Authors: S. Briones Lim
The black SUV rolled to a stop in front of Ruthie’s duplex. Celine sighed and turned her head to look at Brian. She was surprised to admit that she actually felt genuinely happy. Sure, a better half of the trip was filled with guilt and trepidation, but after the long drive she felt as if she had reconnected with an old friend.
“Thanks for the ride, Brian,” she said, leaning over and touching his arm. “I have to admit, I was a bit worried about how it would go.”
“Were you afraid of falling for me again?” he joked, though Celine could detect a hint of hope in his tone.
She ignored the observation and shook head. “Shut up, Jerk.” She laughed. “No, I guess sometimes it’s nice to have a hint of your childhood again. Especially when adult life grabs you by the neck and demands change…” She quickly stopped talking. Where did that come from?
Brian grabbed her hand and smiled warmly. “I hate to say goodbye, so I won’t. I know I’ll be seeing you again.”
Celine gulped. “What do you mean?”
With a serious look, Brian answered, “I hate to say this, but I’m sure you’ll have to pick up Ruthie’s pieces sooner or later. Just be prepared for that.”
“Oh…”
“But it was really great to see you, Celine. Congratulations on everything.” Brian’s smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“Drive safe,” Celine replied. She hurriedly jumped out of the car and headed to the back. As she reached for the latch of the trunk, a hand jotted out and stopped her. She yelped in surprise and jumped back.
“Sorry for scaring you!” Brian laughed. “You are still so easy to freak out! That’s what was always fun about you.” He opened the latch and set her luggage down on the floor. “If I’m playing chauffeur I’m doing the job justice. No way I’d let you get your bags by yourself.”
Celine pursed her lips and nodded. “Thanks, but I can take it from here. Great seeing you, Brian.”
Without warning, his arms shot out and grabbed Celine, taking her into a tight bear hug. She blinked and slowly raised her hands to pat his back.
“Bye, Celine,” he whispered into her ear. He abruptly let go and took a step back, eyeing her, his expression unreadable.
She opened her mouth to speak, but decided against it. Instead, she nodded her head one last time and grabbed her bags. Somehow overcoming the intense feeling of being watched, she managed to make it up the front steps and quickly unlocked the front door. She didn’t allow herself to look back until she was in the safety of the foyer. Turning her head, she caught a final glimpse of the SUV driving away. The rising sun cast an orange glow on the roof of the car, adding a dramatic flavor to the scene.
“Goodbye, Brian,” she whispered.
Celine sighed as she made it inside the living room. Despite Ruthie’s uncharacteristic behavior, she found herself greatly missing her best friend. She wanted someone to talk to and confide in. Being stuck in her house alone was the last thing she needed at that moment. She considered calling Noah, but knew she’d only worry him if she called at such an early hour.
Begrudgingly, she entered her room and plopped down on the bed. Even with her lack of sleep, she had no urge to get any shut-eye. She hated to admit it to herself, but a big reason she insisted on moving in with Ruthie before the wedding was because she was scared. She was scared Ruthie was right and everything would change. She loved Noah more than anything and she always dreamt of being his wife, but she also loved the way her life had been going. Having always been fearful of change, the thought of beginning a new chapter was both enthralling and frightening.
She shook her head vigorously. She had to snap out of it. Everyone gets cold feet, right?
Without giving it a second thought she grabbed her phone and began to dial Noah’s number, not caring that he’d probably shit bricks seeing that she was calling at five in the morning. As expected, his answering voice was filled with worry.
“Babe? Are you okay?”
She smiled and felt herself instantly calm at the sound of his voice. “Yes, sorry. I just got home and I couldn’t wait to talk to you.”
He yawned and paused. “Just got home? It’s almost five-thirty!”
“Yeah, it’s a long story,” she sighed. “Want to get breakfast?”
“I have work today,” he replied, groggily.
“Please?”
“Are you okay?” he asked, sounding more awake. “Did something happen?”
“I just really need to talk to someone,” she whispered.
Noah paused. “Fine, I think Greg can handle the restaurant today. It’s been weeks since I’ve taken a day off and it’s about time I took one. I’ll be at your place in an hour.”
