"Here we are," I looked up at my new-old apartment building. I waited
until the cabbie pulled the taxi over, then opened the door. Jimmy followed
me out. I started to dig the cash Bosco had given me out of my purse, but
Jimmy stopped me.
"Let me," he smiled his dimply smile. He leaned into the open passenger side window and gave the cabbie a $20.
"Thanks," I smiled gratefully as he emerged from the window frame.
"It was my idea, my date, my expense," he held up his hands. The taxi peeled away from the curb, leaving Jimmy and I in a cloud of exhaust fumes.
"Guess he couldn't wait to get home," I giggled through my chattering teeth.
"Guess not," Jimmy laughed. He glanced up, examining the building. "I almost bought one of these apartments."
"Nice, huh?" I rubbed my hands together, trying to warm up. He nodded. The city air was brisk and un-friendly, making it hard to stay warm even with the proper attire. Jimmy took note of my discomfort and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He was taller than I was, so I fit neatly underneath his arm. I gazed up at him to see him peering back down at me. He brushed a stray curl away from my face. "I'd invite you in, but I'm afraid my place isn't that clean."
"It's okay," he assured me. He wrapped his other arm around me, pulling me into a warm hug. He placed a gentle kiss on the end of my nose. I stood on my tiptoes, planting a firm kiss on his lips. "I should be getting home. I have to pick up Joey from Kim's today."
"Alright," I reluctantly agreed, stepping away from him. I waited with him, tucked underneath his arm still, until another taxi pulled up.
"Can I call you?" Jimmy kissed me again.
"You better," I stated. I turned to go into my apartment where I'm sure it was warm.
When I stepped off the elevator onto my floor, the first person I saw was Bosco. He was sitting against my door, his knees curled up under his arms. He was resting his chin on his forearms, tapping his fingers impatiently. He looked very pissed. He jumped to his feet the moment he saw me.
"Hi," I smiled cheerfully.
"Where the hell have you been?" he snapped. "Do you know what time it is?"
"Yea, it's 1:00, Dad," I rolled my eyes, shoving my apartment key into the lock. I twisted it, then pushed the door open. Bosco followed me into the apartment.
"Where were you?" he asked haughtily. I dropped my purse onto the floor, then flounced onto my couch. I propped my feet up on the coffee table.
"Out," I sighed deeply.
"I figured so much," Bosco sat down in my recliner. "With who? What were you doing?"
"Jimmy. Dancing. Drinking," I counted off on my fingers.
"For two hours?" Bosco cried incredulously.
"Bos, need I remind you that it takes a long time to get around this city when you don't have sirens attached to your car?" I asked somewhat impatiently. "What are you getting so damn touchy about, anyway? I'm allowed to go out and have a good time, ya know."
"I told you I'd call you," Bosco reminded me. I let my arms drop from my stretch and hit the couch.
"Bos, in guy talk that means next Thursday," I snorted, shaking my head. "Just because you call and I'm not home doesn't mean that you have to come over and stake out my front door to see what the hell I'm doing."
"New York's a very dangerous city. I'm just trying to watch out for you, Raeanne. You don't know the streets the way I do,"
"I can hold my own,"
"Why'd you go out with that jerk anyway?" Bos changed the subject. I felt my eyes flare with anger. Bosco was bending the last straw on the camel's back. How dare he invite himself into my private life and then stomp all over my choice of men?
"He happens to be a very nice gentleman," I shot back.
"Maybe to a drunk slut," Bosco muttered under his breath. And the straw broke.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Bosco snapped his head up from the back of the chair, a look of remorse immediately falling across his face.
"I didn't mean you," he stuttered.
"Get out of my apartment!" I shouted. Bosco quietly slipped out of my apartment. A few seconds later he popped his head back in the door.
"For what it's worth, I wasn't talking about you," he declared.
"Get out!" I repeated.
"Fine!" Bosco roared back. He slammed the door behind him and I promptly buried my head in my hands and fought the feeling to cry.
"Let me," he smiled his dimply smile. He leaned into the open passenger side window and gave the cabbie a $20.
"Thanks," I smiled gratefully as he emerged from the window frame.
"It was my idea, my date, my expense," he held up his hands. The taxi peeled away from the curb, leaving Jimmy and I in a cloud of exhaust fumes.
"Guess he couldn't wait to get home," I giggled through my chattering teeth.
"Guess not," Jimmy laughed. He glanced up, examining the building. "I almost bought one of these apartments."
"Nice, huh?" I rubbed my hands together, trying to warm up. He nodded. The city air was brisk and un-friendly, making it hard to stay warm even with the proper attire. Jimmy took note of my discomfort and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He was taller than I was, so I fit neatly underneath his arm. I gazed up at him to see him peering back down at me. He brushed a stray curl away from my face. "I'd invite you in, but I'm afraid my place isn't that clean."
"It's okay," he assured me. He wrapped his other arm around me, pulling me into a warm hug. He placed a gentle kiss on the end of my nose. I stood on my tiptoes, planting a firm kiss on his lips. "I should be getting home. I have to pick up Joey from Kim's today."
"Alright," I reluctantly agreed, stepping away from him. I waited with him, tucked underneath his arm still, until another taxi pulled up.
"Can I call you?" Jimmy kissed me again.
"You better," I stated. I turned to go into my apartment where I'm sure it was warm.
When I stepped off the elevator onto my floor, the first person I saw was Bosco. He was sitting against my door, his knees curled up under his arms. He was resting his chin on his forearms, tapping his fingers impatiently. He looked very pissed. He jumped to his feet the moment he saw me.
"Hi," I smiled cheerfully.
"Where the hell have you been?" he snapped. "Do you know what time it is?"
"Yea, it's 1:00, Dad," I rolled my eyes, shoving my apartment key into the lock. I twisted it, then pushed the door open. Bosco followed me into the apartment.
"Where were you?" he asked haughtily. I dropped my purse onto the floor, then flounced onto my couch. I propped my feet up on the coffee table.
"Out," I sighed deeply.
"I figured so much," Bosco sat down in my recliner. "With who? What were you doing?"
"Jimmy. Dancing. Drinking," I counted off on my fingers.
"For two hours?" Bosco cried incredulously.
"Bos, need I remind you that it takes a long time to get around this city when you don't have sirens attached to your car?" I asked somewhat impatiently. "What are you getting so damn touchy about, anyway? I'm allowed to go out and have a good time, ya know."
"I told you I'd call you," Bosco reminded me. I let my arms drop from my stretch and hit the couch.
"Bos, in guy talk that means next Thursday," I snorted, shaking my head. "Just because you call and I'm not home doesn't mean that you have to come over and stake out my front door to see what the hell I'm doing."
"New York's a very dangerous city. I'm just trying to watch out for you, Raeanne. You don't know the streets the way I do,"
"I can hold my own,"
"Why'd you go out with that jerk anyway?" Bos changed the subject. I felt my eyes flare with anger. Bosco was bending the last straw on the camel's back. How dare he invite himself into my private life and then stomp all over my choice of men?
"He happens to be a very nice gentleman," I shot back.
"Maybe to a drunk slut," Bosco muttered under his breath. And the straw broke.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Bosco snapped his head up from the back of the chair, a look of remorse immediately falling across his face.
"I didn't mean you," he stuttered.
"Get out of my apartment!" I shouted. Bosco quietly slipped out of my apartment. A few seconds later he popped his head back in the door.
"For what it's worth, I wasn't talking about you," he declared.
"Get out!" I repeated.
"Fine!" Bosco roared back. He slammed the door behind him and I promptly buried my head in my hands and fought the feeling to cry.