“Are you sure?” Brogan repeated once again.
“Yes, I’m sure. So are you going to cover for me or not?”
Brogan pushed her hair back and huffed, “Yes, I’ll cover for you.”
Marissa giggled and threw her arms around her friend. “Thank you Brogan. Thank you so much. And chances are you probably won’t even have to cover for me at all.”
Chapter Twenty
“Chip, can I have Saturday off?” Marissa asked as she leaned over a table where Chip was writing out the schedules.
Chip chewed on his pencil in deep thought. “Damn!” he exclaimed. “How am I going to make this work?” He turned the pencil around and erased a column.
Marissa cleared her throat and tried again, “Um Chip, did you hear me?”
Immersed in his erasing work, he raised his eyebrows slightly and murmured, “Hmm?”
Marissa shifted uneasily from one foot to the other and repeated, “Could I have this Saturday off?”
“Highly unlikely,” Chip answered shortly and continued to fill in names on the spreadsheet.
“But it’s kind of important…” Marissa started.
“What?” Chip snapped. “Did someone die? Is someone getting married?”
“No,” Marissa said slowly, “But…”
“But what?” asked Chip impatiently. “Listen babe, it’s mid-January, the height of flu season. I’ve got two servers out sick today and one in the hospital, dehydrated. Everyone is coughing and sneezing and I can’t afford to schedule people off except on their off days and even then, I may have to call them in to work.”
Marissa slumped her shoulders in disappointment. “Oh, I see.”
As she shuffled away, Chip’s curiosity got the best of him. “O.K. why do you need the night off?”
Smiling, Marissa answered timidly, ”Nick and I are staying at a hotel Saturday night.”
Chip’s scowl turned into a smile as he said, “Really? Well, that seems like a cause worth working with.”
“Thank you so much Chip. You don’t know how much this means to me. It’ll be the first time that we’ll, well you know, and I want it to be perfect,” Marissa explained timidly.
“Wait a minute, I didn’t say I was going to give you the day off. Um, did you just say, ‘the first time’?” Chip raised one eyebrow.
Marissa blushed. “Well, not the first time for me but the first time for us.”
Chip’s jaw dropped, “You’re kidding me right?”
“No, I’m serious.”
He studied her for a minute then blurted out, “You are serious aren’t you? Wow, he must really dig you to have waited.”
Embarrassed Marissa admitted, “It wasn’t me. I would have given in long ago. It was him. He has this thing about being in love first. Plus, we haven’t been totally alone for more than a few minutes, unless if you count time in a car.”
Chip chuckled, “That counts. But that doesn’t seem like a dude thing, being in love first. He must be really different.”
“He is,” Marissa said dreamily.
Chip grabbed his eraser. “O.K. I can’t give you the whole day off so why don’t I switch you with someone? You can take a day shift and I’ll schedule someone for your night shift. How does that sound?”
“Great!”
“Good. Now get to work before you start making me jealous,” Chip teased.
“Thank you,” Marissa beamed.
*****
Nick, who strongly believed flowers should never be cut, but should remain in their natural state, found himself at a florist picking out a bouquet for Marissa. He wanted to do everything he could to make sure their night together would be close to perfect. It was strange. He had been with girls in the past. But never had he felt as nervous as he now felt as he prepared to show his love for this young woman who had turned his world upside down. The odd thing about the nervousness was that he felt closer to Marissa than anyone else in his past. But because he loved her so much, he didn’t want anything to go wrong. Sure he had made the normal preparations, condoms and such, but he also wanted to make the night special. That was the reason he was going against his principals to please her. Men bought women flowers and that was what he was going to do.
“Can I help you?” A gentle voice spoke out.
Nick jumped back startled. “Um, sure.”
“What’s the occasion?” The woman asked kindly.
“No occasion,” Nick answered as he stroked some daisies.
“Well, who are the flowers for? Your mother, grandmother, a signific…”
“For my girlfriend,” Nick finished.
The woman smiled knowingly and nodded her head, “I’ve got just the thing.” She disappeared behind a forest of bouquets and reappeared with an impressive bunch of roses, carnations, baby’s breath and other smaller pink flowers. “It’s what we call the ‘I love you’ bouquet.”
Nick shrugged, “It’s perfect.”
Again the woman nodded as if she knew her customer would accept, wrapped the bouquet with pink paper and tied it with a large red ribbon.
Winking at Nick, as she handed him the package, she said, “Now be sure to tell her the words that go with the bouquet.”
Confused at first, Nick hesitated before he said, “Oh yes, of course.”
*****
What am I supposed to wear on a night like this? Marissa thought as she quickly shaved her legs in the shower after work. The countdown was on. Only thirty minutes remained before she could meet Nick at the hotel. Work had been a breeze. The steakhouse hadn’t been busy. But a slow day at work also meant little money. And the money she did make would be spent on their night together. Nick offered to pick up the hotel tab and she agreed to buy dinner.
