is real, true love."
Rob sat mute, stunned for the second time in two days.
Could Paul have been right yesterday? Do I really not know anything about women? Listening to her, it sure seems that way. Oh man, this is not good. What if I really did screw up the note or the CD?
"Maybe I should call her."
"No, give her time to call you. Give her time to read the note and listen to the CD, time to think about it all, to figure out what she's feeling. If she's really the kind of girl you and Paul have told us about, and she still has feelings for you, she'll call"
"And if she doesn't."
"Then you'll hurt for a while and move on, as I'm sure we've all done a time or two."
The men nodded, remembering those painful times in their past.
"I guess this means you won't be worth shit today, eh?" Tom asked.
Rob grunted. "I don't know. Give me something mindless to do, something that doesn't require any heavy thinking."
He smiled at Priya. "Thanks. Why is it that women always know the right thing to say?"
"We don't," she told him with a playful grin as she sashayed back to her desk. "It's just that anything sounds good when it comes from a hottie like me."
12:15 PM
The warm spring sun made Paul wish he were walking with Jillian instead of Rob. They were eating sausage sandwiches as they strolled along the sidewalk.
"Did you know Boston Common is the oldest public park in America?" Rob asked. "Dates back to 1634."
"And you know this…why?"
Rob grinned. "Lisa told me once. I guess when you're the function manager, the Ritz makes you learn all that stuff. Did you know the place is fifty acres? And they used to use it for grazing cows?"
"Really?" Paul surveyed the grass and trails. "All I see now are grazing people."
As they ate and walked, Rob casually led Paul onto a path that cut diagonally across the Common to Charles Street. He'd been re-telling, in greater detail, the story of last night's chastisement by Marianne.
"You have no idea how pissed she was at me," he said. "She even threatened to arrest me if I ever had the poor sense to do that again in her jurisdiction."
Paul's expression made clear he thought Rob had crossed the line from mere embellishment to outright fantasy.
"I swear. Those were just about her exact words. As if I would fly out to Seattle to keep you from calling your new honey."
"I'm not sure she qualifies yet as my honey. And to tell the truth, I actually had a pretty good time last night. I never talked with a cop before. She was pretty interesting. Real smart. And she was funny! You never think of cops as being funny. At least I don't. And let's face it, she was scorching!"
"Hmmm…sounds like coffee girl has some competition."
"No. No way. Marianne was nice but Jillian is something special. Like I said this morning, I have it bad."
Paul looked around and realized where they were. "Where the heck are we going?"
"Hey, it's a nice day. I thought we could take a walk over to the Beacon Street side."
"Wouldn't it have been easier to walk straight across? Or is there some special reason we'll be walking up Charles to Beacon?
"Reason? Besides this glorious sunshine?"
"Are we planning to turn left when we get to Beacon? Are we hoping to run into anyone we know sitting on her favorite bench eating lunch in the Public Gardens?" Paul sighed loudly and shook his head for effect. "Didn't Priya tell you to give her time to make up her mind?"
"I know, I know. But I want to see her. From a distance. I haven't seen her in almost two weeks and I miss her. I miss the sight of her. You know what I mean?"
Paul nodded. "Yah, I know." He felt the same way about Jillian and it had only been twenty-four hours since he'd seen her.
Neither of them spoke now that the real purpose of the walk had been revealed. Paul hoped she wouldn't be there. He trusted Priya's judgment and was afraid if Rob saw her, he'd not be able to resist approaching her.
As he walked, Rob conjured Lisa's image in his mind; her
Rob sat mute, stunned for the second time in two days.
Could Paul have been right yesterday? Do I really not know anything about women? Listening to her, it sure seems that way. Oh man, this is not good. What if I really did screw up the note or the CD?
"Maybe I should call her."
"No, give her time to call you. Give her time to read the note and listen to the CD, time to think about it all, to figure out what she's feeling. If she's really the kind of girl you and Paul have told us about, and she still has feelings for you, she'll call"
"And if she doesn't."
"Then you'll hurt for a while and move on, as I'm sure we've all done a time or two."
The men nodded, remembering those painful times in their past.
"I guess this means you won't be worth shit today, eh?" Tom asked.
Rob grunted. "I don't know. Give me something mindless to do, something that doesn't require any heavy thinking."
He smiled at Priya. "Thanks. Why is it that women always know the right thing to say?"
"We don't," she told him with a playful grin as she sashayed back to her desk. "It's just that anything sounds good when it comes from a hottie like me."
12:15 PM
The warm spring sun made Paul wish he were walking with Jillian instead of Rob. They were eating sausage sandwiches as they strolled along the sidewalk.
"Did you know Boston Common is the oldest public park in America?" Rob asked. "Dates back to 1634."
"And you know this…why?"
Rob grinned. "Lisa told me once. I guess when you're the function manager, the Ritz makes you learn all that stuff. Did you know the place is fifty acres? And they used to use it for grazing cows?"
"Really?" Paul surveyed the grass and trails. "All I see now are grazing people."
As they ate and walked, Rob casually led Paul onto a path that cut diagonally across the Common to Charles Street. He'd been re-telling, in greater detail, the story of last night's chastisement by Marianne.
"You have no idea how pissed she was at me," he said. "She even threatened to arrest me if I ever had the poor sense to do that again in her jurisdiction."
Paul's expression made clear he thought Rob had crossed the line from mere embellishment to outright fantasy.
"I swear. Those were just about her exact words. As if I would fly out to Seattle to keep you from calling your new honey."
"I'm not sure she qualifies yet as my honey. And to tell the truth, I actually had a pretty good time last night. I never talked with a cop before. She was pretty interesting. Real smart. And she was funny! You never think of cops as being funny. At least I don't. And let's face it, she was scorching!"
"Hmmm…sounds like coffee girl has some competition."
"No. No way. Marianne was nice but Jillian is something special. Like I said this morning, I have it bad."
Paul looked around and realized where they were. "Where the heck are we going?"
"Hey, it's a nice day. I thought we could take a walk over to the Beacon Street side."
"Wouldn't it have been easier to walk straight across? Or is there some special reason we'll be walking up Charles to Beacon?
"Reason? Besides this glorious sunshine?"
"Are we planning to turn left when we get to Beacon? Are we hoping to run into anyone we know sitting on her favorite bench eating lunch in the Public Gardens?" Paul sighed loudly and shook his head for effect. "Didn't Priya tell you to give her time to make up her mind?"
"I know, I know. But I want to see her. From a distance. I haven't seen her in almost two weeks and I miss her. I miss the sight of her. You know what I mean?"
Paul nodded. "Yah, I know." He felt the same way about Jillian and it had only been twenty-four hours since he'd seen her.
Neither of them spoke now that the real purpose of the walk had been revealed. Paul hoped she wouldn't be there. He trusted Priya's judgment and was afraid if Rob saw her, he'd not be able to resist approaching her.
As he walked, Rob conjured Lisa's image in his mind; her
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