Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
**Disclaimer: Though inspired in part by real people, none of the events which take place in this story are true, nor are they meant to represent in any way the people portrayed. Fiction. False. Not true.
The promises we make Part 18
The moon was full that night, hovering low on the horizon and recklessly tossing about a rich, golden light. It was the sort of moon Simone associated with fall, usually. A harvest moon. Outside, on the balcony where she stood, the air was hot and humid even though it was past midnight. She had always loved that type of weather, even if, for some reason, she always settled in more moderate climates.
Inside, the air conditioner cooled the air to a temperature which made it comfortable for Pauley to sleep snuggled in under a thick down comforter. The air conditioner was probably rarely ever turned off, Simone mused. Oh, there must be a couple of months in which Florida cooled off, she knew, but generally speaking, she imagined an air conditioner was a vital addition to any Florida building.
Personally, she didn’t like air conditioning. It made the air stale, made her feel like a piece of meat in the refrigerator. She preferred the fresh air, even when it was so hot and humid it was difficult to draw a deep breath. The fresh air reminded her she was alive. She didn’t like feeling as if she were existing in a state of suspended animation. She rather live fast and die sooner than give up intense feelings and experiences.
“Whot are you doing oot here?” Larry asked softly, slipping out the patio door in his bare feet, one hand idly scratching his naked belly as the other drew the door shut behind himself. She loved how thick his accent got when he was sleepy or had been drinking. She smiled broadly at him, and he knew that was exactly what she was thinking. She’d told him plenty of times how much she loved the way he spoke.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She said, not directly answering his question, but directing her gaze out over the beach instead. They stood there for a moment, silently taking in the scene. There was the sound of the sea, water lapping against sand, ships in the distance, and sea-birds calling. There were also the sounds of city life. The bar downstairs opened up onto the hotel beach and the music drifted up to them with the sounds of people talking and laughing.
“It’s hard to imagine how quickly everything changes.” She finally said with a sigh as he came up behind her to rub her shoulders and upper arms with strong hands. She leaned back and rested against his broad, firm chest gratefully. She hoped she would never take that privilege for granted, being able to rest her body against his. Being allowed to borrow some of his strength, if just for awhile.
“How do you mean?” He asked, his voice soft in her ear as he kissed her hair, one well built arm wrapping around her, his hand splaying out over her stomach and sending heat curling outward from where it made contact with her skin beneath the silky pajama top she wore.
“I mean, one night, you’re standing here in one of the most beautiful places on God’s green earth with someone you love more than you ever imagined possible. You’re listening to the sounds of music and people having fun…” She started to explain her thoughts as Larry lowered his head and began to nibble at the soft skin of her neck. “Mmm… doing that…” she chuckled as his hand slid farther up to touch her gently, seductively. She felt his gorgeous lips smile against her skin and chuckled again.
“And the next day everything could be different. You might not be able to hear, or speak, because of some misfire somewhere in your brain. Or you could step off a curb at the wrong moment and get hit by a bus. And then, what would the point of this all have been?” She sighed, finishing her original train of thought. Her neck felt cold as Larry drew back to look down at her seriously.
“There’s plenty that it still means. Jesus, Simone, are you serious? Tonight is worth itself on it’s own merits, not having to qualify it with a doomsday prediction. If tomorrow was my last day, I would hope tonight would be spent like this. Here, with you. And if it were yours…” His silver eyes flashed in the warm, amber moonlight as he studied her face. “You’ve done so much more in the world already than I have. You have Pauley.”
“Would you take care of him?” She asked, and he scowled deeply at her, the crease between his eyes appearing, along with other frown lines which only appeared when he was really upset about something.
“Of course I would. What is this about? Are you ok?” He asked, truly concerned for her state of mind now.
“I’m fine.” She assured him, turning to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him softly. “I’m wonderful, even. I was just thinking about life. How even the strongest people suffer, how they need other people in their lives, even if no one would ever guess it.”
