Intensity

by S. Briones Lim

  “All I want is your satisfaction…”

  Grimacing at her Intensity ringtone, Celine grabbed for her phone. “Finally she calls,” Celine muttered. Without even checking to see who was calling, she swiped the phone on. “Hello?”

  “Thank God.”

  Definitely not Ruthie’s voice.

  “I didn’t think you’d answer my call.”

  Celine cleared her throat. “Brian, how did you get my number?” Her eyes narrowed angrily. “Did Ruthie give it to you?”

  “What? Ruthie? No, I haven’t even seen her or Cash since last night.”

  “How’d you get my number then?” she asked in an almost accusatory tone.

  “I have my ways,” he replied quietly.

  “That’s right, all you have to do is namedrop, right?” she replied with exasperation.

  “Celine, are we okay? I told you last night that I never alluded to anything with Cash. He asked me how I even knew you were in town and I told him what happened. You have to believe me.”

  Celine did believe him, but that didn’t make things better. “I just don’t get why you would even say anything to Cash. I thought you hated him.”

  “I do…I mean I did…I mean…” he stammered.

  “What do you mean, Brian?” Celine snapped.

  “He’s a client. He pays my bills. I have no choice but to get along with him.”

  “Whatever,” she muttered.

  There was a slight pause before Brian cleared his throat. “Celine…are we okay?”

  “Brian, there isn’t even a ‘we’ to be okay about!” Celine reminded him.

  “I mean as friends,” he clarified.

  “Oh.” Cue the face palming moment. Celine’s insides turned horrifically. “Um, yeah. “ She sighed and eyed a photo of her and Noah, which was hung above the television set. “We’re fine, Brian. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

  “Prove it.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Prove it.” He challenged. “I know you’re as passive aggressive as they come.”

  Celine’s mouth dropped open. “No, I’m not!”

  He ignored her and repeated, “So prove it! I’ll be back in L.A. in two weeks. Come to my housewarming party. If you do, I know we’re still friends, but if you don’t…”

  “Are you fucking serious?” Celine laughed.

  “Just come. Please?” Brian was practically pleading.

  Shutting her eyes, she exhaled loudly. “Fine,” she ground out.

  “Perfect! I’ll text you the address.”

  “Fine,” she repeated.

  “Celine?”

  “Yeah?” she asked meekly.

  “You looked beautiful last night.”

  Celine quickly hung up the call, without responding. At that moment Noah walked in through the front door whistling. “Brought you some food, my dear!”

  Celine quickly threw her phone against the far end of the couch like a hot potato. “Great, I’m hungry!” Her voice cracked audibly.

  Noah smirked. “You okay?” He eyed the phone at the other end of the couch and frowned. “Did you finally talk to Ruthie?”

  “What?” Celine’s eyes darted down to her phone. “Oh, no. No, I didn’t.”

  Oblivious to the guilt that was pounding in his fiancée’s chest, Noah opened up some containers and placed them on the coffee table. “Eat up! I made them myself.”

  “What is it?” Celine asked, nose scrunching up.

  “Poke.”

  “Did you cook Pikachu?” she weakly joked.

  “It’s fish! Raw tuna. Now eat!” Noah laughed.

  While Noah dug into his meal, Celine did nothing but stab into the pink colored clumps. Trying her hardest to push Brian from her mind, she thought about her best friend. She desperately needed her advice but was afraid that things would still be weird between them.

  “Ruthie should be home by now,” she commented flatly.

  “You sure you don’t want to call her?” Noah asked with a full mouth.

  Celine gently pushed her food aside and picked up the remote control. She flipped the channels and didn’t answer.

  Noah chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling in amusement. “You know people usually channel surf during commercials, not actual shows.”

  She lowered her hand and dropped the remote. “Sorry, my mind’s just…”

  “On Ruthie?” Noah leaned over and kissed her temple.

  “Yeah…” Celine silently cringed.

