Rose

Chapter Eleven

Rose felt funny being back in Nashville.  Since it was so close to her hometown, she had spent a lot of time here on the weekends when she was off work and she could get away.  She had explored the city from one end to another, the good side and the bad side of town.  So, when Josh asked her to show them the city, she was puzzled for a moment.

"There isn't time.  You guys don't have time to be running around Nashville..."

"We do it so well, they added a second show," said Sammy.

"Do what so well?" Rose asked and as one they answered, "Rock and roll!"

This was good news for the guys, but not so good news for Rose.  The longer they stayed in Nashville, the more likely they would run into someone she knew.  And that someone would invariably call her mother.  Rose had wanted to see her, to see how she was, and to find out if she was still with Steve.

"I don't know, guys..." and Josh took her in his arms and kissed her, which wasn't unnoticed by Jake.  "C'mon, darlin', you know you want to," said Josh as he stared into her eyes.  She knew he was referring to making love, and damn it, she did want to!  She cast a glance at Jake and he shook his head slightly.  She returned her gaze to Josh and kissed him murmuring, "Very soon."

Josh smiled wide and said, "Then you'll show us the town?"

"Yes, but Josh, it's like two..."

"And I meant tomorrow.  We have to go and do sound checks and make sure everything is to our liking.  Tomorrow, we're off."

Great another day for her to be here.  She was sure if she told Josh, he would send her on, but she didn't want to look like a wuss, so she said nothing.  Time to bite the bullet and see her mother.  But first, a call.

She was so busy with her own thoughts, she didn't notice that Jake had stayed behind when the others had left.  When she realized she was alone with him, she said, "This is not a good idea, Jake."

"You don't love Josh," he stated flatly.

"I don't know if I love him or not, I don't know him well enough to say."

"Have you slept with him?"

"Twice," Rose quipped.

Jake surprised her when he suddenly took her in his arms and held her tight.  She struggled for all of ten seconds then her arms came around him too.  "Sleep with me," he whispered and Rose wanted to have him take her right there on the floor.  But she kissed him lightly and with some difficulty moved back.

"That's the problem, Jake.  You want to sleep with me and Josh cares about what I want."

"I care, Rose.  I think it was maybe love at first sight for me.  I...I'm thinking about breaking up with my girl.  But I have to know how you feel, is there a chance for us?"

Rose looked shocked.  "Jake Kiszka!  Don't you tell me these things!  I will not be the reason you break up with her!"

"And aren't we conceited?  FYI Rose, I've been thinking about it for a long time now."

"Oh great and I just happen to be the catalyst for your momentous decision, right?  And what's the difference between me and her?  Or any other girl?  I won't sleep with you, that's what."

"Not true and not fair!  I told you that I'm in love with you, Rose!"

"You are in lust with me, Jake.  And I guess it's only fair seeing as how I'm in lust with you too.  But what I have with Josh, that's real.  So, no, Jake I will not sleep with you."

He started to say something but changed his mind and closed his mouth.  Then Jake turned and left, closing the door softly behind him.

Rose took a deep breath.  She could smell him.  And her heart ached for him.  But when she thought of Josh her heart leaped with a silly joy.  Was it possible for Rose to be in love with two men?  She had no one to talk to about this.  Normally she would talk to Josh, but since one of the men was Josh, she couldn't talk to him.  And she certainly couldn't talk to anyone associated with the show.

Rose sighed and wondered what she was going to do?  And they were brothers!  Twins!  She couldn't come between them.  This was hopeless.  Rose put the Kiszka brothers out of her mind though it was difficult for her. And then she decided to call her mother.

She pulled her cell from her pocket and saw she was at one percent.  Oh, balls.  She rummaged in her bag and found her charger.  As she connected the charger to the phone, she noticed the wire.  It looked as though it had been chewed and there were tiny wires sticking out.  Oh, no.  But it was as she had feared, the charger was dead.  She would have to use the hotel's phone.

As soon as she finished with the hassle of setting up the phone, Rose plunked down on her bed and taking a deep breath, dialed her mother.  She listened to the phone ring once, twice, a third time, and then, "Hello?"  For a panicked moment, Rose almost hung up.  Then she said, "Hello, Mom."

"Rose?  My God, Rose!  Where are you?"

"Around, Mom.  I've got a job and I'm doing well.  You don't have to worry about me."

"Rose, what happened here the night you left?  I came home and Steve told me some wild story about you attacking him.  He had some nasty scratches down his cheek and he had two ice packs, one on the back of his head and the other on his groin!  What did you do?"

"Did Steve leave out the part where he tried to rape me?"

"Don't be silly Rose.  Steve would never do that!  Maybe it was just a misunderstanding on your part..."

"No, Mom, I didn't misunderstand anything!  And it had been going on a long time before then!  I tried to tell you, several times, but you didn't want to hear it.  It was all about Steve and apparently it still is!"

"Rose, just tell me where you are.  I have caller ID, I have the phone number.  I don't want to have to trace it down, but I will.  I just want you to come home, Rose..."

Rose hung up the phone.  Her mother would forever be taking Steve's side.  She would just have to swallow this bitter pill.  Rose was well and truly on her own.  Well, she had been on her own for a long time now, and she would survive this.  At least her mother knew she was alive and well.  And hungry.

Rose didn't want to go to the show tonight.  Violet could deal with whatever came up.  Rose grabbed her bag and her keys.  The phone was dead so she left it.  Tomorrow, while she was playing tour guide, she would stop in a store that specialized in cell phones and get another charger.  She went down to the small restaurant connected to the hotel.

She was seated almost immediately and in short order, Rose was eating a serving of pot roast and sipping on iced tea.  She didn't want to think about her mother or her love life so she pulled a tattered and dogeared paperback from her bag.  'To Kill a Mockingbird' one of her very favorite novels.

Rose soon became engrossed in the book and while she ate and read she didn't see the stranger watching her from a few booths away.  It was simply blind luck that he'd come in for a drink.  Steve licked his fleshy lips.  This little bitch had it coming to her and he was damn well gonna give it to her.  Whether he left her alive or not, well they'd just have to see, wouldn't they?