Holy crap, this story has 14 reviews now! To the guest who reviewed twice already and kept saying, "More. Now." I have to thank you because I was having a crappy day and that comment/review made my day a lot better. And basically thank you guys for reviewing. It puts a smile on my face when I read a new review. Last chapter, Gatsby showed up to Nick's house and asked if he and Rosie would be willing to accompany him to the city. Of course they say yes because not only does Nick know Rosie is head over heels for Gatsby, but I chose to write that they said yes because some major stuff happens in this chapter. Also, we got a look into why Rosie left Boston, her asshat of an ex Patrick caused her to leave, (Did I mention that he is a complete asshat of a douche?! Yeah? Well, he still is!) And CHARLIE'S COMING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS! YAY! So will there be some moments between Gatsby and Rosie in this chapter? That's for me to know and for you to find out! Happy reading, guys!
Chapter 4:
Walking to Gatsby's house was interesting. I say that because the whole time, I could feel Gatsby's eyes on me and I could've sworn I heard Nick laugh quietly. On one occasion though, I almost tripped, on purpose, and in a heartbeat I felt Gatsby's arm around my waist as he caught me. The Lampher straw hat that Gatsby was sporting had fallen off his head when he came to my rescue and it was only fair that I pick it up for him since he saved me from embarrassing myself. Intentionally, mind you.
"No, Rosie, its okay I got it." I heard him say. But as I reached for the hat, he did as well and our hands met on the straw texture of the hat. I looked up at him and could've sworn he was blushing ever so slightly. I was already blushing the minute he caught me and I felt like my face was going to overheat or something. I pulled my hand away and watched as he placed the hat back on his head, covering his shimmering and golden hair. He straightened himself out before offering his arm to me, which I took without giving it a second thought.
Gatsby's house was even more beautiful in the daylight rather than by the moonlight. I could see the textures, the way his house stood out amongst the other houses in the neighborhood. The beautiful garden he had in the backyard as well as the fountain that lead to the backyard. But what really caught my eye was the yellow automobile in his driveway. The way it glowed and radiated in the sunlight caused me to wince. The leather seats in the interior part of the vehicle looked promising as comfortable seats, as the wheels themselves looked to be in the mood for a good drive. Gatsby, being the gentleman he is, opened the door for me as I got in on the left. Meanwhile, Nick got in on the right and Gatsby was in the Driver's seat. So there I was, stuck in between my best friend and the man I had grown to have feelings for. If that didn't spell the word awkward, then I don't know what does. I felt a slight nudge to my side and I knew it was Nick. I looked over at him and he made a face that told me to make small talk with Gatsby.
"You have a beautiful home, Jay, and you're car is a mighty fine looking breezer." I quickly turned to Nick who gave me a thumbs up as a way to say he was cheering me on. Gatsby turned the ignition on and brought the roaring car to life. I jumped slightly at the sudden noise which caused both Nick and Gatsby to laugh.
"Why thank you, Rose. And I'm sorry that my car scared you, this happens sometimes." He placed a reassuring arm around my shoulder and I had so desperately wished that I had brought my cloche hat that Charlie bought for me before leaving for war. It would've helped me hide the fact that I was still blushing about what Gatsby was saying. Honestly, the things that come out of that man's mouth are like sweet music to my ears.
So we were off to the city. I had no idea what I wanted to say or how to say anything because not only did Gatsby make me feel like a schoolgirl, but Nick was there. I kept looking out into the scenery that passed us by and heard the soft jazz music that played on the automobile's radio. It seemed as if Nick and Gatsby were having a conversation of their own because I heard Nick laugh once and complimented Gatsby on a joke he told him. Meanwhile, I was stuck in my own thoughts. Lost with words to say to the man I was falling for but pondering if this new love I was developing for him would be dangerous. I mean, I was in a relationship with a gangster before moving to West Egg and there was the slight chance that Patrick would find me here and try to hurt Nick and Gatsby. I don't think I could live with myself if that ever happened. And what makes matters worse is what Charlie would say if I told him about Patrick and kept him in the dark about the whole thing. But that was the main idea, wasn't it? Would Patrick find me or did he move on to another girl who would tolerate more of his abuse than I ever could? My face must have turned into something of a mess because I heard Nick ask,
"Rosie, what's wrong?" I snapped out of it and looked at both Nick and Gatsby who had been giving me concerned looks. Part of me really wanted to tell Nick the truth but the other part of me said that as long as Patrick wasn't around me in a 100 mile radius, then I was okay.
"Oh, nothing! I was just admiring the scenery, you know, since it's the first time I've seen West Egg since I moved here. My brother's always told me I have a serious look on my face when I'm doing the most simplest of things." I laughed a little which caused them to ease up and let it slide. Nick shook his head slightly and I only heard Gatsby let out a quiet chuckle to himself as he returned his gaze onto the road.
"You're very interesting, Rose." Gatsby said and I was actually able to muster up words to say as a response.
