Kiss Me, Kiss Me
seven.
‘Hello there, Mikey.’ I smile answering the phone after my shower.
‘Hey,’ he yawns tiredly into the other line, ‘how was your day?’
‘I find it very amusing how you’re interested in my everyday boring activities when you’re the one in the exciting process of finishing your very own album.’
‘And somehow I think your day is far more interesting,’ he replies, ‘It is the highlight of my day hearing about the female devil you’re working under and what’s happening now on the shows you can’t seem to get enough of.’
‘Has anyone told you that you are an incredible liar Michael Clifford?’
‘I am not lying!’ he defends through his laugh, ‘just shut up and tell me about your day.’
‘Well today Shelia forgot her office keys so she had to sneak out and go get them leaving me in the store alone for over three hours. She actually came back with her nails freshly painted. I had to listen to her drone on and on about how the nail lady overcharged her for something she could do all by herself.’
‘I still don’t see why you just don’t report her ass.’
‘Shelia is annoying but her management skills suck which is why I was able to Skype with you yesterday. I think I would rather deal with that than someone constantly breathing down my neck.’
‘Speaking of Skype, when can we do that again?’
‘I guess whenever you get the chance. You’re the one who always has to have a perfect connection when we Skype.’
‘My house’s Wi-Fi is shit I told you. The studio’s pretty decent but it’ll drop too so I usually will have to go to Ashton’s or Luke’s.’
‘Yeah, yeah.’ I laugh, ‘I know you’re very delicate process.’
‘You have got to be the most sarcastic person I’ve ever met.’
‘You should feel very lucky then.’
‘Believe me I do.’ He retorts through yet another yawn.
‘What time is it there?’ I say looking at my phone to check the time. 11:25 P.M.
‘It is 4:25 in the afternoon.’
‘The album’s weighing in on you, isn’t it?’ I smile lying down in the bed.
‘You have no idea.’ He replies, ‘We laid down the final tracks so now we’re just deciding what goes and what stays.’
‘When will it be out?’
‘Pretty soon here but you’re American so you’ll have to wait a couple of months.’
‘Are you being serious?’ I begin to sit in the bed, ‘Am I supposed to wait that long?’
‘Just kidding, I’ll send you a copy as soon as it’s done.’
‘Promise?’
‘Promise.’
‘I am going to let you go now, okay?’
‘What? No.’ Michael questions instantly, ‘I’m fine.’
‘No you’re falling asleep. I can practically see the drool coming through my phone.’
‘I do not drool. I’m up, I’m up.’
‘We can talk later, alright?’
‘I wanna talk now.’
‘We have been talking. For nearly three hours now.’
‘That’s not enough.’
‘I know but you’re tired. Since you have the rest of the day off how about you just go to sleep?’
‘On one condition…’ he speaks suspiciously.
‘What is it?’
…
‘Michael Clifford, you’re so stubborn.’ I roll my eyes at him plugging my laptop in.
‘Am not.’ He smiles repositioning his screen, ‘We’ll see who drools here.’
‘It will not be me. Where are you anyway?’
‘I am currently at Luke’s.’
‘Hey McKenzie!’ Luke calls into the background.
‘Hi Luke!’
‘Don’t talk to him.’ Michael intervenes tossing some sort of blue sheet over his body.
‘Goodnight Michael.’ I shake my head settling in my bed.
‘Night Kenzie.’
The next morning my mom sat at the table covering herself with her cardigan, which posed as a security blanket. She opens her mouth to speak to me but quickly closes it.
‘Good morning,’ I start taking a seat across from her, ‘I just wanted to say how sorry I was for talking like that to you. I shouldn’t have listed your resume to you like that. It wasn’t fair of me to blow up on you the way that I did even though I was pretty upset about what you did.’
‘I’m sorry for blabbing my mouth for my own selfish reasons.’
‘I really need to tell you that it can’t happen again. Michael and I are not dating. He would really like to keep things between us private and so would I. If you continue to go back and report it, I can’t let you into that part of my life.’
‘I respect that. It won’t happen again.’
‘Thanks mom.’
‘Would you want some breakfast?’
‘What are we having?’
‘Just about anything you want. I know it was wrong to do what I did but I actually did something responsible with the money. I filled the fridge and paid all the bills up. I have a few interviews lined up for a few different places this week.’
‘That’s really good mom. I’m happy that you’re trying to go back to work.’
