fourteen: date night
The night was young, but abuzz with summer serenading the city, and Mila was so relieved to be back in it. Her promotional trip to Europe had been nothing short of a disaster, and she couldn’t wait to fall into the arms of her man and forget all her other troubles. Luckily, it was date night, and that was exactly how she planned to spend the next few hours.
“Jimmy, you should start getting ready!” she called to her fiancé from the bathroom as she dusted her face with a light layer of pressed powder. “I made a reservation for seven so we can catch a movie afterwards if we want. I still haven’t seen Harry Potter, and I’m not gonna lie “ I’m a little pressed about it.”
She continued through her makeup ritual, and had gotten through one cheek’s worth of blush when she realized she hadn’t heard him stir or even reply. “James!”
“I’m up!” he shouted back groggily, making it obvious that he was not, in fact, up.
She moved towards the bedroom of their palatial apartment, finding him still comfortably curled up in bed. “This is the opposite of up, you know.”
“I’m getting there,” he smiled warmly at her, once his eyes were able to focus on anything in front of him. “It’ll only take me five minutes.”
“Bozhe moi,” she mumbled to herself. “We’re gonna be late, and we’re gonna get our reservation taken by some weirdos, and our whole night’s gonna be fucked up, you know.”
“You’re funny,” he attempted to laugh, but ended up yawning. “Babe, I promise I’ll be ready.”
“All right,” she threw her hands up in defeat and headed back to the bathroom to complete her task. She was sporting an extremely adorable red skirt, cream shirt combination, and it took her longer than expected to decide on an eyeshadow color, so she was all the more frustrated when James still hadn’t moved. “What the fuck, babe.”
He was still in bed. Halfway comatose, actually.
Mila walked to his side of the bed, prepared to shake him awake, but she stopped herself. She assessed the situation, and tried to do something different than her typical overreaction. She hadn’t been home in a week, and without her there to nag him, it was likely he hadn’t slept more than a couple of hours within that time. He worked so hard, and she knew she had to be understanding of the fact that he was tired. And he deserved to be. After all, it could have been much worse. He could have been off in god-knows-where, cheating on her with god-knows-who, but he wasn’t. He was at home, in his bed, resting. That, she was okay with “ even if it meant sitting at home watching reruns of Mob Wives.
She kicked off her heels and softly kissed the palm of James’ unwitting hand. “Khorosho vyspat’sya, my love.” She left him to his slumber while she headed for the kitchen to find herself some dinner.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
It was half past 9:00 when Nadia arrived at Ava Lounge and she was immediately put off by the atmosphere. It was one of those ultra hip lounges, done up with blocky white furniture and contemporary “art.” If it weren’t for the fantastic views of the city, the place would have belonged more in South Beach than midtown. It wasn’t the New York that she loved, but that was the risk she took when allowing a non-native to choose the place.
She found Justin on the rooftop, sitting by himself, idly watching the city bustling below him. When he spotted her, he stood to greet her, and she took note of the fact that he was rocking the hell out of some seersucker pants, paired perfectly with another navy blue suit jacket. He had a fresh haircut and his facial hair was well maintained. He looked good.
“Hey,” she smiled when they were face to face.
“Hey,” he returned, offering her a peck to the cheek after giving her a once-over. “You look lovely.”
And she did. She donned a green sequined top over a pair of high-waisted white shorts that showed off her endless legs, topped off by her one and only pair of red-bottoms “ a birthday gift from Kristin and Grant. Her coifed curly afro and golden toned makeup gave her face a warm glow when she smiled at him.
“Thank you, thank you.”
He courteously helped her into her seat before taking his own again. “How’ve you been?”
“I’ve been good, I guess. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve seen you.”
“Does it?”
“Well not literally, but it’s been a month or so, hasn’t it?”
“Since the holiday, I guess,” he realized with a nod. “Well I assure you I’m the same person.”
“I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing,” she grinned at her joke. Seeing that he hadn’t even looked up from the wine list, she pushed past it and moved on. “So how was Europe?”
He finally looked up from his reading and shrugged. “It was Europe. Same old, same old.”
“I’ve never been, so I don’t know what that means.”
“You’ve never been to anywhere in Europe?”
“I’ve never been anywhere outside of North America.”
He couldn’t imagine… “Wow.”
“So what’s it like?”
He shrugged again as he searched for words to aptly describe it. “Umm, I dunno. It’s full of intricate architecture and you can tell the history is just richer there. I mean, things are old, but, like the people are much more sophisticated… for the most part.”
She was nodding. “What’s your favorite city over there?”
Well it definitely wasn’t Paris, he thought to himself. “Probably Dublin,” he quickly decided. “We didn’t get a chance to go there this time, but we’ve always had a good time there.”
Assuming that he meant he and Mila when he said ‘we,’ she went ahead and asked what she really wanted to know. “So I hear you and Mila walked off the set of an interview over there.”
