Disclaimer. Again: don't own anything, just write cause i get a kick out of making characters do more then what they were originally conceived to do.
Roger got out of his bedroom and walked to the kitchen.
"You're going out wearing this?" - Maureen asked sitting on the couch with Mark's laying his head on her lap.
"What's wrong with this?"
"Isn't it the same clothes you've been wearing for the past two days?"
"The shirt is different." he said grabbing a beer.
"You're gonna make quite an impression." she said. "How old is that shirt anyway?"
"I'm not trying to make an impression. I'm taking her out because I lost a bet."
"Yeah, it must be really awful to be forced to spend some time with a girl as hot as that."
"If you like her so much why don't you take her out?"
"When she realizes you're a waste of time I'll give it a try." Maureen said sounding more serious than Mark would like. "Are you really not even a bit interested in her?"
Roger hesitated.
"What difference does it make?" he was aiming for indifferent, but it sounded pitiful.
"It makes all the difference in the world." Mark said, raising his head and looking at Roger.
"No it doesn't, Mark. Cause I have nothing to offer her. This, " he hit his chest a couple of times. "this shell that she's interest in, is empty. There's nothing in here anymore. No fire, no passion. Just this damn virus that's going to take hold of the little that's left soon enough."
"You don't mean that." Mark said determined. "You know that's not true. There's a lot you can..."
Roger interrupted him. "Don't, Mark, don't bother." He looked at his watch, grabbed his wallet from the counter and walked to the door. "I'm doing what you all want: going out. That should suffice you for tonight. Don't give me anymore of you're pity talk, ok?"
He left the apartment and rushed down the stairs, taking a deep breath before knocking on her door.
After a few moments he heard the sound of something crashing inside, Mimi's voice cursing and then the sound of the lock being undone.
"Hi. You're on time." she smiled, looking a little flushed. "I'm not ready, can you wait just a few minutes?"
She walked back in leaving the door open.
"Can I not?" he asked walking slowly inside.
"That was a rhetorical question." she said disappearing through a door that he assumed was her bedroom.
The apartment was smaller than his and Mark's. It was a little messy but it had a very feminine style with lots of colors and patterns. He sat on the white couch to wait for her.
"Where are we going?" she scream from the other room.
"A place nearby."
"Are we going to walk or take a cab?"
"Walk"
She went silent and after a few minutes, then appeared again, wearing a simple black dress with blue pattern and high hills. Her her was loose and full of waves. "I'm ready. Shall we?" She said with a triumphantly smile.
Once again he had that impression that she was more beautiful than he remembered. She waited for a compliment, but he didn't said anything.
They left the building and he lead the way.
"I was afraid you wouldn't show." she said, breaking the silence between them.
"I always pay my debts." he said seriously.
After a few block they arrived at a Pub. Roger asked for a table and the waiter pointed something in the corner.
"It's not really a restaurant." she pointed.
"You didn't said it had to be one. You just said I could pick whatever I wanted and that you didn't eat meat. They have a veggie burger, and some salads." he said without taking his eyes from the menu.
"Well, I guess I should be thankful you didn't take me to a hot dog stand."
"I considered that. But I don't know any hot dog stands with veggie hot dogs."
"Very funny."
"Are you two ready to order?" asked the waiter
"Yes. I'll have the veggie burger, a caprese salad and a Mojito." she said.
"I'll have a cheeseburger, french fries and a beer."
He left them alone and there was an awkward silence.
"So, how did you and Mark meet?" she started, trying to break the silence.
"Haven't you realized I'm not a personal question kind of man?" he said coldly.
"Ok." she replied tolerant. He wasn't going to push her alway so easily. "What do you propose we talk about then?"
He just looked away.
"We can't stay the whole dinner without saying a word to each other."
"You can't." he replied.
She took a deep breath and tried again. "So ask me something."
"Ok, why are you insisting with this?" he said, leaning in her direction.
"With what?"
"With...this. With forcing me to go out with you when i said i wasn't interest."
"I'm stubborn. And spoiled. And I'm not used to be blown off. Thought that was obvious." she said with a cheeky smile. He leaned back again and snorted with impatience.