‘So am I. How about I make you one of my famous omelets you used to love so much before you run off to work?’
‘I’d like that a lot actually.’ I agree dropping my purse beside me on the table.
Work today was going extremely slow. Shelia was in the back talking to one of her many boyfriends with her feet kicked up. I check my phone to see if Michael ever replied to the text I sent him nearly two hours ago. He hadn’t.
‘If I don’t let you go to lunch I could be violating one of your rights as an employee here and yada yada yada so be back in thirty.’ Shelia says before closing the office door again.
I happily grab my purse and head to the food court. I ended up getting a sub from Subway along with a bag of chips taking a seat in the cold booth.
Sorry I’ve been out of reach but I wrote the most awesome song I’ve ever written and we’re rushing to put it on the album! – Michael.
Oh really? What makes this song so awesome? – McKenzie.
You’ll see lol – Michael.
No fair – McKenzie.
Believe me. It’s worth the wait. – Michael.
I continued to text Michael during my lunch break before heading back to Earth Bound. A few long hours later I was finally allowed to call it a day and leave.
Michael’s Point of View
‘We’ve found your opening act for the European leg of the tour.’ Our management tells us as we were set to meet the band opening up for us in a month or so.
‘Oh yeah? Who is it?’ Ashton questions clutching the drumsticks in his hands.
‘They’re a new band but they’re already blowing up over in the UK. They’ve been putting up covers on YouTube. We believe that they are exactly what you’re looking for in an opening act. This will be great for you and them.’
‘Don’t let us die in suspense.’ Calum chimes in from behind me.
‘May I introduce you to Broken Mirrors.’
‘I think I’ve seen a few covers.’ Luke echoes as management pushes the steel doors open.
Three guys and one girl sat beside each other on the floor. All of them quickly stand to their feet and walk over to us.
‘Hi, I’m Celeste.’ The girl introduces herself first, ‘this is Jonah, Calvin, and Ryan.’
‘Alright we’ll leave you all to get acquainted for a bit.’ Their management and ours head out the room leaving the awkward wave of silence behind them.
‘Hey, I’m Michael.’ I introduce extending my hand.
‘Believe me, I know exactly who you are.’ Celeste grabs a hold of my hand and holds it with hers, ‘this is going to be a great tour.’
‘Hey,’ he yawns tiredly into the other line, ‘how was your day?’
‘I find it very amusing how you’re interested in my everyday boring activities when you’re the one in the exciting process of finishing your very own album.’
‘And somehow I think your day is far more interesting,’ he replies, ‘It is the highlight of my day hearing about the female devil you’re working under and what’s happening now on the shows you can’t seem to get enough of.’
‘Has anyone told you that you are an incredible liar Michael Clifford?’
‘I am not lying!’ he defends through his laugh, ‘just shut up and tell me about your day.’
‘Well today Shelia forgot her office keys so she had to sneak out and go get them leaving me in the store alone for over three hours. She actually came back with her nails freshly painted. I had to listen to her drone on and on about how the nail lady overcharged her for something she could do all by herself.’
‘I still don’t see why you just don’t report her ass.’
‘Shelia is annoying but her management skills suck which is why I was able to Skype with you yesterday. I think I would rather deal with that than someone constantly breathing down my neck.’
‘Speaking of Skype, when can we do that again?’
‘I guess whenever you get the chance. You’re the one who always has to have a perfect connection when we Skype.’
‘My house’s Wi-Fi is shit I told you. The studio’s pretty decent but it’ll drop too so I usually will have to go to Ashton’s or Luke’s.’
‘Yeah, yeah.’ I laugh, ‘I know you’re very delicate process.’
‘You have got to be the most sarcastic person I’ve ever met.’
‘You should feel very lucky then.’
‘Believe me I do.’ He retorts through yet another yawn.
‘What time is it there?’ I say looking at my phone to check the time. 11:25 P.M.
‘It is 4:25 in the afternoon.’
‘The album’s weighing in on you, isn’t it?’ I smile lying down in the bed.
‘You have no idea.’ He replies, ‘We laid down the final tracks so now we’re just deciding what goes and what stays.’
‘When will it be out?’
‘Pretty soon here but you’re American so you’ll have to wait a couple of months.’
‘Are you being serious?’ I begin to sit in the bed, ‘Am I supposed to wait that long?’
‘Just kidding, I’ll send you a copy as soon as it’s done.’
