Free Love, Lies & The D.A. by Rebecca Rohman Page A

“Ready to go?”
    “Sure.”
    The
server arrives with the bill. After an argument with Bobby, I eventually
succeed in paying it. We proceed to leave, but on the way, Bobby excuses
himself to head to the bathroom. He tells me to wait for him at the bar, which
is towards the opposite end of the room.
    A jazz
quartet plays. They’re playing one of my favorites—Nature Boy. I grab a seat at
a cocktail table and listen. A server comes by, and I order a digestif for
myself. I think Bobby will prefer a glass of pinot noir.
    Moments
later, the server returns. It’s getting crowded in the room, and ten minutes
later, when Bobby is still M.I.A., I call his cell.
    “Hello,”
he answers.
    “Where
are you? I ordered you a glass of wine and saved you a seat.”
    “I’m
making my way through… I was giving Mr. Asshole some time to make his
move.”
    I’m so
glad he’s not in front of me, because I can’t seem to stop blushing.
    “Stop
being ridiculous and get over here…” I say, ending the call. I can’t suppress
my enormous smile.
    He
arrives soon after. The band is fantastic. Many people gather round to listen,
and soon, the room is packed. We stay for over an hour. It would continue to be
enjoyable if it weren’t for one or two rambunctious drunkards. We agree to
leave.
    We
walk. Bobby’s ahead of me, and as I am nearing the exit, a woman trips near the
bar. A man is standing near her, but as she falls, she knocks the glass of red
wine he holds out of his hand, and it lands straight on my dress, my cream
cashmere dress .
    The
stain runs all the way from the top to the bottom.
    Don’t
get upset. It was an accident.
    “Oh
gosh. I’m so sorry,” he says.
    I look
up to see none other than Mr. Asshole in front of me.
    “Jada.
I’m sorry.”
    “It’s
not your fault,” I reply coolly.
    The
woman then stands and apologizes. She’s giggling, and it’s at that point I
realize she’s drunk. A waiter comes to my assistance and suggests water or club
soda, but as this is cashmere and it should only be dry-cleaned, I already know
this dress is finished.
    “You
know what, don’t worry about it,” I say.
    “Are
you sure, Miss?”
    “Yes.
I’m fine. Thanks,” I reply.
    I head
out of the door to meet Bobby, who’s awaiting me in the foyer, and I hear my
name from behind. It’s him, again.
    “Jada,
I’m so sorry about this. Please, let me at least pay to have it cleaned.”
    “Jonathan,
that really isn’t necessary. It wasn’t your fault. If you want to help, just
make sure your friend doesn’t have any more to drink. Otherwise, you’ll be
paying a lot of people’s cleaning bill tomorrow.” I realize that might have
come off slightly harsh. I smile softly. “Thanks for offering, though. I’m
sorry; I have to go. Someone’s waiting on me.”
    “Wait,”
he says, stepping closer towards me. “I want to apologize for what I said to
you last weekend. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
    “You
didn’t,” I lie. “I guess I might have crossed the line too. I’m sorry.”
    “So we
can be civil again?”
    “Sure.”
    “We’re
calling it a truce?”
    “Why
not… We’ll see some other time. I have to go. Have a good night.”
    I walk
away, and I can feel his eyes on me, but I never turn to look.
     
    *    
*     *
     
    She
looks beautiful tonight, but I’m certain since I last saw her, she’s lost a few
pounds. I didn’t expect her to be so polite. For a short second, her rude mouth
did make its presence known, but that didn’t last very long. I’m glad I got the
opportunity to clear up the bad air between us.
    It is
good to see her out with her brother. He must be. He looks like a male version
of her but taller with broader shoulders. They share the same hazel eyes. I
wonder if I would have seen what seems to be the obvious resemblance had Dad
not told me that he was with her. I shrug off the thought.
    I suppose
over here she can live a somewhat normal life and not be bothered by