Chapter 5:
Richard jumped up from the sofa and leaped for the door. "I have to go. I forgot there was something I have to do." And with that he was out the door.
'Now that went well, didn't it? Why did he run out like that? Am I that repulsive??'
Caroline curled up on the couch and wiped away the tears that started to flow down her cheeks. She almost fell off the couch when Annie stormed into her apartment.
"Was that Richard I just saw leaving? Why was he here at this time of." she ran over to the couch ".Caroline? Are you ok?"
"He must hate me!" Caroline sniffed.
"What happened? Why would he hate you?"
"I told Del that I wouldn't marry him and he was actually relieved about it, we decided to be friends. well. and later Richard came by to apologize and we got into talking. For once in my life decided to take a leap and tried to kiss him. And what happens? He runs away. He doesn't like me! I ruined everything!"
Annie took Caroline in her arms and rocked her like a baby. "No, you didn't ruin anything. Trust me on this one. Richard really likes you. The way he looks at you when you don't see it, his eyes are filled with love that is about to spill over. Gee, I can't believe I'm saying this about Richard, but he is a great guy. But it seems that he is scared of his own feelings. You know how his childhood was. He's probably afraid to lose you, or maybe. maybe he thinks he's not worthy of you and that you could never love him."
"But I do! I do love him!" Caroline blurted out and gasped for air. "Wow, that was sudden!"
"It was about time that you realized it. Now, one piece of advice. Go after him right away. Don't wait. If I know Richard, he might try to run away, far away. So far, that you won't be able to find him."
Caroline got up from the couch and grabbed her coat. "You're right Annie! Again. I don't know what I would do without you!"
"Oh, you know, you can thank me by giving me intimate details about Richard, as soon as you two get together. You know, I'm running out of stuff I can pick on him with" Annie grinned.
"I can tell you one thing already Annie." Caroline smiled at her. "I hope you will get used to him, 'cause if everything goes as planned, you will see him for a looong time!"
"Oh yeah, why don't you rub it in my face?" Annie scoffed. "Now run Sweetie! Don't let him escape!"
"Wish me luck Annie!"
"Good luck!"
~~~~ Meanwhile at Richard's place ~~~~
'What did just happen? She didn't try to kiss me, did she?' Richard threw his suitcase on his bed and started packing.
'No, that is not possible. And even if she did, after what just happened, there is no way I can face her again. I have to go as far away as possible. Yeah, that's a good idea. But where exactly? Hmmm, how about Europe? Yeah, maybe that's where I can finally be recognized as an artist. Those Europeans have way better taste in art anyway. Should I write Caroline a good-bye note? It would be the right thing to do, but what would I write? I can't tell her why I have to leave. That I'm too embarrassed to ever face her again. I didn't decide on where exactly I want to go yet. London? Rome? Berlin? Paris?. Paris sounds good. Yeah, Paris it is. Caroline will never find me there. Yeah, like she would go looking for me.' His thoughts were jumping from one topic the next.
Richard just closed his suitcase when there was a knock on his door.
'At this time? Who the hell could that be? Maybe a burglar?' He took one of his knifes and slowly opened the door.
"Take anything you want! I don't have much anyway." Caroline screamed when Richard tried to attack her with the knife. When he recognized her he dropped the knife.
"Ca. Caroline. what are you doing here? I thought you are a burglar!"
"I. uh. was in the neighborhood?" Caroline smiled sheepishly.
"Why? Needed some crack? Honestly Caroline. You shouldn't be in this neighborhood at night. It's dangerous!"
"Well, I don't want you to be here either." She spotted the suitcase on Richard's bed. "Where are you going?" she looked at him confused. 'Annie was right! He really wants to run away!'
"Getting out of this neighborhood, maybe exchanging it for a similar one in Paris." He looked at her uneasily.
"Paris? Why do you want to go there? And assuming everything's packed, you wouldn't even have told me? Don't I mean anything to you? Don't you care for me at all?"
"If you just knew how much" he mumbled.
"What?" Caroline knew exactly what he had said, and it had made her heart skip a beat, but she wanted him to say it out loud again.
"Nothing!" Richard snapped.
"Ok, this is getting us nowhere Richard."
"Why? Where do you want it to go?"
