Elisa listened to the phone ring, but didn`t want to answer. She knew who it was, and she knew once she heard his voice she would start to cry. She pulled her blanket over her head, and tried to imagine Darren was there. Usually she would call Nicole, and she would talk her into a better mood. But this time it was different. She would probably say;"I told you so." And that`s not the words Elisa wanted to hear right now. Next morning she felt a little better. She went down to the studio. Nicole was already there, and they got to work.
Leonie woke up Darren around 8 am. Darren felt good this morning. He missed Elisa, but it was also good to get started on this. They had 4 small radio-interviews that day.
And Darren didn`t have much time to think about Elisa. He called Elisa when he came back.
"Yes, it`s Elisa"
"Hi, it`s me. How are you doing?"
"DARREN! Oh I`m doing fine. I miss you though, but I got a lot of things to do. So I think I`ll survive without you. How are you doing?"......
When Darren hung up the phone they had talked for 2 hours, and he got the feeling that things would turn out ok. Sure they missed eachother, but that was a good thing. Darren thought to himself. At least they wouldn`t grow tired of eachother. Days passed, and Darren was happy to find out that Elisa and Nic were still in San Fransisco when SG released the single. So he would have a couple of days with Elisa. And he was really looking forward to it. They landed at the airport early friday morning. Elisa and Nic were leaving sunday. "No time to waste" Darren thought and drove straight to Elisa`s
The apartment didn`t show any signs of life. Darren didn`t have a key so he sat on the bench across the street, waiting for Elisa to come out. It didn`t take long before she came outside. Her hair was loose and she wore a white t-shirt and light blue jeans. "God, what have I done to deserve this?" he thought to himself. When she leaned down to pick up her mail he walked behind her. "Hello luv!" Elisa jumped around. "Darren? What are you doing here? I thought your plain landed later today?" Elisa was surprised
"Well...we caught an earlier one. Aren`t you glad to see me?" Darren tried to put up a sorry face. "Glad? I`m...I`, in euphoria here! Aren`t you going to kiss me?" Darren didn`t answer to that in words. "God I missed you. It felt like a part of me was missing when you weren`t around." He said as he pulled away. "I missed you too love." They walked hand in hand back inside.
They talked for hours. They had just been away from eachother just about two weeks, but they just had so much to talk about. They spend the entire weekend inside. Saturday Darren went out for a little while, but didn`t tell Elisa what he had been up to. On the evening they sat down in the couch, and Darren gave her a gift.Elisa opened it and looked up at him."Oh Darren, it`s your demo. That`s so nice of you. Now I can listen to your music when I`m away, and I can pretend that you are there!"
"There is more!" Darren said, and pointed at something that was taped in the bottom of the box. "Darren is it?" Darren smiled and nodded his head. "Yes it is."
Elisa carefully released it, and looked from it to Darren. It was a key. "It`s a key to my house" Darren said. "I feel like this could be better for both of us. Because we are together everytime we can, so there is no reason why we shouldn`t live together."
"Darren...you`re simply the sweetest man I have ever known!Are you sure about this?"
"I have never been so sure about anything before! So...yes or no?" Darren looked a little insecure.
"Yes, I`ll be happy to move in with you! On one condition."
"And what may that be?"
"I have to have my chair with me."
"That one?" Darren looked at the very worn down blue chair in the corner. "Yes that one! It`s my thinking chair!!"
"Maybe I should go sit in it, because I really got to think about that." Darren laughed.
"Darren I don`t have the time to pack!" Elisa said slightly hysterical. "Oh, no worries. Just pack your clothes and I will take care of moving everything to my house. Dan promised to help me, and I think we can manage a chair."
Elisa kissed him deeply before she ran off to pack her clothes. She tried to be fast, because she was leaving tomorrow and wanted to spend all the time she could with Darren before she left. When she had finished packing she cuddled up in Darren`s arms.
"What are you thinking about?" Darren asked. "Just how fast things have changed for me." She looked around in her apartment. It was a little sad, she had a good time there. But she also felt good. She was starting a new life, and she knew now that she had Darren by her side. Darren was silent for a while, letting her absorb the changes. He was pretty exited about all off this. Now Elisa would really be in his life. When he came home, he would feel her presence in his house. Her things, her smell on the pillow....he closed his eyes and enjoyed this moment.
It was easier to say goodbye this time. Maybe because they knew they had the same home to return too. Maybe because they now knew that their feelings didn`t change when they were apart. Darren drove her to the airport. And when he hugged her the last time she whispered "I love you" in his ear before she ran off. Leaving Darren without a chance to answer.
Daniel and Leonie stopped infront of Elisa`s apartment and found Darren in the kitchen packing things into boxes. He looked up. "Hi Dan, Hi Leo. Can someone answer me how so much can fit into an small apartment?" Leo smiled, it was boxes everywhere. "Are we taking the furniture?" Dan asked. "Nope, just that blue chair." Darren pointed to the corner. "That chair?" Dan raised his eyebrows. "Don`t ask!" Darren smiled. When Leonie walked outside, Dan was quick to ask Darren;"Don`t you think you`re moving a little fast?"
Darren looked at him before answering. "Maybe Dan.But I just now that I want her in my life permanently." Daniel heard he was serious. "You`re really in love huh?"
