The Eternity that Follows

by Diane Marie

  Starfall was more of a place where people from town went to kick back, and relax with their friends. Gabriella made sure to make a grand entrance just in case her Mr. Mysterious were there. She glanced around the room not wanting anyone to notice she was checking out the entire bar. She sighed in disappointment, when she realized he wasn’t there. In honesty, in her heart, she knew she wouldn’t see him at Starfall. Starfall was more or less a place an outsider rarely ventured into, but when they did, they never wanted to leave.

  Gabriella and her friends stayed at Starfall till it closed. Gabriella couldn’t wait to get home. When Gabriella got home that night, she couldn’t shake the image of Joey out of her mind. He was everything she had been looking for, and she hoped to see him again. She already had is set in her mind, he was surely the one for her.

  Back at Gavin’s house, Joey grabbed another beer and sat back down on the couch as Josh hurried to the computer while computing his own fantasies of the girl he’d seen just a few hours ago at the bar. Joey became lost in thought as he usually did, uninterested in conversing, and not being interested in watching the movie Gavin was into when they entered his home. Joey on the inside was mad Josh had gotten such a gorgeous smile from his dream girl. Josh was a good-looking man himself. He was six feet with dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and a bit more muscular then Joey himself. The girls called him nothing less then gorgeous. Joey on the other hand, was surrendered hot and handsome rather then gorgeous. Joey knew he was the better-looking man, but on account of their nights out at the bars, in various towns both north and south of Candlewood, Josh had beat him to a few girls. That was of course when Josh wasn’t with his on and off again girlfriend, Anna.

  Joey was growing anger inside of him, and found hostility lingering in his mind when Josh finally found her page. “Wow, wow, wow your just gorgeous Gabriella.” Josh said, clicking onto her page and finding it to be private.

  The profile picture left for any stalker to see was one to top the charts. Gabriella was sitting on top of a male’s lap as they were both facing the camera. The picture was taking from the right side view. The man in the picture was sitting back in a chair, relaxed with a beer in his hand. Gabriella was on top of him, sitting poised, looking innocently beautiful, and voluptuously gorgeous.

  Gabriella, Joey liked that name.

  “Let me see” Joey said, springing up.

  When Joey first saw the picture, his heart was smacked. Gabriella looked so beautiful, his mind couldn’t find the words. She looked lovely and well tamed, as her hand lay on the man’s chest as to say, ‘I’m faithful.’ Joey wasn’t going to let off his excitement over the girl for a second time.

  “Who is that? Do you think that’s her boyfriend?” He asked.

  The man in the picture was good looking, unknown to them just a friend of Gabriella’s. Gabriella used him to prop herself in a picture to make herself look like the girl of any mans dreams. She had been going for, beautiful, poised, faithful, and good in bed, and she delivered. She was quite excited by the picture herself, noticing the first time she saw it, her bubbly butt showed off quite nicely, without her even trying.

  “I don’t know he looks like her boyfriend but who knows the page is private. I can’t find anything out about her.”

  “Well friend request her”

  “No. Just no. you put yourself out there and friend request her.” “I don’t have a page”

  “Well then get one.”

  “Fine, maybe I will.” Joey said, laying firmly down he was indeed interested in this girl.

  Pleased with himself for being able to admit his feelings, he took one last look at his dream girl in the picture, mentally saved it, and went back to the couch. He nodded off to sleep on Gavin’s couch moments later.

  Chapter Three

  Joey woke up the next afternoon to Josh’s hand butting his forehead.

  “Dude if she’s friends with Jemma, does that mean she’s from Mandala?” Josh asked.

  Joey felt nauseous from the beer he drank the night before. He wasn’t too pleased with how Josh had woken him from his peaceful dream. He couldn’t remember the dream he was having, but he had a feeling the girl he saw last night at the bar, the one that had instantly captured his heart, had something to do with his peaceful, and pleasant manner he approached his friend with. “I already thought that. Who cares? That’s high school bull shit. We’re older than that.”

