Chapter 4, A Date with Destiny Part 2, Who will it be, Rachel? Or Silvia?
Summary: This is chapter 4 of The Reunion of Tommy and Silvia. In this chapter, Tommy is going to go on a date with Rachel, to find out if their crossing paths after not seeing one another for twelve years is really worth anything, or not. What will happen? Let's find out!
"Tommy? You still there?" Silvia asked into the phone, after not hearing anything for several minutes. The silence continued to droan on for another minute before Tommy spoke up.
"Yeah I'm still here." Tommy muttered.
"Is everything ok with you? You haven't seemed yourself since you ran into that waitress last night." Said Silvia with concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Tommy lied.
"Is Rachel like, an old friend or something?" Asked Silvia.
"Yeah, that's it. Rachel is an old friend, who I haven't seen in twelve years, and, we're getting together tomorrow night." Replied Tommy.
"Oh, well, I was hoping to have you over at my folks tomorrow to meet the family. I was out all day today, visiting my parents, my brother Matthew, my sister-in-law Carole, and my seven months old nephew Z. Man is Z getting so big!" Said Silvia excitedly.
"That's nice." Tommy said with a shrug.
"Look, if you really want to go hang out with this Rachel person tomorrow, I guess it's ok, just, promise me you're not gonna play the triangle game?" Asked Silvia.
"Oh believe me, I've been stuck in the middle of the triangle game back in high school, I'll be honest, I got into that accident on my friend Zack's skateboard out of anger over the fact that he was dating Kimi, my girlfriend at the time behind my back. But turns out in the end, I was just being used, and Zack and Kimi are happily married." Said Tommy.
"That's a relief. Well then, you two have a good time tomorrow playing catch up then, and, give me a call when you get home ok?" Said Silvia.
"No worries. I will. Love ya babe." Said Tommy.
"Right back at ya." Replied Silvia.
The two of them, hung up at the exact same time, and Tommy, got comfortable on the couch, and went back to sleep.
The next day, Tommy and Rachel met up at the Olive Garden. They were pleased to see that for once, the restaurant wasn't crowded, and they got a table relatively quickly. They each ordered the soup of the day and split an appetizer of stuffed mushrooms, along with an order of breadsticks, only to be too full to eat their entrees, which Tommy ordered the chicken parm while Rachel ordered the spaghetti.
While they ate, they engaged in conversation over all of the things they use to do in the old days together, and caught up with what they had been up to as of late.
"So, you're a waitress now?" Tommy asked.
"Well, yeah. It's not my main job though." Replied Rachel.
"What is your main job?" Tommy asked.
"I model for Lovely Large Fashions, only nobody has booked me since Christmas, because the magazine went on strike for a while, so now, I'm waiting tables at Patrick's Pub, to help pay the bills, until some big break should come along." Said Rachel.
"Oh, I see." Said Tommy.
"So, you're in college now?" Rachel asked.
"Yeah. I'm studying journalism." Said Tommy.
"Whatever happened to a career in film? Seems you were always shooting movies when we use to date." Said Rachel.
"Yeah well, a lot can change in twelve years." Replied Tommy, as he bit into another breadstick.
Tommy went on to tell her about everything he had been through. His accident, and so on.
"Oh my gosh, I am very sorry." Said Rachel.
"Awe don't be. If anything, the blindness has only made me an even stronger person. Though I do miss, looking into your eyes." Said Tommy.
"Well, I'll have you know, mine haven't changed." Said Rachel with a smile.
They continued to talk through dinner, only having to get half of their entrees boxed up because they had both filled up on breadsticks and appetizers.
After they finished, they were standing out in the parking lot, trying to figure out what to go and do.
"So, what else is on the agenda tonight? I always seem to remember you would always have the perfect romantic evening planned." Said Rachel.
"I've got nothing." Replied Tommy.
"What?" Rachel asked in surprise.
"Well, you didn't call me until really late last night, I didn't have any time to plan on anything." Replied Tommy.
Silence passed between them as the wind continued to blow, and cars pulled in and out of the parking lot.
"I know of the perfect place to go. Ever heard of Barnum's Strip Club? Sunday night is strip poker night." Said Rachel.
"Since when are you into strip clubs?" Tommy asked.
"Since three years ago when my old boyfriend Nelson use to sneak me in. Come on, let's go." Said Rachel.
"I don't know, strip clubs aren't really my thing. How about a nice long stroll in the park instead." Said Tommy.
"Awe come on, you haven't lived until you check out this place." Said Rachel.
"Fine, we'll give it a shot, but if we lose our clothes…" Said Tommy.