  ***

  The day flew by and soon night blanketed over the bustling city of Los Angeles. Celine and Noah were sprawled over the couch, attempting to have a great night together. Pizza boxes littered the coffee table, greasy but smelling wonderful. Soda cans and bottles of water were also scattered everywhere. Celine always loved nights like these. Simple without all the fuss. However, like earlier, she found she couldn’t even enjoy her favorite food! And it was all because of Ruthie.

  Celine shifted and crossed her legs on the couch. She was wearing thick knitted leggings, which Noah always poked fun at. That night he chose not to, sensing that Celine really wasn’t in a joking mood.

  “I think you should call her,” Noah said seriously. He grabbed the remote and switched off the TV. As if not noticing the blank screen, Celine remained fixated on it and sat silently. Noah frowned worriedly. In a firm tone he insisted, “Celine, call her. Now.”

  Taking a deep breath, Celine finally moved, cocking her head to the side. Her messy half pony-tail flopped around her head. “No.”

  Noah knew whatever happened in New York had to be bad. Unfortunately, Celine wasn’t opening up about it, which was weird in itself.

  “All right, you leave me no choice,” Noah said, rising from the seat. Frowning, Celine watched his muscular body retreat into the bedroom, only to come out gripping her cell phone.

  “No!” she cried in horror. She stood on top of the couch and launched herself like a human projectile. She wasn’t quick enough. Noah dodged her flying body just as she was about to make impact. She fell on top of their center rug and winced when her hip hit the floor.

  “Really?” Noah snorted. He shook his head and dialed Ruthie’s number. Celine jumped up from the floor and attempted to grab the phone from his hand. Once again her height worked against her and she found herself cursing her unfortunate genes.

  Giving up, Celine had no choice but to stand with her arms crossed over her chest, waiting for whatever was about to happen. “She’s not going to answer,” she said, sounding like a five-year-old.

  Noah rolled his eyes and listened as the phone continued ringing. In all his years with his fiancée, Celine and Ruthie never skipped one day speaking to each other. He knew he had to fix whatever was going on between them. He made her a promise and he wasn’t about to break it. Unfortunately, his confidence soon began to fade as the rings continued. To his relief, he heard Ruthie’s voice finally answer. “Hello?” she answered hesitantly.

  Noah abruptly shoved the phone into Celine’s face. As much as Celine didn’t want to talk to Ruthie, she knew she could never bring herself to hang up on her. Scowling at Noah, she grabbed the phone and stomped back into their bedroom, slamming the door shut.

  “Hello?” Ruthie asked again.

  “Hi,” Celine said quietly.

  Both women remained silent. Celine listened to the sound of her friend’s breaths and couldn’t help but feel a bit ridiculous. She needed to grow up and stop acting like a hurt child. Inhaling deeply, Celine finally broke the silence. “I…uh…just wanted to let you know that I’ll be staying with Noah for the week.”

  Silence.

  Celine cleared her throat. “Ruthie? You still there?”

  “Why are you staying with him? Are you really that mad at me?” Ruthie asked quietly.

  Celine couldn’t figure out if Ruthie was on the verge of tears or just that furious with her. “No. I just wanted some time with my fiancé,” she lied. “Nothing wrong with that, right?”
>
  Silence.

  Celine was getting really sick of the third degree. What she couldn’t have known was that Ruthie was equally suffering along with her.

  “Is dress shopping still on Saturday?” Ruthie asked.

  “Yeah, you coming?” Celine snapped rather harshly.

  Ruthie blinked. She felt around for the nearest chair and plopped backwards without looking. “You’re mad because I missed the conference, aren’t you? I told you I’m sorry!”

  “It’s not that!” Celine replied in irritation.

  “Then what is it?” Ruthie hissed.

  “I’ve known you for years, Ruthie, and yet you won’t listen to me! I’m your best friend, but no, what I think doesn’t matter to you. Do you know how much it hurts to think you consistently pick Cash Walker over me? I’m trying to save you from heartache and you keep blowing me off for him!”

  “When did I blow you off?” Ruthie asked angrily.

