“What’s going on, you okay? Talk to me.”
Jesse looks away from Russell right after he said that, and glances all over the parking lot. He then looks down on the floor, and beings to cry. He then asks Russell for a favor.
“I know the both of us aren’t on good terms, but I don’t have a car. I always take the bus to work. I been saving up to buy one…look that doesn’t matter. Russell I’m feeling really upset and I don’t feel like waiting for the bus tonight. Can you give me a ride home, please?”
Russell puts his hand on his forehead and laughs to himself. He looks around the parking lot for a bit, then starts to unlock the car door and reaches over and opens the door.
“Okay, only because you said please, I’ll give you a ride home, get in.”
Jesse takes a seat in the car, and puts his tote bag on the ground. He looks straight ahead and doesn’t look at Russell. After turning the stereo back up, Russell and Jesse both put their seatbelts on, and he starts the car. Russell then backs out of the “Oakwood Shopping Center”, and drives down Sunset Boulevard. For a moment, Russell looks at Jesse who seems very timid. Jesse is keeping to himself and seems nervous and shy. Russell then turns his head towards the road. He continues to drive, until he reaches a stoplight. He lowers the volume on the stereo, and begins to ask Jesse a concern he has on his mind, while looking straight ahead.
“You never told me where you lived, so, yeah. Where do you live at?”
Jesse then peeks out the passenger side window, and hesitates to answer Russell. He looks down at the ground for a couple seconds. It didn’t occur to him that he would have to give Russell his personal information, such as that. However, he did submit to Russell.
“Well, I live in a studio in Inglewood by myself. It’s okay, I like it. I know Inglewood is kinda far from here, and I would have to take several busses but ugh. I really liked working at the bank so I would deal with the commute. You do you know where Inglewood is right?”
Russell glances at Jesse who is looking straight, and turns his head back forward. Russell nods his head in agreement to his question. When the signal changes, Russell continues to drive. When he reaches another stoplight, he turns the music on his stereo to some loud Hip-Hop music. Russell then begins to perfectly mouth the lyrics to the music. Jesse then looks at him in amazement and in confusion, before letting his intentions show to him.
“Oh, I never knew you were that type of guy Russell. You always seemed stuck up to me.”
Jesse then looks out the window in a bitter pushy mood. Russell then turns up the volume of the music, and continues to mime the words. As the men are riding the road, Russell realizes that he hasn’t had anything to eat the entire day. He was saving his appetite, as himself and Peter were supposed to go out to eat. Russell who is a man who enjoys food, lowers the volume on the stereo, and proceeds to proposition Jesse something.
“Hey, I’m hungry as hell. I need to get a bite to eat. I can’t go on much longer without eating something. So, it’s not up for discussion. I’m going to get something to eat, and you can decide not to eat if you want, but I’m hungry, so if that bothers you, I can let you out right now.”
Jesse then scoffs at Russell for saying that, and crosses his arms in his seat, looking out of the passenger window. Jesse then playfully responds to Russell.
“Okay, yeah I can eat something. But you’re paying right? It’s on you?”
Russell turns his head over at Jesse, then laughs out loud, he then turns his head back forward and nods. Immediately following that, he turns the music on the radio back up. A few minutes later, Russell makes a turn onto the highway heading towards Hollywood. He lets Jesse know where the both of them are going.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever been, but there is this really nice Italian restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard, called “Rome” that me and Peter have visited a couple times. It’s kinda a fancy place, good vibe too. Their food is really good. They might... no fuck that, they are gonna be packed because it’s Friday night, and we don’t have a reservation, but we can wait for a table. You aren’t in a rush to get home are you?”
Jesse for the first time in this moment, starts to become more comfortable with Russell and turns his head and smiles at him. He jubilantly replies to him in agreement.
“No, I’m not in a rush to get home Russell. I don’t care, even if we go to KFC, I don’t care. I trust your intuition and, I trust you.”
Russell laughs at Jesse, and continues to drive down the highway. Eventually, he gets off of the highway and drives down Hollywood boulevard. Russell displays minor agitation.