‘Promise?’
‘Promise.’
‘I am going to let you go now, okay?’
‘What? No.’ Michael questions instantly, ‘I’m fine.’
‘No you’re falling asleep. I can practically see the drool coming through my phone.’
‘I do not drool. I’m up, I’m up.’
‘We can talk later, alright?’
‘I wanna talk now.’
‘We have been talking. For nearly three hours now.’
‘That’s not enough.’
‘I know but you’re tired. Since you have the rest of the day off how about you just go to sleep?’
‘On one condition…’ he speaks suspiciously.
‘What is it?’
…
‘Michael Clifford, you’re so stubborn.’ I roll my eyes at him plugging my laptop in.
‘Am not.’ He smiles repositioning his screen, ‘We’ll see who drools here.’
‘It will not be me. Where are you anyway?’
‘I am currently at Luke’s.’
‘Hey McKenzie!’ Luke calls into the background.
‘Hi Luke!’
‘Don’t talk to him.’ Michael intervenes tossing some sort of blue sheet over his body.
‘Goodnight Michael.’ I shake my head settling in my bed.
‘Night Kenzie.’
The next morning my mom sat at the table covering herself with her cardigan, which posed as a security blanket. She opens her mouth to speak to me but quickly closes it.
‘Good morning,’ I start taking a seat across from her, ‘I just wanted to say how sorry I was for talking like that to you. I shouldn’t have listed your resume to you like that. It wasn’t fair of me to blow up on you the way that I did even though I was pretty upset about what you did.’
‘I’m sorry for blabbing my mouth for my own selfish reasons.’
‘I really need to tell you that it can’t happen again. Michael and I are not dating. He would really like to keep things between us private and so would I. If you continue to go back and report it, I can’t let you into that part of my life.’
‘I respect that. It won’t happen again.’
‘Thanks mom.’
‘Would you want some breakfast?’
‘What are we having?’
‘Just about anything you want. I know it was wrong to do what I did but I actually did something responsible with the money. I filled the fridge and paid all the bills up. I have a few interviews lined up for a few different places this week.’
‘That’s really good mom. I’m happy that you’re trying to go back to work.’
‘So am I. How about I make you one of my famous omelets you used to love so much before you run off to work?’
‘I’d like that a lot actually.’ I agree dropping my purse beside me on the table.
Work today was going extremely slow. Shelia was in the back talking to one of her many boyfriends with her feet kicked up. I check my phone to see if Michael ever replied to the text I sent him nearly two hours ago. He hadn’t.
‘If I don’t let you go to lunch I could be violating one of your rights as an employee here and yada yada yada so be back in thirty.’ Shelia says before closing the office door again.
I happily grab my purse and head to the food court. I ended up getting a sub from Subway along with a bag of chips taking a seat in the cold booth.
Sorry I’ve been out of reach but I wrote the most awesome song I’ve ever written and we’re rushing to put it on the album! – Michael.
Oh really? What makes this song so awesome? – McKenzie.
You’ll see lol – Michael.
No fair – McKenzie.
Believe me. It’s worth the wait. – Michael.
I continued to text Michael during my lunch break before heading back to Earth Bound. A few long hours later I was finally allowed to call it a day and leave.
Michael’s Point of View
‘We’ve found your opening act for the European leg of the tour.’ Our management tells us as we were set to meet the band opening up for us in a month or so.
‘Oh yeah? Who is it?’ Ashton questions clutching the drumsticks in his hands.
‘They’re a new band but they’re already blowing up over in the UK. They’ve been putting up covers on YouTube. We believe that they are exactly what you’re looking for in an opening act. This will be great for you and them.’
‘Don’t let us die in suspense.’ Calum chimes in from behind me.
‘May I introduce you to Broken Mirrors.’
‘I think I’ve seen a few covers.’ Luke echoes as management pushes the steel doors open.
Three guys and one girl sat beside each other on the floor. All of them quickly stand to their feet and walk over to us.
‘Hi, I’m Celeste.’ The girl introduces herself first, ‘this is Jonah, Calvin, and Ryan.’
‘Alright we’ll leave you all to get acquainted for a bit.’ Their management and ours head out the room leaving the awkward wave of silence behind them.
‘Hey, I’m Michael.’ I introduce extending my hand.
‘Believe me, I know exactly who you are.’ Celeste grabs a hold of my hand and holds it with hers, ‘this is going to be a great tour.’