"Hey, Jimmy. You're hot-to-trot girlfriend's here,"
Those were the first words Jimmy woke up to. I shot an exasperated look at paramedic Carlos Nieto. Even though everyone in the station house had met me the day I interviewed them, he still referred to me as "Jimmy's hot-to-trot girlfriend, Raeanne". He smiled sheepishly. Jimmy sat up on his low bed, stretching. He rubbed his eyes then glanced at Carlos and I.
"Hi," he gave his best attempt at a smile. It was tired and weary, obviously from lack of sleep due to a busy night. He stood up and crossed the room. He wrapped his arms around my waist, burying his head into my shoulder. I hugged him against my body, rocking him back and forth gently.
"Did you sleep well?" I whispered.
"Yes," he shook his head no. I couldn't help but be amused by the little kid that was whining inside of him.
"Carlos, do you mind?" I prompted.
"Nope," he smiled, sitting down on his own bed. "Have at it, kids. I don't get jealous."
"Carlos," Jimmy looked over my shoulder. "She wants to talk to me alone."
"Oh," Carlos grinned, looking a little embarrassed. He swiftly exited, no questions asked. Jimmy pulled away just enough to gaze down at me.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Well, you know these past few days that I've spent with you have been really great," I smiled. Jimmy nodded. He picked me up and carried me to his bed. He set me down, climbed back into it, and laid his head on my lap. He gazed up at me as I ran my hands through his thick, dark hair.
"They've been great for me too," he smiled.
"Well, you also know they've been somewhat of a whirlwind for me," I sighed silently. "I just moved to the city 8 days ago and a lot of things have happened. My editor pulled some strings and had me bumped me up from weekly human interest reporter to the early morning co-anchor on the local news station. I start next week, by the way. You better watch me. I met my best friend, I met you," I gently tapped his nose.
"I'm the whirlwind right?" he chided.
"Perhaps," I grinned. "I mean, Jimmy you're the perfect guy. You're sweet, you're charming, you're funny and smart... Plus you do have those great dimples which makes every woman within a 10 mile radius melt and swoon at your feet."
"They are great dimples, aren't they?" Jimmy laughed.
"But,"
"Well, I have to pride myself on that, too," Jimmy started to make a joke, but he stopped when he saw the serious turn the conversation had steered. "Oh, that kind of but."
"Jimmy, I want to be your friend. Nothing more, nothing less," I laid it down, plain and simple. Jimmy's normally sparkling eyes were now dully glistening.
"Did I do something wrong?" he asked. His voice sounded very small, very childlike. I shook my head, biting the inside of my cheek.
"Something happened. But, it wasn't you," I assured him, taking his hand in mine. He squeezed mine in response. "In fact, someone else happened."
"Boscorelli?" Jimmy wondered. I nodded. "I knew it. I saw the way you looked at him. Your eyes were all big and wide, like he was the most fascinating creature on the planet. When you agreed to go with me on all those dates, I just figured you looked up to him as a brother or something. Since we've established you don't have any."
"Well, it's funny but I saw him as my best friend until yesterday,"
"What did he do?"
That question caused me to think a little. What exactly did make me realize that I had these feelings toward Maurice Boscorelli? Was it how adorable he looked in his Prince Bosco outfit? I admit it, he looked ridiculous yet sexy. Was it the fact that he apologized by taking me around Central Park on a beautiful white stallion, just to prove he was sorry? He was right, nobody I knew would've ever done that. It was something I only experienced in my dreams. It could've been the accent. I was always a sucker for a foreign accent, even if it did sound like a mix between an Australian and a Wisconsin native.
"What didn't he do?" I smiled. "Actually, I think I've known for awhile. I just didn't want to rush into anything. I met him the day I arrived in New York and we hardly spent time apart for 3 days straight. It was impossible not to fall in-, it was impossible not to start liking him."
Those were the first words Jimmy woke up to. I shot an exasperated look at paramedic Carlos Nieto. Even though everyone in the station house had met me the day I interviewed them, he still referred to me as "Jimmy's hot-to-trot girlfriend, Raeanne". He smiled sheepishly. Jimmy sat up on his low bed, stretching. He rubbed his eyes then glanced at Carlos and I.
"Hi," he gave his best attempt at a smile. It was tired and weary, obviously from lack of sleep due to a busy night. He stood up and crossed the room. He wrapped his arms around my waist, burying his head into my shoulder. I hugged him against my body, rocking him back and forth gently.
"Did you sleep well?" I whispered.
"Yes," he shook his head no. I couldn't help but be amused by the little kid that was whining inside of him.
"Carlos, do you mind?" I prompted.
"Nope," he smiled, sitting down on his own bed. "Have at it, kids. I don't get jealous."
"Carlos," Jimmy looked over my shoulder. "She wants to talk to me alone."
"Oh," Carlos grinned, looking a little embarrassed. He swiftly exited, no questions asked. Jimmy pulled away just enough to gaze down at me.
"What's up?" he asked.
"Well, you know these past few days that I've spent with you have been really great," I smiled. Jimmy nodded. He picked me up and carried me to his bed. He set me down, climbed back into it, and laid his head on my lap. He gazed up at me as I ran my hands through his thick, dark hair.
"They've been great for me too," he smiled.
"Well, you also know they've been somewhat of a whirlwind for me," I sighed silently. "I just moved to the city 8 days ago and a lot of things have happened. My editor pulled some strings and had me bumped me up from weekly human interest reporter to the early morning co-anchor on the local news station. I start next week, by the way. You better watch me. I met my best friend, I met you," I gently tapped his nose.
"I'm the whirlwind right?" he chided.
"Perhaps," I grinned. "I mean, Jimmy you're the perfect guy. You're sweet, you're charming, you're funny and smart... Plus you do have those great dimples which makes every woman within a 10 mile radius melt and swoon at your feet."
"They are great dimples, aren't they?" Jimmy laughed.
"But,"
"Well, I have to pride myself on that, too," Jimmy started to make a joke, but he stopped when he saw the serious turn the conversation had steered. "Oh, that kind of but."
"Jimmy, I want to be your friend. Nothing more, nothing less," I laid it down, plain and simple. Jimmy's normally sparkling eyes were now dully glistening.
"Did I do something wrong?" he asked. His voice sounded very small, very childlike. I shook my head, biting the inside of my cheek.
"Something happened. But, it wasn't you," I assured him, taking his hand in mine. He squeezed mine in response. "In fact, someone else happened."
"Boscorelli?" Jimmy wondered. I nodded. "I knew it. I saw the way you looked at him. Your eyes were all big and wide, like he was the most fascinating creature on the planet. When you agreed to go with me on all those dates, I just figured you looked up to him as a brother or something. Since we've established you don't have any."
"Well, it's funny but I saw him as my best friend until yesterday,"
"What did he do?"
That question caused me to think a little. What exactly did make me realize that I had these feelings toward Maurice Boscorelli? Was it how adorable he looked in his Prince Bosco outfit? I admit it, he looked ridiculous yet sexy. Was it the fact that he apologized by taking me around Central Park on a beautiful white stallion, just to prove he was sorry? He was right, nobody I knew would've ever done that. It was something I only experienced in my dreams. It could've been the accent. I was always a sucker for a foreign accent, even if it did sound like a mix between an Australian and a Wisconsin native.
"What didn't he do?" I smiled. "Actually, I think I've known for awhile. I just didn't want to rush into anything. I met him the day I arrived in New York and we hardly spent time apart for 3 days straight. It was impossible not to fall in-, it was impossible not to start liking him."