Chapter VI "Maybe There's a Shark in the Water"

The coffee was ready, hot and strong just what Sarah and Rose needed to start the day and in this particular day Rose had a lot of explaining to do.
“So he is a dentist? Doesn’t that scare you at least a bit?” Sarah really knew her friend.
“Actually that is the lees scarier part of it.” Rose said taking a zip of coffee and giving away a sudden smile.
“And isn’t there an objection to date your patients?” She wasn’t trying to rule out Rose’s choice, just trying to understand.
“I’m not going out with his dog and I already have a dentist.”
“And you shouldn’t.” Sarah went to pour more coffee on her cup which was more like a bowl.
“So what do you think? And I still don’t know if we are dating, we were trapped in an elevator, had lunch together once and went to the party last night.” Rose wanted to know what it meant what she was doing.
“Elevator doesn’t count I think I’ll have to check.” Sarah was being very supportive about it, not too judgmental and why would she.
“So what do you think, am I a horrible person?” Rose was very concerned about what people thought of her, especially her friends.

“I think you are a horrible jenga player but never in my weirdest moments, and those have been very memorable and epic, would I say you are a horrible person.”
“You always kick the table when I’m about to move and you know it.”
“You are a good person Rose, and as a good one you know you have to do the right thing and call it quits with Matt first, he deserves it and so does this new fella Jim.”
“James.”
“Oh pretty, so when do I get to properly met him?”
“Not right now he’s out of town in a convention or something he will be back in a week or so.” Rose said that a realized she was already missing him what really got her thinking.
Sarah was right and Rose didn’t like the feeling, she knew she had to call Matt and tell him it was over he was a good guy and at least deserved that.
Still it wouldn’t be easy they almost never talked and ever since James appeared their calls and emails had been reduced to almost zero.
“You are right, and please don’t make me repeat that, I have to let Matt down.”
“No emails, you don’t know when he will be able to read it; you have to make sure you are a single woman more power to us.” Some decades before this speech would have ended in a burning-bra-ritual.
“Fine I’ll call him; do you know what time is it now in the open sea?”
“Should we call Sebastian to make sure?” Sarah was about to make another quick witty remark when her cell phone received a text from Roger whit a picture of him doing something he swore he would never do attached.
“Oh my god you won’t believe where Roger is right now.”Sarah was both shocked and happy.
“People won’t believe I’m here doing this that’s why I took the picture.” Barefoot Roger said to Grace whom was punishing him for forgetting getting a date for her and instead picking up Ted.
“Don’t be such a baby! There are a lot of men that do this it’s perfectly normal.” The clauses of the bet have not been determined yet, but there were going to be penalties for when one of them screw up.
“It is not, and you want to know when I figured out it is not something from a very ordinary day?”
“Please enlighten me but let me remind you that you were digging the process when they were rubbing your feet.”
“I’ll admit the feet rubbing was nice, but the mani-pedi and asking me what color I wanted was just blowing things out of proportion; you said many men came here for this.” Roger wouldn’t admit that it hadn’t been that bad until he was asked to pick a color.
“They do!” And they did.
“Then why would I be asked if I wanted to try a new color on my nails.”
“Because they do” And they did.
“Well I don’t.” Roger decided he had been punished enough, he didn’t want his hair to be the next in line, so he took his feet from the pedicurist and went to put on his socks and shoes, in that exact order.
“Fine we can go, I hope you learned your lesson.” Grace was very proud of herself for choosing this punishment for Roger, because it was something that he needed but he would never admit to need or do, ever.
“Great and if you don’t object I think we need to do a more manly thing.”
“Taking care of yourself doesn’t make you any less of a man you know, complaining like a little girl does.”
A girl that was sitting near them and over hearing them couldn’t restrain herself and let a giggle slip from her mouth.
“See she thinks I’m ridiculous.” Roger shushed to Grace, so that this girl wouldn’t hear, she had proved to be very nosy.
“She doesn’t think that, wonder why, but she has been checking you out the hole time and you would have noticed it too it you weren’t so busy complaining about this the hole time.” Grace saw a sudden smile in Roger’s face.
“Really? You think so? Did she say anything with her body language or in a girl code kind off sign language?” Now things were turning up for him.