“Thanks.”
She hung up the phone and fell back onto her old pale pink sheets. She turned her head and began running her fingers on the threadbare cloth. These were sheets she had owned since she graduated college, but due to sentimentality could never bear to get rid of.
“If I can’t throw away these sheets, how do I expect to change my whole life?” she mumbled to herself. It was only a matter of time before her eyelids drew shut and she drifted off to sleep.
“Celine! Open up!” a loud voice yelled, followed by a loud pounding on the door.
Celine’s eyes snapped open. Sleepily she turned and glanced at her clock. Six-thirty!
“Crap!” Celine stumbled out of bed and ran quickly to the door. As if playing an invisible game of hopscotch, she jumped from foot to foot in attempt to avoid the cold wooden floor. She yanked the door open and was immediately greeted by Noah’s tight embrace.
“You worried the shit out of me!” he exclaimed, never letting go of her.
Celine shut her eyes and pressed her cheek against his chest. Her eyes began to water as she felt the rapid pounding of his heart. “I’m sorry, I must have fallen asleep.” Her fingers dug into his cotton shirt and she inhaled his scent. The musky cologne tickled her nostrils. It was a scent all too familiar. She had gifted him the cologne on their first anniversary and from then on he never switched. The familiarity rushed over Celine and she didn’t want anything else but to stay in his arms forever. For the first time all weekend, she felt safe. She finally felt at home.
***
Noah stretched his muscular arm over Celine’s thin shoulders. The warmth of his arm eased her slight shiver. “I never understood why restaurants insist on blasting their AC system,” Celine muttered, still trembling. Noah leaned over and kissed her temple softly. She instantly relaxed and shifted so that her head rested against Noah’s neck.
They were the couple people usually hated. Squeezed together on one side of the booth, they were the barf-worthy, lovey-dovey type. It was something Celine relished and this day more than others she really needed it.
“Noah?” she said quietly, glancing at the menu. There was no way she would be able to eat. She was still stuffed from French toast.
“Hmm?” he asked, scanning the weathered looking menu.
“What made you decide to marry me?” her voice came out meek. She instantly regretted asking the question, but she knew it would nip away at her if she didn’t.
Noah shut the menu and shifted his body so he could look into her eyes. “So I was right! You did fall in love with Intensity, didn’t you?” A twinkle in his eye told Celine he was only kidding, but the question made her uneasy. Sensing her discomfort Noah sighed, “I was afraid this was going to happen.”
“You were?” Celine asked. Her eyebrows knitted together. Did he know about Brian? Brian was just a friend to her, nothing more.
Noah took a deep breath and shook his head sadly. “I figured moving in with Ruthie was a sign of cold feet.”
“What?” Celine’s mouth dropped open. She turned her body as best she could, given the tight space in the booth. “What are you talking about? Who said I had cold feet?”
Without answering her, he asked, “Do you really want to know why I wanted to marry you?”
Celine nodded weakly. She really did.
“Because I love you.” He grabbed both sides of her face. “I know that answer may be too simple for you, but it’s true. From the day I met you, I knew I wanted to wake up to this face.” He paused and squeezed her cheeks together, eliciting a grin from her. “I knew from the moment we shook hands and exchanged pleasantries that you were meant to be my wife, the mother of my children, and the center of my world. As much as you hate to admit it—I know you do—you’ve always had a bit of self-esteem issues. I don’t know why. To me you’re the most perfect person in the world.”
Celine’s eyes began to tear up. She looked at her hands and tried her best to bite the tears back. Why was she even scared of her life changing? It was going to be changing for the better! Noah was more than she ever deserved.
She looked down at her fingers and bit her lip. Though nothing happened between her and Brian she knew it was only right to tell Noah about him. “I, um…got a ride from an old friend. That’s why I got home at such a weird hour.”
“I meant to ask you about that, but I figured something probably happened between you and Ruthie.” He shook his head. “That’s so strange to me. You never fight.” He cocked his head to the side. “What happened?”
Celine rolled her eyes. “Let’s just say Ruthie’s teenage fantasies are probably coming true as we speak.”
