Not "Imagine Charlie"

Not "Imagine Charlie" 0.4

           

I love my job. Being an ultrasound technician is honestly, the one thing I look forward to getting up for in the morning now that Charlie is away. Ten days left until I get to see him again and this week is going by dreadfully slow. Agonizingly slow. It's only Tuesday, and Charlie won't be home until next Friday. It's like if the universe is teasing me, dangling the date of his arrival in my face like one does to a dog with a treat. But, I manage to pull myself out of bed every morning.

My patients are what brighten my days. Happy moms to be, make a happy me. Usually. But for about a week now, I've just been so irritable. I'm craving everything under the moon, but I refuse to eat them. I'm bloated, I have cramps, and I have two huge stress zits on my right cheek. Lovely. To top it all off, It's only eleven in the morning and I've been thrown up on, twice. By the same patient! I want to go home, shower and sleep until next Friday. Ugh. 

A knock on the door of my office brings me back to work.

"Come in," I say, a little distracted. It's my friend, Jary.

"Hey, little lady!" She smiles at me brightly at me while twirling a piece of her extremely curly brown hair, "Your next mommy is prepped and ready to go, exam room two."

I nod slightly, "Thanks, Jary." I stand up and drink my last sip of coffee. I look over to the door and Jary is still leaning against the doorframe, looking at me quizzically.

"Yes?" I ask, trying not to sound as annoyed as I really am.

"You just seem a bit off lately. And as your friend, I'm here to ask... What's wrong?" I can see the concern in her eyes.

"I'm fine, really..." I smile at her slightly. She gives me her, I know you better than that, cut the crap, look and I let out a long sigh. "It's just, this week is passing by so slow. I miss Charlie, and I've been thrown up on, twice!" I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, "I'm just cranky, I need some more coffee," I say looking down at my empty coffee mug on the table.

I glance back at Jary, and she's smirking at me. Yes, my life sucks. Laugh at my pain, asshole.

"Look," she says, "I know how hard it is." Oddly enough, she's dating an actor too. Two women, dating two men who are so opposite of themselves. She continues, "It gets easier. Believe me when I tell you that I've been where you are. It was one of the hardest things to go through, and we were together a year less than you and Charlie are right now when his career really blew up. Come out to my house for drinks with Kathryn and I. We'll get a little tipsy, talk shit, swap stories about our nothing less than amazing sex lives!" She winks at me.

I giggle and blush at the same time, remembering that she overheard Charlie and I one night, and I shake my head. "I'll think about it." I exit my office and head to my next patient.

After Jary's visit, the day seemed to fly by. I was in a much better mood when driving back home, maybe I will go out tonight after all. I shower, wash my hair, and pick out a simple outfit. My best jeans, that hug my body in all the right places, along with a black long sleeved V-neck. I use some mousse and hairspray to curl and tame my hair and I'm out the door.

It's not an hour after I've arrived to Jary's house, and I'm already slurring my words. It's been a rough week and a half since Charlie's been gone and I haven't been able to, relieve any... stress. Oh, how I wish Charlie was home. My phone starts vibrating and I check the screen to see who it is. It's Charlie.

I fumble out of the living room, into the kitchen, and answer the phone.

"Hi, honey!" I say with a huge grin on my face.

"Hey... Babe. What are you doing?" He asks, his worry very clear in his voice.

"Oh. Nothing, just relaxing in Jary's house." I reply, my voice a little higher than it has to be, giving away the fact that I'm not very sober.

"Mhmm. Drinking I assume by your slurring," He laughs, "I was just checking on you before I go back on set. It's been a busy day..."

"Yes, I noticed by your lack of flirty text messages..." I smile at the glass of cranberry and vodka in my hand. "I miss you." I add softly.

I hear a small sigh escape him, followed by, "I miss you, too. More than you can imagine, babe."

"Charlie!" Jary's voice yells from the living room. "Let her go! It's ladies' night! Unless you've magically grown a pretty vagina between your masculine legs–"

I cut her off, "Okay, okay ladies. Let's be nice to Charlie," I smile sheepishly.

"Alright babe, I'll let you get back to ladies' night." Charlie says laughing and I giggle along with him, "You've been drinking, so take a cab or stay over, alright?"

"Yes, baby, I know. I'll call you in the morning, I promise!" I blow kisses into the phone.

"Mmm," He groans, "Wish I could really take those kisses from you."

"Good afternoon to you baby, I love you," I say laughing some more. Alcohol definitely goes straight to my head.

"Goodnight to you beautiful. I love you, too," he sighs. He hangs on for a moment longer, "Bye babe." Then the line goes dead.

I head back to the living room, no doubt with my cheeks flushed.

"So what's the topic floating around now, ladies?" I ask, trying to take my mind off of Charlie.

Kathryn is nervously twirling her burgundy red hair, and says, "We were just saying, you know, you've been so down in the dumps lately, and... it could be worse."

Just exactly what I want to be talking about, thanks ladies, but I go along, "And how is that?" I ask, trying to pin point exactly how this, could in fact be worse. Kathryn hesitates to answer and looks everywhere, but my face. "Kathryn!" I scowl, "Tell me!"

Jary speaks up instead, "We were just saying... you could be pregnant while Charlie is away, that would be much worse. Dealing with the pregnancy ups and downs on your own?" She scoffs, "I'd move to New Zealand with him." Laughing, she picks up her glass and drinks what's left.

"Yeah," I contemplate it. That would be way worse. "Anyways..."

The girls continue to talk, too intoxicated to even notice that I'm sitting back quietly. Their words have me thinking back to the last month. The beginning of September was absolute bliss– until he told me about leaving to New Zealand. The following two weeks – full of mind-blowing sex. Earth shattering really, but I'm not complaining. The week after, more sex and moving in. I was overwhelmed, I mean, who wouldn't be? All the sweet phone calls and video chats. Charlie is just amazing. Even so far away from me, he manages to sweep me off my feet.

Then it dawns on me... all this time that I've spent with Charlie, and I haven't gotten my period... Have I? No, I haven't.

Shit.