She didn't even wait until he was at the door, but ran towards him, jumping into his arms, and started kissing him fervently as if she was about to drown otherwise, as if she had been missing him for years. He was surprised for a millisecond, then he immediately wrapped his arms around her and buried his fingers in her hair, pulling her even closer. As he gently pushed her towards the house, she ripped open his shirt, threw back her head and closed her eyes as he longingly kissed her neck.
Finally they had made it inside and closed the door behind them. He lifted her up, still hopelessly lost in the depth of their kiss that left them completely breathless, and carried her to the kitchen where he sat her down on the kitchen counter. He was right... and the thought sent a shiver down her spine like an electric shockwave. They still had some unfinished business here from this morning.
On their way to the shower, they passed by the photograph of Bob Marley that he had given her. He stopped and smiled. „You found it?"
„I did", she gave him a gentle, playful slap on his arm, „You shouldn't have, Jordane. That's crazy! It's too much. I can't accept it."
He grinned. „Really? You already put it up on your wall? And I gotta say, it looks pretty perfect there."
She laughed and rolled her eyes at him. „You know what I mean!"
„Well, baby", he put his arms around her waist, pulled her closer and rested his forehead against hers to look her deep in the eyes, „I really wanted to give you something, what else should I have bought you, flowers maybe?"
He raised an eyebrow, she had to laugh and took a quick look around her house, nearly every nook and cranny filled with flowers and gifts from her fans.
„I wanted something special, something with meaning. I want you to have it. It looks much better here than it did at my place. Plus, if the past few days are any indication, I'm about to spend much more time here than at home anyways, so like that at least I have the chance to look at it whenever I want to."
She felt her heart dance in her chest and a broad smile appeared on her lips as she nodded in agreement. „Whenever you want to... that sounds fair. That sounds better than fair. Anytime. You know that, right? No matter what. Anytime."
He nodded, touched by her words, bent down and kissed her.
***
„Hey, buddy!", his older brother Donovan, who was living in New York, but currently stayed at his place over Easter, stood in the kitchen, and poured himself a cup of freshly brewed coffee as Jordane came back home the next morning. „I'm... kinda getting a feeling you didn't sleep here last night."
He smiled dreamily. „That's right, I didn't."
„So what happened? All I know is that when I went to take a shower yesterday night you were sitting on the couch playing your video game and when I came back you were gone."
„Let's say I had a change of heart... and I had to go see someone."
„Right. Someone... The same someone you kept texting all day yesterday with that wacky smile plastered all over your face?" He teasingly pulled his little brother's ear as he passed him to sit down on the couch, resting his feet on the chair next to him.
Jordane had blushed and dropped his gaze to the floor. There it was again, that wacky smile.
„And if I may have one last guess", asked Donovan, „A someone with a vagina?"
„Yes! Okay? Alright. Yes, I was with a woman."
„Man, why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?? I gotta meet her, I'm your brother!"
„No, you don't! And she's not my girlfriend. We're just... having fun. Like, a lot, but nothing more."
„So this has been going on for a while?"
„Not really, just for a few days. Feels like much longer though."
„She pretty? Sexy?"
„Oh, brother... you have no idea. She's the most beautiful and sexy woman I've ever met, I'm not kidding! And so much more. She drives me absolutely crazy."
„Tell me, I wanna know everything!"
„Nope. A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."
„Awww, man! Why don't you bring her over? You got a picture?"
„I do. But... no chance!"
„Why not?"
„Because, it's none of your business! It's nothing serious, so..."
He found a cold slice of pizza in a box next to the fridge, took it and sat down on the couch next to Donovan.
„Ah, well then... anyway. That's good then, I was almost getting worried for Keisha. She's so excited to see you again today, would have broken her heart if in the meantime you'd have gotten yourself some Hollywood bunny. I hope you left something in the tank for your girl."
„My girl?"
„Well, Keisha!", he stressed again, „You guys can't keep your hands off of each other whenever you're together."
„Oh, right. But this time... I don't know. I don't think so."
„Oh, come on! Don't do this to her! If it's nothing serious with that chick from yesterday, as you said."
„Still, I don't want to, okay? Keisha... That was back in high school, I haven't seen her in forever. She's a sweet girl and we've had good times, but... that's over. I'm sorry if she has different expectations. But I've moved on. Nothing's gonna happen. Not with Keisha or anybody. There's someone else now..."
„Someone who comes before anyone else? Even though it's ‚nothing serious', as you say?"
