his eyes. Three hours of sleep had not been nearly enough. After Gloria left, he had a pit sink in his stomach. It hadn't gone away when he went to bed and stared at the ceiling fan for hours. He carried it with him to the theater in the morning. Eight antacids and coffee did not dissolve it.

“Hey.” He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and nearly leapt out of his skin. He turned his head to see Gloria behind him.

“Hello.” He glanced around the theater to be certain no one was watching. “I didn't expect you.”

“I hadn't planned to come by. Do you have a moment?”

He didn't like the tone in her voice. He laid his notebook on the chair beside him. “I'm all ears.”

Gloria looked around. “Is there somewhere….quiet?”

The pit in his stomach expanded to his heart. “Follow me.”

Edge looked up from the piano and caught Bono's eye who looked like a man walking to his own slaughter.

Gloria followed Bono through a set of double doors, and down a cluttered corridor. Props from past shows made the pathway narrow. He opened the door to a small room with a long counter and mirror. Wardrobe racks were stuffed with musty period dresses.

“No one uses this dressing room yet. I've slipped in here for phone calls.” A slight grin touched his lips. “And a quick nap.”

“You could get lost back here.” Gloria looked around the room.

“You could do a lot of things back here.” He couldn't help himself. She looked incredible in a slender skirt and crisp blouse.

She grinned too. “Behave.”

He held his hands up. “You don't make it easy.”

She took a deep breath. “Then maybe you'll understand my decision.”

Bono crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Decision?”

“I'm going to LA early.”

Bono opened his mouth to protest. She pressed her fingers to his lips. “Hear me out, please.” He nodded, wordlessly.

Gloria took a step back to open space between them. “I can't think with you here in New York. Working together is just too hard. I know it is for you too. We need some time.”

“You're going away next week.”

“I know, but I need to get some space. Seeing you, knowing you could pop up anywhere.” She rubbed her forehead. “I can't leave the tour completely.”

Bono inched closer. “Is that what you want?”

“It would solve the problem. It did years ago.”

Bono scowled. “Those were the worst weeks of my life.”

“And it didn't work. Here we are, almost twenty years later. It would be too hard to explain since you still have two legs to go and…”

“Larry.” Bono growled.

“Remember, you practically gift wrapped me for him,”
Gloria hissed.

“I know, I know.” He ran his fingers through his inky black hair.

“I have to try with him. I have to make it work and I can't if you're in my head,” she said, sullenly.

He rolled his eyes. “Make it work? Love either works or it doesn't.”

She shot him a pointed look. “And how's the homestead, Hewson? Everything smooth as silk there?”

The truth hurt like a dagger forged in fire - right through the heart. He'd been married almost thirty years and nothing was ever smooth as silk. Sometimes it was scratchy like polyester or prickly like wool.

“Glory, if this was about just Ali, we wouldn't be standing here on opposite sides.” He stepped closer. “You'd be in my bed for the rest of eternity. But it's not just three people in a mess. It's family and fame, surrounding us and drowning us.”

“Exactly,” she whispered.

He rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. It was the right decision for her to leave and put some distance between them. The tether that held them together had been taut, but it still existed. As much as it pained him, he knew it must be severed for them to survive.

With one step, the distance between them melted away. He could feel her heat radiating like a warm beacon. He longed to nestle there and make her his home.

“I will miss you, Glory,” he purred. Despite an earlier discussion of little contact, he cradled her face and brought her to his lips.

Without hesitation, she accepted his kiss and bled into him - one last time. He memorized every sigh, the curve of her lips, the taste of her breath and locked it away in a special place reserved for her inside him. He wished that he could feel her skin on his one last time, but relished these fleeting moments when she clung to him. Her arms wound around him, and he deepened their embrace. The door wasn't locked, and anyone could walk in. He didn't care though. She was in his arms. This would set them back days in their recovery from each other, but neither cared at the moment. He didn't even give one fuck that he betrayed Ali or Larry.

When they came up for air, he pressed his forehead to hers. “When do you leave?”

“Tonight.”

“Can you delay one day? Give us one night? I'll clear my schedule.” He had no idea how he'd get out of rehearsal or dinner at home.

