❘❙❚ ISSUE #27 ░░░░ VOL. 5
❛ FIRST DATE ❜ ┆🌹
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Rosie had tried to stick to the established routine to achieve the academic excellence that an institution like Harvard demanded from its hyper-selective students. She would wake up very early to have a sweetened coffee with a good piece of chocolate cake for breakfast, which significantly boosted her spirits. Immediately, she would take her notes, spend the entire morning on a study tour starting in her study, continuing through the dining room, and ending on the balcony. She would create a questionnaire for herself on the topics she was learning, reviewing it the next day, allowing the concepts to solidify in her mind. That was her morning routine; at noon, she avoided touching books. It was her favorite time because she would cook a substantial lunch, but then her private tutor would arrive to catch her up on math and exact sciences.
Rosie was polite and disliked causing negative feelings in people, but since Steve knocked on her door and confessed his love, she couldn't get him out of her mind. It was the only thing she thought about day and night. She forgot what she was studying instantly, and her performance suffered noticeably. When she started a new text, her mind would inexplicably wander to why.
She blamed herself; perhaps the 'living room' only served to introduce her to the pain of unrequited love. She didn't feel like she learned anything, well, nothing beyond knowing how to control tantrums, but now that she wouldn't have a husband or children, what tantrums would she control? Could it have been her lack of socialization that prevented her from seeing Steve's affection? Or perhaps, Steve was a brilliant magician who hid it under his hat; either way, her mind had once again drifted off into the clouds, without any self-evaluation questions, and she had asked a hundred and one questions about Steve, all of them unanswered.
Rosie could rely on her friends and let them guide her. Nancy and Robin had visited her last weekend; they had to see her new apartment and catch up on each other's lives.
"I love your apartment, Rose. It's beautiful," commented Nancy, running her fingers over some porcelain vases given to her by a fan. "I really like the green sofa; it goes so well with your pine furniture. This place is infused with its scent. I'm going to steal the idea, but I think we should change the color of the dining room wall at home. Orange and green just don't seem to match."
"I've tried to be as true to myself as possible. I love green, no mystery there. Want to come to the balcony? I've set everything up for tea, and I baked some delicious cinnamon cookies."
The balcony was her favorite spot. She had been lucky to find an apartment near the campus that she could own without too many requirements, even though the rent cost her an arm and a leg. Her assets could handle it for a couple of years. She had turned it into an extension of the house on the military base; her dreamy balcony. She had made it look like the garden of a queen in a fairy tale, where tree trunks could magically transform into tables and chairs, and flowers and plants adorned perfect walls with small flashes of color in the petals. Compliments filled the air, and tea time was more enjoyable than ever.
"Have you seen how changing your surroundings has done you good, Robin?" Nancy said, patting her leg. "You have no idea how these months have been because of the newspaper," she laughed.
"And I have plenty of reasons! My boss drives me crazy; he thinks I'm his servant. 'Robin, did you bring the ink bottles? Robin, get me a coffee, please. Robin, come read this article I wrote with my marvelous mind.' Oh, please, what an impossible man. I'm tempted to throw a typewriter at his head. I'm hired as a columnist, not to cater to him."
"Complaining isn't an option, right?" Rosie asked.
"Honestly, no. The pay is good, and not many places accept a woman as a columnist. This gives me an idea to explore: 'live to work or work to live,'" Robin thought. "I like the idea of examining how time spent on work implants in the brain as a burden, a feeling of hatred, or satisfaction. For example, Nancy, you enjoy working on our crops and making clothes to sell at the fair, and you also help Dr. Samuel in his office."
"I wouldn't say it's a burden or hatred, no, not at all. I take it as entertainment. I know our crops provide us with food, and a few extra dollars don't hurt, but I don't feel obligated, and I really like the flexibility. Do you remember what it was like working on the base?" she murmured to emphasize her excitement. "My hands were trembling by the end of the day from the stress. Dealing with all those doctors, soldiers, and kids with superpowers."
"And if you messed up, they'd shoot you in the head," Robin concluded.
"But the savings we have are nice," Nancy said.
"Yeah, they look good," there was a brief silence before Robin spoke again. "And you, Rose, what's up? You're quiet. What's going on?"
And then she spilled everything.
"Is this a joke, Rose Harrington?" Robin exclaimed, as if she were the one with a secret admirer for years. "I'm going to kill you... wiping away tears for the tantrum-throwing man and dressing up nicely for your first date with a prince!"
"Oh!" Nancy stood up and began pacing back and forth. "I love it. It's like a fairy tale: after the storm comes the prince charming. Like Snow White! Rose had to go through hell to have her happily ever after. Steve is beautiful, a true gentleman. Do you remember, Robin, when he couldn't lift a muscle, and we found him crying under some weights? And we had to pull him out with straps because, damn it, who lifts 40 kilos with porcelain arms?"
