Black Roses

Chapter 11

Chris woke up and groaned when he remembered what had happened last night. He was this close to kissing the girl of his dreams (of late) and he stopped it. Out of respect…or out of fear? He knew one reason for him to have stopped was because she barely knew him and he was afraid if it was happening too fast. They just had their first date a few days ago, it wouldn't be too fair for her. And it would show that he was no different than other men who only thought of one thing when it came to women. He didn't want her first impression of him to be 'He's a s*x maniac.'

He shook his head and turned in his bed.

His alarm clock blared this incessant 'Cockle doodle doo! Wake up! Time for up and at 'em! Cockle doodle doo!' ringing and he slapped it. He woke up before his alarm clock again. He had to stop doing that!

He fumbled blindly in the dark (Kevin's mother, who acted as his designated mother every time she came over, attached blind curtains in his room 'For a better sleep at night' she says) and pressed the snooze button on his alarm clock. It was a Friday. Kevin was going to have a party, as per tradition. And Chris had work thank God. He didn't have any classes today so he had the whole day (at least until six when he had to get ready for work) to himself.

He didn't know if he should call Bridget, or if she even wanted to talk to him after last night. He had practically run out of the room, for crying out loud.

Finally he decided to pull the cord to his blind curtains and dial Bridget's number.

When he heard her voice on the other line, he almost clicked the red end call button but stopped himself just in time.

'H-hey.' He stammered.

'Chris?'

'Yeah, it's me.' Chris pulled himself up on his bed and cleared his throat.

'Oh, hey.' Was it his imagination or did her voice just soften?

'Um…are you doing okay?' he rolled his eyes. He would have just hung up on him if he was Bridget.

'Better. It felt good to open up to someone who wasn't family.' Bridget gave out a tiny chuckle which sent shivers down his spine and arms. Since when did a girl, who was younger than him at that, have such an effect on him? Oh right…never. 'So thanks.'

'The least I could do for a person who deemed me worthy of being her friend.' That sentence made his heart feel squeezed. He didn't want to be Bridget's friend…and that just made him sound like a whiny four year old brat.

'Am I just your friend?' Was she disappointed?

'You're not a stranger, that's for sure.'

'Oh thanks for throwing my own words back in my face,'

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…'

'I was just kidding, Chris.'

'Oh…okay.'

They hit an awkward silence wherein Chris contemplated on asking her out for breakfast since it was only nine in the morning.

Finally he settled on a yes and he was about to ask her when she interrupted. 'Chris, I want to thank you for coming yesterday.'

'But you already did.'

'I know…it's just that…I've never opened up to a person before you because I was afraid the people I tell would betray me. I'm a bit childish that way, naïve…could we not talk about this on the phone?'

'I agree. Why don't we get some breakfast.'

'I'll pay this time.'

'Don't bother, please. I'll pay for you. I insist.'

'Could we at least split the bill? I think I might need a pig out. Breakfast like a King, I always think. So let me at least pay half of the bill.'

'Okay…just half.'

'Meet me at the restaurant beside Blue Bay Café?'

'Ten minutes.'

'I'll beat you to it.'

'Not fair, you're probably all clean and nice smelling.'

Bridget laughed. 'Okay…okay I'll be fashionably late.' She said, to which he laughed at.

'I'll see you then.'

'Bye.'

He hung up and smiled. He was going to try and make this work. He already had a nice beginning, the fact that he liked her. Everything should go smoothly, shouldn't it?

::-::-::-::

After a nice hot shower, Chris dried himself off before tugging on a pair of jeans and throwing on an old plain grey T-shirt with some old sneakers. He looked fairly presentable, albeit his shaggy wet hair. He gasped and quickly dried his hair with a towel and combed through his hair hastily before running out of his apartment. He then forgot his wallet so he ran back in, grabbed his wallet and jammed a cap on his head before leaving again.

As he walked briskly towards the restaurant, he put on a smile as he found that the day was sunny and windy, a combination that played very well with his mood. He was really happy because he was seeing the person he really liked and he had just taken a shower. Showers had always made him feel very happy for some reason.

So when he eyed a very plainly dressed Bridget, his smile widened. She was in a simple white button down shirt and denim jeans. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and her face looked scrubbed clean. All in all, she looked gorgeous.

She caught sight of him and waved with a huge smile plastered on her face. He waved back and smiled.

'Sorry for the delay.' Chris said, patting his cap as he sat down on the opposite side of Bridget.

