The Watchtower

This is the kind of emotional idiocy that makes Shawn so endearing. I have no choice. I wrap my arms around her. “Shawn, I don’t care how well-intentioned you are, you can’t keep trying to shelter the rest of us,” I say gently. “It doesn’t work that way.”

“I know,” she says apologetically. “I love you, Jess. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too,” I mumble in her shoulder. “And the truth is, on some level I can understand why you would lie, although I still don’t agree with it. I know I’ve always been crazy with jealousy. Can I help it? I happen to have a friend who always manages to overshadow me. That’s a compliment, by the way.”

“Jess,” she says, smiling up at me, and indicating Pat, who is now looking straight at me. “I can assure you that I do not even come *close* to you as far as that girl is concerned.”

Pat’s eyes are lowered. “Jesse,” she says, quietly. “I know I’m asking a lot. I know it’ll take some time to build up the same kind of trust again. All I’m asking for is a second chance.”

I grin at Shawn, my arm still around her. “What are you looking at me for?” she grins back. “Go get her!”

I walk toward Pat, a goofy smile on my face. “Jess, wait,” she says, holding up a hand. “I’m truly sorry, baby. I hope you can forgive me. For not telling you the whole truth. And for having those stupid ideas that night.”

She hasn’t seen the smile on my face. I don’t want her to be afraid for another moment. I wrap my arms around Pat and start kissing her, enjoying the fact that *she’s* surrendering to *me* for a change.

“Wait a second,” she says, breaking the kiss. “You’re sure, right?”

I know she’s genuinely regretful. “What do you think?” I ask her affectionately, kissing her again. It’s hard to kiss when you’re both smiling so much. Her hands rapidly move across my body, and I can feel the pent-up tenderness inside her aching for release as she kisses me back. Have I ever felt this way about someone else before? Not fucking likely.

“Uh, ladies,” I hear Shawn’s voice. “Listen, the moaning’s just a little too loud for my taste. Honestly.”

“Shut up, Shawn!” says Pat, leading me toward the bedroom.

“Okay, I’m going to pitch this one last time,” she says, teasingly. “Can I join you guys?”

“NO!” we yell in unison.

“Fine, fine, fine,” she says, pretending to be upset, but obviously elated at this turn of events. “I’ll be leaving now. Have fun, you guys. Make me proud.” We wave to her absently, our eyes only on each other.

Pat lowers me onto the bed and pulls off my T-shirt over my head. “I thought I’d almost lost you,” she whispers between kisses.

“Then I guess we’re even,” I whisper back. She smiles and starts doing the wonderful things that she does with her soft fingers, and I lose myself in the blur of it all.

**********

CORI
----

I knock on the door to Jace’s room, flowers in my hand. Her mother told me that she’s in her bedroom reading. She opens the door. “Hey, babe,” she purrs, kissing my cheek and taking the flowers.

“H-Hi,” I say, self-consciously. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” she says. “You?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah,” I say. My face falls. “Well, no, not really. I, uh, I came here to talk to you.”

“What’s on your mind?” she asks, closing her book and sitting me down next to her on the bed.

“Look, Jace, I’m sorry about the stupid ten-year-plan I made that day,” I start. “I know I’m being silly. No-one can think that far ahead. But I do know about now...and right now, I’m in love with you, so I’m hoping you’re not about to break up with me because of all that.”

“Break up with you?” asks Jace, in a tone that makes it clear that such an idea would never even occur to her. “Are you nuts? Of course I’m not going to break up with you! Cori, I love you!” She kisses me passionately on the mouth.

“Mhhmmm,” I say, as she breaks away. “That’s a kiss I’m not going to forget for a while.”

She smiles. “Wait, there’s something else,” she says. “I, uh, I bought something. For us.” She indicates a fishbowl on her desk, which has two baby goldfish swimming in it. “I figured we could take turns keeping them. I mean, I know it’s not a dog or anything, but y’know, let’s take small baby steps.”