“Chill dude, what are you in junior high? And sorry to burst your bubble but there is no such thing as a girl code kind off sign language.” There is actually but girl’s can’t acknowledge there is one.
“So how do you know?” Roger and Grace were now in line to the cashier ready to pay, letting the girl behind, who was now checking out Roger’s behind.
“Don’t turn around she is still looking at you.” Roger froze.
“Ok master what do I do now?”
Grace was about to slap Roger in the head but she was a patient person and thought that if she could get him to grow a pair and do the obvious thing then the universe would repay her in return.
“Patience grasshopper, I’m about to reveal to you the secret move that has to be put in motion right about now, but remember that with great power comes great responsibility.”
“I hear that somewhere.”
“You should go and ask her out.” Grace made a phony gesture in order to make fun of Roger who was looking not amused and a little disappointed.
Too bad they were now outside of the saloon and the girl was still inside.
“How much are you enjoying messing with me?”
“To the moon and back, that is besides the point just go ask her out you can still get matching colors.”
“I can’t go and just ask her out, I’m not ready for another relationship right now let alone getting married” Roger made it sound like he was bound to be alone from now on.
“And who said anything about a relationship? Or getting married even, she asked very worried about how her friend’s mind works.” Sometimes Grace liked to speak in third name basis.
“I skipped the ficus part of the process and went straight for the dog and I’m not sure I have mastered that part so I can’t have a relationship right now.” Roger and Grace had started to walk leaving the saloon and the girl way behind.
“Isn’t that for sex addicts?”
“It can also apply for breakups.” Roger was being very committed to his recovery.
“Ok, ok , ok I get your point you are not looking for anything serious right now still that doesn’t mean you can’t go out on a date with that girl, or her, or she over there, hum not there no you can do better you big weirdo.” Grace began to point out to women in the street.
“I don’t follow you.”
“Helen Keller come to me. Listen carefully you can go out on dates and not have a relationship, just go out have fun.”
“And am I in love with all this women?” Roger was a bit confused, he wasn’t one to just go out for the fun of it, like Alex did, he was used to and liked having a girlfriend, a relationship, serious and steady he was like a fish out of the water and in a bowl of mud.
“Seriously who writes your stuff? You don’t need to be in love with them, dude you are putting way too much pressure to the process.”
“And what if it is awful and I have a lousy time?” Roger and Grace where waiting for the green light to turn red in order to cross the street.
“Then you have a good funny anecdote to tell in your next date with your next picked from anywhere match.”
“And if I have a good time?”
“Let me hold you right there because you can’t go on a date expecting to have a good time; that kind of thinking won’t get you far because if she turns out to be horrible, needy, dumb or a psycho then you will be beating yourself up and telling yourself it is not worth it to put yourself out there.”
“So I should just expect for the worst.” Still green light.
“And be happy if she doesn’t suck.” Grace received a dirty look from Roger. “Ew perv, you know what I mean, so go back and put yourself out there.”
“Wow, dating just for the heck of it not expecting anything in return, I haven’t consider that.”
“Welcome to the club Alex will give you your official members T-shirt, now let’s go back and ask that girl out, who knows maybe she has a lot of daddy issues and you end up having a good time.”
“Fine master let’s go back.” The green light faded, enter the red light, people started to cross the street.
“Go on young padawan, if we both go and ask her out we probably will freak her out and she’ll say no but if she says yes they I’ll be the one freaking out.”
“Here I go.” Roger entered back to the saloon still confused about the process but excited to try something new, good thing he had certain charm bad thing he didn’t knew it and wasn’t able to really use it, better thing girls noticed and that made him more charming to her.
“Weirdo.” Grace smiled when she saw from the window how her friend approached the girl that looked very happy to see Roger back.
Work had gotten easier for Roger, apparently he was a really good columnist; he didn’t have to break his head looking for a topic to write about, this days whatever was on his mind seemed to work for him and the news paper.
Roger spent the rest of his day working in Sarah’s coffee shop and later having lunch with Alex, both of them were happy to hear he was going to go out on a date with Kelly the girl from the saloon; he was well received at home by his dog which had found its way through the garbage cans and making a mess all over the backyard.
