by Angel Rose
I felt better when I spoke about my parents to Dave. He was a good listener and a good friend. I spoke about my parents as if they were alive and well. It made the memories in my heart bearable
and that made me feel happy and peaceful deep down inside. I loved the way his interest was kept as I spoke, you could tell by his eyes, they would open wide following my lips as I rambled on
about my boring life and school, the same look my mother used to give me when I spoke to her. Dave expressed to me how much he loved his father. His father was a truck driver who spent most
of his time on the road. Who would have thought, I didn’t think his father drove a truck for a living, I figured he was a police officer and Dave was keeping the legacy alive. Though they weren’t
really close, he did stress that he was a good, strong man, who provided for his family. He became teary-eyed at one point and that was hard for me to handle. Dave is such a strong man with a strong
character to match and to see him almost fall apart pulled at my heartstrings. He then began to talk about his second wife and then stopped abruptly. I stared at him oddly for a moment hoping he
would be as honest with me as much as I was honest with him. That wish wasn’t granted and Dave changed the subject to work.
“I got a lot of messages on my desk last week, who the hell keeps calling?” “I don’t know, I mean, well, I do know, obviously I took the messages. I know someone from the mayor’s office called
about four times last week. A couple of messages from the SVU department in Brooklyn and this woman kept calling. She said her name was Dina or Tina but I couldn’t hear her. She wouldn’t
give me her last name though. She was very sweet and, of course, that asshole, Max Dalton. Can you please call him already?”
“Hmmm…well, I guess they’ll call again and no I won’t call that prick.” He threw his hands up in the air and laughed.
“Dave…I want you to know that…ever since I arrived in New York I felt you’ve been my guardian angel, the father I’ve never had. I can’t ask for a better friend than you. You’ve been there every time.” The tears slowly trickled down my face not even giving me a chance to hold them in. I
suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was so emotional. I wanted to change and let him in my life and this was the perfect opportunity to thank him.
“Jenesis, please…don’t get all wishy-washy on me…I’m not good with that shit.” I wiped my tears with my hand and giggled under my breath. There he goes again…making me laugh in an instant while I’m falling to pieces. I was lucky to have him in my life. I trusted Dave more than anyone
right now. I’ve never trusted anyone…except my mother. As I finished wiping my tears, my cell phone vibrated in my purse. A message from Jonathan appeared.
Jen, let’s go. We’re planning to hit every bar from here down to your favorite spot.
JonJon
I texted him back.
I can’t. I’m with Dave. Are you going to STK?
Jen
He sent another text.
Get rid of him, and yes! We’re on our way. We’ve hit all the bars already. Jon Jon
You’re lying. You drank before graduation…lol…I’ll see what I can do.
Jen
I glanced up at Dave.
“Is everything okay?” he asked suspiciously.
“Yeah, I was just invited to STK with some of my friends from John Jay.
But I said no.” I gave a quick grin so I wouldn’t make him feel bad. He took a deep breath then exhaled and said,
“Jenesis, you don’t have to feel bad. Why would you want to hang out with an old man like me?” He lowered his head then reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet.
“Dave, it’s fine…really.” I shrugged my shoulders knowing damn well it wasn’t fine, and I wanted to leave, but I felt guilty.
“No…go…go and have fun with people your own age. I’m tired, and I’m going in to work anyway.”
“Are you sure?” I asked relieved, even though I was truly guilt-ridden. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“Yes…now text him back and get out of here.” He forced himself to smile, took some money out of his wallet, and waved for the waitress.
“Thanks, Dave, see you Sunday?”
“Yep…Sunday.” I stood up and walked over to him. I leaned over him and grabbed him around his neck giving him a big, tight hug. I really meant that hug sincerely and I knew he felt the same way. It’s funny how a small act of affection can go a long way. I never knew what that felt like…it
felt good. He hugged me back and patted me gently on the head with his hand. I knew deep down inside he was a little hurt, but I ignored my guilt, hailed a cab, jumped in, and texted Jonathan.
