You Can't Fight Fate

I quickly fumbled with the room key as I held on to Stevvie, not wanting her to move away from me. Stevvie giggled mischievously and undid my tie, scattering teasing little kisses all over my neck and face. Once I got the room open, I quickly shed my button up and she shed the elegant white dress she was adorned in, leaving her in a slip and me in my pants and laid her on the bed. My skin burned with sensitivity every place she touched, only causing me to want her more. I stopped kissing her neck and looked her in the eyes, just happy just to be in the same bed with her. Stevvie gave me a sly smile and kissed me deeply. I pulled her closer to me as she pulled her slip over her head. I opened my eyes and could only see the silhouette of her body as she straddled me.

“I love you, Mrs. Jonas,” I heard myself say. Stevvie replied with another passionate kiss, putting me over the top.

“Oh man! What a party!” I heard someone shout loudly, jerking me from my slumber. My breathing was shallow and fast, and my heartbeat was accelerated. I couldn’t see anything in the dark, but I should could hear Storm stumble over to his bed, singing to himself. He must have been drunk, because he hadn’t stayed in our dorm in weeks.

I shook my head at him and lied back down, only to remember to feel. I felt hot, sweaty, and wet. My white v-neck stuck to my chest and I sweat beads dripped down my head, causing my curls to stick to my face. I sighed at my sudden uncomfortable position that only a dream caused. I hadn’t had a dream like that since I was like fifteen, it felt so real, I could practically feel Stevvie’s fingers on my skin as I lied there. What was stranger was the setting of the dream. I distinctly remember it being our wedding night. That was a new one, and it was a little too vivid for my taste.

I combed my hair to a manageable volume and pulled on my shirt. I heard my phone vibrate once again in my pocket, immediately notifying me that it was Rachael. Annoyed, I finally answered my phone.

“Yes, Rachael,”

“God, you finally answered!” she complained in her nasally voice, “I just wanted to remind you that the talent show was tonight…you promised me you would come watch me, remember?”

I slapped my forehead in regret, I had totally forgotten about the talent show…the one Stevvie was supposed to perform in also, not to mention her dad would be making a guest appearance with his new artist.

“Uhh, right. Listen, Rachael…I might not be able to…”

“Baby! You promised…your fans wouldn’t like this…” she whined.

“Rachael please don’t whine…I’ll…I’ll try and make it okay?”

“Alright baby, you better show up, “she threatened me, “and you’re going to love my performance.”

“I’m sure I will,” I replied sarcastically.
<->

I smiled semi-contently as I walked with Carl downtown, we had been on two dates already and this was our third. Carl was sweet, funny, and a total Gentleman. There was just one problem: he would not touch me. This was the coldest relationship I had ever been and I didn’t like it. He wouldn’t hold my hand and every time I touched his arm playfully, he flinched away. I felt like I had some disease or something. I mean, he wouldn’t even hug me.

“So, I can’t believe you’re addicted to cereal as much as I am,” he gushed, “We have so much in common babe.”

“Yeah…”I replied sarcastically, “we just have so much in common.” No…no we do not…I am an affectionate person and you think everyone has germs. He was like a clone of Nick without….Nick.

I let my eyes wander while Carl went off about how dirty doorknobs are and immediately stopped walking when I saw a sight I wish I didn’t see. But, there Nick was with Rachael walking down the street going the opposite direction. He looked adorable in his tweed tan blazer, white V-neck and my weakness…his Elvis Costello glasses. When he put those glasses on, I always melted.

“Oh hey, Nick!” Carl waved, causing Nick to look towards us. I quickly looked down and almost grabbed Carl for protection, only knowing he would freak out. Instead, I just pretended to be distracted by my peep-toe Jimmy Choos. If I were talking to Nick, he would have made me put on some more weather appropriate shoes since it was icy and wet from the snowfall. That was another thing, Nick was so protective of me, and he treated me as if I was so breakable and fragile, “look Steves, it’s Nick and Rachael!”

I glared at the back of his head. Did he really just call me “Steves”, It was Stevvie…nothing more…nothing less.

Nick stopped and bunched his eyebrows together as he noticed us, he raised one eyebrow and gave Carl a manly head nod.

“Hey, my girlfriend and I are going to lunch on 49th…you guys want to double date?” I heard Carl say.

“No!” I shouted, “um…I really have to go to…Eric’s…he has boy issues that need to be worked on.”

“Oh...kay…” Carl replied, “Yo, bro we’re actually going to have to pass on that…another time kay?”

I pulled him down the street, not caring if he freaked or not, away from Nick. For Carl to be so smart, I was actually disappointed at him making such a stupid move.

