Losing His Shirt

by Linda Fausnet

  “Open mine first!” Ryan said, sounding like a five-year-old at Christmas.

  “Okay, okay. Keep your pants on,” Rosemary said with a laugh.

  I didn’t want to think about Ryan with his pants off around Rosemary. Ryan put his hand on her back, glowering at me as he did so. My whole body went rigid. I would work to gain the forgiveness of Rosemary’s other friends, but fuck this guy. I didn’t owe him shit, and the way he was acting like he owned Rosemary was seriously pissing me off.

  She opened the card that Ryan had given her, and her eyes opened wide. “Oh my God, I didn’t even know this was coming to town!”

  “What is it?” asked a brown-haired girl who I hadn’t met yet.

  “It’s two tickets to see Something Rotten!”

  I plastered a smile on my face and acted like my heart wasn’t ripping in half. Did this mean Rosemary and Ryan were officially an item? She hadn’t mentioned having a boyfriend. I forced myself, as the saying goes, out of my comfort zone and joined the conversation.

  “What’s ‘something rotten’?”

  My heart skipped a beat when Rosemary looked up at me and smiled. “Oh, it’s this great musical about Shakespeare. It’s really funny. It shows William Shakespeare like he’s a rock star. Like, he does readings of his shows, and women are screaming and throwing their underwear at him and stuff.”

  I laughed. “Sounds like a good show.”

  “Oh, it really is.”

  “Can you sing something from it? Do you know the songs?” I asked.

  Rosemary smiled at me. She seemed pleased that I took an interest in her singing.

  “Of course. Okay, well the story goes that there’s this guy, Nick Bottom, that is really jealous of Shakespeare because he’s so popular and can write so well. There’s a great song that Nick’s wife sings called ‘Right Hand Man.’ She sings that Nick shouldn’t be so sexist and expect her to stay in the background, and that she wants to help him.”

  I watched Rosemary with fascination as she tried to recall the lyrics. I stared at her, enraptured, as she began to sing. She didn’t belt out the song like she did when she performed onstage, but she sounded amazing. The best part was that she looked directly at me as she sang.

  That is, until Ryan butted in. There were a few snippets of dialogue throughout the song where the character’s husband chimes in, so Ryan did those parts. At first, Rosemary looked at Ryan during the parts where he spoke to her as her “husband,” but then she decided to sing to both of us. The song was cute and funny, and Rosemary’s performance was hysterical and highly entertaining. One of the last lines was telling her husband not to be a sexist pig, and she looked directly at me when she sang it. I laughed, and so did all her friends. Everyone applauded wildly when she was done. I clapped hardest of all, and whistled my approval.

  “That was great, Rosemary. I just love hearing you sing.”

  “Thanks,” she said with a gentle smile. I glanced around at her friends, and it felt like the room had gotten warmer, somehow. It seemed they were realizing how much I genuinely liked Rosemary.

  “Here, wanna open my present next?” I asked, handing her the wrapped package I’d brought.

  “Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” Rosemary exclaimed. She glanced around at her friends and said, “Poor guy. He only found out yesterday it was my birthday.”

  “You worked for him for three years. You’d think he’d know your birthday by now,” Ryan grumbled.

  Rosemary shot him a look to silence him. I watched nervously as she opened my gift. It was a copy of a local news article that had given her a glowing review for her performance in Thoroughly Modern Millie. I had it set in a nice frame, along with my ticket to the show.

  “Oh, Johnny, this is beautiful!” Rosemary held it up to show everyone.

  “Wow, nice,” said one of the guys. Timothy, I think his name was.

  “Lemme see,” Susie said. Rosemary passed it to her, and she inspected it closely. “This is nice. What a great idea!”

  “I saw you all in the show,” I said to no one in particular. “You guys were great. I don’t think I ever saw a musical before, but I really enjoyed it.”

  “Glad you liked it,” Erica said.

  “Yeah … you were the old lady, right? Damn, you were hilarious!”

  Erica laughed, and right before my eyes I saw the last vestiges of her frosty veneer vanish. “Thanks. It was such a fun show.”

