She had intended to surprise him, but found herself surprised instead when she discovered his car was not parked in the driveway. She got out and banged on the door until Chris, the man from the park, answered.
Jezalyn smiled at the friendly face and asked, “Is Blaise here?”
“No, isn’t he with you?”
“No. I just got out of class,” she said as her body shifted uneasily to the news of him missing. “I left him at the park. He said he was coming home to write his chemistry paper.”
“He did come home, but left a while ago.”
Jezalyn bit her bottom lip as she questioned, “Do you know where he went?”
“Um, Yeah. He said he was going to stay at your place again.”
“My place! Okay thank you,” She replied mechanically. On her way back to the car, Jezalyn mumbled the word, “Again?” Jezalyn cranked up the car and turned on heat; even though, she was shivering not from the cold, but from the anger.
He lied to me. He is not at home writing his paper, and he is certainly not staying at my house with me. He has never stayed the night with me. That son of a bitch! I bet he is cheating on me.
Jezalyn drove home angry and hurt trying not to cry at the dilemma that had recently developed in her relationship. She questioned his newly professed love against the horrific lie she had uncovered. She could think of no reason other than another woman for Blaise having told such a lie to her and his roommate. Her thoughts wondered to what a date with Larkin might be like. She shook her head and thought, I am being silly; his surprise almost certainly was not a date. He probably found something beautiful in nature that he wanted to share. Her thoughts continued as she parked outside Wyler’s rare bookstore, Besides, why would he plan a romantic evening for me when he knows that I am dating Blaise. Well, was dating Blaise.
Jezalyn’s phone rang as she climbed the stairs to her apartment, it was Blaise and she was too angry to answer. It was only an hour ago, she was ready to tell him that she, in fact, cared for him too, but now she felt more as if she loathed him for lying to not only his roommate, but also to her. Now inside the apartment, Jezalyn threw the phone onto the couch and thought as she dropped the rest of her stuff onto the floor, If he had lied about sleeping at my house had he also lied about the chemistry paper and needing to re-schedule his date perhaps to go out with someone else? Jezalyn cringed at the thought and the tears flowed down her face. There was a sudden knock at the door, and she hopelessly tried to pull herself together. The door opened and Larkin stood before her holding a large box with a few bags on his arms.
“Are you alright?” asked Larkin.
“Yeah, I am fine. I have something in my eye. Come in and make yourself comfortable while I go get it out.”
“Take your time,” replied Larkin as he walked past her placing the box on the coffee table.
“What’s in the box?” asked Jezalyn as she hurried into the bathroom.
“It’s a surprise, but if you want to change into something more comfortable, go ahead,” called back Larkin.
Jezalyn washed her face and peered into the mirror, but after seeing her red-splotched face, she started crying again. She desperately tried to recompose herself and once composed Jezalyn rewashed her face this time disregarding the mirror.
She peeked out into the hall but saw nothing, so she called out to Larkin, “You okay in there?”
A faint, “Yes,” entered her ears, and she found herself wondering what Larkin was doing.
“Okay, give me a moment to get changed,” she said as she fluttered into her bedroom to change; she wanted to feel sexy after what she had just been through with Blaise.
“Sure thing,” mumbled a busy Larkin.
***
Thirty minutes had past, and Jezalyn had finally emerged from her room wearing a short shimmering red dress; it was a mesh sequin material with a satin lining. She accented it with a pair of black high heels that embellished a candy apple sole. The short dress showed off her long, lean legs as she turned the corner into the kitchen. She found Larkin standing next to the table holding a chair out for her to take a seat. He had covered the table with a crimson cloth, and as she moved closer, she could see an ivory candle burning in between two covered plates.
“This looks beautiful,” said Jezalyn as she took her seat and felt Larkin gently nudge her chair closer to the table.
Larkin sat in the chair across from Jezalyn. She watched as he bent over, and all of a sudden, music flowed through the air. Jezalyn let out a little giggle as she recognized the song; Take My Breath Away, from the movie Top Gun.
Larkin smiled gingerly and pulled the lid off the top of her plate to reveal two large grilled cheese sandwiches cutout in the shape of hearts slightly overlapping next to a bowl of tomato soup with the words ‘Be Mine’ spelled out in fresh basil. Jezalyn’s eyes lingered on the words a moment before they disappeared from the stirring of her spoon.
Larkin did not wait for her to respond, because he in no way wanted to make her uncomfortable, so instead he asked, “Shall it be milk or orange juice tonight?” as he pointed at the two cartons sitting at the edge of the table.
“I think I’ll have milk. No, wait, orange juice,” said Jezalyn.
“You could have a glass of both,” Larkin joked.
The awkwardness she felt when she gazed into the soup had soon faded away, as they ate and chatted like two old friends. They were halfway through their dinner when she recognized an Aerosmith song. She sang along with it as she gobbled down some more of her grilled cheese. Larkin watched her with a smirk on his face as she hummed thru the next few lyrics before attempting to converse. Larkin, amused at her ease and comfort with him, interrupted her bliss and asked, “That was good, are you finished?”
