--
Saturday:
Dwayne watched the time go by, as the minute hand seemed to drag its way around the clock. He sighed, aggravated at how long Nora and Paul were out. He wasn't exactly worried about her. He just didn't want them growing too attached. He'd known of Paul's reputation with the ladies. He had relationships, but with more than one woman at a time. That worried Dwayne.
"Now, what are you doing here, all alone?" Her voice said, as she leaned against the doorframe.
Dwayne looked up at her, "For the love of God, Trish, leave me alone."
She ignored his plea and came into the room, sitting herself beside him. Her hand reached for his and she caressed it, "Well?"
He moved his hand from her touch and turned his body away from her, "What do you want?"
Trish scooted closer to him, "No one should be alone in Las Vegas. Want to go out and do something?"
"That's very funny, Trish. I thought I told you I wasn't interested."
She pouted, and stared at the clock. Nora had told her that she'd be back around 11, and it was 15 'til. Still staring at the time, she replied, "Well, you did tell me that, but I can't possibly ignore you: a friend in need."
She set her hand on his back, comforting him. He sat up straight and stood, to get away again. She stood along with him and pulled his arm back, keeping him from leaving, "Hear me out, Dwayne."
"What do you want me to hear?"
She adjusted the appearance of her clothing and exhaled, deeply, "Can't we just do something together? Just once? Maybe you'll grow to like me."
"Doubt it."
"Why?"
Dwayne rolled his eyes, "You aren't my type."
"Oh, and Nora is?"
He thought for a moment. She did seem to be everything he wanted, "I don't know, Trish! Stop questioning me!"
Trish ignored him, "So your type is women who go out with men you're not too fond of, huh?"
Fighting the urge to hit her, Dwayne stormed out of the room. He heard Trish, calling his name but the cries fell on deaf ears. He froze when he heard Nora's voice nearby. A grin fell on his face as he rushed around the corner. He stopped running, though, since what he saw shocked him.
Paul held Nora in his arms, one hand lifting her chin. She stared up at him, lovingly. Dwayne looked down at the floor and backed away, back around the corner, as Paul leaned in and gave Nora a kiss.
"What's wrong?" Trish asked, as if she'd magically appeared next to him. He turned to her. Surely, he couldn't tell her what he saw. She'd love nothing more than to keep Nora from him and vice versa.
"Nothing. I just -"
"Hey you!" Trish said, smiling at Nora.
Dwayne glanced at her, reminding himself of what he'd just seen. He cringed at the thought of Paul ever trying to hurt her.
"I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute?"
"Sure. What's going on?" Before he could explain, Dwayne gently grabbed Nora's arm and led her to a nearby locker room. Her confusion turned to frustration at his strange acts. She yanked her arm from his hold.
"What's wrong with you?"
Dwayne began to pace, searching for the right words. He'd have to force himself not to yell, even though he would've killed to be able to.
"Well?" She sat on the bench, half expecting him to sit next to her, but he continued to pace and contemplate.
Finally calming down a bit, Dwayne smiled at her, timidly, "How was it?"
"It was fine. Dwayne, what's wrong?"
He stayed where he was, "How does he treat you?"
"Paul? He's nice, Dwayne. What's wrong?"
"I don't like you with him, Nor. I'm sorry, but it's how I feel. I can't help it."
"Why don't you like him?"
"I don't not like him, I just-I mean, is this guy right for you? He's so..."
"'So. . .' what?
"I don't want to see you get hurt."
Nora laughed out loud, as if thinking the conversation was ridiculous, "Oh, Paul would never hurt me!" Her chuckle faded when she realized he was being serious, "Why would you think that?"
Could he tell her? Could he tell her Paul wasn't a good person and he'd only end up hurting her? 'No!' he thought to himself. At this point, she'd only think he wanted them to be apart.
"Nora, just listen to me. Hear me out - you don't want Paul."
"Why would you say that?"
"Just - just listen. I know Paul. I know him better than perhaps anyone here! And trust me when I say you don't want him."
Nora shook her head and got up to leave, but he caught her arm, "Let go."
"I don't want to see him hurt you."
"Hurt me? He'd never lay a finger on me!"
"I don't mean it like that! I mean---"
"Dwayne, stop. You're losing your mind."
With that, Nora stepped out of the locker room. She joined Trish, down the hall, and began to tell her about what had happened. Trish looked back at the man she admired and winked, ready to bide her time.
Dwayne sat on the bench and buried his face in his hands. How could he live with himself now? Leaving Nora in the hands of another man; a man she barely knew! Knowing he couldn't swerve her decision, he decided to hope for the best. Now, the only problem seemed to be Trish.