“Thinking about your Da.” He summarized, pulling her flat against his chest, one thick leg rubbing her hip, the other leg pressed against both of hers.
“Yeah.” She agreed, resting her head on his shoulder and stroking the smooth skin of his back. “And about you and Pauley and how proud the both of you made me today.” She told him with a broad grin. He smiled back at her, one of his wide, honest smiles which was so bright and warm it made her feel like she was melting.
“I thought you wanted me to suck up to your family?” He teased and she snorted in laughter.
“No, I just wanted to save you a lot of grief.” She told him, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. He returned her smile, recognizing the look in her eyes, his body reacting instinctively. Simone leaned in and kissed his naked shoulder softly, one hand sliding up the back of his neck and into his shaggy hair, the other running the length of his spine, up and down, up and down, in long, firm strokes.
He let a growl escape from his throat, his beautiful eyes half hidden under long eyelashes. Bedroom eyes. She’d never seen a better example. A new heat flushed through her body, different from the heat of the night air. This heat began deep inside her and welled up, spilling out and washing over her, making her nerves jangle pleasantly. Would she ever get enough of this man? She seriously doubted it.
“Simone?” She heard him ask, his voice more controlled than she would like. She took great pleasure in the ability to make that stern, serious demeanor melt away. She stopped kissing his shoulder and leaned back when she felt him pause to look at her. “Do you ever think of having another baby?” He asked, and Simone stared blankly at him for a long moment.
Her mind could not seem to properly process this question. She couldn’t have understood. Had he really just changed the subject to children? She blinked at him, her mouth opening and closing without a sound. Finally, Larry smiled shyly at her and explained.
“I was just thinking about it. Pauley would be an incredible big brother.” He told her, his strong arms still holding her close. He leaned in to rest his forehead against her own. “And maybe I’ve been thinking about it because of him, or because of Cat and Adam. Or maybe it’s you. Whatever it was what started the thoughts going, they’re running wild now.” He said and she blinked at him in disbelief.
“You… are you saying you … think we should have a baby?” She managed to squeak.
“Not if it isn’t something you would want.” He qualified, studying her face carefully as she considered his suggestion. Finally she made eye contact with him.
“I don’t want to get married.” She informed him seriously. “Not just to you, I mean, if I had to, I would choose you, but, I don’t have to. Not that I don’t love you…” She added, and he smiled a broad smile at her and leaned in again, his forehead to hers, rubbing her nose against his own.
“I didn’t ask you to marry me.” He laughed. “I asked you if we should have a child together.” Her heart stopped in her chest for the briefest moment. She’d been so afraid that he wouldn’t understand. The idea of having this man’s child made her ache emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. She smiled, tears welling up in her eyes, and nodded.
“I think… it feels right.” She finally told him, kissing him softly. “I can’t imagine anything I would want more.” He smiled and met her kiss with tenderness and passion, taking her breath away.
“Well then, now’s as good a time as any to start trying.” He mumbled against her mouth between nibbling kisses which sent electricity shooting through her. She chuckled softly and let her body melt against his eagerly.
(There is an extended version in some of your mailboxes, if you're interested
)
**********************************************************************
It was a rather nice day in Dublin, one which made it extremely difficult to get home from a trip to Texas and go immediately back to work. Even though they loved what they did, a sunny, warm day like this was rare enough to win out over any inclination to be responsible. They made plans to return to the studio tomorrow, rather than that same day, within moments of landing.
Bono steered his Maserati toward home but when he reached his drive he kept going. He hated returning to that big empty house. He knew he was always welcome at Edge’s, and so that was where he finally parked the car, leaving his suitcases and keys behind, simply climbing out of the car and ambling up the steps. He knocked as he entered, calling out to announce his arrival.
“Hey, you’re back! How’d it go?” Edge asked, stepping out of his den and waving at Bono to make sure he heard him. Bono smiled at him broadly and made his way down the hall to the last room before a set of patio doors opened up to the backyard.