  “Uh, let’s see. You mentioned the writer’s conference and oh, there was that one time you were sloppy drunk and I tried to save your ass, but your boyfriend ended up making a fool out of me!”

  Ruthie was so angry that she couldn’t even dwell on the fact that Celine called Cash her boyfriend. “He spoke the truth! He was merely stating that Brian spent the night, or did you think I was too drunk to remember that? Oh! And don’t forget you were the one that ditched me first!”

  “You better get your facts straight because that is not true!” Celine tried her hardest to maintain an even tone, but her voice involuntarily rose an octave.

  “Oh, is it not? Don’t you remember lying about having a deadline so you could leave because of who else? Brian! Then you ended up getting driven home by him anyway!”

  “You know I didn’t want that to happen!” Celine shot back.

  “But you didn’t stop it!” Ruthie sputtered.

  Both women paused, feeling out of breath. Neither could recall a time when they were ever this mad at one another.

  Celine sighed. “Look, I don’t want to fight with you—”

  “I don’t either,” Ruthie interrupted.

  Celine nodded, despite knowing Ruthie couldn’t see her. “I think it’s best to take this week away from each other. Cool off and just let things get back to normal.”

  “Fine.”

  Rolling her eyes, Celine said, “See you in a week.”

  What Celine really wanted to say was ‘Talk to you in a week.’ She had the distinct feeling she would not hear from her friend until she was forced to meet with her.

  Chapter 36

  Ruthie ran down the sidewalks of Pasadena in a hurry. She gripped two cups of coffee—her usual Skinny Macchiato and Celine’s Caramel Latte—a peace offering. It had been a full week since she had last seen her best friend. She desperately needed something to get back into Celine’s good graces.

  To Ruthie’s surprise and relief, she and Celine continued to talk during their week apart. Sure, it was all through text messaging and IM’s, but nevertheless it was something. Dress shopping would be the first time they came face to face and Ruthie was sweating bullets. Fortunately, Celine’s mother and sister would be there. As much as Ruthie didn’t like Melissa at least she’d be somewhat of a buffer between them.

  A tiny bell clinked against the glass door, announcing Ruthie’s arrival. She stepped inside and gazed around. The store was painted all white with little accents of peach and light blue. Despite the concrete flooring, the store looked quite fancy. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, further accented by thin white curtains, which bordered the fitting rooms. Simple Celine would never have chosen such a ritzy boutique and Ruthie was willing to bet it was her sister’s doing.

  The bell rang again, announcing more clientele. Ruthie took a step to the side and looked behind her. She gulped, spotting Celine’s petite figure walking through the door. Two dark circles lined her eyes and somehow she looked even tinier than she had a week prior. Ruthie couldn’t help but wonder if Celine was getting sleep. Celine spotted her simultaneously and slowed her walk. Melissa scooted in from behind her and gave the pair a curious look.

  “Ruthie!” Mrs. Fabre entered the door and immediately threw her arms around her. “I haven’t seen you in so long! How are you?” The woman didn’t stand taller than four-foot eleven, but still managed to have a personality bigger than the whole room.

  “Hi, Mrs. Fabre,” Ruthie said. She somehow managed to give her a hug while not spilling her two cups of coffee. “How are you?”

  Celine’s mother released her hold and stepped back. She frowned at Celine and gestured towards Ruthie. “So, how’s it been going living together?”

  “Peachy,” Celine responded with no emotion in her voice.

  Ruthie forced a smile and held out her cup. “Caramel Latte. Not as good—”

  “As the ones I make,” Celine finished. She took the cup into her hand, smiling hesitantly. Quietly, she said, “Thanks for coming.”

  Ruthie felt her eyebrows scrunched together. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  Celine snorted, but didn’t answer. Instead, she walked up to the desk and checked in.

  “Welcome, ladies,” a tiny blonde greeted the party. “My name is Samantha and I’ll be helping you today.” She gazed around with a fake smile on her face. Despite the Joker-looking grin, the girl was effortlessly beautiful. Celine fidgeted uneasily, feeling rather self-conscious. She couldn’t imagine undressing in front of the Gabrielle Wilde lookalike.

