Chapter song: Gimme Love – Carly Rae Jepsen
Chapter 4 – Gimme Love
APOV:
A week later, Thursday night.
"Annie, you made it." Jose Sr. opens the door and envelopes me a big hug.
"Of course, I did. I wasn't going to miss Taco night."
"Where's Katya?"
"She got invited to some industry gig, it was mandatory... modeling agency stuff." I shrug and place my laptop on the kitchen island.
We catch up and he tells what he's been working on with the magazine along with sharing the details of the other shoots that been taking place for the Mother's Day feature. I sent him my final selects from the shoot I did with Grace and Mia. I sent him about 300 images to choose from.
He shows me some of the mock ups of the feature spread. It's only a four page spot but it's one full page image with text on the other with four smaller images spread out through the rest of the three pages. I also go to see the mock up calendar they created. It's exciting to see potentially my work showcased in such a major fashion publication. Dad once told me there's no greater joy, career wise, than seeing your work in print or on a big screen. Event though this is a sneak peek, I feel butterflies in my stomach. I wish mom were here to see this too.
"I'm going to go and find your son. Is he still in his lair?"
"Yeah, the vampire is still there." Jose Sr groans.
Jose Sr or J-Ro as I will affectionately call him sometimes lives in a beautiful loft in the heart of Tribeca. I've often asked him to adopt me just so I could live in this architectural masterpiece. He adores his son but they have nothing in common. J-Ro had JR via a surrogate way back when and devoted all his time and love to raising JR and he's done an amazing job. Unfortunately, both father and son don't have much in common aside from watching Dateline and weird crime documentaries.
"NERDLING." I bellow as I climb the stairs to Jose Jr. room. He actually prefers JR but who would I be if I wasn't always teasing him?
"I AM NOT HERE." I hear him yell from behind the closed door but I don't care. I walk in and jump on the bed.
"Whatcha doin? Hacked into the Pentagon yet?"
"Nah... it's more fun hacking into regular people's phones instead. There is some solid and freaky shit out there." He wiggles his eyebrows. "Katya didn't come with you?"
Oh JR... will he ever give up the dream to have Katya go out with him? Big fat no. JR is actually a cute guy but two years younger than us... and Katya doesn't want to rob the cradle. Dramatic, I know.
"She has a industry event to go to." I tell him.
I see his face fall and he spins his chair back to work on whatever latest tech he's developing. JR is a sought after nerdling. He's worked for Google, Facebook and various companies and organizations that shall not be named. I say this because I truly don't know who and what they are. And get this, the kid is barely 20 years old. He graduated HS at 15. Overachieving prick, if you ask me.
JR came to my rescue during my short stint at St. Francis Prep. We've known each other since we were kids but didn't become close till prep school. He's always got my back. Like Katya, I trust him with my life.
Just not with my phone or computer.
"What's new with you, kid? We haven't hung out in weeks."
"Yeah, sorry... I've been on a deadline and I feel like I haven't seen the sun in ages." He mumbles.
"Who knows, this time you go out you might sparkle and attract a cute girl?" I laugh.
"I sincerely hope so. I need to get laid. Maybe I should just pay for it... get it over with you know?" He looks at me in all seriousness.
"You know, there are these services that offer the girlfriend experience... what about that? You have the money. I mean it'll be good practice."
"You think?"
I shrug. "I mean, yeah why not?"
"Would you ever do something like that?"
"Hire someone so I can lose my virginity? Hell no. I don't have your money."
He stares off into space for a few moments. "God, we're the most pathetic virgins in this city."
"I know."
Katya once suggested that JR and I make a pact to fuck each other if we didn't lose our virginity by a certain age. JR and I laughed so hard we almost had to pee. He's like a kid brother... I need to have some level of attraction with the guy I'm letting into my scared queendom.
Two weeks after the shoot, Mia texted me asking if we could meet for dinner. Katya thought it would a great idea but I was still a little skeptical. Yes, she seemed really nice but meeting people in small doses usually means they're on their best behavior. That's the difference between Katya and myself. She's so open and welcoming. I used to be like that but now I'm extremely weary. My circle consists of Katya and JR only. I know... I need to expand my horizons.
I decided to invite Mia over to my place. I live in Carroll Gardens. Katya's grandparents and mine moved to Turkey from the US for college. They actually went to high school together and we in love. They went to dental school in New York and set up their practice on the Upper East Side and bought brownstones exactly two blocks apart and left the practice to Katya's mom and mine along with the brownstones. Katya's mom Irene who I call Reen and my mom Helena both became dentists as well. Katya and I are the anomalies of the family.
