The Long Way Home

He flung the pink sash at me, "That is a low blow and you know it. Just tell me how you got it. Who did you pay off? Did Will tell you where I left it? Did he go back and get it and give it to you?"



I pushed the main floor button; the door opened. I realized then, we had not actually moved. I stormed from the elevator and looked back at him, "I went to the Empire State Building, looking for you. Same as today. I came looking for you. I flew across the fucking ocean. I wanted to tell you that you were right. You were right all along. You and I love each other and no one is ever going to love us the same way. So fuck you." I flung the sash back at him as the door closed. I turned and stormed into the dining room and sat back in my chair.



The guys gave me a look, "You want some more wine, J.D.?"



I nodded, "Call me Jack. I like Jack better anyway."



Sunday Morning



The knock at the door woke me. My jet lag and wine hangover was savaging my brain and body. I stumbled to the door. Daniela was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and at my door with a supermodel smile.



"Brunch?"



I squinted at her, "What time is it?"



"Eleven, silly. We are all meeting downstairs for brunch. Mike didn’t want to wake you, but I figured you'd balance out faster if you got up now."



I nodded, "Be down in ten." I closed the door and prayed I had at least one cute brunch outfit.



I didn’t, but Mike had bought me a couple cute dresses and skirts. I slipped on a skirt and blouse, and attempted to get myself close to not puffy.



I ended up with so much eye brightener, I looked semi-high. I ran from the room, hoping a little exertion would get me looking better.



When I got downstairs, I was flushed and glowing when I passed the mirror. I hurried into the breakfast room. The server sat me with a wink. I didn’t know what that meant, but I smiled at the guys, "Morning."



They all nodded at me. Tex slapped me on the back, "How ya feelin’, Jack?"



I caught an evil glare from Mike but smiled anyway, "Great. Little jet lagged but that'll wear off." I leaned into Tex, "You let me drink too much last night."



He beamed, "With a name like Jack, I figured you would drink us under the table."



I laughed, "Wine, I bet I can. You guys drink wine with me tonight." I waved at Romeo. He came rushing over. I smiled brightly, "Can we do a post-game wine tasting for these guys, you and I?"



His eyes lit up, "Of course. What a fabulous idea. Yes. We will make it wonderful for you all. Red and white?"



I nodded and clapped my hands, "Yes, please." I grinned wide, opening my brunch menu.



Romeo winked at me, "Leave it to me."



"Thank you."



Tex gave me a scowl, "Now, I don’t drink wine."



Mike scoffed, "Me either."



Arthur shook his head, "More of a draft sort of lad, myself." His accent was adorable.



I grinned wide, "You will all be converted by the end of the night."



I bat my lashes at them all. They all blushed and joked, apart from Mike. He scowled and grumbled. Daniela seemed to be compensating for his horrid mood. She didn’t know he just needed a nap and some video games. That always got him into a worse funk, and then even he couldn’t stand his own self. Then he would go for a huge workout and come back a new man.



I avoided his face. I didn’t know what to say to him. He didn’t believe I went to the Empire State Building. He thought I had used my money and influence to get the sash back.



Screw him.



Daniela fed him a bite. His eyes darted at me before he bit. I rolled my eyes and smiled at Luce, who was telling a story.



We finished breakfast and walked out of the dining room. I was stuffed and ready for a nap, but Luce asked if I wanted to go for a walk and sightsee a little.



I nodded "Let me just get my sweater. I'll meet you in the lobby in ten minutes."



He smiled and I sighed. If I wasn’t so angry with Mike, I would have paid more attention to the fact Luce was hot. He was dark haired and green eyed and beefy, five o'clock-shadow gorgeous. He had that foreigner hotness that Americans just couldn’t do. He wore Armani and smiled with brilliance and confidence. I had a naughty thought as I stepped into the elevator.



Mike climbed in after me.



He pressed his back against the wall and pushed the door close button several times.



"So what's the plan for today?"



I shoved him, "No way. You can't be a dick to me yesterday and today be all ‘hey Jack, what's shaking?’"



He smiled and I sighed again. I shook my head though and muttered, "I hate you."



He grabbed my face and pressed his lips to my forehead. It was seductive and more than a forehead kiss. "I am so sorry I suspected you were here to ruin my chances after I ruined yours."