“It went pretty well, actually.” He informed his best friend, filling him in on the details of the trip. He glanced out the door as he relayed the tale and saw a woman in a dark green bikini sunning herself by the pool. She wore a set of headphones and bobbed her head and feet in time to the music, singing along occasionally. He could only see a little bit of her; due to the angle of the lounge chair she was seated in, but he could hear her slightly off key song as a breeze drifted through the window.
“Who is that?” He finally asked, completely at a loss. He knew it wasn’t Tessa, nor was it one of Edge’s daughters. She was a full grown woman whom he did not recognize at all.
“That’s Laney.” Edge told him, as if he should’ve known exactly who he was looking at.
“Who?” Bono asked, craning his neck to get a better look at the woman. She had fair Irish skin, that much he could tell. She was white as a sheet, except for the freckles which dotted her shoulders. He suspected they would be on her face as well, if she would ever turn and look his way. She had coppery red hair; most certainly the color which would have earned her the name ‘carrot top’ when she was younger.
“Laney!” Edge told him again, sighing in exasperation. “Elaine Evans? My cousin, you numbskull. You’ve met her at least half a dozen times over the years.” Bono frowned and continued to stare out the window. Suddenly the image of the little girl of about five years old popped into his head. She’d been a scrawny, willowy child, whose hair was always a mess, and whose face was always dirty. She’d been an outspoken, adventurous soul from the first day he met her.
He had been all of seventeen years old the first time they were introduced, and so full of the self-importance that infected every teenager that he had barely noticed when she was even in the same room. She was just a child, after all, and he was on the verge of being a serious rock star. He was going to change music, and change the world.
“No!” Bono objected in disbelief, and Edge pressed his fingers against his forehead as if arguing with Bono about this was giving him a headache.
“How long has it been since you’ve seen her? Twenty years?” He asked, and Bono had to think about it for a long moment.
“Nearly. It was like 1989, I think.” He recalled aloud. “She was like fifteen or something, I guess.” He mused.
“She was seventeen or eighteen in 89.” Edge informed him. “That was right before she went off to Uni. She’s kept busy, since then. We’ve only had a few chances to meet up, so when she and I turned out to both be in Dublin and she had a few days to herself, I invited her to visit.” He explained, not sure he liked the look on Bono’s face.
“What does she do?” Bono asked, memories of a rambunctious child flooding his mind.
“She’s a Doctor.” Edge replied. He was about to warn Bono not to be foolish when Tessa breezed down the hallway and interrupted.
“Bono!” She greeted him cheerily, her smile warm and genuine. “Welcome home.” She told him with a one-armed hug. She held a palette and several paintbrushes in the other.
“Thanks. What’re you about, with all that?” He asked, gesturing to the art supplies.
“I am doing a portrait for Laney. You should come out and sit with us. I swear, I’ve never met anyone who liked to chat as much as you do. Until I met Laney.” She laughed as she opened the door and hurried out to the poolside where she already had an easel and canvas waiting. Before Edge could find the right way to remind Bono to be on his best behavior, his friend was already making a beeline for the poolside.
Edge sighed and followed at a distance, knowing it wouldn’t have done a bit of good anyway. Bono didn’t know how to be anyone other than himself, anyway. It would actually be interesting to see just how this reunion played out.
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She sensed his presence even before Tessa told her he was there. Laney had always known when he was near. Some people had an acute sense of smell or hearing. Some people had a sixth sense which warned them of impending danger. Laney knew when Bono was close by.
She had been all of five years old the first time she met him, and as fascinated by him as anything magical or fantastic in this world. Her mother had called it her first crush. Her father had rolled his eyes. Her cousins, Dick and Dave (or ‘Edge’ as this unusual new boy in her life insisted upon calling him) thought she was a pest. An annoyance. Too curious, asking too many questions, wanting to be involved in things which were years beyond her age.
