Three Little Words
She peered across the dimly lit front room of Richard's fraternity house, unable to believe what she was seeing. Richard was speaking with her roommate Judy, and he seemed to be getting too friendly.
"Yes, I like the art gallery very much. I am always amazed by the colors of Titian. It's fascinating to see how his work evolved over his lifetime." He smiled at Judy, leaning toward her slightly as she stood near the sofa. "But the British collection is my favorite. You should see it sometime!"
"Maybe I will," she giggled.
"Would you like some punch?" he asked in a tone of voice far too friendly for Emily's taste. She stiffened and crossed her arms, becoming incensed by what she saw happening between her date and her friend just a few feet away.
Judy smiled excitedly. "Yes, I would!"
"I'll be right back," he said cheerfully.
On the way back from the drinks table, he spotted Emily standing nearby.
"Oh, there you are. I was wondering where you'd gone." He smiled at her enthusiastically.
"I'll just bet you were," she stated flatly, looking away from him.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"Nothing," she answered stiffly, her back straight and arms crossed.
He looked at her with a puzzled expression. Was she mad about something? Had he done something wrong? With Emily, who could tell? She could get angry so easily sometimes. Well, maybe if he ignored it, it would blow over soon. "Can I get you something to drink?" he asked.
"No, thank you," she replied in a decidedly icy tone of voice. She was definitely mad. Should he ask her why? He wanted to get to the bottom of it, but asking her might just aggravate her further.
"Do you want to leave?" he asked, trying to figure out what he should say to her.
"Yes I do," she said simply.
"OK, just let me get this drink to Judy, and I'll get our coats," he replied, motioning to Judy with her drink.
"Yes, you do that," she answered, her tone even stiffer.
With a confused look back at her, he left to take care of his errands. When he returned a short time later with Emily's coat across his arm, she still appeared to be angry. "Here's your coat," he said, holding it out to her.
After putting on their coats, they left. Neither of them spoke during the ride back to Emily's parents' house. Occasionally, Richard glanced over at her, but she continued to stare straight ahead, refusing to look at him. He was concerned and wanted to ask her what was wrong but figured she was too angry to be responsive. He sighed. What a mystery this woman was!
-/-/-
When they got to the house, Richard was grateful to find her parents were out of town and unable to overhear what was likely to become a fight. He decided to try kissing her goodnight, hoping she would be receptive to that but she pulled away, stepping farther into the foyer. He followed her. "Emily, what is going on? You've been acting this way since before we left the party and I don't know why. What's wrong?" he asked, his tone serious.
"Nothing," she said, looking away from him, her arms crossed.
"It's not 'nothing.' You're mad at me, and I want to know why," he said firmly.
"I'm not mad at you," she replied, a hint of stubbornness in her voice.
"Yes, you are, Emily. If I did something wrong, I would like to know," he insisted.
"It's nothing!" she replied impatiently.
Richard sighed. "Fine. I'll call you tomorrow." He started to leave.
She frowned and then looked at him. "I just don't see why you have to flirt with my roommate!"
"What?!" He turned around, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Judy! Or have you forgotten her already?" she answered sarcastically.
"What are you talking about?" he demanded. She turned away and walked into the living room, Richard following her.
"I was the one you took to the party, right?" she asked, turning to face him again.
"Yes, of course," he replied, still confused.
"Why did you take me if you were interested in another woman?!" she questioned.
"I wasn't interested in her, and I wasn't flirting!" he insisted.
"Yes, you were!" she said, her frustration building.
"No, I wasn't. You're just jealous!" he snapped.
"I am not! I just don't see why my boyfriend has to show interest in other women!" she said angrily, pacing once in front of him. He could hear a trace of hurt beneath her anger.
"Oh, no, Emily, I … " He reached his arm out to her, but she turned away from him. "You are jealous!" he said, becoming angry again.
She turned to face him again. "No, Richard, I'm not. … In fact, I don't care if you like her," she retorted, gesturing forcefully. "Go out with her if you want!"
