Chapter 2:
Caroline didn't care that the rain was soaking her to the bones. She had decided to walk home to blow of some steam.
'Why does this affect me so much? It's not like I have any feelings for Richard that go beyond friendship, right? Right?? I love Del! Del is a great guy. But do I see myself married to him, having kids and a house with a white picket fence? Why does this picture seem so wrong?' She kicked away a can lying on the pavement and gave out a frustrated sigh.
She watched a small family walking through the rain. The husband had taken of his jacket to cover his wife and daughter from the rain. And he himself was getting soaked. 'Del would never do anything like that. What about Richard, would he? Well, he ran after me to give me an umbrella even though he had company. That was pretty close.' She had this feeling that Richard would do anything to make her happy. 'He even came to Peshtigo with me for the Park dedication, and I know how much he must've hated it. But he stuck to my side all the time, comforted me after the argument about Chris, stayed with me after everyone had run off to see the fish Chris had caught.but that's just stuff a friend does for you, right?'
Caroline suddenly remembered that first evening when Richard had pretended to be her new boyfriend, so she wouldn't lose face in front of Del. Thoughtfully she touched her lips. That kiss took her breath away. She could still feel it, it held so much passion. She remembered how her knees had gotten weak. 'What does this mean? It was just a favor he was doing for me. And he actually made me pay him overtime. That's not what somebody does who has feelings for you. Why doesn't this convince me?'
Caroline noticed that she had arrived in front of Remo's and decided that she needed a hot coffee before going home. She was suddenly very aware of how wet she was from the pouring rain.
Remo smiled when he saw her coming in, but his smile soon faded when he noticed how she looked. "Oh my god, Carolina! What happened to you? You look awful." He hurried to her side to take her coat.
"Thanks Remo. That makes me feel better." she sighed scanning the little restaurant, not seeing any of her friends. 'Thank god, I don't know how I could explain myself in front of Annie or especially Del right now.' Caroline moved over to a little table in the corner Remo guided her to.
"What can I bring you Carolina?"
"I'll have a coffee please. I need something to warm up. Oh, you know what? Put in a shot of rum, please. I need that."
Remo nodded sympathetically and hurried over to the bar.
'Del, how am I going to face him now? I'm so confused. Damn Remo and Annie for putting those thoughts in my head! If they hadn't done that, I could have just accepted Del's proposal, and we would live happily ever after. But would we really?'
"Here is your coffee, if you want to talk, let me know, ok?" Remo smiled down at her.
"Thanks Remo, but I really just need to think right now." She took a sip of her coffee and felt the warmth spread through her body. The same warmth that she had felt when she had seen Richard just a few minutes ago. 'His deep brown eyes are so beautiful. How come I never noticed that before? They are mysterious actually. Like they are hiding a big secret.'
Caroline finished her coffee not really thinking about anything in particular, basically just staring at the wall. 'Geez, I have to get out of these clothes. I'll get sick if I don't. I'll take a hot bubble bath and think about what I'm going to tell Del, and tomorrow I'll call him. By then I will have to have made a decision.'
Caroline put down some money on the table and rushed out of the restaurant.
When Caroline got off the elevator on her floor she noticed right away that the door to apartment was open. 'Oh great, like I'm not in enough trouble already, now somebody broke into my apartment.'
Carefully she pushed open the door and her eyes opened in shock when she saw roses strewn all over her apartment. And Del was standing right in the middle.
"I couldn't wait till dinner" he smiled
'Oh my, I totally forgot about dinner. And now he's here, what am I going to do? I was already pretty sure that Richard was right, that Del isn't the right man for me.and now this! What a sweet gesture, so unlike Del. Is he actually changing? Could he be a caring husband and dad?'
"Oh, this is so amazing" Caroline blurted out when she noticed that Del looked at her expectantly.
"So.?"
Caroline didn't care that the rain was soaking her to the bones. She had decided to walk home to blow of some steam.
'Why does this affect me so much? It's not like I have any feelings for Richard that go beyond friendship, right? Right?? I love Del! Del is a great guy. But do I see myself married to him, having kids and a house with a white picket fence? Why does this picture seem so wrong?' She kicked away a can lying on the pavement and gave out a frustrated sigh.
She watched a small family walking through the rain. The husband had taken of his jacket to cover his wife and daughter from the rain. And he himself was getting soaked. 'Del would never do anything like that. What about Richard, would he? Well, he ran after me to give me an umbrella even though he had company. That was pretty close.' She had this feeling that Richard would do anything to make her happy. 'He even came to Peshtigo with me for the Park dedication, and I know how much he must've hated it. But he stuck to my side all the time, comforted me after the argument about Chris, stayed with me after everyone had run off to see the fish Chris had caught.but that's just stuff a friend does for you, right?'
Caroline suddenly remembered that first evening when Richard had pretended to be her new boyfriend, so she wouldn't lose face in front of Del. Thoughtfully she touched her lips. That kiss took her breath away. She could still feel it, it held so much passion. She remembered how her knees had gotten weak. 'What does this mean? It was just a favor he was doing for me. And he actually made me pay him overtime. That's not what somebody does who has feelings for you. Why doesn't this convince me?'
Caroline noticed that she had arrived in front of Remo's and decided that she needed a hot coffee before going home. She was suddenly very aware of how wet she was from the pouring rain.
Remo smiled when he saw her coming in, but his smile soon faded when he noticed how she looked. "Oh my god, Carolina! What happened to you? You look awful." He hurried to her side to take her coat.
"Thanks Remo. That makes me feel better." she sighed scanning the little restaurant, not seeing any of her friends. 'Thank god, I don't know how I could explain myself in front of Annie or especially Del right now.' Caroline moved over to a little table in the corner Remo guided her to.
"What can I bring you Carolina?"
"I'll have a coffee please. I need something to warm up. Oh, you know what? Put in a shot of rum, please. I need that."
Remo nodded sympathetically and hurried over to the bar.
'Del, how am I going to face him now? I'm so confused. Damn Remo and Annie for putting those thoughts in my head! If they hadn't done that, I could have just accepted Del's proposal, and we would live happily ever after. But would we really?'
"Here is your coffee, if you want to talk, let me know, ok?" Remo smiled down at her.
"Thanks Remo, but I really just need to think right now." She took a sip of her coffee and felt the warmth spread through her body. The same warmth that she had felt when she had seen Richard just a few minutes ago. 'His deep brown eyes are so beautiful. How come I never noticed that before? They are mysterious actually. Like they are hiding a big secret.'
Caroline finished her coffee not really thinking about anything in particular, basically just staring at the wall. 'Geez, I have to get out of these clothes. I'll get sick if I don't. I'll take a hot bubble bath and think about what I'm going to tell Del, and tomorrow I'll call him. By then I will have to have made a decision.'
Caroline put down some money on the table and rushed out of the restaurant.
When Caroline got off the elevator on her floor she noticed right away that the door to apartment was open. 'Oh great, like I'm not in enough trouble already, now somebody broke into my apartment.'
Carefully she pushed open the door and her eyes opened in shock when she saw roses strewn all over her apartment. And Del was standing right in the middle.
"I couldn't wait till dinner" he smiled
'Oh my, I totally forgot about dinner. And now he's here, what am I going to do? I was already pretty sure that Richard was right, that Del isn't the right man for me.and now this! What a sweet gesture, so unlike Del. Is he actually changing? Could he be a caring husband and dad?'
"Oh, this is so amazing" Caroline blurted out when she noticed that Del looked at her expectantly.
"So.?"