She stepped carefully out of the shower and rubbed lotion over her legs. Grabbing her perfume bottle, she sprayed a mist on her neck, wrists and inside her thighs. Earlier in the day she had phoned Brogan to give her the hotel number and instructed her to call in the event of an emergency. And she had told her father she was going to a party then sleeping over Brogan’s. To think she had to lie to her parents and that in a few months she would be away at college doing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted without asking anyone’s permission at all. It was strange.
Jeans or a skirt? she wondered. Thinking about sub-zero temperatures made her choose the pair of jeans even though she would have liked to wear the skirt. Pretty soon though I’ll be wearing nothing, she thought, so I guess it doesn’t matter. She pulled on a T-shirt and a knit sweater then looked down at her make-up on the counter and picked up a tube of lipstick. Nick hates it when I wear make-up, she reflected, but today a little lipstick won’t hurt. She parted her lips halfway, glided on the red lipstick then giggled, that’s not going to stay on for very long either.
Nick had already been at the hotel for over an hour when Marissa showed up at the door. He had phoned her briefly to tell her the room number then proceeded to the room to make last minute preparations. So when he opened the hotel room door, he had expected to see the Marissa he knew well instead of the sheepish looking girl he saw standing at the threshold.
“Where is my playful temptress?” Nick teased.
Marissa giggled nervously, “What did you say?”
“Where is my woman who ‘exudes sexuality’ like Mrs. Kowalski said?” asked Nick again.
Still frozen in her tracks, Marissa glanced over both shoulders as if she were looking for someone who wasn’t there. “I must have left her at home. If you want, I can go get her,” she smiled pretending to leave.
Nick grabbed her by the waist and pulled her toward him, “You’re not going anywhere.”
Their lips touched and then their mouths and once they had said a proper ‘hello’, Marissa saw past Nick’s body to the large room that lay in front of them.
“Nick this is absolutely huge!” She exclaimed.
“Thanks babe, but you haven’t even seen anything yet.”
“Oh shut up!�
�� she laughed as she playfully hit him. “How did you get a room so big?”
“Somehow, they gave me a suite. Isn’t it cool?”
“Really cool!” Marissa exclaimed as she plopped down on a large plushy couch.
Nick opened the refrigerator, pulled out a bottle and grabbed two glasses from the cupboard, “Champagne?” he asked holding them up.
“But you don’t drink Nick,” Marissa answered surprised.
“Oh, one little glass won’t hurt. Besides it might calm our nerves.”
“You’re nervous too?”
“Absolutely!” Nick answered gliding down into the couch beside her. “It’s strange isn’t it? We see each other every day and yet here we are, terrified of being together.”
Marissa nodded her head in agreement and took a small sip from her glass. “But I don’t think it’s because we’re terrified of being together. It’s because we’re afraid of feeling vulnerable. There are no roles to play, there is nothing to hide, it’s just us.”
“And then there are expectations,” added Nick.
“Expectations of what?”
“Of everything going well.”
“I think everything will go well,” Marissa reassured him.
“How do you know?”
She stretched back lazily on the couch and said, “Because you’re a sensual person, I’m a sensual person and because the physical attraction between us is so strong we don’t even have to be touching hands to feel it. Do you feel it?”
Nick, feeling turned on by her little speech, answered quickly, “Oh, I feel it. So why are we feeling nervous?” he whispered.
“Vulnerability.” Marissa answered.
“Oh, right. Well, I have an idea. Let’s get the whole vulnerability part over with now. Let’s just get naked and appreciate each other.”
Marissa stared at him wide-eyed. “You’re kidding right?”
“I think you know me enough by now to know I’m not kidding. But no touching yet, let’s just appreciate each other. Ready?” he asked as he started to take off his shirt.
Covering her face with her hands, Marissa shook her head. “No, I’m not ready. But I’ll do it.”
“On the count of three,” said Nick. “One…two…three.”
Shirts, jeans, underwear, and socks flew off. And at the end they sat there laughing uncontrollably for no reason at all.
“This is not very romantic,” said Marissa finally as she wiped her tears of laughter.
“Maybe not. But at least we’re not feeling vulnerable. Everything is out in the open,” he chuckled.
“So is this how Adam and Eve felt? Where’s my fig leaf?” Marissa giggled as she reached to grab a pillow.
“Hey don’t cover up!” ordered Nick. “I need to appreciate you.”
Marissa put the pillow back and smiled. “I’m not disappointed. Are you?”
“Not in the least,” he smiled back.
After a short while, Marissa felt a stir of impatience, “I’m getting a little lonely on my side of the couch,” she whined.
Nick opened his arms, “Then come here,” he said softly.
She crawled to where he was sitting and instantly felt the warmth of his body against hers. It was a welcoming respite to the cold but comfortable couch. But just as she began to get situated, he backed up a little. “Stay here. I have something for you.”
He left the couch and walked toward the bedroom. Marissa followed him with her eyes admiring everything about him. When he returned, he was carrying a large bouquet of flowers.
Marissa gasped, “My God, they are beautiful Nick. But I thought you didn’t believe in cut flowers.”
He handed her the bouquet and said, “I love you. That’s why I bought them for you, because I love you. It’s not about what I like. It’s all about what you like today.”
