-twenty-five

"The cake was lovely." Jenna smiled at the waitress as we got out of the coffee shop. "So what's next? I was thinking we could go over to the park. Enjoy the weather before it starts snowing. What do you think?"

"Sure," I smiled. "That's a good idea. I need the fresh air."

"So what's next?"

With knitted brows, I chuckled. "We're going to the park. We just said that."

"I mean with your living arrangements."

"Oh, come on, Jenna," I groaned and tipped my head backwards so I was facing the sky.

"Roxy, you can't live in a hotel forever."

She had her eyebrows together and her lips in a straight line. That's how serious the conversation was.

"You're gonna run out of cash sooner or later. You can't go back to Eric either."

Sighing, I slowed my pace and she did the same. "I wasn't planning on telling you this until later but you beat me to it. Tomorrow, I'm going job hunting."

The intensity of her stare could've burnt holes into my head.

"I'll go to a couple of restaurants, bars or anywhere to go see if they have openings or something and-."

"Oh my god." Her hand went to her face in what I would call pure frustration. I knew she wouldn't like the idea one bit. Hence, the main reason why I didn't tell her. "Are you fucking with me or what?"

"What? You told me to move on. This is me, moving on."

"Are you insane or just plain crazy? You have a golden opportunity to become a producer or even an actress in Hollywood and you prefer to what? Wait tables?"

My eyes went to the cars on the street. Okay. When she put it that way, it did sound stupid but then....

"Jennnaaa."

"Don't Jenna me. I'm going to drag your sorry ass all the way to Europe with me if you don't make a life changing decision now."

"Fine," I pouted. "At least give me some time to think?"

The sweet, calming smell of vegetation, the green, vast gardens with children sprawled around on it, parents softly chatting and watching over their kids, the swings, slides and teenagers playing around, all mixed together to give me something. Something I hadn't had in a while. Peace.

My lips tipped up in some kind of twisted smile. "Coming here is best decision I've made in weeks."

"Yeah. It has the capacity to brainwash you of your problems for a minute." Jenna turned to me. "Could you borrow me your phone?"

"Yours is dead?" I reached into my pocket.

"Yeah. I need to tell Ed something."

My fingers dug deeper into my pocket when I didn't feel it there. I searched the other one and my brows furrowed even more with each second. I paused my searching when Jenna's laughter filled the air.

She placed a hand on my shoulder. "Next time, don't smash your phone on the wall and forget you did."

Shit.

I shrugged her hand off and looked forward with a pout.

"I need to make a phonecall," she said after bringing her phone out of her purse.

A few seconds later, something heavy dropped on my laps and Jenna was already away from me.

"Hello?" A voice said from the other end of the line of the phone currently sitting on me.

"What the fuck, Jenna?" I mouthed.

She smiled. "It's Erica. Tell her you want to meet with her."

I froze from shock but then remained rigid out of pure annoyance.

"Is anyone there? How'd you get this number?"

"Answer it or I will."

The look on Jenna's face showed her serious she was. She had some nerve to act this way.

"Hello? It's Roxy. Roxy Anderson."

"Oh," there was a pause and then, "I wasn't expecting your call."

"Yeah. Neither was I." I turned to Jenna with a look. "I was hoping we could meet up and discuss the proposal again."

"Very well. You could come over to the hotel tomorrow in the morning. Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, that's alright."

"Have a nice day."

"You too," I said and ended the call. "What the hell, Jenna?"

"You're welcome," she smiled and motioned to touch me. The intensity of my glare burnt the idea from her head and she shoved her hand into her pocket.

"What happened to giving me time to think?"

"She gave you a three day ultimatum, Roxy. I wasn't about to allow you let go of such an opportunity."

"How'd you even get her number?" I asked when she landed beside me on the bench.

"While you were asleep yesterday, I may or may not have gone through your things, got her ID and saved the number."

"You went through my stuff?" I slowly turned to her.

"In my defence, I said may or may not have."

"What am I even going to wear? Most of my things are still back at the apartment and there's no way I'm going back there."

