The Eternity that Follows (22 page)

Josephine didn’t respond, taking mild offense to Sara’s
comment. Sara noticed, Josephine seemed offend, and so brought
the attention back to what the rest of the girls were doing the
morning she took the train home by herself. “Well I guess I can
excuse Gabriella for being off in la, la land with her dream man. I
also guess Jemma had a good excuse being in jail and all.” Sara
said, causing herself to laugh.
“Hey don’t laugh about that. I could be put away for years.”
Jemma said, worrying over her court date.
“How much did you guys get caught with?” Gabriella asked.
“Nothing!” Jemma replied. “They just have us on tape doing it.”
“Oh that can’t hold up in court.” Gabriella said. “Don’t they have
to run tests on the drugs before they can fully charge you?”
“Wait! They have cameras’ in the bathroom?” Sara asked
confused.
“We weren’t in the bathroom. Bruce knew some guy that led us
into VIP. Since no one was around, and we didn’t see a bouncer,
we just did it on the table.” Jemma said, as though doing a drug
that’s classified a felon out in the middle of a club were no big
deal.
“You’re crazy.” Josephine said, turning toward Jemma.
“Me? Your sleeping with the biggest dirt bag that ever walked into
a Mandala bar!” Jemma said, biting her tongue from saying, ‘next
to Joey,’ for Gabriella’s sake.
“You’re just jealous that Vinny didn’t want to sleep with you
again.” Josephine said, standing up for Vinny and her decisions for
sleeping with him
“Oh please, I’m getting a headache.” Sara noted.
“Well it’s true. Vinny said you were too loose for him.” Josephine
said, telling the truth.
“Me? He’s so small. Whatever if he said that insinuating I’ve
slept with a lot of guys then he should rethink himself. I can’t
believe you’d sleep with such a dirt bag.”
“You did.” Josephine reminded her.
“Oh My God, I’m going to dance you girls are really getting on my
nerves.” Sara said, getting up out of her bar stool and then heading
toward the dance floor.