  “Who’s the bride?” the girl asked.

  Celine didn’t answer. Melissa rolled her eyes and grabbed Celine’s wrist, raising her arm in the air. “My sister, who has been rendered catatonic.”

  Celine rolled her eyes, but smiled softly. “Yeah, that’s me.”

  “Wonderful! Is there a certain type of dress you want?” the girl asked, scribbling away on a notepad. “Any specific silhouette?”

  “Erm…I want a strapless one? That’s about it,” Celine responded. She hated dressing up and even her own wedding wouldn’t change that.

  Samantha nodded. “Tell you what, why don’t you all look around and pull things you like. I’ll take into account the styles and price range and we can go from there?”

  The women rose from their seats and began making their way around the small boutique. Melissa grabbed her mom away, ushering her over to a section of conservative dresses. Celine and Ruthie found their way towards the racks which hung the dresses with a more modern feel.

  Celine brushed her hands over the sea of white, feeling the lace, chiffon and taffeta material. She knew she should be feeling excited about the experience, but she still felt a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. She sipped on her coffee and wandered around aimlessly. Ruthie trailed behind her.

  After a few minutes of silence, Ruthie sighed. “Celine? Can we stop this already? We’re too old for this.”

  Pursing her lips together, Celine spun on her heel and gazed up at her friend. “I’m not trying to prolong this. I’m sorry, but I can’t pretend everything is okay when it’s obviously not.”

  “But why isn’t it okay? What happened between us?” Ruthie looked around, making sure Celine’s family was out of earshot. She leaned over and whispered, “It’s ridiculous to think a guy could come between us! We’re too strong for this shit.”

  “There’s not a guy coming in between us,” Celine pointed out.

  “There is! I mean there are.”

  Celine raised an eyebrow. “You’re talking crazy.”

  “Cash and Brian?” Ruthie snorted. “Things have been weird since they came into our lives, or rather, back into our lives.”

  “What do you expect?” Celine asked. “I’m trying to look out for you, but you keep brushing me off like I don’t mean anything to you! You can’t expect me to act like I’m okay with that.”

  “Haven’t you noticed that I’m looking out for you, too? I keep warning you about Brian, but it’s like you’re not taking into account my
observations.”

  “Because there’s nothing to worry about,” Celine pointed out. “Once again, might I remind you the same thing you told me before? He’s our friend.”

  “Fine, I’ll bite. But you have to know that there’s nothing to worry about Cash, either!” Ruthie insisted. She threw her head back and shut her eyes. “You know what? I know exactly what’s going on.”

  “And what’s that?” Celine asked with disinterest.

  “We’re both worried about each other and don’t know exactly how to handle it.”

  Celine grunted, “And you think that’s why we’re mad at each other?”

  “Do you remember when we were kids? We’d get hurt and skin our knees and instead of getting a hug, we’d get in trouble for not listening when we were told to be careful? It was because our parents were worried about us and didn’t want to see us hurt. Inevitably, that worry turned into anger. We’re doing the exact same thing now.”

  Celine felt her teeth press into her plump bottom lip, but ignored the slight taste of iron that tinged her tongue. “Thank you for worrying about me,” she ground out. “You really don’t have a reason to be worried. You know I wouldn’t do anything stupid.”

  “Same for me! I know you’re worried about Cash, but every time you warn me about him, it makes me feel like you don’t think I can get a man like him. Almost like you don’t think I’m good enough.”

  Celine’s mouth dropped open. “That’s not it and you know it!”

  Ruthie nodded her head slowly. “Yeah.”

  Shaking her head, Celine looked down at her feet. “You know what? Let’s just drop it okay? I’m as tired of this as you are.”

  Ruthie grinned. “I can tell.” She reached out and touched the skin under Celine’s left eye. “Has Noah been keeping you up all night? Is he welcoming you into his home?”

  Celine couldn’t help but giggle. “Yeah, he’s really welcoming me all right. All I’ve been doing is cleaning up his mess all week.”