Welcome To Detroit City
Entertainment
“Well, this is it!” Cory said, as he unlocked the door. He pushed it open and stepped back for me to go in first. He followed behind me. “This is my humble abode!”
“So this is where the famous Cory Emmerton lives.” I looked around at the modern, though messy bachelor pad. In the kitchenette, there were piled plates and leftover takeout dishes. Following Cory into the living room, I saw DVD’s and games strewn across the floor in front of the flat screen.
Cory must’ve followed my eyes as he apologized, rubbing the back off his neck. “Sorry about the mess. I didn’t have time to clean before the game, and Mike scared away the girl from down the hall that used to do it.”
“Mike?” I asked, as I sat down beside him on the couch, keeping a good distance between us.
“Mike Commodore. He’s a buddy from the team.” Cory explained as he turned the TV on to Sports Center, though keeping it muted.
“Oh right! I think I remember seeing him come up when I Googled yo-” I cut myself off abruptly, my cheeks turning a brilliant shade of red.
“You Googled me?” He smirked. “And did you find anything interesting?”
“Just stats really…Though I did see a picture of you and a buddy drinking,” I winked.
He groaned. “Jon and I will never live that down.”
“No probably not.” I laughed before becoming somber. “So what did you want to know?”
Cory sighed. “I wanted to know how. The last time I was in, the doctors had said that they thought she could get through the surgery.”
“Yes, they thought she would make the surgery. They didn’t know if she would recover, or if the surgery would help at all.” I blinked back tears. “I never once thought of her not making it. I never once thought of her not getting better.”
“Hey, I always thought she would pull through too.” He soothed, pulling me into his arms. He lay down on the couch and pulled me so I was lying on my side between him and the back of the couch, resting my head on his chest.
I lifted my head from his chest as the first tear spilled over and looked into his eyes. “She had fought so hard, it’s not fair! She was too young! She had so much ahead of her! It’s not fair, Cory!”
He pulled my back down to rest under his chin and tightened his arms around me, stroking my hair. “I know, I know.”
“Her brain swelled ten minutes into the surgery. They said there was nothing they could do but…but what if she hadn’t had the surgery? Or what if the surgery had been postponed? Then maybe she would have been alive right now and-”
“Bridgit, don’t do that to yourself. There’s no changing what happened as much as we’d like to and you can’t keep beating yourself up about it.” He tilted my head up to look into his eyes. “You haven’t been sleeping.” There was no question in his voice.
I sighed and wiped away my tears. “I can’t. Every time I try, I see her innocent little face.”
“Well, why don’t you try now?” Cory leaned over the end of the couch and grabbed a pillow, jamming it under his head before opening his arms for me again. “I could use a nap.”
I bit my lip, looking at his arms warily. I was just in them, but that was for comfort. Sleeping in his arms was a whole other ball game. But his arms were beckoning to me, and I couldn’t pass down the opportunity. “If you’re sure…”
Cory smiled at me. “I’m sure.” And he pulled me in his arms and soon I was in too deep a sleep to hear his snores.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
I awoke to a door slamming and a hard body stirring beneath me. Cory had wrapped his arms around me and when I opened my eyes, I saw that he was rubbing his eyes. When he saw I was awake, he looked up at me and smiled. Those sleepy blue eyes drew me in and I returned his smile. Just as Cory opened his mouth to say something, a voice from behind us interrupted us.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” I turned and found the owner of the voice was a tall ginger man with a tan blonde hanging off his arm. “Emmer, you bring home some entertainment? Good, I did too. We’ll have a good time,” He slurred.
I quickly got off of Cory and reached for my shoes at the end of the couch. “I’ve got to go.” I slipped on my shoes and made for the door.
The big, orange haired man grabbed my arm as I passed by. “Hey, wait a minute. Don’t you want to have a little fun?”
I could feel tears springing to my already sore eyes as his grip tightened. “Not tonight.” I managed to get my arm from his grasp and made for the door.
I could hear Cory talking harshly to the guy behind me, but I paid it no mind as I grabbed my purse from beside the door and headed for the stairs.
“Hey wait up a minute Bridgit!” I heard Cory yelling after me, but I kept going. I was just getting to the first floor when Cory caught up with me. “Don’t listen to Mike, Bridgit. He’s just drunk. He’s an asshole drunk and only thinks with his dick.”
“Are you sure you don’t think with your dick?” I turned around to face him, anger and embarrassment pulsing through me. “Is that why you invited me over, got me the tickets. Did you pretend to care about Emily? Or was that just an excuse to get into my pants?” I immediately regretted my words when I saw his face crumple. “Oh Cory, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. It’s just…I don’t know what to think. I mean I barely know you.”
He nodded his head slowly. “I accept your apology, Bridgit. I barely know you either, but there’s just something about you that just lures me in.” Cory looked down at his sneakers and rubbed the back of his neck before looking up. “Bridgit, I’d like to get to know you and I was hoping that maybe we could go out sometime?”
“Like on a-a date?” I bit my lip nervously.
“If you want it to be! But if you’d rather just be friends-” He started.
“No.” I interrupted him. “I’d like it to be a date.” I smiled shyly when he grinned at me.
“Well, okay then!” Cory stuffed his hands in his pocket. “I’ll pick you up Saturday night?”
“Okay, goodnight.” I turned to leave. “Oh and Cory, thanks for everything. The tickets and you being there and all. I really appreciate it.” I looked down at my feet, suddenly embarrassed.
“You’re more than welcome, sweetheart. Goodnight Bridgit.” Cory winked at me one last time before heading back up the stairs. I let myself out of the apartment building and headed for home with a smile on my face.
