Ashes of rose

It was cloudy the day Emmy Hoke decided to visit Ally. This fact is worth mentioning solely because it was the only thing he noticed about the morning, his mind otherwise a complete blank. No bouncer was there to follow him - not that he expected anyone, and he preferred it that way.

He turned up the collar of his thin summer anorak jacket against the February north-easter and walked down to his garage.

He stood, opened the car's door gently and forced himself to the driver's seat. He forced a piece of celery into his mouth giving it a good grind as he looked at the cumulus weather, hoping it wouldn't rain. He pushed his right hand out through the window.

"Far too good for a swimmer." He muttered at the leaden sky, the icy raindrops pattering onto his hand. He drove off heading towards his girlfriend's place - Ally. He called Ally, trying to talk to her while driving. He tried making his visit a courtesy call but his tummy growled, singing or reciting a poem written in rhyming couplets. He dropped his phone to keep the plan going on, he didn’t want to spoil his surprise visit. He pressed the brake as an oncoming vehicle came towards him at full speed. He never really wanted to pick up a fight, as a star, he was not supposed to pick up a fight. He controlled himself as he drove his red Range Rover.

"Emmy!" Ally shouted in disbelief and surprise and she went towards him to hug him. Ally is a 22 years old girl with a great selfish intention for herself. People regard her as a crone, an ugly old woman.

"I can believe you came. You are back from Australia?”

"Yup," he answered, smiling at Ally. He stood outside the front door waiting for Ally to invite him in. Ally noticed his strange behavior as she smiled.

"Get in here, you great dunderhead." They both entered the house.

"You look quite well," Ally said when he was sitting beside her, she had pecked his cheek with a lover's kiss.

“I'm fine,” Emmy said, smiling into the piercing scrutiny.

"I never knew you were coming, I would have been a lot more prepared."

Ally thought of both of them going to eat in a restaurant.

" I'm seriously starving."

" Let me get changed and then I'll take you out for lunch…”

"Ally... "

She sighed, surveying him sadly.

"You are not staying at my place overnight right?"

"Yes. Don't you even want to hear about the concert?"

"No," Ally groaned angrily.

"Okay, sorry, I'll follow you to the restaurant."

"Fine.," she countered sarcastically.

"I don't wanna go, but it seems like you're on your knees begging me, so, I'm gonna accept your request," Ally said, feeling happy.

"Care for wine?" Ally asked

"Yeah," Emmy responded.

Emmy is a twenty six year old guy who was raised by a single mom. He became a crooner at the age of twenty. He gained more money than a guy of his age could want. Ally took a red wine and two cups from the kitchen and poured the wine into the cup.

"To a lover without parallel," Emmy said, holding up his glass and meaning every word. How easy was it to slip back into a luxurious lifestyle? The perfect fluted wine glass in his hand. For example, the outside misted with drops of condensation that caught the glittering light from the lamps. The watercolors on the walls of the room; his expensive perfume, Ally's clothes in a neat pile on a chair. Cashmere sweaters, a white trench coat, style mackintosh and a soft black fedora with a wide brim cloth.

"You're a witch," he said smiling.

She came to sit by his side.

"Please, please, don't go back today. Spend more days with me.”

"Sorry, I wish I could but..."

"But?” Ally said angrily, interrupting Emmy.

"You just can't understand."

"Understand what? Understand the fact that you wanna stay with another girl tonight? Yeah, I get that.”

Emmy tries to change the discussion giving it a meaningless try.

"When did you buy this chaise lounge?" Emmy asked quickly.

"A chaise lounge? That's all that you wanna say?”

"I'm sorry." Emmy took a large mouthful of wine as he stood up from his chair to meet her. This was the penalty coming. Living a lie. But he couldn't tell her, not yet.

He said, "I must go back, just for a short while. Then I promise you, I'll...."

"But you'll get caught again in this so-called concert.”

He shook his head.

"No, not this time.”

There were tears in her eyes.

"You are so pig headed! Of course, you'll be caught up in your job, and your manager isn't stupid. He'll be watching you closely from now on.”

Emmy placed down the glass and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm not staying here if you're going to lecture me," he said, hating himself.

There was a short, tense silence.

"I'm sorry," Ally said stiffly.

"I don't want you to apologise," he said, sitting down again.

"And you have my word that for the next hour, I'll go nowhere.” It was the best he could do.

He felt something strange then he had to get up again and go to the window where he gazed out. He saw nothing.

"I have to go to another concert tonight in Las Vegas," Emmy said as he sighs

"I knew it. So when are you going?" Ally asked, intrigued.

"In the next 1 hour."

"I knew it. No wonder you said you'll go nowhere till the next one hour," Ally said, gritting her teeth.

"Should we waste an hour here arguing or should we go get something to eat?” Emmy said, trying to make Ally forget everything.

"When are you coming back?" Ally asked with no respect.

"Next three days," Emmy responded.