"Thank you, you're quite the individual yourself, Jay." He smiled at my words. I laid my head against his shoulders and laughed. "Just a question for the two of you. Is there a Macy's in the city?" Gatsby allowed himself to have a good laugh this time and Nick joined him. "Did I say something funny?"
"No, it's just…." He made a sharp turn which caused both Nick and I to lurch forward in the car. I held onto Gatsby while Nick held onto the side of the car for dear life. I always had a feeling that city driving was bad but I didn't realize that when there was a traffic jam, your knowledge of driving would actually have to come in handy. "I find it interesting that Macy's is able to entrance women to buy anything that they sell in their department stores. But then again, the same thing could be said for us men and our cars."
"Don't forget the alcohol." Nick added which made the three of us share a laugh. Gatsby had a good point, but I remembered that we were there to accompany Gatsby while he had to handle some business. "Gatsby, you said that you wanted us to accompany you while you took care of some business. What kind of business do you do, if I may ask?" Gatsby was silent for a minute and it made Nick and I very concerned. If he were content and pleased with what he was doing, he would just say it without hesitation. This led me to think that maybe some of the stories of him were true in that he was a bootlegger. But then again, I had to shake that idea off since I had a feeling that Jay Gatsby wasn't the type of man who would be in the bootlegging business. It just didn't seem right for him. There was also the idea that since he was driving, he was trying to keep his eyes on the road.
"I just find being in company is much more entertaining and less lonesome than being on my own. But as to your question, I'm meeting with a good friend of mine. I'm a business man, you see, so I made my living doing what I do and here I am now. What is it that you do, Nick?" I could tell that my best friend had become my brother within seconds on account of the look on his face. He was trying to read Gatsby as if he were an open book but pulled back when he realized Gatsby was a wealthy business man. He was also trying to find faults of any kind due to the stories we had heard about Gatsby, and then try to tell me why I shouldn't pursue him. It was something that I knew Charlie would do. At his realization, he turned back into my best friend and I lightly nudged him since Gatsby had asked him a question.
"Oh, well I'm a bonds broker. After going to school at Yale with Rosie, I moved to New York with the prospect of learning the bond trading business. I had been offered a chance to learn the bond business from Rosie's father but I politely declined the offer. I wanted to learn how to handle these kinds of things on my own, otherwise what would have been the point of going to Yale? Once I had acquired a position as a bonds broker, I started to make a living on my own which had pleased my parents. I grew up in Minnesota so the idea of leaving home after Yale and working in New York was something big." I watched the expression on Gatsby's face go from serious to smiling within seconds.
"That's very impressive, Nick. And what about you, Rose? What did you do while you were at Yale?"
"I was studying to become a Librarian since I love to read. I mean, I was originally planning on being a Nurse but I become faint at the sight of blood and I just can't be in the same vicinity as a needle since I'm really squeamish. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to save peoples' lives but I just can't do it when there's blood involve. I'd rather just save them from having a boring day and give them something good to read. So I became a Librarian, but I'm still looking for a library that would have me at their front desk. I'm sure I could find one here in West Egg so that shouldn't be a problem. My parents were okay with me being a Librarian although I think sometimes my Dad wanted me to be a Nurse. Charlie, my older brother, told me that he was happy that I even went to college since most gals just turn to being a Flapper and get into all sorts of trouble with guys who are gangsters or bootleggers." I paused to let that sink into Gatsby's mind and it was obvious that Nick knew my life story of my adventures at Yale since he was there with me. But Nick did perk his head up, slightly realizing that I had brought up my older brother and that he was really falling into his side of the seat.
"So you have an older brother, huh? Well, what's he like?" I was delighted to know that Gatsby became fascinated with getting to know me but this left me on guard since I barely knew anything about him. Would that be our discussion on Friday when I would show up with Nick and Jordan? I sure hoped so since, as much as I loved spending time with Jay Gatsby already, I wanted to have the chance to get to know him better. I ran a hand through my hair before responding to his question, briefly glimpsing from the corner of my eye and seeing that Nick slightly shook his head.
"As I said before, his name is Charlie. He's not in the bond business like my Dad or Nick but he's making his family proud in his own way. He's a Soldier, you see, and we've all been worried about him. But this morning, I had received a telegram from him stating that he would be coming home for Christmas which led me to tell Nick that this called for a celebration. Anyways, Charlie and Nick are like best friends, brothers almost. Our family and Nick's family were and still are really close so I guess you could say that I knew Nick for a while. But my brother went to war and at one point he met up with Nick on the battlefield. Isn't that right, Nick?" I didn't want to leave my best friend in the dark about my own family history since he was like a brother to me as well. I nudged him lightly in the side to wake him up from his trance and he was slightly startled.
