Disclaimers and summary on first chapter
Notes: Maybe next chapter. ;)
Chapter 20 -Really Appealing-
+Mark's POV+
I follow Roger into the club, again coughing slightly on the smoky air. He stops at the doorway, looks around and then gestures toward a corner table. Sitting there leaning back in her chair with one spike-heeled boot on the table is a girl I assume is April.
Besides the knee high black boots she's wearing cut off jean shorts so short they cover no part of her thighs. Underneath of a black leather jacket I can see a top that looks suspiciously like a corset. In one hand is a cigarette, a drink in front of her on the table, next to a couple empty glasses.
She flips her long, blonde hair and waves lazily at Roger. She stares at me blatantly, not even attempting to hide her immediate dislike of what she sees.
"Who the hell are you?" She asks, blowing smoke in my direction.
"This is Mark, April." Roger tells her, pushing me toward the table. He hardly seems to notice her disgust and my discomfort.
"It's a pleasure, I'm sure." She says haughtily. I try to smile, but when she narrows her eyes I take a step back instead, into Roger, who again pushes me forward.
"What's wrong with you?" He whispers as he guides me to a seat. "Either one of you want anything to drink?"
I shake my head, not wanting to give him a reason to leave.
"Jack and Coke. Actually, fuck the Coke. Unless it's not in a drink that is."
Roger shakes his head. "I'm not buying you alcohol, April."
"Well fuck you then."
"You sure, Mark?"
"I'll just go with you." I say quickly, standing up before he can object. He raises his eyebrows, but shrugs at April.
"We'll be back." He tells her.
"Can't wait." She says sarcastically.
"Isn't she great?" He asks, once we're standing near the bar.
"She hates me." I tell him, feeling a chill when I glance back in her direction.
Roger laughs. "No, that's just how she is."
I very much doubt it, but I don't say anything more to Roger as he hands me what I assume is probably Coke. I sip it but I was wrong, it's root beer.
"Smart ass."
He grins. "I am not sleeping on a chair for your drunken sake again."
"You could always stay in the bed with me." I say suggestively.
"Don't tease me." He says, but winks.
When April sees us laughing she rolls her eyes and stands up.
"C'mon, Roger, I want to dance." She grabs his hands and leads him toward the dance floor in front of the stage. He gives me a helpless look as he disappears among the other people there. I sigh and sit at the table alone, drinking my root beer. How dare he drag me here, to a club I hate going to, then ditch me for his bitchy girlfriend that he must have 'forgotten' to tell me about.
I consider that for a minute. He had referred to April as his 'Maureen', which I had taken to mean his best girl friend, but I didn't doubt for a minute that April wanted him as more than that. At first I saw the lines as gay or straight, but now I suppose there's a middle ground as well. I'm very much surprised when I realize I'm resentful of the idea of them together. At the same moment I look over to the dance floor and catch a glimpse of them there. She has her arms around his neck, her hips pressed into his and with his hands on her waist he kisses her. I look away, feeling my heart sink, though I don't know why. That glass of beer on the next table is starting to look really appealing. I begin to reach for it, but someone starts to approach that table and I move away and watch the band instead. I don't know what Roger likes about them. Whatever it is, I don't see it. I don't even bother wasting film on them, or anything else here.
An hour or so later I'm bored sitting here. I look around for something to do, thoroughly irritated with Roger for bringing me here, or for being with April, or both I don't know. For once I wish Maureen were here. Not only would I have someone to pretend to be interested in listening to, she'd know what I should do. What can I possibly tell him? 'I saw you kiss April and even though I've turned you down twice I'm insanely jealous?' That'll go over well, especially with April who reminds me of some sort of wild animal that wandered into civilization.
I see Roger coming back towards the table, pulling a reluctant April behind him.
"Hey," He says, sitting down. "You been here this whole time?"
"You noticed." I say quietly, avoiding his eyes that I know are searching to meet mine.
"Hey, you want to dance?" He asks.
April looks mortified. "I am not. . ."
"With me?"
I flinch but try to look annoyed. "Roger. . ."
"C'mon." He grabs my arm and pulls me onto the dance floor.
"I don't want to. . ."
"I know." He says, not stopping until we're against the wall, far away from April.
"What's wrong?" He asks me, shouting over the music. I shrink away until I realize he's not angry, but concerned.
"I just. . ." I sigh. "You know I don't really like coming here and. . ." I wait for him to ask me why I did, but he doesn't, he waits for me to continue.
"If you're just going to leave me sitting there. . ."
"I'm sorry, Mark." And he really looks like he is, too. He bites his lip nervously and tries to smile. "There's no saying 'no' to April."
"Yeah, April." I roll my eyes and look away. "Your girlfriend."
He laughs. "She's not my girlfriend. She's my. . ." He hits me in the arm. "Hey, you jealous?"
