Nothing Ever Changes

Part 12

"I've listed to your new song. Well, more than once." Stevie added, lying in the middle of her massive bed, the bedside lamp was the only source of light in the room.

"Oh, you have?" Lindsey asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Are you really that surprised?" 

"Actually, yeah." He admitted, shifting into a different position in his own bed. "Do you like it?"

"I do. I thought, you sound great. It always amazes me that you can do so much on your own. I would never be able to record a full album without help. Mainly because I can't play an instrument." She said with a chuckle.

Lindsey would never say it out loud, but even to this day it meant a lot to get praise from Stevie where his solo work was concerned. "Yeah, well, people have always said that I'm difficult to work with, so doing it myself is just easier. Another single should come out some time soon. But... if you want, I could make sure you're the first one to hear it."

"Oh, I'm not special, Lindsey. I can wait." Stevie smiled to herself at his offer.

"Of course, you're special, Steph." 

His use of the shortened version of her name, which only he was allowed to use, didn't go unnoticed. She thought, she heard him inhaling sharply as if he was ready for her to get angry with him. She wasn't sure if they were there at a point, where calling each other pet names was fine, but she didn't say anything either.

"Tell me about your day." Stevie spoke up after a minute of just listening to each other's breathing.

"It was boring." Lindsey scoffed. "Just like every other day. You know, now that I'm living here alone, I've realized, how insanely huge this house is and for what? It's not like we used to spend time in every room every day. I used to always be in the studio anyway, the kids were usually out with their friends and Kristen, well, God knows, where she was."

"I know exactly, what you mean." Stevie agreed. "That's why I moved into the condo. It gets lonely, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Lindsey sighed, rolling onto his back. "Are you in the condo now?"

"No. Since the pandemic hit, I went back to the house. I'm afraid to go outside, so there's at least more to do inside." Stevie explained, to which he nodded even though she couldn't see. "Why? Were you planning on coming for a visit?" She asked jokingly, but he didn't reply right away. "Lindsey?"

"Uh, no..." It was partially a lie. "Well, not right now." He pulled away his phone from his ear to look at the time. "It's 2:49 am. But... what if I did come some time during the day?"

"What, like, you want to come to my house?" 

"I do. Talking to you these past several weeks has been great, but I'd really like to see you, too." Lindsey had been considering asking her if they could finally meet for a few days now. He knew, that was another huge step for them and if he asked and she said no, all the progress they'd made would be ruined. "No pressure, you don't have to say, yes."

"I, uh... you took me by surprise, that's all." Stevie remembered, when Lori told her not to do anything stupid. Was this okay or was this considered stupid? "I'd like that."

"Seriously?"

"You don't want to anymore?"

He could almost hear the smirk in her voice, which let him know that she was messing with him. "I do, I do."

"But you have to warn me first, because I've been wearing ridiculous clothes for two years, since there's no reason to dress up and I have put makeup on like three times in the same period of time. It's gonna take me a while to get ready." 

"You know, you don't have to do all of that for me, right?" Lindsey could no longer fight the grin on his face. "I've always liked home Stevie the best."

"Yeah, that's because you're crazy." Lindsey laughed lightly, then yawned. "You should get some sleep, Lindsey. You sound tired."

"I guess, I am." He spoke through another yawn, stretching out in bed. "I promise to warn you before my visit."

"Please, do."

"Goodnight, Stevie."

"Goodnight, Lindsey."

He managed to say just as she was ready to hang up. "Oh, and Stevie? Get your own damn phone. I feel weird, calling your assistant in the middle of the night."