Chapter 6
Despite the 1st rejection, and the 2nd one moments later & my moments of pleading, we still exchanged numbers...or so I thought. I remember sitting on this very couch, tossing my cell phone back & forth between my hands. Wondering, "Is this the right time to call?". About 3 weeks later, I finally decided to call Hailey. Who knows? Maybe she broke up with her boyfriend.
I took the paper out & began to dial the numbers, though I already knew them by heart just by looking & wondering at the paper whether or not to call. I heard a few odd beeps before hearing this recorded robotic-like message:
"Hi this is Adam Musyt, Los Angeles' WKTV local chief Meteorologist here to bring you the latest weather report for September 22nd. The temperature is...---"
I closed the cover of the flip-open cell phone. Dammit! She jipped me! I bury my face in my hands. I've never had this done to me so I didn't know how to react. Should I be mad? Should I cry? Should I get over it? But I remembered something, as I got up & ran to my room.
I began to destroy my perfectly clean room looking for it. Tossing pairs of Air Jordans, my boxers, just to look for the jacket I wore the day I met Hailey. After moments of chaos in my huge pearly white closet & throwing down just about everything that was hanged moments before in an unorganized pile, I finally found it...the piece of paper with Jezebel's number on it in the front-right pocket of my favorite Planet Hollywood jean jacket.
Unlike with Hailey, I wasted no time calling Jezebel. From what I've seen watching her in the club that day, that girl can TALK. The phone rang for about a half a second, before a cheerfully annoying voice came on the phone.
"Hey, what's up?" Jezebel greeted, as if she knew me on the other line for ages.
"Hey, this is Justin...Justin Timberlake....I was wondering if---"I was trying to return the cheerfulness & control my urge to hang up on the girl...but I tried to keep my cool....even though she cut me off in between my words.
"Oh, Justin! Hey sexy doll! Where are ya, babe?"
"Well...ummm....babe," I said, trying to get on her good side. "I'm in Tennessee."
"Oh where the cows are?!"
"No, no, there are no cows here. Well actually there's a farm a mile down the road....but that's beside the point..." I said, raising my voice a little because of frustration. I sighed.
"Oh..."she said, before pausing. Its a miracle! She has stopped talking for a few seconds! I would say something, but I don't want to ruin this moment.
"Well I was wondering if you could come to a club tonight cause me & my friends are really big fans of yours & I don't mean to bring you there to brag. But yeah, you are Justin Timberlake, so you're so like made to do that you know....all my friends are going to be there & dance up a storm...like Meg, she is the hottest dancer on the planet. Like OMG, you should so hire her for your next tour! But wait, isn't it over?! Uh-huh, yeah yes it is. Anyways, I would love you entirely if you can come tonight, you know. I'm sure you can hop on one of those really speedy planes. What are they called...oh yeah...jets. Like, you know....just show up, club neon." She said, talking so fast I could barely understand a word she was trying to say. I guess I spoke too soon.
"Oh yeah, besides Meg, her friend Janey, Janey's boyfriend Kyle, Kyle's best friend from band camp, Adam, Adam's little sister, Greta, Greta's half-cousin twice removed, Ming, Ming's best friend's sister, Jezzy...that's me! My best friend since the sandbox, Hailey, Hailey's boyfriend which brings us back to Adam...there will be tons of---" She rambled on again. I had to cut her off when she mentioned Hailey.
"Hailey?! The one from the club Hailey?" I asked, interruppting her annoying ramble.
"Yeah, her name is Hailey Elizabeth Mary Burrows...born February 13, 1985...in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Her father, James, was a pilot...but he died on 9/11 since he was in the plane the crashed into a field. I'm sure you know what field it is since you live near cows. Anyways, her mother, Jo Anne, a pediatrician, married less than a year later to this abusive guy Bruce, & moved the family to Napa, California since he worked in the wine selling industry thingy. Hailey didn't like it, but she graduated high school early because she's a smarty-pants, unlike me & moved out to L.A. to attend...what else? UCLA. We then became roomates. She's in her junior year of her medical field junk, while I study talk show host journalism...anyways, why do you want to know so much about her?" she asked, after rambling again. But I listened in on this time.
"Oh, nothing." I replied. Moments later, I was making arrangements with my private jet pilot to fly out to L.A.
Seven hours later, I walked into a dismal looking crowd at Club Neon. It was only 10:30, so it was still early. I began to walk around the place, searching for Jezebel...or even better...Hailey. I heard crying coming from a corner booth in the back of the club...sitting in the middle with a giant pile of tissues on the table, was Hailey, crying her mint green eyes out. I walked over & sat next to her.
"Something wrong?" I said. Duh! Something is wrong or else why would she be crying.
"My boyfriend & I....he....he....cheated on me...with Jez," she said in between sniffling.
"That b****," I said, trying to bring a little humor into the situation.
She smiled a little. "What are you doing here? Trying to make me accidently trip on your shoe again?"
"No, no...not my new Air Jordans!" I said, waving my hands in the air spontaneously. We both shared a laugh. It was then when our relationship began.
Flash forward 2 years, 4 months, 2 weeks, & 1 day...was the day I proposed to her.
"Hailey Elizabeth Barnton," I said, getting down on one knee. "I would be honored to be your husband for life...but even more honored to be your lifetime soulmate, a companion for you forever...will you marry me?" I opened the velvet-covered box to reveal a 90-karat diamond ring with the words "Justin & Hailey...Forever" engraved on the inside of the 1.2 million dollar ring.
It was at this very living room, she was sitting right in the same spot on the couch I am sitting in now, crying her mint green eyes out like she did before, but this time it was tears of joy. She quietly said "Yes", afraid it was all a trick. We then embraced, called family & friends, though Hailey's family wanted her to finish medical school...but she didn't listen, we didn't listen. 10 months later, on December 7, we married.
I smiled at the thought of that day but was awoken from my daze by the sudden ringing of my cellphone. I flipped the cover & lifted the tiny pocket-sized phone to my ear.
"Justin," Hailey said.
Number of reviews: 13
Print:
Chapter or Story