After a few minutes of silence she reached out and grabbed his hand. "Since you're not going to tell me anything about you I'm going to read your palm." She said holding his right hand.
He was taken by surprise by that action but held the urge to pull his hand back. "You're going to what?" Her touch was warm and the way she was running her finger through his palm was making shivers run down his spine.
"Read your palm. I come from a long line of gypsies."
"Really?" he asked with sarcasm.
"Well, no. But I'm sure there may be at least one gypsy in my family line. Uhn."
"What?"
"You have a very parted heart line."
"And that means what?"
"That you're a man of many lovers." she said looking back at him teasingly.
He just raised his eyebrows to her. No, he wasn't a man of many lovers. Maybe before April. Not anymore.
She looked back to his hand.
"You're head line is very deep. That means you think too much." She ran her the tip of her finger very softly through his skin and looked back at him smiling. "That's dangerous. You should listen to your heart more." his heart started to race, her touch was burning him, and he felt the urge to kiss her. He looked away and pulled back his hand.
"Wait." she said holding his hand a little longer and looking at it again. "Uhn" Her smile faded.
"Now what?"
"You have a short life line" she said casually. "That means, you have to life fast and enjoy every minute, cause you're going to die young. Like me."
He felt the blood running out of his face and a lump on his throat. He pulled his hand and looked away again.
"Are you ok? You got pale." she laughed nervously. "Hey, i'm kidding. I learned all that in a magazine. I'm not serious. Jesus, you really don't have any sense of humor."
"Excuse me." he said, getting up.
"Where are you going?"
"To the bathroom." he said rushing away from her.
Roger kicked the door of the bathroom open and placed his both hands on the sink. He couldn't breath and his heart was pounding hard on his chest. He threw cold water on his face and took a deep breath. He was feeling a mixture of panic, shame, anger and desire. It was like she knew exactly what to say to drive him mad. He wanted to leave, run away, get back to the apartment e hide inside his bedroom forever. At the same time, he wanted to get back to the table and tell her the truth, tell her about the disease. But he feared she would stop being interest in him if he did. But she said she was going to die young too. What could she possibly mean by that?
Meanwhile, Mimi was sure the dinner had gone worst than she had anticipated. He was cold and rude all the time, and the two times she thought she saw desire in his eyes could have just been her over inflated and self centered imagination. She felt tears forming in her eyes, when she realize that he probably had left and she would have to pay for the food and drinks that had just arrived. That was definitely the most humiliating situation she had ever been in her life. The worst part was that she had done that to herself. He said he wasn't interest. Several times. Why had she insisted?
"Mimi?" she heard a voice calling her.
She looked up and saw a familiar face that just made her sure she was inside a nightmare.
"Benny?"
"What are you doing here?" he asked smiling sheepishly
"Eating." she said trying to look cool. "With a friend." she added a little unsure, because there was a strong possibility that her 'friend' would never come back from the restroom.
"Oh" his smile faded. "You didn't return my calls."
"There was nothing to say anymore, Benny."
"I disagree. We need to talk."
She shook her head sucking the straw of her drink, wishing it was something stronger.
"Please, leave me alone." she said angry.
"Is everything ok?"
"Roger?" Mimi said genuinely happy and relieved with his return.
Benny looked at him with surprised and sighed. "Roger. I heard you weren't getting out of the apartment."
"Guess I am. You two know each other?" he asked coldly.
"Yes. I met Mimi a few months ago. I was the one who offered her the flat bellow yours."
"You two know each other, too?" she asked a little nervous.
"I used to share the flat with Roger and Mark."
"Before he got married to a rich girl and moved to a better part of town. How's Muffy?"
"Allison. She's fine." he said embarrassed by the judgment in Mimi's eyes and Roger's tone. "As a matter of fact I'm going to meet her now. I'll tell her you said hi." he said, looking at his watch. "Nice to see you're better, man. Mimi I'll call you." he finished leaving them alone again.
Roger sat down and looked at her. "How did you two meet?" He tried to sound cool and hold back that slight sting of jealousy inside. Benny was rich, good looking, without scruples and healthy.