Caroline moved closer to Richard and stood on her toes trying to get even closer. "Here" she whispered, when she placed her lips on his. Richard couldn't believe what was happening, he was in shock. But soon he realized that he wasn't kissing back 'What the hell am I doing? Caroline is kissing me and I'm not kissing back?' And just as she started to pull away, he put his arms around her and intensified the kiss, his tongue gliding over her lips waiting for her to let him in. When she parted her lips, his tongue entered and caressed hers softly. He heard Caroline moan silently, and his knees suddenly felt like they were made out of jello. He slowly and unwillingly pulled away, hesitantly opening his eyes 'I don't want to open them, 'cause then I will wake up and realize this is all a dream'.
"Wow" was all Caroline could say, that kiss really had taken her breath away. She never had felt anything as intense as what just happened.
"This is a dream, right? I will wake up any minute."
Caroline pinched his arm. "Ow! What was that for?"
"This isn't a dream Richard. Well, let's say it is a dream that has become reality. I don't know why I didn't see this before. But, you are the Mr. Right I was talking about before."
"But. Caroline. we are too different. I can't be enough for you. Look at this place, I'm poor, I could never live up to your expectations!"
Caroline smiled at him "Oh Richard. Don't say that! I don't care about all the money in the world! I love you and that is what's important."
"You what?" Richard couldn't believe what she just said.
"Yeah, you heard right. I love you Richard. With all my heart, I love you!"
Richard hugged her "I love you too Caroline. But I can't afford to have my heart broken."
"I won't break it, as long as you won't break mine. I want to be with you forever." Caroline kissed him softly on the forehead followed by his cheeks, his nose and finally his mouth. She pulled him back on his bed and the kiss grew more passionate, until Caroline pulled away.
"Wait. Let's take things slow, ok? I just broke up with Del, I can't just go on like nothing happened."
Richard kissed her cheek "I understand Caroline. We really shouldn't rush things. But I would love for you to stay here tonight. I want to hold you in my arms, I never want to let go of you again."
His words made Caroline's stomach tingle. "I'd love to stay with you tonight, seeing as it is pretty late already anyway. And tomorrow, I think we can both afford to be a little late at work."
Richard smiled and pulled her closer. "I don't know how I could ever survive without you, sweet Caroline."
Richard jumped up from the sofa and leaped for the door. "I have to go. I forgot there was something I have to do." And with that he was out the door.
'Now that went well, didn't it? Why did he run out like that? Am I that repulsive??'
Caroline curled up on the couch and wiped away the tears that started to flow down her cheeks. She almost fell off the couch when Annie stormed into her apartment.
"Was that Richard I just saw leaving? Why was he here at this time of." she ran over to the couch ".Caroline? Are you ok?"
"He must hate me!" Caroline sniffed.
"What happened? Why would he hate you?"
"I told Del that I wouldn't marry him and he was actually relieved about it, we decided to be friends. well. and later Richard came by to apologize and we got into talking. For once in my life decided to take a leap and tried to kiss him. And what happens? He runs away. He doesn't like me! I ruined everything!"
Annie took Caroline in her arms and rocked her like a baby. "No, you didn't ruin anything. Trust me on this one. Richard really likes you. The way he looks at you when you don't see it, his eyes are filled with love that is about to spill over. Gee, I can't believe I'm saying this about Richard, but he is a great guy. But it seems that he is scared of his own feelings. You know how his childhood was. He's probably afraid to lose you, or maybe. maybe he thinks he's not worthy of you and that you could never love him."
"But I do! I do love him!" Caroline blurted out and gasped for air. "Wow, that was sudden!"
"It was about time that you realized it. Now, one piece of advice. Go after him right away. Don't wait. If I know Richard, he might try to run away, far away. So far, that you won't be able to find him."
Caroline got up from the couch and grabbed her coat. "You're right Annie! Again. I don't know what I would do without you!"
"Oh, you know, you can thank me by giving me intimate details about Richard, as soon as you two get together. You know, I'm running out of stuff I can pick on him with" Annie grinned.
"I can tell you one thing already Annie." Caroline smiled at her. "I hope you will get used to him, 'cause if everything goes as planned, you will see him for a looong time!"
"Oh yeah, why don't you rub it in my face?" Annie scoffed. "Now run Sweetie! Don't let him escape!"
"Wish me luck Annie!"
"Good luck!"
