"So, wot's new?" I ask Rog as I sit down on his couch.
"Not much... anythin' new for you?" he replies.
"Nope. No new gigs? You guys sounded really great!" I enthusiastically tell him.
"Well, thanks for the praise, but it's not getting us any gigs, sadly... ah well!" He leans in for a kiss.
"Hmm... wot you guys need, is some good advertisin'. Like, if you posted more signs around, you'd get more gigs! 'Ey! The restaurant I work at is a pretty popular place. If you put some postahs up there, you might get more publicity!"
" 'Ey, love, now tha's a great idea! Ya know wot? Pait could make 'em in 'is art school! I love you. You're so smart!"
I blush. Roger kisses me again, and we just sit there for a little bit.
"So... wot do you wanna do now, hmm?" Roger asks me, nibbling my ear.
"Well..." I trail off, turning to kiss his lips. "Your bedroom's right over there..."
"I 'ear ya," he smirks, taking my hand and leading me onto the bed, as his kisses all melt together.
I feel so tired this morning! "Oy there, Rog! 'S only Friday now! You an' I 'ave to get up an' go to work!"
"Holy, you're right," he sighs. "I don' wanna leave you," he finishes with a kiss.
"Mm... neither do I," I tell him. We get up out of bed together, and giggle.
"Crikey, it's cold!" Rog exclaims, hugging me for warmth.
"Well, it IS February 22nd, Rog!" I hug him back. "An' besides, why don' we go an' take a showah togethah? Tha' oughta warm us up, eh?"
We proceed to do so.
Once we get out, Roger gets changed into a lovely tight blue sweater and a pair of black jeans.
"You look right fabulous," I tell him as I get back into yesterday's clothes, for now.
"Thanks," he smiles. "Well, I'll be off to work now."
"Fine," I sigh. "I have to go an' get ready for work an' all, too."
He pulls me close for another kiss, and then we both walk out the door, to our cars.
As I drive back to my house, I think again about what Heather had said. Does he love me? Or is it he just likes the "fun"?
Now that I'm home again, I plop down on the bed. The phone screams for my attention. Lazily, I pick it up. " 'Ello?"
"M! Oh, thank God you're 'ome finally! Wot's been taking so long then? Where were you all night? I've been trying to get you!" Heather nearly screams at me.
"Wot for?!" I yell back. "I was at Rogah's, if you REALLY wanted to know, because I love 'im, an' 'e loves me!"
"Well... I just wouldn't be too sure about tha'..."
"Wot in bloody 'ell are you talking about! If this is anothah plot to get me wif Jun, I've olready told you, I don't want to!"
"No, it's just..." she pauses, and sighs. "Emmy, I don't want you to get 'urt. You understand, right? I mean, I know 'ow 'is brain works. 'E chews women up an' spits 'em out! I've seen it meself, first'and."
"Wot do you mean, 'firsthand'?" I ask, incredulous.
"Well... it's a bit 'ard for me to admit this, but... I went wif Rog for a bit."
I sit there in amazement. Could this have happened? When my silence reigns prime, Heather takes the oppourtunity to announce her coming over to settle things. I barely manage to mumble an "okay."
I get dressed, thinking of everything special he'd said about me. How I was "different." How he "really loved" me. It's all a ploy, isn't it, I thought bitterly. Just to get me in bed.
The door suddenly was knocked upon, and I scrambled to get it. In walks Heather, looking a bit guilty. "Hi, Emmy..." she trails off, looking down at her feet.
"So... wot did you mean, you went wif Rog?" I accuse her.
"Just that... I went wif Rog," she attempts to explain. "But, 'e told me that 'e loved me, too, an' a lot of othah things, to get me into 'is bed. We did."
"Oh... my..." I sigh under my breath, cursing at myself for being so gullible.
I have to move to the couch, because I'm barely able to even stand up anymore. " 'Eath?" I ask, and she glances at me. "Did 'e evah tell you tha' you were different from all the othahs, an' 'e really... felt somethin' for you?"
She moves over and sits down next to me on the couch. She looks me in the eye, and nods solemnly. "You, too?"
I can't take it anymore. When I nod, I also burst into tears. "Shh... 's okay, really, it'll be okay, don't you worry..." Heather cooes to me, trying to make me feel better.
It seems as if hours pass as we sit there, crying and comforting. Finally it gets to be about eleven-thirty, and I've calmed down a little.