  “I honestly don’t know how you all do it. How you can get up in front of all those people and perform. Got more guts than I ever had, that’s for sure.”

  Rosemary smiled at me and I grinned back before taking a sip of my beer. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Ryan glaring at me, which made me happy. I hoped he was jealous as hell.

  Rosemary opened a few more gifts, mostly gift cards and stuff like that. Somebody gave her a bottle of Moscato wine, which she exclaimed was her favorite. I made a mental note of Moscato; if I was ever lucky enough to get her over to my place, I’d have some available. I sighed inwardly, thinking that The Federal restaurant had an amazing wine list. I would have loved to wine and dine Rosemary at that posh place. Pamper her the way she deserved.

  “I’ll go get the cake ready,” Susie said, getting up from her spot on the couch. I watched her start to clear off the table, so I went to help her.

  “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Susie said. “You’re my guest.”

  “I don’t mind. It’s the least I can do.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  I don’t know what came over me but on a whim, I said in a low voice, “Can I ask you something?”

  She stopped what she was doing and nodded. I glanced over at Rosemary, and then back at Susie. “Um, about Rosemary. Is she … I mean … do you know … is she seeing anyone?”

  Susie’s expression softened into a smile that was even sweeter than her usual one. She must have known it was an uncomfortable question for me to ask. She looked over at Ryan, and then back at me. “No. She’s not seeing anyone. And it’s been a long time since I’ve seen her look at anybody the way she looks at you.”

  Wow. I let that sink in for a minute.

  Susie picked up the cheese dip and walked into the kitchen to put it in the fridge. When she came back out to where I was, I said, “Susie, please. If you don’t mind, you know, don’t …”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Rosemary you asked if she was available,” she said with a smile.

  I let out a breath of relief. “Thanks.”

  “Good luck,” she said with a wink.

  It felt good to have Susie on my side. I thought about what she said regarding the way Rosemary looked at me. I wanted to believe it, but I hadn’t noticed anything. Sometimes she held my gaze a little longer than necessary, but mostly she seemed like she wasn’t quite sure what to make of me. I could understand that. I used to be her horrible boss and now we were friends. Even if she did have feelings for me, it would probably freak her out.

  “Come on, girl! Cake time!” Susie called cheerfully.

  Rosemary was sitting on the floor, and my heart squeezed in my chest as I watched Ryan hold out his hand and pull her to her feet. She smiled at him, and I could practically feel the affection between them. They were very close, that much was for sure. I wondered if they used to date. That would explain his fierce hatred of me.

  Rosemary’s friends gathered around her as Susie carefully lit the candles.

  “This ought to be good,” I said. “I bet you guys sing one hell of a ‘Happy Birthday.’”

  A ripple of laughter went through the room.

  “Yeah, we do!” Erica said. “One, two, three!”

  Sure enough, the group serenaded Rosemary with a lovely, harmonized version of “Happy Birthday.” The best part was watching Rosemary blush at all the attention. God, she was so beautiful.

  I applauded and whistled when they were done. As I watched Rosemary celebrate with her friends, I felt like I was intrudi
ng on their night.

  Susie offered me a piece of cake. It looked delicious, but I had already put on a few pounds, and I knew I’d better watch it.

  “Oh, no thanks. I’m good.”

  Susie smiled and handed it to somebody else.

  I walked over to Rosemary. “Hey, I think I’m gonna head out.”

  I hoped I hadn’t imagined the flicker of disappointment that crossed her face. “Oh, okay. I’m sorry I didn’t get more of a chance to talk with you tonight. I know how hard it can be when you don’t know anybody.”

  “That’s okay. Susie kept an eye out for me.” I winked at Susie and she smiled back at me.

  “Yeah, she’s the perfect hostess,” Rosemary said.

  “Thanks again for having me,” I said to Susie.

  “Of course! You’re welcome back any time.” Susie reached out and pulled me into a warm hug. It was incredibly sweet, and I knew I would never forget her kindness. She had made this whole night so much easier for me.

