Eva Pt. 02

"I don't have to think about it, Jon. I trust you. But can I trust her? That's the big question."

"Honey, even if you had a reason to be concerned, you know I wouldn't cheat on you. Never. I have an idea. Why don't I see if she's free next Sunday and we can drive up to White Plains and you can meet her? She doesn't know about you yet either. I haven't even spoken to her since we started going out. My attention's all been on you." Eva let me pull her closer and I kissed her head, then her lips. "I want her to stay my friend, but you need to be secure for that to happen."

"OK, ask her when you talk tonight. And Jon? No more secrets like that. If there's anyone else to tell me about, I need to hear it now."

"No female friends like that. An old male friend, but we're not close. Douglas. In Syosset. I barely see him, only when our parents get together, and not even all the time then. No one else for you to concern yourself about."

"All right. Jon, one thing: where's she going to college?"

"Oh, no worries there either. She's going to University of California, Irvine. She wants to live in Southern California. Why, I have no idea." Eva smiled and we were better. Mostly. After she met Adrienne, things would be fine again. There was nothing to worry about there.

We got cleaned up and we dressed, got something to drink and Eva went home after about a dozen kisses goodbye. I took a hot shower and dressed in fresh clothes before Camilla came home. My parents got home first, before 6, and then my sister. She ran upstairs to her room to change and, after fixing her hair in the bathroom we shared, she was ready to go to dinner with me. Dad slipped me 20 bucks despite my protests, and Cammy and me went to Tong Fung, our family Chinese restaurant a quick 5 minutes away. Nice place, family friendly with good food.

We got a table and Camilla was smiling wide. We hadn't done this in months, just the two of us out for dinner. After we ordered, we talked. As I knew, she was feeling worried about me leaving for school in the Fall and we talked about it, even though we had done so the week before, in a brief manner. This was a more detailed discussion. I told her again how I'd always be around for her, even if it meant by phone. She worried about going to college when it was her time, if our mom wasn't doing so well. I told her if she wanted to go away when it was her time, I'd stick close to home if needed so she could go wherever she wanted. "That's only fair, Cammy. And you know I'm going to miss you when I go away, so you'd better keep in touch and call me."

"You won't have time for me, between school and Eva." She wasn't sad, but she was very serious.

"Cammy, the day won't come when I won't have time for you. I don't know what's going to happen with Eva and I. Maybe one day we'll get married, and maybe we'll break up. Who can say? But you are always going to be my sister. Fifty years from now, you're always going to be a part of my life."

She smiled, and I think she was finally feeling better about me going away. I couldn't live without Camilla in my life and she knew it.

When we got home she gave me a kiss on my cheek and went up to her room to do some schoolwork and I called Eva. We had a nice long conversation, and she was also feeling better since that afternoon. When it was almost 9 I had to go to call Adrienne. "Eva, honey, I love you. Do you want me to call you when I get off the phone with Adrienne?"

"If it's before 10. I'm kind of beat tonight. So not after 10. We'll see each other in the morning. Pick me up?"

"You got it, the usual time. Just in case, good night, honey."

"Good night to you too, sexy man. And I love you too."

We hung up and I called my friend. After going through the basic pleasantries, I told her "Ade, I've got to tell you something. I'm going out with someone and it's very serious. We love each other, very much. And it turns out we're both going to Binghamton this Fall."

Adrienne was silent at first, then she said "Jon, I'm happy for you. Very. But part of me always thought we might end up together. A few times I wished you made a pass at me. Especially New Years Eve. I was so disappointed when you didn't. But I understood why you didn't. We're good friends. It could have been weird."

It was my turn for silence before I said "Ade, I can't say I didn't think about it a few times the last year. But I never thought I got a signal from you that you wanted me to, and besides, what if I did and you rejected me? It could have made things very difficult for us afterwards. And if we did start something and it didn't work out, we both would have lost a close friend."

"I know. But I think I would have taken the risk."

"You do know you're going to California in a few months. How would that have worked out?"

"I know. A lot of potential problems. Still...so, tell me about Eva. How did you meet, how did things get so serious. Dish." I told her the story, without going into every detail. Ade and I could talk openly and honestly. We each knew when the other lost their virginity and we were open about sex. She knew what I had tried with previous girls. But the specifics with Eva I wanted to keep private. I loved her too much to talk to anyone about it, I guess unless a problem came up. Then Adrienne would have been the first person I went to, to get the female perspective.

She asked a few questions, nothing overly personal, and she understood how deep my feelings had gotten regarding Eva. "I'm happy for you, Jon. Really happy. I don't want to get too close to anyone now. As you said, I'm off to California in August. That's why I don't have a date to my prom. Have you thought about being my escort?" She didn't use the word 'date'.

"Ade, Eva was there when you called, and like a schmuck I never told her about you. That hurt her. It's all my fault."

"And it hurts me too, Jon. You never told her about me? We've been good friends since we're small children. And you've been going out with her for more than a month without saying a word about me. You struck two targets with one omission."

Shit. Again. I really fucked up. I hurt two women I loved, in very different ways. I fixed one hurt. I needed to fix the other. "Ade, how would you like to meet Eva? I think she wouldn't mind if I went to your prom if she knew you. And besides, I want my girlfriend and my best friend to know each other. I know I hurt you both. I've made it right with Eva. I want to make things right with you too. Please Adrienne? I'm sorrier than I can say."

She sighed. "We're friends too long for me to stay mad at you for this, Jon. I'm still hurt, but I forgive you. And I'd love to meet her. When do you want to come up here?"

"I was thinking Sunday. We can get together and go for either lunch or dinner."

"Come up around 3. We'll go to dinner. And Jon? You're buying."

I smiled to myself. "Done. It's worth the price of peace. Anything under a dollar and ninety nine cents." Adrienne laughed. We'd work things out. So we were set for Sunday. Besides my mom and my sister, my two favorite women were going to meet. It should go great, right? Right?

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