It had been almost three years since our adventure Michael had moved in with me.
In the beginning things were good but as time passed he became distant. There were nights when he wouldn't come home and on the nights he did he was usually drunk. I tried to find out what was bothering him but he just ignored me, usually telling me to," mind my own business."
After months of trying to figure out what was going on my friend Cyndie enlightened me, Michael was trying to get a record deal for the band.
Michael had become obsessed and I wanted to help but when I asked him about it he got nasty and screamed at me,
"DO ME A FAVOR MISS MOVIE STAR AND MIND YOUR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS, I DON'T WANT YOU HELP...OK!"
I was in trouble but I wasn't sure what to do so I decided to ask Cyndie about it,
Cyndie was a bartender at Jake's and we'd become friends. Cyndie occasionally dated Bill, Michael's friend and band mate so I figured maybe she could help so I invited her over the following evening when the guys were at rehearsal.
Cyndie and Eliza's conversation;
"Cyn, is Bill all stressed out about the band and trying to get a deal?"
"He hasn't said much just that Michael's working on it, why?"
"I asked him if I could help and he freaked out, he told me to mind my own fucking business!"
"That's not like Michael, has he ever done anything like that before?"
And as I asked the question Eliza's eyes began to fill with tears.
"Honey, what's wrong?"
"He's changed, he drinks all the time...he stays out all night never tells me where he's been and the only time he even knows I'm alive is when he wants to fuck me!"
"Eliza, he's under a lot of pressure and the guy's are counting on him you know..." Eliza cut her off.
"Pressure, he's under pressure you know what that bastard wanted me to do?"
Tears were raining down that pretty face like a waterfall and what she said next really caught me by surprise!
"He wanted me to sleep with that guy from the record company he's been hanging with, Jeff's his name but I call him the weasel.
"No fucking way he'd ever make you do that, he loves you."
"Cyn I had to lock myself in the bedroom two nights ago to keep the guy away from me while Michael just sat downstairs watching TV."
I was dumbfounded; this wasn't the sweet guy I knew but I believed her.
"You gotta tell his brother, maybe Danny can talk to him."
"He told me if I said anything he'd kill me," she said wiping the tears from her face.
"Eliza he'd never hurt you," I was afraid for her but I didn't know what to say.
"Look I'm going home next week for a little vacation and I have an idea; why not see if you can help him secretly."
Eliza stared at me and began to smile,
"Come on Cyn tell me already."
"You make a few calls and get the bands CD to the right people with the understanding you had nothing to do with it."
"Pretty slick, then I go to Jersey with you for awhile and when I get back all's well in Hollywood once again."
Eliza smiled and kissed me lightly on the lips then got me in a bear hug, I must admit her kiss gave me a funny feeling but I regrouped and continued with my plan.
"Can you reach out to the right people?"
"That's what I was trying to do, I know a guy from Epic he's a good friend of my brother's and he always said if I ever needed a favor to just ask."
"Excellent, so call your brother already."
I was sitting on the couch next to Eliza while she made the call but all I could think about was the kiss.
I was thinking about what it would be like to be with her when she shook my arm,
"Cyn you ok.... hello."
"Sorry, what did he say?"
"He's playing golf with him tomorrow so he'll talk to him then," she said as the smile returned to her face.
"Excellent, you ever been to the Garden state before?"
"I had a meeting about a movie I'm going to be doing there in November."
Eliza was still smiling as I started to plan our Vacation itinerary.
"My aunt Cally owns a great little pub and my friend Bobby runs it for her."
"He's the big hunk that was here last summer that Bill got jealous over, right?"
"I love Bobby, he's my best friend and he's always been there for me."
"Cyn, can I ask you something," Eliza said with a serious look.
"Anything," I said taking her hand.
"Why didn't you guy's ever hook up?"
"We did once and nobody's ever made me feel like that before or since."
Eliza stared at me for a minute before she cleared her throat and continued;
"Cyn, if you don't wanna tell me I understand...Its ok its none of my business."
"Eliza Its ok, we're friends but promise me you'll never tell anyone."
"I promise it'll stay between us."
****
Cyndie's tale;
"My parents died when I was 7 and Aunt Cally raised me, she was my dad's big sister and she lived next door to Bobby's parents. Bobby's mom had died during childbirth and his dad raised him with Aunt Cally's help.
Bobby's father Dave always treated me like his daughter; I was in their house as much as my own. Bobby and I are the same age and we were inseparable growing up, we were best friends. We both got into Rutgers and got an apartment together, we had a blast.
I was a real party animal but not Bobby he was a serious student, fucking 4.0 all four years. Bobby always took care of me no matter what, broken bones and broken hearts, sick whatever the problem he could fix it.
A guy I was dating for about 6 months had just dumped me and I was crushed, I really liked the guy a lot. I've been dumped a few times but this asshole called me on my cell phone while I was waiting for him at the bar in a restaurant we hung out at, that's about as low as it gets. I proceeded to get totally shit-faced drunk and thankfully Gerry the bartender was a friend of Bobby's and called him to come and get me. When we got home he carried me up the 2 flights to our apartment undressed me put a t-shirt on me and put me to bed kissing me on the forehead before turning out the lights.
