Get Rhythm

[JOHN]

"You aren't obvious..."

"What?" I stopped staring and looked up at Halvo. He was shaking his head at me as he sat down inside me.

"You are hawking bro, just go talk to her."

I shook my head. "I can't."

"What's going on, man? I have never seen you like this. Look, in the scheme of things, this is just a fucking girl."

I nodded. "I know... I just didn't expect her to be here and she is and I've been in a drunken stupor for days imagining a thousand different ways seeing her could go and now here I am with none of those being close to what is happening." I ran both of my hands through my hair and took a deep breath. I was beginning to feel suffocated.

Halvo looked me in the eye for a long minute and then stood up all of a sudden. With grace he made his way across the club. I watched him, frozen. What the hell is he doing?

"Motherfucker."

Halvo walked up to the table Flora sat at with her girlfriends. She hadn't seen me, I don't think. We walked into the club and an electricity in the air had me on edge. Halvo and I downed a couple of shots and started dancing. While I was dancing I thought it was me being drunk at first, but no. The girl that looked like Florence Glenanne was indeed Florence Glenanne. She was dancing with one of the girls that worked for her, Logan I think. It was both igniting and totally terrifying to see her.

She looked good, she always does. Her black dress flared out at the bottom and she looked like she was having a good time. Most likely she'd had a few drinks because the Flora I know would never enjoy herself in a club setting without the drinks.

Halvo must have told them that I was here because all of the girls immediately started looking in my general direction. Flora shook her head and stood up.

I lost track of her in the crowd and it made me nervous, my natural instinct to protect Flora overriding all the other feelings. I was surprised when she sat down in front of me, placing two shots there and two shots in front of herself.

"Hi."

I gulped. "Hi."

"How are you?" She took a shot.

Following her lead, I downed one of mine as well. "I've been better... How are you?"

"Oh I've been a lot better," she said with a wry smile. I got the feeling that there was something I was missing.

"Yeah? What's going on and what can I do to make it better, Floral?" I ask. I snake over to her hand and clutch it in my own.

She smiles sadly at me. "Oh John, nothing. No one can do anything... I'm tired. I don't know why I'm at this fucking bar. Fiona wouldn't hear of me not coming and we're celebrating Logan's engagement."

Seeing Flora so melancholy put me on edge a little. I took my second shot. "Wanna get out of here then?"

She looked at me. I wish I would have waited until after I asked to take that shot. She's making me nervous.

She takes her second shot and smiles. "Yeah."

And just like that we're holding hands again and informing the others of our plans. We walk right out of the club as if the past few days ever happened. I got the vague feeling that this wasn't healthy, but I brushed it off. I sure as hell didn't want to talk about what happened.

We walked to my apartment in silence. I was reeling about everything. Flora always was able to throw me off balance. We looked appreciatively at each other every so often.

As soon as my door closed her lips were on mine. I questioned what she was doing in my head... I hadn't brought her here to do this...

Her arms pushed my leather jacket off my frame. It softly fell to the floor, her coat behind it. Her arms flew around my neck and any thoughts I had to fight her off flew out of my head. I lifted her by her legs and she promptly wrapped them around me. I began kissing back, turning and locking the door. Her hands fumbled with the buttons on my shirt as I walked us towards the kitchen. I grinned and opened up the curtain, revealing the amazing view I had of downtown Tempe. This view is what I rented the apartment for.

Flora grinned and slid from my arms to the floor. She shimmied out of her dress and then slid back onto my kitchen table with a siren's look all over her face.

I groaned. I'd never been more turned on in my life. I finished taking my shirt off and looked up at Flora. "I swear, I've never seen a more beautiful girl in my life."

She bit her lip and grinned shyly at me. She went back to her siren face when my pants were on the ground.

"You know we don't have to be doing this, right?" I mumbled, kissing all over her neck. The moonlight kept the room just light enough for me to make Flora out. "I didn't bring you hear to do this."

"Shut the fuck up, O'Callaghan," Flora exclaimed. I grin and work my way down her body. This side of Flora is definitely one I can appreciate.

&&&

Flora sighed. She ran her hands through her hair. The melancholy was back. To her credit it was gone for an hour and a half, nearly.

