Chapter Eight

“He’s a nice man.”

“Nice? For fricks sake Erin he’s Richie frickin Sambora, sexiest guitar player in the whole world and all you can say is he’s nice!”

“I hardly know him Gwen, we’ve had a few chats now and then but he spends most of his time up in his study, doing whatever it is he’s doing. I just pop in there every hour or so to refresh the coffee pot, it‘s really quite boring if you want the truth.”

“Boring? How?”

“Ok, here’s my day, I get up at about 12, go downstairs in my pj’s to make lunch, he comes down about ten minutes after that and we eat. Then he goes back upstairs and I clear up. I then have a shower, sit down at the pc in my room to answer any correspondence. I then have the rest of the day to myself except for having to replenish coffee every hour or so and cooking dinner at 9pm, so I usually end up doing the garden. There that’s it, not such an exciting life after all.”

“Well no but my god, if I was living with him I’d have spy cameras installed to catch him naked!” Gwen laughed.

“Gwen! I work for him, that’s all.”

“Yeah well I still think you’re the luckiest moo ever.”

“Lucky? Who’s husband was it who surprised her with a trip to Ibiza? Even going so far as to call her boss to arrange holiday time off for her? Was that me? Oh no, I’m not married.” Erin finished sarcastically, laughing.

“Oh I know, I know, Jamie is the best, but you‘re living with one of THE sexiest men ever to grace the front page of Kerrang Magazine.”

Erin sighed, “Gwen it’s not even been two weeks since…”

“Oh honey, I’m sorry, I know how you must be feeling.”

“I miss him Gwen. I miss waking up next to him.”

“You told me he was always up and out before you woke up, that he was always at the office two hours before you got there. In fact you used to moan about it.”

“Ok, so I miss the scent of him. The anticipation of seeing him at work.”

“Come off it missy, now you’re romanticising him. He was a twat and treated you like a frickin skivvy. What kind of man asks you to marry him then waits eight years?”

“Oh Gwen, “Erin sniffed, on the verge of tears, “ what is wrong with me? Why would he do that to me? I feel like I‘ve wasted ten years of my life, and for what?”

“I told you he’s a twat, in fact I’d go as far as saying he’s a cunt.”

“Gwendolyn Evans!! Language!” Erin laughed.

“It’s not Evans anymore darling.” Gwen laughed, “Do you remember when we were at school? And we talked about what we wanted from a man?”

“Just about.”

“Do you remember what you said?” Gwen asked, trying to get Erin to see just how bad Michael had been for her.

“Yeah.”

“Well?” she said impatiently

Erin huffed, “I said I wanted someone I could curl up on the sofa with and watch crap TV with, someone who would share a big bowl of popcorn with me and not mind when I pelted the TV with it during those crap TV programmes.”

“Go on.”

“I wanted someone fun, someone who would listen to me, who would let me prattle on about whatever it was I did that day or what I’d heard. Someone who would love me for me, warts and all and not try to change me.” She sniffed again, feeling a tear run down her cheek.

“And was he like that?” Gwen asked.

“No.” Erin admitted after a pause, “he wasn’t.”

“I know you’re feeling lonely honey but you were lonely even with him.”

“I know.”

“Anyway enough of that twat, more about Richie. What’s it like living with him?

“Gwen I told you, I hardly know him. I see him when I cook lunch and dinner and when I take up coffee and then he’s usually so nose deep in writing or playing the guitar he doesn’t even notice I’m there.”

“I tell you what, ask if you can invite me over and I’ll get all his secrets from him.” Gwen laughed.

Erin looked at her watch, “Oh better go matey, I’ve got coffee to do, though it would be nice if someone would get me a coffee.” She laughed as Michael had not once in their ten year relationship ever made her a cup of coffee.

“Well you’ll have to wait till you come over here again and I’ll make you one honey.”

“I’ll hold you to that, and as for coming over here I’ll see what he says. Night darling, kiss Jamie for me.”

“Night sweetie, love you.”

“Love you too.”

Erin put the phone down and walked out of the lounge only to go slap bang into Richie.