ALMOST TOO LATE
Chapter Five
Jack sat on a bench, lost in thought. He was
torn inside. He was in love with Rose. He was engaged to Jolie. Just the
thought of Jolie made him frown. Why did he even sleep with her? And why
couldn’t he remember it?
"Jack! You look miserable,"
Fabrizio said, coming up and interrupting his thoughts.
"Do I? I feel miserable."
Fabrizio sat on a bench across from Jack.
"Tell me what is wrong."
"I have met the most extraordinary
woman…"
"Let me guess. We are not going to talk
about Jolie?"
"No." Jack laughed a little. He
knew that Fabrizio had never liked Jolie. "I’m talking about Rose. A lady
I met a few days ago."
"Does this lady have anything to do with
why I haven’t seen you since early Saturday?"
"Yes. I spent the entire day with her. I
had dinner with her."
"And now you love this girl?"
"Yes." Jack looked truly awful.
"So, tell Jolie it is over and beg this
Rose to marry you."
"How can I tell Jolie that? I got her
pregnant. I couldn’t just marry Rose and forget about them!"
"Jack, I thought you could tell that
Jolie is not pregnant."
"What are you talking about? Of course
she is, and I got her that way."
"Jack, she has been playing you for a
fool. I thought you knew, but were too much in love with her to tell."
"Honestly, Fabrizio, you’ve surprised
me. I knew you didn’t like her, but I never thought you were so mean."
Fabrizio stood up and towered over Jack.
"I tell you she is faking! I know! Everyone know, except you! Go ask her!
See if she tell you she is faking!"
"Fabrizio, don’t yell. I’ll go see what
she says. If you’re right, I can break off with her and then, maybe, I’d have a
chance with Rose."
Jack looked around and didn’t see Jolie.
"Do you know where she is?"
"I think she went out on deck. She went
to church services this morning."
"Thank you, Fabrizio."
"No problem, Jack."
Fabrizio stood and watched Jack race to find
Jolie. "For such a good guy, he sure is stupid when it comes to
women."
*****
Jack found Jolie out on the stern. She was
looking over the rail, and talking to some other women. He went up to her and
took her arm. "We have to talk, Jolie."
"I have nothing to say to you after you
stood me up last night." Jolie watched as the other women walked away to
give them some privacy.
"Stood you up? You are the one who left
me on deck by myself!"
"I waited a long time for you to come
and get me for dinner. I was waiting for you to apologize."
"Apologize?" Jack was confused.
"For what?"
"For being rude."
Jack took a long look at this girl in front
of him. He knew he could never marry her. If she really was pregnant, he’d feel
awful, but he just could not marry someone like her.
"Are you really pregnant?"
"What? Of course I am." But Jolie
looked scared.
"Really?" Jack pressed. "Is it
mine?"
"Of course it is!"
"Then why don’t I remember?"
"You were a little drunk."
"A little drunk?" Jack closed his
eyes. "How come Fabrizio told me that you aren’t pregnant?"
"I…don’t…know."
"Jolie, you have to tell me the truth.
I’m not going to marry you either way. You still get to be in America. There
are plenty of men there that will marry you. Men you won’t even have to tell
about your past. Don’t you realize how unhappy we’d be? I don’t love you. I
never will. You should find someone who will love you more than anything
else."
Jolie looked at Jack and started to cry. His
words rang of honesty. She realized that everything he said was true. For just
a moment, Jolie thought about something more than herself.
"I’m not pregnant, Jack. And if I was,
it couldn’t be yours. That night you had passed out, and I lied to you. I
thought you’d take me to America. I thought you’d learn to love me."
Jack felt like a weight had been lifted from
his shoulders. He was so happy that he wasn’t even willing to be mad at Jolie.
"Thank you for telling me the truth."
Jack turned and started to walk away. Jolie
watched him go. She turned back and watched the sea.