Noah raised his eyebrows. “I don’t even want to ask.” He reached over and placed his arm back around Celine’s slim shoulders. “Who drove you home?”
“Well, our old high school friend, Brian, happened to be Intensity’s manager. He’s the one who gave me a lift.” She attempted to keep her voice light, but couldn’t hold back the slight tremble in her tone. Luckily, Noah didn’t notice.
“Wow! Small world!” he exclaimed, flipping through the plastic menu.
“I know, right?” Celine laughed nervously. She had no idea how Noah would react to her being in a car alone with a strange man for three hours.
“Why’d he drive you home?” Noah narrowed his eyes, but other than that, he didn’t seem the least bit perturbed.
“He didn’t think it was safe for me to be stuck in a car with a stranger. He said he would have better peace of mind if he drove me,” she explained.
“Well, remind me to thank this Brian guy.” Noah smiled and added, “Better tell him to keep an eye on Ruthie while we’re at it.”
Cash walked across the VIP room naked as the day he was born. Ruthie couldn’t help but stare as the muscles in his ass contracted with each step he took. There was no inch of his body that wasn’t toned, firm and muscular. Every assumption and fantasy most of his fans had about his body was true tenfold. Cash Walker was the embodiment of the female fantasy and there he was, in the flesh, just inches away from her fingertips.
Realizing that she was literally drooling, Ruthie tore her eyes away from his physique. It was a hard thing to do, but somehow she managed. A sudden wave of insecurity washed over her and she found herself reaching for her shirt. The leather couch groaned as she practically did a nose dive for her top, which was crumpled in a heap on the floor. If Cash Walker was perfection, he probably expected it back. She knew she was far from it and wanted to cover herself up before Cash realized his mistake.
A hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. “Hey! What are you doing?” Her eyes followed the arm up until she was staring into Cash’s striking baby blue eyes. His grin was blinding.
She gulped, “Um, just getting dressed?”
“The fun’s not over yet!” Cash exclaimed. He sat down and slid his body next to hers. Ruthie cringed, imagining his skin chafing against the cold leather couch.
“It’s not?”
“What do you think of me? A one shot kinda guy?” He laughed. He handed her a bottle of water. “Drink this. You’re going to need to stay hydrated.”
***
“Ruthie, Ruthie, wake up.”
Ruthie blinked her eyes. Her mascara had long since caked, and prying her eyes open was both uncomfortable and difficult, yet somehow she managed to open both eyelids. It took a few seconds for her vision to focus, but once it did she found herself looking into Cash’s eyes. “What time is it?” she asked. She automatically reached for her throat, which felt dry.
“I told you to drink up.” Cash snickered. He reached over and handed her a new bottle.
Ruthie struggled to sit up and noticed that Cash was fully dressed. Her mouth dropped open. She ignored the water bottle dangling in front of her face and pushed her way past Cash. She grabbed her clothes in a feeble attempt to cover herself up. “How long have I been asleep?” She paused, realizing she no longer heard the pounding bass of the music outside.
“Just an hour or so,” Cash said simply. He stepped aside and thrust his hands into his jean pockets. A small smile tickled the corner of his mouth as he watched Ruthie’s desperate attempt to dress herself.
“Come on, man! We have to go!” Jude, the security guard, stuck his head through the curtain, causing Ruthie to yelp and fall backwards. In what had to be the most ungraceful move of her life, she found herself on the ground with her skirt halfway around her ankles. Jude rolled his eyes. “It’s not the first time I walked into—”
Cash raised his hand and glared at his body guard. “We’ll be there in a minute.”
“Fine, but it’s my ass on the line, not yours. Hurry up, you have to get to the airport in a few hours. I don’t want Brian chewing me out again.”
Ruthie’s face burned in embarrassment as she stood up and finally fastened the button on the back of her skirt. “You should have woken me,” she muttered, unable to lift her eyes from the ground.
“Now why would I disturb such a beautiful sight? Why would I waken a beautiful angel from her slumber?” His voice sounded like smooth silk, and if it wasn’t for Ruthie’s embarrassment, she would have probably jumped him all over again.
