*

Wednesday night as she worked on a design for her textures and patterns class she found herself completely interrupted by the shrill cry of the phone.

“hello?”

“hey sweetie.”

“hey josh.”

“hows it going?”

“its going good, you know just busy with school and such.”

“oh. Did I interrupt anything?”

she looked down at her bleak pattern. “not much.”

“oh ok. Good.”

“so what are you upto?”

“nothing I just got some writers block. So I figured id call a lovely lady and get some inspiration.” A blush crept across her cheeks. “so what are you doing Thursday?”

“oooh Thursday? Not good.”

“plans?”

“yeahh me and my friend made plans. Sorry.”

“no problem.” A few men were heard screaming in the background and jc sighed. “alright well im going to have to call you back ok?”

“oh ok.”

“goodnight jacqueline.”

“goodnight.”

A few moments later, true to his nature, Mario peeked in.

“and who was that?”

“don’t you knock?”

“it wasn’t locked.” He helped himself in.

“and If I wasn’t decent?”

“pfft. What was I going to look at?”

she rolled her eyes. “must you always be so nosy?”

he pretended to think about this. “well…yes. I must.”

“that was josh.”

“you don’t seem that happy to talk to him.”

“I am happy.”

“not the usual oh lord I just talked to josh hes so dreamy kind of happy.”

“dreamy?”

“you know what I mean. So what happened.”

“well…”

“see? I knew something was up. Mario always knows.”

“shutup.”

“always…”

“do you want to know or not?”

“ok ok tell me.”

“bueno at first everything was fine, in fact I swear he was flirting with me, but then he asked me about Thursday.”

“meaning….”

“well im going out with Justin on Thursday. So i-”

“wait wait wait. Youre going out with Justin and you didn’t tell me?”

“well I guessed it slipped.” She smiled.

“slipped? Missy it must have tripped. Where are you going?”

“concert.”

“concert? Who.”

“ummmm. The black eyes. Something like that.”

“black eyes? You mean black eyed peas?”

“yeah. Them.”

“lucky! They are so hot.”

“theyre good?”

“great.”

“oh yeah and dinners involved too.”

“sounds like a date.”

“I guess if you want to think about it that way.”

“im sure he does.”

“you think?”

“I know. You know I may be gay but I still am a guy.”

She smiled.

“if hes doing the whole dinner and a concert thing it is soo a date. In fact id be surprised if he doesn’t kiss you.”

“kiss me?”

“uh yeah.”

“ay dios.”

“mmmhm. So what did you tell josh?”

“hm?”

“josh. You were saying he called you…”

“oh yeah. I told him I had plans with a friend.”

“didn’t specify gender?”

“nope.”

“good.”

“I guess.”

“and he…”

“he got kinda distracted after that and hung up a minute after.”

“oh god. How can you be so blind woman!?”

“what?”

“he likes you. And I mean likes you likes you.” Mario smiled. “that is soo cute.”

“him being distracted is cute? Ay I don’t get you mar.”

“no silly. You see he was disappointed. He wanted to be with you and you in a way shot him down. Did you suggest a later date?”

“huh?”

“oh boy.”

“what do I do?”

“well ask him out for Friday.”

“but what about Justin?”

“what about him?”

“you said it would be a date.”

“even so, you obviously feel something for josh. Otherwise you wouldn’t be feeling guilty.”

“well yeah. But wait. I have nothing to feel guilty about.”

“but that’s the greatness in it all. you don’t. but since you feel guilty anyways, you obviously like josh. Like like josh.”

“oh boy.”

“so call him back.”

“eh?”

“call him back and tell him Friday.”

“wait you want me to what?”

“are you deaf? Call him back.”

“you want me to ask him out?”

“uh… yeah.”

“I don’t know how things are here. But in spain girls don’t ask the guys out.”

“miss youre not in spain anymore. In America its actually pretty normal.”

“Mario I really don’t think I can do that.”

He smiled. “fine. Then don’t see him. And let his poor, fragile heart, be broken.” He walked out with a triumphant smile o his face.

“and wipe that smirk off your face antes que te lo quite yo!”

“yeah yeah yeah.” He called back.

She sighed and stared at the small black phone on her lap. “well I guess theres a first time for everything.”

One ring, two rings. “jacqui?”

“ok well I don’t know how to do this so I guess I should just. Yeah I should just get it you but I mean….well keep in mind this isn’t like well you know im not really used to these kinds of things so well what im trying to say is..” the words came out so quickly and in such an accent that Jacqui herself wasn’t so sure what she was saying.

“Jacqui what are you trying to say?”

she took a  breath. “do you want to go out on Friday? I mean you know do something or well-”

he chuckled. “yes Jacqui. I wouldn’t want anything else.”