"Don't worry, I've become quite the poker player over the years." Said Rachel, as the two of them got into their cars, and headed to the strip club.
They got there to find a very noisy place, with brightly colored lights on the ceiling, and a floor all lit up, like they were in one of those old discos from the seventies. They found a table that had two seats empty, and joined up for the next round of strip poker.
"This is ridiculous." Tommy thought to himself, as they started to play the first game.
As the night carried on, and Tommy and Rachel engaged in several games of strip poker, Tommy, losing every one of them, both of them couldn't help but think about their conversation they had at dinner. Sure both of them had changed since middle school, but Rachel was determined to make this a second chance, while Tommy, had other plans. By the end of the twenthieth game, Tommy had enough.
"Come on Tommy, one more game?" Rachel asked.
"No!" Tommy snapped.
"And why not?" Rachel asked.
"For one, it's nearly two in the morning, and two, I can't believe you." Said Tommy.
"I can't believe you, you're usually a bit more game than this." Said Rachel.
"Well if you thought you were coming back for the Tommy you dated twelve years ago, that was twelve years ago. Let's face it Rachel, you lose." Said Tommy angrily.
"Uh, I believe I won." Said Rachel, as they put back on their clothes and walked out to the parking lot.
"I don't mean the game, I mean the chance of us having a second chance at a relationship." Said Tommy.
"But Tommy, it was destiny that brought us together this weekend. Only now it can be a happy ending. I'm not moving away anytime soon this time, and I promise, if I should get a big break in my fashion modeling and get called away, I'll make sure to not wait until the last minute to call it quits. Read my lips." Said Rachel, as she leaned in to kiss Tommy.
They shared a kiss that lasted for a minute.
"I'll admit, you were the first girl to ever kiss me, and twelve years later, that still felt nice. But Rachel, let's face it. We live completely different lives now. Maybe back then when you left me, I had a chance at freedom, but now, I just want to find the girl of my dreams. The girl to spend the rest of my life with. And I'm sorry, but I don't think you're it." Said Tommy.
"Let me guess, that lady friend of yours who was with you at Patricks the other night, well, she's that lady?" Rachel snapped.
"At least that lady is doing something with her life. Maybe she's only going to college part-time, but at least she's getting an education so she can make a decent living someday, unlike some people, who wait on tables, hoping some big break will come." Tommy snapped.
"But really, this is our second chance, only this time we can make it a happy ending." Said Rachel.
"Look, when I ran into you the other day, I thought I still had feelings for you, but after spending time with you tonight, I think if anything, we're in love, with the memories. We've been through a lot since we last were together, and let's face it, I know I'm not who I was twelve years ago, and even if you won't admit to it, neither are you." Said Tommy.
Rachel nodded, trying to hold back tears.
"But in a way, it was a happy ending. This reunion has allowed us to catch up, and patch up any differences in our past, and has allowed us to realize, that your first love, isn't always gonna be your forever lasting love." Tommy continued.
"Maybe you're right. If that other lady friend of yours is who makes you happy, then go be with her." Said Rachel.
"She has a name, it's Silvia, and you know what? I think I will go be with her." Tommy snapped, as he started to walk away towards his driverless sports car, as he hit the panic button on the remote, so he could find it in the parking lot.
"Well fine then, I guess it's over. If you and Silvia should ever come into Patricks again, I'll see you don't get me as a waitress again." Rachel snapped.
"I never said you couldn't be my waitress." Tommy snapped, as he opened the door to his car.
"No Tommy, admit it, you don't see any future for us, and now I'm hurt." Said Rachel.
Tommy came up to Rachel and lay his hands on her shoulders.
"Look, I never wanted to hurt you, but I'm sorry. I hope you can understand where I am coming from." Tommy said calmly.
Several minutes of silence passed as the two of them, stood there, in the dark desserted parking lot, as the wind started to blow. A few minutes later, a tear started to roll down Rachel's cheek.
"Goodbye Tommy." Rachel whispered, as she turned away, and walked towards her car, unable to face him again.
Tommy, just turned away in silence, got into his driverless sports car, and headed for home. He felt bad that he broke Rachel's heart, but it was obvious at this point, that Silvia was the only girl for him, and he was determined, to make Silvia, his everlasting love. The girl he'd marry and settle down with, the girl he'd have offspring with, and the girl, he would grow old and gray with. At this moment in time, he was glad that Kimi was happily settled down with Zack, and that Vanessa was no longer alive. He also thought about everything Silvia had been through in the seven years they were apart since that cruise. It was obvious she had been through several bumps in the road, and was struggling, to finish up school and move on to the next chapter of her life, but maybe, if she could move on to the next chapter romantically, that would brighten her day.