“One night would turn to two. We can't.” Gloria moved out of his embrace. “We need to walk away today.”

Her words turned over in his mind and sprouted more words and melody.

She was right, another night would be like slowly stripping off a bandage. The longer they postponed, the more it burned.

“Are you staying at the beach house?” Perhaps he could escape for a day or two.

She shook her head. “Andrew lent it out to a client. Probably for the best. I think it would be odd to be there.”

Bono recalled making promises that he hadn't been able to keep on the balcony of that house. He had offered the moon and sun, and had only given rain clouds.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her. “When will I see you again?”

“Probably South America. I'm reorganizing the LA office while I'm there, and taking the lead on awards season.” She smiled weakly. “I'll be very busy.”

“And if we need something with the musical?”

“You can call me or Andrew. I'm not gone, I just need to put physical distance between us. Being involved with you day to day is just too much.” She peered at her watch. “I have to go finish packing.”

Bono pulled Gloria in for one final kiss, before he released her. They left the room and the corridor back to the theater. Edge’s eyes followed them as they crossed the stage towards him.

“Hey,” he said, casually.

“How are things here?” Gloria asked.

“Oh, you know. Easy breezy.” He grinned.

“I have an idea for a song,” Bono said. “Maybe we can work on it today.”

Edge nodded. “Sure, after lunch. They are ordering out soon.”

Gloria gave Edge a quick hug. “I'm off to LA early. The office needs restructuring and I'll be out there.”

Edge shot a quick glance to Bono. “Oh, um. Okay. When are you leaving?”

“Tonight,” Bono answered, disappointment in his voice.

Edge knew to brace himself for a very difficult Bono in the coming days. He could see late nights and wine, lots of wine over the next few weeks.

“Have a safe journey,” Edge offered.

“Thanks. I better go. My car is coming in a few hours and I still have so much to pack.”

“How did your meeting go yesterday?” Bono asked.

“It went well. BBC has a hot new show based on Sherlock Holmes. It aired here on PBS in the fall and did very well. They want to bring it here sooner than 5 months later. It's the same people who do Doctor Who.”

Edge’s eye lit up. “I love Doctor Who.”

Gloria shrugged. “So, we’ll see.”

“We should let you go.” Edge hugged her one last time.

“I'll be checking up on you guys. See how all this goes.” Gloria said.

“Slow and steady wins the race,” Edge clucked.

“Let me….us…know when you've landed.” Bono's embrace was tight. He wouldn't feel her for at least two months.

“I will.” She pecked his cheek. “Bye.”

Bono watched her walk up the aisle and through the double doors. It felt as though she ripped a part of him and fled the scene of the crime. He rubbed his eyes before he turned back to Edge.

“Let's work on that new song.”
 
So many feels! I keep rereading chapters before Bono turned her over to Larry and before they decided seperate would be better...it helps me deal with the angst! lol

Question, will Bono ever get to give her whatever Christmas gift he got her but never got the chance to give?
 
So many feels! I keep rereading chapters before Bono turned her over to Larry and before they decided seperate would be better...it helps me deal with the angst! lol

Question, will Bono ever get to give her whatever Christmas gift he got her but never got the chance to give?



Oh my goodness! Thank you for reminding me. Now I just need to remember what it was and how it should play out.

PSA kids - don't abandon work for so long that you forget key parts of the story
 
So many feels! I keep rereading chapters before Bono turned her over to Larry and before they decided seperate would be better...it helps me deal with the angst! lol

Question, will Bono ever get to give her whatever Christmas gift he got her but never got the chance to give?

:ohmy: I thought I was the onle one who remembered! haha:up::up::up:
 
I was on a family Vacation but I'm back to the next chapter. I find the more I write, I need to go back and read the original story.

Hope you had a lovely vacation! I think we will all wait in eager patience while you get back into the swing of the story. :hyper: But I'm hoping I'm not the only one who has re-read the story...more than once....in the meantime, just 'cuz. :reject:
 
Hope you had a lovely vacation! I think we will all wait in eager patience while you get back into the swing of the story. :hyper: But I'm hoping I'm not the only one who has re-read the story...more than once....in the meantime, just 'cuz. :reject:



I just read Acrobat again.
 
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