"I feel like I`m flying Dan. I feel like I`m flying...."
Same night in a small hotelroom in London, Elisa was trying to convince Nic that moving in with Darren wasn`t a bad move. Nic didn`t like it, but came to accept it. Elisa called Darren when Nic was in the shower. "Hi Darren! How are you guys doing?" "We are doing great, we`ve just finished loading the stuff into my house. And Elisa I`m mad at you!" Darren raised his voice slightly. "You`re mad at me? Why?" Elisa got a little confused. "Don`t you ever run off after dropping something like that on me again!" Elisa was still confused. "Ehh...Darren hon, I don`t know what you`re talking about! Was my chair heavy? What?"
"You said you loved me, and then you just took off! I didn`t get the chance to say anything."
"Oh that...ehh" Elisa got a little nervous. What if he wasn`t ready for that. "I love you too Lis" Darren`s answer was like music to her ears. And she felt tears coming to her eyes. Elisa hung up when Nicole came back. And she told her what Darren had said. "Oh, Elisa that`s so sweet. I`m so happy for you. So over to an other subject, when are their song released?"
"Tomorrow" Elisa answered wondering how fast Nic could switch the subject. "We gotta listen to the radio when we get the chance then huh?" Nic said while crawling into her bed. Nicole looked at her."Yeah. Goodnight Nic!"
The next day Darren, Daniel and Leonie sat in Darren`s music room with the stereo on and the charts at the tv-screen. Darren looked very comfortable in Elisa`s chair. "I wonder how you can even sit in something that hideous?" Daniel laughed. "It`s really good to sit in. And it smells almost like her." Darren stroke the blue velvet. Dan just looked at him. Leonie went for some soda, and they just waited for the song to be played.
Elisa and Nic on the other hand was obviously nervous. This time Nic was the worst one. It was a simple radio interview, and it wasn`t to be long one since they were a debut group. Nic however didn`t like it when things where focused on her, so she made Elisa promise to answer all the questions she could. They only had three short interviews this day. When they sat at their second interview; "I knew I loved you" were played under a break. It was introduced as the Savage Garden new single, and Elisa smiled knowing that noone knew this song was made for her.
When they got back to the hotel and started to pack.(They had to go to London the next day) Darren called. Elisa told him about the interview, that she had heard his song etc etc
Darren told her how comfy he was in her chair, and how he exited he was about tomorrow when they could start to see how many requested their song. That they had been called from various radio-stations to do some interviews. And he had been asked what the song was about, and he had answered that it was about the most amazing woman alive. He had listened to the Interview she was doing when IKILY was played, and he thought they were doing great. Daniel talked to her a bit and he also thought that they had done a professional job.
The week went by fast and IKILY were played a lot, it did really well. Darren and Daniel worked to finish their album.
And Elisa and Nic had gotten used to this promotion things. Nic always said when she got back to the tiny hotel room they shared, that she could`t wait to be famous. As she started to feel claustrophobic. They had four more days to go, and then they would be heading home.
Leonie was there to pick them up at the airport. Darren and Daniel were almost at the goal with their album and didn`t have the time. Although Darren would really love to be home when she arrived, but Elisa understood.
"Is it good to be home?" Leo said when Elisa sat down in her chair. Elisa looked around the room and leaned back in her chair. She smiled and looked up at Leonie."Yes, it certainly is good to be home."
Darren`s car shrieked as he stopped in front of the house. He was so exited about seing Elisa again. It had been all he could think about today. They had very little left on the album now and Daniel had finally send Darren home with the words;"You`re really a pain in the a## today". It was the first time Darren was glad to be named that. He rushed inside."Where is she?" He looked around not seing any signs of her. "Leonie sat infront of the computer,probably adding some SG news on the website. She looked up at him."Who?"
"LEONIE" His voice warned her about teasing him right now. She laughed. "She`s upstairs taking a nap.She was exhausted.But she said you had to wake her when..." Leonie just saw the back of his head when he ran upstairs. She shook her head and laughed to herself.
Darren was in such a hurry he almost ran straight through the bedroom door. He stopped when he saw her, sleeping on top of his bed wearing his robe. He sat down beside her and carefully stroke her hair away from her face. He leaned down and kissed her forhead. "Elisa..." He whispered her name. Elisa opened her eyes, and smiled up at him. "Darren"
His face lightened when he heard his name. Soon he was on top of her kissing her neck, her hair, her lips...
Their single was released the next day, and everybody gathered at Darren`s house. Elisa blushed when she heard their song on the radio. It was all so unreal. But they had a great evening together. It seemed like Dan and Nic accepted all off this.
Darren and Elisa had a talk with their agents about their relationship and found it best to keep it a secret. It would be better to seem "available" to the fans. And they agreed to this as they felt that they would be better off by having their personal life to themselves for time being.
As the week went on, it was clear that IKILY and Everytime where switching about being requested.
Darren and Daniel finished the album. And were about to film their musicvideo. Nic and Elisa had started recording the rest of the album. But they were still together, and that meant more to them just now. The more time they spend together, it became clearer that this was meant to be.
They didn`t know that Dan and Nic still wondered how this was going to end. As Dan said to Nic "What happens when we go on our tour, and they will be separated for months?"
"I wish I knew Dan.But I have a bad feeling!"