The Eternity that Follows

by Diane Marie

  The girls had planned to go to Cascades for a night out on the deck that overlooked Lake Mandala. All the girls gathered at Danielle’s house for a drink before they went out. Danielle had invited the girls over to put her husband at ease that she would be out with close girl friends. She wouldn’t let that on to anyone other then Gabriella though. The other girls simply thought she was being hospitable. They all had an apple martini, made by Danielle’s husband Shawn, a close friend of Gabriella’s. “So who’s excited for our ladies night?” Sara asked, after they all toasted to a fabulous night.

  “Another night in this town what’s to be excited about?” Gabriella said, wanting to open the door to all her friend comments on her love life right away.

  “Oh come on now, I never come out. That’s something to be excited about.” Danielle said.

  “I’m excited about that, I barely get to see you Mrs. Concord.” Jemma noted.

  “Yes being married is lovely, but a night with your ladies is what it’s all about.” Danielle remarked.

  The group was silent for a moment. Gabriella thought, ‘try telling that to these girls’, but soon realized the rebuttal in that remark, considering she was the one that said she wasn’t excited for the night out.

  “Well Gabriella isn’t excited for a ladies night out, but if she had a man, she’d be dying to get away.” Josephine said.

  “Oh come on now, I didn’t say I wasn’t excited for a night with my girls. I merely meant I’m sick of going out in Mandala, that’s all.” “Yeah but you need a night out with a boy. I mean isn’t that what they’re on your case about? I on the other hand have just broken up with my new boyfriend, and can tell you all that guys just simply suck.” Sara said.

  “Oh no you did? Why? You never even said anything.” Gabriella said, not surprised while keeping the delight of ‘I knew it’ from her tongue.

  “He was mad about ladies night, but come on that’s ridiculous.” “Oh.” Came from the clatter of girls.

  Finished with their martinis, and better left with things unsaid, the girls took their purses to head for Cascades. Gabriella drove in the car with Sara, and pursued the issue further. “So yeah, that was wrong of him to give you a problem about going out with your girls. I’d want to dump him too.” “Oh I wasn’t that into him anyway. I just can’t stand to be with a guy that tells a girl what to do, where to go, blah, blah, blah. He just wasn’t the one.”

  With Sara singing along to the radio, not in the mood to talk about her current break up, Gabriella had time to think. She would have liked to say ‘well if he wasn’t the one, didn’t you know that at first? Why would you want to be with him?’ But then Gabriella knew the answer would be, ‘well you never know you have to give boys a try’ conversation, which Gabriella had many times before with many of her friends. To which Gabriella would have been stuck in her endless hope of having someone to understand, and still be left to wonder, ‘well why would you have sex with him if you weren’t sure he was the one’. That was something she just couldn’t possibly say to any of her friends! She was the one with the outside view of pre material relationships, and they weren’t.

  When the girls arrived at Cascadess's they went straight to an open spot at the bar on the deck. They were waiting for the bartenders attention while Sarah told a funny joke, all the girls were laughing, and having a good time. Watching the entrance or rather the exit as she normally did, Gabriella’s heart started to pound. A man had walked into the bar, catching Gabriella’s eye in an instant as she gasped inside, “Oh my goodness I can’t believe he exists.” In that same second her eye caught his, his eye caught hers. He was in love at first sight, he doubted that even existed.

  There she was his dream girl, a smirk caught his face as he swore to himself he had dreamed of her before. He turned to his friend, and for the first time in his life, joy took a hold of him. He mouthed out,

  “I think I’ve spent forever lives with that girl before.”

  “Joey speak up. What are you mumbling about now? And why do you look so.” And Joey’s friend Josh was stumped for his own thought, “wow that girl is really hot.” Josh said, not allowing his jaw to drop down. Gabriella’s eye caught Josh’s, and she smiled politely. She then looked back to Joey uninterestedly as she turned her head, brushing her hair behind her shoulders. Gabriella was being her usual flirting, teasing self.

