XIX. The other Jess
She was stripping in front of me. Like I’m a girl or gay.
Jess’: Could you be decent?
Jess: No. Talk.
Jess’: Okay. I set up roses, post-its with love notes, candles. I even baked her favorite mousse cake I just learned.
Jess: You might be gay you know. Only gays do that.
Jess’: I’m a helpless romantic. Shut up and listen. Then she called me. I was still there in her house. I just finished setting up. She told me, they got back together.
Jess: Who? Who!
Jess’: My best bud.
Jess: Damn, you’re cursed.
Jess’: I think of that sometimes.
Jess: Well, then?
Jess’: I threw everything. I panicked, got a bag of trash, and trashed everything. Her siblings who were in favor of me were disappointed.
I stayed out in the car, near her house. They came. Went up the room. They turned off the lights.
Jess: Oh, she’s slutty too.
Jess’: Cut it out....
...I never had the chance.
Jess: You always had the chance. We all do. You just didn’t take it while you had. We always wanted the perfect timing and all that shit. But we forget there’s no such thing as perfect. We have to risk. You didn’t.
Jess’: I’d lose her if I did.
Jess: It is the same as what you are now. The only difference is you lost.
Jess’: I’ll never win.
Jess: You could if you tried. Then, you’ll know if you really had the chance. Now, you’ll just wait for her to need you again. You’ll never have her.
Jess’: How old are you? 80? Love guru?
She smiled at me.
Jess: Is that the end.?
Jess’: Yes. There’s Sky’s birthday coming up. We’re like a group. The only problem is Angel and Sky became really close and she’s going with her boyfriend.
Jess: That’s sad. Want to get her back?
Jess’: Got any idea how?
Jess: Make her jealous.
Jess’: What…? You..? No!
Jess: Want her or not?
Jess’: I do.
Jess: Trust me. I’ve seen this before.
Jess’: Where? Chick flicks?
She growled. She opened her mac.
Jess: Show her to me.
Jess’: You sure about this?
Jess: You got nothing to lose. You already lost.
