Playing Rough
A Day In Chicago
"Charley? Charley?" she hears a voice whispers. She groans and rubs her eyes, realizing tears are dripping down her cheeks. She sees a shirtless Jonathan laying next to her which makes her blush. He has a concerned look on his face and tenderly he reaches up to wipe the remaining tears from her cheeks. A sudden wave of nausea hits her and her head begins to pound.
Before she can say a word, she leaps up off the bed and bolts into the bathroom and begins violently throwing up. She feels someone pull her hair back and lay a comforting hand on her back. Once she's finished, she leans back against the cold wall and Jonathan hands her a glass of water which she gratefully takes.
"Thanks." she croaks once she's rinsed out her mouth. Jonathan hands Charley her purple tooth brush with tooth paste already spread on it. She leans over sink and brushes the sour taste out of her mouth. Then Jonathan takes her hand and leads her back into the bedroom where he hands her another glass of water and an ibuprofen.
"Are you okay?" he asks and Charley realizes she's crying again.
"I'm just so embarrassed. About last night I mean." She covers her face with her hands to hide her flushed cheeks. Jonathan slowly peels them away and forces her to look at him.
"Why are you embarrassed?"
"Because I feel like I cheated. On Jake I mean. I know he's dead but I still feel like I cheated. And I went out and I was drinking and dancing and grinding," Charley swallows nervously. "On you. And then you invited me back to your place and I just think that maybe, if it wasn't you I had been grinding on, I might have gone home with someone." Charley bursts into tears and Jonathan pulls her into an embrace.
"Hey, calm down. Listen to me Charley." he pulls Charley's face in front of his so she's being forced to look directly at him. "You were stressed out. You have hockey weighing on you and Jake's death came at a really bad time. There's a lot weighing on this hockey game tomorrow and you're starting to feel the stress and you thought this would help you unwind. I can assure you, you weren't cheating on Jake. You weren't. As much as I hate to say it, you're not with Jake anymore. But that's okay. Everything will get easier with time. And I promise you, I would never have let you go home with anyone. I promise you, I would have stopped you."
"Thank you Jon. Thank you so much. It means everything to have you here. But I feel so selfish. I mean, you're going through a loss too."
"Let's go through our loss together. Come on, get dressed. We're going out. I want to show you around Chicago." Charley smiles widely. "I'm going to go get dressed, I'll be back in a half hour." He pulls on his jeans and grabs his shirt and exits the room.
Once out in the hallway, he sees Noah walking down the hallway towards him. Noah's eyes land on him and they narrow. He marches up to Jon and shoves him back against the wall.
"What the fuck dude?" Noah hisses, his arm pressed firmly across Jonathan's neck making him take short shallow breaths. "Jake died yesterday and you're already making moves on my sister? What kind of a dumbass are you?"
"Nothing happened." Jon firmly states, shoving Noah off him. "She was going through a rough time last night and I stayed with her to help. If you didn't want me there, then where were you? I didn't see you around at all. You didn't come knocking to make sure she was okay." Jon pushes past Noah towards his hotel room.
"Jon." Jon spins around to see Noah rocking back and forth nervously on his heels. "Thanks, for helping her out I mean." Jon gives him a tight nod and continues back to his room.
While waiting, Charley quickly jumps into the shower to wash off all the sweat and alcohol from last night. She gets out and throws her hair into a messy ponytail. She does minimal makeup, adding some light concealer to hide the bags under her eyes and some mascara and finally some bold red lipstick. She paints her nails a pale pink to give the outfit a pop of color.
She rummages through her suitcase and pulls out a grey sweatshirt that has Blackhawks sprawled across the chest which she layers over a white tank top. Then she grabs a pair of ripped skinny jeans and slips them on and adds a pair of grey TOMS to match her sweatshirt. Lastly she grabs her studded black bucket bag and fills it with everything she needs. She glances at the clock and she's Jon should arrive any minute.
