A LOVE NEVER FADING
Chapter Thirty-Two
"Jack! My God!" Rose ran to the
door and took some of the packages he had. "Did you rob someone?" She
smiled.
"No, I needed art supplies. Lots."
He laughed.
She took the rest and put them on the table.
"Well." Rose kissed Jack and wrapped her arms around his neck. She
smiled when he put his arms around her waist. "I'm glad you're home. I
made chicken."
"I love your chicken. Of course, I love
everything you make."
"We have Maggie to thank for my cooking
skills. God, without her, I doubt I'd be able to boil water."
Jack laughed. "Speaking of Maggie, where
are the two of them tonight? When I came in downstairs I didn't hear or see
them."
"They went out to dinner."
"Oh, okay. Well, then, I guess we should
go have our dinner, too."
They went into the kitchen, sat down, and
began eating. "So, how was your day?" Rose asked.
Jack sighed. "After I ran out of
supplies I went to this art store to restock. This seemingly very friendly girl
helped me, for almost an hour. And I felt bad taking up her time like that and
I told her I felt like I should repay her." He looked down at his food.
"So she said I could take her out to dinner. Of course I told her I was
married, but then she said my wife didn't have to know. So I just took my
things and left. Can you believe someone would act like that after I told her I
was married?"
Rose squinted her eyes in thought for a
moment. "This girl, did she have long, wavy, blonde hair?"
"Yeah. How did you know that?"
"I bet that's the same girl who I had to
deal with when I bought you those things. Do you remember that?"
"Yes. You told me about it at
dinner." Jack was now angry with the art store girl. "Well, she's
obviously a rude girl to have treated you like that, and then pursuing me after
I pointed out my attachment."
Rose smiled. "I don't know if I could
blame her for trying to get you."
Jack smiled at her. That's one of the things
he loved most about Rose. In situations like this she always made light. She
never got very angry and always made a joke. "She's not my type. If I had
no one, I still wouldn't be interested in her. She was very clingy and flirty.
And now that I know who she is, she's rude, too."
Rose laughed. "Let's not talk about it
anymore."
"All right. Besides, I'm much more
interested in hearing about you, than talking about me."
Two Weeks Later
"Oh, Rose!" Brian called from the
doorway. Rose was coming down the stairs in the nick of time for him.
"Yes?"
"Will you help me with something?"
"Sure. What do you need?"
"I'm going down to the art store to buy
crayons for all of Maggie and my nieces and nephews. You know, for
Christmas."
"The art store?" she said quietly.
She knew if she went she would have to deal with that horrid girl.
"I...um..." She lifted her head. "You know what? Yes, I will
help you. Let me get my coat." She ran up the stairs and was back in no
time. She and Brian headed off. Rose decided she wouldn't let one miserable
girl stop her from helping her friends. Besides, she loved art, her husband
loved art, and there was no way they were able to avoid the store. And they
shouldn't have to.
When they got to the store, Rose felt a
little uneasy. Brian held open the door for her, and much to her dismay she saw
the girl she hadn't seen in almost two years. But she couldn't forget her. She
was one of the only people who had been cruel to her since she came to New
York. When the girl looked up, she seemed to recognize Rose, too.
"Can I help you?" she said in a
semi-friendly tone towards Brian.
"Yeah. I would like some crayons. Where
would they be?"
"The second aisle from the left,"
she said with no emotion, and completely ignoring Rose.
Brian smiled and went to where she had
pointed to. Rose was about to follow him when Chelsea spoke up.
"I remember you."
Rose turned around and smiled weakly.
"Yes, yes. I was in here a long time ago. I was buying some things for my
husband." She decided to volunteer a little more information. "He
actually came in here a few weeks ago. I don't know if you know him. You
probably get so many people in here that you wouldn't remember. His name's
Jack, he's kind of thin and has lots of blond hair that falls in his
eyes."
Chelsea's jaw dropped. She can't be his
wife! Jack was better than that, she thought to herself. "I remember
him very well." She closed her lips together tightly to hold back a
scream, and then her mouth formed into a smug smile. "It's interesting. I
never would have thought someone like him would be with someone like you."
Rose was about to respond, but Brian came
back with boxes and boxes of crayons.
"Rose, love, could help me with
these?"
"Sure." She took some and placed
them on the counter.
Chelsea arched her eyebrow and started to add
up the cost. "And where is your husband tonight, Rose?"
"He's working," she said quickly.
"That must give you plenty of time to
find pleasure elsewhere. I'm sure a woman like you sees no reason to get a job,
so you have lots of free time to be with other men." She looked directly
at Brian, then at Rose, with an accusing stare.
"Excuse me?" Rose asked, shocked.
"Don't looked so surprised. I see women
like you all the time. Your husbands dedicate their lives to you, and give you
their hearts and souls, but because you're so used to the fancy life, you want
more. And you find it in men." She looked at Brian. "Get out while
you can. She'll use you like she's using Jack."
Brian wanted to reach right over the counter
and smack the girl. "I'll have you know that we are both happily married.
I asked Rose to come with me so she could help me carry the crayon boxes home.
You have no right, miss, no right at all." He took some money and put it
on the counter. "Now, there is your money. You're lucky I'm here, and not
Jack, because if he had heard the things you just implied, that would be the
end of you. I pity you, because I know what he'll do when he finds out, and he
will find out, because if Rose doesn't tell him, I will." He looked at
Rose. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
Rose picked up some of the boxes, and Brian
picked up the rest. They walked out of the store quickly, and made it back home
in complete silence.