The Art of Life (95 page)

               
There
are no words that can come out of my mouth.
 
I breathe and try to talk.
 
“Yeah,” I whisper.
 
“I mean,
that’s what I am supposed to want, right?”

               
We
stand there staring at each other.
 
Jeremy brings his fingers up and strokes them down the side of my
face.
 
“You do what makes you happy.
 
Follow your heart.
 
It is a good heart and it will lead you in
the right direction.”

               
My
first impulse is to jump on him, but I quickly push that away.
 
“Yeah, well Eric is a good guy and I have
wanted this for a while.”

               
“Then
do it,” Jeremy says quietly.
 
“I am going
to leave.”

               
“No!”
I exclaim, grabbing him.
 
“Stay here with
me.
 
Don’t go.
 
I want you here!”

               
He
just stops.
 
“Is that what you really
want?”

               
“Yes,”
I answer, before thinking.
 
“I want you
here with me.
 
Just dance with me.”

               
Jeremy
pauses and then takes my hand and leads me back to the dance floor.
 
Eric is waiting.
 
“Do you mind if I steal her back for a few
songs?” Jeremy asks him.

               
Eric
looks at him and then me.
 
“Sure, as long
as she promises me at least one more dance.”

               
“I
can do that,” I bashfully reply.
 
To my
surprise, Eric bends down and kisses me on the cheek.
 
I wonder if he can feel the heat of me
blushing.
 
Jeremy’s hand tightens on mine
for a moment.
 
That puzzles me, but I
take it as him being overprotective.

               
When
Eric walks away, Jeremy spins me out and back again.
 
I laugh and we dance….a lot.
 
It is so incredibly fun.
 
I am going to sleep well tonight.
 
Eric and I do dance for two songs.
 
Jeremy takes Ashley out onto the dance floor.
 
I dance with Jack again, and then it is
finally the end of the night.
 
As we are walking outside, we past the art exhibit.
 
There is a small crowd looking at the display.
 
Jeremy pulls me to a stop.
 
“What’s this?”

               
“Oh,”
I squeak, “Our portraits that we did.
 
Let me show you mine.”
 
We walk
around to the other side.
 
“There, see.”

               
It
is a portrait of Jeremy.
 
He is leaning
over in a chair, holding a lily, staring down at it.
 
“Isabelle,” Jeremy whispers.
 
“That is amazing.”

               
“I
worked on it very carefully.
 
I wanted it
to be perfect.”

               
“There
aren’t even words.
 
Do you get to keep
this?” He asks.

               
Nodding,
I reply, “Yeah, I need to show it and some of my other art to try and get into
school.”

               
“Can
I have it?”

               
“Sure,”
I answer.
 
“It is your portrait after
all.”

               
Jeremy
turns to me and gently kisses me on the lips.
 
“You are extraordinary.”

               
That
makes me blush a lot.
 
“Thanks.”
 
We spend more time looking at the other
pieces of art.
 
Jeremy doesn’t let go of
my hand the whole time.
 
Eric and
everyone
finds
us looking at the art.
 
They all gush over my piece and I just shake
my head.
 
I am not used to all the
attention.

               
Finally,
we all walk outside.
 
I turn to
Jeremy.
 
“What are we going to do?
 
I have my car here.”

               
“We
will come and get it in the morning,” he replies.
 
“Since, we both know I am not cooking you
breakfast, I will take you out to breakfast.”

               
I
hang onto his arm.
 
“Can I at least wear
my jammies?”

               
“Only if they are nice pajamas, like the silk ones that we bought
you.”

               
“Alright,”
I groan sarcastically.

               
As
our group gets to the parking lot, we all stop.
 
It’s then that I see Eric.
 
He
smiles, “I wanted to come and say good night to you, since we were staying.”

               
“Oh,”
I chirp.
 
“Thanks.
 
I hope you have fun tonight.
 
Just hopefully not with Sonya.
 
I am not telling you that you can’t, I would
just be happier that you didn’t, but that’s just me.”

               
Eric
frowns.
 
“Yeah, I think they have been
drinking.
 
She just tried to kiss me and
I literally had to push her off.”

               
“See,
that’s how popular you are, having to fend off women.”

               
“There
are only a few girls out there that I wouldn’t fend off.
 
You being one of them,” he tells me.

               
My
face lights on fire from blushing.
 
“Thanks, I will keep that in mind next time I try to pounce you.”

               
“I
say we tackle that on Monday.”

               
“Huh,”
I start, with my jaw dropping.

               
Laughing,
Eric rubs my arm.
 