“Come on lets go for a run I’m sure the wind will blow and take this away or at least to the neighbor’s yard.”
Running suited Domino, and it was a perfect way to clear Roger’s mind; he hadn’t heard from Frank or Ethel, neither of them where answering their phones, Roger tried not to think too much about it he didn’t want to be worried until someone told him to do so, they were probably resolving this in their own matter.
After running, shower and made dinner, which was ordering take out, Roger thought the house was very quiet, even when the dog was still inside; the only thing missing was Greg.
Roger thought perhaps Greg was cleaning up the backyard, but no Domino’s mess was still there; Greg was never late at night he was usually very annoyingly on time.
Roger had learned not to blow things out of proportion so he didn’t worry, Greg would come by eventually and explain everything and apologize profoundly, not that he had to but Roger knew he would do it anyway.
The door opened, Roger and Domino where watching a movie in the living room, Greg walked in.
“I’m home, sorry for being late.” Greg walked to where Roger and the dog were, neither of them stood up to greet him.
“Popcorn?”
“I’ll pass I can’t have another bite.” Greg didn’t have an appetite plus when Roger ate popcorn he liked to prepare them with a lot of lemon, jalapeno and other condiments that Greg’s stomach couldn’t take.
“Had dinner with Millie?” Obvious choice, since she had been calling for the last twenty minutes to see if he had got home safe and sound.
“Dinner, lunch, deserts, brunch and even hobbit meals.” Greg sounded very frustrated.
“You sound frustrated, is she preparing you for winter?”
“I thought it was a nice gesture from her part when she came to work with a basket of homemade muffins.”
“Home made muffins!” Both Roger and Domino look at Greg giving him a look that said “where is my muffin?”
“Focus.”
“Ok homemade muffins, go on.” Domino lost interest.
“But she never left, she just stood there and watch me.”
“Just watch you not work?” It was very rare when Greg got to do actual work with Dr. Weathers.
“Watching, reading her magazines, tweeting, knitting your scarf.”
“Good God no.”
“She wants to finish it and then made us matching sweaters, I don’t know what I’m going to do she is everywhere, all the time, there she is again!” Greg’s cell phone started ringing.
“You know perhaps, and by perhaps I mean maybe, perhaps you could tell her you have a horrible disease something that wont maker her want to take care of you, like just the flu.”
“Wouldn’t that backfire?”
“Perhaps, you could tell her you are moving out of the country and if that or faking your own dead doesn’t help then I wish you both a lot of happiness.”
“I’m doomed.”
“Perhaps! You should call Alex.”
“Dialing.” Greg took his cell phone and dialed Alex.
“Your grandma would know what to do.” Grandma Lauren’s absence could be felt every day.
“I know, she could scare away anyone; Hey Alex.”
“Say I say hello.”
“Fine thanks, I won’t take much of your time I just need your help on something.”
“Say I say hello.”
“Her name? what makes you think it’s regarding a girl, don’t you think I can resolve that on my own?.” Alex knew very well his friends, in his opinion both of them wouldn’t be able to survive and reproduce without his help.
“Say I say hello.”
“Yeah her name is Millie.”
“Say I say Hell-o.”
“Yes, yeah, aha, ok. Are you sure? Isn’t that a bit, ok yeah I got it, thanks see you tomorrow then.”
“He said hello back?”
“He told me I have to break up with her.”
“Clever, why do you think neither of us could thought of that?”
“Beats me, he says I should go see him tomorrow to plan it, he doesn’t trust I can do this on my own.”
“Hey you got me.”
“Yeah he said that included you too.”
“Bummer.”
Although Alex had said he would make Greg’s issues his most important priority for the week he kept cancelling on his friend and agreed to meet him until Wednesday.
“Do you know how long will Alex’s meeting will last?” Greg had been waiting outside Alex’s office
“Mr. Doyle will be over in no more than ten minutes, in the mean time can I offer you something to drink Mr. Martin.” Brian would never change.
“I wouldn’t say we are great friends but you can call me Greg Brian, I mean you just were at my house this Friday and I saw you drunk and making out with Sandra one of the nurses of Rose’s clinic, Mr. Doyle’s sister.” For Greg it was weird how serious and cold Brian could be.