  Joey wished he had time to try and remember or at least fall back into his dream. He had decided that destiny was upon him and worthy Gabriella an angel in his early moments of awaking, considering he didn’t punch Josh in the face for the way he had woken him up.

  “Yeah I guess you’re right, but still you know what they say about Mandala girls, their all whore’s.”

  “No, they’re not. That’s just trash talk, you know the girls from that town are hot, and the girls from other towns are just jealous, and make that stuff up.”

  “Well I know you wouldn’t care much about dating a Mandala girl, considering your previous history with them.” Josh said, remembering all the women Joey had slept with when he turned twenty-one.

  “Oh man shut up! What did you wake me up for anyway?” Joey asked, feeling ashamed for his prior experience with women. “It’s three in the afternoon. I’ve been up for over an hour just sitting here watching TV.”

  “Oh whatever. I got to go I have plans to meet up with my brother.” Joey said, getting up.

  “All right, just drop me off first.”

  Joey and Josh left and as soon as they got into the silver mustang, Joey called up his brother to see where he was. When Joey heard he was in Mandala, stuck their from a night of partying, he was excited to take the ride to the town over, thinking of Gabriella. Joey found it a little weird his older, married brother was out at a party, away from his wife and children, but it soothed his heart he had a reason to venture into Mandala.

  And then he passed her, his dream angel on his ride from Candlewood into Mandala. She was driving a purple WRX. Joey was waiting at a red light at the intersection, he was turning left and he knew it was her cause he was stopped just moments before. He had enough time to catch a clear view, besides, she was unmistakable with her hair glowing in the sunlight. 'She glows radiant' he thought. He then wondered why he never saw her car before, but then again, he hadn’t been around Mandala since he turned twenty-one, and had the time of his life with the Mandala girls at the bars.

  “OMG a silver Saleen Mustang! Are you kidding me?” Gabriella said, aloud to herself driving back from the coffee shop. The mustang was decked out with rims and exhaust. She knew there must be added horsepower under the engine, considering the work done on the outside. Gabriella was stumped for words. Mustangs were always her favorite. Her parents never allowed her to have one though. The streets of Mandala are filled with hills, and in the wintertime the snow and ice that cover the roads are un drive able to a mustang. Her parents insisted on a front or all wheel drive car. Gabriella realized she hadn’t even gotten a glimpse of the driver, she was too busy checking out the car.

  When Joey was done catching up with his brother, he went back home, and started to play a video game. Since it was Saturday night, he wondered if Gabriella would be out. After a little conversation with his brother, he found out her last name, that wasn’t available on Facebook. Gabriella had her middle name, Belle, in place where her last name would have been. It was simple not to ask about Gabriella directly. Most people that lived in Mandala knew Jemma, and to say her hot friend was all that was needed to find out her name. “Oh you mean Gabriella Viredem?” ‘Gabriella Belle Viredem,’ Joey thought that had a great ring to it, if only it were Gabriella Belle Lyaseo, his last name.

  Joey was unsure if he should venture on out tonight. He heard from his brother that Gabriella and her girl friends are usually out most nights of the week, especially on the weekends, and mostly in Mandala. His brother mummered something about that being weird to him, that they never
left the town, but Joey wasn’t paying too much attention because he was excited Gabriella would most likely be out at one of the four bars in Mandala. Still he was unsure if he should go out. Going out meant spending money, which he hated to do. He wasn’t cheap, he was just well invested in his goals to pursue his career as far as he could go.

  Joey had taken classes in architecture when he was twentytwo. He worked hard to get his license and ever since, he had been drawing up blueprints of his dream homes. They were usually mansions as Joey had a rich appetite, and he often wondered if he would even ever be able to afford the houses he was drawing up. He’d grab a vision of his dream girl in his head, and draw up a dream home for them. The dream girl he conjured up in his head, usually had the same image, an image that had matched Gabriella. This is how Joey had fallen in love at first sight. Love, 'what a silly thought' he thought to himself.