"Oh, that day I fell in love with a man for the first time. I thought that if I could get someone like him, I'd accept the belly with the parasite and the magazine of perfect soaps for large families."
Both girls burst into laughter, taking Rosie's immense dilemma lightly.
"Girls!" Rosie called them, sounding distressed.
"You're going on that date, Rose Harrington!"
Nancy and Robin served only to show her what to wear on her hair, the appropriate clothing for every possible date scenario, and even took the trouble to teach her how to apply makeup to highlight her best features. They hadn't stopped talking about all the positive things Steve had going for him, but Rosie could only think negatively, starting with the not-so-discreet detail that Steve Fort was her ex-partner's brother, and her ex-partner would kill him if he found out. It was a certainty. Throughout the week, she had been trying to think of ways to cancel that date, but no excuse was sufficient to break a promise. She had already said yes, so she had no choice but to remember Robin and Nancy's advice and get ready for her date with just half an hour to spare.
The doorbell rang as she was putting on her loafers. She was in a very bad mood because none of her clothes fit well. She had gained weight in recent months; her breasts were larger than ever, and there wasn't a single dress that didn't make her look inappropriate. She hated her legs and swollen ankles, and there was no way to control her unruly hair. She combed and combed it, but it always ended up looking like a duster. She put on a little hat to disguise it and didn't even bother with makeup. Why even bother? She didn't want to see herself in the mirror; in fact, she avoided it a lot.
She opened the door, and there was Steve.
"Wow, Rose," Steve blushed, and she didn't know why that made her furious, "you look beautiful. These are for you," he handed her a bouquet of roses, deciding to take that complement as courtesy. She didn't feel beautiful.
"You look great too," she praised. He was dressed like a modern gentleman, what many women expect from the right man to marry. Good posture, ironed pants, neat hair, and a wide smile. "Where are we going?"
"I have the day planned; you don't have to worry about anything," he smiled and took her hands, "but first, I need to talk to you. I don't want to pressure you; I don't want you to do something you don't want to do. If you ever come to love me, I want it to be real. I know I said I would inject the V compound, and I shouldn't have said that. It's something we can figure out as a couple if we become one. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
"It's okay, Steve. I understand it's the fervor of your emotions. I'm relieved to know you won't do something foolish; I was worried."
"Do you promise me that today you'll forget all the past?"
How could she promise such a thing? She had tried to forget for months, turning her days into fantasies where she spoke with imaginary smiling students, retouched memories, and landscapes she had never seen. She lived in a fantasy, and every time she tried to believe it, she only remembered the loneliness in the living room, cold nights that improved when she heard a tap on her door, as if he knew she needed him, and suddenly, all the memories were bullets, and her mood dropped, and she couldn't get back up. Did she want to give it a try today with Steve?
"I'll give it a try."
She opened the car door for him, and they set off to a place in Massachusetts unfamiliar to her under the intense midday sun. Steve didn't talk much during the long journey, and Rosie didn't do anything to break the silence; her thoughts were already too strong, and any other stimulus would shatter her fake smile.
"Rose, are you there?" suddenly, she heard Steve's voice. "What do you think?"
Trying to pretend that she had followed the conversation went terribly.
"I'm sorry, Steve, I got a bit distracted. What were we talking about?"
"That's okay, I understand," he smiled, well, he had been smiling all the way. "See that house? It's my new home from now on." Rosie noticed they had stopped in front of a beautiful and spacious house in a neighborhood with other houses of grand facades and enough land for a complete family: from uncles to grandchildren. "My father gave it to me this summer."
"It's beautiful, Steve. Congratulations, although why here and not in Pennsylvania, where your father lives?"
"Well... I told him I would make my life in Massachusetts; here, I would find my wife," his confidence didn't go unnoticed; Rosie mumbled a smile. "We can see it later; first, we have a picnic waiting for us in the suburb square."
A picnic, she liked how that sounded. The place was beautiful; there was a lagoon surrounding the square, an area where children played on swings, a bridge where lovers strolled hand in hand and fed the fish. If Rosie could make a change, she would add more colors, some jacaranda trees to make everything more romantic or a rose garden. Oh, what the hell! She would do it right now. Right where Steve and Rosie had sat for their picnic, a jacaranda tree grew, quickly covering the ground in a violet carpet. Her mood improved.
"And tell me, Rose, how is your university life going? Have you made new friends? Are these little smarty-pants treating you well?"
