Just called the police lol. How’s everyone’s night going

A Man On Fire - Chapter 17

“So, I guess that means I've still got a job?”, he rolled his eyes and took a deep breath “getting me on the next plane to New York is still part of your notice, which is still a couple of weeks by the way! I'll be gone a couple of days, so use them to think really hard and long about what you've done, and try not to destroy anything else, is that clear?”, stupid, stupid, arrogant girl! “I just don't understand why you're following her to New York, I mean..”, what? Really?. “That's none of your fuckin' business, Shayla! Besides who said I'm following anyone? I need a break and I'm gonna spend some time with a friend, that's all you need to know! Just make sure my room at The Bowery is booked” he disconnected the call and had to stop himself from throwing his phone out of the window, that's how frustrated he was, PA my ass, godawful tormentor more like. Anyway, he was on his way to New York, he bit his thumb, she had a point though, was he going for Harper or for Coco, did it matter? Why not kill two birds with one stone? he needed to find out Harper's address, a last name would be nice too, but first Coco, he would deal with the rest later. His phone vibrated in his pocket, she never disappointed, did she? Whaaaatttt??? oh it's so on, girl! So fuckin' ON! Get me on that plane right now! He had another day to recover from the jetlag and then...oh he had so much to look forward to all of a sudden, I'm on my way, Coco, I'm on my way! And just like that the thought of Harper was being pushed to the back of his mind, how much longer to that goddamn airport?

8 hours by yourself in a metal tube in the sky, with nothing else to do than overthink stuff was a long time..didn't matter, she was home, or at least closer to home than she was hours ago, come on, grab your bag, look forward to your own, warm and comfy bed and sleep off this horrendous jetlag that was already kicking in. Waiting for customs, she switched her phone back on that lit up like a christmas tree with notifications of Sean..Sean again,and more Sean..and of course, the one she had been waiting for, Joe, don't cancel on me, Joe, don't you fuckin dare!

From: BJLCubbins

To: HCDeRobiano

Subject: Re: re: Trouble? Who? Me?

Coco, sweet, funny, magical Coco,

1PM, I would tattoo it on my body straight away if I could, but I can't as I'm on my way to New York right now and needles and liquids are still prohibited on a plane last time I checked. Talking about tattoos, the best idea just popped up in my head, I want to get a tattoo of one of your paintings, like you could draw something and I'll get it tattooed? Just imagine, I would walk around with a real Coco De Robiano on my body, who else gets to say that?

I gotta run too, I'm on my way, Coco, on my way to...YOU!!!

Excited much? I am!

Joe

Oh thank god, he wasn't cancelling, she just couldn't handle any more disappointment right now, “thank you, Miss..Countess De Robiano..” the customs officer checked the name on her passport and raised his eyebrows checking her rock 'n roll attire with heavy combat boots, her khaki army pants, ripped Slayer T-shirt and her eternal leather jacket. Yeah, take a good look, not everyone with a noble title lives like a queen or is a stuffy old fuddy duddy, “ok..if you could just stand on the right for me?” the officer looked at her and before she could move, two gorillas walked up to her “right this way, Miss” and steered her towards another custom's desk where her bag was thoroughly searched while being questioned about the title on her passport, don't you think I would erase that stupid hereditary title on my passport if I could?

Helllooooo home! She nearly wanted to kneel and kiss the ground as the door slammed shut behind her, for a second there at the airport she thought they were never gonna allow her into the country again. She shuffled the bag off her shoulder and let it fall wherever it wanted as she stomped over to her fridge, and poured herself a glass of wine before she dropped down on her couch, hmmm, how good it was to be home again, just her, everything that could be fucked up safely out of reach. The silence, that incredible silence here..was gonna drive her crazy soon enough so she was going to enjoy it as long as she could, sipping her wine she looked at her painting, she should be checking her bank account, hopefully he had deposited the money, because she was running low on paint, and something good had to come from all that stupid mess. Her stare drifted further to the picture of her and Sean that she kept on the huge fireplace, did she miss him? In a funky way, yeah, he was always good company, and he was the only one who knew most of her secrets, but now after what he had done..she just couldn't forgive him, part of her wished he didn't come back, that once he got off the road, he would stay in LA with Shayla. On the other side of the ocean, Sean was finishing up securing the rods for the lights after the last test run of the day, finally he was alone, no Shayla who kept constantly nagging him to dump Harper as a friend, ok he had crossed a line and yes he regretted doing it, he had called her countless times to apologize..he could only hope she would find it in her heart to forgive him because he missed her..and knowing he fucked up a close friendship was..unbearable, that and the fact that Jared was now flying home to look for her..urhggg, so what if he was jealous? With a little bit of luck, he wouldn't find her or if he did she would just tell him to get lost.

