Just Lovers

"Aww, Paulie," Jennifer sighed. "That's a horrible story! Who would dump you for Tony?"

"She did!" Paul laughed. "Eh, no big deal. She wanted to do all this whacked out shit, wanted me to choke her. I wouldn't do it. I figured, with my luck, I'd kill her and end up in prison for murdering some little freak from Michigan. You know, I can see the headlines now, 'Bassist Kills Fan in Freak Sex Act.' So I refrained and she decided to find the next best thing. That was Tony. Oh well."

"I'd pick you over Tony's skanky ass any day," Jennifer sighed.

"So on that note, my little bumble bee," he yawned. "I have to be up at some ludicrous hour tomorrow to record. I've barely been sleeping, cause Chris snores. And when we switch rooms and I'm with Billy, he paces and that makes me anxious and I can't fall asleep. Needless to say, I'm fucked no matter which way I turn."

Jen laughed. "They're good guys, Paul."

"They are," he grinned. "I don't know what I'd do without them. They're the best friends a fat bassist could ask for."

"Paul!" she shrieked. "You're not fat!"

Paul laughed. "Would you agree with overly svelte?"

"No," Jen laughed. "Not at all. You're perfect."

"I'm perfect?" Paul gasped. "I'll have to chart that one down. Jennifer says I'm perfect," he repeated dramatically. "What's today's date?"

"Why?" Jen laughed hysterically.

"Because," he chuckled. "I'm putting this one on paper."

"I love you, Paul," Jen sighed. "And I miss you."

"I love you too, Jennifer," he smiled. "And I miss your pussy very much. Give it my regards."

"Ugh," Jen grumbled playfully. "Goodbye, Paul."

Paul laughed. "Night, hon."

"Night Paul," she repeated as she removed the phone from her ear and placed it into the cradle. "I love you."

"How's everything?" came a soft voice from over her shoulder. Jen turned and met Amberly's eyes, nodding her head slowly, then motioning for her friend to sit down.

"They're all okay," Jen smiled reassuringly as she reached out to touch Amberly's shaking hand. "What's wrong?" She stared at her friend, who sat shaking softly. When Amberly didn't respond, Jen prodded softly. "Chris is fine."

Amberly nodded. "Oh good."

"They're all pretty stressed about the record," Jen continued, trying to lighten Amberly's mood. "Paul was saying that Joel and Benji have actually been fighting, physically." Amberly nodded slowly. "They got into it over what guitar Benj was going to use on one of the new songs, apparently. Can you fathom? Paul says it stems from this girl that Joel's dating. She's a real bitch, supposedly."

"What about Chris?" Amberly inquired softly.

Jennifer cocked her head and eyed her friend curiously. "What about Chris?"

"How is he handling everything?" Amberly whispered, a tear streaming down her ghostly pale cheek. "Because I have to call him and tell him and I just need to know that he's not going to freak out on me."

Jen nodded. "I think you should call him. Things will be alright."

Amberly sat, tears streaming down her cheeks and she eyed her friend nervously. "And what if they're not? What if I call and he freaks out, and we never speak again? Where does that leave me? I'm fucked up, Jennifer. I don't know what to do, who to turn to."

"Amberly," Jen sighed. "Just call him and talk. Things will work out how they're meant to work out." She dialed the number and handed her friend the phone. "I'll be inside if you need me, alright? I think you should have some privacy."

Amberly nodded, and took the telephone. "Hello?" she questioned softly.

"Amberly?" Chris questioned back, and she could hear him yawn. "Amberly, that you?"

She sighed and nodded. "Yeah, Chris, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" She could practically hear his smile as he stated softly, "No, no, it's cool. What's up? How are you?" She exhaled loudly and bit her lip. "I'm fine, Chris, but there's a lot I need to talk to you about."

"Okay?" he offered, and she could still hear the delight in his voice. "Because before you say anything, I have to say this. I didn't mean to scare you away, Am. I really do love you. I hope you understand that. I don't want you to ever think that we spent that weekend together and I woke up the next morning, drunk off sex or whatever, and just up and proposed for no reason. I really do want to be with you. I love you. I think of you so much, and I've just been completely out of it these past two months. I've been destroying my drum kits in the studio and I just-"

"I'm pregnant," she interrupted his ramble. There was silence. Amberly sniffled softly and repeated, "Christopher, I'm pregnant."

"How?" he choked lightly. "How is that possible?"

"It is," Amberly stated simply, tears coursing down her cheeks. "I got pregnant that weekend, Chris. We didn't use protection, remember? We were stupid. I care about you, I want you to be involved if you want to be involved but-"

"Marry me," he interrupted. "Please? It's the right thing! We need to be a family, Amberly."

"The right thing," Amberly sobbed. "I wish we had done the right thing. What is the right thing, Chris? I mean, seriously. What is right anymore? You seem to know the answers, but I sure as hell can barely formulate the questions. None of this is right, Chris. It's not right. It'll never be right." She sobbed openly as she removed the phone from her ear, and placed the receiver back down to the white base. "I'm sorry, Chris," she stated softly, staring at the disconnected phone. "But it's too soon, and I was wrong."