I push him back. "Hardly. But we've made it fairly obvious that she thinks I'm pathetic and I'm terrified of her, and you're completely oblivious." He starts to respond but I cut him off. "Besides, you were practically fucking her on the dance floor."
He looks surprised. "Mark, you are jealous. I honestly do not understand you."
"I'm not jealous, I'm disgusted."
"What? Why. . ."
"She's a whore."
"Don't call her a. . ."
"I'm going home." I start walking toward the doors. I hear Roger yelling behind me, but I ignore him. It's not really cold outside, but it's too cool to be walking with just my t-shirt. I don't have a coat, only my camera. I switch it on and turn it on me.
"Close on Mark, jealous of his gay best friend's girlfriend. . . I think." I sigh into the camera. "What happened to my life to make it so confusing? How the hell did I get here?" I turn it off when I hear footsteps behind me and keep walking.
"Mark! Mark wait, please! At least let me drive you, it's far and it's too cold!"
I stop and let him catch up. He stops beside me and turns me to face him.
"You'll let me drive you?" He asks hesitantly. I nod, trying not to look at him. He gently tugs on my arm and I follow him to his car. He doesn't say anything the whole way home and as soon as he stops in front of my house I hurry out of the car.
"Wait, Mark!" He yells when I'm halfway there. "I want to talk to you."
Knowing I'm probably making a mistake, I stop and wait for him. He takes my hand and pulls me nearer.
"I'm sorry, ok?" He says. "April's just my friend." He smiles at me. "You're still my man."
I doubt I've ever blushed more in my life.
"Roger?"
He makes a noise to show he's heard me and moves much closer.
"I think I might be considering. . ."
He lays my hand on his shoulder and places his own on my waist. He lowers his face slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, the whole time asking my permission.
"Can I kiss you?" He asks me under his breath when his face is inches from mine.
I feel logical again for a moment.
"Not here, not now. They might. . ."
He lets me go, disappointed, but not angry.
"Ok." He runs a hand through his hair, standing there awkwardly. "I'll, uh, see you Monday, I guess." He gives me a sad smile and hurries to his car. I watch him go and as he's driving away I turn my camera on and film the last few seconds he's visible until he turns a corner and is gone.
"Whatever the hell I'm doing, I hope I figure it out soon."
+++
Notes Continued: It's leading up to something, I promise. Really. Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I love you all!
Notes: Maybe next chapter. ;)
Chapter 20 -Really Appealing-
+Mark's POV+
I follow Roger into the club, again coughing slightly on the smoky air. He stops at the doorway, looks around and then gestures toward a corner table. Sitting there leaning back in her chair with one spike-heeled boot on the table is a girl I assume is April.
Besides the knee high black boots she's wearing cut off jean shorts so short they cover no part of her thighs. Underneath of a black leather jacket I can see a top that looks suspiciously like a corset. In one hand is a cigarette, a drink in front of her on the table, next to a couple empty glasses.
She flips her long, blonde hair and waves lazily at Roger. She stares at me blatantly, not even attempting to hide her immediate dislike of what she sees.
"Who the hell are you?" She asks, blowing smoke in my direction.
"This is Mark, April." Roger tells her, pushing me toward the table. He hardly seems to notice her disgust and my discomfort.
"It's a pleasure, I'm sure." She says haughtily. I try to smile, but when she narrows her eyes I take a step back instead, into Roger, who again pushes me forward.
"What's wrong with you?" He whispers as he guides me to a seat. "Either one of you want anything to drink?"
I shake my head, not wanting to give him a reason to leave.
"Jack and Coke. Actually, fuck the Coke. Unless it's not in a drink that is."
Roger shakes his head. "I'm not buying you alcohol, April."
"Well fuck you then."
"You sure, Mark?"
"I'll just go with you." I say quickly, standing up before he can object. He raises his eyebrows, but shrugs at April.
"We'll be back." He tells her.
"Can't wait." She says sarcastically.
"Isn't she great?" He asks, once we're standing near the bar.
"She hates me." I tell him, feeling a chill when I glance back in her direction.
Roger laughs. "No, that's just how she is."
I very much doubt it, but I don't say anything more to Roger as he hands me what I assume is probably Coke. I sip it but I was wrong, it's root beer.
"Smart ass."
He grins. "I am not sleeping on a chair for your drunken sake again."
"You could always stay in the bed with me." I say suggestively.
"Don't tease me." He says, but winks.
When April sees us laughing she rolls her eyes and stands up.
"C'mon, Roger, I want to dance." She grabs his hands and leads him toward the dance floor in front of the stage. He gives me a helpless look as he disappears among the other people there. I sigh and sit at the table alone, drinking my root beer. How dare he drag me here, to a club I hate going to, then ditch me for his bitchy girlfriend that he must have 'forgotten' to tell me about.