--
Saturday:
Dwayne watched the time go by, as the minute hand seemed to drag its way around the clock. He sighed, aggravated at how long Nora and Paul were out. He wasn't exactly worried about her. He just didn't want them growing too attached. He'd known of Paul's reputation with the ladies. He had relationships, but with more than one woman at a time. That worried Dwayne.
"Now, what are you doing here, all alone?" Her voice said, as she leaned against the doorframe.
Dwayne looked up at her, "For the love of God, Trish, leave me alone."
She ignored his plea and came into the room, sitting herself beside him. Her hand reached for his and she caressed it, "Well?"
He moved his hand from her touch and turned his body away from her, "What do you want?"
Trish scooted closer to him, "No one should be alone in Las Vegas. Want to go out and do something?"
"That's very funny, Trish. I thought I told you I wasn't interested."
She pouted, and stared at the clock. Nora had told her that she'd be back around 11, and it was 15 'til. Still staring at the time, she replied, "Well, you did tell me that, but I can't possibly ignore you: a friend in need."
She set her hand on his back, comforting him. He sat up straight and stood, to get away again. She stood along with him and pulled his arm back, keeping him from leaving, "Hear me out, Dwayne."
"What do you want me to hear?"
She adjusted the appearance of her clothing and exhaled, deeply, "Can't we just do something together? Just once? Maybe you'll grow to like me."
"Doubt it."
"Why?"
Dwayne rolled his eyes, "You aren't my type."
"Oh, and Nora is?"
He thought for a moment. She did seem to be everything he wanted, "I don't know, Trish! Stop questioning me!"
Trish ignored him, "So your type is women who go out with men you're not too fond of, huh?"
Fighting the urge to hit her, Dwayne stormed out of the room. He heard Trish, calling his name but the cries fell on deaf ears. He froze when he heard Nora's voice nearby. A grin fell on his face as he rushed around the corner. He stopped running, though, since what he saw shocked him.
Paul held Nora in his arms, one hand lifting her chin. She stared up at him, lovingly. Dwayne looked down at the floor and backed away, back around the corner, as Paul leaned in and gave Nora a kiss.
"What's wrong?" Trish asked, as if she'd magically appeared next to him. He turned to her. Surely, he couldn't tell her what he saw. She'd love nothing more than to keep Nora from him and vice versa.
"Nothing. I just -"
"Hey you!" Trish said, smiling at Nora.
Dwayne glanced at her, reminding himself of what he'd just seen. He cringed at the thought of Paul ever trying to hurt her.
"I need to talk to you. Do you have a minute?"
"Sure. What's going on?" Before he could explain, Dwayne gently grabbed Nora's arm and led her to a nearby locker room. Her confusion turned to frustration at his strange acts. She yanked her arm from his hold.
"What's wrong with you?"
Dwayne began to pace, searching for the right words. He'd have to force himself not to yell, even though he would've killed to be able to.
"Well?" She sat on the bench, half expecting him to sit next to her, but he continued to pace and contemplate.
Finally calming down a bit, Dwayne smiled at her, timidly, "How was it?"
"It was fine. Dwayne, what's wrong?"
He stayed where he was, "How does he treat you?"
"Paul? He's nice, Dwayne. What's wrong?"
"I don't like you with him, Nor. I'm sorry, but it's how I feel. I can't help it."
"Why don't you like him?"
"I don't not like him, I just-I mean, is this guy right for you? He's so..."
"'So. . .' what?
"I don't want to see you get hurt."
Nora laughed out loud, as if thinking the conversation was ridiculous, "Oh, Paul would never hurt me!" Her chuckle faded when she realized he was being serious, "Why would you think that?"
Could he tell her? Could he tell her Paul wasn't a good person and he'd only end up hurting her? 'No!' he thought to himself. At this point, she'd only think he wanted them to be apart.
"Nora, just listen to me. Hear me out - you don't want Paul."
"Why would you say that?"
"Just - just listen. I know Paul. I know him better than perhaps anyone here! And trust me when I say you don't want him."
Nora shook her head and got up to leave, but he caught her arm, "Let go."
"I don't want to see him hurt you."
"Hurt me? He'd never lay a finger on me!"
"I don't mean it like that! I mean---"
"Dwayne, stop. You're losing your mind."
With that, Nora stepped out of the locker room. She joined Trish, down the hall, and began to tell her about what had happened. Trish looked back at the man she admired and winked, ready to bide her time.
Dwayne sat on the bench and buried his face in his hands. How could he live with himself now? Leaving Nora in the hands of another man; a man she barely knew! Knowing he couldn't swerve her decision, he decided to hope for the best. Now, the only problem seemed to be Trish.
--