“This LA traffic is really getting on my damn nerves. The restaurant is around the corner, but because of this traffic, it’s gonna be a while before we get there.”
Jesse shakes his head to conform what Russell said as being sincere to the situation. He then looks out onto the Hollywood Strip, seeing many performers and people walking down the sidewalk. It is a very entertaining and busy scene, with a lot of different characters and events happening. The stars on Hollywood Walk of Fame, and looking at buskers and people in costume as well. It’s a very interesting and eclectic site to say the very least. Traffic finally starts to expand itself, and move at a smoother rate. Russell continues to drive, and then turns into a private parking lot building located a reasonable walking distance from the restaurant, and parks his car.
“We’re gonna walk over there from here, it’s not far. They have valet at the restaurant, but I’m more comfortable with this. Come on, let’s go.”
Russell then unplugs his phone from the charger and puts it in his pocket. He unlocks the car doors, with Jesse taking a few items out of his tote bag, then setting it on the floor, leaving it inside. He and Jesse both get out of the car, and walk down Hollywood Boulevard. Russell is walking with his hands in his pockets grinning, and Jesse is walking with his arms crossed. Russell is beginning to relax himself and be more calm. Jesse seems to be anxious, yet safe walking with Russell. Perhaps he is wanting to give off a false impression towards him. While they are strolling down the sidewalk, they temporarily stop walking and are mesmerized by something.
They see a Michael Jackson impersonator dancing, and Russell gives him some money. After that, they continue walking heading towards the restaurant. Upon reaching the restaurant, Russell informs the host that he and Jesse wish to have a table. They are told that they are going to have to wait possibly twenty minutes for one. Both of the men agree to wait for a table, and Russell is given a buzzer which would light up when their table is available. They both go to an outside courtyard area adjacent in the back area of the restaurant, in the meantime. They are both sitting on a bench near a marble fountain. For a few awkward seconds, they both wander their eyes around in the air, before Russell takes his phone out his pocket. In this same moment, he reaches in his pants pocket and takes out a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and sets them in the middle of himself and Jesse. He puts a cigarette in his mouth, then starts to go through all of his pockets, including his suit jacket pocket. In frustration, Russell grunts and seems to be upset over something. Talking with the cigarette still in his mouth, he looks over at Jesse.
“Aww Damn, I left my lighter in my car. You wouldn’t have a light?”
With the cigarette still in Russell’s mouth, Jesse picks up Russell’s pack of cigarettes and takes one for himself, concurrently reaching in his pocket and letting Russell use his lighter.
“You’re lucky. Something told me to bring my lighter. I left my pack of cigarettes in my bag in your car, because I know you smoke because I saw you put a pack in your pockets.”
Russell then smiles at Jesse, and Russell lights the cigarette in his mouth before returning the lighter back to him. Jesse then lights a cigarette for himself. Russell with the cigarette in one hand, picks up his phone in the other, and is reading the sports scores. Jesse while taking puffs of his cigarette, is feeling curious about something, and he heavily gazes and scans at Russe
ll, asking him a question while doing so.
“Russ, can I ask you a question?”
Russell still looking down on his phone, shakes his head and grunts at Jesse.
“You can ask me anything, but I have one rule okay. We don’t talk about anything that happened today. I just want to go inside, have dinner, and eat. All that shit is gonna ruin my appetite. So don’t bring it up, and remind me. Anything in that realm I’m not gonna talk about, and don’t want you mentioning. Is that a Deal?”
Jesse then feeling attacked by Russell’s comments, takes a puff from his cigarette, and gives an ugly look at Russell, and very angrily replies to him in a harsh manner.
“You know what, forget it. I didn’t want to listen or believe it at first, but everyone was right about you, you are an asshole. There are so many rumors about you that me and the rest of the gang at the bank would always make, and I totally see it now.”