I consider that for a minute. He had referred to April as his 'Maureen', which I had taken to mean his best girl friend, but I didn't doubt for a minute that April wanted him as more than that. At first I saw the lines as gay or straight, but now I suppose there's a middle ground as well. I'm very much surprised when I realize I'm resentful of the idea of them together. At the same moment I look over to the dance floor and catch a glimpse of them there. She has her arms around his neck, her hips pressed into his and with his hands on her waist he kisses her. I look away, feeling my heart sink, though I don't know why. That glass of beer on the next table is starting to look really appealing. I begin to reach for it, but someone starts to approach that table and I move away and watch the band instead. I don't know what Roger likes about them. Whatever it is, I don't see it. I don't even bother wasting film on them, or anything else here.
An hour or so later I'm bored sitting here. I look around for something to do, thoroughly irritated with Roger for bringing me here, or for being with April, or both I don't know. For once I wish Maureen were here. Not only would I have someone to pretend to be interested in listening to, she'd know what I should do. What can I possibly tell him? 'I saw you kiss April and even though I've turned you down twice I'm insanely jealous?' That'll go over well, especially with April who reminds me of some sort of wild animal that wandered into civilization.
I see Roger coming back towards the table, pulling a reluctant April behind him.
"Hey," He says, sitting down. "You been here this whole time?"
"You noticed." I say quietly, avoiding his eyes that I know are searching to meet mine.
"Hey, you want to dance?" He asks.
April looks mortified. "I am not. . ."
"With me?"
I flinch but try to look annoyed. "Roger. . ."
"C'mon." He grabs my arm and pulls me onto the dance floor.
"I don't want to. . ."
"I know." He says, not stopping until we're against the wall, far away from April.
"What's wrong?" He asks me, shouting over the music. I shrink away until I realize he's not angry, but concerned.
"I just. . ." I sigh. "You know I don't really like coming here and. . ." I wait for him to ask me why I did, but he doesn't, he waits for me to continue.
"If you're just going to leave me sitting there. . ."
"I'm sorry, Mark." And he really looks like he is, too. He bites his lip nervously and tries to smile. "There's no saying 'no' to April."
"Yeah, April." I roll my eyes and look away. "Your girlfriend."
He laughs. "She's not my girlfriend. She's my. . ." He hits me in the arm. "Hey, you jealous?"
I push him back. "Hardly. But we've made it fairly obvious that she thinks I'm pathetic and I'm terrified of her, and you're completely oblivious." He starts to respond but I cut him off. "Besides, you were practically fucking her on the dance floor."
He looks surprised. "Mark, you are jealous. I honestly do not understand you."
"I'm not jealous, I'm disgusted."
"What? Why. . ."
"She's a whore."
"Don't call her a. . ."
"I'm going home." I start walking toward the doors. I hear Roger yelling behind me, but I ignore him. It's not really cold outside, but it's too cool to be walking with just my t-shirt. I don't have a coat, only my camera. I switch it on and turn it on me.
"Close on Mark, jealous of his gay best friend's girlfriend. . . I think." I sigh into the camera. "What happened to my life to make it so confusing? How the hell did I get here?" I turn it off when I hear footsteps behind me and keep walking.
"Mark! Mark wait, please! At least let me drive you, it's far and it's too cold!"
I stop and let him catch up. He stops beside me and turns me to face him.
"You'll let me drive you?" He asks hesitantly. I nod, trying not to look at him. He gently tugs on my arm and I follow him to his car. He doesn't say anything the whole way home and as soon as he stops in front of my house I hurry out of the car.
"Wait, Mark!" He yells when I'm halfway there. "I want to talk to you."
Knowing I'm probably making a mistake, I stop and wait for him. He takes my hand and pulls me nearer.
"I'm sorry, ok?" He says. "April's just my friend." He smiles at me. "You're still my man."
I doubt I've ever blushed more in my life.
"Roger?"
He makes a noise to show he's heard me and moves much closer.
"I think I might be considering. . ."
He lays my hand on his shoulder and places his own on my waist. He lowers his face slowly, his eyes never leaving mine, the whole time asking my permission.
"Can I kiss you?" He asks me under his breath when his face is inches from mine.
I feel logical again for a moment.
"Not here, not now. They might. . ."
He lets me go, disappointed, but not angry.
"Ok." He runs a hand through his hair, standing there awkwardly. "I'll, uh, see you Monday, I guess." He gives me a sad smile and hurries to his car. I watch him go and as he's driving away I turn my camera on and film the last few seconds he's visible until he turns a corner and is gone.
"Whatever the hell I'm doing, I hope I figure it out soon."
+++
Notes Continued: It's leading up to something, I promise. Really. Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I love you all!