On my way
Jen
I know this didn’t sit right with Dave, but did someone say STK? I couldn’t resist. The ambiance was so good. It was a little pricey, but it was worth the money, and the filet mignon melted in your mouth.
I arrived at STK and waited for everyone to show up. I sat at the bar and ordered an apple martini. Luckily I was still wearing my dress and looked halfway decent. Deep down inside, I felt a sense of pride, fulfillment, and accomplishment, and I knew my mother would be proud.
I ordered another apple martini as Jonathan strolled in with his clique. One guy was still wearing his graduation cap. How embarrassing! He was also drunk off of his ass. He staggered behind Jonathan as they approached me.
“Congratulations, Jen!” He planted a gentle kiss on my cheek. His breath smelled like rum minus the coke. He almost singed the hairs in my nose. It was strong and you could tell he was hammered a mile away.
“Congrats to you, Jon Jon.” I giggled leaning in to his cheek and kissing him back.
“Jen, this is Rich and that’s Sammy, Mickey, and Natalie.” He slowly turned around to introduce me to his entourage. They were all blasted, and Natalie seemed to be the most befuddled of them all. She held on tightly to the bar stool as Richard grabbed her by the waist and sat her on the stool.
“Nice to meet you all and congratulations.” They all said thank you in sync and then we busted out laughing. We all smiled at one another and then I ordered a cosmopolitan for old time’s sake and in Vivian’s memory.
“Drink up, Jen, the next round is on us.” We lifted our classes and yelled cheers. Richard winked at me, and I laughed on the inside. Sorry buddy, you don’t stand a chance.
We drank and drank and again, I didn’t stop to think, I just kept on drinking. I glanced around the restaurant, suddenly feeling a little light headed.
“May I have a glass of water, please?” I asked the bartender. She nodded her head and walked over to some guys across the bar who were drooling over her perfect frame.
I sat pensively reviewing my day and glancing around the bar. I sipped on the last drop of my cosmo and popped the cherry in my mouth. I still couldn’t believe I graduated from college and my parents weren’t there to share that experience with me…or at least my mother.
I drank most of the water and decided to join in on the conversation my newfound friends were having. We all sat at the bar chitchatting and giggling with the bartender. He was tall and buff and
wore a muscle shirt ten times smaller than his size. He was your typical blue-eyed, blonde haired, gorgeous guy that flirted with every woman that ordered a drink.
But he had one flaw…he was corny as hell; I couldn’t help but laugh at his dry jokes. I also snickered at my inner self, laughing at the fact that for the second biggest event in my life, I’m man-less! As usual, no one can make this stuff up.
The thought of me graduating from college frightened me a little and for a minute I suddenly felt dizzy again and this time I began to sweat. I patted my forehead with the napkin I had near my
drink. Richard was staring me down so intensely, I felt as if he were stripping off my clothes with each drunken wink he gave me. I gave him the ‘
are you serious’ look, and then excused myself,
carefully treading towards the restroom looking down at the floor as I walked. I could hear them laughing at me in the background; at least I thought they were.
The line to the ladies’ room was a mile long. Why is the ladies’ room line always ridiculously long? I really needed to throw cold water on my face, and I didn’t have time to wait in a line. I
glanced over to the men’s restroom, no line…this was my cue to start walking fast. I started walking over to the men’s restroom at top speed and opened and shut the door as quickly as I
could. I opened the faucet, threw cold water on my face, and dried it with a harsh, face stinging, paper towel. I took a deep breath, trying to inhale as the heat from the alcohol continued to
evaporate through my pores. My eyes were bloodshot red and hazel quickly changed to glossy green. I looked like Stevie! I was drunk, and I didn’t like what I saw. You haven’t learned your
lesson about drinking, Jenesis. When will you learn? I peeked out of the door then quickly closed it again. No one’s out there, I uttered softly to myself. You can do this. I opened the door quickly
looking down at the floor; as I was about to make a run for it I slammed into someone who was literally standing right outside in front of the door. My hands landed on his stomach as my forehead
banged against his chest. I pushed up against his rock solid abs and bounced back like a quarter; his abs were tight and strong. He hardly budged, and he held me gently by my arms,
“In a hurry?” I heard him say, but he was quickly phased out by the loud laughter and voices at the bar.
