The Art of Life (15 page)

               
Vicky
looks at me.
 
“I believe that she
will.
 
If you guys need anything, let me
know.”

               
“We
will, thank you,” I quietly reply.

               
She
still smirks at Jeremy.
 
He casually winks
back.
 
Vicky stifles a giggle and walks
away.

               
I
stab a piece of tortellini and eat it.
 
Why I suddenly feel irritated I don’t know.
 
That girl just rubs me the wrong way.
 
Giggle, giggle, my name is Vicky.
 
What? I look like a super model, how
nice!
 
Girls like her have it so
easy.
 
It makes me sick.
 
I stab another piece of tortellini.

               
“What
did the tortellini do to you?” Jeremy asks.

               
Looking
up, I say, “What?”

               
“You
seem to be really angry at your food.
 
Be
nice to your meal, it will taste better.”

               
“Sorry,”
I mumble.

               
Jeremy
puts his fork down.
 
“What’s wrong?”

               
“Nothing.”
 
I quickly
take another bite of food and stare off into the restaurant.

               
“Something
is wrong.
 
Did I make you mad?
 
I was just teasing.
 
That’s what will happen when I guy hits on
you.
 
Nothing I said was a lie if that is
what you were thinking.”

               
Great.
 
“No,” I
moan.
 
“I know that.
 
It’s just that….well….I will never have a guy
look at me the way you are looking at her.
 
For some girls it is so easy!
 
Look how much effort I have to put into it.
 
It just seems unfair.”

               
“She
could be an utter bitch,” Jeremy replies.

               
“What?”

               
Leaning
forward, he whispers, “I am an attractive guy.
 
I get that.
 
So, luring girls in
is not hard.
  
I have a nice bike and an
even better car.
 
That makes it even
easier, but when it comes down to it, after a few dates, you have to show your
true colors.
 
She may be picture perfect,
but you have no idea what she is really like.
 
She could live with fifty cats.
 
I
have no idea.
 
Going on dates and getting
phone numbers can be scary and tricky.”

               
“That’s
all nice and everything,” I retort, “but at least you have the option of
getting phone numbers.
 
This is the first
day that I have felt even half way normal.
 
Getting a guy’s phone number is light years away.”

               
Jeremy
reaches over and snags a pen off the table behind him.
 
He takes his napkin and starts to write
something down.
 
I just raise my
eyebrow.
 
Suddenly, he thrusts the napkin
at me.
 
I take it and look down.
 
Jeremy just smiles.
 
“Now, you have a guy’s number.”

               
“Getting
your number doesn’t count,” I sigh, trying to not smirk.

               
“Do
you not find me hot?” He asks, with a huge smile.
 
I just roll my eyes.
 
“Oh come on, you are the one who called me
hot first.”

               
Crossing
my arms, I say, “Fine, you are drop dead gorgeous, but you know that already.”

               
“So,
technically, a hot guy gave you his number.”

               
“That
doesn’t count!
 
You are my friend.
 
Totally nullifies the effects.”
 

               
With
an exasperated look, Jeremy groans, “Particulars, particulars.”

               
“Eat
your lasagna,” I laugh as I take another bite of my food.
 
My eyes just stare down at his number.
 
Why does it make me feel giddy that I have
it?
 
That is so stupid Isabelle.
 
You know where he lives!
 
I pause and then giggle to myself.
 

               
“What
are you giggling about?” Jeremy inquires.

               
I
can’t help but laugh.
 
“I was thinking to
myself that I doubt Sonya has ever gotten such a hot guy’s phone number before.
 
Oh wait! OH!
 
You jerk!
 
I totally forgot about
the flowers!”

               
“Oh
come on, they were beautiful!”

               
“Yes
they were, but that is beside the point.
 
Talk about being the center of attention!
 
Sonya snagged the card from me before I could
even read it.”

               
Jeremy
stops chewing and says, “Was it a problem?”

               
“No,
she didn’t know what a guillotine was though.
 
Then this guy told her she should check it out, which everyone found
funny.
 
She ended up looking rather
stupid, so in the end it was good.
 
It
was just embarrassing to have everyone stare at me.”

               
Getting
a rather wicked smirk, Jeremy retorts, “Well, I did it to get under Sonya’s
skin, so my plan worked then.
 
