Love, Take One

Scene 6

"They do that a lot."

Bo looked to Roderick then into the back seat where Eleanor and Harry were straddling inappropriate levels of making out. She rolled her eyes at the amorous pair. It hurt to witness a love so colorful when her own love had suddenly become so black. She could have been consumed by that weight all over again but seeing Roderick cringe away from his rearview mirror brought a smile to her face. The first smile she'd smiled since...just since.

"Thanks for the ride. You really didn't have to."

"Not a problem," he assured her. "I'm just sorry your other ride didn't work out."

"Yeah. Me too."

"You want to talk about it?"

He was being polite, Bo was convinced, but when she looked to him she saw only genuine intrigue. Still, she wasn't about to open up to him. She may have known his name, his job(s) and what the inside of his '99 plate Jeep smelled like—paper, coffee and lavender, for some reason—but he was still a stranger. So she shook her head and turned the conversation to the left.

"So, Roderick, how many jobs do you have, exactly?"

He pushed against the steering wheel and bent his neck this way and that, as though he needed to stretch pre-conversation, as though he needed a warm-up. "Three."

"Three?" Bo was both impressed and bothered by this information. He made her seem lazy. "And you still have the time for school?"

"Just about, and that's largely down to the volume of caffeine I drink."

"Ah." That explained the smell. The nice smell. "So, librarian—"

"Library assistant."

"Library assistant," she corrected, "Bar tender, and...?" She paused, waiting for a reply. It came in the form of a challenging eyebrow and little more. "What? What's your third job?"

He frowned, thought on it, then covered himself. "Guess."

"Or you could just tell me?"

He shrugged. "It's more fun my way."

"How's that?"

"When you read a book, watch a movie, doesn't the fun lie in trying to solve the mystery? If all we had in life was answers we'd lose interest easily. I don't know about you but I like to figure shit out. Why don't you figure me out, Bo?" He narrowed his eyes and adopted a smile as he dared her.

Bo narrowed her eyes right back. She wasn't sure she believed the reason behind his non-answer, but she couldn't see why he'd feel the need to be so reticent. "You're not a gigalo are you?"

He laughed. "No."

"A stripper?"

"Is this wishful thinking at play here?"

She rolled her eyes but her smile broadened.

"Because you should know, I wouldn't charge you. Much. Maybe half off if I'm feeling generous. And I'm all up for audience participation, but that's extra. Otherwise keep your hands to yourself, okay, grabby?"

"I'll think about it."

"I'm sure you will."

Their teasing came naturally. Bo had always been the kind of person to show someone she loved them through insults and ribbing. She'd been lucky that Eleanor had thick skin and a sharp tongue to contend with. It appeared Roderick possessed the same social flaw. Or attribute.

Bo leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes, seeking the coolness of the glass to combat her wooziness. Her feeling drunk had near evaporated upon the death of her relationship, but she was still left with the after effects—that feeling of nausea, of a hangover pedaling closer from the horizon. She was ready for the night to be over.

"It's somewhere near here, right?"

Bo opened one eye. "On the left."

They pulled up curbside and Roderick turned to his backseat passengers before tripping over his interrupting them. Bo felt his awkwardness and found humor in it, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an amused eyebrow. "Help me out!" he mouthed to her and she finally relented.

"Yo, Kim and Kanye. We're here."

The pair separated with a breathy sigh before offering thanks for their ride and jumping down from the Jeep. They couldn't even make it to the door before collapsing against each other, lips locked. Bo couldn't keep her eyes off them—not that they were requesting privacy—and as she watched them she felt an unwelcome jealousy tire her body, even more than the night's events had. They were more in love than she'd ever been with any of her boyfriends, combined. They argued, yes, but because they cared, deeply. And they'd be stronger after their making up.

They were what Bo aspired for.

Always had.

Maybe it was the artist in her. Maybe it was her love for a good story—and epic romances were always good stories. Maybe it was the glossy love she'd seen between her parents, and the gritty love that filled in the gaps. Whatever it was that made Bo a hopeful romantic, it did so with power. Love had colored her whole life and now she went in search of her own rainbow. With it, she'd feel complete. She was sure. She'd have someone besides her best friend to spend her life with because Eleanor's life was fast becoming claimed. The thought of being alone was a thought Bo refused to accept.

"He's staying the night?" Roderick asked, nodding to the couple.

Bo nodded back.

"I hope you have earplugs."

"I have better. Earphones, Metallica and a desperate desire to sleep."

"You can sleep with Metallica?"

"I can sleep with anything."

Roderick laughed. "Well, that's useful information."

"I can sleep with any music," she clarified. "You have a filthy mind."

His brows pinched a little, pondering. "Not as rule. I think you bring it out of me."

"Don't blame it on me." Bo prodded his shoulder. Was she flirting? She was flirting. How had she come to be flirting?

"I don't see anyone else here," he replied, prodding her in return. Was he flirting back? He was flirting back. How had he come to be flirting back?

Bo reached for the door handle but her hand was loose. It was a polite gesture—she knew it was time to leave but for reasons she'd yet to figure out, she didn't want to. "Well, thanks again for the ride. It was very gallant of you."

"Gallant," he repeated, seeming like he liked the word on his tongue, but not nearly as much as he liked it on hers.

"Gallant."

"Will my gallantness and I see you again?"

"Probably." She slouched back, relaxing into her seat despite her hand still being on the door handle. "I do know where you work. Well, two out of the three places you work."

"Two out of three ain't bad."

"And you know where I live."

She may have batted her eyelashes.

He may have noticed.

"Wouldn't be very gallant of me to abuse that information, though, would it."

"I wouldn't mind."

"You wouldn't mind." He looked to her lips and Bo wished his mouth would follow.

"You can kiss me. I wouldn't mind that either."

He sighed, his breath blowing wisps of hair off of her face. He wiped the mascara from beneath her eye then kissed her forehead.

She froze, reddened, then pulled down the shutters. "Ouch," she spat and without looking at him, she all but ran from the car.