"Well, looks like we gotta go to work, whether we want to or not!" I smile, trying to make a bit of a joke out of it, even though I'm still hurt.
Heather grins appreciatively. "Yeah, I'd say so! An' we bettah get goin' before the Big Boss rips off our 'eads!"
I laugh. "Ooh, the Big Boss!"
"Yeah!"
We drive off in my car to our work.
When we arrive at our little restaurant, the place is packed! "Oy... this oughta be a fun shift today..." Heather grumbles, and I laugh.
After waiting on a dozen or so tables, I see a very special customer. "Oy there!" I shout out, rushing to him and presenting him with a table, napkins, silverware... everything.
"Wot's this, then? I get special treatment?"
"Aw yeah, you're like *family*!" I laugh, as I finish setting the place for John Entwistle.
"So... 'ow are things?" he asks me, smiling broadly. Maybe I like this fellow after all!
"Pretty good... and you?"
"Oh, very good!" John smirked.
"So... wot do you care to order?" I ask him, adding, "The boss doe'n't want me fraternizing on hours!"
He chuckled heartily. "Well, I can see why 'e'd be mad at you for doin' tha'! You know, those big green eyes o' yours could let you get away wif MURDER!"
"Oh, and who are you planning to murder?" I queried casually, as if it was something you would ask to a waitress every day.
"Oh... I dunno... per'aps Rog?"
I smile, but an empty feeling is unmistakable in my heart.
"Okay... well... I think I'll 'ave the calamari!" he finally decides.
"John... you DO know that's SQUID, right?" I ask, shocked.
"Yeah, I know! I'm only teasin' ya anyway! I actually think I'll order a club sandwich, if it's no trouble."
I feel a bit relieved. "Good! And to drink?"
"Ah... I feel in a little-kid-mood today... a coffee milkshake!"
"Good enough!" I grin, jotting down his order, and trotting off to the kitchen. Heath's working the cooking shift today... wait 'til I tell her who I'm serving!
" 'Ey, 'Eath! You know 'oo's table I'm serving?"
"Ah! The Queen came to dine 'ere once and for all?" she asks cheekily.
"Nah... even bettah... a famous rock star!"
"Ooh!! Is it The Beatles?" She's getting excited now.
"Even bettah!"
"BETTAH than The Beatles? Mm... is it... Elvis Presley?"
"Ah, you're wrong again!"
"Then 'oo bloody is it?"
"JOHN ENTWISTLE!"
With that, Heather pretends to squeal madly, and faint in my arms. "An' look... 'e wants your famous club sandwich! Now isn't tha' fantastic?"
"Wow... JOHN Entwistle... my BROTHAH! I'm so 'onoured!"
With that, we collapse into a fit of giggles. "Well, 'ere you go, 's 'is ORDAH!" I say as I hand it to her proudly.
"My... I'll 'ave to place this undah my pillow at night..."
" 'Ey! You two! Cut down the noise and keep up the working!" our boss yells at us.
"Sorry, Sir!" I apologize quickly. To Heather, I add, "Bettah go..."
"Yep... 'ave fun servin' me brothah!"
"Oh, I will!"
I go to a few more table, taking orders, and dashing about like mad. "M! John's clubbie's done!" I hear Heather yell to me.
"Thank you!" I quickly say as I all but run back to John.
I hand him his food, and he laughs, "Busy day?"
"Quite!" I reply, smiling.
"Well, if'n you've got nothin' planned for the night, could I take you out somewhere?" he asks, grinning at me.
"Why..." I trail off, thinking of my date with Roger that was supposed to be tonight. But if he's just using me, I could break it off... "Sure John, I'd love to! Say, seven?"
"Seven sounds good to me!" he replies and grins again.
I leave him to eat in peace, and rush back to the kitchen.
Finally, a few hours later, my shift is over. " 'Eathah! Oy!!" I nearly yell, collapsing in a chair in the back room as I throw my apron off.
"Wot is it, dear?" she asks.
"John made a date wif me tonigh'! But now I've got one wif Rogah to break off.. wot should I tell 'im?"
"Good for you! Actually, you should tell 'im that you know 'e's usin' you, an' tha' you won't stand for it any more," she replies simply. "Boy, 's gonna be weird, my best friend goin' out wif my brothah..."