Annoyed with the conversation herself, Gabriella followed
Sara over to the dance floor.
Jemma and Josephine continued to bicker over Vinny. The
truth was, unlike Gabriella, Jemma had tired sleeping with Vinny
again. Jemma had walked up to him last summer at the bar a few
times, flirting. Jemma tried to get Vinny to bring her home again,
he however had lost interest in Jemma after he realized that
Gabriella had different values toward sex. It was Jemma’s idea for
Vinny to take her home the night Gabriella turned him down.
Jemma claimed, Gabriella would get jealous and be sure to leave
with him the next time Vinny saw her out. Since Vinny realized he
lost his chance with Gabriella for doing so, he harbored a secret
hatred for Jemma.
“Are they still fighting?” Gabriella asked, turning Sara’s attention
from the dance floor over to Jemma and Josephine, whose
conversation seemed to be getting loud.
“Oh boy, maybe we should go over there.” Sara suggested. “You
know how Jemma can get, and she seems moments away from
swinging.” Sara said, making her way over to the girls while
Gabriella followed her.
“Will you girls stop it? You’re both being ridiculous. He’s not
worth it.” Sara said, pushing her body in the tight spot between
their bar stools, leaning her back against the bar. Gabriella stood
opposite of Sara, behind the middle of Jemma and Josephine’s
seats.
“Listen its Vinny, we all know how he is about hooking up with
girls.” Gabriella said, reluctant to get involved with anything that
had to do with Vinny. “Just forgot about him for the night so we
can all have some fun.”
“Hey I forgot about him last summer.” Jemma said, lying. “I just
don’t think that Josephine should have slept with a guy that I had
before her.” Jemma said, then wanting to put her foot in her
mouth.
All three of the girls looked at her with their chins down,
and their eyes centered on hers, with a ‘really’ kind of look.
“You’re kidding.” Sara said, as a statement. “Right your
kidding?”
“What?” Jemma said, acting dumb.
“You slept with him the night after Gabriella did.” Sara said,
forcefully.
“That’s the conversation we were just having.” Josephine said,
relived her girl friends were there to hear her side of the argument.
“Gabriella wasn’t interested in going after him.” Jemma noted,
pointing out the difference.
“Ok, so what? What does that have to do with Josephine sleeping
with him a year after you did?” Sara questioned.
“It doesn’t. I just didn’t turn him down okay. He turned me down
and I think Josephine could have respected that he’s a dirt bag and
none of us should have anything to do with him.” Jemma said.
Gabriella thought to mention how Joey shot Jemma down
as well, while pointing out how Jemma disapproved of them being
together, even before they were together, but decided it wasn't the
time. Feeling like she had been too quiet throughout the bickering,
Gabriella decided to speak up.
“I think he’s fair game.” Gabriella said, believing in her words. “I
mean, we know how he is and if Josephine doesn’t mind being a
booty call then we should all butt out, and let her live her own
life.”
“Fine.” Jemma said, growing tired of fighting. She didn’t care
Josephine was hooking up with Vinny as mush as she did care
Gabriella was marrying Joey. Jemma knew best to keep quiet on
that one, she had enough of the arguing with her friends for one
night.
“Can you girls just let it go?” Sara asked, taking Jemma’s ‘fine,’
meaning she were through with the conversation.
“I can.” Josephine said, just wanting to have a good time.
“Me too.” Jemma said.
Josephine then started to laugh, causing Jemma to laugh.
Sara looked at them both like they were crazy, whisking Gabriella
and herself back to the dance floor, while Josephine and Jemma
followed. The girls were dancing for a while, and Gabriella
excused herself to go outside when she noticed her phone lighting
up from inside her bag.
“My phone’s ringing, I’ll be right back.” Gabriella said into Sara’s
ear so she could hear her over the music.
Gabriella looked back, noticing the other girls questioning
Sara as to where she was going. Gabriella laughed at their
curiosity, and how into her business they both cared to be.
Gabriella answered her phone, while walking out the bar so
she wouldn’t miss Joey’s call. Moments later, she was outside.
“What? I can’t hear you go outside.” Joey said.
Gabriella heard him the moment she got outside and was
away from the music.
“I am outside silly.”
“Oh. Where are you?”
“What? Is that why you called?”
“Yes.” Joey said, laughing as he realized he was being over
protective.
“I’m at Starfall.”
“Oh. And are you having fun?”
“Actually, yes.” Gabriella didn’t want to lie. “I was just dancing
for a while.”
“Not with any guys I hope.” Joey said, showing Gabriella his
concern of her being away from him for the night.
“Nope, just with the girls.”
“Oh.”
“Josephine and Jemma got into a fight over Vinny. It was kind of
funny.” Gabriella said, thinking to share some of her night with
Joey.
“No kidding. That’s stupid.”
“Yes, me and Sara thought so ourselves. Jemma kind of pissed me
off a little.” Gabriella said, looking into the bar through the
window, making sure the girls were still dancing so she wouldn’t
get caught talking about Jemma. “Jemma said that Vinny should
be off limits because she slept with him.”
“Is she kidding? She slept with him after you.” Joey said, trying
to keep his voice low. He was at Gavin’s house and didn’t want to
be asked later what his comment was over.
“I know, but she said it was different because I didn’t go after him,
and she did and he shot her down.”
“Oh so Vinny shot her down after?”
“Appears so.” Gabriella said, in light of the conversation from
earlier. Gabriella hadn’t realized, Vinny had shot Jemma down, it
was new news to her.
“Oh, who cares? Just have a good time and let me know when
your heading home.” Joey said, trying to rush Gabriella off the
phone, because Josh had just walked into Gavin’s.
“And you? What are you doing?” Gabriella asked, not letting Joey
off the hook from telling her what his plans for the night were.
“Currently? Watching the NASCAR race. Josh just got to
Gavin’s, we’ll probably discuss it now.”
“All right well, just text me, if you boys go out.” Gabriella said, to
show her concern of Joey’s whereabouts.
“Oh you do care.”
“Of course, what do you think, I’d let you run wild.”
“Well, no.”
“Ok, I’ll talk to you later.”
“Ok, later.” Joey confirmed. “Oh and Gabriella, I love you” Joey
added in, as he purposely didn’t say so before he left the house.
“Aww.” Gabriella said, reluctant to say it back.
“Don’t you have something to say?”
“Love you too.” Gabriella replied, happily, hanging up the phone.

When Josh got to Gavin’s house, Gavin decided to stay in
the night with Sadie. Joey and Josh drove to Timber Tavern in
Candlewood in Josh’s corvette. When they arrived in the parking
lot, they noticed the bar was packed.
“What’s going on here tonight?” Joey questioned.
“I’m not sure. Let’s go in and find out.”
“I’m up for it.”
“Let’s do it.” Josh said, hopping out of his jeep.

When Joey and Josh got inside the bar, they realized that it
was Timber Taverns annual beach party. The bar laid plastic down
on the dance floor, covering it with sand. The bar goers attended
dressed in their beach attire. Many of the men were in beach
shorts and the women in their bathing suits. Joey took a look
around and felt uncomfortable.
“I don’t know if I want to be here man. It’s worse then a strip club
in here.”
Joey said, wondering if Gabriella would mind him being
around the women in their skimpy bikinis.
“Oh man I don’t know either, Anna would kill me. Ah what the
hell, just one drink.” Josh said, checking out the girls.
“All right man, if you say so.”

