Come Back to Me - It's Almost Easy

Lea arrived at the venue shortly before 6 o’ clock. She slung the backstage pass around her neck and was pointed towards a side door near the stage, guarded by a bulky security guard. As soon as the guard had inspected her pass, and let her through the door, she could see Dave sit at a little table, studying some times on his laptop. He looked a bit stressed out, pulling on his cigarette a little stronger than usual.

“Hey mister, I am the photographer you ordered. What you want me to do? Take off my clothes and give YOU the camera?”

He looked up with a confused look on his face, he apparently hadn’t listened to anything she had just said.

“What? Sorry, did you say something? I’m in over my head right now, that stupid support band was supposed to be here an hour ago to start with their soundcheck, but they didn’t turn up. I gonna kick some serious ass once I see their manager! The guys are through there, please make sure, they’re not getting completely wasted, will you?”

His cell phone rang and he hastily picked up. She grabbed her bag and went towards the door at the other end of the room. The guys were sitting on shabby sofas, laughing at Jimmy, who had just fallen off the edge of one of them. She wasn’t able to say if they were drunk, or just amused at each other’s stupidity. She swiftly started taking some pictures as they were all still laughing, not noticing her. As Jimmy got up and looked at her, he rolled his eyes:

“Great! Another picture-perfect moment for me. Please delete that…or at least don’t let Matt get his dirty fingers on it, or he’ll spread it around the internet like a wildfire.”

She nodded and took another picture of Matt, who was giving her one of his cheeky smiles his eyes sparkling. She walked towards him and gave him a smooth but rather quick kiss on the lips, before sitting down on a chair on the other side of the room, starting to talk with Jimmy, who was still rubbing his shoulder from the unexpected fall.

“So, when you get the pictures on the computer, will you send all of them to Dave or just the best ones? Can’t wait for some good ones of me, usually the others get all the girls, their pictures always turn out way better. I am simply useless when it comes to posing.”

Lea gave him a sympathetic smile and squeezed his arm slightly.

“ Don’t you worry Rev., girls that are only after sexy poses are not worth it anyhow. The more natural the picture, the more appealing, trust me, I’ve been in this business long enough to know the difference. Plus, I have done my homework: you have a fiance, so don't be hunting after girls!”

The group of friends was relaxed. They were joking and laughing a lot between themselves. Jimmy had started listening to his MP3 Player, drumming away with his sticks on the armrest of the sofa, warming up while Johnny was running his fingers over the strings of his bass. She caught Matt starring at her, as he got up and snatched the camera away from her.

“Zacky, can you take a picture of us? This one is in none of the pictures yet, and I need something to keep my spirits up once we get home.”

Lea shied away, but Matt wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck and shoulder. She could hear the familiar clicking of her camera’s shutter a good few times, before Dave stormed into the room, obviously not being very happy.

“Ok guys, that man that calls himself “band manager” of your support band just called and cancelled, apparently singer and drummer are so drunk they can’t stand upright straight and are constantly throwing up…some nerves man, doing this so short before the show! Anyhow, I was able to organize another local band last minute…they’re just starting their soundcheck now.”

He turned to Lea, with a somewhat apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry babe, but Jay’s band is the only band I could think of, being able to step up to the challenge and the people here love their music. You know I never liked the guy, but I had no other option…and this is business.”

At this point, she really didn’t care anymore about Jay. She didn’t feel the uncomfort she usually did, when his name fell. She knew the reasons why Jay had accepted the gig, and it was not only to get a gig at a sold out venue. But, as Dave had correctly stated: this was business!

“Hey: your business, your job! I have nothing to say anyhow, I am well able to deal with it, don’t worry. But seen that you’re already here, let me take a picture of you and the guys.”

She took the camera off Zacky and ordered them to scootch together. A few silly pictures were taken, giggles shared, when the door opened and Jay and his band mates strolled in, big grins on their faces, they seemed delighted to be playing tonight, certainly the biggest stage they had been taken to so far. As Jay noticed Lea in the far corner holding her camera, all the doubts of the previous night disappeared into nothingness. That dude was nothing but a client! He knew her strict rules when it when it came to separating business and personal life…she might socialize with some of the guys she had worked with, but she would never start anything romantic with someone she had been working with, this was just not the way she rolled. Her and Matt had displayed a good lie last night, successfully keeping Jay on his toes, and with the song they had sung, they really had him fooled, especially with the kiss.