  Rosemary walked me to the door, and I turned to look at her. “Thanks for inviting me. I hope it was okay with everybody that I came tonight. I know some people weren’t too crazy about me being here.” I sent a pointed look over at Ryan who, as usual, was glaring at me.

  Rosemary followed my gaze and let out a short, annoyed sigh. “Oh, don’t mind him.”

  Whatever. I didn’t give a fuck if he hated me. The only opinion that mattered was Rosemary’s.

  “Well, thanks again. I’ll see you around.” I paused, my mind racing to come up with some excuse to see her again.

  “Oh hey, Rosemary,” Susie called as she walked over to us. “We should invite Johnny to come to the karaoke bar with us next weekend. We go there about once a month or so and hang out.”

  There was a mischievous twinkle in Susie’s eye, and I realized she was trying her best to get me and Rosemary together. Susie Peters suddenly became my favorite person on the planet. Well second-favorite, after a certain red-haired, green-eyed goddess.

  “That’s a good idea,” Rosemary exclaimed. I scrutinized her face, and she did seem genuinely happy at the thought of seeing me again. “Want to come?”

  I shoved all the naughty thoughts that her question posed out of my head and smiled. “Yeah, sounds great. Especially karaoke. If I get the chance to hear you sing again, I’m there.”

  “Cool. Thanks again for coming tonight,” Rosemary said. She hesitated just a moment, then opened her arms to hug me. A surge of adrenaline coursed through me as I took her in my arms and squeezed. I drew in a deep breath, drinking in the delicate scent of her hair. Dear God, it was like heaven to finally be able to touch her. I held her for as long as I could get away with it, then released her.

  “Shoot me a text about next week,” I said, struggling to keep my voice casual.

  “I will. Goodnight, Johnny.”

  Chapter 15

  It was already more than thirty minutes after the time we’d told Johnny we would all be at Starlighters karaoke bar. I sat at a table with Susie, while Erica, Ryan, and Timothy sat at the table right next to us. We were close enough to the stage to get a good view, but not so close that we couldn’t hear each other talk. I glanced again at the front door, but there was still no sign of Johnny.

  “You like him, don’t you?” Susie asked quietly.

  “What?” I asked, whipping my head around to face her.

  “Johnny. You keep looking for him,” she observed with a knowing smile.

  I sighed, not sure of how to answer. “I think I do like him. What’s wrong with me?”

  “Nothing is wrong with you. I know you guys have, you know, a complicated past, but you keep saying how much he’s changed. And he seems really sweet,” Susie said. “Plus, he’s gorgeous.”

  “Right? It’s weird to suddenly find him so irresistible. All that time I worked for him, I thought he was disgusting. Because he was disgusting. He treated me and everybody else like crap. Now … now he’s just so … different.”

  “Then there’s no harm in pursuing it, seeing where it goes, right?”

  “I guess not. Other than Ryan killing me, that is.”

  Susie winced. “Yeah. Does Ryan know you like him?”

  “I didn’t tell him, but yeah. I’m sure he’s aware. He knows me too well for me to hide anything.” I took a sip of my cosmopolitan; I was feeling buzzed already. At this rate, I’d be drunk by the time Johnny showed up. If he showed up.

  “He’s here,” Susie said with a smile. “Just walked in.”

  I drew in a deep breath, which made Susie laugh. “Relax. It’ll be fine.”

  I didn’t turn around to look, since I didn’t want to appear too eager. Susie waved her arms so Johnny could find our group.

  “Okay. He sees us. He’s walking over. And he looks hot.”

  I giggled, looking forward to seeing what Johnny was wearing tonight. He walked over to our table, looked directly at me, and smiled. Dreamy was the word that sprung to mind when I saw him. He was wearing deliciously tight jeans and a black button-down shirt with the first few buttons undone, just the way I liked it. I caught a faint whiff of his delicious new cologne. He smelled like the new Johnny. The handsome, chivalrous guy who held his coat over my head in the rain and who was going out of his way to get to know my friends.