Russell who is continuing to look down on his phone, takes a puff of his cigarette and shakes his head and laughs. The men continue to smoke their cigarettes. Russell finishes his first, and throws the butt away in the trash can. Jesse soon finishes his cigarette and disposes of it. In awkward silence, the both of them sit and wait. Jesse looks at Russell again, and speaks to him.
“Russ, I just wanted to let you know, that I quit working at the bank. Possibly the for the same reasons you and Yvette did. I can’t be in that building anymore. I’m going to go mad.”
Russell with his phone still in his hand, looks up at Jesse for a couple seconds, raises his eyebrows and shakes his head at him, then goes back to looking down on his phone. Jesse then proceeds to ask Russell another question.
“Everyone else at the bank, I knew about their family and their personal life, and I’m just the token black and gay guy. Yet I don’t know a single damn thing about you. You’re such a man of mystery. Are you married, do you have any kids Russell? I’m just curious.”
Russell while still looking on his phone, makes an angry face, and for almost a minute it seems as though he’s avoiding and refusing to answer the question. Remarkably, Russell opens up more about himself to Jesse.
“Well, no I’m not married. I’m single. I’m also not the fatherly type, so I don’t have any children either. And no, I’ve never dated any of the women that ever came into the bank.”
Jesse continues to express himself more towards Russell on personal matters.
“Well, when you’re not acting like an asshole, you’re a beautiful man. I’m not saying that because I’m gay, I’m saying that because I feel inside you’re an alright guy I suppose.”
Russell continuing to read his phone, smirks at what Jesse said, and laughs to himself. Jesse continues to stare at Russell, profiling him. He is wondering as to whether or not he should continue to throw more questions at him, or to just leave him alone. A few more minutes of awkward silence passes, when Russell who is still going through his phone, raises his head at Jesse who is purposefully staring at him in confusion and in amusement. Russell following that lowers his head to his phone again, and starts to grin and laugh to himself. A few seconds later, he then becomes curious towards Jesse, and doesn’t hesitate to be frank with him by forcefully explaining something.
“You know, if I was such an asshole, I would not have given you a lift, and left you in that parking lot, I wouldn’t have taken you out to dinner for free, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have let you bum one of my cigarettes, and don’t act like I didn’t catch you do that. I also wouldn’t be telling you private information about myself. But I’m such an asshole right?”
Jesse starts to unintentionally laugh over what Russell said, and folds his arms together. He then looks up at the night sky, and looks at all the tall buildings in the surrounding area. Russell puts his head up from his phone, and notices Jesse looking up at the sky. He as well interestingly looks up with him. Jesse while still looking at the sky talks to Russell.
“Despite today being what it was, this is strangely such a beautiful night. The air is so lovely, it’s kinda humid but still lovely. The sky is kinda a mix between orange and blue, and it’s so lovely. This is why I like Los Angeles a lot, because you see a lot of this.”
Russell while still looking up at the sky nods over Jesse’s comment. He then proceeds to look down to his phone again. This time, Russell is reading political and finance news on the CNN app. Russell likes to be very involved with these sorts of things, and has always been a conspiracy theorist in a sense. He is always trying to get involved with issues that others very seldom talk about, dealing with money, politics, crime, and social studies. In addition to that, Russell always has a more out of the box perspective on how things happen the way they do, and seems to think that there might be outside sources which control the unknown. Jesse continues to gaze at Russell, second guessing to himself to bring up a thought in his mind, or not to. Russell is finished going through his phone, and sets it down on the bench. He puts his hands in his pants pocket, and looks over at the fountain situated next to the bench himself and Jesse are sitting on. He notices how peaceful the water is coming out of the faucet, and how beautiful the marble on the outside of the fountain shines. There are LED lights on the bottom of the exterior of the fountain which are in blue, green, and white. They complement the artistry of the way the fountain is designed, and displays a beautiful and colorful arrangement. Jesse who is still glancing at Russell, notices him paying close attention to the fountain, and starts to offer his own personal feelings and remarks towards the beauty of it.
“That is a nice fountain huh Russ? If I were filthy rich, I would have one of these in my backyard. It’s so nice, and breathtaking. Ugh, I really like this fountain, and it’s very rare you see beautiful and artistic things like this anymore.”
