Disclaimer: The one and only Stephenie Meyers owns all things Twilight. That includes Dream Edward, lovingly featured here. The other characters in When Two Worlds Collide – Maggie, Sarah and this particular Jacob, belong to me. When Two Worlds Collide and its author (moi) are in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
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Chapter 7. The date
Ugh. Damn it. I need to work on controlling these dreams better! I sat up in bed, feeling unfulfilled and exhausted. I was on top of my covers, with a small throw from my chair thrown over me. My feet were freezing; so I surmised that was the reason I had been without shoes in my dream. I rolled out of bed and looked down; I was fully clothed – in my jeans and the sweater. Okay, I could swear I got undressed before crashing last night. I paced back and forth across the floor, running my hands through my messy hair. I berated myself for losing control like this; I mean, was my waking life so pathetic that my dreams had now taken over? My analytical brain was in overdrive with the implications of that thought. I exhaled a full breath and it calmed me a little. There has got to be a logical, scientifically-based explanation to all of this. Of course, the tenuous hold I had on my composure went to pieces when my eyes fell upon the jacket draped over my chair. A worn, black leather jacket. I screamed, then quickly clamped my hand over my mouth, lest the neighbors think I was being murdered. I timidly walked over to the chair, lifting the collar of the jacket with two fingers as if it were a dirty gym sock. Upon inspection, it of course bore a striking resemblance to the jacket I had been wearing in my dream. I inwardly groaned. Finally, out of curiosity, I brought the jacket to my face and inhaled – it smelled of fresh laundry and that indescribable musk. Crap! I gasped and dropped it on the floor in a heap. I stumbled backwards until my legs found my bed, and collapsed onto it.
I most likely am sleepwalking…and dressing…and stealing people's jackets. But the sleepwalking, etc. excuse didn't really add up when I considered the dirty shoes – I would've had to have gotten in a car in order to take a stroll through a forest – and the mystery jacket – I didn't own one and this one was definitely not mine. I tried to think back to determine if an ex-boyfriend could have left it here, and resigned myself to the knowledge that it wasn't a possibility. None of my exes dressed well enough to even own a leather jacket. After exhausting all of the rational explanations I could muster, I considered calling Sarah, but then decided I should try to get through at least part of my day without telling her about crazy dream number two. I carefully placed the jacket over my chair again, got dressed in my workout clothes and laced up my running shoes.
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Running always seemed to help me focus, so I thought, what better way to try to piece this together? I ran for almost an hour, tuning out the traffic noise and the world around me, concerned only with my rhythmic breathing. I decided that even if I could never make sense of the dreams and all of the other weirdness, that I wouldn't let it affect my waking life. I also decided to start keeping a written record of my dreams – just in case I ever needed to seek professional help. I chuckled to myself as I rounded the corner to my neighborhood. A real possibility, sweetie. After getting a big glass of water, I checked my phone for messages, smiling when I heard Jacob's voice on the other end, reminding me of our conversation the other night. "Hi Maggie; it's Jake. I know it's been less than twenty-four hours since we saw each other, but I didn't want to be one of those guys who wait two days to call a girl." There was a pause and for a moment I thought my voicemail had cut him off. "I just wanted to know if you were still available for dinner, maybe sometime this week. I'd really like to see you again. Ok, thanks. Talk to you soon." He left his number and then hung up. I returned his call, made dinner plans with him for Thursday night, and then decided a protein shake and a shower were in order. While in my room, I purposely avoided looking over at the corner where my chair – and the leather jacket – was, anxious that it might have been a figment of my imagination, or worse yet, that it was still there. On my way back into my room, towel-drying my hair, however, I saw that it was still draped over the arm. I stared at it for a few minutes, startled out of my stupor by the sound of my cell phone.
"Hi Sarah."
"Well, don't sound so happy to hear from me Em! Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed," she asked. "Have any more, hot vampire dreams?" I rolled my eyes, and responded, "Honey, trust me – you do not want to know."
"Oh boy – tell me all about it," she answered. I told her about my dream, leaving out the part right before I woke up (no sense in further humiliating myself). And I told her about Jake's phone call and our plans for dinner. When I finished, Sarah sighed and told me to take a break from Twilight. "If reading these books is triggering these dreams, maybe you need a few days off from reviewing them," she suggested. "You have plenty of time to finish the series, right? I think you need to distance yourself from all of this for a bit and see what happens. And I especially think you need to have your wits together for your date with Jacob this week!"
"It's not like a date-date, Sarah – just a chance for us to catch up some more," I said. But I had to admit she had a point. Jake deserved my undivided attention; the least I could do was take a few days and do some other work. "Maggie, are you listening to me?"
"Huh?"
"I was saying that despite what you might think about Jacob's motives for dinner, that boy was making eyes at you last night and you need to be on your game and looking good! I can help you with that, of course. I know it's been a while since you had a date. And it is a date-date." I could hear the smug smile in her voice; of course she was right on all fronts, as usual. I grumbled, and begrudgingly accepted her offer to "doll" me up for that night. Sarah offered to keep me busy all day, but since it was Sunday, I figured I owed my parents a visit; at the very least, it would eat up some hours. I finished dressing and called my mom quickly to let her know I'd be over.