When she turned twelve and He sang happy birthday to her, she had used her birthday wish on him. She had blown out all the candles, and at age twelve, that meant her wish was destined to come true. At age thirty two, she knew that was a foolish dream, but she still remembered wishing with all her might that one day she would marry Paul ‘Bono’ Hewson.
All of her life, she’d compared every boy she dated to him. None had even come close. She had never been with any of them for more than a year, never even come close to marriage or family. She threw herself into her work, instead. Being a good emergency/trauma physician didn’t leave room for marriage and family, anyway. She barely noticed the hole in her life.
In college, she had tried everything she heard of to try and darken her fair skin and hair. She had dyed her hair dark brown or black, but that had made her pale skin look even more sickly white. She had tried sunless tanning cream, tanning lamps, hours in the direct sunlight. All she had gotten for her efforts were painful sunburns and tons of freckles.
She knew it was the exotic women who drew his eye, though. Women with richly colored, flawless skin and dark hair and eyes. Woman with curves and confidence. Everything she was not. Finally, once in medical school, Laney had given up trying to be someone else. She finally found out who she was, what she could and couldn’t, would and wouldn’t do.
It turned out that she was smart. Not just intelligent, but top of her class sort of smart. Things others were struggling with were a breeze for her to understand. She tutored students who were above her, even. She was a good doctor. After her internship and first fellowship, she had joined doctors without borders and gone to Africa. Every other year now, she took from three weeks to three months to work with them.
The year Bono had been there with the media following him around like he was the second coming, she had been there. She had watched him. Watched the way he treated the people, the way he seemed to genuinely care about them. About their plight. She hadn’t been able to gather the courage to approach him, that day.
That was unusual for her; when she was younger, she would have run right up to him and made sure he saw her, remembered her. Recognized all that she had done. But she had realized that day that she didn’t need his recognition. She didn’t need his approval. She had done good things, accomplished things which she was proud of. But she hadn’t done it for him.
Somewhere along the line, it had stopped being about him and started being about her. Who she was and who she wanted to be. And it was about God, and God’s plans for her. It had come as a shock to her, but a welcome one. Since that day her thoughts of him had been fleeting. Still wistful, still curious, but not sad. Not longing.
Now, knowing he was drawing close to the place where she sat, her heart was in her throat. Her pulse raced and she felt her skin grow cold where spots of perspiration began to seep through her pores. She had barely given him a thought in recent years, how was it possible she was so nervous now?
“Hello.” She heard his voice, like liquid fire, drift out of his mouth and come to wrap around her like a long lost lover. She moved her head slightly and peeked out over her sunglasses to see him standing nearby. Her heart damn near stopped at the sight of him. How was it possible? He looked better than she remembered.
“Hello.” She replied coolly, hoping her sea green eyes did not give away the fact that her stomach was doing cartwheels inside of her. Instead of staring, no matter how much she wanted to stare, she turned her head back to glance at Tessa. Laney liked Tessa so much more than Dave’s first wife, and she hadn’t hesitated to tell them both that much. She’d never been one to mince words.
“So what do you need me to do?” She asked. “Sit perfectly still?”
“No, that’s ok.” Tessa laughed and shook her head, several long strands of her rich brown hair falling loose of the ponytail which held it back out of her face. “I’d rather you act naturally. I can catch some of that spirit of yours that way, if I’m lucky.”
“I’ve been told to reign my spirit in more often than to let it run loose.” Laney laughed in response, glancing out of the corner of her eyes to see him still watching her as he settled into a lounge chair next to her. He wore a white cotton shirt, more unbuttoned than buttoned, revealing a generous amount of his broad chest. She stared at the prayer beads which fell lightly there, nestled in the thick, dark hair which covered his chest.
A gentle breeze lifted the scent of his cologne and carried it to her nose and made her eyes drift shut as she drew a deep breath. She opened her eyes again and saw him glance over at her once more as he and Tessa chatted companionably. She had known him most of her life, but she had never ever had him look at her before. Not really look at her. Not like that. Not until that very moment.