"Not entirely yet; Poison Rose is still haunting me," she confessed. "I thought about changing my hair color; I could use a blonde wig and call myself Margaret. I think it would be easier for me to integrate with them and say more truths about myself and not the Vought nonsense."
"You should give them more time to get to know you. Why not organize a party?"
"A party?" Rosie queried, thinking about the idea; it didn't sound too bad.
"Yes, you can invite a group of students to your apartment, prepare a nice dinner, buy a couple of beers, and play a vinyl. You could get a pool table; you have space in your living room, and Rosie, let's be honest, you can make some really good cigarettes, 100% natural and of the best quality," they both laughed. "I think they are intimidated by your celebrity status and maybe a bit scared of your powers, but once they see that you are wonderful and a very normal woman, they will treat you like an ordinary person, and you might even become their friend."
"Do you really think I can do all that?" she asked uncertainly. "I don't know if I dare. I... I'm fine, you know? With the friends I have, I mean. Nancy and Robin have been my best friends for a long time; I love them a lot, and they are more than enough for me. I have you, and our relationship is very valuable and genuine, and I value something sincere and real, even if it's just a little. I wouldn't want to have many friends and not be able to trust any of them."
"I understand, Rose, I share your opinion, but it's always good to have friends, whether at school, university, or work. It makes everything easier to go through. Believe me."
"I believe you, Steve," she confessed. "It's true that I feel lonely most of the time, and I'm dying to experience university life. I would love to sit with them and talk about classes, or... whatever young people talk about nowadays. What if you do it? Organize a party, and I'll be there, socializing and smiling. I'll behave, be kind and helpful, ask Nancy and Robin for help to practice small talks, and I'll dress up nicely. I won't cause you any trouble."
Steve looked at her tenderly. "Rosie," he murmured with a beautiful smile. She noticed how the sun made his eyes shine a bright blue. "I can't do it for you; you have to do it, and you can do it. The soldiers loved you; you made real connections with them. Here, you can do the same. What I can do is accompany you."
"At least, would you help me organize it?"
It was a challenge then.
"Yes, but you're the host," he ordered. "You fought against the Nazis; you won the war. Are you going to be afraid of a party?"
Put that way, it seemed silly. The picnic went wonderfully. They talked about other topics involving the soldiers' weddings, and both received invitations, finding it a good idea to attend together. In fact, Rosie committed to many other meetings with him; she was going to see him much more often than she thought, and she didn't know how it made her feel. She always thought that advice like 'trust, perseverance, strength' was meant for friends. If she needed help preparing to speak in public, she would always turn to Nancy and Robin. Her ex-partner-who she refused to name even in thought-would never help her. In him, she sought comfort, to be rescued if everything went wrong, and to feel loved. In him, she sought solutions and new paths; it had always been like that. She usually didn't achieve anything on her own. Robin and Nancy had spent their entire lives trying to convince her otherwise, and Steve, too. Rosie preferred that he solve everything. However, her friends also made her feel loved and cherished. Nancy and Robin provided solutions to overcome her ex (some worked better than others), and now Steve offered solutions to improve her life at university. She now saw a significant difference. Her friends made her an integral part of the solution, while with her ex-partner, she wasn't even a piece. What if everything was upside down? What was the difference between a friend and a boyfriend? Can your friend be your boyfriend?
This question kept her restless all afternoon. Rosie planned to avoid it because the only way to find an answer was to remember why her first boyfriend became her boyfriend, and she had no desire to go back ten years and think about the first sensation that changed everything.
"Do you want to go dancing?" Steve asked, gathering the picnic items. "There's a community center here with various activities, one of them being a dance club. I was there yesterday, dancing with the grandmas; they really like my muscles. And if that doesn't convince you, there are chess tournaments on Fridays at 4, and it happens to be starting soon."
"Chess and dancing?" Rosie felt fully happy after a long time. "I love that idea. Do you dance?" Rosie looked at him like a detective to her first suspect.
"Of course! I'm a good dancer. There are many things you still don't know about me," he said, closing the car trunk. "The community center is a couple of blocks away. Do you want to walk? We can see the beautiful houses around here, and besides, the sun is beautiful today." Steve offered his arm.
Rosie accepted, finally giving him a chance to look at him differently.
Author's Note | 📬
Hello, I know it's been half a year since I last updated anything, and I apologize. The truth is, I've been very busy with studies and work, leaving me with no time for Toxin -although I have updated 'Lilith,' go check it out. I don't have inspiration issues; as I mentioned earlier, Toxin in my head is already finished. I hope to update more frequently 🥰
As always, please leave your votes and comments; it contributes a lot to my motivation to write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and in the next one, we'll continue with more of Steve and Rosie. Is there anything specific you'd like to read? What do you think of VOL 5?
Xoxo