The Best of Times

Chapter Two

     I was expecting Tommy to call soon. I had no work tonight and it was about 5 o' clock. I didn't know what he had in store so I just sat there waiting. I decided to play a record. I pulled Equinox out of the stack and pulled the vinyl out of the sleeve. I placed it in playing position. It played the first track. I started cleaning my filthy apartment, waiting. As it started playing Suite Madame Blue I heard the telephone ring. I quickly ran to it and picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's Tommy,"
"Oh, hi!" I said again, not sure what to say.
"Are you available tonight?" He asked.
"Yeah," I said, almost too eagerly.
"I was wondering if we could go out to eat tonight?"
"Sure, where?"
"Well I don't really know Chicago, so why don't you suggest something?" He said.
"Um, how about Maria's Pizza Palace?" I suggested.
"Okay, I think I know where that is, when should we meet?"
"I don't know, six?" I said.
"Sure! See you then, bye!"
"Bye," I replied. I put the phone on it's receiver. I internally screamed loudly. I had an hour to prepare. Maria's isn't that fancy, so I wouldn't have to dress up much. I could dress nicer than the way I was now, though.
     It was 5:45 so I decided to leave. When I pulled up I saw him leaning on a car by the entrance.
"Hey!" I said, after I got out of the car. He smiled and walked closer.
"Shall we go get pizza?" He said, in his lovely, smooth, voice.
"Yeah," I said as we walked up.
"Alright," Tommy said. The hostess sat us and gave us menus. We awkwardly looked at each other throughout the meal, but it was fun.
"Why don't we meet at my house?" He suggested.
"Of course," I said. He gave me his address and I tried understanding where it would be.
"Just follow me, hoping I don't get lost," he said, recognizing my confusion. We got in our cars and I followed him there. He pulled up to his driveway. It was a fairly nice house. I stepped out of the car, and Tommy was already up bey the door, trying to unlock it. He was struggling.
"You need help?" I asked, as I walked up.
"No, It's just a bad lock," he replied, as he nearly busted down the door, finally opening it. He walked in and he introduced me to the layout.
"So what should we do?" I asked.
"Perhaps watch a movie?"
"I guess...," I started. "What movie?"
"I do not know, go look at my collection," he said, pointing to five movies he had in a pile by his TV. I picked out a romance movie. And started playing it.
"Should I make popcorn?" He was surprisingly organized at home for just moving here.
"Yeah," I replied, then soon after I heard loud popping. I paused the movie to wait and sat on the couch. Eventually he came out with a big bowl of popcorn.
"So is it alright if I invite someone over?" He asked.
"Who?"
"Well I haven't formally met JY yet, and he sounds like the most interesting ones-I can't even remember the other two," he replied, I freaked out knowing that I would get to meet JY Young.
"Yeah, that's perfectly fine," I said, realizing I never told him I was a fan of Styx. Someday I will tell him.
"So you a fan of Styx?" He asks. Oh well. Someday today.
"Yeah, I like them, but I like Queen more,"
"I think I heard Queen before. They just release a new album?"
"Yeah," I said as he got up to call JY and invite him over. I waited a few minutes.
"He's coming," he said, walking back to the couch.
"Awesome," I replied, with him giving me a strange look. "Well you don't get the chance to meet your favorite rockstars everyday, I met Dennis DeYoung the other day with you, and now I will meet JY, " I continued. He continued to look at me strangely.
"And by the way, the people you don't remember the names of, are John and Chuck Panozzo," I added.
"Well it is good you know," he said as he plopped on the couch, not making me, who was on the other side, bounce much. I know he thought JY would try to steal me away, if Tommy was still even interested in me, but I figured JY would shun me for being a non-famous. Which he kind of did when he showed himself.
We heard knocking on the door.
"Come in," Tommy yelled. The door nearly crashed down, with a tall man on the other side.
"Your the Tommy I heard so much about?" JY said. "Stand up," Tommy stood up cautiously, and JY walked over slowly, judging him. I paused the movie, but was still eating popcorn on the couch.
"Interesting...," JY said, scanning. "And you are?" He looked at me.
"She... Is a friend," Tommy said for me. Friend? Darn. And that is basically how the night went. Until he left. Then just me and Tommy. We sat in silence for a bit. Then he turned to me.
"I want to be more than friends, Sabrina," he said as he leaned in and kissed me.