The promises we make Part 18
The moon was full that night, hovering low on the horizon and recklessly tossing about a rich, golden light. It was the sort of moon Simone associated with fall, usually. A harvest moon. Outside, on the balcony where she stood, the air was hot and humid even though it was past midnight. She had always loved that type of weather, even if, for some reason, she always settled in more moderate climates.
Inside, the air conditioner cooled the air to a temperature which made it comfortable for Pauley to sleep snuggled in under a thick down comforter. The air conditioner was probably rarely ever turned off, Simone mused. Oh, there must be a couple of months in which Florida cooled off, she knew, but generally speaking, she imagined an air conditioner was a vital addition to any Florida building.
Personally, she didn’t like air conditioning. It made the air stale, made her feel like a piece of meat in the refrigerator. She preferred the fresh air, even when it was so hot and humid it was difficult to draw a deep breath. The fresh air reminded her she was alive. She didn’t like feeling as if she were existing in a state of suspended animation. She rather live fast and die sooner than give up intense feelings and experiences.
“Whot are you doing oot here?” Larry asked softly, slipping out the patio door in his bare feet, one hand idly scratching his naked belly as the other drew the door shut behind himself. She loved how thick his accent got when he was sleepy or had been drinking. She smiled broadly at him, and he knew that was exactly what she was thinking. She’d told him plenty of times how much she loved the way he spoke.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She said, not directly answering his question, but directing her gaze out over the beach instead. They stood there for a moment, silently taking in the scene. There was the sound of the sea, water lapping against sand, ships in the distance, and sea-birds calling. There were also the sounds of city life. The bar downstairs opened up onto the hotel beach and the music drifted up to them with the sounds of people talking and laughing.
“It’s hard to imagine how quickly everything changes.” She finally said with a sigh as he came up behind her to rub her shoulders and upper arms with strong hands. She leaned back and rested against his broad, firm chest gratefully. She hoped she would never take that privilege for granted, being able to rest her body against his. Being allowed to borrow some of his strength, if just for awhile.
“How do you mean?” He asked, his voice soft in her ear as he kissed her hair, one well built arm wrapping around her, his hand splaying out over her stomach and sending heat curling outward from where it made contact with her skin beneath the silky pajama top she wore.
“I mean, one night, you’re standing here in one of the most beautiful places on God’s green earth with someone you love more than you ever imagined possible. You’re listening to the sounds of music and people having fun…” She started to explain her thoughts as Larry lowered his head and began to nibble at the soft skin of her neck. “Mmm… doing that…” she chuckled as his hand slid farther up to touch her gently, seductively. She felt his gorgeous lips smile against her skin and chuckled again.
“And the next day everything could be different. You might not be able to hear, or speak, because of some misfire somewhere in your brain. Or you could step off a curb at the wrong moment and get hit by a bus. And then, what would the point of this all have been?” She sighed, finishing her original train of thought. Her neck felt cold as Larry drew back to look down at her seriously.
“There’s plenty that it still means. Jesus, Simone, are you serious? Tonight is worth itself on it’s own merits, not having to qualify it with a doomsday prediction. If tomorrow was my last day, I would hope tonight would be spent like this. Here, with you. And if it were yours…” His silver eyes flashed in the warm, amber moonlight as he studied her face. “You’ve done so much more in the world already than I have. You have Pauley.”
“Would you take care of him?” She asked, and he scowled deeply at her, the crease between his eyes appearing, along with other frown lines which only appeared when he was really upset about something.
“Of course I would. What is this about? Are you ok?” He asked, truly concerned for her state of mind now.
“I’m fine.” She assured him, turning to face him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him softly. “I’m wonderful, even. I was just thinking about life. How even the strongest people suffer, how they need other people in their lives, even if no one would ever guess it.”
“Thinking about your Da.” He summarized, pulling her flat against his chest, one thick leg rubbing her hip, the other leg pressed against both of hers.