“You still should have woken me up. First of all, it would have prevented Jude from seeing my bare ass.” She snapped her fingers in the air, unable to hide the irritation brewing inside.
Oblivious, Cash merely shook his head and laughed. “I’m sure it’s not Jude’s first time seeing the female figure.”
“It was his first time seeing mine!” she whined. She smoothed her hair and finished dressing.
Cash walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist. He leaned over and gave her a tiny peck on her ear. “Thanks for last night, Love. I have to say it was the best night I’ve had in a while.”
Once again Ruthie’s face burned. There was no way Cash could have missed the heat emanating from her face. “I had a great time, too…” Her face dropped when she realized this was probably goodbye. “Well…it was fun,” she added weakly.
“I’ll have Brian work out the details with you about next week, okay?” Cash ran his hand through her bedhead, smoothing out the edges.
“What’s next week?” Ruthie blinked. Did she miss something?
“New York!” He laughed. “Wow, I must have really rocked your socks off last night if you forgot such a big thing like that.”
“Well, honestly I didn’t think you’d still want me to go.” Ruthie bit her lip and winced.
“Why not?” Cash asked curiously.
“Well…”
“Because we already slept together.” Cash sighed and nodded his head in understanding. “Did Brian say something to you?”
“What? No.” Ruthie blinked in confusion. “Why would he say something?”
“Never mind,” Cash replied quickly. “Anyway, I said I wanted to take you to New York and I meant it. Did you really think I could get to know you and not want more time with you?” He reached over and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips. “Say you’ll still come.”
Ruthie forced herself to swallow, though her throat still cried out in pain. She blinked in excitement. “Of course I still want to come! I just didn’t know if you still wanted me to go.”
“Don’t go doubting yourself on me,” Cash said. “It’s very unattractive.”
Ruthie’s eyes widened. “Oh! Well…”
“Come on, we both have to go. Got a flight to Atlanta to catch,” he said, ignoring her. “I’ll drive you back to the House of Rock myself. That’s where you left your car, right?”
“Shit!” Ruthie gasped. She shut her eyes and rubbed her temple. If her car was towed she’d never forgive herself.
***
The sun blinded Ruthie as she and Cash walked to her red convertible. To Ruthie’s relief, she hadn’t been towed though she had good reason to believe that it wasn’t by luck; rather Cash had something to do with it.
“Drive safe,” Cash said. He pushed her against the side of the car and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.
Though her heart did a little flop, she couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Why wouldn’t he kiss her on the lips? Shameful that she had turned into an insecure school girl once again, she did her best to smile. “I’ll see you next week. Have a safe flight.”
His hand wandered down to hers and he gave it a slight squeeze. He quickly turned and began walking towards his burly bodyguard, who began yelling, “Come on, man! Let’s go!”
Ruthie gaped after him, taking in the sight of his perfectly tailored jeans and sexy, messed hair. With a deep breath, she sighed and turned to unlock her car. She needed to call Celine and dish about the previous night’s events. She was bursting at the seams and desperately needed to vent, scream, squeal and most of all, she just needed to hear her best friend’s voice. She grabbed the tan covered phone and stared at the smudged screen. With her thumb, she wiped away a gunk of beige foundation that covered the earpiece. She couldn’t explain it, but as much as she needed to talk to Celine, she couldn’t bring herself to call her. Ruthie quickly stashed her phone away in the cup holder and started her car. She took one last look at the building before driving away.
The two hour drive home flew by in a blur. Ruthie took each exit, each turn, and each stoplight on auto-pilot. Before she knew it, she found herself pulling up to her parking space. Still gripping onto the wheel, she took a deep breath. With her car still running, she sat in the seat, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. There was a heavy feeling settling in her gut—one she couldn’t shake. She began to wonder if it was shame, but she knew deep down it wasn’t. Sure, she was never one to have sex on the first date (not that what she and Cash had was a date), but doing so didn’t make her a bad person, did it?
Realizing that she was actually afraid of confronting Celine, she psyched herself up enough to leave her car. Like ripping off a Band-Aid, Ruthie ran to her front door and quickly unlocked it.