I have no business cooking, I mean I'm decent enough but I'm a little nervous to be cooking for a trained chef from Paris but whatever, she wanted to hang out and I'm trying to be a good host. I'm making garlic chicken and potatoes with a greek salad. Thank you Pinterest. I hope she likes it.. and if she doesn't, I'll just kick her out.
"Mia texted that she's about 20 minutes away." Katya tells me as she preps the dishware on the dining table.
"Good. Dinner is almost ready."
"Steele." I hear Katya call me. I can sense by the tone of her voice that it's about something serious. I look up at her and I see concern on her face.
"Yeah, Morozov." Her full name is Katya Rose Morozov, by the way.
"Do believe in electricity?" she asks in absolute seriousness and it takes every ounce of me not to laugh.
"Uh, yeah. I mean I'm standing under a light bulb right now."
She rolls her eyes. "No smartass... I mean... between people. When you meet someone for the first time?"
Now I know this is serious because we haven't had the love conversation in a long while. Katya has never fallen in love with anyone. Yes, she's fallen into extreme like... and had a shit ton of sex, bless her heart and nether regions but love... love is something she's searched for.
"I don't know Katya... you know my stance on that stuff."
"I don't know but I felt something when I met Mia's brother at the shoot and I can't seem to... I mean I even had a random Tinder hookup to shake it but nope..."
Oh fuck me. Now we can't be friends with Mia. This could end badly. Not saying Katya will do something stupid but I saw how he looked at her too and I don't want my best friend hurt in any way cause I will send that block of meat through the grinder and turn him into ground beef to feed to the stray dogs. I'm crafty when it comes to pre-meditated murder.
"Babe, he's in a relationship. He's about to propose to her."
"Yeah I know. Maybe I'm just lonely. I've been so focused on work and trying to land gigs."
"Hey come here." She walks to me and I give her a hug. "Babe, we're only 22... we'll find our someones..."
"Steele, I've been with my fair share of guys, guys who are hotter than him and I've NEVER experienced that."
"I know... but if it happened once, it can happen again right?"
"I hope so." She murmurs and shrugs.
"So tell us Mia, what's your story?" Katya laughs before taking a bite of her dinner. We're eating our heart out and drinking some fancy wine courtest of Mia. She stopped at her brother's apartment to steal some before coming here. Apparently he only stores the fancy shit. This is the wine graduation Katya and I have been talking about. It's like getting shit-faced but with some class and sophistication.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Steele here is jaded as fuck... while looking for someone to fuck and lose her virginity and I'm in the shallowest business out there looking for love."
"Oh... well, I guess you could say I'm a reformed party girl who used to party every other night and spend an obscene amount of money on trivial shit. Now, I'm looking to really rehabilitate my mind and energy."
"God, you sound so fucking white saying that... I love it. Another one to join Team Jade." I cheer and we all laugh.
"What caused the change?" Katya asks.
Mia smiles wistfully before answering. "I fell in love."
Fuck me again, Katya is going to eat this shit up.
"Tell me everything, Mia. Do not, I repeat DO NOT leave anything out." Katya is almost about to jump Mia from across the table.
"This one loves a good love story." I laugh.
"Well... I started this apprenticeship at a Parisian restaurant as part of my course work about a year ago and 6 months into it, the restaurant I was working for hired a line cook. His name is Joseph Hakim and he's a Syrian refugee. He's been in Paris for about two years... speaks English really well, French not so much but still whatever he could speak was great considering his circumstances. We became friends first, he's only a few years older than me... and then we fell in love." Her voice wavers a little before she continues. "He lost everything. His home, his family, his church... he has nothing to go back to and he still had so much hope in his eyes. Hope and sadness. He made me laugh and it turned my whole world around. He made me want to be a better person and do more with my life."
God dammit I feel salty liquid falling from my eyes. Praise the Lord and sound the alarms; I still have a heart.
Katya gets up and goes to hug Mia who quietly cries in her embrace. "I just miss him... and I want to bring him here so we can be together and I want us to create something where can really help people."
I don't know what compels me to ask this but I do it before I can stop myself. "Is he your first love? Did you feel something when you first touched or saw each other?"
Katya looks at me with wide-eyed. I know, I'm being normal and trying to believe. Stop staring at me, Morozov.
"I did, but I didn't understand it at first... I thought it was just physical but still, it was profound, Ana. Stuff that my grandfather and parents would talk about. I've been with guys before and I never felt this way. It was..."
"Electric?" Katya finishes her sentence for her.
