[Hearts of Palomino 01.0] Love Is Eternal Read online

  I went to speak but he kept talking.

  “And you know, you’re a real pretty girl, that’s for sure. But yeah, I love Alice, and putting lotion on you…” His voice trailed off.

  I smiled. He was a good guy. My instincts were right once again.

  “Travis, I think that’s beautiful how you love your wife, and I would never try to interfere. You probably should know…I'm gay.”

  His eyes went wide like someone who was just told the biggest secret in the world. “Like, a lesbian?”

  I laughed, then covered my mouth. He was so adorable. “Yes, I'm a lesbian.”

  The grin on his face spread to both ears. “Hey, that’s really cool. Well…um…congratulations.”

  I burst out laughing. My cheeks had to be as red as his were at this very moment.

  “Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?”

  “Not at all. You are fine just the way you are.” I was still trying to catch my breath. I knew some women who would have thrown a fit, but there was no harm behind what he said, and it was the funniest thing I had heard in a long time. “I have known for a long time. It’s nothing recent. But thank you all the same for the congratulations.” I wiped a tear from my eye.

  He stood up, putting some lotion in his hand. “You know, sometimes I stick my foot in my mouth. Alice tells me that all the time,” he said as I lay out on my stomach.

  I smiled, turning my head to look at him. “It’s OK, Travis. I like you just the way you are.”

  ***

  Johnnie 80s was indeed an 80s themed restaurant. It had neon blue and pink walls adorned with neon white bulbs running across it in different patterns. Framed posters of every 80s rock band and teen heartthrob adorned the walls as well.

  “Welcome to Johnnie 80s,” the hostess said. “Just the two of you?” She was about thirty with blond hair like mine. Her shirt was black with a white triangle across her left breast with the logo “Johnnie 80s” on it.

  “Yes, just us two, please,” Travis said.

  “Right this way then.” The booths that ran around the restaurant were black and white faux leather, and the tables in the middle were steel-tubed with plexiglass tops.

  Leading us to a booth near a window, we sat across from each other, as the hostess handed us each a menu.

  “The special of the day is the bimbo burger, fries, and drink for ten bucks,” she said.

  “Bimbo burger?” I looked at her, my mouth hanging open.

  “Yeah, it’s a big burger with inflated buns…just like a bimbo.” She winked.

  I laughed. “That’s great. Thanks for the suggestion.”

  She smiled and walked away.

  The music kicked in and I recognized the sound of the band from Jersey. Tapping my fingers with the beat of the music, I looked over the menu, the names bringing a smile to my face.

  “Travis, listen to this,” I said, and he looked up at me. “Roadhouse chicken sandwich. Flame grilled chicken breast, with a kick of Buffalo sauce, an extra kick of cheese and a roundhouse of ranch. Pain don't hurt but extra hot sauce will!”

  Travis laughed. “It’s my favorite. I think I might go with it again. I always order the same thing. I don't know why I bother reading this.” He set his menu down.

  I was laughing as I read over the menu when a female voice came to my ear. “Hey, guys, my name is Veronica and I will be serving you today. Can I start you off with something to drink?”

  I looked up and my heart just about did a somersault as it leapt into my throat. The woman was around thirty with raven black hair that was stylishly cut to her jawline. The darkest brown eyes complimented the smile on her face. And in that smile, I felt myself being pulled in.

  “Hey, Julie, did you want a lemonade like me?” Travis said, breaking me out of my trance.

  I felt my cheeks go flush. “Lemonade is perfect.”

  “All right, be right back with your drinks and to get your order,” Veronica said, then walked away.

  I took a quick peek back around the booth as she walked away. She was tall and seemed to carry a presence about her. Something strong was the only way I could think of it.

  “Travis, she’s gorgeous. What do you think?”

  “I would have to agree. And tall too. Are you going to ask her out?” he said, looking at me, his eyebrows raised.

  “No. I’m too busy with school and stuff.” I played with the menu in my hands.