"Maybe I will!" he declared defiantly.
"Fine! She's all yours!" she snapped.
He tried to read her face to see how serious she was. "Are you breaking up with me?" he asked, trying not to let his concern show.
She started, shocked by the reality of his words, but quickly recovered and put the wall back up between them. "Yes, I am," she said stiffly. "If you like Judy so much, you can go out with her."
"You could never really break up with me," he declared, trying to hide the fact that he was afraid she might do just that.
She ached at the thought of it but wouldn't let him see it. "Just watch me!"
He huffed. "You won't be able to stay away from me for long."
"Yes, I will," she asserted.
"You'll be calling me in no time begging me to take you back," he countered, glaring at her.
"No, I won't. If anyone calls first, it'll be you!" she said, trying to sound firm, though she found it difficult to do so as the seriousness of what was happening started to sink in.
He was concerned about the direction this conversation had taken, but he wasn't going to let her accuse him of something so blatantly false. "Well, we'll just see about that!"
"I guess we will!" She hoped he couldn't tell from her tone of voice that she was more hurt than angry.
"Fine!" he huffed, his eyes widened in exasperation. He turned and started toward the door.
"Fine!" she snapped, following him angrily as he walked away.
He slammed the door and was gone. Emily held herself against the door jamb as she finally realized what she had done. She didn't want to break up with him. She was just angry, and she had let things go too far. But now he was gone and she might never see him again.
-/-/-
Richard let himself into his apartment and slumped down on the sofa. The night had started out so well. How could things have gone so wrong? He was excited to be taking Emily to his fraternity party. They were having a very good time. Then he merely spent a few minutes talking to her friend, and suddenly Emily was breaking up with him. Well, maybe things would blow over tomorrow and she'd call to apologize. After the way she behaved tonight, though, he wouldn't make it easy for her. True, he wanted to make up with her, but he couldn't let her get away with the way she had talked to him.
Well, at any rate, it wasn't going to be resolved tonight. Maybe things would be easier to deal with after a good night's sleep. Richard decided to go to bed.
He wondered what she was doing right now. Richard shook his head vigorously, as if to shake the thoughts of her. This was ridiculous. It had been five days since he and Emily had broken up and he still couldn't stop thinking about her. She was just a woman, one of so many he had dated. Why couldn't he get her out of his head?
What was it about this woman? Sure, she was gorgeous. But that wasn't what attracted him to her. In fact, he had dated many beautiful women before and he had even fallen for a couple of them. But no woman had ever made him feel like this.
Being with her was a constant challenge. It was the most complicated relationship he'd ever had. She argued with him constantly. It drove him crazy! There was nothing she wouldn't challenge him on. But he also found her exciting and intriguing. He had felt passion for women before, but no one set him on fire like she did. Underneath her proper exterior was a fiery, passionate, and exciting woman.
She was different in other ways, too. She was not only beautiful and exciting, but she had an assertiveness many women lacked. Unlike most of the women he had dated from their world, she didn't try to cater to his every wish just to please him. She also wasn't impressed by his charm. All of his usual lines were lost on her. Yet she seemed to care deeply for him anyway. She managed to see past the surface characteristics to something good and real inside him. Certainly they bickered frequently. But underneath the surface they seemed to be developing a strong bond and a deep caring for each other.
There were so many other things that attracted him to her as well. Under all of the feistiness and her perfect rules of etiquette was a person with a big heart. She cared more about other people than she would let on. And she was a woman whose loved ones were very important to her. She loved every one of them fiercely, and though she rarely showed it on the surface, her relationships with them were the most important part of her life. Now it seemed that she cared deeply for Richard, too, and he might be on the path to becoming one of those "loved ones." Shouldn't that scare him? Yet why did he feel so grateful about it?
Then again, maybe he was wrong about the way she felt about him. In the five days since they had broken up, she hadn't tried to call even once. He had been so sure she would break down and call him within a day or two. But not a word. What was she thinking right now? Did she miss him as much as he missed her? Was she still angry? Or was she already moving on? Oh, this was ridiculous! Why did he care so much? He had to face it. They were broken up, and it was time to get over it.
