The Carousel

Quatorze

Jared got out of the shower and got his phone off the dock where he was charging it. He excitedly opened his e-mail app. Jared and White Noise had already flown to Seattle for the first leg of their west coast tour by the time Ondine flew to Vienna; even their flights were on the same day. He wished he could have seen her off, but their schedules did not match at all. The time difference was also tricky, so they had to settle for exchanging e-mails twice a day, one in the morning, one in the evening. Jared also insisted she attach a photo of herself with her e-mails, wanted to see her beautiful face whenever he got the chance.

So she did. Her first letter was a picture of herself at the airport in Vienna, telling her story of her long flight and not understanding German at all aside from hello and goodbye. She said she felt ill-prepared and studied her German phrase book and dictionary the whole flight, tried to cram as much as she could.

Jared replied with a picture he managed to snap of his view from behind his drum kit of the packed venue in Seattle. He replied that it was such a rush, the Seattle crowd had been amazing. He said he missed her already, but as long as he can see her face twice a day the hectic first month, he'll cope with the distance the best he could.

They got over the first month fine, Ondine shared plenty of pictures of herself exploring her new city, Jared regaled her with tales of his exciting tour that brought him from the Pacific Northwest all the way down to the Southwest and Southern California. By the time the second month of her living in Vienna ended, he was dying to see her. He wanted to see the woman he loved more than anything else in the world.

His decision to pay her a surprise visit was finalized when she e-mailed a picture of herself and a handsome man named Brady O'Neil having bratwursts and beers during Oktoberfest. The picture was taken by Brady by extending one arm out. He held his beer stein in one hand while Ondine stuffed his face with a brat. She in turn had a huge smile on her face, her eyes in slits from laughing, and held a beer stein of her own. Brady played the upright bass in the orchestra. She explained that he was half Korean and half Caucasian and also lived in New York City, in Manhattan, so he was a posh boy.

Jared couldn't help but feel jealous. Until now, Ondine called him her friend, her special friend, but he was still just a friend. She never did anything or said anything to make him feel like she was interested romantically in this Brady guy; if anything, he was her Vienna Ben, but as long as Ondine wasn't his girlfriend, Jared would always feel insecure about his position in her life. Why couldn't this girl just have girl friends? Why were all her friends guys?

As soon as White Noise got their schedule for the last three months of the year, Jared bought himself a ticket to spend a week in Vienna with Ondine. He was going to visit her whether she liked it or not, and he resolved to go home as her boyfriend.

***

"Gedulden sie sich bitte einen Augenblick!" Ondine yelled when she heard someone knocking on her door. She looked through the peephole and nearly passed out. She hurriedly opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

"Hi, babe. What was that?"

"Jay!" she threw her arms around him. He easily lifted her up in his arms. "I missed you."

"Really?" he asked her teasingly.

"Yes! You have no idea how happy I am right now."

"I don't know...that Brady seemed to be keeping you company...and keeping you happy."

"No, babe, please don't read too much into it. We're just friends."

"What did you say?" he asked her with wide eyes and a wide smile.

"Brady and I are just friends."

"No, not that. Before that."

"What did I say?" she asked him curiously.