AGAIN
Chapter Five: The Truth about Cats and Dogs
Jesse
Susannah and I had been in none speaking terms for three weeks before I cracked. Well, before I was forced to crack…
The last three weeks I had been working the graveyard shift, meaning, I had been working from nine pm till six am… between work and hanging out with Jerry I had not much time to worry about how much I missed Susannah. Because I did miss her, she had been the first best friend I ever had and- let's face It- she knew me better than anyone, even if I had changed.
There were secrets I shared with her that I had never shared with anyone, not even Jerry and he was my best friend. But of all the people in my life, only Susannah knew The Truth.
And being with someone and being just me without cover ups, without having to remember half made lies about my life, was what I missed the most.
Plus, Ruffus really missed Fido.
It was Ruffus, in fact, who made me crack.
I was ready to go to bed. It was only nine but after the whole week working the graveyard shift I was more than ready to go to bed early, even if I was a bit hungry, I was planning on sleeping in, since I didn't had to show up to work till eleven… and I was settling in, when I heard Ruffus start meowing piteously. He did so since he hadn't seen Fido, but Ruffus was a clever cat, he only started with the meowing when he knew it would annoy me the most.
"We have been trough this," I told the cat. Yes, I was talking to my cat. "We can go to Susannah's house. I've told you this. And I know you understand."
(Sigh)… Maybe Jerry is right and I've been spending too much time humanizing my cat.
Ruffus stopped meowing for a moment, and I thought he had dropped it, as he usually did, and would go to his favorite spot next to the window, and fall asleep. But now, I was in for a surprise. Ruffus jumped into my bed – something he has forbidden – and started to crawl his way to me. When he was standing over my chest he let out another "MEOW" full of sadness.
"Ruffus," I groaned.
Bad idea…
(Half an Hour later)
Suze
I wasn't expecting company. Really, if I had been –expecting company, I mean – do you think I would have answered the door on my pajamas pants – the red and white plaid ones, might I add – and my white tank top with out…er… a bra underneath? No I wouldn't have…
It was Thursday night, nothing ever happens on Thursday night. So I just thought it was the delivery guy from the Chinese food place who had mixed up addresses… again. But I should have suspected it wasn't the guy from Red Dragon when Fido ran for the door and started to scratch it, impatiently waiting for me to open it.
"Coming!" I yelled, leaving the couch in front of the TV. I had just been flipping channels, my plan had been going to the movies with Cee Cee, but Adam had a cold and Cee Cee was playing nurse for him.
It so wasn't the deliver guy, I soon realized, when I opened the door.
The first thing that happened was that Ruffus pounced out of nowhere and landed at my feet, where Fido was, and both of them started to sniff each other, they were both making this content growling noises.
After staring at them for a moment of two, I looked up and found Jesse standing there wearing jeans, a simple white t-shirt, three scrapes along his left cheek and a smile. "Peace offering." He said holding up the boxy of pizza was carrying and a six pack of cokes.
I turned around, leaving the door open, I wasn't going to kick him out at the doorstep but I wasn't going to invite him in. So, instead, I started for the couch, I wanted to see what the movie of the week was; but all the while all I kept thinking was: 'Thank god this top has the bra built in'. Because, really, I didn't want Jesse noticing I had no bra on… back when we had been together, he had had a thing for sneaking his hands under my sweater and, though at the time it hadn't bother me… it hadn't bother me one single bit, I just didn't want him getting ideas now.
I heard the door closing, and Jesse's footsteps coming closer and then. "Oh, 'The Godfather'!" He said happily, totally running for the couch and settling in.
Seriously, like my couch and my TV belonged to him.
Last time he had dropped Ruffus over for me to pet-sit, Jaws had been on and Jesse had just sat at my couch and watch the whole thing, which had made him be two hours late for his date with Sherry but Jesse said that was okay, Sherry was already accustomed to him being late all the time.
Anyway, Jesse sat down, and I sat down next to him. He opened to pizza box, handled over a slice, pop oven a can of coke and passed it over too and we just sat there eating and watching The Godfather.
Five minutes later he saw me eying my coke and said: "I know you like Diet, but it's really bad for your health."
"That's okay." I said with a shrug as Fido and Ruffus rolled around in front of us chasing a ball… I tell you -by the way Fido was playing with Ruffus- my dog is an embarrassment to dogs everywhere. "So," I said because I didn't want silence to rein, "How's Sherry?"
Yes, that was the first thing I could think off.
Jesse shrugged, keeping his eyes on the screen. "I don't know. We broke up two weeks ago. She said she deserved better than a part time boyfriend and other stuff about me being obsessed with my past or something of the sort, said I had been impossible since you and I fought. And she broke things off with me."
"I'm sorry." I said but Jesse shook his head.
"No, you are not." He said. "You're not sorrier about me and Sherry than what I am about telling Slater all the things I told him. Hell, I had been waiting to tell him that since he told me you had married him."
