Set Fire to the Rain

I was hectically running around my room trying to get ready for Shannon’s arrival while Jake was in the garage practicing his guitar. He seemed excited for me when I filled him in on my plans for the evening and he quietly excused himself to go practice. When he wants to think he tends to do that, though he also had his cell phone in his hand and up to his ear before he hit the stair way, I am sure calling his sister to fill her in. My suspicions were confirmed when I had a Skype call come in not 10 minutes later with a bouncing Mags and Julie on my laptop screen that sat on my short dresser at one end of my bedroom. So the girls were helping me virtually get dressed in the appropriate outfit. That way I would absolutely not make a fool out of myself tonight. We decided on a simple pair of dark wash, slim fitting boot cut jeans, a pretty coffee colored cowl neck top that was long sleeved, and I wore a pair of simple heels, with my silver locket around my neck. I decided to leave my hair down and had put soft waves into it. I have to admit I felt nice. Of course, the girls also suggested the make-up that I should wear, but I went with what I would feel comfortable wearing normally. The idea of going out for a night was strange for me to begin with, one step at a time. The girls were busy giving me ‘dating’ tips, that I pretended to consider with complete seriousness, but in all honesty, I couldn’t concentrate on that right now, my stomach was in knots. I had never felt like this, not even with David. This is a very strange feeling for me all around. While I was Skyping with MJ and Julie the house phone began to ring so I told the girls I had to go and I would call them at the end of the night, and they agreed wishing me luck and sending me love.

“Hello?” I asked into the receiver.

“Hello there.” The low voice answered. “Listen, I just wanted to let you know that according to my gps, I am about 15 minutes away so I will be there soon.”

“Sounds great. I am ready to go, so I can meet you outside if you like.”

“Don’t you dare! If my mom ever found out I didn’t come up to your door and get you like a gentleman, she would have my head on a silver platter and disown me” he laughed.

“Alright, alright. We certainly don’t want to piss off mom! Don’t be surprised if an old man or my son intercepts you on your way up though” I told him. I know exactly how over-protective Harold and my son are, and they would definitely meet Shannon before he made it to the side door of the apartment.

“Umm, should I be scared?”

“Of them? Fuck yeah, I would be.” I laughed and hung up the phone. I may as well let him sweat a little bit. It was just too appealing!

It was about 15 minutes before I heard voices and laughter coming from the stairs, and they appeared. First my son walked in, then Shannon. My heart and stomach actually flipped when I saw him. I looked up to his bright hazel eyes, with a small smile on my lips. He looked so incredibly handsome. Ok, more hot or sexy than handsome. He was wearing a pair of black jeans, a white button down shirt, with a black jacket that had two shades of black stripes in it when you looked really close. In his left hand he held a single yellow long stemmed rose, my absolute favorite, and I hadn’t told him. It was gorgeous. He turned from Jake as they finished talking and he kept walking slowly towards me, as the small grin on his face began to spread into a smile. Shannon’s eyes glanced shyly down at the floor then back up at me into my eyes and never looked away. Then he lifted the rose towards me and he tilted his head slightly and said, “You look incredible tonight El. Thank you for doing me this honor. By the way, your son, and your landlord, they aren’t so bad.” Then he winked at me.

“Thank you Shannon, this is beautiful, and you aren’t looking so bad yourself.” I took the rose from him and walked to the kitchen to put it into a crystal vase. He walked next to me and we glanced towards one another. "I know they aren’t so bad, I just felt like giving you shit.” I nudged him gently with my elbow in a joking manner then ran water into the vase I took from cabinet next to the refrigerator and placed the rose inside. I stood there for a moment just staring at it, realizing that never in 20 years had David ever gotten me flowers just because. It had always been for an apology due to one of his beatings. This was by far the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me, and I felt myself start to tear up. Ok, I thought to myself, not now, later, later. I really don’t want to freak the man out the second he arrives.

I jumped slightly when I felt a hand placed gently on my lower back. Raising my head slowly to the look to the left at Shannon, he had an apologetic look on his face, and then realized he had pulled his hand away.

“I’m sorry Eliza, I didn’t mean to startle you, but you seemed to get lost and I was just worried. Is everything ok? Did I overstep with the flower?” he asked sadly.

I cleared the lump from my throat for fear I would give away the emotion that I was feeling at the moment with a single word. “No, no, you absolutely did not overstep with the rose. It’s just that… Well, there’s obviously a lot we don’t know about each other and a lot of my past isn’t pretty, which you kind of know. But this simple thing you did has never been done just to be nice. Does that make sense? There was always a reason or an agenda behind it, and it just hit me for some reason. So thank you. Thank you so much, it means everything. It’s just going to take a little time for me to get used to all this, this, I don’t know, niceness.” I said with my head hanging low, staring at the flower.

“What the fuck did that bastard do to you?” he whispered so softly, I almost didn’t hear him. “You don’t need to thank me sweetheart. I wanted to do this for you. I am really excited about tonight, so are you ready to go enjoy our evening? By the way, I promise to be a perfect gentleman. If at any time I’m not, you have my permission to punch me.” The drummer told me as we walked towards the front closet to grab my jacket so we could leave and say our goodbyes to Jake. He had been sitting quietly by observing the entire time in the living area like the protective papa bear he had grown into. My son stood and walked over and gave me a hug saying he would be up until we came home and wanted me to enjoy myself, that I deserved this and not to get myself worked up. He knew me so well.

Jake then turned to look at Shannon standing beside me and they looked each other over shaking hands. The thing that struck me was that Jake said, “I heard you promise to be a gentleman, but if I find out you even attempt to hurt my mother, I will find you and make your life miserable. If you hurt her or break her heart, I will make sure to make your life a living fucking hell, I don’t care who the fuck you are. She’s my mom, and she’s been through more in one lifetime, than one person ever should. Got it?”

“Yeah man, I got it. I have no intention of hurting your mom. Promise” Lord he loved to use that word, and it scares me.

Shannon helped me with my jacket, I grabbed my apartment keys and bag, and we were down the stairs and out the door to his car. He drove a nice car, a black Range Rover. I walked around to the passenger side of his car and he walked with me opening my door for me and helping me inside. Then he walked around to his side and we began our journey to The Beacon Theatre in NYC. If the start of the night was a precursor for the rest of the night then this should be an evening to remember.