Brian tried to say something but he was a bit embarrassed, he liked to have his personal life and his professional life separated which was a difficult task with Alex as his boss.
But he realized being friendly would get him farther ahead in his life than being modest and professional all the time
“We have water juice and a soda machine which do you prefer...Greg.” Baby steps.
“Water would be fine thanks.” Brian went to get it.
Greg was going to knock on Alex’s door again when it suddenly opened and revealed a beautiful woman dressed in white carrying a massage table.
“Excuse me please.” She gave a smile to Greg and walked away, poor Greg had no other choice than too look back and check her out while she went away.
Inside Alex was finishing getting dressed, apparently his very important meeting was having his weekly massage.
“That was your important meeting?” Not much of a shocker for Greg.
“Business meeting actually.”
“Business? Seriously?”
“Yes she is a professional masseuse so she gets paid don’t worry the happy ending it’s a bonus I get for my charming personality, please take a seat.”
“I rather not you had at least 40 minutes of meeting here I don’t think it’s safe to sit in your furniture without walking out with and STD.”
“Oh don’t you worry she took her table.”
“Very practical.” Greg took a seat.
“It was, I tried to convince her to left it here but I guess she needs it more than I do.” Alex took an energy bar and a water bottle from a mini fridge he had under his desk it was his philosophy to be constantly recovering energy and fluids.
Brian walked in and handed Greg is bottle of water.
“So how crazy is she?” Alex took a bite and gave a strong look to Greg to figure with what kind of chick they were dealing with.
“I wouldn’t say crazy, more like suffocating and intense.”
“Listen rule number thirteen is you are going to break up with her then in your mind she has to be a monster, and probably she is, so it gets easier.”
“Dully noted.”
“So how’s the sex?” Another strong stare.
“It’s ok I guess.” Greg didn’t really knew how to answer to that.
“For a guy that doesn’t get laid that much you don’t seem too happy about it so I’ll take it as cold and boring.” Alex wrote cold and boring and underlined it three times.
“Hey are you taking notes?” Greg stood up and took a look to Alex’s note where there was also a livid cartoon of Millie with crazy eyes.
“Don’t you worry that is all I need to know.” Alex kept doing sketches, writing down notes and adding stuff to Millie’s drawing.
“Seriously all you need to know about a girl relies in two questions?”
“Of course first of all I need to know if this chick it’s crazy for what you told me and for what I just remembered from Rog’s party this chick is way ahead in the crazy scale, which is not a bad thing; then we go to question number two.”
“The sex.”
“Exactly, good you are catching up; so if the sex it’s great then the chick it’s entitled to be crazy and let’s be honest that just makes it better, but if the answer we receive it’s as exciting as people were when they left the movie theater after watching Episode I then the chick it’s not entitled to her craziness and then she has to go.”
“And what if there hadn’t been any sex at all.”
“Then I wouldn’t be taking this case, I just help men that really commit; men that are willing to go ahead in the world.”
“Ok Columbus I get it you don’t need to get in a big speech or anything.” Greg interrupted Alex before he got carried away.
“Ok listen carefully, this will be easy if and only if you do exactly as I say, one wrong turn and the whole operation could blow in our faces.” Alex let a giggle out.
“Haha word.” Greg had understood it too, deep down the two of them were still teenagers but with money and cars now.
“First of all you have to do the break up in a public place that way she won’t do a scene, this is the kind of chick that doesn’t like scenes or people looking at her like she is crazy, which she is remember it.”
“Public place great, what else you got?” Greg should be the one taking notes now.
“She probably has your whole life planned already from the number of kids to the china she is going to register for the W day.”
“This is supposed to make me feel more confident or more scared?”
“Don’t worry grasshopper, you have to play afraid of commitment.”
“Easy.”
“Make her believe you can’t and won’t be attached, you are a free spirit and make yourself feel unstable and unwanted.”
“Great and if that doesn’t work?”
“Then as an emergency exit go to second base with the waitress right in front of her, works like a charm and if she is crazier than we believe she is then you could get a surprise and end up having a great night if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah like that has ever happened before.”
“Or hasn’t it?” Alex said it with an arrogant tone, giving Greg a look that said it all.