Russell continues to look up and down at the fountain, being fascinated by it. He then begins to agree with Jesse on his opinions of the fountain.
“It’s eye catching yes. It reminds me of Italy kind of, I’m getting that sort of theme from it. It also looks very regal and royal. The only thing I don’t like is the way it’s kinda positioned. It would have made more sense if they put it in the middle of these benches, instead of having it behind all that shrubbery. To me that looks beyond ignorant, but alas.”
Jesse turns his head away from the fountain towards Russell, giving him an innocent submissive look. He stays silent, and doesn’t respond verbally or indirectly to Russell’s comments over the fountain. Russell then looks away from the fountain and puts his head down, with his hands still in his pockets. He notices Jesse yet again staring at him, which this time he grunts at him as if he were bothered. Jesse begins to refrain from staring at Russell, and looks away from him. He is starting to become aware that perhaps Russell is starting to find him doing that unpleasant. Jesse still had a million things on his mind that he wanted to explain to Russell, and is very captivated by his presence at the moment. However, he simply kept his responses to himself, and didn’t wish to reveal them.
A couple minutes later, the buzzer the restaurant host gave Russell started to go off. Their table was finally available, and they could both now go inside. Russell and Jesse proceed to walk through the restaurant. It was a magnificent setting, with the theme being Rome, Italy, hence the name of the restaurant entitled “Rome”. From the way the restaurant was designed, it was almost as if it were outside, but it wasn’t. The whole restaurant was orchestrated to follow that particular pattern and design. There are no windows inside, possibly done in an illusion so that he patrons inside of the restaurant, feel engulfed in the scenery and ambiance. There were many paintings hung up on the walls, and a lot of plants and other botanic motifs. Upon looking at the ceiling, you can see many chandelier’s and other sparkling attractive compliments. The restaurant was lit in an intimate and passionate way, to give a very comfortable and compassionate feeling. Inside, it is crowded with many people, with virtually every single table being occupied. This is clearly a popular and
well liked restaurant due to that happening.
Russell and Jesse were seated into a booth located in the center of the restaurant, very close to the bar area of the restaurant. There were big screen TV’s showing sports games. They each took a seat on the opposing sides of a booth, sitting across from each other. Russell starts to remove his suit jacket, folds it up and puts it down next to him. The waitress then presented them both with menu’s, not before asking what type of libation they would like.
“Alright gentlemen, what can I get you both to drink?”
Russell looked at Jesse for a couple seconds before responding to the waitress.
“Uh, I know you guys have beer. Hmm.... uh. I’ll just have two bottles of Blue Moon please. That’s just for myself. Two bottles of Blue Moon. Yeah.”
Jesse, while looking at Russell gives his drink order as well.
“Yeah, I’ll just take a glass of Chardonnay. Thank you.”
Right before she is about to leave the table, Russell grabs the waitress arms.
“Just bring the whole bottle. Get me two bottles of Blue Moon and a bottle of Chardonnay. We had a long day, I appreciate it. Thanks.”
Russell then grins at Jesse. Jesse began to talk about the interior of the restaurant.
“Oh my, this place is just fantastic. I never seen a restaurant like this before ever, this was a very good recommendation Russell, thank you very much.”
Russell smiled at Jesse, and began to read over the menu. Russell was very fond of this restaurant and has been a couple times before with Peter. He not only likes the environment and the experience, but also the food. He really enjoyed eating Italian food. Despite him being Russian and Jewish, he still had an affinity for Italian cuisine, and would prefer it above all. Russell continued to scan the menu, trying to make his mind up over what he wanted to eat. The choices at this restaurant were plenty, and thus it makes it very difficult to decide what to actually order. Jesse has never been in this restaurant before, mainly because he very seldom eats Italian food. So unlike Russell, he wasn’t as experienced with the menu and what to order. Russell had a feeling this might be the case when he glances over at Jesse reading the menu looking puzzled.
Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained Page 9