What a Fairytale

Chapter 8-Part 2: Sleepless Nights

***Rosemary***

"What do you want now?" I ask, annoyance laced in my every word. My mother walks in and closes the door behind her, taking a seat infront of my desk. "Sweetheart, I already know that you heard who is out of prison" She frowns at me. Worry lines creases her forehead. My mother looks a little different from before I was kicked out. Her usual long black hair is now turning grey, she cut a few inches off as well. Her once youthful face carry wrinkles, even her wardrobe has changed She would wear mini skirts, shorts, leather jeans. Now she wears knee length and ankle length skirts, normal worn out jeans. She looks very different, but I don't know if she herself is different. "Yes mother, I'm already workin on something for him to stay far away from us" I sigh, I've been taking care of myself for a long time now. I went through the divorce alone, only with my baby girl and uncle by my side. "Well, I just wanted to make sure you're alright" She smiles. Sadness evident in her eyes. I nod my head once and look down to continue with my work, trying to send her a message to leave. But she doesn't take it. "Can I pick Isabella up from school, and let her stay with us until you're done working?" she askd with a shy whisper, my head snaps up and I give her an incredulous look "She has never met you, ever. Why would you think that she'll just willingly go with you?" She looks at me for a bit before sighing. She stands up and walk to the door to leave. "Wait" I call out, rubbing my forehead with my thumb and forefinger as I feel a headache coming on "We'll come drink coffe and eat cake by your house on Saturday, 12pm. Bella like chocolate cake" I say looking back down. "Thank you" She whispers, the smile evident in her voice. She closes the door behind her and I sigh once more to myself. 'This might be a long day' the little voice in my head says. I nod in agreement.

I think I might be going crazy.

***Zack***

I'm still in my office, about to finish with the last of the hiring requests when Rosemary knock on my door. I look up at her and give her a welcoming smile. She smiles back and takes a seat. "Well, I've finally finished with the hiring requests. and somewhat worked out a budget for the pay raise" She puts the books and papers down on my desk for me to look at "Great let me quickly finish this last request then we can start" She nods her head and smile at me, standing up to inspect my art work on the walls. I quickly type the last sentence and requirements along with the deadline. After I take out my note pad and pen to look through her budgeting. "Well everything looks great except this one" I say, startling her a little at the sudden sound in the office. She walks back to me and sit down, looking at the paper, Her forehead starts gathering creases and her brows furrow as she tries to understand which one I'm talking about and why. "Which one Zack?" she asks looking up at me. I point to the events "We can't cancel our events, they bring us a lot of new customers" I say, she looks at rhe paper for a moment before she starts giggling "It's not canceled, I want to increase it" She says with another fir of giggles. "I'm sorry, my hand writing is horrible, I want to increase our events. That way every three or four years people can get a small raise" She smiles. This woman is smart. "That sounds great, so we're i creasing their salaries with fifteen percent for now then?" She nods her head at me and explains the rest in detail. We work together until five pm, both of us parting ways downstairs in the lobby.

A cab ride later and I'm home. I really need to get me a new car soon. I walk over to the fridge and get myself a nice cold beer, walking to the living room and taking a seat on the sofa.I decide it's to to talk to my best friend Max, we haven't spoken in a few days. A few rings and he picks up. "Wow so you're still alive then?" He asks with a cocky attitude. "Well yeah no s**t i***t, I've just been really busy with the new work and all. I need to impress the owner so that I can be partner" I sigh into the phone "Well sounds like you need me to come over" he asks, hope in his voice. "Yeah man, you can come over. just bring some beer with" I say before ending the call. I switch on the tv while I wait for Max to arrive. "Let's see whats new" I mumble to myslef. Just then Max walks through the door with a case of beer. "How's it goin man" he asks as he plops down onto the couch, setting the beer down on the coffee table. Max is the same height as me, both of us standing at 6.2 inches tall, he has ash blonde hair as where I have black hair, both of us have blue eyes, mine are a few shades lighter as his. "It's good, just really tired, how about you?" I ask taking the beer to the fridge, no one likes warm beer. "Well, guess who's my new flavor of the month" he grins at me, waiting for my reply "Let ne guess, that brunette chick from our usual bar?" I ask lifting my right eyebrow "How'd you know?" he smiles at me, looking proud of himself. "Well, you wouldn't shut up about her last tike we were together. Isn't she studying to be a lawyer?" He nods his head yes open his beer and taking a sip from the bottle. "Yeah, she's almost done though, she's got two more months left. She says there's a law firm here in LA that already wants her, she's finishing up at the bar and quitting next week to start working at the firm. She said she'll tell me all about it at our next date" He smirks and wiggles his eyebrows "Right, what was her name again?" I spaced out last time he was talking about her. I barely remember anything about her. "Jenna Anderson, she's amazing bro. She won't even sleep with me until we've had atleast four dates" he chuckles, there's a small twinkel in his eyes. I haven't seen or heard him talking about a girl like this in a long time. Not since his ex fiance cheated on his, but that's a story for another day. "Looks like she's got you hooked" I say, smiling at him "and real good. we've got a date tomorrow night, I just don't know where to take her. For our first date I took her to that fancy a** restaurant close to the bar, that french one, What was the name?" he says in thought, trying to remember the name. "Magestique or something, they got nice food though" I nod my head, thinking of a certain someone I'd like to take out on a date. "Hey, that girl you're partnered up with now, whats her name?" Max asks me, I look at him for a moment. Wondering why he wouod want to know her name. "Rosemary Valentino, why?" I ask with hesitation in my voice "I think I saw her in the newspaper the other day. Beautiful woman" we're quiet for a moment. Me thinking of her, she has black hair and blue eyes like me, but her skin is a few shades darker. She has a whole tanned looked. She has a beautiful hour glass figure, an a** that can make you hard in a matter of seconds, and b**bs that bounce every tike she take a step. I'm getting a hard on just thinking of Rose. But Bella looks just like her mother, same hair, but green eyes, and an olive tan skin. She has the same button nose as her mother but thin lips, Rosemary has full plush lips. Very kiss-able lips. "Hey man, do you wanna go to the bar tonight?" Max asks with a cheeky grin, breaking my thoughts of Rose. "Yeah sure, do you mind if I ask someone to join me?"

"Nah you can bring someone with"

Better to go out than stay in, I would have never fallen asleep with thoughts of Rosemary replaying in my head.

'Hey Rose, do you wanna come out to a bar with me and my friend Max tonight? If you can't Because of Bella then it's fine I understand'

Maybe I shouldn't have texted her.. She's probably sleeping anyway, it's pretty late. Oh s**t, its twelve am. I mentally face palm myself for not looking at the time before texting her. Just before I could do anything else remotely insane, she texts me back

'Hey Zack, yeah sure, is it fine if I bring a friend with me? Bella is with her grandparents this weekend so I'm free till Sunday'

'Great, we'll pick you guys up in 30?'

I hold my breath till she replies. Still thinking I'm an i***t

'Yeah sure, see you then :)'

"Max, we've gotta pick up two extra people in 30, I'll drive" I yell at him from my room, getting ready. "Okay great, I'll wait in the living room for you to finish" he yells back. Why am I so nervous to see Rose?