There was another long silence. Then Jesse spoke again, and this time I did turn to see him. "But I am sorry," he said. "About the things I said to you. Susannah, you of all people were the last one who deserved what I said. I'll never be able to tell you how sorry I am. Because I love my life, and I thank you for it."
Then, to my utter shock, Jesse putted down his pizza and grabbed my hand, brought it to his lips and kissed it, looking me in the eye all the time.
One heartbeat. Two… and he let go of my hand. Grabbed his pizza again and turned his attention the screen again. Even when the only light was the one coming out of the TV I could see Jesse had blushed.
I smiled. Some things do not change… I when I was younger I was never able to stay mad at Jesse for a lot of time, now I was a grown woman and it only took a heartfelt apology to make me be friends with Jesse again.
"Do we really have to watch this?" I half asked, half wined. I don't care if The Godfather is Jesse's favorite movie; I just don't get it. "Ever After I SOOOO MUCH better."
"Ever After sucks." Jesse declared, I had forced him to see it once or twice in the past, I must say, and he never liked it. "Now be quite, the good part is about to start."
"You mean this has a good part?"
"Susannah…" Jesse groaned, rolling his eyes.
I just laughed… Jesse and I were okay again, and Fido would stop it with the winning all the time now that he had Ruffus back.
I was so happy that I didn't even mind that my hand was now all greasy – thanks to the pizza – where Jesse had kissed it.
…
I woke up in Jesse's arms.
How it happened, don't ask me.
I remember placing my head in his shoulder because I was sleepy and the damn movie just wouldn't finish already. And before I totally lost it to sleep, I remember Jesse passing his arm around me… And next morning I woke up in his arms.
I was in his arms and I woke up to his heartbeat.
I had never before heard Jesse's heartbeat…
It was so strong and reassuring…
And then I heard the one word that for a long time had made my heart beat, "Querida."
Jesse
I knew I wasn't asleep in my bed. I just knew it.
But I also knew the person I was holding in my arms. I knew the weight of her in my arms and her weight against me. I knew it, it was… "Querida." I whispered in my sleep. But no, it couldn't be. Susannah in my arms? No… it was impossible, yet…
"Meow!"
"Woof!"
Fido and Ruffus woke us up. Susannah and I sat up startled and I realized we had been sleeping on her couch. I thought it would be awkward. For a moment I couldn't even find my voice but then Susannah said "I told you it was a boring movie." And al the tension flew form the room… Until I saw the clock…
"Twenty past ten!" I yelled. "I have to be at work in forty minutes, I'll never get there."
"You will; the hospital is only twenty minutes away from here." Susannah said, standing up and going to the kitchen.
"But I have to shower and leave Ruffus at my house and I'll never make it on time."
"Look, I'm already late for work, I can call Cee Cee and tell her I won't go today and I can take care of Ruffus for you and drop him at your place later. And you can take a shower here and run for the hospital."
"I don't want to be trouble."
"Just get in the shower." Susannah said, annoyed, in a final tone.
And so, I got in the shower.
When I was done, I stayed under the hot water for a while; it felt good hitting my body. And I couldn't help to think in Susannah. Since she had opened the door the night before all I could think of was her. I just couldn't stop, she looked so good and she wasn't wearing a bra...
Yeah, I noticed it.
I so noticed it that I had to turn off the hot water and take a cold shower instead.
…
"You took forever." Was Susannah's greeting once I walked out of her bedroom –where I had been getting dress – through the living room and into the kitchen. "Here." She said, dropping a plate with eggs and bacon and a couple of pancakes in the table and gesturing me to come and sit.
"You made breakfast?"
"Like I said, it took you forever to come out. Now eat quick or you'll be late."
I finished my breakfast in no time flat. "Thanks, it was good." I said, picking up my plate and putting it on the sink.
"Don't bother, I'll wash it." She said, picking up Fido and placing him on her lap, Ruffus had jumped to the table and was sitting there.
"Thank you." I repeated and, without thinking, I leaned into her and kissed her cheek – the corner of her mouth, really – and said, "I'll see you later."
"Okay." She said.
I was about to walk out when I happened to look back. There she was: Susannah.
She had split a pancake in two and was giving half to Fido and the other to Ruffus. There was nothing that special in that scene, only that I couldn't stop watching. I was standing there, late for work, just watching Susannah and I couldn't move… I didn't want to move.
Then she looked up at me and smiled…
…Next thing I knew my world as I had known it for the past five years came crashing down…
Notes:
Here's some fluff... things start to change it's course on this chapter.
I got rid of Sherry, now just let me get rid of Mike.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed.
Peace, Out.
Crazy, lovable me.
PS. REVIEW
Clavie.
PS. Is two am, if there are a lot of mistekes, so very sorry about that.
You know who.