“Hi guys…Lea, we’re done with the soundcheck and they just opened the doors. You gonna take pictures of the show?”

He finished the sentence, looking over to Lea, who was still standing in the far off corner of the room like prey, with no way to run.

“She might be, we haven’t decided on that yet. Nice to meet you again…Jay, was it? How did you like the song last night? I heard a good few people say, that it was almost record- worthy.”

Lea was finally able to release herself from the frozen state she was in, and started moving over to Dave. She didn’t like the smirk on Jay’s face. She knew him well enough to know that something had clicked in his brain, and he saw things play in his mind.

“Yeah, it was a truly amazing performance. I was startled a little with disbelief, seeing you and her up there, hearing her sing like that, but I guess it was worth the long wait, seeing her up there. I have truly underestimated her for a very long time. Guess you don’t think that there are any surprises when you’re with someone for so many years.”

She knew exactly what he was pointing at…and that gave her strength, certainly something to give her an advantage over him. He actually thought that she hadn’t changed at all through the past few weeks, that she was still the same, ever forgiving, reliable Lea, that would do anything to take him back.

“Yes, I know: some people are always good for surprises. But hey, such is life! You better pick up your things you have at my place within the next few days. Won’t be able to hold on to them forever, and I want them gone before I am heading over to Cali next week. Hope you’re having a good show tonight…excuse me.”

She pushed past all of them, out the door and towards a bathroom sign.

“Lea!”

She could hear Jay’s voice behind her. He stormed into the bathroom after her, building himself up in front of her. He was fuming, anger written all over his face.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You’re going to Cali? To work? I still didn’t even have the chance to explain things to you, and you’re already about to fuck the next guy? Since when are you running after a guy that gives you a smile and buys you a drink! If this has always been like this, I doubt you ever had any right criticising me and my behaviour. Babe…you know I didn’t have any affair with that girl, and even if I did end up in bed with her once, I would have been too drunk to resist any seduction, you know what I am like when I am drunk. I’m sorry Lea, I should have given more thought into what could happen, how lost I would be without you. I can’t stand this dude looking at you the way he does…you’re my girl!”

Lea raised her hands to fend off his words. She was on the brink of tears, not able to confront him directly without having to swallow hard.

“Jay, you’re too late! You have slept around every time you went on tour, you even brought girls back to MY place when I was away on business, fucked them in MY bed! I am not stupid Jay, my neighbours told me you brought girls back to my place. I just didn’t say anything. I loved you too much, thinking that at some stage you would be able to commit to me fully, but I finally lost all hope. So stop causing a scene, be greatful Dave got you this awesome gig, and leave me alone…and get out of my face!!!”

Jay however didn’t move one inch, he was frozen. Never before had she stood up for herself. And never had she let on, that she knew all about his dirty little secrets. As he opened his mouth in a response, she cut him off.

“And don’t you dare telling me that you love me! If that would be the case, you would have been happy to settle as a one-woman-man. Love isn’t a card you can play whenever it comes in handy!”

Seen that he didn’t move out of her way, she pushed him away from the door and left. She had no interest anymore to stay for the show, she just wanted to go home and be alone. She hated confrontations, was never able to deal with it, they went deep under her skin, especially if Jay was the reason for the mental turmoil. For years she had been making up excuses for him, insuring herself, that ONE day, he would recognize that she was more than a pretty face, but that everyday, she would do anything to necessary to make him feel loved and at home. This last rumour, of him actually having a full blown affair, not just a one night stand, had simply pushed her over the edge. She was no longer willing nor able to let him get away with his disloyalty and the pain that he was causing her. She was aching, for having been able to fool herself for this long, actually thinking that her love for him would at some stage change him.

For a short moment, she was considering of letting Matt and Dave know, that she was leaving, but quickly dismissed the idea, not wanting to disappoint or worry him. Maybe the developments over the past 2 days had been too quick for her own good. She was falling for Matt, and boy, was she falling fast! Jay had correctly described it, she was falling for Matt, because he seemed to care for her and he was doing and saying all the right things. But the more she thought about it, the more she came to realize, that she had to get over Jay and her last relationship, before Matt and her even had the most remote chance to start anything together, that was going beyond a friendship.