  “Uh-huh,” he said, then smiled.

  I laughed as Veronica came back with our drinks.

  “All right, guys, what are we having?” she asked, pen and notepad in hand.

  “Two of the Roadhouses, please,” Travis said.

  “Good choice. Extra roundhouse on the side?” she said, looking at me.

  “Oh, what’s that again?”

  “Ranch dressing,” she said, her eyes shining.

  “Oh, sure, that would be wonderful.”

  Veronica smiled as she picked up our menus. “That should be out within ten. I’ll keep an eye on your drinks for refills.” She walked away.

  “Wow, Cupid has shot his arrow in you,” Travis said, then took a drink.

  “Please, I'm just looking.” But I knew inside I was doing more than that.

  Travis had this big grin on his face, and I decided to change the subject before I confessed what I was feeling.

  “So, what are you going to school for exactly?” I said.

  “Teaching.”

  “Really? I didn't take you as the teacher-type.”

  He laughed, playing with the drink in his hands. “Yeah, I always thought it would be neat. I grew up on a dairy and cattle farm, and I loved it, but it’s time to try something different.”

  I nodded my head. “I get it. My dad ran an HVAC company for years and then sold it all a few years back. Made good money and took an early retirement. Anyway, point being, I would help him on some jobs and learned about the trade. But I loved to do the book work, number crunching. So, yeah, business for me.”

  Veronica walked up and placed the food in front of us as well as two new drinks, taking the old glasses away. “All right, guys, anything else I can get you?”

  “I know Julie wanted to ask you something,” Travis said, a sly grin on his face.

  I about died from embarrassment. I felt like Veronica was staring right through me and it took all my courage to look up at her. Her eyes pulled me in, and her lips were perfect.

  “Oh…um…yeah, I forgot. It’s no big deal,” I said, then smiled at her.

  “All right, just yell if you need anything, or remember what you wanted to tell me,” she said, then walked away.

  I turned to Travis. “I ought to kill you!”

  He laughed. “It was worth it. The way your cheeks went red was great.” He took a bite of his sandwich.

  For the next hour we talked while we ate, and we both found ourselves laughing quite a bit. He was a great guy and we both shared a lot in that time. I felt like I’d known him for years and he was already becoming a good friend.

  “So the next time Alice video calls, you’re going to have to say hi,” he said.

  “I would love to.” And I really did want to. She seemed like a wonderful person, and if Travis was any indicator, I'm sure she was.

  “All right, guys, you’re welcome to stay as long as you want, but I got cut so here’s the tab. Just pay when you’re ready.” Veronica put the receipt down in the middle of the table. She walked off, and I found myself grinning again. I went to reach for the ticket, but Travis waved me off.

  “I got this,” he said.

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah, you buy next time.” He pulled out his wallet that seemed as big as his hat.

  “Sounds good then.”

  I looked back over at Veronica, then back at Travis. He slid the bill back to me, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.

  “What am I supposed to do with that?”

  “Put your number on it. Shoot, I never d
ated a girl besides Alice, and I know you’re supposed to do that.”

  I hesitated. I needed to concentrate on school. And who knew if she would even call. Digging in my purse, I grabbed a pen and scribbled down a quick note with my name and number.

  “The things you’re making me do!” I said, then gave him a wink.

  “I know, now you want to kill me…again.”

  I followed him up to the front counter. Veronica was standing near a computer terminal, and walking up to her, Travis handed her the money and the receipt, making it obvious he wanted her to look at it.

  “I think one of the numbers may be off. You might want to take a real close look at it,” he said, then winked at me like he was pulling a fast one.

  “Oh, gawd,” I mumbled, my face going red.

  Veronica looked at the receipt, then up at me. Her brown eyes seeming to pull me in once again. I grabbed the counter, feeling as though I might fall over.

  “The numbers look good,” she said, smiling at me. I felt panicked and turned to see Travis walking away. I hurried out behind him, glad to be out of the restaurant.

