*************** Simple Things 10 ***************
Note: I know this took a LONG time to be posted but I just recently got back in the mood to write. I don't know if I'll be writing another series but I do have some ideas in mind. Thanks to everyone who wrote to me and I hope this ending isn't a disappointment.
*********** Jason's POV ***********
"I envy you," Kyle said to me teasingly while we were taking a break in the lounge area. "Who has been sending you three red roses everyday? Is it that Ryan guy? I've noticed that he's been waiting for you at the lobby everyday."
"We just went out for a cup of coffee," I shrugged my shoulders casually. The truth is, it was a lot more than a cup of coffee. We had ended up having dinner these past three days now. But Ryan hasn't mentioned anything about liking me or anything like that. And I was too damn cowardly to actually ask him if we're a couple already or just two friends hanging out. He gives me a hug and a slap on the back before I go in my building, but that's about it.
"Oh, come on," Kyle was grinning slyly now. "You think that the guy would send you three red roses everyday if he just wants to have a cup of coffee with you?"
"Maybe he's just that kind of guy," I said with a laugh.
"If you're not interested in him, give me his number," Kyle winked at me. "I'd gladly take him off your hands." I just laughed again and changed the topic. Somehow, the idea of Kyle and Ryan together made me a little jealous.
"Hey, you look gorgeous in that tux," Ryan grinned at me as he picked me up for dinner. I must have be insane to say yes when he asked me to dinner over the phone earlier. I really don't want to put myself in a position where someone can hurt me but I have this feeling that Ryan's not gonna do that to me. I just need to be a little braver so that I can finally be happy.
"No one has ever said that about me before," I grinned back at him. "Thanks."
"I'm just telling the truth," Ryan escorted me to the elevator and we took a cab to the French restaurant where we have reservation. Dinner was nice. Heck, it was great. It would have been such a great night if not for the fact that we bumped into Mark while we were waiting for a cab to take us back home. I just had to look away from Mark's face as I saw the hurt in his eyes. He didn't even say anything as he just turned around and walked away from me.
********** Ryan's POV **********
"So, how did the date go?" Sarah asked me teasingly. We were having coffee in some small coffee shop in the Village after work the next day. "Good?"
"It was great," I can't help but gave her a goofy smile. "I really think that he has forgiven me for that stupid stunt I pulled before. You were right. I just needed to tell him the truth and he'll understand."
"I can't help but feel there's a but coming next," Sarah said slowly.
"We bumped into some guy," I sighed out deeply.
"What did he look like?" Sarah asked me quizzically. When she heard my description of the guy, it seems like she knows him. "That must be Ryan. He used to be Jason's best friend before."
"Used to?" I can't help but be curious about that.
"I shouldn't be telling you this but I got this feeling that Jason used to have a crush on Mark but Mark was too damn stupid to admit to himself that he's gay so he ended up marrying this girl in our town," Sarah started to tell me the story. "Jason got hurt and he had always been pretty detached from everyone since then. But maybe I am wrong, who knows?"
AS I stirred my coffee, I felt a little jealous about this Mark guy. I kinda knew something happened between him and Jason. I just hope Jason's over him already like what Sarah said.
*********** Jason's POV ***********
"I'm glad you called me up," Mark grinned broadly at me as he sat down opposite me in the booth. I asked him for some coffee today because I wanted to settle everything between us now.
"Look Mark," I sighed out deeply. "You're gonna be living here now and I assume we would be bumping into each other sometimes. We used to be such good friends and I don't want us to end up hating each other."
"Things are pretty screwed up, huh?" Mark gave me a half a grin. "Maybe if I was just a little bit stringer before, we wouldn't---"
"Don't," I cut him off quickly. "That's the problem Mark. You'll just feel worse if you continue asking yourself what would have happened if things were different. It's not bad to imagine what life would have been if you could do things differently. But after the fantasy is over, you still have to face reality. And more often than not, it's not as rosy and pleasant as our fantasies. You'll just end up hating yourself and everyone around you even more. I've been there before and it's really not good. Believe me."
Mark was silent for a couple of seconds. Then in a cracking voice he said, "You're not gonna tell me you want me more than a friend, huh?"
"I wish I could but...I'm a different person now and I want something different," I whispered to him. "If we ended up together, I know we could have been very happy. But I was a different person then. I don't think I'd really be happy with you now."
I watched Mark look at me deeply. Then he forced a smile and said, "Fair enough. I really wished you still felt the same way about me Jason. I really did miss you. I missed your smile and I missed your laugh. I missed everything about you. But you are right. I really don't know anything about you anymore and it's not fair to you and it's not fair to me if I continue to hope that you're still my Jason because you are not."
Things really got awkward from there. We both promised to remain friends though I really doubt that if we could be as close as we were before. I was on my third coffee when Ryan arrived. I quickly waved him over and he ordered a cup of hot chocolate.
As I stare at him, I sensed that he wanted to ask me something. But I just gave him a smile. A smile that I thought I would never give anyone. A smile that I was smiling just for him and no one else. Then he smiled back at me the same way. All the fear and doubt in his eyes just magically disappeared. I knew he wanted to ask me about Mark since he was curious about what happened the other night during dinner. But he knows now that all that matters to me is him. Not Mark, not Sarah, not my parents, not Alecx, not my boss. Nobody. He knows from the smile I gave him than all that matters to me is him. And I'm planning to smile like that for him every day of our lives together.
T H E E N D *************
All comments are welcome at: Sliders21@iname.com