The crowd was thinning. I didn't have a curfew tonight, because I was spending the night at Amy's apartment. I felt very weird all of a sudden as I saw the ladies begin to pair off with their dates and leave. Amy had handed me a key to the apartment and said to make myself at home.
I was looking around the bar for my ride. Tommy wasn't standing in his normal place. Which was him usually facing me from across the room. I stood up and grabbed my handbag and turned to go to the ladies room and that is when I saw her sitting on his lap. Chelsea Simpson had her arms wrapped around his neck and she was whispering something into his ear. I didn't realize that when I saw this scene, I knocked over a chair. When he heard the noise and saw me standing there looking at them, he registered the confusion on my face. Tommy and Chelsea were known to have been close back in high school. Obviously this was before I ever met him.
I disregard the chair and keep walking to the ladies room. From my peripheral vision I see Tommy push her off his lap and he chases after me. It didn't take him long to catch up with me. I am getting closer to the door, and I hear him.
"Ronnie, Ronnie!" I keep moving and enter the restroom. I quickly retreat to the first stall. It is disgusting. I just lock myself inside. He has the door propped open with his foot and he keeps calling my name.
"Ronnie! Answer me." I need out of this stall and out of this bar. I am now coaching myself to not react to anything he has to say and get composed. I finally walk out of the stall, and I see him sticking his head in to see me.
"What do you need Tommy? I am busy." I look straight past him, not to meet his eyes.
"Are you alone in here? Can I come in?" Is he serious? I look around puzzled.
"No response from the stalls, so I assume we are alone, and I am coming in." He says this pretty loud as to announce himself. I turn and begin to wash my hands. I hear him shuffle his shoes behind me. I am trying hard not to look up and into the mirror and see our reflections. To be honest, I am scared of breaking down if I make eye contact with him.
I finish washing my hands and grab some paper towels and dry my hands and still keep looking away.
"Ronnie are you ever going to look at me." I close my eyes and muster a strong 'could care less' face and turn and look at him. His face is red and he is breathing hard.
"What Tommy?" He is looking at my face and trying to figure me out. He has never seen me like this.
"What you saw was innocent. Chelsea was trying all night to get my attention. She finally came over and sat on my lap. I didn't want anything to do with her or what she was suggesting. I swear." I give him a puzzled look.
"Tommy, what are you talking about?"
"Ronnie you stopped dead in your tracks and knocked over a chair in shock." I squint at his comment and say the first thing that came to my mind.
"Uh, actually I knocked over the chair because I got up too fast and I am buzzing from the drinks that Jacob bought me tonight. I am just a bit tipsy." Now the expression he gave me was scary. He distinctly told me to not accept any drinks from anyone but him. Jacob was a sore spot for me and based on Tommy's reaction it was a issue for him too.
"Hey Tommy, I am ready to leave. Can you give me a ride to Amy's place?" He is still looking at me as I walk towards the bathroom exit.
"Look if you can't, Jacob is still here and he can probably make sure I get home safely." And that was it. That was all it took for the reaction I was expecting when I proposed that little nugget. Tommy grabs my arm swiftly and pulls me back towards his frame. I look up and see his green eyes looking all over my face trying to figure this out. He takes both of his hands and cups each side of my face. He lifts my face to look up at him. We are face to face now.
"Is that what you want Ronnie? Do you want Jacob?" I am stunned by his question.
"Do I want Jacob?" Hearing me repeat his words has him realizing what he just said. He shakes his head acting confused and corrects himself.
"No, I meant to say do you want Jacob to take you to Amy's?" He is quiet now.
I sigh and say "No, I don't want Jacob to take me to Amy's. I want you to take me to your house." He releases my face and pulls me in for one of our hugs and kisses the top of my head. We hold each other for a few seconds and I feel him stroking my hair on my shoulders.
"Come on Ronnie, let's get out of here."
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