A Cherry Sunset

"Halestorm!" Jason yelled as soon as I stepped off the elevator. I smiled immediately and felt my chest tighten. My stomach had been tossing all morning, but now it was in overdrive. "What the hell you doing round here? I thought you were catching the first flight to your boy from the tour."

I bit my lip and nodded as most of everyone's eyes on the floor turned toward me. "I have something to tell Dunn."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Everything go okay on tour?" Then he rolled his eyes. "Did the new kid screw it all up?"

"I'll tell you in a minute, Jase." I called over my shoulder, not letting myself get distracted. I knew if I stopped to talk to Jason, I'd lose my nerve. Someone would talk sense and I would chicken out.

I strode into the office and straightened my shirt. I put on my brave face for the next twenty-five minutes. Dunn didn't want to let me get out with the easy way. He kept using phrases like 'best employee' and 'if it's the money'. Finally, I made it out.

Jason scanned me up and down several times in the few seconds it took to walk over to his desk. "Well, that was an awfully long talk, Halestorm. There something you need to tell us?" He quirked his head and my giant grin faltered some.

"I do have something to announce." I glanced around. They were all familiar faces, but none so into my business as Jason. "I uh ..." I shrugged and started to giggle. "I quit."

"Not funny, Emily." He gave me a look and started shaking his head.

"I'm not trying to be, Jason." I leaned on his desk, the same way he would on mine day after day for the past few years. "I hate this job and my life here and I'm finally doing something about it."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Em?" Jason lowered his voice and sat forward, the concern taking over every feature on his face.

"Calm down, love." I gave him an honest smile. "I promise to keep in touch."

He sat back and snorted. "You're really leaving?"

"Yes."

"And where are you going?" He gave me that really dumb tone, like I didn't have any where else in the world to go. I gave him a small smile and then we both said the same think. "Oliver." He sighed and nodded. "I guess I knew this was coming. I mean, we all never thought you'd find someone, but when you came back with a boy from tour." He smiled a little. "I knew it was all downhill from there."

"I'll miss you lots, Jase. You'll have to take care of things around here for me. Keep everybody in line."

"You better call me and skype every other day!" He pointed his finger at me and I grabbed it.

“We don’t even talk that much now, you nerd.” I squeezed his hand. “But I’ll come back and visit. Victoria will kick my ass if I don’t.”

“I’ll kick your ass with her.” He warned and I laughed.

“You guys and come visit me too, all the way across the ocean.”

“So I can beat the arse that stole you.”

“Oh please. Everyone loves Oliver.” It was a few moments of quiet while he stared at me with his eyebrows raised and I bit my bottom lip. “He may have a bit of a reputation of being a jackass, but it’s really not true.”

“I’ll come for Christmas and be the judge of that.”

“You’re more than welcome, love.” I squeezed his hand again and then stood up. “Now, I’ve got ten hours before my flight leaves for England. I’ve got to pack and send my things off before then. You want to help?”

“I’m supposed to be working, Emily.” He used a professional tone but he was smiling the whole time.

“Is that a ‘only if I buy the beer’ answer?” I giggled as he winked.

“You know me so well. Let me type up an e-mail and then we’ll head out of here.”

“Excellent! I’ll grab a cab and then we’ll stop at the liquor store on 9th before we go to the apartment.”

“Can we pick up some vodka as well? I really feel like we need to invite Victoria and have a good memory lane session.”

“I suppose I’ll have to tell her eventually.”

“You haven’t told her yet? She’s going to kill you.”

“She loves Oliver. She’ll understand.”

“Right. Victoria will be rational and level-headed, for once.”

I sighed. “Yeah, she’s going to kill me.”

“And I’m going to take pictures.” Jason gave me a cheesy smile to which I flipped him off for.

“Hurry your ass up, Jason. I can’t wait in the cab forever.” I groaned and then giggled as I practically skipped to the door. Only ten hours to Oliver. I can make this