Plus, I
thought you would like them.
 
I saw them
in your room.
 
Do you keep them there so
you can gaze at them and think of me?”

               
“You
are so full of yourself!” I playfully snap.
 
“Geez Jeremy, not every girl wants to swoon at your feet.”

               
“Darn
it, I am losing my touch.”

               
There
is laughter from both of us and we eat dinner.
 
                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                           
The
rest of the conversation is about bands and movies that we like.
 
It is nice to know we have a lot of
similarities.
 
At the end of the meal,
Vicky brings over the bill.
 
“Did you
enjoy your food?”

               
“Yes,
it was VERY good.
 
We will HAVE to come
back,” Jeremy replies heavily.

               
“That’s
great to hear.
 
If you need anything
else….please
feel
free to let me know.”

               
Jeremy
just smiles at her.
 
When she walks away,
he picks up the bill.
 
A little piece of
paper falls out from underneath it.
 
Picking it up, Jeremy shakes his head.
 
“See, getting a number isn’t that hard for me.
 
Finding a girl that I am actually interested
in is another thing.”

               
“So
you won’t call her?” I ask.

               
Shrugging
his shoulders, Jeremy responds with, “I probably will.
 
I am just trying to tell you, getting a
number doesn’t always pan out the way you think it will.”

               
“I
don’t know if I would want to get a stranger’s number,” I reply.
 
“No matter what, I am shy.
 
It would be easier for me to date someone I
have actually met a few times.”

               
“That
isn’t a bad thing,” Jeremy replies.
 
“It’s probably a better idea than what I do.”
 
He puts some cash into the bill folder, and
slides the number in his pocket.
 
“Let’s
go toots.”

               
We
get out of our chairs.
 
“Thanks for
dinner Jeremy.
 
Thank you for
everything.”

               
“I
am glad that I could do it.
 
Now, I want
to take you somewhere, because I would like you to sketch something for me.”

               
“I
will sketch anything you want,” I reply.
 
“I owe you a lot.”

               
Looking
at me, Jeremy emphasizes, “You don’t owe my anything.”

               
“Well,
I will still do anything you want.”

               
That
makes him laugh.
 
“Be careful what you
say to people young lady.
 
A guy could take
that the wrong way.”

               
My
cheeks light on fire with embarrassment.
 
“I didn’t mean it that way.”

               
“I
know, just watching out for you.
 
Let’s
go.”
 
Jeremy gestures me forward.
 
I proceed down the aisle.
 
He comes over and drapes his arm over
me.
 
“Put your arm around my waist,” he
whispers.

               
“Why?”
I whisper back.

               
“Just
do it.”
 
So, I do.
 
As we walk out, I look to our right.
 
There sits Eric.
 
He smiles and I smile back.
 
Now, I understand why I am touching
Jeremy.
 
Not that it is bad to have your
arm around a hot guy.
 
I hope it’s this
easy to have a guy touch me for real.
 
Jeremy makes it so comfortable and easygoing.

               
We
make our way to the car.
 
Jeremy let’s go
of me and opens my door.
 
“Why thank
you,” I laugh, as I get in.

               
“You
always open a door for a beautiful lady,” he responds.

               
“You
sure are trying to boost my self-esteem.”

               
Leaning
against the door frame, Jeremy says, “I am trying to get you to see that you
are attractive and somebody important.”

               
“I
think it will take a while to get me there,” I say quietly.

               
Jeremy
gives me a small smile.
 
“I promise we
will get you there.”
 
With that, he shuts
the door.

               
When
he gets in the car, Jeremy looks at me.
 
“So, I want you to draw me something, but I mean, like
professionally.
 
I want to be able to
frame it, larger than your sketch book and colorful.”

               
 
“I said yeah, I will do whatever you want.”

               
“Okay,”
he replies, as he backs up.
 
“I will show
you.”

               
We
listen to music as we drive.
 
Finally, we
pull up to his apartment.
 
I turn and
look at him.
 
“You want me to draw your
apartment?
 
Really?”

               
“No,”
Jeremy laughs.
 
“I will show you.
 
Get out.”

               
Shaking
my head, I climb out of the car.
 
Jeremy
nudges his head to follow him, so I do.
 
The stairs up to his apartment are old and steep.
 
“These things are like a death trap,” I say.