“Yeah.” She agreed, resting her head on his shoulder and stroking the smooth skin of his back. “And about you and Pauley and how proud the both of you made me today.” She told him with a broad grin. He smiled back at her, one of his wide, honest smiles which was so bright and warm it made her feel like she was melting.
“I thought you wanted me to suck up to your family?” He teased and she snorted in laughter.
“No, I just wanted to save you a lot of grief.” She told him, her green eyes sparkling with mischief. He returned her smile, recognizing the look in her eyes, his body reacting instinctively. Simone leaned in and kissed his naked shoulder softly, one hand sliding up the back of his neck and into his shaggy hair, the other running the length of his spine, up and down, up and down, in long, firm strokes.
He let a growl escape from his throat, his beautiful eyes half hidden under long eyelashes. Bedroom eyes. She’d never seen a better example. A new heat flushed through her body, different from the heat of the night air. This heat began deep inside her and welled up, spilling out and washing over her, making her nerves jangle pleasantly. Would she ever get enough of this man? She seriously doubted it.
“Simone?” She heard him ask, his voice more controlled than she would like. She took great pleasure in the ability to make that stern, serious demeanor melt away. She stopped kissing his shoulder and leaned back when she felt him pause to look at her. “Do you ever think of having another baby?” He asked, and Simone stared blankly at him for a long moment.
Her mind could not seem to properly process this question. She couldn’t have understood. Had he really just changed the subject to children? She blinked at him, her mouth opening and closing without a sound. Finally, Larry smiled shyly at her and explained.
“I was just thinking about it. Pauley would be an incredible big brother.” He told her, his strong arms still holding her close. He leaned in to rest his forehead against her own. “And maybe I’ve been thinking about it because of him, or because of Cat and Adam. Or maybe it’s you. Whatever it was what started the thoughts going, they’re running wild now.” He said and she blinked at him in disbelief.
“You… are you saying you … think we should have a baby?” She managed to squeak.
“Not if it isn’t something you would want.” He qualified, studying her face carefully as she considered his suggestion. Finally she made eye contact with him.
“I don’t want to get married.” She informed him seriously. “Not just to you, I mean, if I had to, I would choose you, but, I don’t have to. Not that I don’t love you…” She added, and he smiled a broad smile at her and leaned in again, his forehead to hers, rubbing her nose against his own.
“I didn’t ask you to marry me.” He laughed. “I asked you if we should have a child together.” Her heart stopped in her chest for the briefest moment. She’d been so afraid that he wouldn’t understand. The idea of having this man’s child made her ache emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. She smiled, tears welling up in her eyes, and nodded.
“I think… it feels right.” She finally told him, kissing him softly. “I can’t imagine anything I would want more.” He smiled and met her kiss with tenderness and passion, taking her breath away.
“Well then, now’s as good a time as any to start trying.” He mumbled against her mouth between nibbling kisses which sent electricity shooting through her. She chuckled softly and let her body melt against his eagerly.
(There is an extended version in some of your mailboxes, if you're interested
)**********************************************************************
It was a rather nice day in Dublin, one which made it extremely difficult to get home from a trip to Texas and go immediately back to work. Even though they loved what they did, a sunny, warm day like this was rare enough to win out over any inclination to be responsible. They made plans to return to the studio tomorrow, rather than that same day, within moments of landing.
Bono steered his Maserati toward home but when he reached his drive he kept going. He hated returning to that big empty house. He knew he was always welcome at Edge’s, and so that was where he finally parked the car, leaving his suitcases and keys behind, simply climbing out of the car and ambling up the steps. He knocked as he entered, calling out to announce his arrival.
“Hey, you’re back! How’d it go?” Edge asked, stepping out of his den and waving at Bono to make sure he heard him. Bono smiled at him broadly and made his way down the hall to the last room before a set of patio doors opened up to the backyard.