  Joey hadn’t loved much of anyone his whole life. He was on the run from his mother since he was fifteen. He had been in and out of juvenile detention for criminal mischief, and once for assaulting his step father, who in which he hated, and cared nothing for. From fifteen on, he had been sleeping from friends’ house to friends’ house, until he finally left school at seventeen to get his GED, and then he started to work as a carpenter.

  Although being able to walk away from a fight, he was a hard head, and had countless assault charges on him. Most of which he persuaded the pursuer to have dropped, but a few had caught up to him. He spent six months in the county jail when he was just twenty years old. He also had a driving record of an animal, that had gotten him locked up after he had racked up enough points on his license from speeding tickets, which was topped off when he got his first DWI at the age of 21. He spent three more months in county jail. His boss was eager to take him back, considering how hard of a worker he was, and also because his boss was the father of one of his closest friends, Tie.

  When Joey was twenty-three, Tie convinced his father, Ted to take on one of Joey’s blueprints. After the completion of the first house, on Lake Mandala, the design set forth and was redesigned in rich areas all over the country. Joey was twentyfour when he received the money from his design that set Ted’s company ahead in zero’s. It was enough for Joey to start his own business, and bring his next blueprint to life. Joey had invested almost all of the money into the land and material needed to bring his architecture to life. He also took at a small loan from the county bank to help the funding.

  Considering the success with his first blueprint, he was sure once the house he was working on now on Lake Romantica, in Candlewood was finished, the design would take hold. He then would be sitting on enough money to be able to fund his next blueprint. Of course he didn’t have the funds to just sit back and watch the house come to life. At just a few months passed twentysix, Joey was the general contractor on the job, also putting in a lot of man hours in labor.

  He had his dreams set for him. He had enough money saved away for rent, food, and recreational hobbies. He also had a savings account going from when he first started working at seventeen. Joey was doing well enough in the finical department, but he wasn't where he wanted to be accept love in his life. Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about Gabriella, and finally stopped contemplating on going out. He called up Tie and asked if he was up for a night around Mandala, and he was.

  Gabriella was still thinking of the silver mustang she saw, and the image of her Mr. Mysterious was still clouding her mind, while she started to get ready for a night out with Jemma, Sara and Joesphine. The plan was to start at start at Mackenzie’s, and end at Cascades, where they would all go onto the boat with the boys they had met the night they went swimming. Gabriella wanted to go out deeply, she wanted the chance to see Mr. Mysterious again. After all, she was young, vivacious, hot and dangerous. She felt a girl like her should be out partying as if it were here right in life.

  All the girls met at Gabriella’s, piled into Sara’s car, and drove over to Mackenzie’s. They were all in a good mood, singing loudly to a new hit on the radio. Gabriella was off in her thoughts again. She was wondering if she would see her Mr. Mysterious out at the bar.

  “Wow this place is packed.” Sara said, pulling into Mackenzie’s. “Yay!” Josephine said. All the girls loved a big crowd. “I thought Cascades would have the larger crowd tonight.” Jemma said, in a suspicious tone. “Maybe we should head over there.” “No I love crowds.” Gabriella said. She then heard the chatter of the other girls agreeing.

  Gabriella hadn’t yet noticed, but Jemma had spotted Joey and Tie standing outside of the bar. Tie was many inches shorter then Joey at Five foot seven. He had dark curly, red hair, and brown eyes. He wasn't on par with Joey's looks and was an awkwardly, cute looking man.

  “I hate Mackenzie’s when it’s packed, it’s so hard to buy a drink.” Jemma complained.

  “Oh it’s not that bad,” Josephine spoke up for the girls. Jemma was known to catch a bitchy attitude when things weren’t going her way. “All you have to do is flirt your way to the front of the bar, then mingle and wiggle your ass in front of someone seated at the bar, and order your drink. The way Gabriella does.”

  The girls got out of the car. Gabriella was laughing when she said,

  “hey I do not do that.”

  “Uh yeah you do.” Jemma said.

  “Oh maybe I do. At least it gets me a drink and sometimes it even gets drinks bought for me.” Gabriella said, making Sara and Josephine roll with laughter over her words.