On my way out the door, the book cover caught my attention. I walked into my office and stared down at the book, questioning whether I should even breathe a word of the last few nights to anyone other than Sarah. My mom and I had always been extremely close, but I thought I might be pushing my luck and worrying her if I clued her in on the whole thing. And my sister – well, she would be the first one to call for a psychiatric evaluation. On a whim, I grabbed the book and continued out the door, reasoning that I'd only bring it up if the mood seemed right.
I drove the 30 minutes to my parents' house listening to my favorite tunes, a mixture I had mixed on my iPod, feeling generally upbeat about things and telling myself that what happened in my dreams didn't matter. When I arrived, I threw the book in my shoulder bag and my mom greeted me at the door with a warm smile and an overexcited dog. When my sister and moved out of the house, my mother filled the very empty nest with the acquisition of one very high-maintenance dog, Louis. Even his name suggested he was no easygoing chocolate lab. I let Louis jump up a few times, my mother scolding me for allowing the bad behavior, and simultaneously hugging me enthusiastically, as if she hadn't seen me just a week ago. "Hi honey! How are you? I'm trying really hard not to let Louis jump up, so just say 'off' when he does that please, ok? He's doing so well at doggy school, but it's difficult to impose the commands at home, especially when they aren't enforced." As she said this she cast a deliberate glance at my dad, who sat at the table reading the Sunday paper. He gave a harrumph and a shake of his head in disdain, but didn't look up from his reading. I went over, kissed his cheek and said, "Hey Pops. What's shakin'?"
My mom sat down at the table with two glasses of iced tea, and the two of us caught up on family goings-on, updates on my sister's wedding and what they were doing to help, updates on Louis's dog training, my parents' jobs and my own. I strategically left out any details on the books I was currently reviewing, and just told my parents it was a young adult series with romance and science fiction elements. My mom's eyes lit up with the mention of a good romance, and my dad submitted a comment of encouragement for getting a steady "gig" reviewing four books in a row. I offered to leave the book behind in the case that my mother wanted to read it. Maybe if I don't have it with me, I won't have any dreams.
I managed to distract my mother from asking more about the book by telling her about my run-in with Jake, and our impending non-date "date." My mother practically squealed in her exhilaration, and I could see she was already picking out china patterns and bridal party color schemes in her head. Sheesh. "Mom, please calm down," I instructed. "I might as well be going on a blind date; aside from the short time we spoke the other night, I really don't know him that well. It's not like we can hang our entire night on the fact that we used to play in the sandbox together as kids!"
"I know honey, I know, but I'm just excited for you. It's been a long time since you had someone in your life."
I rolled my eyes and reminded her again that it was just dinner, and pleaded with her not to get her hopes up. My dad chuckled from behind his paper. I flicked the center fold and shushed him. My parents convinced me to stay for dinner, and since the meal was one of my favorites – tacos – it didn't take too much. We lingered over dinner and a glass of wine, and when it got late, I excused myself and kissed them both goodbye. It always made my heart feel good to visit with my folks; they were a constant in my life, along with my sister, and the time I spent with them was always like a salve for my soul. On my way home I called my sister and left a message for her to call me. I owed her lunch and another pre-wedding pow-wow – I was her maid of honor – and wanted to update her on the tasks she had given me and see what else needed to be done. Alison's fiancée Patrick, being the sweetheart as usual, had offered to book the DJ and limo, and had obtained the use of a beautiful old Cadillac and the hired the hottest DJ in town. He was perfect for her; I couldn't have been happier. She deserved to have a guy who worshipped her. When I got home, I changed into my sweats and sat down with some pretzels to watch a movie.
The week flew by, and thankfully my sleep was deep and dreamless. I wondered why Edward hadn't reappeared, but attributed the lack of him to the fact that I had taken a break from reviewing the Twilight books and was working on another book my boss had given to me a month ago. I was hopeful as Thursday approached, and looking forward to dinner with Jake.
He picked me up in his truck that evening, and we dined at a wonderful local Italian restaurant, my favorite place. Conversation flowed easily between us, and a few times I had to consciously stop talking to eat my food. I flourished in Jacob's affectionate smile and his deep, husky laugh, and the ease with which he spoke. It felt as though no time had passed between us; certainly anyone who watched us that night would have been shocked to learn it had been more than 20 years. We were, in essence, rediscovering each other, however, and each revelation about one of us elicited a smile, a giggle or guffaw from the other. On numerous occasions he and I were both laughing so hard we were crying, and my cheeks ached. We soon realized the late hour; by that time most of the restaurant patrons had long since gone, and the wait staff was busying themselves cleaning other tables and preparing for the next day. As we left, the hostess graciously wished us a good night and quietly locked the doors behind us. Still laughing and warm from the several glasses of wine, I looped my arm through Jacob's as we walked down the street back to his truck. Once I was securely inside the cab, he shut the door and loped around to the other side and got into his seat in one fluid motion. As he put the keys in the ignition, he turned and smiled at me, and it looked as if he wanted to say something. "What is it, Jake?"
He looked into his lap with the truck still idling, and said quietly, "I don't want this to come out wrong." He paused and I waited. "I'm not ready to say goodnight yet, Maggie. It's so nice being with you; I don't want to sound too forward, but can we keep talking somewhere?" I was floored with his admission, and my cheeks warmed as I realized I felt the same way. "Jake…I totally agree with you. I've had so much fun tonight." Now I paused as I gathered the courage I needed to continue. "Not to sound cheesy, but do you want to come back to my place for a nightcap?" Jake quickly agreed and we made it to my house just as the sky opened up and lightning lit up the sky.