  “Hey there! This seat taken?” Johnny asked, gesturing at the seat next to me. Susie had been sitting there, but she’d moved when she saw Johnny coming.

  “Nope!” Susie said cheerfully as she grabbed her drink from that side of the table.

  Johnny plopped down next to me and grinned. He really was adorable, which was more than a little scary to me. It was frightening to think the awful person he used to be must still be in there somewhere. But right now, when I gazed into his gentle gray eyes, all I could see was the wonderful person he had become. Johnny Creep and Johnny Creel were like flip sides of a coin. Jekyll and Hyde.

  Our server stopped by our table. She brushed a strand of hair out of her face as she looked at Johnny. “Hi. So sorry, I’ll be with you as soon as possible.”

  I watched Johnny carefully. I saw no hint of the arrogant, entitled prick he used to be. He smiled warmly at the waitress, seeming concerned that she was stressed out. “Take your time. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

  She smiled gratefully at him before scurrying off, and I felt a ripple of renewed affection and attraction for Johnny. It was like people said: if a guy treats you like a princess but treats the waitress like dirt, then he’s no good. I couldn’t have agreed more.

  “Hey, hey!” Ryan said, as he got up from the other table and took a seat on the other side of me. He glared at Johnny, which I pretended not to see. Then he smiled at me, and I felt a rush of affection for him, too. Ryan was one of my favorite people in the whole world. I put my arm around him and squeezed.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Ryan said with a smile.

  I looked up at the stage where my friend Timothy was getting ready to sing. I was so proud of my incredibly talented and loyal friends, and it felt good to show them off in front of Johnny. If only they could be a little more welcoming to him. I had forgiven Johnny, but my friends were still highly suspicious of him.

  “He’s really good,” Johnny said as he watched Timothy launch into singing Sinatra’s “My Way.”

  “Oh, he’s terrific! He’s a theater student at Howard University,” I told him.

  “Nice,” Johnny said with a smile. “Do you have a theater degree?”

  “No,” I said wistfully. “I wish I did. You have no idea how much. I’ve taken voice lessons and acting lessons, you know, here and there when I can afford it. Ugh, I would give anything to be able to go to college. I’d love to major in theater and performing arts or something, and maybe minor in business, to have something to fall back on.”

  Johnny nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve got a degree in business administration. Got me where I am today. Gainfully employed as a used-car salesman!” he said with a self-deprecating
laugh. I heard a few chuckles from around the tables and I hoped my friends were starting to see Johnny as I saw him. Humble and sweet. Kind.

  Our server finally rushed back to our tables. She took a deep breath when she saw all the empty glasses, and I felt guilty for having to ask her for another drink. It was busier than normal tonight, and I got the feeling they were short-handed.

  “Sorry, sorry, sorry! I’m Wendy, and I’ll be your server for the evening. Would you like to start a tab, sir?”

  “Sure, that’d be great. Name’s Johnny.”

  “What can I get you?”

  Johnny quickly scanned the draft beer list, then said, “Devil’s Backbone Schwartz Bier would be great.”

  “Got it. Refills?” Wendy asked, and we all nodded. She hesitated just a second to see if there were any additions to our order, and then she hurried off.

  Johnny glanced over at the men’s room. “I’ll be right back,” he said.

  I nodded, then turned to Susie as I watched Johnny walk away. I would have gushed over how hot Johnny looked tonight, but I couldn’t with Ryan sitting there. It wasn’t worth pissing him off.

  “So, tell me about the new boyfriend, and when can I meet him already?” I asked her.

  “I know, I know. I’ve got to get him to hang out with us soon. Med school is keeping him crazy busy right now.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure it is.”

  “It’s weird. It’s like we are so completely different. I’m artsy and he’s gonna be a doctor, but somehow we work well together,” Susie said with a happy sigh.

  “That’s great. I’m really glad. Have you slept with him yet or what?” I asked bluntly, making her laugh. It was not uncommon for us to talk about sex in mixed company. We were a close-knit group and had few secrets from one another.