“So this is where the famous Cory Emmerton lives.” I looked around at the modern, though messy bachelor pad. In the kitchenette, there were piled plates and leftover takeout dishes. Following Cory into the living room, I saw DVD’s and games strewn across the floor in front of the flat screen.
Cory must’ve followed my eyes as he apologized, rubbing the back off his neck. “Sorry about the mess. I didn’t have time to clean before the game, and Mike scared away the girl from down the hall that used to do it.”
“Mike?” I asked, as I sat down beside him on the couch, keeping a good distance between us.
“Mike Commodore. He’s a buddy from the team.” Cory explained as he turned the TV on to Sports Center, though keeping it muted.
“Oh right! I think I remember seeing him come up when I Googled yo-” I cut myself off abruptly, my cheeks turning a brilliant shade of red.
“You Googled me?” He smirked. “And did you find anything interesting?”
“Just stats really…Though I did see a picture of you and a buddy drinking,” I winked.
He groaned. “Jon and I will never live that down.”
“No probably not.” I laughed before becoming somber. “So what did you want to know?”
Cory sighed. “I wanted to know how. The last time I was in, the doctors had said that they thought she could get through the surgery.”
“Yes, they thought she would make the surgery. They didn’t know if she would recover, or if the surgery would help at all.” I blinked back tears. “I never once thought of her not making it. I never once thought of her not getting better.”
“Hey, I always thought she would pull through too.” He soothed, pulling me into his arms. He lay down on the couch and pulled me so I was lying on my side between him and the back of the couch, resting my head on his chest.
I lifted my head from his chest as the first tear spilled over and looked into his eyes. “She had fought so hard, it’s not fair! She was too young! She had so much ahead of her! It’s not fair, Cory!”
He pulled my back down to rest under his chin and tightened his arms around me, stroking my hair. “I know, I know.”
“Her brain swelled ten minutes into the surgery. They said there was nothing they could do but…but what if she hadn’t had the surgery? Or what if the surgery had been postponed? Then maybe she would have been alive right now and-”
“Bridgit, don’t do that to yourself. There’s no changing what happened as much as we’d like to and you can’t keep beating yourself up about it.” He tilted my head up to look into his eyes. “You haven’t been sleeping.” There was no question in his voice.
I sighed and wiped away my tears. “I can’t. Every time I try, I see her innocent little face.”
“Well, why don’t you try now?” Cory leaned over the end of the couch and grabbed a pillow, jamming it under his head before opening his arms for me again. “I could use a nap.”
I bit my lip, looking at his arms warily. I was just in them, but that was for comfort. Sleeping in his arms was a whole other ball game. But his arms were beckoning to me, and I couldn’t pass down the opportunity. “If you’re sure…”
Cory smiled at me. “I’m sure.” And he pulled me in his arms and soon I was in too deep a sleep to hear his snores.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
I awoke to a door slamming and a hard body stirring beneath me. Cory had wrapped his arms around me and when I opened my eyes, I saw that he was rubbing his eyes. When he saw I was awake, he looked up at me and smiled. Those sleepy blue eyes drew me in and I returned his smile. Just as Cory opened his mouth to say something, a voice from behind us interrupted us.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” I turned and found the owner of the voice was a tall ginger man with a tan blonde hanging off his arm. “Emmer, you bring home some entertainment? Good, I did too. We’ll have a good time,” He slurred.
I quickly got off of Cory and reached for my shoes at the end of the couch. “I’ve got to go.” I slipped on my shoes and made for the door.
The big, orange haired man grabbed my arm as I passed by. “Hey, wait a minute. Don’t you want to have a little fun?”
I could feel tears springing to my already sore eyes as his grip tightened. “Not tonight.” I managed to get my arm from his grasp and made for the door.
I could hear Cory talking harshly to the guy behind me, but I paid it no mind as I grabbed my purse from beside the door and headed for the stairs.
“Hey wait up a minute Bridgit!” I heard Cory yelling after me, but I kept going. I was just getting to the first floor when Cory caught up with me. “Don’t listen to Mike, Bridgit. He’s just drunk. He’s an asshole drunk and only thinks with his dick.”
“Are you sure you don’t think with your dick?” I turned around to face him, anger and embarrassment pulsing through me. “Is that why you invited me over, got me the tickets. Did you pretend to care about Emily? Or was that just an excuse to get into my pants?” I immediately regretted my words when I saw his face crumple. “Oh Cory, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. It’s just…I don’t know what to think. I mean I barely know you.”
He nodded his head slowly. “I accept your apology, Bridgit. I barely know you either, but there’s just something about you that just lures me in.” Cory looked down at his sneakers and rubbed the back of his neck before looking up. “Bridgit, I’d like to get to know you and I was hoping that maybe we could go out sometime?”
“Like on a-a date?” I bit my lip nervously.
“If you want it to be! But if you’d rather just be friends-” He started.
“No.” I interrupted him. “I’d like it to be a date.” I smiled shyly when he grinned at me.
“Well, okay then!” Cory stuffed his hands in his pocket. “I’ll pick you up Saturday night?”
“Okay, goodnight.” I turned to leave. “Oh and Cory, thanks for everything. The tickets and you being there and all. I really appreciate it.” I looked down at my feet, suddenly embarrassed.
“You’re more than welcome, sweetheart. Goodnight Bridgit.” Cory winked at me one last time before heading back up the stairs. I let myself out of the apartment building and headed for home with a smile on my face.
3/11/13