  Joey caught her dismissal, and her teasing attitude. He knew he was good looking, and had the desire of most girls. He also knew what she had felt just moments before.

  “Who her?” Joey asked, shrugging in her direction, “Yeah she’s okay. Let’s get out of this place. It’s dead.”

  And just like that Gabriella’s dream man walked out. She was pretending not to notice him, and didn’t make any effort to point out to her friends, she had just seen the most mysterious, dreamy man ever. She’d even go as for as saying he was handsome, and she only reserved that description for the men in movies.

  And a man he was, she didn’t think so cause he looked old in age or anything remote to that, she thought so cause of his mystique. He was tall, dark and handsome, a downfall to guards that blocked Gabriella’s heart. He was dressed as though he just got off working late on a Friday night, with timberland work boots, a pair of old faded jeans, and a dirty worked in tee shirt. Gabriella thought he was dressed as though he wanted people to pick up on the fact that he was working ruggedly hard that day.

  Gabriella figured he was out to find some women for the night. A man like that was usually out for one thing, and one thing only. She found out in her time playing at the bars, the hotter the man was, the higher the sexual number he held. Though Gabriella wasn’t into the random sexual scene anymore, a man like that could run through her fantasies, bringing on her wild side, and taming it at once. All would be well if a man like that stuck around after the fantasy played its desire.

  He was tall, about half an inch above six feet, he was dark, probably mostly Italian, and he was handsome. His eyes that had caught hers were mysterious, but with a warm, seductive and kind look. Although he looked kind and gentle, he also looked like a man with a hot temper, a man that would be territorial. He had a cute nose, a chiseled jaw line, and a smile that lit up the room but he also had a smirk, a smirk that said, ‘I could have any girl I’ve ever wanted.’

  Gabriella hoped he hadn’t caught her noticing him. He was everything a woman could want in a man, Gabriella would think or was he just the kind of man Gabriella noticed? Her friends hadn’t seemed to swoon over the kid at all. Oh and his physique, Gabriella caught herself day dreaming, why did she always fall for the tall, lean muscle type when she herself was so curvy and plump?

  Reality brought Gabriella back down to life,

  “Gab what do you think?” Sara asked, handing over her to drink to her.

  Oh why reality Gabriella complained to herself when daydreaming had come to an abrupt halt.

  “About what? I wasn’t paying attention at all the hottest boy just walked in and right out”

  “That’s just like you Gab” Jemma said, condescending Gabriella. “What do you think about.” Sarah chimed in, noticing the hostility that might erupt between the two.

  “Going to the club next Saturday, you down or what?” “Oh most definitely, sounds hot.”

  Gabriella at most was shocked her friend wanted to get out of the town. Unnoticed to her, Jemma had spotted the boy who had Gabriella streaming wild with fantasy. Jemma knew him all to well, and wanted to keep this boy far from Gabriella, as it was her idea to go to the club.

  “Why did we just leave that bar? The girls in there were on fire, definitely girls worth hanging around, and spending a few bucks on.” Josh said, angrily that Joey absentmindedly was only thinking of himself, and his own needs again.

  “I don’t have money to spend on any girls, and you do?” “Well no, but” Josh said, while Joey smirked over getting what he wanted, shutting Josh up quickly, he hated to argue. Why was his heart still raci
ng? And how was he going to get this girl?

  Joey drove onto his destination as Josh was unaware where they were going. He caught himself thinking about someone else’s care other than his own. He already cared for this girl he had seen for a brief moment, that was clear to him. He didn’t wait around to be introduced or for a conversation to flare up though, one night was probably all he could offer her. Though Joey recognized he used to hang out with one of her friends, and he knew there were mutual people in the bar they both must of know, the truth was, he he wasn’t ready for anything serious. His years of settling were down the road, miles into the future. For now, all he had time for was his business that he started up less than two years ago.