A knock sounds at the door and Charley hops up, grabbing her purse and whipping open the door. Jon stands in front of her with a kind smile on his face. He's wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and a tight Blackhawks under armour t-shirt. A black and red Blackhawks hat is perched on his head. His face lights up when he see's her sweatshirt.
"You're wearing a Blackhawks sweatshirt." he smiles, reaching out to hug her. She wraps her arms around his neck .
"They are one of my top favorite teams. I have a piece of clothing from just about every team in the NHL. I knew we were coming to Chicago so I threw it in my bag." Jon releases her and grabs her hand and gives her a light tug out the door.
They ride the elevator down to the lobby and step out into the cold Chicago air. Charley was in awe by the tall buildings and busy streets and sidewalks. Roads twisted and turned throughout the city and interesting shops lined the city streets. Vendors with small carts and tents had set up along various corners.
Jon pulls her down the street towards the EL station. He pulls a transit card out of his wallet and scans it then pushes through the gate. He hands the card back to her and she mimics his actions. They stand at the platform waiting for the next train to arrive.
When it does, Jon pulls Charley through the doors. It's a Saturday afternoon and quite busy. Seats are scarce. They manage to find one. Jon sits down and pulls Charley onto his lap. They exchange shy smiles.
"So, what are the plans for today?" Charley asks.
"Well, I was going to take you into Millennium Park. There's a bunch of touristy things to do there. There's the bean, and the art museum. Then I figured we could get a bite to eat. I know this awesome little restaurant just a block or so away from Millennium Park where we can eat. Then they have a concert thing back at the park that I figured we could check out. Wander around the city. Then have dinner and I know this really awesome beach right on the banks of Lake Michigan that is really pretty at night and then we'll head home. How does that sound?"
"Sounds absolutely perfect." Charley lays her head on Jonathan's shoulder and he gives her a peck on the cheek. The train halts at another stop and a string of people enter the train, one being an older woman who scans the train for an empty seat. Jon lifts Charley from his lap and stands, offering the seat to the grateful woman. He grabs one of the hand holds and then wraps a steady arm around Charley’s waist and draws her close.
“You two make a very cute couple.” The old women smiles. Jonathan returns the gesture and offers a polite ‘thank you’ while Charley blushes like mad and attempts to hide her face in Jonathan’s chest. They climb off the train at their stop and walk the three blocks to Millennium Park, stopping off at Starbucks on the way.
Jonathan leads her to the Art Institute where they walk through the entire museum. Charley’s favorite was the rooms that had tiny doll house rooms set up. Tiny pillows and blankets were seated upon small couches and chairs. Mini forks and knives were set at places on small mahogany tables. Charley just found it so adorable.
Jonathan lead her to the park grill for lunch and then over to the bean. They stood underneath as Charley took pictures of their reflection in the bean before Jon drags her over to the stage where a band was playing. Despite the cold weather, a lot of people had showed up. Charley and Jon choose a seat close to the back. While the music played they talked.
“So Charley, what do you think of Chicago?”
“I love it. It’s beautiful. I love seeing new places.”
“So you love to travel?”
“Yea. I want to see everything but I know that by the time I die I will have hardly seen anything at all.”
Jon lets Charley’s words turn over in his head. Trying to think of something intelligent to say back to it. The pure simplicity of her words has stumped him and he knows she’s right. He looks at her, her eyes trailing off into the distance of the Chicago skyline. She’s beautiful. She’s smart. Sensitive. Funny. He loves her.
“Taken from here to where it came from --- and taken to a place --- and used in such a manner that it can only remain as --- a representation of what it was where it came from.” He finally decides on. Charley turns to him and smiles.
“That’s written on the wall in the art museum.”
“It’s one of my favorite quotes.” Charley studies him.
“I like this side of you Jon.”
By the time they finally finish their conversation, it’s almost dark. Jon takes her to a little restaurant close to the lake. Once finished, they walk towards the edge of the lake. It’s beautiful and all around they can see the bright lights of the city.