He really didn’t want to talk about that, or anything involving Mila, honestly. The whole ordeal of making and promoting the movie had become a thorn in his side. The movie ruined his marriage, and the promotion was on the verge of ruining his career. To top it off, while the film was generally well-received by critics, it didn’t have the best opening in his own country. He was frustrated by it all. “Where did you hear that,” he eventually replied, going back to searching for a suitable drink.
“Rachel,” she chuckled uneasily. “She does all the celebrity news on our show, so…”
He nodded.
“If I’m making you uncomfortable, please let me know.”
“I’m not uncomfortable,” he lied.
“I mean, I thought we had a better rapport than this, but if I was wrong in assuming…”
“What are you talking about, Nadia? Am I not answering your questions?”
“You’re answering them as though you’re going through Chinese water torture.”
“Okay, well I’m sorry if I don’t feel like discussing my troubles with my ex on the first real date I’ve had in ten years.”
Nadia immediately retreated from the exchange, a bit surprised by his admission. She thought, for sure, that Justin Timberlake would be out with a new chick every week, at the least. “I’m sorry, did you say I’m your first date in a decade?”
He nodded. “My first real one, yeah.”
“What does that mean? You’ve been on fake dates?”
“I mean, I’ve had friends try to set me up because they knew someone that would be ‘perfect’ for me, but they all turned out disastrously.” With a sigh, he sat back in his chair and crossed his legs. “You’re the first person I’ve asked out of my own volition.”
“I don’t know whether to be flattered or terrified,” she chuckled.
“You should probably be both.”
They halted their strained conversation to order drinks and appetizers, while the rooftop slowly filled up with patrons and pop music. Taking in the scene, Nadia decided to ask him, “What made you pick this place?”
He frowned at the question as if he were offended by it. She probably could have asked him why he had a small penis and gotten the same reaction. He did not like to be second-guessed. “I dunno, it seemed like your style.”
“My style?” Now she seemed insulted. “What the fuck makes you think that?”
“You have that ‘trendy’ vibe about you. I dunno.”
“So you consciously picked this place thinking I would like it.”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “I mean, I didn’t think you’d wanna go to some hipster dive bar where I’d usually hang out.”
“You underestimate me, sir.”
“I don’t think I did,” he maintained his standpoint. “I mean, you’re dressed like every other woman here…”
“And what the fuck is that supposed to mean,” she narrowed her eyes at him. “Like you don’t look like some metro douchebag.”
“When did I ever claim not to be a metro douchebag.”
She was annoyed with him, but she found herself laughing at his little joke. “You’re such a dick.”
“I haven’t heard that before.”
“It’s a wonder you stayed married even ten years.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” he chuckled derisively. “But hell, at least I got someone to marry me. What’s this talk about you’ve never been in love?”
Suddenly, she very much regretted that she broadcasted so much of her life on the airwaves. “What do you mean what’s it about? I just haven’t. I don’t think.”
“You don’t think?”
“How do you know?”
“How do you know when you’re in love?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “I mean, maybe I have been and I just didn’t know it.”
“Wow. Umm… I-I-I don’t know if I know.”
“How did you know you were in love with Mila? Why did you want to marry her?”
“Oh god, I was so young and stupid. I’m not sure that love had anything to do with it.”
“Oh come on, when you’re that young, love has everything to do with it.”
“Well, it was a million tiny little things that, when you add them all up, they meant that we were supposed to be together. And I knew it. I knew it the very first time I touched her. It was like coming home…only to no home I'd ever known. I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car and I knew. It was like…magic.”
Her mouth fell agape and then transformed into a smile as the two of them were served their drinks. “Excuse me, did you just quote Sleepless in Seattle?”
He took a sip of his Cabernet Sauvignon and smiled back. “You’ve seen that one, huh.”
“Who the fuck hasn’t seen that.”
“Well you really didn’t strike me as the type to dig a romcom.”
“Fuck you very much, I love romantic comedies.” She was shaking her head again, though it was rather laughable that every assumption he had about her seemed to end up being wrong. “I think it’s time you stopped trying to figure me out, man.”
“Apparently so.”
“I’m really kind of offended.”
“Why?”
“Like I couldn’t’ like a romantic movie,” she scoffed. “Fuck outta here.”
“I didn’t mean it in a bad way, you just seem to have such an edge about such things…”
She made sure to exaggeratedly roll her eyes at him. “You’re an idiot.”
“Again, you are not the first person to say that.”
“And likely won’t be the last.”
He smiled as he took another sip of his wine. “What’s the best romcom line ever made. In your opinion. And don’t say Jerry Maguire.”
“Why not,” she frowned.
“So overrated. ‘You complete me.’ Come on.”
“Are you kidding me?” she shrieked. “That’s fucking brilliant!”
“It’s fucking stupid.”
“Everyone’s a critic,” she sighed. “But that’s not my favorite one anyway, so I’ll let that go.”
“Okay, well what is it.”
“You tell me yours.”
“I asked first.”
“You’re impossible.” She thought for a moment and then looked up at him as if she’d just discovered the line for the first time. “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”
It took him a moment to recall exactly where the quote was from before he decided he didn’t like it. “Nope.”
