"FUCK!" I scream, throwing the ring across the tiny bathroom. I step back against the wall, sliding down until my ass finds the cold hospital tile. I know I need to get up, but I don’t have the strength to face this god-awful situation anymore. Sitting with my legs bent, elbows touching my knees, I drop my head only to see that silver blood-covered reminder resting directly between my feet. Begrudgingly picking it back up, I move to the sink. Using a damp wash cloth, I begin to scrub away the stains. Once it had been returned to its normal worn state, I tucked it into a small pocket in my wallet. Wearing it, just felt like a lie.
SNAPPING BACK to the present, I realize that I've been standing here holding Jess for several minutes now. She hasn't tried to move away either, and if it's even possible, I think she snuggled closer. Her hands are wrapped around my waist, my left hand holding her head to my chest, and my right wrapped around her shoulders. Despite my mind screaming at me to let her go for fear of leading her on again, I can't seem to convince my body to release her. It's been a really long time since I've been physically connected to another person like this. I have to admit it feels amazing. And even more confusing, it feels right.
I step back and reluctantly let my arms fall away. "Did you mean it?" I ask.
"Mean what?"
"About starting over and pretending none of this ever happened?"
"Yeah. I'd love to forget all about today."
"Done," I say before turning and walking away. She stands stunned by my sudden departure. Looping around a beer cart, I head back in her direction.
"Jesse? What are you doing here? Wow, you look fantastic."
"Um, just watching the game." She timidly smiles, deciding to play along.
"I'm glad I ran into you, I could use a friend to watch the game with. I hate coming to these things alone."
"Really? I happen to have an extra seat in my brother’s corporate box, if you'd like to join me?"
"A box! Hell yeah, I'd like to join you. I hear they have free beer," I say, causing the small smile to spread across her face.
"Well, then why are we still standing here when there is free alcohol to be consumed just around the corner?" she says as she starts back toward our seats.
Before we get more than a few steps away, I lean over and whisper, "Friends?" in her ear.
"Friends. Thank you," she whispers back. I reply with nothing but a wink.
AFTER LEAVING the game, Jesse and I decided to walk around for a bit. Neither one of us was quite ready to go home. Jesse is incredible. She was nothing like the person I thought she would be. Sure, she was a little timid and shy sometimes, but in other moments, she would put me in my place without a second thought. It was an extraordinary combination of innocent and sassy. I love a woman who can challenge me, and it wasn't until today that I started to see that quality in her. She absolutely fascinated me. We talked about everything. She told hilarious stories about her morning spent shooting down Kara’s "whore-riffic" clothing choices, and I told her about my crazy sisters and all my nieces and nephews. We had the perfect afternoon. As the game came to an end, I suggested a walk as an excuse to keep her close for a few minutes longer.
"Can we go in here?" Jesse asks, stopping in front of a random bowling alley.
"You want to go bowling?" I ask, surprised by her choice. I figured we would grab an early dinner at a quiet restaurant, but it seems everything about Jesse is surprising today.
"Yeah, why not?"
"You're wearing a dress."
"So?"
"I don't know. I didn't think a dress was ideal bowling attire, but if you want to bowl, then I'm game."
"Do you play?"
"Of course! Care to make a little wager?" I reach out and grab the door, but pause before opening it.
"Sure! What do you have in mind? I could stand a little extra spending cash this week." She answers with a smirk.
"Not this time, little lady." I make a show of tipping my pretend cowboy hat. "How about we bet one favor, to be decided upon later."
"What kind of favor?" she asks skeptically.
"Anything. Who knows this time next week you could be doing my laundry."
"Oh, those kind of favors! Okay! I'm in!" She actually squeals in excitement making me a little fearful of her enthusiasm. But as she jumps around clapping her hands, I can’t help but laugh too. God she's beautiful! And that thought had nothing to do with the boob that almost popped out of her dress. Before I can stop myself, I place a hand on her lower back to guide her inside and lean over to breathe in her scent.