"Oh yeah, Charlie Sinclaire and I fought on the field for a little while. Well, that was until I chose to leave the war and go on with my life in the bond business. War can take a toll on the sanity and I can tell you that from first-hand experience. It either shapes you or destroys you and luckily enough for me, I was able to get out before the idea of being a soldier even destroyed me. Charlie, on the other hand, he's a strong fellow. I know that the war won't destroy him since we've been through so much growing up. Rosie can tell you that herself. Tell me something, Gatsby, what were you up to before moving out to West Egg?" Gatsby stopped at another red light and adjusted his hat.
"I too am a war veteran, old sport. But it's funny since I don't recall ever hearing or seeing you or Charlie out there on the field."
"We must've been in different groups sent out to different parts of the territory." Nick interjected.
"I suppose you're right. Still, it would have been a pleasure to have met the two of you out there. Speaking of which that reminds me of something. I always carry this around with me to remind me of my services and why I should be proud of the name I have established for myself." He watched the light for a second before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a gold medal with a ribbon that was clearly only given to those who served. He handed it to Nick and I leaned in close to get a better look at it. "I will tell you God's truth, God's truth about myself. I am the son of some very wealthy people, sadly they're all dead now. I lived in all of the capitals in Europe, collecting jewels, hunting big game, painting a little." He paused as he took a hold of the wheel and began to drive again. It seemed to feel like this ride to the city would be forever but I didn't care. I was with my best friend and the man whom was slowly winning my heart with his very presence. "Then came the war, old sport, the allied government gave a declaration." He pointed to the medal without even taking his eyes off the road and it was there that Nick was able to read what the declaration was.
"Major Jay Gatsby, for valor extraordinary." I looked at the medal, feeling the weight of the metal being slightly heavier than the ribbon it was attached to. It looked as if I had gotten the answers that I was looking for and yet I wasn't fully satisfied. While he did provide answers to whom he is, his answers were a bit shady and vague, leaving me to wonder about him. When I handed the medal back to Gatsby, I noticed that he had covered his eyes with round-rimmed sunglasses.
Gatsby parked the car in the first parking spot that he could find and it was there that when Nick just jumped out of the car, I saw that Gatsby held out his hand for me. He was helping me climb out of the car and I couldn't help but take it and glance at him as he smiled. Just like the night I first met him, he held out his arm for me to hold which I did grab onto as he led us out into the city. Nick followed us close behind and I started to feel sorry for him. He's my best friend and here I was being cute and reliving any schoolgirl's dream…. Walking along the sidewalk with the one whom you would hope to later on call sweetheart. But it didn't seem to bother him, in fact he was amused by the way Gatsby liked to be a complete gentleman around me.
"You should meet Charlie when he gets back, Jay. I'm sure he'd love to meet you." I said, knowing that Gatsby was a better man than Patrick would ever hope to be. I interlinked my arm with his which made him laugh quietly.
"I would be honored to meet another veteran, Rose. You just let me know when he gets here and I'll be there on the double."
Stores were lined up down the block and possibly did so for about a mile. If I squinted my eyes in the blaring sun, I could catch a glimpse of the top of the Empire State Building, which even Gatsby tried looking at as well. Nick kept looking at the windows of the shops that were waiting for customers to peruse their items. He even noticed that he had caught the attention of a Flapper, giggling amongst her friends. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Nick only tipped his hat to be polite and walked away to join Gatsby and me.
"As pretty as that young lady is, I only have eyes for Jordan." I nudged him lightly in the side, laughing quietly. But Nick knew that it was my way of commending him on his loyalty towards Jordan. It felt great today but I had that sort of feeling that was telling me that there was something bad that was going to happen because of all the good feelings I had been experiencing lately.
Gatsby and Nick had wandered off to handle the business that Gatsby said he needed to handle and I was left to wander the shops until they finished, in which case I could probably find Gatsby and Nick at the Macy's I saw. But I had decided to look into one of the antique shops that were nearby where Nick and Gatsby had run off to. If I had known any better, I'd say that the two of them were heading into some sort of a strip joint or something that had bare naked girls dancing in risqué costumes. But I digress since they were both handling business and if that was where Gatsby was meeting that friend of his, then who was I to impose on such an occasion? While looking through all of the little trinkets that my Grandmother would love to have owned, I couldn't help but notice a pearl necklace near an old wooden dresser. This necklace reminded me of the one Patrick gave me when he and I were dating but I threw it back at him when I wanted to cut ties and call it quits with him.
"It's been a long time hasn't it, Red Rose?" My blood turned cold and I felt my heart stop at that precise moment in time. I knew that this day would come. The day where I would have to face Patrick again despite the fact that I had ended my relationship with him and told him that I never wanted to see him again. But of all the time in the world, did he really need to do this today?! When I was with the man that I would call my lover in just a matter of days?! I was starting to fall more and more in love with Jay Gatsby and now my ex, Patrick decides to show up in my life again. How could this get any worse?! "I've missed you, Rosalie." I could smell the alcohol radiating from his breath and it was obvious.
He was drunk and in the mood for someone to satisfy his disgustingly dirty pleasures.
