Dress

All of This Silence and Patience, Pining and Desperately Waiting

The last few days of the first leg of the bus tour went off without a hitch. Maren and Brian successfully avoided each other, only speaking when absolutely necessary for work related reasons.  While it still made the others uncomfortable, no one pressed the issue with either of them. Joe mentioned a few times to the others that he hoped the few days off between the end of the tour and everyone having to be back in the office, gave each of them the distance they both needed.

Maren was thrilled to be back home in her New York City apartment overlooking the park, in her own bed. It was 11am on a Friday and she had just woken up. Sleeping in was a rarity on tour, after all she was working, but was one of her favorite pastimes.

Reaching for her phone on the nightstand, she scrolled through and checked her email and  text messages.  Nothing was too pressing but their was a "Good Morning" text from Jason.

She felt her stomach drop a little. They texted briefly everyday since she received the flowers he sent. It was made clear that she appreciated the gesture but while she was on tour she needed to focus on that, and that they would speak when she got home. Not missing a beat and clearly aware of the tour schedule, the text was right on time and as she expected given that she was now home.  She now had to face the music, but she didn't want too. She knew she'd have to talk to him soon, or he would just continue texting. Truth was, there wasn't a moment that went by since she got those flowers where she wasn't mentally debating with herself on what she should do. It was complicated.

Rubbing her eyes, she rolled over in her bed and opened up a new text deciding to text Kelsey instead. "Hola," Maren typed out and hit send.

Kelsey Moretti was the PR director for TRU TV.  They had become very close friends since Maren started working for the guys 2 years ago. Both of them work closely with each other in regards  to having to maintain and coordinate the guys schedules, with Kelsey even arranging for Maren to have an office close to her at the TRU TV offices.

"Finally! I didn't want to text yet and risk waking you up",  Kelsey's text chimed through.

"I'm not sure I'm ever going to leave this bed again," Maren responded with a smile.

She snuggled up against the sheets and took a deep breath. Ever since going through the depression and the breakup, her home was her safe place. It brought her comfort, and a sense of calming from the outside world..

"Actually you are, because we're meeting for drinks. I need you to tell me everything!!!" Kelsey responded, the 'YOU ARE'  bolded and in capital letters. Maren chuckled to herself, thinking of the random texts she sent over the course of the last few days. Plenty of "I'm so confused" and "Brian's an asshole" and "I'm going to quit" and "Of course Jason pulls this shit now that my life is back together".  Bits and pieces of of what went down while she was away, but not the complete story. Maren didn't blame Kelsey one bit, if she had done this with her, Maren would be camping at her apartment door waiting for Kelsey to get home to hear everything.

"Nah, think I'm gonna go back to bed," Maren joked, several smiley face emojis sent.

Kelsey responded quickly, "Meet me in an hour at The Haven! Can't wait to hear EVERYTHING!"

___________________________________________

The Haven was a favorite of Maren & Kelsey's. It wasn't  that well known, far from the tourist traps of New York, but had lots of charm and a loyal following. Open mic nights, poetry slams and a laid back atmosphere plus a full bar. They visited often.

A little past an hour later, Maren walked in, casually dressed in casual lose fitting  sweats a tank top, and flip flops, hair in a bun piled on her. She wore hardly any makeup, her eyes wide as she looked at all the oversized couches, and past the stage looking for Kelsey.