3 GUYS, A GIRL, AND A ROSE
Chapter Thirty-Seven
May 27, 2003
"Are you sure your girlfriend agrees
with us hanging out together?" Christina asked Jack.
"Chris, she said it was fine. She's gone
to Philadelphia. She won't be coming back until Sunday," Jack answered.
"Just checking!" Christina said.
This was the first time they had hung out
alone since she had slept over at his house a week before. She sat on Jack's
couch, flipping through the channels. Jack went to the kitchen, cooking dinner
for them both.
Tommy had asked her go to the movies, but she
had declined to be with Jack. Tommy had looked hurt, but she had told him that
her friendship with Jack needed to mend. Christina started to wonder what Tommy
was doing right now. She loved hanging out with him. They had been getting
closer ever since Rose had come onto the scene.
Probably with Fabrizio, Christina thought.
"Dinner will be ready in half an hour!"
Jack said when he came back into the living room.
"Why didn't you just order take
out?" Christina asked.
"Because I wanted to show you my other
talent besides art." He smiled at her.
"You're some kind of chef, Dawson?"
she teased him.
"Yes, I sure am. I wanted you to be the
first girl I cook for!" This brought a smile to Christina's face. He
hadn't cooked for Rose yet. The thought made her happy.
"Why is that?"
"Because you're my best friend!"
Jack said.
"Are you just saying that because I'm
here?" Christina asked.
"Not at all. You are and always will
be." Christina sat on his lap and hugged him. "I'm happy you haven't
been mean to Rose."
"Yeah, well, I had to stop getting my
panties in a bunch. As long as you're happy, so am I," Christina said.
Jack laughed a little.
"I love you, Chris!" Jack kissed
her cheek, and Christina stared into his eyes. He started to give her the look
he had given when he first kissed her. Christina immediately got off his lap
and sat down next to him. It felt a little weird. Especially since she was
still in love with him.
"What's for dinner?" she asked him.
"That's a surprise."
"I love surprises."
"I know you do."
Christina wanted him to just kiss her all
over. She was fighting her temptation to just shower him with kisses, fantasizing
that he would take her in his arms, their bodies joining. They'd have hot,
steamy sex, but it would still be making love. Christina had kept her jealousy
under control, not like she had done before. Over and over, she thought of Jack
and her together. Over and over, she thought of the morning she was going to
tell him she was in love with him. Then Rose had spoiled it all.
It was two weeks ago. She still couldn't get
over it. The hospital was a horror for her to be in when she actually did blurt
out how she felt. Her secret was out. They wouldn't act on it. Jack was in love
with Rose now. He wasn't in love with her anymore. So she had lied and told him
that she was no longer in love with him. Of course, he had believed her. Now
she sat next to Jack. He was completely dumbfounded by how she still felt about
him.
"Christina!" Jack yelled, snapping
his fingers in front of her face.
"What?" Christina snapped at him.
Jack laughed at her.
"Why do you look like you've just seen a
ghost?"
"Oh, just daydreaming."
*****
"Jack gets all the attention!"
Tommy complained to Fabrizio.
"Get over it!" Fabrizio snapped at
him.
Fabrizio had been listening to Tommy for an
hour, talking about Christina--how she had said that she couldn't hang out with
Tommy tonight because she wanted to go and see Jack. Tommy had picked Fabrizio
up, and now they were sitting at Ommonia in Bay Ridge. Fabrizio wished Tommy
had just told her how he felt.
"If you're so crazy about Chris, then
tell her how you feel! You were going to do that in the first place!"
Fabrizio said to him.
"I don't know. She's all crazy for Jack.
She pretends it doesn't hurt to see him with Rose, but I know she's
hurting."
"Man, you need to grow some balls. How
bad could it be?"
"It could be really bad! She could
reject me. She'll pick him over me. I'll just be the bloody idiot who thought
he had a chance."
"You wouldn't know. You haven't tried.
Besides, Jack is with Rose."
"Still, I'll just play the fool. I'll be
the burden because she can't have him!"
"You're hopeless, Tommy."
"It's always about Jack Dawson. I know
he's one of my best friends, but he doesn't deserve Christina. Especially after
all the shit he put her through." Tommy put his hat on the table and
scratched his head.
"Christina's a strong person. She'll get
over Jack."
Tommy took a sip of his soda. He wished that
he could do what Fabrizio had been telling him to do for the past seven months.
He just didn't want to be second best for Christina. He thought she was pure
perfection. She was all he had ever wanted since he had moved from Dublin to
New York. Two months of being in America, and he fell in love with her. He
couldn't remember the last time he had had a date with anybody.
"Enough of talking about Jack and Chris!
I see a hot girl over there!" Tommy laughed when he saw Fabrizio eye a
blonde-haired girl.
"Why don't you ask her over here?"
Tommy teased him.
"Oh, I will!" Fabrizio said. The
girl turned around and smiled at Fabrizio. He recognized her. "Oh,
shit!"
"What?"
"That's the same girl whose boyfriend
threatened to beat me up at the pub a few months ago, on St. Patrick's
Day," Fabrizio said. "Her boyfriend is next to her now." Tommy
turned to look at them.
"Pretty big!"
"Forget her, then!" Fabrizio said.
Tommy wished that he could get Christina out
of his head for a second. To the mind of Tommy Ryan, that was impossible.
