anticipation of the caller being Nigel.
“Deanna?” he asked sounding hesitant, and her heart leapt with joy and relief. “Hi, Nigel, it’s so good to hear your voice.”
“Yeah, it’s nice to, um, hear yours as well,” he said reluctantly. “Did you hear it? Our song on the radio, I mean,” he asked, hoping she would say yes so they would have something to talk about besides themselves.
“I did!” she replied excitedly. “Trevor called to let Maggi know it was making its debut tonight so we were glued to the radio. When we heard it…well, it was beyond amazing! Maggi and I were absolutely blown away.”
Nigel laughed, relieved and absurdly thrilled by Deanna’s reaction. “Cheers, Deanna, I really appreciate the compliment. We all do.”
“You guys more than deserve it,” she replied, pulling the long phone cord behind her as she went into her bedroom and shut the door. She wanted the rest of their conversation to be private. She had so much to say to Nigel, and so much to apologize for but for now she was content to let him talk.
He told her about Wild Bill’s posh estate, and how the producer spared no expense when it came to food and drink but left out the part about the hookah. She said he sounded tired, and he agreed but said that Metal Urge had several weeks of hard work ahead of them if they were going to finish the album on schedule.
Deanna was disappointed that he wouldn’t be coming back to London soon but perhaps he would invite her to the estate for a weekend. It quickly became apparent that Nigel had no such intention, and Deanna noticed that their conversation was becoming strained and a little uncomfortable.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, Deanna. I uh…” He seemed hesitant to answer her simple question.
“I’m not angry or upset with you Nigel. I never was.” She hoped her statement would alleviate some of his apprehension.
“Why would you be?” he snapped. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
She wasn’t expecting him to become defensive or combative over her attempt to assure him that what happened the last time they were together was no big deal. “No, of course you haven’t. I just wanted you to know that I realize those things happen to a man sometimes…when he’s under a lot of stress…”
“No Deanna, those things happen to a man when he’s being pressured to do something he has no bloody desire to do.” Nigel's tone was turning impatient and unpleasant.
“I don’t understand what you mean,” she stammered.
Nigel clapped his hand to his forehead in frustration. What was wrong with this girl? Did he have to spell it out for her?
Deanna began to panic, desperate to steer the conversation away from the ugly turn it had taken. “I’m sorry. I would never intentionally do or say anything to hurt or embarrass you. Surely you know that.” She took a deep, shaky breath. “I love you, Nigel…”
“You what?” he laughed harshly, his voice sounding hurtful and condescending.
Deanna couldn’t believe his reaction, and even though she willed herself not to cry, the tears began to flow, and she swiped at them angrily.
Nigel groaned inwardly, not wanting to believe what he had just heard. “Why did you have to ruin it?” he said out loud before realizing that he had spoken.
“I didn’t mean…,” she began, but he cut her off.
“It was good between us, Deanna. Why couldn’t you just leave it alone?”
Swallowing hard she tried to speak but there was a painful knot in her throat threatening to choke the life out of her, and she almost wished that it would.
“I don’t love you,” Nigel said flatly, and she felt like he had just punched her hard in the stomach. “I’m sorry,” he offered. “I never wanted to hurt you. I like you a lot but you'll never be satisfied with that. It’s time we ended this.”
“That's not true!” Deanna cried. “I'm happy with our...with what
“Deanna?” he asked sounding hesitant, and her heart leapt with joy and relief. “Hi, Nigel, it’s so good to hear your voice.”
“Yeah, it’s nice to, um, hear yours as well,” he said reluctantly. “Did you hear it? Our song on the radio, I mean,” he asked, hoping she would say yes so they would have something to talk about besides themselves.
“I did!” she replied excitedly. “Trevor called to let Maggi know it was making its debut tonight so we were glued to the radio. When we heard it…well, it was beyond amazing! Maggi and I were absolutely blown away.”
Nigel laughed, relieved and absurdly thrilled by Deanna’s reaction. “Cheers, Deanna, I really appreciate the compliment. We all do.”
“You guys more than deserve it,” she replied, pulling the long phone cord behind her as she went into her bedroom and shut the door. She wanted the rest of their conversation to be private. She had so much to say to Nigel, and so much to apologize for but for now she was content to let him talk.
He told her about Wild Bill’s posh estate, and how the producer spared no expense when it came to food and drink but left out the part about the hookah. She said he sounded tired, and he agreed but said that Metal Urge had several weeks of hard work ahead of them if they were going to finish the album on schedule.
Deanna was disappointed that he wouldn’t be coming back to London soon but perhaps he would invite her to the estate for a weekend. It quickly became apparent that Nigel had no such intention, and Deanna noticed that their conversation was becoming strained and a little uncomfortable.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, Deanna. I uh…” He seemed hesitant to answer her simple question.
“I’m not angry or upset with you Nigel. I never was.” She hoped her statement would alleviate some of his apprehension.
“Why would you be?” he snapped. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
She wasn’t expecting him to become defensive or combative over her attempt to assure him that what happened the last time they were together was no big deal. “No, of course you haven’t. I just wanted you to know that I realize those things happen to a man sometimes…when he’s under a lot of stress…”
“No Deanna, those things happen to a man when he’s being pressured to do something he has no bloody desire to do.” Nigel's tone was turning impatient and unpleasant.
“I don’t understand what you mean,” she stammered.
Nigel clapped his hand to his forehead in frustration. What was wrong with this girl? Did he have to spell it out for her?
Deanna began to panic, desperate to steer the conversation away from the ugly turn it had taken. “I’m sorry. I would never intentionally do or say anything to hurt or embarrass you. Surely you know that.” She took a deep, shaky breath. “I love you, Nigel…”
“You what?” he laughed harshly, his voice sounding hurtful and condescending.
Deanna couldn’t believe his reaction, and even though she willed herself not to cry, the tears began to flow, and she swiped at them angrily.
Nigel groaned inwardly, not wanting to believe what he had just heard. “Why did you have to ruin it?” he said out loud before realizing that he had spoken.
“I didn’t mean…,” she began, but he cut her off.
“It was good between us, Deanna. Why couldn’t you just leave it alone?”
Swallowing hard she tried to speak but there was a painful knot in her throat threatening to choke the life out of her, and she almost wished that it would.
“I don’t love you,” Nigel said flatly, and she felt like he had just punched her hard in the stomach. “I’m sorry,” he offered. “I never wanted to hurt you. I like you a lot but you'll never be satisfied with that. It’s time we ended this.”
“That's not true!” Deanna cried. “I'm happy with our...with what
Similar Books
