Listen To Your Heart ~ Book One.

Saturday in the Park part 2

"Sounds like you had a good time. So, what does this have to do with me?"

"He's never acted like this towards me in months. He hasn't been this attentive towards me, since him and Billie won Grammys!"

"I'm still trying to understand how..."

"He acted like you! Okay? Everything he said and did sounded like something you would say or do for me."

'Oh fuck.' I think.

"Umm...okay. Is that a good or bad thing? Sounds to me like he really cares about you."

"No... it's a good thing. I like that he's being so attentive...but is he acting like that because he wants to, or is he just putting on an act?"

"I'm not sure. Are the two of you happy together?"

"Yea...we're in a good place together."

"But?"

(Claudia laughs and elbows me.)

"How'd you know there was a but coming?"

(Billie mimics what Claudia says and rolls her eyes.)

"Cause I can hear it in your voice."

"Well...I find myself asking the question who am I really with? Am I with the new, more attentive to my feelings Finneas? Or a replica of you? Because if I'm going to be with Finneas, and you're going to be with Billie...I can't very well be thinking of you...you know?"

"I think...this is something that you need to talk to Finneas about. Besides, there can't be more than one of me. I'm already in trouble with the Environmental Protection Agency. Something about my farts polluting the atmosphere."

(Claudia laughs. Then she leans her head against my arm, and holds my hand, as Billie grinds her teeth.)

"I've missed this...you know that? Our friendship. Being able to laugh and understand one another."

"I've missed it a bit too. Especially since you said something about a gift?"

(Smiles)"Yea...there's a gift...here."

(Claudia hands me a gift-wrapped package. I carefully open the top of it, and stare at the top of the package inside in surprise.)

"Whoa! I can't believe you found one of these! Last time I saw one of these was in a museum. This is just like from the movie! Thanks."

"So... now we're friends again?"

"Well...since you're bribing me with an expensive gift...yea."

(Claudia laughs again, then kisses me on the cheek, as we sit and talk. Billie growls in anger, and grabs Zoe's arm, as they rush back to the car.)

"That cheating mother fucker, son of a bitch!" Billie growls.

"Now Billie. Not to take sides or anything...but Claudia kissed his cheek, he never kissed her."

"Oh, c'mon Zoe! The two of them are probably fucking one another right now on the park bench! What the hell do you think the gift was for? She's obviously buying his cock. That fucking slut!"

"Billie...as your best friend. I think you're jumping to conclusions."

"Oh yeah? Well, how's this for jumping to conclusions?"

(Billie takes her diamond engagement ring and uses it to cut up the seat on my Harley and scratch the paint.)

"Billie!"

"Fuck that cock-sucker! If he wants to fuck Claudia, then I'm going to fuck up his bike."

(Her and Zoe leave. Claudia and I return to our vehicles, where I find my bike damaged. Park security is called, who in turn call the police. The cops take my report but tell me the odds of catching the vandal are slim. Since there were no video cameras in that parking zone. I return to Valerie's house. I pull into the glass garage area. Valerie comes walking over from her flower garden.)