*****
Rose missed Jack already. She had only been
in Philadelphia for an hour. However, she needed to come to Philadelphia. Her
father had been dead for two years, and she needed to visit his grave. She had
done this last year, as well. Her mother couldn't make it this year. She had to
deal with her father's business.
She placed red roses on his grave. She had
thought that if she placed red roses, then somehow he would still be with her.
His tombstone read William Bukater. August
26, 1954 - May 27, 2001. Beloved Husband and Father.
Rose cried a little. He had been in the
hospital trying to recover from a heart attack. However, he hadn't been strong
enough, and his heart had failed. Ruth had decided to move to New York.
Rose knelt down beside his grave. She missed
her father terribly. Touching his tombstone, a tear fell onto the grave. Rose
got up and left.
As she walked around, her mind was focused on
Jack. She wouldn't see him until Sunday. She only wished that he could be there
with her, but he had had to work.
Most likely he’s with Christina, Rose thought. She sort of didn't like the idea of
the two of them together. Sure, Christina had been nice and all, but Rose still
felt uneasy around her. What if she tries to take Jack away from me? she
thought to herself.
Jack was Rose's whole world. They'd been
together for two weeks, and she was in love with him. She didn't want to lose
him, especially to Christina, the woman who was Jack's best friend, the one who
was in love with him, the one who was heartbroken by Jack. Rose could tell from
Christina's eyes that she was still in love with Jack.
It was the way she looked at him, the way
they spoke to each other, the hugs they gave each other. The friendship was
kind of strained now, since Rose and Jack had started to date, but there was
still something between them. It made Rose feel insecure.
Rose suddenly felt the need to go home. She
had just gotten to Philadelphia today, and she already missed Jack terribly.
She couldn't bear it. Jack was the one she needed.
*****
Jack heard Christina moaning as she slept. He
looked out the window as she lay there asleep on his couch. They had been
watching television, and she had drifted off to sleep with her head in his lap.
He waited for Rose to call as she had said she would.
There were still dishes in the sink from
dinner, so he decided to wash them. Christina had enjoyed dinner. He had made
her favorite, baked ziti. They had been able to talk to each other for the
first time in two weeks. Christina had actually looked happy. After all the
shit he had put her through since he had met Rose, she had managed to put a
smile on her face, the same smile he had fallen in love with.
He wondered, Is she still in love with me?
No! She told me herself that she wasn't. Even if she was, what would it matter?
I'm in love with Rose. All this was in his head while he washed the dishes.
The phone rang, and he hurried over to pick
it up.
"Hello," Jack said when he
answered.
"Jack!" Rose said on the other end.
That brought a smile to his face.
"Rose, what's up?"
"Nothing. I'm at my grandmother’s
house."
"I miss you already."
"I miss you, too."
"When you come back, you're all
mine."
"Of course! I wouldn't have it any other
way!"
"I thought so!" Rose laughed on the
other end.
"I must get going, but before I go,
there is something I wanna tell you."
"Anything."
"I love you, Jack." A smile spread
across Jack's face.
"I love you, too."
"Well, I must be going now. Bye."
"Bye."
Jack hung up the phone. He was happy, happy
to know that Rose loved him. They were in love with each other.
He went to the living room and watched
Christina sleep. She slept so beautifully.
"I love you, Jack," he heard her
mumble.
He thought that maybe he was hearing things.
He knelt down beside her and placed his hand on her cheek.
"Christina," he whispered.
"Mmm." Jack smiled.
"Christina. It's ten o'clock right now.
Wake up." Christina continued to moan. He shook her. He laughed a little
and kissed her forehead.
He got up and was about to turn when
Christina grabbed his hand.
"You're awake! Finally!" Jack said.
Christina got up and stretched her arms out.
"Yeah, I'm tired. I had a weird
dream!" Christina said. He wasn't going to mention the fact that she had
said that she loved him. "It's like a ritual whenever I come here. I
always fall asleep. At least you woke me up this time."
"You're gonna leave now?"
"Yeah. I need to go home. We should all
go to Underground tomorrow!" she said.
"Sure."
"I'll call Tommy and Fabri when I get
home. Can you call me car service? I have to go to the bathroom." Jack
nodded and did as she said.
When Christina came out the bathroom, Jack
was sitting on the couch. She put her sneakers and jacket on, then grabbed her
purse.
"Thanks for dinner. Jack!"
Christina said. and kissed his cheek.
"Let me go with you downstairs."
Jack grabbed his keys and locked his door.
They waited for the elevator, and after a few seconds it came and they went in.
Christina yawned constantly.
"I need to get some sleep!"
Christina said. Jack noticed that she kept closing her eyes.
"Come over here, Chris!" Jack said
to her. She walked over to him, and he wrapped his arms around her. She rested
her head on his shoulder.
The elevator got to the first floor, and they
got off. Jack's arm was around her shoulder.
"Call me when you get home!"
Christina nodded her head.
They saw the car outside, waiting for Christina.
"There you go," Jack said.
Christina hugged Jack.
"Good night, Chris! I love you." He
kissed her forehead.
"I love you, too. Bye, Jack." She
let go of their embrace and went outside to the car. She waved at him and got
into the car. He watched as it left, and then caught the elevator.
He thought that maybe there would be more
nights like this with Christina.