“Well we’ll see; when do you suggest I do it.”
“Wait until Friday and make it early that way you are on a great start for the weekend.”
“Great, well thanks see you later.” Greg took Alex’s scrapbook where he saw the drawing had had many improvements.
“Anytime I figure I could get into heaven by helping those less fortunate than me, thank God I have my hands full with you and Rog.” Someone was knocking at the door.
“You are expecting anyone?”
“Business meeting, very important.”
Greg went to open the door and found yet another beautiful girl, she looked like she was a singer or aspiring to be.
“Have a nice meeting then.” Greg smiled and closed the door.
Even though Grace was relatively new to the gang she had made friends very quick; she could cook and that was how she won the hearts, or stomachs to be more accurate, of Rog, Alex and Greg and she was a girl so Rose and Sarah liked the idea of now be even numbers against the guys. She was a nice addition to the group.
Grace was temporarily unemployed, she had to leave her last job because she didn’t feel comfortable compromising herself and her cooking style or that was the way she used to say it truth is she wasn’t working anymore because her boss had asked her not to, but she was to proud to admit she had been fired.
She was a really good cook but she wasn’t so much as a team player and was very competitive.
For the mean time she had been having small catering jobs, nothing serious or steady due to her problems to work with other people that she considered were doing everything wrong, she believed that if she was going to be able to work with a team then she would have to train them first.
Sarah had a variety of newspapers available for people to take and read while drinking their coffees in her shop and since Grace was a heavy coffee drinker and was no longer receiving her newspaper in the morning she would go to Sarah’s coffee-book-store-shop to look in the classifieds for a job while drinking lots of coffee.
“Nothing good yet?” Sarah liked having Grace around but she was worried that if she didn’t have a job soon then she wouldn’t be able to pay for her coffee anymore.
“Nope, well there are some mediocre jobs here but nothing worth of my talent.”
“Well mediocre it’s just a fancy word, isn’t it? Maybe it’s a good opportunity for you to make a crappy place of work into a happy place.”
“I don’t know maybe, it’s just that I want a job that I’m actually happy to have not one that I need to have.” Grace seemed to be looking for perfection her whole life.
“Few people have those.” Sarah had never considered being a successful business owner and now that she was she considered herself to be one of those people.
“I know and those people really bug me, except for you and Rose, and Alex; good thing Greg does nothing in his job and Rog is a columnist with a novelist dream in mind.”
“You know I never thought I would be a business owner, some people dream about it, or becoming doctors, lawyers or chefs but for me life was more about the little things I was happy when I was just a waitress, an assistant or a secretary those jobs allowed me to pay attention to the little things in life and have more time to myself.”
“Until you got a lot of money and decided to buy yourself a business.”
“I could have use the money to travel or gave it to charity but by then I loved this place and my grandmother also; I loved coming here every day helping people find a good book and having a great time so it wasn’t really me buying a business although since I didn’t really knew anything about running one I went to community college and got a degree in business management.” Sarah was very proud of her life and more important she was very happy about it.
“It was more like you were making sure you could do the thing you love every day.” Grace smiled she figured Sarah probably had never told this to anyone else and was happy she had heard it first.
“Exactly.”
“That’s a very good story; it would be a great movie you know.”
“Yet Roger denies writing it.”
“That really helped you jus helped me not feel bad about being unemployed.”
“Something will come up don’t worry just try to figure out what is it that you want to do, what kind of job do you want to do and then go for it take the risk I did and I’m grateful about it every day of my life.”
“Thanks sure will, I didn’t knew you were such a good adviser.”
“Me neither, I’m on fire this week.”
And she was, the words of advice Sarah had given to Rose earlier that week were still spinning around in her head while she tried to figure out how to break the news to Matt.
Rose was sitting in front of her computer, email open and ready to type, and her phone, number written on a post-it ready to be dialed.
She had no idea how she was going to do it, most of the times she was the one to receive the break up news very few times she had to do it herself.
“No, Sarah said no emails.” Rose stopped typing and went to pick up the phone and the post-it, to heck the number she already knew by heart.