"Ah, it won't get weird!" I promise her, and she hugs me.
"Well, good luck tonight then! And you bloody bettah report back to me wot 'appens!" she laughs as we get into our cars and speed home. It's about six o'clock as it is.
I pick up the phone to call Rog. My hands shake as I dial his number. It rings and rings, until finally he picks it up. " 'Ello?" he asks.
"Um... 'ello, Rog," I say.
"Oh, hi Emily! I can't wait to see you tonight!"
"Tha's wha' I was callin' about, Rog... I can't come tonight," I tell him. "Something important came up, I'm sorry."
Rog now sounds sad, but like he understands. "Oh, okay. Well, maybe tomorrow night, then?"
"No, Rog... I don't think I want to see you any more," I shakily get out.
"Huh?!" he asks, flabbergasted. "Emmy, why? I thought we... we... loved each othah!"
"So did I, Rog... So did I." With that, I hang up the phone.
As soon as I do, I regret what I've said. I want to burst into tears, but I know that's worthless. I sighed as I thought, Well, time to call Heather...
Before I could even do anything, the phone rang. I picked it up nervously. " 'El-ello?"
"Hi, M! So, 'ow did it go? Tell-me-tell-me-tell-me!!" Heather said joyfully.
"Well... I told 'im that I didn't want to see 'im anymore..."
"Good... good!"
"And then 'e said tha' 'e thought we loved each othah, and I 'ung up."
"Oh..." she trails off, not knowing what to think of this new complication. "Well, you can decide 'oo you want tonight, 'cos my brothah is gettin' all excited. 'E's deckin' out, for you. Looks like you're gonna 'ave fun! If it wasn't my own brothah, I'd be jealous!" she laughs, trying to make me feel a little bit better.
"Okay... thanks..." I say. "Bettah get ready myself then, eh? Bye, 'Eath."
"Bye!" she cheerfully calls out, and hangs up the phone. I listen to the dial tone ringing in my ear.
I quickly get ready, tiding up my apartment, getting changed into a blue dress, doing my hair up a bit, getting my lipstick on, doing everything.
The doorbell to my apartment buzzes, and I open up the door, to see John standing there, looking very fit in a very nice outfit.
"Wow! I mean, 'ello, Emily! You look fabulous!" John compliments me.
"Why, thank you! You don't look 'alf-bad yourself!" I laugh, trying to make a joke out of it.
He grins at me. "I 'ope you like chocolates..." he pulls out a box from behind his back and hands them to me. I don't know what to say... he even got the one that had all the nut varities in them!
"Why... thank you! 'Ow did you know I liked nuts? Did your sistah tell you?" I smile.
"Well, maybe... but now, shall we go out to see wot's 'appening around town?" he asks, looking to take my hand.
"I'd love to," I say, locking my door and holding his hand. I hoped the night would go alright.
We went to the clubbing scene and danced a bit, and then John took me to a wonderful looking restaurant, with a candlelit table for two.
I sat down and smiled at him. He was starting to win me over. "Thank you for taking me 'ere, John," I tell him, and his eyes shine.
"For you, anything..."
He leans over, and kisses me. I feel joy and passion come from that kiss, but know in an instant, that this is not the kiss of love that I had felt from Roger. It's more like the first kiss a little girl and little boy share.
When the kiss is done, he smiles dreamily at me. However, I know that I can't quite return the fond gaze.
When our date is over, John drives me back to my apartment. As we stand outside my door, he begins to talk.
"I 'ad a wonderful time tonight, Emily," he starts.
"Me too," I say. "But, John, as nice as it was..."
"You don't want to see me again," he sighs.
"Yes... I'm sorry, John. You're really a wondeful person, but I don't think you deserve to be with such an indecisive person like me. I really am sorry, but I'm terribly confused right now, you see," I tell him, and I can see the hurt still in his eyes. "John... I wish that I could be with you... but... it just wasn't meant to be. And with a guy like you, I sure as hell wish it was."
He gives me a knowing look, and says, "Olright, Emily. Maybe we'd be bettah off as friends."
I nod. "Yes, I think so. Well, thank you for the wonderful night out, the wonderful dinner, the wonderful chocolates, and for being your wonderful self."
John smiles. "You're wonderful too, M." With that, we kiss a last time.
I bid him farewell, and as he walks away, I open up my apartment, and sit down on my couch. Next to Roger?!