"I can borrow you something to wear."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Then, while you go meet up with her, I'll go get your stuff from Eric's."

"You'll really do that for me?"

Her forehead wrinkled. "Why not?"

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"Of course you have but I don't mind you feeding my ego."

"Oh, shut up," I smiled as I positioned my head on her shoulder. We sat there, silently taking in the cool, almost winter breeze, listening to the children play and smelling sweet nature and pollution free air. It was almost-.

"What about Eric?"

I blinked and it took me a few seconds to process her question. "What about him?" I asked and shifted so I was sitting upright.

"What he did was serious, Roxy."

My eyes left her.

"Ignore it all you want but rape is punishable by law."

At the mention of the r-word, goosebumps stinged my skin. My throat fell dry and the weather dropped by ten degrees. Running both hands over my arms to create warmth, I sighed. "It's been two days. If I was going to the police, I'd have done that already."

Jenna turned to the children playing ahead of us.

"The best I can do for both of us is leave. I love him but there's just somethings that only God can forgive."

"Whatever you decide," she placed a hand on my shoulder with a small smile, "I'll always be here to support you."

My brows furrowed and I chuckled before wiping a tear from my cheek. Jenna hated Eric. She should've beheaded him or castrated him after hearing what happened but she hadn't even mentioned anything about it.

"Wow. I half expected you to have killed him already."

"I'm not a monster." Jenna turned to me with a look before bursting with laughter. "All that matters is that you're away from him. But don't worry, he'll get what's coming."

With a smile on my face, I leaned back into Jenna's shoulder.

~

"You still haven't told me what happened with Ed last night."

Jenna's cheeks stained red when she saw me wiggle my eyebrows. She avoided my stare and looked to the ice cream parlor ahead of us.

"We went out."

"And?"

"And what?" she sharply turned to me, trying to hide her smile. "We had dinner out of town and we talked about moving."

"I can't believe you're hoarding the gist."

"Buenos tardes!" Jenna greeted the man behind the counter.

"Ah, Hola," his wrinkled eyes smiled too as his lips lifted. His voice was thick with the Spanish accent. "Hablas español?" he asked her.

"Oh no," Jenna's smile didn't falter. "Just the basics."

"Ah, bien." His head fell to the showglass in front of us, revealing his balding head. "Sabor?"

"Damn," Jenna moaned. "This has got to be the best I've ever had."

"That's exactly what you say everytime, Jenna," I smiled, relishing on the taste of my vanilla paradise.

"It never gets old." she licked her lips.

"What outfit are you gonna bring?" I frowned at the melted ice cream slipping from my fingers.

"Which do you want?" she turned to me.

"I don't know. Shirts, jeans, gowns, anything. As far as it covers an appropriate and decent amount of my body."

She laughed at the look I gave her.

"And uh-." I halted.

She stopped moving too before turning to me. "What?"

"Please, make sure you don't kill Eric when you go see him."

Jenna chuckled and shook her head a little. "Relax, I won't. I'm just gonna talk to him," she raised her right hand, "I promise."

"You're left-handed," I pointed out.

"And?"

"Pledge with your left hand so I could take it more seriously," I whined and then pouted.

Her eyes rolled skywards and she continued walking forward. After a few seconds, I caught up with her.

"Yunno, I'm actually preventing you from getting into prison, right?"

By the time we got back to the hotel, we'd already finished our ice cream. Jenna had to leave cause she had an engagement with Ed and was running late.

"Bye," I smiled.

She pulled me into a hug. "You need to get a new phone."

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'll get one after I go see Erica."

"Make sure you have lunch and dinner. Coffee isn't enough," she said, plumped my cheeks and waved me goodbye.

My room was spotless. Fresh sheets on the bed with all the rotten food gone. Heeding to Jenna's advice, I picked up the room service menu from the counter, picked up the telephone and then dialled the room service number.

"Good afternoon." The voice was masculine.

"I'd like you to bring me some food."

"Just name it."

"Uh-," I scanned through the menu.

*********************

No A/N today.

-C.