“Celine?” she called out.
Nothing.
“Celine?”
Silence.
“After all that and she’s not home?” she muttered to herself. Like a pound of bricks, she felt her stomach drop. “She’s not home?”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, swiftly dialing her friend’s number.
“Answer. Please answer,” she chanted to herself. She felt stupid for worrying, but she couldn’t shake the bad feeling. Brian was an old friend. He wouldn’t have done anything to hurt Celine, right?
“Hello?” Celine’s high pitched voice answered.
“Oh, thank God!” Ruthie breathed. “I’m glad you’re okay!”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Celine asked in confusion.
“Well, you weren’t at home…”
“My luggage is there,” Celine replied in a cold tone. After a brief pause, she took a deep breath and added, “Sorry to worry you.”
“It’s fine,” Ruthie said quietly. “Where are you?”
“Having breakfast with Noah.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Why are you so surprised?”
There was an awkward pause, which both women found strange. They never had awkward pauses. Ruthie was the first to break it. “Can I talk to you when you get home? I just really need to vent a bit.”
Celine sighed. “Of course. That’s what I’m here for.”
“Okay,” Ruthie replied with relief.
“I’ll see you later.”
Celine hung up abruptly, but Ruthie decided to ignore it. The important thing was that she was okay and she was with Noah! All her worry about Brian was for nothing.
***
Later that afternoon, Celine walked into the apartment. It was eerily quiet, with no sign of life or energy. As if worried to wake a sleeping baby, she tip-toed through the living room.
“What are you doing?” Ruthie called out from the kitchen. She lifted an eyebrow as she watched her best friend sneak into the apartment.
With a yelp, Celine spun around and grabbed at her graphic tee. It was one of those silly shirts with a cereal brand logo plastered on the front. The bunny on front looked ridiculous as her chest heaved up and down. “You scared me!” she gasped.
“What are you doing?” Ruthie repeated. She shook her head in amusement and walked into the living room. She sat down on her white couch, sinking into the fluffy cushions and placed two steaming cups of cocoa on her coffee table. “You’re just in time.”
“Is this an inquisition?” Celine asked, walking over to the couch. In an attempt to create an aura of normalcy, she plopped down beside Ruthie and placed her feet on the table.
Ruthie laughed, feeling her muscles relax. She had no idea why she was so nervous to see Celine, but as she eyed her friend she knew she had nothing to worry about. With a grin Ruthie replied, “No, just a show and tell.”
“Ew.” Celine made a face and reached out to grab the mug. “You don’t have like a souvenir condom or anything, do you?”
Ruthie’s mouth dropped. “If you weren’t holding a cup of cocoa while sitting on my white couch, I would so hit you right now.” For the first time since the past Friday, Celine felt herself let out a genuine laugh. Ruthie, however, frowned. “Celine, are you mad at me?”
Celine blinked in surprise and hurriedly placed the mug back on the table, afraid she’d drop it. “What? No! Where would you get an idea like that?” she asked, though she knew exactly why.
“Well, you are acting a bit strange…”
Celine shook her head. “I guess just meeting Intensity and seeing Brian was way too much for me. Not to mention I was worried for your well-being.”
“You don’t think I can handle Cash?”
“It’s not that I don’t think you can handle him—wait, why are we talking present tense?” Celine eyed Ruthie carefully.
“Well…” Ruthie’s voice trailed off.
“Spill it, bitch.” Celine raised an eyebrow as she retrieved the mug of cocoa from the table. She had a feeling she’d need something to cover her face. Having always been a person to wear her heart on her sleeves, she wasn’t the best at keeping her facial expressions in check.
“He invited me to New York next week!”
“Wow!” Celine exclaimed flatly. “That’s something.”
Ruthie’s face fell at Celine’s obvious lack of enthusiasm. “Aren’t you excited for me?”
“It’s not that! It’s just that he’s a celebrity…”
“So, automatically he wouldn’t be into me?” Ruthie crossed her arms. She attempted to act angry, but failed miserably. A look of hurt flashed over her face.
“No! It’s not that!” Celine repeated.