I looked up at him, I had no choice; he was so tall. My eyes followed his body from his broad chest to his heart-shaped lips to his eyes. And then I stood staring as my heart dropped straight to my
core, and my alcohol filled veins rushed with heat…it was him…Mr. Hunter. I instantly froze. Shit! What is he doing here?
My heart raced as I started to breathe fast, and I felt even dizzier. I was taken aback by his tall stature and blinding perfect physique. He wore a beige sweater that clung tightly to his chest and abs. His jeans hugged his hips as he placed his hands in his front pockets. I literally lost my breath.
His radiant blue-green eyes penetrated right through me. I could see my reflection in his eyes, and I saw myself, awakening from my trance, embarrassed and drunk, and I needed to get the hell out
of there…fast. I was speechless, and I glanced away after standing there staring at him for a few seconds in a hypnotized trance. He kept a steady gaze on me not looking away as his seductive
stare swallowed me whole. His lips parted as if he wanted to speak, but he didn’t get a chance to. I was like a bat out of hell and I literally almost pushed him out of the way.
I shamefully continued to walk hastily towards the bar. I could feel him gazing at me from behind. I picked up my purse from the bar counter, shouted out a quick goodbye to the graduates, and walked hurriedly out of the bar. I don’t know why I didn’t stop to speak to him. I wanted to say
something. I wanted to speak, but it was like someone was holding on to my tongue. I guess I was too drunk and didn’t want to say anything senseless. Jonathan quickly followed me,
“Jen, what’s wrong? What happened?” He grabbed me gently by the arm as his expression turned desperate.
“I’ve had enough to drink. I’m just going to go home now.” My body was trembling from the alcohol, and my heart was hammering against my chest.
“I can take you home if you’d like?” His brown eyes were begging me to stay. He held on to my arm as he asked to take me home. I wanted nothing to do with him. I just wanted to run.
“Um…no…that’s okay, thanks, really. I’m working tomorrow.” I smiled politely and shook my head as I stared at his hand that was gripping my arm tightly.
“Tomorrow’s Saturday,” he said harshly. He released my arm from his grip and placed his hands in his front jean pockets. He stared at me intensely hoping and looking for a sign that maybe I’d changed my mind.
I glanced over by the bar and that mouthwatering, gorgeous god was sitting alone. My face blushed as I stared at him deeply, studying his eyes, admiring his mouth as he took a sip from his drink
softly sliding his tongue across his top lip. I thought I would die. My heart galloped as I tried my hardest to hide the heat rising to my face. I looked away then glanced up at Jonathan.
“I have to go. Thank you for sharing this special day with me. Please tell everyone I said goodbye,” I said anxiously, feeling hot and practically panting like a dog. I hugged Jonathan goodbye, and I felt his gaze as he watched me walk away. I wasn’t interested in him, and I didn’t care what he
thought. I know we kissed once in college during a weak moment where I felt depressed and lonely, but that was done and forgotten. I tried to shake
Mr. Hunter off, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to.
I continued to walk away from him quickly, feeling mortified…embarrassed to the core. I thought about Jonathan and how he looked at me. It twisted
my stomach a little. I wasn’t interested in him in the least. I shrugged him off, shaking my head and rolling my eyes.
I slowly slipped into the memory of my encounter with him…Michael…Mr. Hunter, and I wanted to go back and bang my head into his chest again, maybe this time falling to the floor so he could pick me up; so I can press my hands against his strong, tight abs and tippy toe to reach his mouth
and slide my tongue across his heart-shaped lips. The look in his eyes made me melt at a glance. His beautiful eyes…they growled at me, and he looked hungry…hungry for me.
