THREE MEN AND A LADY
Chapter Seven
A/N: The next few chapters are
a sort of prequel, explaining how all of the chaos of the story came to be.
Cal paced the room nervously. He
was immortal now. Well, supposedly immortal. Cal had no way of knowing if he
was or not, but that wasn’t what was bothering him.
What bothered him was that this
immortality came with a catch. A big catch. The sort of catch that involved his
ex, the man she left him for, and his best friend.
*****
Fabrizio followed Jack through
the busy New York streets. "What do you mean, immortal?" he asked
incredulously.
"I mean that we are
immortal."
Fabrizio stared at him.
"Okay. So, who’s we?"
"You, me Rose, and…"
Jack didn’t finish. He was not looking forward to living with Cal for all
eternity. Really, really, not.
"Oh. Where’s Rose?"
"Getting…" Jack left
the sentence hanging.
"Ah."
*****
Rose stepped into the cool lobby.
It was a welcome relief after the chaos of the outside world. She quickly
entered the elevator and pushed the button marked 3.
She was soon on the third floor.
Rose briskly walked down the hall, stopping briefly to read room numbers.
Finally, she found the one she was looking for.
Rose reached for the door handle,
but it was opened before she could reach it.
"Are you alone?"
"Yes."
"All right."
"Why all the secrecy?"
Rose asked. She stepped into the room.
"Because this is odd enough
without people knowing about it."
"I see."
"Are we really
immortal?"
"I believe so."
"And we all really have to
live together?"
"Yes."
Cal groaned.
"Wonderful."
Rose smirked. "Come on. We
have to go."
*****
The four of them boarded a train
to California, and things went okay for awhile. It was decided that who would
have a job and who wouldn’t would be sorted out later, and they would spend the
next few days getting used to each other. That was when the madness started…
Cal was demanding the right to
sit by the window. Fabrizio refused to budge. "Why should you get
it?" he snapped.
"Because, I’m…" Cal was
at a loss for words. "Older than you."
Fabrizio stared at him.
"Older? That’s why?"
"Yes."
"There is no way in hell I
will give you this seat."
A vein in Cal’s neck popped out.
"I want the seat!" He lunged at Fabrizio. Fabrizio kicked him in the
throat. Cal landed on the floor a few feet away from where he began.
"What are you people
doing?" Jack stood in the doorway of the train compartment.
"He tried to make me
move!" Fabrizio said. He pointed an accusing finger at Cal.
Cal massaged his neck. "I
want the window."
Jack sighed. He had expected
this. "You can’t have the window."
"Why not? I want it!"
"Because it is not yours.
Fabrizio has it." Jack’s voice took on the tone of a kindergarten teacher.
"Not everything is yours. You must learn to share."
Cal’s lower lip stuck out in a
pout. "It’s mine!" Tears sprang into his eyes.
Jack looked at him in shock. Cal
crying over a window seat was a little too much. "It’s just a window. You
can find another."
"But I want that one!"
Cal wailed.
Jack couldn’t help but notice how
much he resembled a small child. "Well, maybe you can take turns."
Cal’s eyes brightened.
"Okay."
"Fabrizio?"
"I guess."
Jack nodded. "Good." He
quickly left the compartment. He hoped fervently that such arguments would not
happen often.
*****
They arrived in California the
next morning. Cal and Fabrizio hadn’t had anymore fights, but it had still been
a trying trip. Rose held tightly to Jack’s hand. She was nervous about living
in a new state, but moreso about living with the three of them.
Jack kissed her. "I love
you."
Rose smiled. "I love you,
too."
Fabrizio made a gagging noise.
"Don’t do that after I’ve eaten!"
Cal smacked Fabrizio in the back
of the head. He went flying across the station.
"Cal! Do not do that
again!" Rose yelled.
Cal flinched. He did not wish to
meet the anger behind her voice.
"Let’s just leave and find a
place to live."
"Ooh!" Fabrizio cried.
"Can I have my own room?"
"Well, maybe."
"Yay!" He clapped his
hands happily.
*****
Rose was exasperated. "You
have found some problem with every place we have tried!"
Cal stared at her. "They
were major problems."
"Major problems? You didn’t
like how the tree stood in one!" Jack said.
Cal was adamant. "Those
things are important."
Fabrizio licked his lemon.
"Do you want one?"
"What?" Rose was
confused.
"A lemon."
"Sure." They left the
room.
"Either pick a place, or don’t
live with us."
"But I wanna be
immortal." Cal’s lower lip trembled.
"Then you will find a
place."
"Okay."