Too Bad, Baby.

4 CALYX: MISTAKES

CALYX

CHAPTER 4
Track: LONELY TONIGHT (Blake Shelton feat Ashley Monroe)
*lyrics available at the end of the chapter

MISTAKES

"So," Tia said as she sat down on one of the wooden chairs in the veranda. We left the manor as soon as we finished dessert. We wandered for a bit near at the woods and circled back to our cabin. She lit up a smoke. "What do we wanna do tomorrow?"

I joined her, lighting up a stick from her pack. "We should quit smoking."

"Hah. Good luck with that. I can't go cold turkey," she said. "We should explore the place tomorrow morning," she suggested.

"Yeah," I agreed. "We can go for a run before breakfast."

I checked my watch. Eight thirteen. "It's too early to turn in. We can still go out for some beers or something. Are you up for it?"

"You just stopped drinking yesterday," she reminded me.

"Nothing heavy," I argued. "Just a few beers, minus the getting laid part."

"Quick question," Tia glanced at me, sideways. "You slept with a bunch of women already."

"That's not a question."

"I'm getting to it so shut up."

I winced.

"What if you change your mind about getting back together with Missy? You already whored around. Think she's gonna take you back?"

I pursed my lips.

"I'm sorry I can't help it. It was a joke," Tia chuckled. "But yeah, that's the question. Is she gonna take you back? Wait, the better question is- are you gonna tell her about the other women?"

"I don't know," I said quietly. "It's like I already forgot how to be with her. The last time I saw her, she kissed me, and I almost turned away. "

Tia looked at me, concerned. "I'm sure you still love her."

"I do. Maybe that's why it hurts so much," I confided. "I know I love her but I can't stand looking at her anymore. I mean, how would that work? If we get back together, I'll always be reminded of our dead child."

"Give it time," Tia advised. "This vacation will clear your mind hopefully. Try to focus on yourself while we're here. Nobody else can get to you but me, and I promise I'll be a good friend. I'll be your wingman, your errand girl, or whatever you want me to be."

I smiled slyly. "Yeah?"

"Except be your whore," Tia grinned, rolling her eyes.

"You can't be a whore," I teased. "You have to have boobs and all to be one."

She smacked my right arm. I laughed for a second and she joined in. I put my arms around her and she leaned her head over my shoulders. Her hair smelled of cucumber and watermelon. God, I could stay with her like this forever. If only I could get a girl like this one.

I knew however, that Tia would never go for a guy like me- a needy, narcissistic ladies man who party hard and doesn't know how to take care of himself. I can't even cook to save my life.

I've never lived alone. I've always had a roommate. And when I was starting to earn good money from the show, I could finally afford an apartment, but still I cannot stand the thought of living in an empty house. When nobody else wanted to move in with me, I remembered Tia.

I knew right away she would take the job and move in, in a heartbeat. I was confident about how she couldn't stand living all the way from Brooklyn and that forsaken neighborhood. It was all she could afford at the time. And I wasn't wrong. She did in fact packed her things right away and never looked back. Her first night at the house, it dawned on me that I couldn't live without her so I had to keep her permanently, or at least until I got married. Or maybe even then, I could still manage to keep her. Tia doesn't know until now that I had to fire my long time PA just to get her to live with me.