"I don't want to talk about him." she said, finishing her drink and asking for another.
That made him even more jealous. "You know now how obnoxious it is when you don't want to talk about something and someone asks about it." he said aggressively.
That made her angry for a moment. But then she remembered how happy she was he hadn't just gone away without saying a word that she decided it wasn't worthy to let things go sour again because of Benny.
She smiled. "That's different, but since you insist: I met Benny at work, we went out a couple of times but I dumped him three months ago when I found out he was married."
He snorted, but felt relieved with the answer.
"See, it's not that hard to answer questions. Even complicated ones." she teased.
"Guess not." he said indifferent.
"What did he mean about you not wanting to leave the apartment?" she tried.
"Look, I got some baggage ok. I don't want to be rude, but I don't have any answers for you tonight."
"I got baggage, too. We just need to find out if they match." she smiled sheepishly again.
He just sighed.
"Ok, let me guess..."
"I rather you didn't."
It was Mimi who sighed this time. "Ok, I give up." He looked at her without understanding. "Ask for the check, we can go now."
"You didn't finish your burger." he said. He hadn't touched his but he wasn't hungry.
"I lost my appetite and I don't want to insist on this anymore. You're right, I shouldn't force you to do something you don't want to. Let's go." She stood up and walked to the exit door.
He left some notes on the table and went after her.
They walked silently back to their building and Roger began to feel awful. He didn't understood why. That was what he wanted, wasn't it? That she left him alone. But now he didn't want to leave her like that.
"Look, I'm sorry." He began when they got to the building. "It's not you..."
"Please don't finish that sentence."
They climbed the stairs silently, she jumped two steps at a time, getting to her floor before him.
"That's me." she said. "Thanks for everything. I won't bother you anymore. Good Night." She walked to her door leaving him standing on the stairs.
"Mimi." he called.
That was the first time he said her name since they met. She stopped and looked back at him. The tears she was holding since the restaurant were already forming in her eyes.
"What did you mean when you said you were going to die young too?" he asked walking in her direction.
She snorted and looked away from him. "You're kidding, right? Now you want to talk?"
"Just answer the question."
She looked at him and he saw a single tear fall from her eyes. He felt guilty.
"You know" she begin with confidence, despite the tears. "I normally just tell that to someone when I consider the possibility of having sex with the person. Don't think that's the case here, but since I probably will never see you again, what the hell." she took a deep breath, trying to control herself and stop crying. "I'm HIV positive."
His heart started to race and he looked at her amazed.
"You're pale again. Gonna run away now?" she said with mockery.
But he didn't run. Instead, he walked to her and kissed her.
Her mouth opened to him despite her surprise, and he pushed her against the door of her apartment. Unable to form any coherent thought, Mimi just threw her arms around his neck and adjusted her hips against him.
He pulled his lips away from hers and started kissing her neck while his hands moved up her legs, under her dress. That was when she placed her palms against his chest and whispered for him to stop. It took him a great effort of self control to do that.
She pulled him and he stepped back breathing heavily, felling his whole body pounding.
"What was that?" she asked breathless.
"I'm sorry." he said.
"That's not an answer."
He took a deep breath to regain control of himself. "I'm totally screwed up. I don't know how to begin answer you."
"Try." she said.
"I wanted to push you away, because I was... because I didn't want to get involved with anyone, and you... but you..." he looked down to his hands trying to find the words. "I thought you would not be interest in me if you knew... And I didn't want you to know...That's why I treated you like that. I'm sorry."
"Know what?"
"I got AIDS, too." he said and it felt like a heavy load has been lifted from him.
"You?" she said with an incredulous smile.
"Me." he said. "I'm going to die young too, just like you guessed."
She laughed.
"That's not funny." he said serious, a little embarrassed by her reaction.
She covered her mouth, holding her laugh. "It's not. You're right." she said, stepping closer to him. "I laugh when I'm nervous." she looked into his eyes and kissed him softly on the lips again, pulling him by the jacket. "Want to come in?" she invited with a whisper.
He smiled and just let himself be pulled inside her apartment.
Again, thanks for reviews.