“Yes, I am. It was really good. Thank you,” she said muffled through her napkin as she placed it over her mouth to chew down the last bite.
Larkin smiled, “I’ll get this cleaned up for you.”
“Oh, no leave it. I will pack it up and bring it down to you tomorrow.”
“Alright,” said Larkin. “How about a dance before I go,” hearing the song, Everything I do (I do for you) by Bryan Adams on the radio.
“Sure,” said Jezalyn. They moved to the middle of the living room and before they commenced to dancing he produced a single blue orchid. He placed it in her honey colored hair, and as they danced Jezalyn thanked him again, “You know, you really made my night.”
“Happy to hear it,” he said pulling her closer. He led her through a few fancy turns that resembled something like a waltz. When the song neared the end, he sweetly whispered in her ear, “Thank you for the dance, goodnight” and kissed her appropriately on the cheek.
Jezalyn’s face grew flushed, and Larkin soon realized that he had embarrassed her, so he quickly moved for the door. However, it was not embarrassment Jezalyn was feeling, but something she had never felt so strongly before, so she stood there silently staring at him in her own bewilderment.
She watched as the door closed behind him. Jezalyn lunged forward, flung open the door, and grabbed his hand. Although she had stopped him, she still found herself speechless. He gazed at her as she moved closer to him. With her hand still on his, her heart raced as the inches between them disappeared. Larkin could no longer restrain himself from clasping her around the waist with his free arm. Without any more encouragement, he kissed her with such passion that she did not want him to let go. It was when he pulled away that she spontaneously and uncontrollably whispered in his ear, “I think I’m falling in love with you.”
He planted another fiery kiss upon her lips and guided her backward into her loft.
Chapter 20: The Morning After
Jezalyn lay awake in bed; it was now Tuesday, no longer Valentine’s Day. This year Jezalyn was somewhat glad the day was over as she lay nestled in her bed deep in thought. There had been two declarations of love made yesterday, one she received and one she gave. As she deliberated on her Vale
ntine’s Day events, her phone rang; it was Blaise, and she answered the phone with an icy hello.
“Hey,” Blaise replied upbeat trying to compensate for her coolness.
Jezalyn sat there silently not because she didn’t know what to say or ask, but because she no longer felt she had the right to question him after what she had done herself last night.
After hearing her pause, he continued, “Chris told me you came by looking for me last night.”
Blaise heard an “Um-hmm” escape Jezalyn’s voice.
He attributed her shortness to unhappiness with him, so he reminded her of his prompt response to her late night visit; “When I heard you had dropped by, I tried to call you a back. When I got no answer, I got a little worried…”
Jezalyn, no longer being able to hold in her hurt and anger, cut him off, “Really? Were you worried that I found about your late night rendezvous?”
Blaise responded coolly, “You mean my date with the campus library to finish my chemistry paper.”
Jezalyn sat up in the bed as her temper grew at his response, but she kept her voice calm not wanting him to suspect the level of her anger just yet. “Oh, so that’s where you were last night?”
“Yep, I was there until about three this morning,” responded Blaise cheerily.
“Really, it just so happens that I drove by the library on my way out last night and you were not there, either! What lie are you going to give me now?” Jezalyn blurted out heatedly.
Blaise sat there silently for a moment as he tried to deliberate on the turn in conversation, but that silence only prompted Jezalyn to respond with more conviction.
“Who is she?”
“Who is who?” Blaise angrily shot back at her.
“Oh, don’t deny it. Your roommate told me last night you were staying the night with me —again! You have never spent the night with me once, so it can’t be that you stayed with me again.” Thus without a slight pause or chance for Blaise to come up with a more suitable explanation, Jezalyn continued, “So, I ask again. Who is the girl you are staying over with?”
“There is no girl,” blurted out Blaise, realizing the conversation was leading into an area where he knew he could not explain himself.
Jezalyn fired back, “If there isn’t someone else, then why are you lying to him and me about where you were?”
There was only silence; Blaise made no response, not even an overwhelmed sigh. His only thought was, If I tell her the truth, there certainly won’t be a chance for us.
Jezalyn sat there for a moment waiting for him to respond, but when he did not, she took a deep breath and said, “Fine. I am sorry, but I can’t be with a cheating liar.”
Blaise made one last remark, although now he was too angry to try to pacifying her, “I swear, Babe, there is only you.”
“Just tell me where you were last night, and preferably the truth,” she demanded.
“This is bullshit! I’ll talk to you later,” said Blaise as the phone went dead.
Even though there was not enough time for Jezalyn to respond, she instantly decided that his avoidance and anger on the subject proved his guilt. She found herself half at ease at Blaise’s reaction since she herself was just as wrong as he. Jezalyn was glad she did not have to divulge to Blaise that she let Larkin stay the night. Although he would immediately suspect they had slept together, he would not have been entirely wrong. It was true Jezalyn had spent the night nestled safely in Larkin’s arms until the break of dawn, but it would have been Blaise’s assumption that she had given Larkin the intimate caresses that he had longed for, which would have been incorrect. Jezalyn smiled, as she thought about Larkin and the night they had spent together.
