The Silence

~16

 We all laugh at something Paul says while we sit in the dining room. It is nice to have the house full of people, friends. This is the first time we have had company over besides Whitney. Jude starts saying something in response to Paul and everyone laughs. Ebony walks around behind us all refiling our drinks.

 "Well I think you ought to marry her, Paul. If that rich girl is actually interested in you, you better take her." Whitney says.

 "Or she might change her mind and be sensible." Fred laughs, then everyone laughs.

 "I don't know, I'm just not ready for it I don't think. Lizzie, I think I want you to meet her." Paul looks at me.

 "Paul it wont do you any good if I meet her. If you like her, and she likes you, then of course by all means marry her." I say.

 "But I'd still like you to meet her."

 Kane goes on to joke with Paul when, suddenly, I feel Jude's arm go around my shoulder and rest on the back of the chair. He's finished eating, and as he sits there he picks up his glass all cool-like and takes a drink. No one even noticed his move. They are all busy finishing eating or laughing with Kane about Paul and his 'girl'.

 Later, when we've all gone into the living room again to laze about and talk, Jude sits next to me on one side and Whitney on the other. We're all talking about getting together again like this for Jude's twentieth birthday. "Of course, I'd love to have you all here! We could invite everybody. I've never entertained before, I think it is a great idea." I say smiling. Lenny goes on talking about what everyone would like to eat when Jude sets a hand on my thigh. All of a sudden I feel butterflies in my stomach; but the good kind of butterflies, not the ones that make you feel sick. These butterflies make me feel anxious in an excited way.

 Everyone leaves but Lenny, Whitney and Will, saying they'll stay an hour before curfew. Ebony is making his rounds of turning the clocks, and my favorite sound comes from them, singing the half hour warning. "Well, I guess we maybe should head on out." Lenny gets up from his chair. Whitney and Will follow his lead and get up. Jude lifts his hand from my thigh and takes my hand to help me up. I hug Whitney and walk beside her to go out to the car. The three guys follow in suit behind us, and Will goes up to the driver's side to drive home. Whitney opens the passenger's side and turns to me.

 "By the way, Lizzie, we need to have another get together soon, at your mama's place. That was fun, right?"

 "Yea it was!"

 "How about next Monday? I'm free then. I know it's the first of the month but I think we ought to make it a thing we always do."

 "Sure! Ha-ha, yea that sounds okay. I think Jude will be alright with it."

 Smiling, she g=hugs me again and then gets in. Lenny hugs me and gets in the back of the car, and Jude and I stand beside each other to watch them leave. "I really like them, all of them. They're nice people."

 "They are. I'm glad you get along with the friends I've knows for years." Both of us walk into the house and go back to the living room to help bring our cups to the kitchen, but we see Ebony must have already gotten them.

 "I'll be off duty now, Master Jude." Ebony walks past the door.

 "Alright, good night."

 "Night."

 Sighing, I smile at Jude and we start walking back to the entry way and up the stairs. We walk down the hallway together and right as I get to the door, Jude turns me around and kisses me. He's still kissing me when he opens the door and closes it behind him. Everything else that happens goes by in a blur. I can't remember who did what or how, but it did. It happened and then some. I never knew all that could transpire between two people when they really care for one another. And I did it. He did it. And I finally said the words I thought I might never say to him. It was dark, a little time after we were done.