  “Maybe I should be a secret agent,” he said, putting his sunglasses on and flashing me a smile.

  “Come on, secret agent, let’s get back home,” I said as we headed to the car.

  Chapter Three

  The following day around two, I was doing laundry and the washing machine was not having it. The apartment came with a washer and dryer, but the turquoise green enamel showed how old they were. I stood back, looking at the washer for a minute, and then hitting near the on-switch with my palm, it kicked into high gear.

  “Julie wins again,” I said, laughing. Closing the sliding door behind me, I headed back to the living room. The AC was cranked high, and grabbing a lap blanket, I curled up with a book. I had some homework to do but the couch seemed too inviting, calling me to it.

  Finding where I last left off, I was just getting into the book when the phone rang. Not recognizing the number, my thumb went to the hang-up button. But at the last second, I went to the green and answered it.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Julie?”

  “Yeah?” I said, sitting up on the couch.

  “It’s Veronica…from Johnnie 80s,” she said.

  My heart raced. She called! “Hey, glad you called.” I brushed my hair back behind my ear.

  She let out a giggle. “So am I. So…what are you up to?”

  “Oh, me? Nothing really. Just reading. What about you?”

  “I had the day off work so I’ve been running doing errands.” Her voice was strong, powerful, yet soothing. And I didn’t know why, but I felt at a loss for words. I was always the outgoing, fun, talkative one and yet I froze when I spoke to her.

  “So, listen,” she said, “I was wondering if you would like to hang out with me later today.”.

  Would I? She had no idea.

  I went to get off the couch, but in my excitement, I forgot my legs were wrapped under the blanket and it sent me tumbling off the couch. I let out a groan as I fell.

  “Are you OK?” she said, her voice concerned.

  I about died as I stood up. “Yeah, I'm fine, just…stubbed my toe. But yes, I would love to hang out. What did you have in mind?”

  “Well, do you know the Roll-A-Rama over off Twenty-third?”

  “No, I don't. I just moved here so I don't know anything about the area,” I said, looking at myself in the mirror, fixing my hair.

  “Tell you what, grab a pen, and you can come pick me up, if you don't mind.”

  I smiled, rushing over to the small table near the kitchen. Grabbing a pen, I wrote down her address as she gave it out.

  “Got it,” I said, twirling the pen in my hand.

  “OK, great. Well, I will see you in an hour then?”

  “Sounds perfect.”

  She let out a small giggle. “All right, see you then.”

  “Bye.” Then I hung up.

  Perfect? That sounds perfect? Oh my gosh, what was wrong with me? I headed back to my room and opened a drawer to dig through my jeans. What was she going to wear? It was roller skating, so nothing too dressy. But, if I dressed too casual, would she be put off? My mind started racing, and I found myself getting worked up into a panic.

  “OK, it’s roller skating, not a wedding. Jeans and a t-shirt are fine,” I finally said out loud, calming myself. I ended up picking out a light pink t-shirt and a pair of denim hip-hugging jeans.

  “White shoes? Black shoes?” I mumbled, looking at the choices in my closet. “You’re going roller skating, it doesn't matter,” I said, grabbing the white ones.

  I looked at my phone. It had only been twenty minutes since I called her. I still had plenty of time before I had to leave. Then I realized that I hadn't looked up her address. She could live an hour away. If I showed up late, she might think I was some degenerate. Rushing back into the living room, I grabbed the paper off the desk. I punched the address into my phone and a moment later the directions came up. Estimated time: eleven minutes.

  Feeling a bit relieved, I sat on the couch, trying to think of anything besides her. But I couldn't. She was cute. No, she was beautiful, and I was going on a date with her. I sat up straight, and the name “Veronica” escaped my lips, causing me to laugh. “Veronica,” I said again, then covered my mouth. Regaining my composure, I headed to the bathroom, and after triple checking my makeup and making sure my hair was perfect, I locked up my apartment and headed out to my car.

  Traffic was light, and I found myself tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. It was a beautiful day out, a day made for a date.