“’Nope’ what?” she almost yelled.
“Don’t like it.”
“Why the fuck not?”
“Lame.”
“Okay, I bet you’re gonna have some long ass quote that’s super cheesy and no one would ever remember. I like my shit simple.”
“And also lame as fuck, apparently,” he grinned.
“Well fine, big shot, what’s yours?”
“’Me? I'm scared of everything. I'm scared of what I saw, I'm scared of what I did, of who I am. And most of all, I'm scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life”.”
“The way I feel when I'm with you,” Nadia finished for him. “Fuck me, that’s a good one.”
“It’s the best one, obviously.”
“It’s up there,” she agreed. “You know your shit.”
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aside from the minor bumps along the way, Nadia and Justin’s date had gone rather well. They didn’t eat or drink too much, for the conversation was enough to keep them occupied, and they liked it that way. As Justin was driving her home, and they got closer to the Brooklyn Bridge, Nadia realized she wasn’t ready for it to end. She wasn’t even listening to him ramble about his Irish roots and growing up in Tennessee. All she could focus on was the fact that she wanted to keep this going.
“So,” he was finishing up as he maneuvered the streets of downtown Manhattan towards the bridge. “Maraj is an Indian last name, isn’t it?”
“That it is,” she absentmindedly confirmed. “I think the root is actually Maharaj, and my father, whoever he is, just changed it to be more ‘American’ or whatever. This is what my mom tells me, anyway.”
“Whoever he is?” Justin looked at her.
“Haven’t seen him since I was seven or eight, and even then, I didn’t know shit about him, besides his name and that he managed to pull some bad bitches,” she shrugged.
“I see.”
She quickly realized she did not want to open up a discussion that included her family, so she swiftly switched subjects. “I can’t believe how late you got me to stay out.”
He glanced at the clock, seeing that it was barely midnight. “Late? Seriously?”
“Excuse you, I’m up at 3:45 every morning so I can make it to work by six. It’s way past my bedtime.”
“Oh wow, I didn’t even think about it,” he started to drive a little faster, but slowly realized he probably wouldn’t be getting laid that night. “I’m rarely in bed by 3:45.”
“Well considering where you apparently hang out, that doesn’t surprise me.”
“Nadia, I told you I picked that place for you.”
“Sure you did,” she teased him. “Not at all for the hot ass waitresses in the little black dresses.”
“I’m appalled.”
“I’m appalled that you think I’m stupid.”
He pulled up to her charming little brownstone sooner than either of them had anticipated, and unsure of what to do next, he just stopped the car and looked over to her.
“Why are you looking at me like that,” she demanded.
“What am I looking at you like?”
“Like you don’t know what to do next.”
“Well then…”
She smiled at his noticeable nervousness all of a sudden. “Am I right?”
“No,” he lied, trying to contain a smile.
“Right.” She began to search for her keys in her clutch, but was surprised when Justin moved in for a kiss. She wanted to return it, because from what she remembered, he was an especially good kisser, but after all her drama with Alex, she was quite sure this wasn’t how she wanted to handle Justin. She pulled away. “Hold on a sec.”
Hey, slow it down, what do you want from me?
“What’s wrong?” he frowned, wiping her gloss from his lips.
“I, um… I think we need to put this on pause for a minute.”
“Oh. I mean, I just assumed since…”
“I know we’ve already done it, like multiple times or whatever, but I’ve fucked up a lot of relationships, and consequently, a lot of people, by not taking my time to get to know them. So… I mean, I had a really good time tonight, and I don’t want that to be ruined by some awkward goodbye in the morning, so can we kinda slow it down?”
Yeah, I’m afraid, what do you want from me?
“That’s-that’s fine with me,” he stuttered uneasily. “I mean, I don’t know why you think we have to ‘slow down’ to keep up a proper communication, but… that’s fine.”
“I just know myself,” she attempted to smile at him warmly. “And I know I’ll get bored if I don’t have rules. If I don’t do this right.” It happened with Alejandra, and it was bound to happen with Justin too.
There might have been a time I’d give myself away
Oh, once upon a time I didn’t give a damn
But now, here we are, what do you want from me?
“I see.”
“You’re mad at me, aren’t you?”
“No, no, I’m not mad.” He was disappointed, for sure, mainly because Nadia was phenomenal in bed, but it wasn’t a total loss. “I mean, we’ll be friends. It’s fine.”
She nodded. “I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a night out this much. I’m hoping we can hang out again soon.”
He felt himself deflating, and tried to sound upbeat. “Absolutely. I’ll call you.”
“You better call me for real.”
“I will.” He offered a soft kiss to her cheek before watching her retreat from the car. “Have a good night, friend.”
Just don’t give up, I’m working it out
Please don’t give in, I won’t let you down
It messed me up, need a second to breathe
Just keep coming around
Hey, what do you want from me?
Lyrics: “Whataya Want From Me” “ Adam Lambert (For Your Entertainment)
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