“It went pretty well, actually.” He informed his best friend, filling him in on the details of the trip. He glanced out the door as he relayed the tale and saw a woman in a dark green bikini sunning herself by the pool. She wore a set of headphones and bobbed her head and feet in time to the music, singing along occasionally. He could only see a little bit of her; due to the angle of the lounge chair she was seated in, but he could hear her slightly off key song as a breeze drifted through the window.
“Who is that?” He finally asked, completely at a loss. He knew it wasn’t Tessa, nor was it one of Edge’s daughters. She was a full grown woman whom he did not recognize at all.
“That’s Laney.” Edge told him, as if he should’ve known exactly who he was looking at.
“Who?” Bono asked, craning his neck to get a better look at the woman. She had fair Irish skin, that much he could tell. She was white as a sheet, except for the freckles which dotted her shoulders. He suspected they would be on her face as well, if she would ever turn and look his way. She had coppery red hair; most certainly the color which would have earned her the name ‘carrot top’ when she was younger.
“Laney!” Edge told him again, sighing in exasperation. “Elaine Evans? My cousin, you numbskull. You’ve met her at least half a dozen times over the years.” Bono frowned and continued to stare out the window. Suddenly the image of the little girl of about five years old popped into his head. She’d been a scrawny, willowy child, whose hair was always a mess, and whose face was always dirty. She’d been an outspoken, adventurous soul from the first day he met her.
He had been all of seventeen years old the first time they were introduced, and so full of the self-importance that infected every teenager that he had barely noticed when she was even in the same room. She was just a child, after all, and he was on the verge of being a serious rock star. He was going to change music, and change the world.
“No!” Bono objected in disbelief, and Edge pressed his fingers against his forehead as if arguing with Bono about this was giving him a headache.
“How long has it been since you’ve seen her? Twenty years?” He asked, and Bono had to think about it for a long moment.
“Nearly. It was like 1989, I think.” He recalled aloud. “She was like fifteen or something, I guess.” He mused.
“She was seventeen or eighteen in 89.” Edge informed him. “That was right before she went off to Uni. She’s kept busy, since then. We’ve only had a few chances to meet up, so when she and I turned out to both be in Dublin and she had a few days to herself, I invited her to visit.” He explained, not sure he liked the look on Bono’s face.
“What does she do?” Bono asked, memories of a rambunctious child flooding his mind.
“She’s a Doctor.” Edge replied. He was about to warn Bono not to be foolish when Tessa breezed down the hallway and interrupted.
“Bono!” She greeted him cheerily, her smile warm and genuine. “Welcome home.” She told him with a one-armed hug. She held a palette and several paintbrushes in the other.
“Thanks. What’re you about, with all that?” He asked, gesturing to the art supplies.
“I am doing a portrait for Laney. You should come out and sit with us. I swear, I’ve never met anyone who liked to chat as much as you do. Until I met Laney.” She laughed as she opened the door and hurried out to the poolside where she already had an easel and canvas waiting. Before Edge could find the right way to remind Bono to be on his best behavior, his friend was already making a beeline for the poolside.
Edge sighed and followed at a distance, knowing it wouldn’t have done a bit of good anyway. Bono didn’t know how to be anyone other than himself, anyway. It would actually be interesting to see just how this reunion played out.
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She sensed his presence even before Tessa told her he was there. Laney had always known when he was near. Some people had an acute sense of smell or hearing. Some people had a sixth sense which warned them of impending danger. Laney knew when Bono was close by.
She had been all of five years old the first time she met him, and as fascinated by him as anything magical or fantastic in this world. Her mother had called it her first crush. Her father had rolled his eyes. Her cousins, Dick and Dave (or ‘Edge’ as this unusual new boy in her life insisted upon calling him) thought she was a pest. An annoyance. Too curious, asking too many questions, wanting to be involved in things which were years beyond her age.
When she turned twelve and He sang happy birthday to her, she had used her birthday wish on him. She had blown out all the candles, and at age twelve, that meant her wish was destined to come true. At age thirty two, she knew that was a foolish dream, but she still remembered wishing with all her might that one day she would marry Paul ‘Bono’ Hewson.