  “Let’s just go inside and have some fun.” Sara said.

  “We do always have fun. I love my ladies.” Josephine said, when the girls reached the door.

  Jemma noted inside of her head that Joey was no longer outside, and must have gone back into the bar. Once inside, the girls made their way through the crowd to order their drinks from the bar. They then found an empty round table with four bar stools.

  Jemma was unable to spot Joey inside the bar. The dance floor was packed, the pool table crowded, and she couldn't see through the mist of people standing around mingling. She had tried to arrange the seating so Gabriella wouldn’t have the best view in the bar, unable to being Gabriella rushed to the table. Gabriella liked to be able to watch the entire bar so she could see who was there. She also wanted to watch the door, just in case Joey happened to walk in.

  Joey was sitting at a bar stool by the pool table. He was watching the entrance, and had his eye on Gabriella since she first walked in. He hadn’t pointed her out to Tie though. Joey hadn’t even mention to him he had seen a girl out last night he was interested in. Joey wasn’t keen on letting people in on his feelings. Yet, he couldn’t help stare at her through the bar. ‘She looked gorgeous,’ he thought to himself as she first walked in with her ladies. He had to control his mind not to let his mouth droll as he saw her legs for the first time. When he got a good look at the front of her legs, he was willed minded at the sight. Joey wasn’t too picky about figures and bust sizes. His ego was shot down a bit when he realized that she had a voluptuous rack, and a sexy, curvy figure. When he saw her from behind, he felt himself get hard. She had a bubbly round butt, it was big and fat just the way he liked them. The backs of her legs were just as sexy as what he had saw from the front. Joey had given her a complete run down and was impressed with what he saw.

  What he wanted was for her to see him, to give him the same rundown. He wanted her to notice him and stare back at him. He would then leave her, leaving him on her mind and keep her coming out to the Mandala bars for hopes of another look. He could have easily walked up to Jemma, though he wasn’t sure if her response would be polite or not, considering they hadn’t spoke since the night of the party when he shot her down.

  Jemma was overly drunk that night and Joey had the good sense not to use a girl when she was in that state of mind. Besides, this was after Gavin and Jemma’s relationship ended. Joey would never think to do anything with a girl that had once been with such a close friend, as Gavin
was to him. That short blonde, blue eyed, sex crazed women had taken a piece Gavin’s pride with him, after he realized she was a cheater. Gavin was hooked on her, and thought that she was much more serious about him, as serious as he was, than she turned out to be. Joey found great pleasure in turning her down for the joy of his friends payback.

  Joey figured he could walk up to Jemma, and then introduce himself to her lady friends, but that didn’t feel right to him. He had his company to think about, his goals and dreams. Although Gabriella fit into his equation, it just wasn’t the right time for Joey to devote himself to someone. He had already decided, in the time he would be perusing Gabriella, he wouldn’t sleep with any other girl, after all his own feelings on sex were similar to hers. Although he had slept with a good amount of girls throughout his years, he wasn’t what you could call a male whore. ‘Playboys’ is what Gabriella called a man like that.

  When Joey was in past relationships, he was always faithful and loyal to his girlfriends. When he wasn’t in a relationship, he wasn’t bringing a lady home every night, and even not weekly. Expect for his binge of sexual intercourse when he was twentyone, with the older Mandala girls at the bar, he wasn’t into sleeping around anymore. He had grown up. Taking home a woman from time to time from the bars, both north and south of Candlewood for his pleasure, practice, and well because he was a guy and he had his needs.

  Now for the time being, he would willing keep everything about himself saved for Gabriella. His mind, his heart, his sexual urges, they would all be saved for her. He wouldn’t allow himself to open up to his close girlfriends anymore, or dine with them on nights he felt lonely. He was looking forward to a serious love with Gabriella, one he never experienced before in his lifetime. A love he didn’t even know he wanted. He knew it was going to be wrong of him to give her the chase he planned on. He wanted to be able to assure her the first time he made love to her, she was on his sights from the start, and he had saved himself for her.