Jon snakes an arm around Charley’s waist and pulls her close to his chest when he sees her shiver. He moves a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and he kisses her.
Before she can say a word, she leaps up off the bed and bolts into the bathroom and begins violently throwing up. She feels someone pull her hair back and lay a comforting hand on her back. Once she's finished, she leans back against the cold wall and Jonathan hands her a glass of water which she gratefully takes.
"Thanks." she croaks once she's rinsed out her mouth. Jonathan hands Charley her purple tooth brush with tooth paste already spread on it. She leans over sink and brushes the sour taste out of her mouth. Then Jonathan takes her hand and leads her back into the bedroom where he hands her another glass of water and an ibuprofen.
"Are you okay?" he asks and Charley realizes she's crying again.
"I'm just so embarrassed. About last night I mean." She covers her face with her hands to hide her flushed cheeks. Jonathan slowly peels them away and forces her to look at him.
"Why are you embarrassed?"
"Because I feel like I cheated. On Jake I mean. I know he's dead but I still feel like I cheated. And I went out and I was drinking and dancing and grinding," Charley swallows nervously. "On you. And then you invited me back to your place and I just think that maybe, if it wasn't you I had been grinding on, I might have gone home with someone." Charley bursts into tears and Jonathan pulls her into an embrace.
"Hey, calm down. Listen to me Charley." he pulls Charley's face in front of his so she's being forced to look directly at him. "You were stressed out. You have hockey weighing on you and Jake's death came at a really bad time. There's a lot weighing on this hockey game tomorrow and you're starting to feel the stress and you thought this would help you unwind. I can assure you, you weren't cheating on Jake. You weren't. As much as I hate to say it, you're not with Jake anymore. But that's okay. Everything will get easier with time. And I promise you, I would never have let you go home with anyone. I promise you, I would have stopped you."
"Thank you Jon. Thank you so much. It means everything to have you here. But I feel so selfish. I mean, you're going through a loss too."
"Let's go through our loss together. Come on, get dressed. We're going out. I want to show you around Chicago." Charley smiles widely. "I'm going to go get dressed, I'll be back in a half hour." He pulls on his jeans and grabs his shirt and exits the room.
Once out in the hallway, he sees Noah walking down the hallway towards him. Noah's eyes land on him and they narrow. He marches up to Jon and shoves him back against the wall.
"What the fuck dude?" Noah hisses, his arm pressed firmly across Jonathan's neck making him take short shallow breaths. "Jake died yesterday and you're already making moves on my sister? What kind of a dumbass are you?"
"Nothing happened." Jon firmly states, shoving Noah off him. "She was going through a rough time last night and I stayed with her to help. If you didn't want me there, then where were you? I didn't see you around at all. You didn't come knocking to make sure she was okay." Jon pushes past Noah towards his hotel room.
"Jon." Jon spins around to see Noah rocking back and forth nervously on his heels. "Thanks, for helping her out I mean." Jon gives him a tight nod and continues back to his room.
While waiting, Charley quickly jumps into the shower to wash off all the sweat and alcohol from last night. She gets out and throws her hair into a messy ponytail. She does minimal makeup, adding some light concealer to hide the bags under her eyes and some mascara and finally some bold red lipstick. She paints her nails a pale pink to give the outfit a pop of color.
She rummages through her suitcase and pulls out a grey sweatshirt that has Blackhawks sprawled across the chest which she layers over a white tank top. Then she grabs a pair of ripped skinny jeans and slips them on and adds a pair of grey TOMS to match her sweatshirt. Lastly she grabs her studded black bucket bag and fills it with everything she needs. She glances at the clock and she's Jon should arrive any minute.
A knock sounds at the door and Charley hops up, grabbing her purse and whipping open the door. Jon stands in front of her with a kind smile on his face. He's wearing a pair of dark wash jeans and a tight Blackhawks under armour t-shirt. A black and red Blackhawks hat is perched on his head. His face lights up when he see's her sweatshirt.