'Nah, I just arrived as well. Would you like coffee or tea? I highly recommend the masala chai. It's heavenly.'

'I'll take you up on that offer, waiter?' he flagged down one of the waiters and ordered the spiced tea for himself and Bridget ordered a sweet tea.

'And what would you like to eat?' the waiter asked pleasantly.

'I'd like a blueberry Belgian waffle, omelettes and toast and bacon and egg sandwich. What would you like?' Bridget asked Chris who ordered a simple meal of sausage and egg meal.

'We'll be right back with your orders.'

'You've got a healthy appetite.' Chris remarked, remembering how the other girls he dated would shriek at the mention of fat in their food. One of them had actually brought along a list of food that contained cholesterol at their dinner date and ended up drinking Evian and eating a fresh garden salad with no dressing.

'You should see me on my high days.'

'High days?'

Bridget shook her head in embarrassment. 'Once in a while, I get really hyperactive and I become this perky little ball of energy and when that happens, I could eat a horse and still have room left for dessert.'

Chris laughed out loud. She's really something, this girl. If mom were alive, she'd instantly fall in love with her. Chris thought to himself with a sad smile.

'Is there something wrong?' she asked, lightly placing the tip of her fingers on his arm. He was startled at the small gesture but he composed himself and looked at her. 'I was just thinking is all. My mom would love you if she met you. She loves a person with a healthy appetite. She lives to cook.'

'I'm sure I'd love your mother if I met her.' Bridget smiled, playing with her fingernails.

'You said you wanted to tell me something.' Chris asked, wanting to avoid the awkward silence.

She looked up and smiled. 'Could we not talk about it just now? Let's just eat first.'

So they ended up eating and talking about everything else, avoiding anything that could inevitably push them to the sole reason why Bridget agreed to this breakfast.

After finishing their breakfast, Chris suggested going to the park, since it was sunny and breezy, the perfect weather. She agreed without any hesitation as they chatted each other up, asking questions about their life, basically just getting to know each other, feeling closer to each other each passing minute.

Chris felt himself falling farther in…love with the beautiful girl…woman beside him.

The park was a beautiful sight. The leaves were lazily falling from the trees as the wind picked them up, blowing them gently in the air. There were families walking around, couples making out on the grass, some dog walkers walking several breeds of dogs, old people just milling around, some playing chess, some just looking around them appreciatively and there was also Bridget and Chris, in their own world. They barely took into account of the people around them as they reminisced their past.

'When I was four,' Chris recalled with a smile. 'My parents took me to this amusement park. It had every ride you could imagine. The rollercoaster, the Ferris wheel, bumper cars…basically everything you get in an amusement park. So my dad took me to the Hall of Mirrors. My mom sat that one out because she was too tired, chasing me around the whole day.' Bridget laughed at that. 'So when I came in, I started to get crazy as I saw myself in different shapes and sizes. I laughed when I saw my dad look like a fat dwarf in one of the mirrors and my dad picked me up and twirled me around. When he put me down, I shot off, running to hide myself and I found myself in the section where they put loads of mirrors back to back so that people get confused which one of you is you, have you been in that section?' Chris asked Bridget who nodded with a smile. He remembered that day clearly as if it was just yesterday. 'Well, when I was in there, I kept hearing my dad's voice calling out for me. I, being a four year old, just giggled and ran off. When I thought my dad was gone, I sat down and poked my reflection when someone grabbed me and blew a raspberry on my stomach. I was giggling like mad when I found that it was my dad. I think that was the best day of my life. It was the closest I was with my dad.' Chris smiled, looking down at his lap.

He was startled when Bridget took his hand in hers but he didn't pull away as he looked up at her. 'Where's your dad now?' she asked, her eyes filled with an emotion he guessed was concern. He was never good at reading people's emotions.

'I dunno. Somewhere in the east. Kuala Lumpur probably? He's a businessman so his job takes him everywhere around the world. The last I checked he was in Sweden, selling his newest product of…chocolate? I forgot. He's good that way. He sells lots of stuff to lots of people and the best thing of it all is, all the things he sells are the things he made himself from scratch.' Chris smiled, feeling proud of his dad, although sad because the last time they met was before Chris got accepted to Harvard.

'He sounds like a good businessman.' Bridget tilted her head to her left. But not a good father, which I need. Chris looked away. He felt his hand being stroked and he looked down, seeing that Bridget's hand was still in his. He was embarrassed but he liked the feeling.