She thought about how Larkin had questioned her, once they came up for air, about her relationship with Blaise. She could not believe it; Larkin was questioning her motives as she had done earlier, but this time it was toward her own declaration, not Blaise’s. Jezalyn had decided right away that she would tell him everything. She told him about the Valentine’s Day date at the park, Blaise’s pledge of love, and her thoughts of his betrayal and lies. However, she did not tell Larkin the part about the date not living up to her expectations, or how she once wished she were on a date with him instead. She expected herself to cry as she related the story to him, but she did not and that left her somewhat puzzled and justified in her current feelings.
Jezalyn smiled again to herself as she remembered relating to Larkin how her feelings for him came about:
I know that, to you, it must look like I am only responding to Blaise’s unfaithfulness, but tonight you made me realize he was not the disloyal one. I must have been slowly slipping from my relationship with him as I unsuspectingly found myself thinking of you. As I danced with you tonight, while you were spinning me to and fro. Then, she recalled a little laughter broke out between them. I felt a sensation in the pit of my stomach that I had never felt before, and all I knew was that I couldn’t let you walk out that door.
A sudden pulsation interrupted her thoughts, she gazed down at her hand and without a moment’s thought clicked the end button on her phone. Less than a minute later the phone rang again, and she repeated the same function as before, except this time after pressing the end button, she threw the phone onto the bed and pranced into the kitchen to retrieve some left over orange juice. She unconsciously smiled as she took a sip staring somewhat lost in thought out of the window. Jezalyn cheerily returned to her bedroom, juice still in hand, letting thoughts of Larkin run wildly through her mind. She picked up her phone, but before she made a call, she noticed a small box with a smiley face in it in the upper left hand corner, which indicated she had received a text message. Clicking the box, she soon discovered Blaise had not given up, and the message read, “Hey, I am calling but u won’t answer. sorry I got mad. let’s meet somewhere. we can talk this out.”
Jezalyn threw the phone back onto the bed, without responding, and grabbed a pair of jeans, a cute blue-green v-cut tee, and a pair of flats. She was pulling her hair back out of her face when she heard a knock at the door. Her heart sank and an ill feeling came over her as she thought, Blaise! I should’ve responded, but when she realized Blaise did not have enough time to drive from Monroe to Transylvania, she rushed to the door hoping to find Larkin on the other side. Relief and excitement overwhelmed her. It had only been thirty minutes or so since she received Blaise’s first call, and now she felt a different kind of emotion as she peered at Larkin, who stood in her doorway holding two cups of coffee and a little white bag, the type you get when you pick up your medicine at the pharmacy.
“Come in,” said Jezalyn with a welcoming grin on her face. Larkin strutted in and handed her a cup and the bag.
“What’s this?” asked Jezalyn graciously accepting the items.
With a beaming grin he said, “I thought you would like a cup of coffee and a bear claw to get you started this morning.”
Another large smile crossed her face, and she moved closer giving him a half hug and a peck on the lips. She enthusiastically pulled out the pastry and took a bite, and raised her hand to her mouth before muttering the words “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. So what do you plan to do today?”
“Work, and…” the sound of her phone ringing interrupted her. Although Jezalyn paused for the initial ring, she ignored it and continued her sentence, “… write a paper for my online class. What are you doing?”
“Do you need to get that?” asked Larkin as he pointed to the phone in her pants pocket.
“No, it’s just Blaise. He wants me to meet him later to talk about things.”
“Okay, so, what time are you doing that?”
“Um,” she shifted uncomfortably, “I didn’t agree to go yet.”
“I see,” was the only response he made.
“Do you think I should go?”
“Kind of. You need to make an official decision. Don’t you think?” asked Larkin.
Jezalyn no
dded her head, and said, “Come on let’s go downstairs before I am late for work.”
He toddled toward the door and as he passed her, she kissed him adoringly. They went downstairs; she picked up a stack of books off the counter to stock on the shelf. They discussed a date for later that night while she placed the books on the shelf, but when her phone rang, they instantly knew who it was. Larkin excused himself with the claim of checking in on Wyler and Ana so that Jezalyn could have some privacy. Although Larkin wanted Blaise completely out of the picture, he knew that it could not happen without closure. Besides, Blaise did not intimidate Larkin since he could still read Jezalyn’s mind and sense her emotions. Larkin surprisingly hoped her emotions were pure, and until he knew for sure, he would be unable to have a more intimate relationship with her. Although he longed to seduce her the previous night, he needed to feel the full conquering and thing with blaze needed to be settled first. Larkin was reminded from frequent instances of observation how lust can drive people to merciless madness. Yet, it was unclear if Larkin clung to his antiquated sense of propriety simply out of habit or out of nostalgia for his humanity.
“What do you want?” questioned Jezalyn as she placed another book on the shelf.
“Hi, I just want to talk.”
“So, talk.”
“Can I see you?”
There was a long pause before Jezalyn said, “I don’t know.”
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