For a minute she inhaled the fragrance of the flowers then put them down on the table beside them. “Thank you,” she said as she exhaled and pulled him down on the couch. “I want you Nick Smith,” she whispered into his ear. “I’ve wanted you since I first met you.”
Nick didn’t speak but stroked her hair, her cheeks, her lips…
“Amazing!” Marissa laughed out loud as Nick shoved noodles into his mouth with chopsticks. “I can’t even grab one. It keeps slipping.”
They sat on the carpet with pillows around them, eating tofu-fried rice and Chinese noodles out of white cardboard carry out boxes. It was close to midnight but neither one was tired.
“Come on,” Marissa whined, “let me have a fork please!”
“No, you shall be tortured evil temptress,” Nick teased as he snapped at her with the chopsticks.
In an instant, the sound of the phone interrupted their playful banter, “ Dring!’
Marissa felt her heart sink. “Oh my God. I don’t want to answer it.”
“Dring!” rang the phone a second time.
She turned to stare at it.
Nick looked at her seriously but empathetically, “Mariss, you have to answer it.”
Marissa got up slowly. Shaking, she made her way to the phone.
“Dring!” The phone insisted a third time.
Her hand shook as she reached for the receiver. Her lips trembling, she managed to squeak a weak, “Hello.”
The voice on the other end spoke gravely, “Marissa? We have to talk.”
“You have to call your mother,” Brogan urged on the other end of the phone.
“Why?” Marissa asked impatiently. “What happened?”
“She called here while I was out with John and she spoke to my mom.”
“And?”
“And my mom said she didn’t have the slightest idea about you spending the night tonight and that I was out with John, not you,” Brogan explained.
“Oh crap!” Marissa shouted.
“Yeah, and apparently she’s still calling everyone looking for you, including your Dad of course.”
“I can’t believe it!” Marissa screeched. Actually the sad part was she could believe it. Barbara had a way of ruining everything that was important to her.
“Marissa?” Brogan asked, “Are you still there?”
“I’m still here,” Marissa answered sighing heavily. “Do you know what she wanted?”
“No clue. Anyway, I just thought you needed to know.”
“Thanks Brog. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
She slammed the phone down and started to cry. Nick moved in to comfort her. “Do you need to leave?” he asked gently.
“No!” Marissa shouted. “I’m not leaving! This is the best night of my life and she is not going to take it away from me.”
Nick closed his eyes a minute and brought his folded hands to his lips. “Do what you feel is right,” he said softly.
“Nick, either way I’m screwed. I’m either going to be in serious trouble tonight or tomorrow morning. I might as well enjoy what I have left of tonight and take the heat for it tomorrow.”
In the midst of the chaos, Nick was the voice of reason. “Either way, please phone your parents and tell them you’re alright.”
Wiping her eyes, Marissa nodded in agreement, “O.K.” Then she paused to think. Barbara was used to her lying so a blow from her might not be so bad. Besides, her mother was the one more likely to have the police out looking for her.
Cautiously, she picked up the receiver as it were a venomous snake rather than a telephone. Slowly, she punched in the numbers while trying to compose her story in her mind. It had to be believable but not give too much information. And it had to appease her mother long enough to last the night. Nick watched in silence.
The phone barely had the time to ring once when an anxious Barbara quickly shot out, “Hello.”
“Mom, it’s me,” Marissa said weakly.
“Are you O.K.?” Barbara spurted out.
“I’m fine Mom.”
“Because I was so worried when Brogan’s mom had no idea where you were and then your fathe
r said that you were with her and…”
Marissa, annoyed, cut in, “Mom? Why did you call in the first place?”
“Because I heard that there was to be a winter storm. I wanted to warn you so you wouldn’t drive in it. Now where are you?”
“That’s all!” Marissa shouted. “That’s all that you wanted to tell me? So you call everyone you know just so you can tell me there is a winter storm coming? Mom, I can make judgments myself! I think I can look outside and determine whether or not I should be driving…”
Nick, still sitting on the floor, waved his arms back and forth to get her attention. When she glanced over in his direction he made a motion for her to calm down.
Marissa took a deep breath and let it out steadily.
“So where are you now?” insisted her mother impatiently.
“I’m at a friend from work’s house. We went to a party so I’m crashing here for the night.”
“Can I have a name and number?”
“No. But I’ll call you in the morning.”
“Why can’t I have a number?” insisted Barbara.
“Because there is no reason for you to call in the middle of the night and because I said that I will call you in the morning. I’m safe so there is nothing else that you can do,” Marissa explained through grated teeth.
“Have you been drinking?” Barbara continued.
“Mom!”
“Well, have you?”
“We’ll talk in the morning.”
“Have you called your dad?”
Marissa scrunched up her face. It was much harder for her to lie to her father. He gave her his ultimate trust so she felt shame and regret when she lied to him. “Could you call him?” she asked awkwardly, “Just to tell him I’m safe?”
“I think that’s your job,” said her mother matter-of-factly.
Forbidden Fruit: An Unlikely Love Story Page 20