She started dialing giving each number a steady and firm push and half way through, because it was a big number, she realized she didn’t know how to tell him, or what to tell him for that matter; so she put the phone down again.
Good thing the clinic had other three vets, because Rose’s lunch hour had turned into a four course meal with all the time she was taking off.
“I can’t call him and not know what to say, but I can’t send him an email because its rude but easier to do.” Sometimes talking to herself helped Rose to convince herself to do certain things.
“So I’ll type down what I want to say to him and then call him and read it to him, how does that sound? Any objections?” Rose was alone so no one could object.
“Ok here goes nothing.” Rose started typing, at first she was having a hard time to find the words, but once she had started she got carried away and ended up typing a very extent Dear John letter.
Once she finished typing it and proof reading it at least three times, adding things, taking off another parts something inside of her told her this would be a very good break up letter, personal, warm and not at all rude.
Something was telling her just to click Send instead of Save, it would be much easier and it would be done quick and painless.
Rose struggled, which would it be? Send or Save? Would she take the risk? Swim in open unclear waters or would she take the easy way out?
She was about to click, unsure about her decision when the phone rang.
“I’ll be right there Shelia.” Rose clicked, closed her laptop and headed back to work.
Saturday night had big plans for everyone Greg was taking Millie to her last meal in a crowded restaurant to avoid a big scene, Sarah and Grace were having girls night out which Rose had declined to saying she was feeling a little under the weather when the truth was she knew she would have to deal with Matt that day, Roger was going out with Kelly the girl he had met the other day and Alex, well Alex had something else planned something very unusual for him actually.
Greg and Millie where having dinner at Bravery a very hip restaurant where Grace had been fired before.
“This is so unexpected we never go out to places like this, is this a special occasion?” Oh Millie you had no idea.
“Not really, just wanted to do things a little different you know.” Millie smiled unaware of what was headed, funny thing Greg wasn’t either.
“Excuse me sir, you have a call in the front desk.” There was something suspicious about this waiter.
“Really?”
“This is very exciting Greg go see who it is, maybe we won something and this could be a very good story to tell.”
The waiter gave Greg a look that suggested him to hurry up.
“Ok then I’ll be right back.”
Greg stood up and headed to the front desk where the waiter handed him the phone.
“Hello?” There was no one on the other side of the line.
“Hey.” Someone Greg already knew suddenly appeared next to him and startled him, he wasn’t expecting this or him.
“Alex! What the hell? What are you doing here? Are you the one who called me?”
“If this is you playing 20 questions then you suck at it, of course I was going to be here I couldn’t trust you with a task like this.”
“Seriously?” It was hard to believe that Alex had given up his weekend plans to help him break up with Millie.
“Fine if you think you don’t need my help then I’m out of here.”
“Ok, ok don’t go sorry, whatever. So what do I do now?” Greg knew he would need some assistance and Alex wouldn’t really go but few people could tell when he was bluffing.
“First of all have you order drinks yet?”
“No we just arrived when I got your call.” Greg realized he was still holding the phone so he hang it up.
“Good if you had there was a possibility that she could throw it at your face when you break up with her, for few really trained people this means free drink if you know how to catch it but with you let’s avoid getting splash shall we.”
“Just like ripping off a band aid I can do it.” Greg was warming himself up like if he was a boxer just about to have the fight of his life.
“Who was it Greg?” Every time Millie said something she would smile and turn her head a little to the right or the left sometimes she would even nod her head while string right at the eyes of the person right in front of her, it was a little creepy if you asked me.
“Wrong number they were looking for Greg Morton not Martin.”
“See it’s a very interesting story to tell later.” The smile, the stare, the turn and the nodding plus the laugh Greg couldn’t take it anymore. “So shall we order? I think we could choose two of the specials and share them what do you think? It could be a little culinary tradition of our own.” Again same routine it was enough.
“We could do that but first there is something I have to tell you.” Greg tried to be firm, strong and direct to bad he wouldn’t.
“I’m all ears.” This time Millie let a giggle out instead her usual routine.
“Ok you see here is the thing.” Here was the moment where Greg lost all control over the situation.
Millie was listening carefully, not blinking staring right at Greg which made him more nervous.
“We know each other, well not really know each other because we haven’t known each other for that much time, but I think that the basics are covered you know?”