„Yeah. Even though."
„So... this mystery woman of yours is now your ‚bae', huh?"
Jordane looked at his brother, and even though he had just been pretty annoyed by this conversation, he now had to smile and nodded. „Yeah, actually, that's a good way to put it! She's my bae."
***
„You go sit down, I make us some tea", Lana disappeared in the kitchen, Trish followed her to sit down by the kitchen counter and keep her company.
They had just come back from spending Easter Sunday with Lana's mother Dolores and her aunt Candy at her house. Then Trish had decided to end the night at Lana's because she had a feeling that there still was something her friend was dying to tell her.
Trish looked around and laughed. „Wow, your fans are really something else, I thought you were joking."
„No, I wasn't! It's unbelievable, isn't it? It's such a shame that I can't enjoy all these beautiful flowers one after the other. I'd have flowers for years!"
„True... and that over there", she pointed to the Bob Marley picture, „That's new too, no? Is that a fan gift as well?"
She smiled. „No. It was a gift. But, from someone else."
Trish didn't respond. She had a feeling this someone else would become the main topic of the conversation very soon, without her needing to push for it. She knew someone very special must have entered Lana's life, she had an undeniable feeling about it.
„I'm so sorry I barely reached out and wasn't in touch at all lately", said Lana, „I wasn't being a very good friend."
She shook her head. „Don't worry about it, you had your reasons, I assume?"
„Yes", she said with a small voice as she was pouring the tea and sat down opposite of her friend. She took a spoon and started to stir, even though there was neither milk nor sugar in her tea, „I met someone..."
Trish smiled and nodded knowingly. There it was! „I see."
„Well, I didn't really meet him just now, I've known him for a bit, he works with me on ‚Why Women Kill', he's in my cast. We've always gotten along really well, but... something happened between us."
„He gave you the picture?"
She nodded. „I saw it hanging in his house. His parents are from Jamaica. He knew I love Bob Marley."
„And you've been spending a lot of time with him?"
She nodded again. „The first time we, let's say, connected... and I don't mean just physically, but also emotionally, spiritually even, was on Wednesday after work. And we've been together for most of the time ever since. He has spent the last... one, two... four nights here with me. And we were together all day on Good Friday", she smiled and told her about the day they had had with her dogs and at the amusement park, „We were supposed to spend yesterday together too, but I completely forgot that Sean and Bex would be coming over for brunch! I was just making him pancakes that I had been promising him for days when they rang while we were just about to..."
She looked over at the spot on the kitchen counter where they had been when her friends had interrupted them. A single chocolate chip cookie was lying there, left over from brunch. Trish reached for it, but Lana took it first and threw it away. „Yeah, I wouldn't eat that one if I were you... I just had sex on there yesterday. I'll get fresh ones."
She got up to take the cookie jar out of the pantry and put it down between them. She reached inside for one and began to chew.
„So I had to send him home... I didn't think that he'd come back later, but I missed him so much! And guess what, when I called him to tell him, he was already in front of my house. It's so crazy. It's like we're connected on a whole different level. And last night", she smiled, „it was so beautiful... romantic. We spent the night outside, we had a little campfire, we made s'mores, we built a fort around the sun beds, we made love under the stars. It's just... everything is magic with him, you know? Everything is light and bright and spontaneous and easy somehow."
Trish had listened mindfully, nodding every once in a while. „Wow... that sounds amazing! He sounds like a dream come true?"
„Well, in a way he is... in a way."
„And I have to say, he does almost sound like the exact opposite of Fred. Like an anti-Fred."
Lana squeaked and laughed. „Oh my God, you're so right! He IS like an anti-Fred. He really is. His whole personality, he's introverted and calm, sensitive and humble and a bit shy. He's a true gentleman... not that Fred wasn't, but..."
„... A very different kind of gentleman."
„Yeah. He even looks like the exact opposite of Fred. Hang on, look, I'll show you."
She took her phone and scrolled through the pictures she had taken of him and of them together. Then she showed one to her friend, Jordane was smiling into the camera, sitting on top of the ferris wheel, the sun setting behind him on the horizon.
Trish gaped at the sight. „Holy cow!! That's your guy?"
Lana bit her bottom lip and nodded, trying to hide a proud smile. She scrolled through some more pictures to show her: Jordane looking out at the sea, lost in thought, playing at the arcade, playing with Levi, then she showed her a few selfies of them together, both smiling at the camera, smiling at each other, kissing...
