Craig was on the phone most of the day with Drew making plans for the Forest Fire members to fly out to New York, meet with head honchos and sign papers. They decided to hop a flight on Wednesday since meetings were planned for Thursday and Friday, and then jet back Saturday afternoon. They had a gig scheduled Saturday night, a local beer festival, and they needed to be back. He finished finalizing his plans in time to throw some spaghetti sauce together for supper with Mandie. By the time she strolled in it was close to six. She looked beat. She shrugged out of her coat and wrapped her arms around Craig's neck. He pulled her close for a tight hug and then a welcoming kiss.

"You're late tonight. Bad traffic?" He asked setting a bowl of salad on the table. She saw he had poured her a glass of red wine and it was waiting for her on the counter. She lifted it to her lips and drank. The warmth of the claret pooled first in her belly and then made it's way through her veins.

"Yeah, traffic. Plus I was busy today so I left late too." He frowned. There was something in her voice that was disturbing him. He pulled her to the table and sat her down.

"What's wrong, Mandie. I can hear it in your voice." She shrugged and looked away. She felt tears welling up and didn't want him to see as they trickled down her cheeks. "Honey, what is it?" He asked holding her cheeks and wiping away the tears with his thumbs. She sniffled and looked up at him.

"It's nothing Greg." She lied. "I'm just having an emotional day." He looked around with his eyes and them focused them back on her.

"I don't understand." He said. She smiled weakly.

"It's because you're a man." She said. "It's a hormone thing. You would never understand. It just happens now and then, women feel like crying." He sighed and got back up. He felt lost in the conversation. How could someone be sad and not sad about anything in particular? He never understood crying anyway. He never cried. He would never cry. Crying was for sissies. Not even as a child did he cry. Brent was always crying and whining about something but Craig, hardly ever. He guessed he was very much like his father -- and Brent, he was just a mama's boy. He pulled out a freshly made salad dressing he'd prepared a bit ago while Mandie went into the bedroom to compose herself and change into her lounging clothes. Craig was content that when Mandie felt like talking then she would talk. They ate together and it was silent for a while.
"I, uh, have to fly to New York in a couple of days." Craig said breaking the stillness. Mandie dropped her fork and then hurriedly picked it up and looked at him.

"Why?" She asked quickly.

"To meet with the big whigs and sign my soul over to the devil." She felt a momentary wave of panic. She didn't want to be left here alone with Marcus on her heels but she couldn't, and wouldn't, tell him that.

"Oh," she said, trying to sound casual. "When will you be back?"

"Saturday, late morning. Don't forget we have that festival to do this weekend." She nodded. Damn, he would be gone for three days. Little beads of sweat appeared on her upper lip. She wiped them away with her napkin. She looked around, thinking, wondering if there was someone she could get to come and stay with her those days. She would certainly look into that.

"I'm a little nervous." He said. At the sound of his voice, her head snapped around and she looked at him.

"Nervous? What about?" She asked.

"Signing those papers. Jeez, my life is going to get crazy. And yours ..." She shrugged.

"It's the price you pay for fame Mr. S." She said finishing her wine. He poured what was left in the bottle into her glass. She stared at it. She really shouldn't be drinking wine at all so her mother told her. Nothing alcoholic but with Marcus back in her life and making her miserable she felt she absolutely needed it. She took a big drink. Craig finished his dinner and took his plate out to the kitchen. Mandie followed and they cleaned up.

"Well, I just don't want anything coming between us." She grabbed him by the pocket of his jeans and pulled him to her.

"Craig, you have wanted this since way before you even knew I existed. I want it for you. Whatever happens between us, hopefully we will be mature enough to work it out. I love you." She said and he kissed her. He held her close a moment before releasing her. He hoped so, but didn't say it out loud. He did say, "I know, and I love you too."

Later, that night as they lay together watching TV, the prank phone calls started ...

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