“I think I really know you mister.”
“Yeah maybe, but you know there is something else you should know about me you know, because it’s important that you do know what I want to tell you.”
“Aha.” Millie was suddenly very interested, she liked how Greg was rambling.
“You see I think the most important thing you should know about me is that, well probably that I am allergic to penicillin, but for son very long time I have considered myself a loner you know, not really much into getting committed or tied down just cruising trough life getting along you know?”
“I think I do.” Millie sounded more excited than sad about what Greg was trying to tell her, which only confused Greg a little more.
“So you know where this is going?”
“Oh yes, but I’ll let you finish I’m very feminist but I still think there are some things that guys are the ones supposed to do and not us.” Millie rearranged her glasses and stretched her hand for Greg to hold.
Greg was really confused.
Alex was still waiting in the front desk he was expecting Millie to storm out quietly but sobbing out of the place and he was ready to receive his friend, little did he knew things were not exactly going on like according to plan.
“Dude what are you doing here? What happened? Why are you pale? Is this because the whole 20 questions mock? Because I won’t apologize it was funny and it’s a stupid game.”
“Hum I think things didn’t went like we planned them.”
“Really? That bad?”
“Horrible, but not for her but for me.”
“Dude what happened?”
“Reader’s Digest version I think we are engaged and moving in together.” Dumb Greg dumb.
“Wow you suck at breaking up even more than you suck at 20 questions.” Alex saw the desperation in his friends face and decided it was time for him to step inside.
“I can’t move in with her let alone get married this just got way out of proportion, what am I going to do?”
“You nothing, do nothing if you go back there chances are you will end up signing a pre nup.” Alex fixed her tie and hair and was ready to set things straight.
“What are you going to do?” Alex was Greg’s last chance to stay single.
“Hang on you just let me worry handle it, you just stay here and look useless and pale like you are right now.” Alex walked strong and confident ready to give Millie the boot.
“YOU CAN’T DO THS TO ME!” Alex started to yell al Millie who was just about to change her facebook status to engaged, he scared her and caught the attention of everyone else in the restaurant.
“Alex! What is going on?” Millie was really worried, she hated big scenes and Alex was making sure to create a big one.
“It is bad enough that you are getting married but with my best friend! Knowing all along that I’m the one that really loves you; how could you? Just tell me how could you do this to me, to us!”
“Excuse me?” Millie was beyond surprised she wasn’t expecting this, meanwhile Greg couldn’t help but notice the big fuzz Alex was making while still waiting in the front desk.
“Like if you didn’t knew, like if you hadn’t noticed how nothing else matters to me after you walked into a room; how for me the most magnificent thing in this world is the moment when our eyes meet even for just a second and you let me lie to myself that we will be together forever.” Millie was now standing up while Alex held her hands and pressed them against his chest letting her fell his heartbeat.
“Alex I’m sorry I, I didn’t know; seriously I had no idea.” Millie was hooked, game over.
“Maybe not I won’t hold a grudge against you, but He did, he knew and still played you.”
“I don’t think Greg knew.” Millie was very excited about Alex’s revelation but still was worried for Greg.
“Please don’t mention his name, he is dead to me.” Alex made and angry tone and turned his head towards Greg’s location making sure he had a very dangerous look, this was Greg’s cue to walk back to the table, everyone in the restaurant was paying every inch of attention.
“You son of a bitch, how dare you ruin this moment for us?” All in all Greg was a good actor.
“Shut your pie hole, I want to warn you to stay at arm’s length from me or else.” Alex was enjoying a lot the attention they were getting from everyone.
“You think you can take me.” Greg stepped in and pushed Alex.
“I know so.” Alex pushed back.
“Met me in the back pretty boy, you won’t know what hit you.” Greg had taken it way to far, Alex would later blame this on Greg’s knowledge of Magnum P.I.
“Oh no please don’t, as much as I love him and as much as you revelation brings joy and overwhelms my heart and deepest desires I can’t stand in the way of two dear friends, I won’t I’m sorry.”
Neither Alex nor Greg said anything, not even the people shocked by what was happening.
“Greg I’m sorry I can’t, I just can’t goodbye.” Millie kissed Greg in the cheek.