  “With Veronica,” I said, then giggled. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. And just about ten minutes after leaving the apartment, I entered a nice middle-class neighborhood. The houses were newish with well-manicured lawns. After taking a couple of lefts, I came to a cul-de-sac and pulled in front of the second house on the right.

  This was it. Should I get out? Maybe I should call? Gripping the steering wheel, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye as Veronica came walking out her front door. She was wearing black jeans and boots and had a black shirt with a white skull on it. It was a rocker chick look and she pulled it off really well.

  Opening the door, she got in and closed it before turning to me. “Hey,” she said, her smile as wide as mine.

  “Hey.” My heart was beating against my chest. It happened again, I froze, my mouth going dry.

  She smiled at me and bit her bottom lip. I felt like I was melting in my seat.

  “So…if you want, head back out of the neighborhood and then head south on Main.”

  “Sounds good,” I said, my voice hoarse as I put the car back in drive. Sounds good? I thought to myself. It had been less than a minute and already I was embarrassing myself.

  “So, tell me about yourself,” I said, breaking the silence.

  “Sure. Let’s see. Well, you know where I work.”

  “Yeah, I do.” I felt my cheeks go red.

  “I'm twenty-nine, live with two friends I have known forever. I like to read, listen to music, and am a fan of horror movies, especially low-budget ones from the eighties.”

  I smiled. She sounded perfect. And a book lover. It was too good to be true.

  “And you?” she said, smiling at me.

  “Oh, well, I am twenty-two, and I like to read as well. Music is cool. I am not really into it a whole lot. And horror is fine if it’s not too gruesome.”

  “Too gruesome? Does it make you sick?”

  “Oh, no, I just get scared easily.”

  I turned and headed south on Main Street, feeling more relaxed as we talked.

  “So, who was your friend, the not-so-subtle guy?” This caused us both to laugh.

  “That’s Travis. He is a really sweet guy who lives across from me, and he had invited me out to lunch.”

  “Well, I'm glad he did.”

  I smiled at her. I was glad he
did as well.

  For the next ten minutes we talked back and forth, already sharing a few laughs.

  “Well, don't worry, I'm going to show you a good time,” Veronica said as we pulled into the parking lot.

  “Is that so?” I said, turning the car off.

  “It’s a promise,” she said as we got out and headed into the roller rink.

  ***

  “Come on! You got it!” Veronica said, skating backward and waving me on. I was laughing so hard and glad there were only a handful of people skating around the rink. We had been here about half an hour, and I had managed to fall twice already.

  “I never knew it was this hard,” I said, rolling up next to her. “And it’s killing my butt.”

  She laughed. “You’re doing great. Come on, let’s go faster.” She grabbed my hand and took off as I pushed on my skates trying to keep up with her. We came around the curve and I panicked, feeling like I was going to crash into the wall.

  “I got you,” she said, trying not to laugh. “I promise I won’t let go.”

  “Thank you. Sorry, I know I must look scared.”

  “Scared? You look like you were getting ready to fall off a cliff,” she said, then grinned at me.

  I smiled as we skated around for a few more songs, our hands never letting go of each other. Veronica was a great teacher, encouraging me the whole time.

  “Just go with it, like this,” she said, turning around and skating backward, and then switching to go forward again. She cut across the rink, then came flying back at me, causing me to shriek right before she turned at the last moment.

  “Oh, you’re too much,” she said.

  “Thanks…I think.” I laughed. Then as we straightened out on the rink, I tried turning around but failed miserably, landing straight on my butt for the third time.

  Veronica rolled up in front of me, looking down, her brown eyes looking into mine. There was something there, something invisible connecting us. Reaching her hand out, she smiled.

  “Want to take a break?” she said.

  “Definitely.” I took her hand and she helped me up.

  ***

  We each grabbed some nachos and a drink and sat in a corner booth. The place was starting to get a little busy as families came in. The little ones were adorable as the put their skates on, excitement on their faces.