Page 30 of Something Beyond Fame

I did love this woman, but dear god, she stressed the life out of me. After nearly five years together, we’d found a rhythm of things, where Claudia would steer the ship on around 92% of the decisions and actions needed, and she would, moan, complain, and stress about the 8% she’d given to me, and that 8% I had to negotiate hard for.

I loved our life. She still ran the New York office but had a much more reasonable work/life balance. I left the Pride of Paradise that summer and had never returned. Instead, I’d returned to the NY club scene, but rather that standing on the stage, I ran things from behind the curtain, putting on shows and events and finding new talent who were desperate to be found in the bustling streets of the Big Apple. It worked. I was happy, and she was happy, our perfect compromise. Although, there were times I did sneak back on stage for a song or two.

“It is all organized,” I replied with a sigh, letting my voice trail off. I knew she wasn’t listening. She could only see the fact that we were cutting the time close to the wire, and that if we were not careful we were going to miss our flight.

“Then why are we taking this route? It is so far from the airport to take the ring road. We could have been there if we’d taken the left before we hit Manhattan.” She leaned forward to try and direct the driver again. He gave her a calm shrug, which only served to infuriate her more before she settled back in her seat.

My hand slid across the seat, taking her fingers in mine with a gentle squeeze. “Do I seem panicked?” I asked softly.

Her face turned to me and she analyzed my features, not just a glance, but a real in-depth search of my expression. I felt the scrutiny, but I also knew I didn’t have the slightest worry in me, so I was not overly concerned.

She sighed after a second. “No.” she confirmed.

“Then can you please trust me that I have absolutely everything under control?”

I knew it killed her to do it, that it wasn’t in her personality at all, but sometimes she needed the push. “Okay,” she agreed with a tiny smile, and I crossed the distance of the middle seat to plant a soft, warm kiss against her pouting lips.

“Thank you. I love you.”

I knew it’d be impossible to keep the secret any longer after we pulled into the docks, which is why I had to plan something a little different. It seemed I’d formed the closest bonds with highly skilled, high-achieving super organized women. This was why at the port entrance there was a perfectly hung sign with:

Welcome Aboard Claudia and Raven

The big blue letters were followed by a small crowd of our friends and family, including Sue Smith, who was beaming in her Bermudas and Hawaiian shirt. For all the money that woman had she still went for the boldest option in Target with no fucks given.

Some other friends stood there from our home, from work, from our past. And Urduja beaming, bluetooth still firmly attached, began to wave.

“You did this?” Claudia turned to me, her eyes wide and shimmering with tears.

“I had a little help.” I smiled.

“But, where are we going?”

“Well, I thought that maybe we should go back to England. It’s been a while. And maybe this time, we might get to see Paris together.”

Her eyes swam with tears as she nodded. “I would love that. I would love that very much.”

And together with our closest friends, we set sail once more on the Pride of Paradise across the ocean. Close to my heart, I kept a sparkling diamond ring that I hoped on our return would be wrapped around her finger, just as my heart was.

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