“Small baby steps,” I say, my chest swelling with happiness. “Wow.”

“And you need to stop saying ‘wow’,” chides Jace. “I’m a sure thing, remember?”

I don’t really know what happens next, except that she dims the lights and we disappear under the bed sheets and I’m thinking that the goldfish are probably too young to be seeing this.

**********

SHAWN
-----

I’m a little tipsy, but I can’t help it. We’re throwing Pat a farewell party at the coffee shop and I’m in a jubilant frame of mind. “Here’s to Pat and Jess!” I roar.

Everyone raises their drinks.

“Here’s to Pat having a great time at grad school!” says Alex.

“Here’s to Alex’s new CD!” says Pat.

“Here’s to Cori finally getting a girlfriend!” yells Jesse. This is followed by a round of laughter and everyone patting Cori on the back.

“You guysss,” says Cori, reddening. “You know, I’m not that stupid anymore!”

“Here’s to Cori not being stupid anymore!” I holler. 

“Here, here!” everyone echoes. “Mazel tov! Mazel tov!”

Cori groans. “I wish Jace would get here already,” she says.

I raise my eyebrows at Pat. “Patricia, you’re leaving tomorrow,” I say, TV-show host style. “What are you going to do on your last night in Pittsburgh?”

Pat snuggles closer to Jesse. “That’s *such* an obvious question, Shawn. Let’s just say, I wish the bedroom was soundproofed, ’cos the neighbours are going to complain tomorrow morning.” She winks at Jesse, who is clearly turned on, and I wonder if Pat’s busy playing footsie under the table.

“Hey, what’s this song?” asks Alex suddenly. A live band is playing, and we listen intently. “Hey, they’re playing a cover of ‘Your Heartbeat’!” she exclaims. “*My* song!”

“Go, Alex!” I slap her on the back. I look more carefully at the Hispanic girl who’s singing. She’s fiiine. And familiar. Where have I seen her before? “Hey, I know this girl,” I tell the others. “She’s Isabel...did a temp job at my bank...I didn’t know she was gay! Dammit! Another missed opportunity!”

“Slut,” retorts Jesse. I give her my most angelic face.

I see Jace enter the coffee shop and wave her over. “Hi, Cor,” she says breathily. “Hey, everyone.”

“Wo..I mean, hi,” says Cori.

“D’you wanna dance?” asks Jace, taking Cori’s hand.

Cori nods, straightening her collar. “If you’ll excuse me,” she says, as suavely as she can. Then she trips over her chair, but luckily, Jace manages to grab hold of her just in time. Hopeless.

“Let’s dance,” Jesse says to Pat.

“You know,” says Pat, grabbing her hand and getting up, “this is the song I wanted Alex to dedicate from me to you. On the gig you missed.” I can see the gratitude in Jesse’s eyes as she and Pat entwine bodies on the dance floor.

“Hey, Alex,” I ask, noticing her misty-eyed look. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing,” she snaps out of it. “Nothing at all.”

I follow her eyes. Oh, I get it. She’s staring at Isabel. Not that I blame her.

The song finishes. I walk up to the stage immediately to have a word with Isabel. I walk her back to our table where Alex is staring at her menu. “Isabel, meet Alex,” I say. “Alex, Isabel.”

“Hi,” says Isabel. “You have no idea how much I love your CD. There’s no way I could’ve done justice to your song.”

“Thanks,” says Alex, her face lighting up. “And no, you were pretty good.”

“Well, I sing in a higher register than you,” smiles Isabel.

I leave them alone and sit at one of the stools at the counter, back to my watchtower, on the lookout to see if something’s still wrong. Pat and Jess dancing. Cori and Jace playing pinball. Alex retuning Isabel’s guitar.

Good. My work is done. For now. In the meantime, I think I’ll chat up the pretty lady by the counter who’s been eyeing me ever since I got here.