"Electric." Mia smiles back at her.
Before we knew it, it was midnight. We couldn't stop talking. Mia tried to leave but I told her that she should just stay over in the guest room and that going home this late on the train would be unsafe and uber to the Upper West Side would be expensive. As a result we barely slept and continued talking all night. I'm surprised we didn't end up tattooing each other's initials on our arms in support of our new found friendship.
It's been about three weeks since that night Mia stayed over and we've become good friends. She's also working part-time at the Diner with Katya and myself. Between the three of us, we're killing it with tips. Mia joined two soup kitchens on the West side and cooks for them a few times a week. She says it makes her feel closer to Joe and brings her some peace. I recently followed her on instagram and the girl has more than 5 million followers but hasn't updated her profile in over 6 months. She told me the minute she met Joe, things just completely changed. Going through her feed, I didn't recognize the girl I saw. This NYC it-girl was always in designer labels, makeup and hair done to a T and now, here she was working in diner with us, hair in a top-knot and not a stitch of make up, wearing ripped jeans and a genuine smile.
Is love really that powerful?
Her brother Elliot has been by a few times in support. He leaves us a nice big tip. Katya stays on the other side of the diner usually when he's around. She's too afraid to face him for fear of feeling that electricity again but I notice him looking for her or in her direction every now and then.
"What can I get ya, sparky?" I ask Elliot and he gives me his signature smile. I know this smile... and I tend to ignore it. All self-aware guys do this, I've noticed.
"I'll go for a chocolate milkshake and the fully loaded burger."
"K, one heart attack coming right up."
"The fact that you gave me a nickname must mean you like me..." He gives me a big smile.
"Or that I don't really remember your name..." I raise and eyebrow and he falls back with his hand on his chest in mock despair.
"Damn, Steele... you sure know how to cut a guy down." He laughs.
"Back off, sparky... she's mine." Mr. Horowitz from across the aisle growls at Elliot. Mr. Horowitz is one my regular customers. He's in his 80's and been retired for years but dresses up in the suit everyday and comes to the diner for breakfast.
"Sorry, Sparky. I'm spoken for..." I shrug and walk away and I hear both men laughing.
I give in the order to Hector and get to work on the milkshake when Katya joins me.
"Why is he so cute?" Katya asks me solemnly.
"Put on those blinders girl. He belongs to someone else."
"I know, I know..." She whispers.
I walk over to Elliot to deliver his milkshake and we get to talking a bit while I simultaneously scan the room to make sure no one needs anything. Mia joins us a few minutes later to check in and see if her other brother Christian will be joining but it turns out he's cancelled yet again. Apparently he's some big hotshot in the business world. I tuned out most of the information.
"You guys work in the same building right? You want to take something for your brother?" I ask.
"What do you recommend?"
"Well, it'll have to be something small since I'm guessing he'll already have had lunch."
"Steele makes a killer apple pie. I'll go pack up some. Christian loves apple pie." Mia beams and walks away. Well, I guess that was easy.
"Pack me a slice too." Elliot calls after her.
"Sparky, you just had a milkshake and you're in the middle of eating a fully loaded burger... how about we lay off the sweets eh? Aren't you supposed to be asking a certain someone to marry you soon?" I intone with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah Sparky... if you want her to say yes... you better drop it and do few 20's." Mr. Horowitz sneers from across the aisle and I burst out laughing.
"Damn... tough crowd." Elliot shakes his head as he chuckles.
CPOV
Later the that afternoon
"Sup, baby bro. I brought you a treat, courtesy of Mia's new job." Elliot walks in yet again with his messy clothes and shoes. I'm seriously regretting allowing the family access to my part of the building.
"Thanks, sorry I cancelled lunch again. Shit's been crazy here. Is Mia still working there. You sure it isn't a phase?"
"She seems pretty happy. I swear this is a different girl we're seeing. Not the middle school and high school brat we had to deal with."
I take a deep breath and process his words. If this is how Mia wants to spend her days then it's better that she does this than stay all day in bed and drink herself into oblivion at random parties. I know Taylor also enjoys this new development. He was certain that Mia would be the death of him given how she always tried to give her CPO the slip and do wild shit.
"Yeah... it's refreshing. I've been meaning to go and show my support and I will." I murmur and get up to go join Elliot on the couch to see what he brought.
"Mia's friend Ana apparently makes a mean apple pie so they gave us some since you couldn't make it."
"I'll be the judge of that." I smirk and we proceed to dig in. I take a bite and... SHIT. THIS. IS. GOOD.
