3 GUYS, A GIRL, AND A ROSE
Chapter Twelve
Tommy and Fabrizio left, so it was just Jack
and Rose. The pub was almost closing, so they stepped outside.
"I'm gonna call my driver to come pick
me up," Rose said. She was about to take out her cell phone when she heard
Jack laugh. "What's so funny?"
"Driver? What are you, rich or
something?" Rose felt embarrassed.
"I guess you can say that."
"Well, what does your mom do for a
living?"
"Not much, really. After my dad died,
she inherited all his money, as well as I did. She is in charge of the
buildings he owns. She does charity work and such stuff."
"Buildings?"
"Yeah."
"Interesting. Why don't I walk you
instead? Where do you live?"
"Park Avenue."
"Wow. Nice."
"I guess."
"Can I take you up on that walk?"
"Sure." Rose felt like a schoolgirl
with a crush. She couldn't remember the last time she had a crush on anyone.
"Lead the way, Miss."
They walked for about an hour until they
reached the luxurious building she lived in. They had learned a lot about each
other. Jack had learned about Cal, that she had broken up with him the night
before and why she had broken up with him. Jack told her about when he moved
out here. About how his parents were murdered right in front of his own eyes.
"Well, Jack. Thanks for walking me back
home."
"My pleasure. Do you wanna hang out
again tomorrow? My friends and I are going to this club we usually go to all
the time called Underground."
"Sure."
"Give me your number. I'll call you
tomorrow."
"I don't have a pen." Jack took one
of his out. Rose grabbed his hand and wrote it down. Jack looked at it with a
satisfied face.
"I'll call you. Good night, Miss
Rose." He took her hand and kissed it.
"Good night, Mr. Dawson." Jack
watched her go in. He looked at his hand. He walked down the block before he
had a chance to scream.
*****
The ringing of the phone woke Christina up.
She reached over to her night table and picked it up.
"Hello," she said. Her voice was
cracked up.
"Hey, Christina!"
"Who the fuck is this?" she asked.
"Well, good afternoon to you!"
"Sorry…who is this?"
"It's Fabrizio!" he said, on the
other end of the phone. Christina looked over to see her alarm clock reading
1:30 PM.
"Sorry, Fabrizio. I must have
overslept."
"Yeah. Ya think? You're the one who left
early."
"Yeah."
"Did you leave because of Rose?"
"No…yes."
"I figured."
"What else was I supposed to do? They
were sickening me, especially Rose with all her giggling. Flirting with him.
Touching his arm. Laughing at his every joke, no matter how corny it was."
Fabrizio had to admit he didn't know Rose, but she seemed pretty flaky.
"Don't worry about it. Hey, you coming
to Underground with us tonight? Just you, me, Tommy, and Jack!"
"I don't know."
"Come on! I will personally drag your
ass out of that apartment of yours. Tommy will bind you and gag you up. We'll
take you in a van so no one knows that we kidnapped you and you'll have fun
with us!" Christina couldn't help but laugh. Fabrizio always knew how to
cheer her up.
"That's my girl? So, ya comin' or not?"
"Fine! You convinced me!"
"That's what I thought!" She heard
someone knocking on her door.
"I have to go, Fabrizio! I'll talk to
you later, babe!"
"Later, hon," Fabrizio said on the
other end, and she hung up. The person knocked again.
"I'm coming!" she yelled.
She opened the door, to see Tommy holding a
cup of coffee and a bag.
"Afternoon, sunshine! I bring you a
bagel with cream cheese and a cup of coffee, milk, sugar! Just the way ya like
it!"
"Thanks!" Christina grabbed the
coffee and bag and placed it on her coffee table. "I still have morning
breath. I'm just gonna go brush my teeth!"
Christina washed her face and brushed her
teeth quickly. When she came back, Tommy was flipping through the channels. She
ran onto the couch and grabbed the bag.
"You must be hungry!" Tommy said.
He watched her stuff her mouth with the bagel and gulp down the coffee. He
thought she looked so cute while doing it.
"Yeah, I am. You're a lifesaver, Tommy.
I would be starving right now if it weren't for you! I need to go food
shopping." She took another big bite out of her bagel.
"No problem. You have a lighter?"
Christina grabbed her purse that she left on the coffee table and handed him a
lighter. Tommy lit up his cigarette. God, she even looks beautiful when she
wakes up, he thought.
"Fabrizio told me about Underground
tonight. He is practically forcing me to go."
"Yeah, that's our Fabri! I would have
forced you to go also. What kind of nightlife is it without our cute
Christina?"
"I know. As long as I don't have to see
that ditzy Rose girl again, I'm cool."
"Yeah. Well, we'll have fun either way.
Just us." In that, he meant he just wanted it to be Christina and him. He
continued to watch her eat. They sat back and watched TV for the rest of the
time he was there.
*****
Rose had butterflies in her stomach from the
night before. Jack stayed in her head for the remainder of the night. She was
gonna see him again. She picked out an outfit as soon as she came home.
"Rose." Her mother stepped inside
Rose's room.
"Yes, Mother?"
"Who was that boy you came in with last
night?"
"Were you spying on me, Mother?"
"No…the doorman told me you came home at
two in the morning with some boy. Who is he?"
"Just a new friend I met. His name is
Jack Dawson."
"Where is he from?" Rose was
getting suspicious of all her questions.
"He is from Wisconsin. He lives in
Brooklyn."
"A Brooklyn boy?"
"Yes, a Brooklyn boy! What are you
getting at, Mother?"
"Nothing…it's just that you broke up
with Mr. Hockley two days ago."
"Yeah. So I broke up with Cal. What does
it matter? He doesn't care. He knows I wasn't in love with him."
"Well, he is coming for dinner tonight.
So look presentable." Rose rolled her eyes.
"No!"
"What?" Ruth was shocked at Rose
answering back.
"I already made plans. I'm going out.
With Jack."
"I won't let Thomas drive you!"
"I'll take a fucking cab!"
"Rose, don't you talk to me that
way."
"Whatever. Tell Cal sorry I missed
dinner and I'll take a rain check." Rose shoved her mom out of her room,
slammed the door, and made sure it was locked. She wasn't gonna let her mother
or anyone else get in her way of seeing Jack.
*****
Jack had thrown at least three drawings into
a corner of his room. He was gonna see Rose tonight, and he was filled with
excitement. Two hours until he saw her. He had called her, and she had told him
her mother was being a bitch. She needed the address for the club, so he gave
it to her.
He wanted to make sure he looked good. He
wanted to impress. He had never met a girl like her before. She seemed so
natural. He thought about Rose so much that he nearly forgot what had happened
between him and Christina. He always reminded himself what happened, because he
pictured Christina's sad face last night. His beautiful best friend that he
loved--not sure if he was still in love with her. He just knew that he would
always love her. For now, though, he had developed a hard crush in a matter of
two days of meeting Rose. He felt lovesick.