“I was kidding.”

               
“I
would hope so,” Jeremy says under his breath.

               
I
turn and glare at him.
 
“Shut up Jeremy!”

               
He
moves his gaze from me to Eric and then back to me.
 
“I will be in the car.”

               
That
makes me sigh.
 
I look back at Eric.
 
“He is going to be annoying.
 
I am warning you right now, really, really
annoying.
 
You are my first real date.”

               
“Am
I really?”
Eric replies, almost surprised.
 
“Well then, I feel like I have to do
something special.”

               
“No!”
I exclaim.
 
“Normal,
just nice and normal.
 
You don’t
have to do anything over the top.”

               
With
a quirky smile, Eric nods.
 
“I will think
of something.
 
Have a good night.”

               
“You
too,” I reply.
 
“Don’t let Sonya attack
you too much.”

               
Bopping
me on the nose with his finger, Eric says, “I can guarantee she will understand
no.”

               
“Okay,”
I giggle, though I am trying not to.
 
“Talk to you later.”
 
Eric waves
as I go to Jeremy’s car.
 
Jeremy is quick
to get out and come get the door for me.

               
“Thanks,”
I whisper.
 
He just looks at me and shuts
the door.
 
When he gets in, I snap, “What
is going on with you?”

               
There
is silence, as he backs up.
 
“I have no
idea what you are talking about Isabelle.”

               
“That
whole comment to Eric.
 
Was that
necessary?”

               
“He
is already talking about sticking his tongue down your throat,” Jeremy growls.

               
With
a disgusted look, I say, “No, he is not!
 
Anyway, there has only been one time…..” I realize what I am about to
say and I shut up.

               
“One
time, what?” Jeremy asks quietly.

               
“Nothing,”
I mutter.
 
“So what if a boy wants to
kiss me?
 
What does it matter to you?”

               
Jeremy
looks at me out of the corner of his eye.
 
“I….I don’t know.
 
Maybe I don’t
want to share you.”

               
An
exasperated sigh comes out of me.
 
“Unless you are going to be my boyfriend, I think you are going to have
to learn to share!”

               
That
silence is back again.
 
Jeremy tightens
his grip on the steering wheel and I just stare at him.
 
“Fine,” he finally whispers.
 
“I will shut up.”

               
Now,
I am just frustrated.
 
I know it’s
childish, but I cross my arms to show that.
 
“You are impossible sometimes.”

               
“Impossible
not to love,” Jeremy quips back.

               
I
burst out laughing.
 
“You are so full of
yourself.”

               
“I
am going to keep my comments to myself and drive,” Jeremy retorts.
 
We are quiet for most of the drive.
 
Hesitantly he reaches over and rubs his thumb
on my hand.
 
I grab his fingers and
squeeze.
 
We are okay now.

               
When
we finally get up into the apartment, I shiver.
 
“It’s cool.”

               
“I
will turn the heat up,” Jeremy says, going to the thermostat.
 
I hang my new coat up in the closet.
 
I run my hand down the soft material, before
I shut the door.
 
Jeremy comes up behind
me.
 
“So, did you like it?”

               
Spinning
around, I smile.
 
“Of course I did.
 
I can’t believe you remembered.
 
I said it in passing.”

               
“I
remember everything you say,” he replies.
 
“You couldn’t very well wear your regular coat with a ball gown.”

               
“You
are probably right on that,” I say.
 
“Thank you Jeremy.
 
Thank you for
everything.
 
I know I say that a lot, but
I mean it.”

               
Jeremy
walks up and puts his hands on my arms.
 
“You do not need to say thank you.”

               
My
hand reaches up to my neck.
 
“You need to
take this back.
 
I can’t take Kaitlin’s
necklace.”

               
“That
is not up for discussion,” Jeremy states.
 
“Her parents gave it to me, to give to a girl that would make Kaitlin
happy.
 
I think they thought my future
wife…….but, I feel as though you should have it.”

               
With
a moment of hesitation, I ask, “I am more suited than your future wife.
 
How do you figure that?”

               
“Because,
as much as you and Kaitlin are
different,
and you are
very different, you are so much alike too.
 
She would want you to have it.
 
I
know this in my heart.”

               
“But,
it’s worth so much money.
 
What do I even
do with it?
 
I can’t stick it in my sock
drawer,” I declare seriously.

               
A
smile passes over Jeremy’s face.
 
“That’s
where I have kept it, but you are right, we should put it somewhere safe.
 
We will get you a safety deposit box on
Monday, or Tuesday, because of your date.”