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We were talking around the elephant in the rooether, outside that Krispy Krehway 78
Specifically, the moment where he told me he loved me… I told him I loved him, too… and then I drove away in tears
But there was another elephant in the rooeous, half-naked wo all over him And that was before his band blew up Since then, it was pictures in US and People and TMZco all over him
Two elephants, one rooood co to be blood
Probably from my heart, smashed and broken on the floor
“…why don’t we save that question for later, and gested
He shrugged “Okay”
Just then a waiter calass in front of Derek Bourbon, neat
Derek didn’t even look at the waiter, just at me “You want a drink?”
“No”
Now he looked at the waiter “Get her the same as me”
“NO,” I said loudly
“Then what do you want?”
I looked up the waiter “I don’t want anything, thank you”
Derek grinned “You’re getting one whether you want it or not, so youyou like”
“Rolling Stone’s not going to pay for a ton of top-shelf liquor”
“We both know that’s not true If they get an intervieithStone’s not buying, I am”
I bristled “I’ it”
“Can’t force you to drink it, but I can order it for you”
I gritted lass of merlot”
“Best bottle you’ve got,” Derek ordered
I looked up at the waiter “Just a glass of the house merlot will be fine”
“Best bottle you’ve got,” Derek said co else she says”
The waiter just nodded and walked away
“Is that what you do now?” I asked, annoyed
“Do what?” he asked as he took a sip of his drink
“The whole rock star power trip – ‘nothing but the best for ?”
Derek smiled “I saw this MTV Cribs episode once – ”
“You watched MTV Cribs?” I asked, unable to hide my surprise
“My roommate Dale watched it all the time on DVD Obsessively”
“The stoner pizza delivery guy?”
“Goodimpressed “Anyway, there was this rock er-ons wanted Cristal at parties, so he kept a bunch of empty Cristal bottles and just filled the like, ‘Those idiots can’t tell the difference’”
“So ‘the best bottle you’ve got’ – is that code for an empty bottle of whatever the equivalent of Cristal is into fill it with – ”
“Boone’s Farm,” Derek finished, a playful smile on his face
“So I guess that makes me one of the idiots,” I said sardonically – which Derek took a little too seriously
“No! Jesus,” he growled “It was just a funny story I’m happy you’re here – aren’t you happy to be here?”
It took me a second to answer
“…yes”
“Doesn’t sound like it”
I was silent for a fewaround the elephants
“Do you know I actually rejected this job when they offered it to me?”
“What? Why?” he asked, truly sounding mystified
“You have no idea?” I asked, so not believing him
“No, I don’t Why?”
“We have a certain… history together”
He cocked one eyebrow and gave a seductive little smile “Yes, we do”
“Which isthis really uncomfortable for me”
The seductive smile disappeared “Why?”
“What are you, three years old? ‘Why, hy?’”
He laughed “I want to know!”
A glass of red wine miraculously appeared next to me “Thank you,” I said to the waiter
“You’re welcome,” he smiled
Derek gave the guy a ‘head nod’ of thanks without actually saying it, and the waiter departed
“I’ it,” I said to Derek
“Riiight You always say you’re not going to do things, and then you wind up doing them anyway,” he said mischievously
I shot a death glare at him
He looked at o through with so or not Then he evidently decided, because he sat up, put his elbows on the table, and leaned over conspiratorially