Lucy (Prt 2)

 “Yeah, sort of”  Her smile slipped a notch or two.   “Are you still seeing Mila what’s-her-name?”
            Of course she would read the tabloids. The Fallen’s front man with his arm around that model or this actress. Nothing stuck though. He had, unfortunately, forgotten about her in the daze of Hollywood bustle and celebrity.
            
            “Nah, not for a while now.”
            That girl had been vapid and self-absorbed. He tried his best to be a good man for the ditz. He tried so hard he thought he had actual feelings for her at one time. But she was a vampire. Every gallon he gave her, she gave less than an ounce. Nothing was enough. He tried. But the air-headed debutante didn’t have nearly half the zeal for life that Lucy had once had. 

 “How’s your family?”
            He asked, knowing she would defend the bitter lump of a drunk she called “daddy” to the very end. He had only met her mother a few times. Lucy had her eyes. He thought she may have had a sister, Lilly maybe, who was much older, but he had never met her. As for whoever she was going home to…

            “Oh, they’re just fine. Dad still lives around here. And Lillian just had a little baby boy! He’s just the sweetest little thing!”
            There she went. The unfailing ability to point out joy wherever she went. He wanted to hold her so bad, it was almost causing him physical pain to not touch her. He wanted to bury his regrets in the curls of her hair.
 I always did mean to come back for you.
 I’m so sorry….
                        A commotion near the back of the bar was gaining momentum. Diego, their drummer had had too much to drink.
            “Hey, so, sorry to cut this short, but Diego’s gonna break something and we gotta get on the road in just a bit.”
            Something went out in her eyes, like a guttering little flame that finally gave up its smoky ghost. He thought it may have looked like hope.

            “Oh… ok. Well, it was nice seeing you. Maybe if you’re back this way, you can call me up and we can go get lunch or something and catch up.”
            
            “Uh, yeah. That’d be great.”
            He heard something shatter at the back of the bar. He sighed. The Diego had begun cursing loudly.
            “So, I’ll see you around.”
            He gave her a quick, awkward hug, before rushing off to tame his belligerent drummer. He paused at the door to wave good-bye. She waved back. Her eyes were full of such sadness.