~~~~ Meanwhile at Richard's place ~~~~
'What did just happen? She didn't try to kiss me, did she?' Richard threw his suitcase on his bed and started packing.
'No, that is not possible. And even if she did, after what just happened, there is no way I can face her again. I have to go as far away as possible. Yeah, that's a good idea. But where exactly? Hmmm, how about Europe? Yeah, maybe that's where I can finally be recognized as an artist. Those Europeans have way better taste in art anyway. Should I write Caroline a good-bye note? It would be the right thing to do, but what would I write? I can't tell her why I have to leave. That I'm too embarrassed to ever face her again. I didn't decide on where exactly I want to go yet. London? Rome? Berlin? Paris?. Paris sounds good. Yeah, Paris it is. Caroline will never find me there. Yeah, like she would go looking for me.' His thoughts were jumping from one topic the next.
Richard just closed his suitcase when there was a knock on his door.
'At this time? Who the hell could that be? Maybe a burglar?' He took one of his knifes and slowly opened the door.
"Take anything you want! I don't have much anyway." Caroline screamed when Richard tried to attack her with the knife. When he recognized her he dropped the knife.
"Ca. Caroline. what are you doing here? I thought you are a burglar!"
"I. uh. was in the neighborhood?" Caroline smiled sheepishly.
"Why? Needed some crack? Honestly Caroline. You shouldn't be in this neighborhood at night. It's dangerous!"
"Well, I don't want you to be here either." She spotted the suitcase on Richard's bed. "Where are you going?" she looked at him confused. 'Annie was right! He really wants to run away!'
"Getting out of this neighborhood, maybe exchanging it for a similar one in Paris." He looked at her uneasily.
"Paris? Why do you want to go there? And assuming everything's packed, you wouldn't even have told me? Don't I mean anything to you? Don't you care for me at all?"
"If you just knew how much" he mumbled.
"What?" Caroline knew exactly what he had said, and it had made her heart skip a beat, but she wanted him to say it out loud again.
"Nothing!" Richard snapped.
"Ok, this is getting us nowhere Richard."
"Why? Where do you want it to go?"
Caroline moved closer to Richard and stood on her toes trying to get even closer. "Here" she whispered, when she placed her lips on his. Richard couldn't believe what was happening, he was in shock. But soon he realized that he wasn't kissing back 'What the hell am I doing? Caroline is kissing me and I'm not kissing back?' And just as she started to pull away, he put his arms around her and intensified the kiss, his tongue gliding over her lips waiting for her to let him in. When she parted her lips, his tongue entered and caressed hers softly. He heard Caroline moan silently, and his knees suddenly felt like they were made out of jello. He slowly and unwillingly pulled away, hesitantly opening his eyes 'I don't want to open them, 'cause then I will wake up and realize this is all a dream'.
"Wow" was all Caroline could say, that kiss really had taken her breath away. She never had felt anything as intense as what just happened.
"This is a dream, right? I will wake up any minute."
Caroline pinched his arm. "Ow! What was that for?"
"This isn't a dream Richard. Well, let's say it is a dream that has become reality. I don't know why I didn't see this before. But, you are the Mr. Right I was talking about before."
"But. Caroline. we are too different. I can't be enough for you. Look at this place, I'm poor, I could never live up to your expectations!"
Caroline smiled at him "Oh Richard. Don't say that! I don't care about all the money in the world! I love you and that is what's important."
"You what?" Richard couldn't believe what she just said.
"Yeah, you heard right. I love you Richard. With all my heart, I love you!"
Richard hugged her "I love you too Caroline. But I can't afford to have my heart broken."
"I won't break it, as long as you won't break mine. I want to be with you forever." Caroline kissed him softly on the forehead followed by his cheeks, his nose and finally his mouth. She pulled him back on his bed and the kiss grew more passionate, until Caroline pulled away.
"Wait. Let's take things slow, ok? I just broke up with Del, I can't just go on like nothing happened."
Richard kissed her cheek "I understand Caroline. We really shouldn't rush things. But I would love for you to stay here tonight. I want to hold you in my arms, I never want to let go of you again."
His words made Caroline's stomach tingle. "I'd love to stay with you tonight, seeing as it is pretty late already anyway. And tomorrow, I think we can both afford to be a little late at work."
Richard smiled and pulled her closer. "I don't know how I could ever survive without you, sweet Caroline."