"Please tell me what... this is." I motioned to her whole body.

"How did we get in this position? This is so stupid.... We-"

"Flora I don't understand what exactly is the problem here. You know that I am yours as soon as the words leave your mouth. There is no 'we could have' it's we still can. What's got my strong, confident, self assured Floral acting like a nervous nelly?"

Flora sighed again. She ran her hands through her long brown hair.

"Everything... John- I can't talk about this."

I shook my head. "Are you going to end things with Karl?"

Flora hesitated, which was answer enough. I nodded and got out of my bed. I slipped my clothes on as quickly as I found them.

"What are you doing?"

"This isn't fair to me Florence! It isn't. I can't put myself through this abuse for nothing... Sorry. You know how much I care about you but I just can't do it to myself. I need some time completely exiled from you."

"What? We can't be friends?"

"Yes..." I hesitated. "In time. I really mean it Flora, I don't want anything to do with you for awhile. I need to get you out of my system."

Flora nodded, pale and shaky. "Not just one more night?"

"No."

"I can go then."

I shook my head. "Your drunk. A lot more so than me at this point. You stay and leave in the morning. I'm going somewhere." I looked at Flora and walked swiftly to the bed. I bent down and kissed her forehead, then her lips. When I pulled away I kissed her forehead once more and walked straight out the door of my apartment. I locked it behind me and took the stairs two at a time. I didn't really feel like I could breathe until I was out of the apartment building and walking down the streets. My feet carried me back to the club. I quickly spotted Halvo and the girls where I had left them.

I was surprised that I could manage anything in this daze.

"John! What's wrong? Are you alright?" Halvo was standing before I got to the table.

"I need a few drinks."

"Yeah, okay. Just sit down, I'll be right back." Halvo practically pushed me into the booth where I sat staring at the girls.

"Is Flora alright, John? Where is she?" Fiona asked.

I snapped out of my thoughts and shook my head. "She's fine. I mean I guess, I don't know... She isn't fine but she won't tell me what's going on and she isn't going to end things with Karl."

"What?!"

"Yepp." Halvo returned with the drinks and I repeated my statement for him. I quickly finished off my drink and a waitress came by with another one.

"I told them to keep 'em coming," Halvo grinned.

"Thanks buddy."

"So why isn't she going to end it though? I don't understand..."

"Nor do I. But as she doesn't want to explain it for whatever reason, I guess I'm not going to know. I told her I can't be around her for awhile. I just need to get her out of my bones. I can't take being so aware of her, not when there is no chance of us after we came so close to it."

Fiona nodded. "Don't justify yourself to me. I'm on your side."

"Well thanks," I laughed, not really sure how much that was worth when it meant that I didn't have Flora.

"Well your sister is at my apartment drunk as shit and probably fucking crying. Can you or someone go over there?"

Logan and Fiona took the key to my apartment and left the bar. Halvo and I downed several more drinks than either of us needed before heading back to his place. Despite the fuzziness that dominated my brain all that was on my mind was still Flora.

&&&

[FLORA]

"Why can't you talk to anyone about this?"

I rolled my eyes, annoyed at my sister. I was pulling my own clothes back on, except for the shirt which I decided to keep. If John wants nothing to do with me then I at least intend to take a reminder of him.

"It's none of your damn business, not to mention all you did last night and today is berate me for what I did to John and how I made him feel! Fuck off!"

Fiona looked shocked and if I wasn't so angry I probably would have been too. But I just felt so angry at everything and everyone. I felt trapped and there is no worse feeling than that.

"Well... I'm sorry."

I just nodded and gathered the last of my things, walking out of John's apartment. I can't believe where we are with each other. I always wondered whether we would be more than friends but I never really imagined us as not friends at all.

Depressed, I leaned against the window of Fiona's car and watched the scenery go by. My phone buzzed and I looked at the text.

'Pick u up 2nite. -Karl'

I groaned. Great. Another dinner event, probably. I didn't argue with him though because I didn't want him to hurt me again. I merely sent back an 'ok' and scrolled through my texts from John. Maybe I should tell him what's going on... He would do something to help me, surely.

I took a deep breath and typed the message.

'I need to talk to you.'