„Oh, and wait, one more... I'm sorry, I don't want to reduce him to his looks in any way, but, I mean... come on, just look at this!"
She had found the picture she was looking for, turned around her phone and held it up for Trish to see. It showed Jordane lying in bed, apparently naked, the bedsheets stopping just above his groin area to make it somewhat modest, but his perfect upper body was fully visible to be admired, his dark skin still glistening from sweat. He smiled into the camera between long, dark lashes, his eyes half closed, exhausted but happy, satisfied.
„Oh, wow!! He's a super model. Phew!", Trish had to fan herself some air, „You should have served iced tea with that one! What a handsome man, you should blow that up as a poster. And... I assume you took this just after you guys had finished..."
„Yep... yep, indeed." She put her phone away.
„And I guess, sex with him is not too shabby?"
„It's out of this world. Honestly", she sighed, „I'm not kidding. It's an almost spiritual experience. Him and I, we're just... perfect together. For me, at least. I don't know for him, but... for me, I think it's the best I've had. Seriously."
„Awww, Lana, that's amazing!", Trish reached out for her hand and squeezed it tight, „I'm so happy for you! You so, so deserve to be happy and in love again, and with a man who treats you right. But, I have a feeling there's something holding you back?"
„Of course. You may have already guessed it from seeing him on the pictures. He's young. Very young. He's 28."
„I see... and that's a problem for you?"
„Well, I don't mind sleeping with him. But anything else? Something more serious? I don't know. That would be madness!"
„Why?"
„Well... why not? Ask Sean and Bex they gave me the whole lecture yesterday. Gosh, I got so pissed at them at some point."
„What did they say?"
She waved it off. „Oh, whatever, they just said really mean things about him, made fun of him and made accusations in the direction of him being a gold digger of some sort and not being genuine with me, and Bex kept calling him my ‚fuckboy'."
„Is he not?"
„What?"
„Your fuckboy. I mean, you do..."
„Yes, of course we do, but still..."
„No no, I agree. He's much more than that, isn't he? A fuckboy you wouldn't introduce to your new puppy, he wouldn't give you a gift like that Bob Marley picture, and you wouldn't cook him pancakes. But then, if he's not your fuckboy, what is he?"
Lana reached for another cookie and took a deep breath, then threw her hands up in the air in surrender. „I don't know! And to be honest I don't care. I don't care for labels. Why does he need a title, why does everyone keep bugging me about that? He's a guy I care about and I really like spending time with, during the night as well as during the day, isn't that good enough? I just don't want to get in too deep with something that could end up hurting me. He's a young handsome guy, he will find someone else eventually, probably soon, someone his age, of course he will. I'm very well aware of that. And I probably should end this sooner rather than later, before it's too late. But I can't help it, I'm absolutely crazy about this man, Trish!"
„And how about him? How does he feel about you? Do you know? Have you talked about it?"
She shook her head and kept silent for a while, then she got up, walked over to the kitchen table, took the note he had written her along with the picture and handed it to Trish to read.
After a while, Lana asked: „Do you remember what you said to me, the first time I showed you a picture of Fred?"
Trish nodded. „I said this one is going to end badly and he's going to break your heart."
„And I thought you were crazy, I was quite angry about that for a very long time. But eventually, he did... So what about him?", she showed her again one of the photos she had taken, he held her in his arms and smiled at her, the sweetest, happiest, proudest smile, „Is he going to break my heart too?"
Trish looked at the picture and shook her head. „No, I don't think so. You're going to break his. Because you're going to self-sabotage into thinking whatever made up stuff it is that you're imagining. But this man on that picture, he loves you. He may not know it yet, but he will realize it soon. And he's a good soul, a true soul. He would never hurt you."
She put her phone down. „You're not helping, you're aware of that?"
Trish laughed. „What do you want me to say? He's a phony, forget about him? And what then? Could you, even?"
„No... No, I probably couldn't."
„So then. I only have one more question for you: what are you still doing here? You should go to him! With everything you told me about your past few days, you've already spent way too much time apart. Maybe he's in for a little Easter egg himself? Why don't you surprise him? Something sweet... or sexy."
Lana looked at her and started to think. Again, they initially had planned to spend the night apart, stay strong and not give in to each other this time. But then again, if they were just happier together, why should they force themselves to be miserable? For what? What would they prove by staying away from each other? And to whom? Trish was right, that didn't make any sense.
Her heart already started beating faster in anticipation as she finalized her plan in her head. Then she said: „I think I got an idea..."