All of her life, she’d compared every boy she dated to him. None had even come close. She had never been with any of them for more than a year, never even come close to marriage or family. She threw herself into her work, instead. Being a good emergency/trauma physician didn’t leave room for marriage and family, anyway. She barely noticed the hole in her life.
In college, she had tried everything she heard of to try and darken her fair skin and hair. She had dyed her hair dark brown or black, but that had made her pale skin look even more sickly white. She had tried sunless tanning cream, tanning lamps, hours in the direct sunlight. All she had gotten for her efforts were painful sunburns and tons of freckles.
She knew it was the exotic women who drew his eye, though. Women with richly colored, flawless skin and dark hair and eyes. Woman with curves and confidence. Everything she was not. Finally, once in medical school, Laney had given up trying to be someone else. She finally found out who she was, what she could and couldn’t, would and wouldn’t do.
It turned out that she was smart. Not just intelligent, but top of her class sort of smart. Things others were struggling with were a breeze for her to understand. She tutored students who were above her, even. She was a good doctor. After her internship and first fellowship, she had joined doctors without borders and gone to Africa. Every other year now, she took from three weeks to three months to work with them.
The year Bono had been there with the media following him around like he was the second coming, she had been there. She had watched him. Watched the way he treated the people, the way he seemed to genuinely care about them. About their plight. She hadn’t been able to gather the courage to approach him, that day.
That was unusual for her; when she was younger, she would have run right up to him and made sure he saw her, remembered her. Recognized all that she had done. But she had realized that day that she didn’t need his recognition. She didn’t need his approval. She had done good things, accomplished things which she was proud of. But she hadn’t done it for him.
Somewhere along the line, it had stopped being about him and started being about her. Who she was and who she wanted to be. And it was about God, and God’s plans for her. It had come as a shock to her, but a welcome one. Since that day her thoughts of him had been fleeting. Still wistful, still curious, but not sad. Not longing.
Now, knowing he was drawing close to the place where she sat, her heart was in her throat. Her pulse raced and she felt her skin grow cold where spots of perspiration began to seep through her pores. She had barely given him a thought in recent years, how was it possible she was so nervous now?
“Hello.” She heard his voice, like liquid fire, drift out of his mouth and come to wrap around her like a long lost lover. She moved her head slightly and peeked out over her sunglasses to see him standing nearby. Her heart damn near stopped at the sight of him. How was it possible? He looked better than she remembered.
“Hello.” She replied coolly, hoping her sea green eyes did not give away the fact that her stomach was doing cartwheels inside of her. Instead of staring, no matter how much she wanted to stare, she turned her head back to glance at Tessa. Laney liked Tessa so much more than Dave’s first wife, and she hadn’t hesitated to tell them both that much. She’d never been one to mince words.
“So what do you need me to do?” She asked. “Sit perfectly still?”
“No, that’s ok.” Tessa laughed and shook her head, several long strands of her rich brown hair falling loose of the ponytail which held it back out of her face. “I’d rather you act naturally. I can catch some of that spirit of yours that way, if I’m lucky.”
“I’ve been told to reign my spirit in more often than to let it run loose.” Laney laughed in response, glancing out of the corner of her eyes to see him still watching her as he settled into a lounge chair next to her. He wore a white cotton shirt, more unbuttoned than buttoned, revealing a generous amount of his broad chest. She stared at the prayer beads which fell lightly there, nestled in the thick, dark hair which covered his chest.
A gentle breeze lifted the scent of his cologne and carried it to her nose and made her eyes drift shut as she drew a deep breath. She opened her eyes again and saw him glance over at her once more as he and Tessa chatted companionably. She had known him most of her life, but she had never ever had him look at her before. Not really look at her. Not like that. Not until that very moment.
thanks for the update!!
you're a fab writer
thanks 
Thanks!
