Chapter 25
AN- Sorry for taking so long to update. I've been terribly busy...and over tired...and also suffering from severe writers block. Enjoy! R&R!
Mimi had joined Roger in his room...enogh said. Jesse and Collins sat together on a couch, chatting softly amongst themselves.
"Collins...I was just wondering something..." Jesse said looking up.
"What's that?" Collins asked, lacing his fingers with Jesse's.
"I don't want to sound like a whore...and I know we kind of only met like a couple of days ago...but...are we really a thing?" Jesse asked softly.
"How would that make you a whore?" Collins scruched his eyebrows. Jesse shrugged and winked, and Collins caught his meaning. "Jess...I told you I have AIDS."
"Oh I know! I told you it doesn't change anything..." Jesse said quickly. "But my god...you're the sexiest man on earth..." Collins raised his eyebrow. "Well...second sexiest to me...but...the making out is getting old..."
"Uh..." Collins voice a higher than usual. "I don't want to risk anything...you mean a lot to me..."
"I know...and I adore you! I love you more than life itself...but honey, that's why they made condoms!" Jesse said loudly, before being interrupted by the front door being slid open...revealing Mark and Gwen. Mark had heard the last word and was staring at Jesse. Gwen was holding Mark's arm and she was grinning.
"What about condoms Jesse?" Mark interjected, strolling into the room.
Jesse rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "This sucks." He mumbled. "The white boy gets more than me..."
"Jewish white boy." Mark smirked, jokingly. Jesse stood up and flipped him off.
"I'm going to rent a hotel room." Jesse said monotonously, walking out of the apartment.
"What was up with him? Isn't he usually a ray of sunshine?" Gwen asked.
"Yeah...wait...where have you two been?" Collins asked, watching the couple sit on separate chairs.
Gwen shrugged. Mark looked down. "Well...we went to a clinic." Mark said looking back up.
"What kind of clinic?" Collins asked, a puzzled look forming on his face.
"Uh...well..." Mark stumbled for a lie.
"We went to an AIDS clinic. Mark got tested after Roger made me make him go and get tested for HIV/AIDS." Gwen said quickly. Collins mouth stood agape.
"Why would he need to be tested?" Collins asked slowly, eying Gwen.
Gwen went silent and Mark looked lovingly at her. "Gwen is HIV positive and we just wanted to be safe..." Mark said softly.
"And...?" Collins wanted more information.
"We get the results in a week. Don't worry about it...I'll be fine." Mark said adjusting his glasses.
The rest of the night was spent talking seriously, sharing stories and drinking cheap Chardonnay wine. Roger and Mimi eventually joined the group after midnight. Jesse never came back to the loft though.
MEAWHILE
After a long day at her parents house, Joanne was glad to be back in the city. It was about 12:30 in the morning, and she drove slowly towards her apartment. She could only imagine how Maureen had spent her day. The light just ahead of her turned red and she stopped. She looked out the window of her car. A thin hispanic man stood on the corner, waiting to cross...a very familiar thin hispanic man. Joanne rolled down the window of the passenger side.
"Jesse?" She said loudly. The man looked over at her.
"Joanne? Sweetie, what are you doing out this late?" Jesse walked over to the car.
"I should be asking you the same." Joanne said sternly.
"Trying to find a hotel room..." He said softly.
"Why spend the money...why don't you spend the night at my apartment?" She said, not bothering to ask him why he was trying to find a hotel.
"Uhm...well...I guess one night would be fine..." He said reticently.
"Great...get in." Joanne unlocked the door, and Jesse climbed in, jsut as the light turned green.
She drove off, finally ending up at the apartment about ten minutes later. They got out of the car and walked up to the apartment. Joanne fumbled though her purse and grabbed her apartment key. She unlocked the door and opened it. The apartment was dark, and she could see the light from the TV in the other room. Joanne turned back to Jesse and held her finger to her lips, telling him to be quiet. She slipped off her shoes and padded towards the living room, Jesse following her closely. Moaning could be heard coming from the other side of the door.
"Is she...?" Jesse whispered, trying not to laugh.
"Well...there's only one way to find out...three...two..." She swung open the door. "OH MY GOD." Maureen fell off the couch, hitting the floor with a loud thud, she only wore a thong. She grabbed for the remote, to shut off the TV, without any luck. Jesse gaped as he looked at the TV- two girls were using something that looked like and air pump and were fully nude- he wasn't going to ask. Maureen was swearing loudly.
"Nice of people to KNOCK." She yelled, covering herself with a pillow. She noticed Jesse and glared at Joanne.
"Looks like you have a nice day." Joanne said grinning. Jesse snorted.
"Fuck you." Maureen quickly grabbed her clothes and went into the bedroom.
"She hates when I walk in on her." Joanna laughed.
"Well...it's embarassing!" Jesse said. "I can't say I enjoy when people walk in on me..." Joanne looked at him. "It's true! It totally ruins the moment."
Joanne laughed loudly. "You are something else Jesse..." She said shaking her head. "I'll get you some blankets...and the air matress..." She said looking at the couch. "I don't think you want to sleep on the sofa."
"You're too kind." Jesse laughed, watching Joanne walk off to get him some blankets, he looked over at the TV again, watching the two girls going at it. It disgusted him, yet he couldn't seem to look away. Damn those porn directors...and their addicting movies. He thought, quickly turning off the television.