  Joey drove on remembering his goals and dreams in life, and tonight what he had seen certainly fit into his dreams. He wanted a wife and kids, and what he wanted was his wife to cook, clean, and care for his babies. He needed to get his money together, and his job called for long hours he couldn’t devote to nights with the same girl, even if she was the right woman. If they were to have met tonight it would have meant love wasn’t in the cards for them, and he would have brought her home, slept with her, and left her for dead for all he cared. He did care, he was realizing more, and more as he drove on.

  He planned inside the bar that he would give her a wild ride instead, a chase. He knew that women liked mysterious men. That always got him to hit his mark, often setting up challenges for himself to bring a lady home. Giving them glimpses of himself, flashing his irresistible smile, and when the time was right, bring them home, bang them, and leave it at just that. His ways of course set him up for the guilt of countless heartaches and he had stalkers to high end. He felt differently about this girl though, the girl he had just courted with one glimpse of the eye. Something was different about this girl to him, she looked almost untouchable. So for the time being, he’d get himself on her mind, and the eye he caught tonight would be waiting on him forever. He’d make her want him more and more everytime their eyes met. In his dream world, his interest would draw close, and he too would want a lifetime of forever, with his dream girl.

  Joey felt he had work to do. He had to find out who she was, find out all he could, find out if there was a man in her life that stood in his way.

  “Oh here again man? I thought we wanted a night out?” Josh said, when he realized where Joey had driven them to. “Yeah, we did but I want to relax and kick back a few. I worked today, I’m tired. What did you do?”

  “Wash” Josh said, plainly.

  Joey laughed to himself as he clicked the remote to his silver Saleen Mustang. He was thinking about his friend who did nothing for work, and still lived at home with his mama Joey thought to himself, ‘damn I got to get this business going and give this dweeb a job.”

  Joey and Josh walked into their friend Gavin’s house. Joey grabbed a beer from the kitchen, and then sat down on the couch. Gavin was a popular man. He was a few years older then Joey, thick with muscle. He spent most of his weekday night’s at the gym, lifting weights and working out his abs. He had dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, and he was a good-looking man. He and Joey had encountered great times at the bar picking up woman and partying with them, but those days were long gone. Gavin lived with his wife Sadie, in their small home just the town over from Mandala. It was Gavin’s hometown and Joey’s as well.

  Candlewood was a historical town back from the time of the French and Indian war. Joey often realized, if it wasn’t for the slaughtering of Native Americans, he wouldn’t even exist and certainly not in America. He was mainly of Italian decent but he had a little Norwegian, Native American, and African decent in his blood line. He often thought, if America had not been shaped historically the way it had been, people in his blood line would never have existed. If America was left for the Native Americans and immigrants never migrated to it, the ancestors in Joey’s bloodline may never have met and reproduced. He also sometimes thought that if slavery didn’t exist there wouldn’t be Africans in America either. That didn’t fit into his theory for not existing himself, his African blood had come from, a great, great, great match of grandparents that were from Sicily and Northern Africa. Two of Joey’s great grandparents had lived in Italy before meeting in the United States, one being of Sicilian blood and the other being from Naples. He often questioned if they even would have met over in Italy rather than in America. When Joey added his Norwegian decent, and his Native American descent into the picture, he was sure he would never have been born if the promise land was never founded.

  That type of thinking always boggled Joey’s mind and made his existence feel warranted, like he had a purpose. Of course living in a population such as America, with such a cultural mix of genes, the philosophy of his didn’t always make him feel of importance.

  Lost in his thoughts, Joey was interrupted by Josh, “oh my God Gavin, you should have seen her. She was the cutest, sexiest thing in the world.”

  “I’m sure she was just that.” Gavin replied.

  “Really though this girl is a reason to get you out to the bar again, trust me.”

  “You know that Sadie and I are very happy together, and no girl is bringing me to the bar.”

  “No man I just meant to see her, that’s all. She’s worth the look.” “Well find her on Facebook and let me see”

  Joey’s heart was pounding. He hadn’t let on to Josh he was interested in this girl at all. As she was brought up in conversation, Joey was reminded of his soon to be prized, possession. He didn’t want to be rude in her honor, and joined into the conversation with a tee bit of excitement, still not letting on how eager the idea of looking her up on Facebook made him.