“I understand.” Greg said and looked away, trying to hold his laughter.
“Alex please don’t let your feelings get in the way of your friendship.” Millie went to gave Alex a hug and then whispered into his ear. “I’ll meet you back in your place if this friendship goes to hell.” And Millie was off; she walked away from the restaurant.
No one said anything, some people were disappointed, other shocked but only Alex and Greg really knew what was going on.
The two friends looked at each other, shared a cool guy hug and left together happy about their success.
Meanwhile Roger was getting ready for his date with Kelly they were going to meet at Lenny’s bar as suggested by her, Roger was glad about those plans, he was most at ease when drinks where involved.
“His name is Domino and he is by far the weirdest and probably one of the worst behaved dogs in the world.” Roger knew any girl in her right mind loved dogs.
“He is so cute, and it is very impressive that you adopted him I like that.” Score, not every guy knows how to use his dog to score with a girl without sounding like a dog weirdo.
Roger would have to give Grace some credit this date had been a wonderful idea, he was having a really great time and Kelly seemed like a really nice girl.
Everything was going great until Roger’s cell phone started ringing.
“Is that your rescue call? I though only girls did that mine is calling in about half an hour.” She was a very humorous girl.
“Ha don’t worry it’s just my sister in law, sorry I’ve got to take this she’s been having some troubles with my brother I’ll be right back.” Roger hadn’t heard from Ethel or Frank in the whole week he figured they had kissed and make up.
“Don’t worry take your time.” She was also a very understanding girl.
“Ethel hey what’s up, how’s everything? Haven’t heard from you guys in a while.” Roger often talked too much.
Roger listen carefully.
“Don’t worry I’ll be right there ASAP.” Something was wrong with Ethel.
“Everything ok?”
“Not really, she really needs someone and her family it’s in Toronto and apparently things with Frank, he is my brother you don’t know him yet, are not going very well I’m sorry.”
“It’s understandable, family comes first.”
“Rain check?”
“Definitely.” Kelly gave Roger a sweet warm smile.
“Hey what where you going to say to your rescue call?”
“I probably would have told my friend that I would tell her all about it in the morning.”
“They better name their kid after me.”
Frank and Ethel’s house wasn’t far from there, Roger was there in five minutes including time to park the car which was something that Roger didn’t made so well.
Roger went up to the sixth floor where Ethel and Frank lived, the door was open and the lights where on; Roger found Ethel inside sitting in the couch holding a letter in her hands.
“Ethel are you ok? What’s going on? Where is Frank?”
“I just got home, found this letter he generously left for me; I was staying at a friend’s house until he decided which was more important that or me.” Ethel pointed to a bag of weed Frank had left behind. “I guess he made his choice.”
“So he really is using it?”
“He says he isn’t using it, he is selling.”
“Can’t believe him, how could he left you here? That’s not the Frank I know.” Roger sat next to Ethel and held her hand.
“You and me both.”
“He says when is he coming back?” Roger was not sure if he should ask her about it but Frank was still his brother and this was worrying him.
“According to the letter when I realized he did this for me and the baby, trying to get some extra cash off the records.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.”
“He will be back I’m sure, he probably just got a little over the top over this whole risky pregnancy and the stuff with the band.”
“Don’t put this on you, he will be back and then you will work things out he will have a lot of penance to do.”
“Thanks Rog.”
“Any time, is there anything I can do for you?”
“I called my sister earlier today she is on her way now from Toronto, she should be here any minute, would you mind staying here with me until she arrives?”
“Of course I will, can I get you anything to eat or drink?”
“I’m ok, hey I hope I didn’t ruin your plans for tonight.”
“Nothing special, say have you considered naming your baby Roger?”
Roger stayed with Ethel until her sister Nora arrived, by the time she did Kelly probably was home by now he would call her tomorrow, he decided to call it a day and went back home.
The only one that wasn’t getting much sleep this night was Rose, she finally had find the courage to pick up the phone and call Matt.
“Matt?”
“Yeah what a surprise, listen we need to talk; I don’t know if you have already read an email I sent to you.”
“Oh yeah don’t read it just yet, I would rather you hear it from me than read it from me.”