"You're wearing a Blackhawks sweatshirt." he smiles, reaching out to hug her. She wraps her arms around his neck .
"They are one of my top favorite teams. I have a piece of clothing from just about every team in the NHL. I knew we were coming to Chicago so I threw it in my bag." Jon releases her and grabs her hand and gives her a light tug out the door.
They ride the elevator down to the lobby and step out into the cold Chicago air. Charley was in awe by the tall buildings and busy streets and sidewalks. Roads twisted and turned throughout the city and interesting shops lined the city streets. Vendors with small carts and tents had set up along various corners.
Jon pulls her down the street towards the EL station. He pulls a transit card out of his wallet and scans it then pushes through the gate. He hands the card back to her and she mimics his actions. They stand at the platform waiting for the next train to arrive.
When it does, Jon pulls Charley through the doors. It's a Saturday afternoon and quite busy. Seats are scarce. They manage to find one. Jon sits down and pulls Charley onto his lap. They exchange shy smiles.
"So, what are the plans for today?" Charley asks.
"Well, I was going to take you into Millennium Park. There's a bunch of touristy things to do there. There's the bean, and the art museum. Then I figured we could get a bite to eat. I know this awesome little restaurant just a block or so away from Millennium Park where we can eat. Then they have a concert thing back at the park that I figured we could check out. Wander around the city. Then have dinner and I know this really awesome beach right on the banks of Lake Michigan that is really pretty at night and then we'll head home. How does that sound?"
"Sounds absolutely perfect." Charley lays her head on Jonathan's shoulder and he gives her a peck on the cheek. The train halts at another stop and a string of people enter the train, one being an older woman who scans the train for an empty seat. Jon lifts Charley from his lap and stands, offering the seat to the grateful woman. He grabs one of the hand holds and then wraps a steady arm around Charley’s waist and draws her close.
“You two make a very cute couple.” The old women smiles. Jonathan returns the gesture and offers a polite ‘thank you’ while Charley blushes like mad and attempts to hide her face in Jonathan’s chest. They climb off the train at their stop and walk the three blocks to Millennium Park, stopping off at Starbucks on the way.
Jonathan leads her to the Art Institute where they walk through the entire museum. Charley’s favorite was the rooms that had tiny doll house rooms set up. Tiny pillows and blankets were seated upon small couches and chairs. Mini forks and knives were set at places on small mahogany tables. Charley just found it so adorable.
Jonathan lead her to the park grill for lunch and then over to the bean. They stood underneath as Charley took pictures of their reflection in the bean before Jon drags her over to the stage where a band was playing. Despite the cold weather, a lot of people had showed up. Charley and Jon choose a seat close to the back. While the music played they talked.
“So Charley, what do you think of Chicago?”
“I love it. It’s beautiful. I love seeing new places.”
“So you love to travel?”
“Yea. I want to see everything but I know that by the time I die I will have hardly seen anything at all.”
Jon lets Charley’s words turn over in his head. Trying to think of something intelligent to say back to it. The pure simplicity of her words has stumped him and he knows she’s right. He looks at her, her eyes trailing off into the distance of the Chicago skyline. She’s beautiful. She’s smart. Sensitive. Funny. He loves her.
“Taken from here to where it came from --- and taken to a place --- and used in such a manner that it can only remain as --- a representation of what it was where it came from.” He finally decides on. Charley turns to him and smiles.
“That’s written on the wall in the art museum.”
“It’s one of my favorite quotes.” Charley studies him.
“I like this side of you Jon.”
By the time they finally finish their conversation, it’s almost dark. Jon takes her to a little restaurant close to the lake. Once finished, they walk towards the edge of the lake. It’s beautiful and all around they can see the bright lights of the city.
Jon snakes an arm around Charley’s waist and pulls her close to his chest when he sees her shiver. He moves a strand of her dark hair behind her ear and he kisses her.
omg make a sequal, please !!! love this story !
4/4/16