  “Yeah look her up. She was a hottie.” Joey said.

  “I thought she was all right.” Josh teased.

  “Yeah well, all girls are all right. You know me, I’d give any girl the chance for a night with me.” Joey said, half joking. “All girls?” Josh started with Joey, “you think that girl is easy to get? We must not have been seeing the same girl, and I know plenty of girls that have shot you down before.”

  “Yeah one’s that have boyfriends or those that have heard of my reputation, maybe, but me getting shot down? When?” “Well for starters that one girl last fall that.” Josh said, and then he was interrupted by Gavin.

  “Ok who cares what girl’s Joey can and cannot get. I don’t want to sit here and listen to the endless amount of girls that have shot him down. I’ve witnessed that experience with him as well.” “Whatever, fine. Maybe I haven’t always been able to get the girl to come home with me, but whatever man, just look the girl up.” Joey’s said, as his ego had been hit hard. He was now wondering if he had any chance with this girl at all.

  “Yo we don’t even know her name, how am I suppose to look her up?” Josh asked.

  “Are you friends with Jemma on Facebook?” Joey asked, feeling hopeful.

  “Jemma? Really Jemma, that slut from the party two winters ago? The one that slept with three guys in one night? That Jemma?” Josh questioned.

  It was a thought that Joey couldn’t shake from his head from the moment after he first saw the girl of his dreams, when he noticed that she was a friend of Jemma’s. Jemma had a wellknown reputation of being, well being a slut. Seeing that his dream girl was a friend of hers, Joey feared, she too had the same reputation. He may have had his fair share of women, but he was selective in the women he took home. His time with them may have been brief, but he mostly made love to women, sometimes sleeping with them for his own pleasure. Love making though was his forte, only doing so for the practice of the woman he wanted to spend his life with. His sexual number wasn’t as bad as his reputation preceded. He got the reputation from the bad mouthing of the girls in Mandala he brought home the year he turned twentyone. He also had a bad reputation from the girls in his hometown who grew jealous when he shot them down. Joey always heard made up rumor about himself from friends of the girls who he turned down afterwards. He could thoug
h be a kept man though, having serious relationships starting in high school, though, he hadn’t held a steady girlfriend in over a year and a half. The truth was, he didn’t want one. He wasn’t out to use the girls’ he slept with it. It was just that when he saw something he liked, he wanted it.

  “Yes that Jemma” Joey finally said.

  “Why Jemma?” Josh asked, stumped.

  “Are you an idiot? Maybe because Jemma was standing right next to the girl.”.

  “Oh man. We got trouble on our hands if Jemma’s friends with this girl.” Gavin said, decididing to join the conversation. “I’ve had my fair time with Jemma, we went out for about a month, great sex but the arrogant woman is a slut, she cheated on me with three other guys.” Gavin said, while his face was growing red. “Yeah bro, I know how hard you fell for Jemma. She’s beautiful all over on the outside but her insides are creepy.” Joey spoke up, putting an end to a horrible scenario that Gavin had experienced. “Josh just go to Jemma’s page and look through her friends.” Joey ordered.

  “Yes boss sir” Josh said, half serious.

  After Cascades, the girls decided to go to Starfall. Starfall was their home bar, it was home base for them. Any of the girls could walk in there any night of the week by themselves, and know at least three locals. It was the sort of place you didn’t need a posse to feel in place. Gabriella was excited for the bar hop that was Jemma’s idea. Jemma didn’t want Joey walking back into Cascades, and whisking Gabriella away. She swore in her heart, she was only protecting her. The truth was, Joey had turned Jemma down for sex one night last summer, at a party they both attended. Jemma was sure Joey was going to be there, and purposely didn’t invite Gabriella along. Jemma had her eye on Joey herself, and knew he would prefer Gabriella. Gabriella hadn’t even known that Joey existed. At this point, Gabriella didn’t even know his name. She was sort of, somewhat in her heart hoping, he would be at Starfall.