Emily sighed, pulled the book closer, and tried once again to focus on her assignment. She missed Richard, and it was hard to concentrate on her studies. She had been so sure that they had something special. It really seemed like things were getting serious between them. So why had he talked to Judy that way at the party? Those were the same kinds of things he had said to her on their first date. That day at the art gallery, he seemed to be trying to impress Emily. Was he trying to do the same thing with Judy at the party?
It's true, he did have a reputation for going from one girlfriend to the next, and the art gallery was a place he often took women he was trying to impress. Truth be told, he probably said the same sorts of things to all of his dates. So how could Emily have thought things were different with her? But they had seemed different. Richard truly seemed to care about her. And they had been dating for months now. She really believed he was getting serious. Could she have been that wrong about his feelings? He hadn't called in the five days since their big fight. Maybe she had indeed been wrong.
Well, she would be better off without him. If he was that kind of guy, who needed him?! She could certainly find someone better. After all, she was a good catch, and several other men had expressed interest in her. Certainly she could find someone who would treat her well, love her for who she was, and make her happy. Yes, Emily would be happier with another man. So why was it so hard to stop thinking about Richard?
Melinda answered the ringing telephone. "Hello?" She sighed. "Hang on." She turned to her best friend sitting on the sofa. "Emily, Richard Gilmore is on the phone."
Could he be calling because he missed her? Or was he still angry? It had been almost a week since their big fight, and this was the first time he had contacted her. Why was he calling now after waiting so long? Well, whatever his reasons, Emily wasn't going to make it easy for him. He had flirted with her roommate and wasn't even sorry about it. She didn't need a boyfriend who was interested in other women, Emily thought, trying to convince herself that she didn't care about him as much as she knew she did. She had to be strong and fight the urge to grab the phone and tell him she wanted him back. That she had missed him deeply and was aching to see him again.
Emily sighed and turned to her roommate's closed door, speaking loudly enough for Richard to hear over the phone, "Judy, Richard Gilmore is on the phone for you."
"He asked for you," Melinda said to Emily. She had heard about the confrontation between these two and hoped Emily would be strong enough to refuse the call. Not only had he hurt her, but he had a reputation for playing the field. She didn't want to see her dear friend mixed up with him. Especially when she could do so much better.
Emily replied, "tell him I'm not here," and Melinda tried to hold back her small smile.
"She's not here," Melinda said into the phone.
"I know she's there," Richard persisted. "I heard her in the background. Could you please ask her to pick up the phone? I really need to talk to her."
Melinda sighed again and turned back to Emily. "He said he really needs to talk to you. Do you want to take the call?"
"No." Emily hoped she sounded more firm in her resolve than she felt.
Melinda turned back to the phone. "I'm sorry, but she won't come to the phone. … No, she said she doesn't want to talk to you. … No, I won't. … No. … All right, goodbye." Turning to Emily, she tried to sound supportive. "I think you did the right thing."
Emily tried to smile, but all she wanted to do was hide herself in her room and cry.
"Bye!" Emily said to her roommates, waving to them from the doorway. "Enjoy the concert!"
"Are you sure you can't come?" pleaded Melinda. She had seen Emily moping around the apartment since the breakup, and she was a little worried about her. Even though she had refused Richard's call the night before, it was clear that Emily was not getting over this breakup very easily. It would do her some good to get out.
"No, I'm really tired and need to stay in tonight. But you have a good time," she responded, trying to sound like she was fine.
"OK." Melinda replied. "Well, we'll see you when we get home. Bye."
"Bye." With that, her roommates left and Emily shut the door.
Just a few seconds later, she heard a knock.
As she was opening the door, she said, chuckling, "did you forget your key or something?" But when the door opened, she saw Richard standing there. "Richard!" she exclaimed, the shock evident in her face.
"Emily, I need to talk to you," he stated.
