Chapter 14: The Meeting with Ellie 1

As Connor began to strum the opening chords of "Blackbird," a hush fell over the room. His fingers danced effortlessly across the strings, each note ringing out with clarity and purpose. Dolores, in confidence, watched as her brother breathed new life into the classic Beatles tune.

At first, the members of The Cranberries exchanged skeptical glances. After all, Connor's previous work was a far cry from the raw energy of rock music. But as the song unfolded, their doubts melted away like morning mist.

With each verse, Connor poured his heart and soul into the music. His voice, rich with emotion, soared above the gentle melody, carrying the weight of years of longing and determination. The band members couldn't help but be drawn in by his passion and skill.

As the final notes faded into the air, a stunned silence filled the room. Then, one by one, the members of The Cranberries broke into applause, their faces alight with newfound respect and admiration.

"Dolores was right," Mike Hogan, the bassist, whispered, his eyes shining with surprise. "You truly are something special."

Connor smiled confidently as well, his cheeks tinged with a hint of color. "Just trying to keep up with the rockstar in the making," he said, nodding toward his sister.

The band members laughed, their skepticism replaced by excitement and anticipation. With Connor on board, they knew their upcoming collaboration was destined for greatness.

After that, Connor gave them two notes of the two songs he prepared for the group, asked them to practice, and said that the recording would start once he finished setting things in the United States.

During the flight, Connor reflected on the fact that he now had plenty of time. Now that he was in October 29th, 1988, and "When Harry Met Sally" would not be released until July 21, 1989, he had ample time for his album.

After returning to the United States before being noticed by the paparazzi, the first thing Connor did was call Ellie. Now that he was not in a relationship, he didn't have to feel a little guilty about speaking to another woman.

Ellie had been in a daze these recent days. At first, after the relationship between Meg and Connor ended, she felt that she had a chance after all. Superstars are known for how quickly they can start a new relationship after the last, but Connor made her doubt if she really wasn't interesting to him. She gave him so many hints, but it seemed like he had no feeling for her.

When Ellie was doubting life, she suddenly heard the telephone ringing. She didn't have many people with her number, so she was curious about who was calling her.

After picking up, "Hello, it's Eleanor on the phone."

Connor replied, "Hi Ellie, how are you? It's Connor. I just returned to Los Angeles and wanted to meet you before being spotted by the paparazzi."

Ellie was surprised and said, "Connor, it's been a long time. I thought you had forgotten about me, after all, it has been more than a month since the last call."

Connor could hear a little confusion from her, and in fact, he understood why she was confused. After all, she gave him many obvious hints like physical contact with him or how she gave him so much attention even without him being a celebrity like when he first started filming "Big."

He replied, "You know Ellie, before being a celebrity, I also have a family. So after the filming, I went to my family to pass some time. I just literally returned to the United States, so I'm calling before being bothered by the media. It seems you are not enthusiastic about this." The reason why Connor didn't respond to her many hints was just to make sure how she really is. After all, he also knows that he lied to himself and never really loved Meg in the true sense but was because of hormones, so he has to make sure that his relationship with Ellie wasn't the same with Meg. After almost one year since knowing each other, he has found his answer.

Ellie, in fact, wasn't that angry but rather annoyed. After all, Connor technically didn't have to give her any explanation, especially with his status, unless she did have some importance to him. So her mood improved after his answer.

After some interaction, they agreed to meet for coffee.