And..touchdown..in this amazing city that was a home away from home, he so needed to start looking for an actual house here, imagine things going really good with Coco, then he could go out for breakfast or dinner with her, clubbing, shopping..didn't matter, as long as he was close to her..he unclicked his seatbelt, stop thinking about her, there's Harper to consider as well, torn between two women..typical! Right, pull your hood up and get your ass off this plane, the most amazing woman was waiting! He switched his phone back on that melodically overflowed his screen with notifications, but none from Coco..hmm..please don't try to get back at me, not now, not ever, I need to see you, woman!

Huh!? What? Where was she? Couch, NY, phone..right..message..she rummaged, oh there it was, sighing she pulled the phone from behind her back

From: BJLCubbins

To: HCDeRobiano

Subject: Hellooooo???

Coco,

Is everything ok? I guess I'm not used to not getting a quick reply from you..Please tell me you're in New York and you're looking forward to us meeting up, as much as I am? I've just landed and I was about to sleep off this gruelling jetlag, so I'm going to bed thinking that you might be right across the street from my hotel, or two blocks down and that is a happy thought.

Let me know you're ok, yeah?

Regards

Joe (who can barely oontain himself anymore)

Yeah, yeah, he could write whatever he wanted, but was what he said really true? Was he actually here or was he just in need of attention? What if she stood him up this time and gave him a cookie from his own dough? Nooo, no, of course not, she couldn't do that, but what she was gonna do was protect herself, this time she wasn't gonna stand around and wait for him, no she would wait at a safe distance, because then if he didn't show up she wasn't gonna look like such a fool. She snuggled back into the couch while on the other side of the city, a man did exactly the same, two hearts and two souls staring at a ceiling, hoping not to get their hopes and heart smashed to pieces, because without realizing it, each other was all they had right now.

After a couple of hours of tossing and turning and a mind that was spinning out of control, she got up and jumped back on her scaffolding, painting would take her mind off things, but crawling up there, she heard a loud 'crack', and just when she looked around, the scaffolding started swaying dangerously, what the...? oohhh, this wasn't good, not good at all, but before she could jump off again, one of the boards dissapeared from under her feet and with a bloodcurdling scream she crashed a few metres down to the floor, together with the scaffolding, landing flat on her back. AAAWWWWW, oooooh, my back..my back..she could hardly breathe, stay calm, how could someone stay calm with what felt like a broken back and being buried under steel and wooden boards? Slowly she tried to move her hand, she needed to call someone, him..she..but the pain overpowered her and everything around her went black. Ok, this wasn't normal anymore, still no mail from her, did he fly all the way down here to be stood up by her? Or maybe something had happened? “earth to Jared, something on your mind?” his friend who he met up with each time he was in New York, asked him. “What? no..yes..it's complicated” he came back to reality and nodded and shook his head at the same time, “what isn't these days?..so, come on, out with it, who is she?” his friend asked, coyly sipping his coffee, wait, how did he know this was about a woman? “she's a painter..she's..just amazing..look” he quickly scrolled through his pictures and showed him one of her paintings. “Oh-kay!! how come I've never seen this? First this Harper who's so talented with light? And now this one? Who the hell is she? She could be the next big thing in my galery” he nearly drooled over the picture. “Her name is Coco..and we're meeting up tomorrow” or at least he was hoping they were, with the current radio silence he wasn't so sure. A dull ringing penetrated her thumping skull, what happened? It was really difficult reaching for her phone with the collapsed scaffolding still on top of her “Harper? Oh thank god, listen..I'm sorry and..” Sean launched right into a series of apologies but she couldn't care less about who she was talking to right now. “Sean..I fell..I can't move” he heard her say and he felt his blood run cold when he heard her stutter and stammer about what had happened, “you can't move at all? Just try, Harper, try and move your leg, come on, you can do it”. Closing her eyes, she tried to focus and with a deep groan she was finally able to pull her leg from under the boards, “aww, ohh, awawawaw” oh thank god, she wasn't paralyzed, but her back, oh, her back was killing her. “Who are you talking to?” Shayla came walking out of the bathroom, raising her eyebrows when she noticed the distressed phonecall her lover seemed wrapped up in, why did she even bother? It was painfully clear that he was talking to Harper, the one and only reason her job was hanging in the scales right now, oh no there was no way that vixen was getting her claws back into her man. Sean felt the phone being yanked out of his hand and turned in shock towards Shayla who barked “you leave my man alone, I'm not telling you again, you little piece of shit” and disconnected the call.