By the time Tommy made it back to the town house at MCLA, it was nearly four in the morning. He was exhausted, still stuffed from dinner, and full of emotions, but try as he might, he just, could not get to sleep. So he sent Silvia a text, saying that he loved her, and lay awake for a while.
Eventually, he must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew, it was one in the afternoon, and he heard someone rummaging around outside his bedroom. He got up and walked out into the living room.
"Well hey sleepy head." Said Chuckie.
"Hey." Tommy said sleepily.
"So, how did last night go?" Chuckie asked.
"Well, I know who I belong with, and, it's not Rachel." Said Tommy, as he took a seat at the small wooden table that sat in their dining room kitchenette area.
"Let me guess, you love Silvia." Said Chuckie.
Tommy nodded, as he found the box of Reptar cerial on the table and poured some into an empty bowl that was never put away.
"Everything I had with Rachel was in the past. I mean, can you compare middle school to college? They're totally different environments all together. I was dumb to think that there was any chance of a future with Rachel." Said Tommy, as he took a bite of his cerial.
"Hey, sometimes, we have to learn things the hard way. I hope to spend the rest of my life with Nicole, and that's why I made sure to never lose sight of her since the seventh grade." Said Chuckie.
"Really? I always thought it was because you were too scared to date anybody else." Said Tommy.
"Well there was that, but I was more so afraid of losing Nicole, and never being able to get her back, than going out with any other girl." Said Chuckie.
"And, during that time when we were not talking in high school, didn't you go on one date with Violet?" Asked Tommy.
"Yeah, I did, but by this time, Nicole and I had such a strong relationship, that one date wasn't going to wreck it." Chuckie replied, as he continued to clean out the kitchen cubbords and pack stuff into boxes.
"Well, I know this. Silvia is mine, and I'm not going to let her slip away." Tommy protested, as he took the last bite of his cerial, and washed up his bowl and spoon.
"Now, you need to get dressed and packed, we have to be out of here by five, and, it's like, two thirty!" Chuckie snapped.
"Chuckie would you relax? I don't have that much stuff to pack up anyway. I'll be ready to go before you know it." Tommy replied, as he went off to the bathroom, showered, and packed up his stuff.
Later that night, Tommy and Chuckie were at a motel they had gotten a room in for the night, when Tommy's cell phone went off. He double tapped the screen to find an iMessage from Silvia. She was returning his message, with an I love you too, sorry we didn't get to talk today babe, but I'm off to bed. Night night. Tommy was hoping she would still be awake so they could talk, but he wasn't going to wake her. Chuckie was out for the night by this time, so Tommy decided to turn in too, in hopes sleep would come. Eventually, it did.
The next day though, he wasted no hesitation. He was going to see Silvia in person that day if it was the last thing he did. He was only hoping she would be home, as he was planning to surprise her with candy and flowers. He awoke to find several texts from Silvia, asking him to call her, and a text from Chuckie stating he was at Starbucks, hanging out with some of his other buddies he had on campus one last time, before he didn't see them again. Tommy wrote back and told him he was off to Silvia's, and then, put his plan into action.
Using the BlindSquare app on his phone, he found a store not too far from where they were staying called Palmers, which claimed to be a variety convenient store. Figuring they would have everything he would be looking for, he headed there in his driverless car, and went inside, where he got a store clerk to help him find a nice pretty bouquet of pink carnations, and a box of chocolate. Once he had exactly what he was looking for, he headed for Silvia's apartment. Upon getting there, he sent Silvia a text, telling her to come downstairs. Silvia received the text and was in shock that Tommy showed up at her apartment, unannounced. But she headed downstairs anyway, even though she had just finished taking a bath when his text came across. No matter, she'd at least smell nice for him.
She opened the door to find Tommy standing there, carrying the huge bouquet of flowers, and a box of chocolate tucked under one arm.
"Hey sweetie, these are for you." Said Tommy as he handed Silvia the flowers and chocolates.
"Oh Tommy, they're beautiful! And, you got me pink carnations! My favorite!" Said Silvia excitedly.
"Hey, I love you, and…" Said Tommy.
"Oh Tommy, I love you too." Silvia said, interrupting Tommy, as they leaned in, and shared their first kiss.
And, this, ends chapter 4. But this story is nowhere near done yet. Will Silvia end up being Tommy's everlasting love? Find out, next time, in chapter 5.
Author's Notes: You may have noticed that Silvia has a nephew named Z. Just to clarify, this is a different Z from the Z the gang went to middle school and high school with. So, this is my own OC named Z, as this Z is only seven months old at the time the events of this chapter took place.