Rose

Chapter Eight

Rose took her arms from around Josh quickly.  She looked from one Kiszka brother to the next.  "Nothing is going on, Jake," she said.  But the bulge under Josh's towel could not be missed.  Jake looked pointedly at Josh and he turned around coloring somewhat.  "It's morning and I can't help it," said Josh.

Jake huffed disgusted and left the bathroom going to sit on his bed.  A few seconds later Rose came out and headed for the door, closing the bathroom door behind her.  She didn't look at Jake and had just reached the door when he said, "I didn't mean to interrupt you and Josh, but you could have woken me, at least been comfortable, instead of standing in the bathroom."

Rose turned around and glared at Jake.  "For your information, Jake Kiszka, I wasn't doing anything with Josh.  We went into the bathroom to talk because you were still asleep.  And I hugged him because he's my friend.  What his body did, I had no control over.  It certainly wouldn't have gone any further.  And what's it to you anyway?  Don't..."

"Yes, damn it, I have a girlfriend!  Everyone does not have to keep reminding of that fact!"

"Apparently, we do," said Rose as she walked out the door.

Rose was very concerned.  Something was happening to Jake and it confused her.  Jake was acting jealous of her, even around Josh.  She knew he missed his girl but didn't she come and visit him sometimes?  And they were constantly filmed together when Jake was home? So what was wrong with Rose hugging Josh, even if he was wearing a towel?  Josh had no girl, even if Angel thought she was his, and besides, Rose had no intention of getting involved.

Rose hurried to the sewing room and found Violet already there.  Did the woman sleep here?  "We got new stage clothes to make, it seems everyone loved Jake's jacket. So warm up those fingers Missy, it's about to get real."

Rose sewed until noon and she thought her fingers would fall off because of the embroidery, but she finally got up and stretched.  Violet looked up from the sewing machine.  "And where do you think you're going?"

"To get some food and to the bathroom, if you don't mind,"  retorted Rose.

"Well, make it snappy!  We don't have a lot of time here."

Rose rolled her eyes.  "Do you want anything?"  Violet thought it over and asked Rose to get her a turkey club and a coffee if they had it.  Personally, Rose thought Violet had too much coffee percolating through her veins but to each his own.

Rose made her way to the buffet and found various stagehands, roadies, toadies, and some groupies who had managed to roll out of bed before two or three.  She settled for a salad, made Violet's sandwich and wrapped it tight, then she sat down to eat her own lunch.

She closed her eyes.  It had already seemed a long day and she was sure her eyes were bloodshot.  They felt tired and scratchy.  All that embroidery she knew.  Her eyes blinked open, saw Josh at the buffet, and closed again.  Maybe he wouldn't see her.  But he did and made a beeline for her table.

"Hi, mind if I sit here?" Josh asked and Rose said, "No, not at all."  But did she?  She honestly couldn't say.  Josh pulled out a chair beside her and took a seat.  He had a plate filled high with wings and ribs.  "What happened to watching the girlish figure?" Rose asked with a smile.

"We got postponed a day.  Don't have to perform until tomorrow night.  Didn't Violet tell you?" Josh asked as he started in on his wings.

"No, no she didn't, she put me straight to work.  She made it seem urgent."

"Yeah, Violet can be intense.  She's the balls though."

"And that's a compliment?"

Josh swallowed, took a swallow of beer, and grinned.  "The biggest."