Joey and Josh went up to the crowded bar, which wasn't as
crowded as the dance floor. Joey and Josh were able to squeeze in
to order their drinks in an opening. They both ordered themselves
a beer and turned around for a place to go.
“Man this place is packed.” Joey said, after a girl in a string bikini
walked by him, shaking her ass for him as she passed, then looking
back to see if Joey was watching, which he made sure he wasn’t.
“Oh wow, did you see that?” Josh asked, commenting on the girl
that had just flirted with Joey. “Damn, the girls are all over you.”
Josh said, after another girl smiled and winked at Joey.
“I’m taken.” Joey said, glancing down at his ring tattoo.
“Oh man, over there.” Josh said, pointing to a few guys from
Joey’s high school football team. Joey spotted the group of guy
friends Josh pointed out.
“All right, let’s go over.”
Joey said, and he and Josh went over to
the group of guys that were all excited to congratulate Joey.
“Oh man, I can’t wait for your bachelor party and the strippers.”
Joey's friend, Todd said, when someone asked when it would be.
“I don’t know about that.” Joey said, unsure if he wanted strippers
at his bachelor party.
“Oh you got to have strippers.” Kyle, another friend of Joey's said.
“We’ll see.” Joey replied, then starting to wonder about Gabriella.

When Joey looked over to the dance floor, that was just a
few feet away, he noticed how the girls were dancing, and how the
guys were milling around watching. Joey then wondered if
Gabriella was still dancing and if the guys were watching. Joey
thought to text her, but when Joey looked at his phone, he already
had a text from Gabriella, it simply read,
‘Going from Starfall to Mackenzie’s for a few. You still at
Gavin’s?’

Joey quickly realized he was, supposed to text Gabriella
before he left Gavin’s. He texted her back, ‘me and Josh left a
little while ago, where at Timber Tavern in Candlewood. It’s
actually beach night.’

Joey prepared for the worse after he sent the the message.
He knew Gabriella was somewhat of a jealous girl from the night
they went to the club, when Gabriella didn’t want to hear any more
ex girlfriend stories for one night.
“Yo Joey, what are you doing man?” Josh asked.
“I was just texting Gabriella back.” .
“Gabriella? Man, look around.” Kyle said. Joey looked around.
“And?” He asked, as he knew Kyle saw him take a good look
around the bar.
“And damn, man you can have your pick of these girls.”
“Man. I’m faithful.”
“Good.” Todd said. “Gabriella’s hot, why would he want any of
these girls anyway?”
“Thanks man.”

Joey’s phone went off with another message from
Gabriella. Joey read the message,
‘oh’.

Joey knew right away his being at a beach party would
upset Gabriella. Then again, Gabriella was heading to
Mackenzie’s which she hadn’t mentioned earlier in her plans. Joey
thought to call her out on it but let is slide, because he didn’t want
to cause an argument between them. So he wrote back,
‘I didn’t know it was beach night before we came.’

When Gabriella read Joey’s text message, she was relived,
it hadn’t disturbed her, Joey was at Timber Tavern’s beach party.
What bothered her, is that she initially thought he had planned to
go there ahead of time. Gabriella was sick of the Mandala bars,
which she knew Joey was aware of. She would have wanted to
change her plans to go with him. Gabriella grew apprehensive
over Joey checking out girls, but decided to brush it off. After all,
she was the one that wanted a night out with her friends.

Gabriella drove by herself over to Mackenzie’s as a
precaution. She didn’t want to get stuck and not be able to get
back to her car, when she was ready to get home to Joey. Gabriella
responded to Joey’s text as she was parking the car.
‘I didn’t say anything.’

Gabriella got out of her car, and walked over to her friends
who parked a few spots down from her.
“I heard Vinny’s here.” Jemma said, getting out of the car first to
catch Gabriella up on what she missed from their car ride over.
“Really?” Gabriella asked, she could tell Jemma was still upset
over the situation, Gabriella felt bad for a minute, realizing Jemma
wasn’t jealous, just hurt. Gabriella couldn’t recall Jemma showing
her feelings like this before, so she tried to cheer her up.
“Don’t you have a boyfriend anyway?”
“Well. Yeah. It’s the principle.” .
“Just forget about him.” Sara said, getting out of the car and
assuming they were talking about Vinny. Josephine too got out of
the car, to fill Gabriella in on how excited she was.
“He said he came out to see me.” She told Gabriella, showing her
eagerness, and then she began walking toward the bar door, as
Jemma just sighed. Sara followed Josephine to the bar door while
Gabriella held back to speak to Jemma. Jemma and Gabriella
never discussed their situation with Vinny before.
“You know, I kind of know how you feel. You did the same thing
to me last summer.” Gabriella said, showing a side of her Jemma
had never seen before. Gabriella had the tendency of letting things
slide when they bothered her, rarely speaking her feelings to her
friends.
“But you didn’t want him that night.” Jemma replied, trying not to
sound defensive. She wanted to argue, she did nothing wrong.