"Damn... that hits the spot." Elliot moans.
"Can you please not have sex with your food right now?" Way to ruin a moment.
"I am appreciating the food, asshole." He mumbles with his mouthful.
Elliot updates me on the progress of the new development we've invested in on the upper West Side. Things are going smoothly so far. We talk about some outstanding items when out of the blue he asks me something that I was not expecting. Especially not at this stage in his life.
"C... I need to ask you something and it's strictly bro code."
"Sure, bro code."
"Remember that spark Theo always yapped on about?"
"What about it?"
"I felt it."
The fact that he felt it with Kavanagh makes me want to throw up which would be unfortunate because I really like this apple pie.
"Good for you and now you're marrying her." I mumble and focus on my treat.
"No." He says quietly. "I never felt it with Katie. It was with this other girl a few weeks ago."
"E, for fucks sake do not tell me you slept with someone else"
"NO. NO... First it happened when I saw this girl and then I shook her hand. That's all that happened. I met her at Mia and Mom's shoot. She was helping the photographer Ana... now Mia is good friends with them and they work at the Diner."
Does this mean we can get rid of the troll that is Kavanagh?
"What's her name?"
"Katya... I feel like she's avoiding me. She doesn't look at me. I've been there a few times over the past three weeks. She only said hi to me the first time I went there and since then she avoids me like the plague."
"Then she probably doesn't feel the same way."
He smirks knowingly. "Oh no... she felt it but I'm guessing Mia probably told her I'm in a committed relationship."
"So what, you want to ditch Kavanagh for this girl."
"I've been with Katie for a year and a half, what if I'm making a mistake?"
2 years ago
Theo has been in the hospital for about three days now. I try my best to either spend lunch with him or go in around dinner time just before visiting hours are over. Technically, visiting hours don't have a limit in the VIP wing but he needs his rest so I try not to take too much of his time.
"So tell me Theo. Tell me about this spark business. You have me intrigued." I tell him.
He looks back at me with a smug smile and claps. "The power of emotional blackmail."
I roll my eyes and chuckle.
"Listen son. It'll hit you when you least expect it. You can look for it but you won't find it... it has to hit you."
"Well that really narrows shit down."
"Look, when I met Ellie, I felt it in the air when I walked in the room. It got stronger when I saw her and then I held her hand to shake it... well I damn near died of the electric shock. It was the most alive I had ever felt." He looks off into the distance smiling.
"You think it still exists?"
"It never stopped existing, kid... but that being said, you gotta get out there. It won't really show up in your ivory tower. You can't buy it or will it to come to you."
"Well I guess all these billions are for nothing."
"I wouldn't say they're for nothing... they got me this nice hospital room and some cute nurses to look after me." He smirks.
Present day
"What's her name? Want me to get a background check on her? Though if they're hanging out with Mia I'm sure Taylor has already done one."
"No... they're harmless. I just need to talk to her but I don't know how. I can't exactly ask Mia she'll be suspicious or actually, she might be thrilled since she isn't Katie's biggest fan either."
"Would you leave her for this... feeling?"
"I've never felt this way with Katie. I mean yeah the sex is really good and I love her..."
"She's barely been here, E. I get that she's a COO of a media conglomerate and her father is a Senator but you're on her time when it comes to this relationship. You're whipped, dude."
"God we sound like a bunch of girls talking right now." Elliot groans and leans back against the couch.
"Blame it on, Theo."
"She's fucking beautiful though. I've never seen anyone like her."
"Stop thinking with your dick and think with your actual brain. You cannot fuck this up, E. You have to be smart about this."
"Look, I'm not saying I will cheat on her but I can't help it. I keep thinking about this girl."
"Look, E, I'm not the relationship expert. I can barely get to a fourth date."
"I know, you're useless... but there has got to be a way where I can know."
"Memorial Day is in a couple of weeks. Ask Mia to invite her new friends to the house in the Hamptons. You said already that Kate can't make it... you'll be in closer proximity to this girl and it'll be completely neutral even if Kate does show up, let's see if something happens."
"C, you are a fucking genius."
A/N: I know you all want C & A to meet and they will. I don't have these chapters pre-written... I literally write a new one everyday. At this rate, they will officially meet in chapter 6 or 7.
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, liked and followed this story. I honestly really appreciate it.
Eldean: thank you so freaking much. I'm so glad you're liking this story. It's definitely less dramatic than my other one, lol. This story is my Xanax for sho.
JB & Zee: Thank you for your reviews and I'm hearing you both loud and clear.
AnaSofia: much love to you, boo!