A Cherry Sunset

My head pounded and my mouth was dry. I winced and buried my face in my pillow. My body ached and memory was a bit fuzzy. The phone rang from my nightstand and I groaned. I didn’t know how early it was but I knew for sure that I should not have been up.

I unwillingly tossed around until I could reach the phone. I opened it and held it to my ear, clearing my throat before answering. “Hello?”

“Were yeh sleepin’?”

As much as I had wanted to hear his voice last night, cringed at it now for it was too loud and too perky for my hungover state. “Yes.” I croaked out and had to clear my throat again as I sat up slightly.

Oliver chuckled. “Sorreh, love. I didn’t mean teh. Jus’ wanted teh see ‘ow yeh were doin’ after las’ nigh’.”

I smiled a little as I cradled my head in my free hand. “I feel like I’m dying. Again.”

“Yeh think yeh’d learn by now.”

“You’d think.” I agreed and then smiled wide. “How are you?” It was almost as if it had just dawned on me that I was finally on the phone with my boyfriend. The one I missed so much. The reason for all my excessive drinking last night.

Oliver sighed. “Missin’ meh girlfriend terribleh. Yeh see, ‘er friend took ‘er out las’ nigh’ an’ then sent meh these pictures of ‘ow gorgeous she looks. I even got a video of some drunken karaoke.”

“Vee didn’t!”

“She did.”

“I’m going to kill her.”

“Will yeh wear tha’ dress fer meh first?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m sorry to say that the dress has gone missing.”

“Tha’ mean yeh in yeh knickehs?”

I blushed profusely and bit my bottom lip. After a moment of silence I frowned. “I miss you, Oli.” I whispered into the phone, half meaning for him not hear.

“Yeh’ll see meh soon enough.” I frowned deeper and laid back down.

“Oli, we haven’t even discussed how this is going to work. I go back on tour in six weeks and you’ll probably be back on the road soon too.”

“Don’ worreh ‘bout it, Em. We’ll get through it. Maybe we’ll even be on the same tour again.”

“There’s a very slim chance of that happening.”

He chuckled again. “Yeh worreh teh much, Emmeh. Yeh need a righ’ break.” The silence settled while I chewed on my bottom lip. “Wha’ are yeh doin’ fer yeh free six weeks?”

I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Going home.”

“Home?” He sounded completely bewildered and I would have given most of anything to see the expression that matched.

“Yeah. Every time I get off tour I fly back to Cali to see my grandmother. She’s the only family I’m really close to anymore.”

“Oh.” Then there’s an awkward silence were I can’t help but wonder what he’s thinking. It’s a good few minutes before he talks again. “I miss yeh teh, Emmeh.” He whispered the words so sincerely that my heart nearly breaks. “Maybeh I can fly out teh California.”

“You don’t want to do that.” I smiled sadly and ran a hand through my hair. “Stay in Sheffield. Visit your parents and your friends. Have yourself a righ’ break.” He chuckled as I attempted to mock his accentand failed.

“I’ll try an’ keep tha’ in mind.”

“Good. Now I have to go shower and pack my things. I’ll talk to you later?”

“Call meh before yeh take off an’ afteh yeh land.”

“Will do.” I smiled wide at the little bit of protectiveness he’d let leak into his voice. “Bye Oliver.”

“Bye Emileh.”

The phone clicked and I slowly took it away from my ear. As I hit the end button the picture of me and Oliver popped back up on my screen. I looked at it hard and sighed. That was it. The only connection I had with my boyfriend was a two minute conversation over the phone while dealing with a hangover.

“It’s all great, Em.” I muttered to myself before throwing my phone onto my pillow and begrudgingly climbing out of bed. I still had several things to do on my check list before getting on my plane. I groaned as I realized it’d probably take the majority of the day to finish everything and I was probably going to have to fight my hangover the whole way too. “It’s all fucking fantastic.”