I continued to walk three blocks further down from STK, hailed a cab, and got in. As soon as I opened the door to the cab, the smell of Juniper incense and cheap cigars smacked me in the face.
Ugh! The smell was overwhelming my senses. I cracked the window a little to let some fresh air in. The cab driver was wearing a large turban that sat on his head like a white boa constrictor,
swirling until the very top. His long gray beard flopped over his shoulder as he turned around to ask me where I was headed. He turned on the radio and started snapping his fingers to Eminem
and Rhianna’s, The Monster. He swayed his head back and forth, his turban swaying perfectly to the beat of his head, not the music. I laughed quietly as he snapped his fingers out of sync, missing
every beat. I was amused, but I had enough excitement for one night, and I didn’t give two shits about his dancing turban.
Once in a while he would glance at me through the rear view mirror to catch a glimpse, but I quickly looked away as my thoughts were drifting, reliving my awkward but sensual encounter
with that tall delicious man who literally knocked me off of my feet when I met him in the elevator. I pressed the window button and slowly slid it down some more, looking out, enjoying the city
lights as they lit up the night sky. The cab driver pulled up to my apartment building, and I got out, paid him, and closed the door quickly. I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. I headed upstairs
to my apartment. I grabbed my throw blanket, snuggled up, and dreamt of the man who kept me wanting more.
The sun shimmered through my window leaving a warm shade of gold across my white silk sheets. I rolled over on my stomach, trying to find the perfect position to nestle up and avoid the daylight.
I hesitated to open my eyes. I wasn’t feeling well. My head was throbbing causing my eyes to shut. I finally opened them slowly then, quickly closed them again. The pulsating pain in my head trickled down to my face. I had the worst headache in the world. I didn’t want to get out of bed, and I tried to find solace underneath my pillow instead. I rolled over repeatedly. Oh my God! Is this how my father felt every day?
I got up slowly, reaching out into the empty space in front of me, squinting because of the pain in my head. I walked over to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom,
opening it in a rush and knocking the contents on the floor while searching for an aspirin. As I held the sides of my head, I grabbed two Tylenol, ran the cold water from the sink, and sucked them down using the palm of my hand as a cup. I felt like shit and from what stood in front of the mirror I looked like shit, too. I felt so guilty drinking like that. Why did I do it, again? Why did I have to drink so much? I don’t know, but I did know I didn’t want to end up like my father. That would be the last time I would ever drink a glass of evil again. Sometimes I wondered if I could avoid my DNA. Maybe I’m just programmed like him…no escaping the inherited trait of being a fuck-up and alcoholic. I lay down on the bed crouching into a fetal position. I stood in bed all day and all night thinking about my life and where it was going. I just didn’t know. I didn’t know what to do. I felt so alone, and the night dragged on and on. I wanted to call
Dave, but I didn’t want to hear his, “I can fix all of your problems,” attitude.
CHAPTER 7
The next morning I awoke, and I could still feel a slight throbbing in the back of my head, but of course, it’s because I ended up hitting my head against the night table…again. Thank God today I
had an appointment with the therapist. Between the unwarranted hangover and the concussion I probably have, I’m going to have to see a doctor in the Emergency Room instead.
I looked at the clock and only had a half an hour to get to the appointment. I jumped out of my bed, ran to the closet, grabbed a blue sweatshirt, black sweatpants, and my blue and white Roshe
tennis shoes, then I grabbed my coat, purse and ran out the door. I ran down the stairs slamming right into Dave as he was walking up.
“Shit!” I yelled as bumped into him almost knocking him down the stairs. He held on to the bannister and swung around facing down the stairs.
“What the fuck!” he shouted.
“Dave, I’m sorry, I’m late. I’ll talk to you later!” I shouted.
I hailed a cab, got in, and told the cabby to put his lead foot to work. He sped down the street and I fell back into my seat holding on to the door. I tried to find the seat belt but it was torn out. We