"I have nothing to say to you," she answered stiffly, her arms crossed and a pointed look on her face.
"But I have something to say to you," he persisted.
"No!" replied Emily, trying to remain firm.
"Emily, please just let me talk to you for a moment," Richard pleaded.
"Why should I listen to anything you have to say?" She started to close the door as she turned away.
"Because I love you!"
Emily stopped in her tracks and paused for a moment before turning around. Could he possibly mean it? Or was he just telling her that to try to get her to go back to him? After all, he was a man who had had a lot of meaningless relationships and those words might come too easily to him. Perhaps he didn't really love her but just wanted to prove to himself that he could get Emily to fall for him. She decided it was safer to assume he didn't mean it.
He could see her face soften. But it was too short-lived before she huffed and said, "How many women have you used that line on?" She turned back into the room and he followed her, closing the door behind him.
"It's not a line!" he insisted.
"Oh, sure. Did you say that to Judy, too?" Emily replied scornfully, walking away from him toward the sofa.
"Emily, I have no feelings for Judy. In fact, I have no feelings for anyone but you. I don't want to be with anyone else. I love you." He paused before continuing. "And I think you love me, too."
She stopped in her tracks once again, and this time he saw a look of surprise as she turned to face him. "What?!"
"I think you love me," he relied simply.
"If what you say is true … if I am the only woman you want, why did you flirt with Judy? Why did you act so interested in her?" she questioned.
Richard walked over to where she was standing. "I wasn't trying to flirt with her. I wasn't trying to impress her at all." He tried not to look as sheepish as he felt. Emily sat down on the sofa and Richard sat next to her, turning to face her. "I was trying to get to know your friends because of you. I love you and I want to know everything about you, including the people around you. I just want to be closer to you," he said, looking directly into her eyes.
Could all of this be true? Could it really be true that he loved her? "How do I know it's not a line?" she questioned, looking away from him slightly.
He saw her expression and tone of voice soften as she said it, and he smiled. "Well, I swallowed my pride and called you first, didn't I?"
Hmmm … that was true. But she still couldn't be sure. "That doesn't really prove anything," she stated.
When he saw that her expression and tone of voice were significantly softer now, he felt more confident and relieved. "Emily, I haven't dated anyone else in months … not since I ran into you at the last fraternity party back in April. Since then I haven't even wanted to date anyone else. I think I fell in love with you that night." Emily looked at him. He paused and continued with a little more intensity, "please just give me a chance, and you'll see that I mean what I say. I love you and I want to be with you."
"I don't ever want to feel that way again, Richard. If I am not going to be the only woman you want, you have to tell me now." Emily replied, not yet ready to let her guard down.
"I don't want any woman but you. I'm sorry I acted like I did before and that I let it get out of hand before I told you how I really feel. I'm very sorry I hurt you," Richard said earnestly. "Please just give me a chance."
She couldn't resist any longer. Wow, he loved her! It was true! Richard Gilmore loved her! She took a deep breath. "All right, Richard. We can try again." She smiled slightly.
He sighed, with an unmistakable look of relief on his face. "Good. Thank you for giving me another chance." He kissed her, tentatively at first. But when he felt her respond, their kiss became hungrier. When they broke the kiss, he looked into her face. "Oh, Emily, I missed you," he breathed.
"I missed you, too," she replied, reaching up to stroke the hair above his temple.
Richard kissed her again. He ached to spend time with her and wanted to be alone with her this evening, just relaxing in her apartment. But he was afraid she might be uncomfortable with that. "Do you want to go see a movie?" he asked instead.
"Sure!" she replied enthusiastically.
"OK! I'll see what's playing. May I borrow your newspaper?" he asked, pointing to the paper lying on the coffee table.
"Sure. I'll go change while you see what's playing," she responded excitedly as she got up to leave the room.