Bridget seemed to realize that she still had a hold of his hand so she dropped her hand and blushed deeply. 'Sorry.' She mumbled.

Chris shook his head and looked at her. She must be the most beautiful girl I've met, by far. The thought crossed his mind.

Subconsciously, his hand hovered over Bridget's and stayed there. Her eyes wandered up to meet his and both of them held the stare.

'Bridget, would it be unethical of me to tell you that I'm in love with you?' Oh my God what did I just say?

Bridget's eyes widened and her mouth parted slightly. 'What?'

He cleared his mind and took her hand in his and brought them closer to him. 'I'm sorry for being so frank and so straightforward about this but the last two days of getting to know you directly from you has been sufficiently awkward yet I loved every minute of it, awkwardness included. Even before I met you, all the things Mark told me about you…my mind was telling me…this girl is special.'

Chris subconsciously drew circles on Bridget's hand with his thumb as he continued. 'I knew I had to meet you, to see how you were, to see if Mark really meant everything he said.'

'Did he?' Bridget asked. Chris looked up and smiled. 'What do you think?' his smile softened when Bridget looked away blushing.

Chris shifted his position on the bench and slid a hand around Bridget's smooth neck and pulled her closer. Their lips met and Chris lost himself in the kiss, letting what he was feeling drive his body. He almost pulled away when Bridget responded, surprised that she was actually allowing him the opportunity to be this close and intimate with her.

When they pulled away, Bridget's eyes were closed as opposed to her lips which were parted slightly. Chris stroked her cheeks softly and placed a short but sweet kiss on her lips.

'Chris…'

'Did I scare you?' Chris asked, dropping her hand on her lap. He thought he saw disappointment etched on her face but changed his thought when he blinked and saw that a calm look had taken over her face.

Bridget shook her head. 'You surprised me.'

An awkward silence hit them and both of them started giggling like five year olds.

'Sorry.' Both said at the same time which made them giggle even more.

They looked at each other and their giggling died as adoration glazed over their eyes. Both moved forward to initiate the kiss that was both powerful and gentle.

Chris couldn't think of a better moment than this.

::-::-::-::

Bridget practically skipped back to her apartment where a bewildered Mark was waiting for her at the door.

'Mark!' she beamed as she fumbled to open her door.

'Hey…someone took their happy pills!'

She chuckled happily and smacked Mark on his chest when she finally got the door open. 'He kissed me!' she said in a singsong voice.

'Chris?'

Bridget danced in circles in the middle of the apartment as Mark closed the door. 'Yes! We went for breakfast just now and we got to know each other even better and then he kissed me!'

Mark's smile threatened to tear his face apart as he rushed to Bridget and picked her up and twirled her around. 'Congratulations sweetheart!'

Bridget asked Mark to put her down when she felt like vomiting.

'Sorry…' Mark grinned when he put her down. 'You know...if it gets serious...if he's gonna be doing more than kissing you...and if he hurts you in the process...he'll have me to answer to, even though we've been good friends since you left me. Not to mention your brothers.'

'I can't tell them…they'd freak!' Bridget shook her head.

'Hold on…chill girl.' Mark thumbed Bridget's inner wrist. She calmed down and looked at Mark sheepishly.

'Which reminds me…you told Jordan about Chris…how could you?' Bridget pinched Mark at an area which made Mark squeal like a little girl.

'I told Jordan because he's Jordan…he doesn't care who you're with as long as you're happy with him.'

Bridget pouted. 'It's not fair that you know me more than I know myself.' She stuck her tongue out and crossed her arms over her chest.

Mark smiled and pinched Bridget's cheek. 'Aww come on, Bridge…you know I do it because I love you.'

She smiled and moved forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. 'You devil…I need to sleep. I'm too tired to think right now.'

'Because he kissed you?'

'No!' Bridget laughed. 'It's just…I woke up at around five in the morning because I needed to work up the courage to call my brothers and dad over.'

'Really? Wow…did you?'

Bridget nodded. 'Yeah…I told them everything I felt and the conclusion was kind of…well…unexpected. I mean…it was so sudden because in a snap of a finger, everything seemed right again with this world.' Bridget shook her head. 'I don't know, suddenly everyone's hugging me and telling me they're proud of me and all that…'

'I'm happy for you even though you feel that way. I mean, you actually forgave your brothers and your dad after all these years. You're one of the strongest people I know.'

Bridget smiled as both of them hugged each other. 'Thank you moo…'

'Anytime boo, anytime.'