I pushed him back, "You're getting married. Just stop this. No more kissing." When the elevator stopped on my floor, he got out, walking me to my door. I sighed as I opened the door and looked back at him, "You can't come in." I barred the way with my arms. He grabbed each hand that was clinging to the frame and pushed me into the room. He closed the door with his foot and looked down on me. I felt tiny.



"Just tell me that you love me, again."



I shook my head, "No."



He nodded, "Do it."



"I hate you. You did ruin my life, Mike. You ruined everything and then you disappeared and left me there alone. I had no one. My sister, my friends, no one. My family doesn’t speak to me. My father took my things from Phil's and burned them. I picked you, but you were gone so I was stuck alone. Do you know what that felt like?"



His face was stoic, but I could see the pain in his eyes, "I just assumed you picked him when you didn’t move."



I shoved him back, "You stormed into my wedding and started a huge fight. I was terrified and shocked."



He nodded, "I know. I see that now."



I shook my head, "But now is too late. You didn’t answer one phone call or one email or one message. You didn’t hear the message of me calling from the Empire State Building? You had to have heard the sax in the background on the message I left you."



He winced, "Jack…"



I shook my head again, "No. Don’t Jack me like that. Screw you, Mike." I grabbed my sweater from the bed and walked out, brushing past him.



He grabbed my arm, "Where are you going?"



I jerked my arm free, "To hang with Luce. He wants to be with me." I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. I saw a fire lit in his eyes.



I turned and ran for the stairs.



"Jack!"



I hurried down the stairs but his legs were strong, longer, and in considerably-better shape.



He grabbed my arm, spinning me, "Stop calling me Mike. I hate it when you call me that."



I shoved his huge hand from my arm, "I hate when you act like I'm unreasonable. You came and ruined my wedding day and my life, and somehow it's my fault that I never hopped down from the alter quick enough. You fucking started a brawl at my wedding. A brawl. How did you think I was going to react?"



His dark eyes burned down on me, "I thought you'd see the romantic gesture."



I moaned in disbelief, "You came drunk, romance was not what I saw. I saw a drunk hockey player making a huge scene."



"What do you care? You don’t even like any of those people."



I shoved him again, "THOSE WERE THE ONLY PEOPLE I HAD! YOU LEFT ME THERE AFTER YOU MADE A FOOL OF ME! YOU DIDN’T EVEN GIVE ME A CHANCE TO REACT!"



He grabbed my face and lowered his, but I shoved him off of me and turned and ran down the stairs.



He didn’t follow.



Luce was waiting for me in the lobby. He looked like a model. He looked like he and Daniela should be going sightseeing. He smiled, "You ready?"



I nodded and followed him out of the hotel. The streets and buildings were ancient looking. I loved it. It had a romantic feeling to it. The crisp winter air was surprising. It wasn’t New -York cold but it was not as warm as I expected. The entrance to the hotel wasn’t at all what a five-star hotel in New York would have for a grand entrance. It was old and stone, and the cobblestone streets made it feel like I was part of the history suddenly. We walked down the one-way street until we reached a huge five-way stop. The traffic was nuts, it reminded me of Manhattan but the buildings were amazingly old and beautiful. The smell of the old city was interesting and surprising.



Luce pointed at the building next to us, "Gallery of Ancient Arts. Let's go in."



I had been to Rome shopping many times but never had I seen the side the tourists saw.



We walked through the huge iron and stone gates into the plaza. It was stunning. When we got inside, it smelled old and dusty but the paintings, ceilings, and woodwork captivated me. He paid and pointed, "My favorite is down this way."



He took my arm in his and led me along, "You know the painting we are about to see is my all-time favorite."



If I hadn’t been so angry, I might have liked the fact he had a favorite piece of art in a gallery in Rome. He wasn’t just a hockey player. He was a worldly man from a humble and war-torn country.



Each painting was more impressive until suddenly we stopped. My eyes scanned the painting, overcome by it all. St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness. The shadows and subtleties were perfect. I was drawn into the dark places I couldn’t see and captivated by the young man whose face was cast to the side. He looked like he was crawling from his bed. The date was the thing that struck me with overwhelming awe, 1603-1604. It was over four hundred years old.



"Makes you want to see what else is there, what is in the shadows, and what he is looking at."



I nodded, "It's stunning. It makes me sad and I don’t know why."



"He was beheaded for speaking against King Herod's marriage to his niece. He called it incestuous. He was the man who baptized Jesus but refused to be more than him. He was a humble man, always trying to be smaller and make Jesus bigger."