-/-/-
Near the back of the movie theatre, Emily snuggled up to Richard as he put his arm around her and they shared a box of popcorn. They reached into the box at the same time, their hands touched, and they looked at each other, both laughing playfully. When they saw the looks in each other's eyes, both felt their hearts skip a beat. Richard leaned over slightly and tried to kiss Emily, but she pushed him away. "Richard! Not here!" she protested. When he saw she was smiling, he grinned. But he pulled back as she asked, simply keeping his arm around her shoulders. Emily leaned into his embrace again. She didn't think she could ever feel happier than she did right now. Richard Gilmore loved her. And he knew she loved him.
When he kissed her goodnight at her door, the kiss felt more passionate than it ever had before. When they broke their kiss, he put his arms around her waist and looked at her tenderly. "I love you, Emily."
"I love you, too," she finally confirmed.
It was hard to tell who was more elated.
-/-/-
The sound of a clearing throat startled them out of their passionate embrace. Emily and Richard turned to see her roommates looking at them, having just returned from the concert. At the sight of Melinda's pointed expression, Emily and Richard felt like a couple of teenagers who had been caught by their parents. Richard glanced from Melinda to Emily. "Well, I should be getting back to New Haven," he told Emily, and then he kissed her. "I'll call you tomorrow."
"Okay. Goodbye." She smiled.
After he left, Emily stalked into the apartment hoping to avoid the inevitable lecture from Melinda, who followed just behind. When they got inside, a frowning Judy walked briskly to her room, leaving Melinda and Emily alone in the living room.
"I thought you had decided not to see him anymore." Melinda said sharply.
Emily shrugged. "We made up."
"Emily … " Melinda scolded.
"We're back together, Sweetie," replied Emily, hoping her joyful tone would diffuse Melinda's concern.
"What could he possibly have said to get you to take him back?" Melinda persisted.
"He said he loved me," she replied simply.
"What?!" Melinda's mouth gaped in disbelief.
"He loves me," Emily responded happily.
"Emily, c'mon. You didn't fall for that, did you? He must have said that to a thousand girls," she admonished.
"I think he meant it. He said he hasn't dated anyone else in months," Emily reasoned.
Melinda huffed. "And you believe that?"
"Yes, I believe him." When Melinda scoffed, Emily glared at her. "What? Do you think he couldn't love a woman like me?"
"Emily, of course I don't think that!" she replied, following Emily to the sofa. They both sat down. "Any man would be lucky to have you!" Melinda continued, turning toward Emily. "But this man is not the kind who falls in love with one woman for very long. I know you care a lot about him but I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Melinda, I know you're just thinking about my feelings and I appreciate your concern," Emily replied, making eye contact. "But I really love him. I can't help it." She sighed and stated simply, "I love him."
Melinda sighed. She knew there was nothing she could say at this point that would change Emily's mind. "Well, I hope you will at least take things slowly. And be careful."
"I will," Emily reassured her.
"Okay," she replied, shaking her head slightly. "Well, I'm glad you're happy," she added, trying to be supportive.
"Thanks, Melinda. I am!" Emily smiled.
A couple of hours later, Emily answered the telephone next to her bed. "Hello?"
"Hello, Emily." At the sound of Richard's voice, she felt her heart skip a beat and she couldn't help smiling.
"Hello, Richard!" she answered excitedly.
"I know I told you I would call tomorrow, but I wanted to see how you were doing after Melinda saw us kissing. I know she isn't happy about us," he said. "You must have gotten quite a lecture from her."
"I did, but it's okay," Emily responded. "She knows how I feel, and she's going to try to be supportive."
"Good," he smiled. "Well, we should both get some sleep. I'll call you tomorrow. Maybe we can do something tomorrow night."
"I would love that!" Emily responded enthusiastically.
"Okay, great!" he replied. "I'll talk you tomorrow. I love you, Emily."
"I love you, too, Richard."
"Good night."
"Good night." As Emily hung up the phone, she smiled. She knew Melinda wasn't convinced but she felt confident that in time Richard's actions would prove her right. In the meantime, nothing could get in the way of her happiness. She and Richard were in love and that was enough.
THE END