3 GUYS, A GIRL, AND A ROSE
Chapter Five
Rose sat in her room, brushing her hair. She
and her mother had been arguing before because of the neighborhood she had
chosen to shop in. She had just wanted to get away from always shopping on 5th
Avenue. Her heels had been bothering her, so she had had to fix them. She had
noticed a boy staring at her, and he had immediately run into some pub. She
didn't like weird people she didn't know looking at her.
She couldn't believe it. Tomorrow would make
a year that she and Cal had been dating. March 16, 2002--their first date. She
tried to like Cal, but it didn't seem to be working. He was so bossy. Her
mother only liked him because he had money. They both went to the same country
club up in the Hamptons.
She hated being part of the rich and
beautiful. She wanted to be free. She didn't feel free with Cal. Her phone
rang, and she saw on the caller ID that it was him.
"Hey, darling."
"Sweetpea, I've made dinner reservations
for us to go to the Marriott for dinner."
"I'm certainly delighted." Not much
enthusiasm in her voice.
"I've got a present for you. I'm sure
you'll love it!"
"I'm sure, also."
"I'll be there to pick you up at
eight."
"All right." Rose hung up the phone
and lay flat on her bed. Another night of luxury.
She couldn't stand Cal anymore. Couldn't
stand anything anymore.
*****
Jack turned the lights on in his apartment.
Christina jumped on his back, and he led them into the kitchen.
"Drink?" he asked her.
"Got Smirnoff?" she asked, and sat
on the kitchen counter. Jack took a Smirnoff out of the refrigerator and handed
it to her.
"Christina, you know you're my best
friend. Right?"
"Yeah. The feeling is mutual. What's
your point?"
"I just wanted you to know that I will
always be there for you and always love you, no matter what." Christina
smiled and jumped off the counter to hug him. She then left the kitchen, and he
followed her into his bedroom, where she lay down on his bed. He lay down next
to her.
"Jack, do you ever wanna get
married?"
"Yeah. I'd hope to."
"How about kids?"
"Two. Three at the most."
Jack turned to his side to look at her face.
He loved to look at her face. She stared up at the ceiling. Jack suddenly
leaned closer to her face and kissed her. Kissed her mouth so gently. He had
finally been able to do it. Five months he had wanted to kiss her. He finally
did. He pulled away, and before she had the chance to kiss him back, his phone
rang. It wasn't in his room, so he left to pick it up. He was speaking to his
brother, who he barely spoke to for two minutes. When he came back, she was
sleeping. She looked so beautiful when she slept.
Jack took out his art supplies. He sat on the
chair that was in his room and started to draw. He focused very hard to make it
perfect. When he was done, he looked at it and thought of it as a masterpiece.
He sometimes wish he could get to draw her nude. But this would have to do for
now.
*****
Christina left Jack's apartment before he
woke up. She saw him sleeping on his chair, with his art portfolio on his lap.
She kissed him gently on his cheek so as not to wake him up. She still felt his
lips on hers. They were so smooth. So gentle. So kind. She couldn't believe it
had happened. She didn't know what to expect of it.
She got to her apartment and heard Tommy's
message. She called him back, and he was gonna pick her up in an hour. She took
a quick shower and threw on a pair of jeans and a turtleneck shirt. She brushed
her hair back into a high ponytail. She put on some lip gloss and heard her
doorbell buzz. She ran into the living room and let Tommy in.
"Hey, Tommy." She gave him a hug.
"Are you ready?"
"Just a second." She ran into her
room and grabbed her bag and put on her shoes. She came back into the room and
smiled. "Now I am."
They walked outside, talking.
"So, what time did you get in?" he
asked her, with his hands in his pockets and looking down.
"When I called you." She looked at
him, and he looked a bit shy. "Tommy, why aren't you looking at me?"
"Just thinking." He took his black
fedora hat off for a second, passed his hand through his hair, and put it back
on.
"Oh. Tommy, you think you can help me
decorate the pub after closing time tonight? I want it to be all set up for
tomorrow," she said. This was her first Saint Patrick's Day working at the
pub, and her boss had assigned her to set it up for the big bash they had there
every year.
"Sure. I'd be glad to!" Tommy
sounded excited.
"All right. Then we're set?"
"Yeah. We’re set."
She and Tommy conversed their whole way to
where they were going. She began to feel even more comfortable with him than
she had before.