<->

I watched as Stevvie pulled Carl down the street by his arm, amused and slightly surprise. She actually went forward in dating him. Carl of all people had exactly what I wanted. She was the perfect woman and she tore me down, but I still wanted her more than ever. I shook my head at her peep toe shoes, she always insisted on wearing shoes for style and not durability. I suddenly became worried that she might slip on the icy ground. I adjusted my glasses as I felt Rachael pull me into another store. Some how I got sucked into shopping with her. She pulled out dresses for me to look at, but I didn’t pay attention because I was still in shock that Stevvie had a boyfriend.

“Rachael…will you date me?” I blurted impulsively.

She stared at me wide eyed, “Like…be your girlfriend?”

I hesitantly shook my head, “Y-yeah.”

“Of course!” she squealed as she wrapped her arms around my neck tightly, “finally.”

Rachael leaned in to kiss me, but I stopped her and quickly reminded her of the Jonas Brothers code of dating.

No brother was allowed to go public with a girl if he had dated her for less than six months.

“Oh my gosh! I have to call Amber and Chelsea!” she squealed.

I groaned loudly. Maybe this was a bad idea.

“So where are we going tonight?” she asked.

“what?” I asked, confused.

“For our date, before the talent show silly!” she squealed.

Flashbacks of when Stevvie rejected me blasted through my head once I realized what she had said.

“Oh, um. How about Campagnola?” I suggested at the top of my head.

“Ugh, Carbs make me bloat,” she complained. I gave her a pleading look. “Well…I guess I could eat a salad.”

I shrugged and pulled out my phone to make a reservation. I laughed to myself because I had made so many reservations there for the gang and I that I had the phone number programmed into my phone. Campagnola Wednesdays were one of our traditions along with Movie night. Except we only went every other Wednesday. I always ordered classic spaghetti and Stevvie always had chicken fettuccini. Once we got our food, we would spit the portion in half and trade. It was kind of our thing. I missed it too. I also missed her hugs and taking care of her.

“I am so going to win tonight babe, I can’t believe that Todd Jameson is actually going to be there tonight,” Rachael went on, “I heard he’s performing too!”

“Yeah…his daughter is in the show. I was hoping he would show up,” I replied.

“His daughter…ugh, she annoys me,” she complained, “I can’t believe she didn’t tell you who her dad was, he like funded every event in high school, which is why she was a huge teacher’s pet.”

I ignored her complains and wandered around the store, constantly reminding myself of Stevvie…this was not a good place to start a relationship.
<->

I pulled on my dress reluctantly, Carl said he was going to take me out before the talent show for a “pre-celebration” and I wasn’t up for it. I was already more than nervous about it, and food wasn’t going to help. I hoped that we could skip out on it, but he insisted.
We entered my favorite restaurant, Campagnola, causing sadness to wash over me. Campagnola was a “Nick-and–Stevvie” thing and it just wasn’t as good without him. We were placed at our tables and my usual waiter came over to us immediately.

“How to I have my peanut butter and jelly separate?” he asked as he wrote down my order. Joel looked up at Carl and nodded his head,” date night for you too, eh.”

He motioned towards a back booth and there sat Nick and Rachael. They were in the back corner out of most peoples’ sight.

“yeah…I guess…hey, what did Nick order? I asked.

“The usual of course…” he replied, “I’m not sure it can be the usual without you though…I’ll get your drinks out in a minute.”

“What was all that about?” Carl asked as he tucked his linen napkin into his shirt like a five year old.

He was such a dork sometimes…and not the cute kind.

“Oh, nothing,” I muttered. I picked up a piece of garlic bread and spread some butter on it.

<->

Nick looked over to where Joel pointed at, and watched a depressed Stevvie chomp on a piece of garlic bread as she twirled her fettuccini around hopelessly. He looked down at his full plate of spaghetti and meatballs, unsatisfied. He still couldn’t believe that both of them had a date at the same place and they still ordered the same thing, knowing that the other wasn’t there.

“How can you eat all those carbs?” Rachael asked, “That would go straight to my thighs.”

“I can’t,” he finally stated as he marched over to Stevvie.

Nick weaved through the tables and people until he was in front of Stevvie’s table. Without talking, he sat in the booth next the Stevvie.

“Oh hey dude!” Carl exclaimed. Nick nodded his headed towards Carl as he grabbed
Stevvie’s plate and shoved his in front of her. Like clockwork, both of them divided the plates evenly, transferring the food to its respective plate until each plate was evenly filled with fettuccini and spaghetti.

“Okay…what are you two doing?” Carl asked.

Neither Nick nor Stevvie spoke as he left. He looked back and gave her just the slightest smile. She blushed, and ignored Carl’s questions. It was none of his business anyway.

“Where did you go?” Rachael asked, “And why do you have fettuccini now too?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Nick replied as he dug into the fettuccini with a sly smile.