The Eternity that Follows (4 page)

Joey woke up the next afternoon to Josh’s hand butting his
forehead.
“Dude if she’s friends with Jemma, does that mean she’s from
Mandala?” Josh asked.

Joey felt nauseous from the beer he drank the night before.
He wasn’t too pleased with how Josh had woken him from his
peaceful dream. He couldn’t remember the dream he was having,
but he had a feeling the girl he saw last night at the bar, the one
that had instantly captured his heart, had something to do with his
peaceful, and pleasant manner he approached his friend with.
“I already thought that. Who cares? That’s high school bull shit.
We’re older than that.”

Joey wished he had time to try and remember or at least fall
back into his dream. He had decided that destiny was upon him
and worthy Gabriella an angel in his early moments of awaking,
considering he didn’t punch Josh in the face for the way he had
woken him up.
“Yeah I guess you’re right, but still you know what they say about
Mandala girls, their all whore’s.”
“No, they’re not. That’s just trash talk, you know the girls from
that town are hot, and the girls from other towns are just jealous,
and make that stuff up.”
“Well I know you wouldn’t care much about dating a Mandala girl,
considering your previous history with them.” Josh said,
remembering all the women Joey had slept with when he turned
twenty-one.
“Oh man shut up! What did you wake me up for anyway?” Joey
asked, feeling ashamed for his prior experience with women.
“It’s three in the afternoon. I’ve been up for over an hour just
sitting here watching TV.”
“Oh whatever. I got to go I have plans to meet up with my
brother.” Joey said, getting up.
“All right, just drop me off first.”

Joey and Josh left and as soon as they got into the silver
mustang, Joey called up his brother to see where he was. When
Joey heard he was in Mandala, stuck their from a night of partying,
he was excited to take the ride to the town over, thinking of
Gabriella. Joey found it a little weird his older, married brother
was out at a party, away from his wife and children, but it soothed
his heart he had a reason to venture into Mandala.

And then he passed her, his dream angel on his ride from
Candlewood into Mandala. She was driving a purple WRX. Joey
was waiting at a red light at the intersection, he was turning left
and he knew it was her cause he was stopped just moments before.
He had enough time to catch a clear view, besides, she was
unmistakable with her hair glowing in the sunlight. 'She glows
radiant' he thought. He then wondered why he never saw her car
before, but then again, he hadn’t been around Mandala since he
turned twenty-one, and had the time of his life with the Mandala
girls at the bars.

“OMG a silver Saleen Mustang! Are you kidding me?” Gabriella
said, aloud to herself driving back from the coffee shop. The
mustang was decked out with rims and exhaust. She knew there
must be added horsepower under the engine, considering the work
done on the outside. Gabriella was stumped for words. Mustangs
were always her favorite. Her parents never allowed her to have
one though. The streets of Mandala are filled with hills, and in the
wintertime the snow and ice that cover the roads are un drive able
to a mustang. Her parents insisted on a front or all wheel drive car.
Gabriella realized she hadn’t even gotten a glimpse of the driver,
she was too busy checking out the car.

When Joey was done catching up with his brother, he went
back home, and started to play a video game. Since it was
Saturday night, he wondered if Gabriella would be out. After a
little conversation with his brother, he found out her last name, that
wasn’t available on Facebook. Gabriella had her middle name,
Belle, in place where her last name would have been. It was
simple not to ask about Gabriella directly. Most people that lived
in Mandala knew Jemma, and to say her hot friend was all that was
needed to find out her name. “Oh you mean Gabriella Viredem?”
‘Gabriella Belle Viredem,’ Joey thought that had a great ring to it,
if only it were Gabriella Belle Lyaseo, his last name.

Joey was unsure if he should venture on out tonight. He
heard from his brother that Gabriella and her girl friends are
usually out most nights of the week, especially on the weekends,
and mostly in Mandala. His brother mummered something about
that being weird to him, that they never left the town, but Joey
wasn’t paying too much attention because he was excited Gabriella
would most likely be out at one of the four bars in Mandala. Still
he was unsure if he should go out. Going out meant spending
money, which he hated to do. He wasn’t cheap, he was just well
invested in his goals to pursue his career as far as he could go.

Joey had taken classes in architecture when he was twentytwo. He worked hard to get his license and ever since, he had been
drawing up blueprints of his dream homes. They were usually
mansions as Joey had a rich appetite, and he often wondered if he
would even ever be able to afford the houses he was drawing up.
He’d grab a vision of his dream girl in his head, and draw up a
dream home for them. The dream girl he conjured up in his head,
usually had the same image, an image that had matched Gabriella.
This is how Joey had fallen in love at first sight. Love, 'what a
silly thought' he thought to himself.

Joey hadn’t loved much of anyone his whole life. He was
on the run from his mother since he was fifteen. He had been in
and out of juvenile detention for criminal mischief, and once for
assaulting his step father, who in which he hated, and cared
nothing for. From fifteen on, he had been sleeping from friends’
house to friends’ house, until he finally left school at seventeen to
get his GED, and then he started to work as a carpenter.

Although being able to walk away from a fight, he was a
hard head, and had countless assault charges on him. Most of
which he persuaded the pursuer to have dropped, but a few had
caught up to him. He spent six months in the county jail when he
was just twenty years old. He also had a driving record of an
animal, that had gotten him locked up after he had racked up
enough points on his license from speeding tickets, which was
topped off when he got his first DWI at the age of 21. He spent
three more months in county jail.
His boss was eager to take him
back, considering how hard of a worker he was, and also because
his boss was the father of one of his closest friends, Tie.

When Joey was twenty-three, Tie convinced his father, Ted
to take on one of Joey’s blueprints. After the completion of the
first house, on Lake Mandala, the design set forth and was
redesigned in rich areas all over the country.
Joey was twentyfour when he received the money from his design that set Ted’s
company ahead in zero’s. It was enough for Joey to start his own
business, and bring his next blueprint to life. Joey had invested
almost all of the money into the land and material needed to bring
his architecture to life. He also took at a small loan from the
county bank to help the funding.

Considering the success with his first blueprint, he was sure
once the house he was working on now on Lake Romantica, in
Candlewood was finished, the design would take hold. He then
would be sitting on enough money to be able to fund his next
blueprint. Of course he didn’t have the funds to just sit back and
watch the house come to life. At just a few months passed twentysix, Joey was the general contractor on the job, also putting in a lot
of man hours in labor.

He had his dreams set for him. He had enough money
saved away for rent, food, and recreational hobbies. He also had a
savings account going from when he first started working at
seventeen. Joey was doing well enough in the finical department,
but he wasn't where he wanted to be accept love in his life. Still,
he couldn’t stop thinking about Gabriella, and finally stopped
contemplating on going out. He called up Tie and asked if he was
up for a night around Mandala, and he was.

Gabriella was still thinking of the silver mustang she saw,
and the image of her Mr. Mysterious was still clouding her mind,
while she started to get ready for a night out with Jemma, Sara and
Joesphine. The plan was to start at start at Mackenzie’s, and end at
Cascades, where they would all go onto the boat with the boys they
had met the night they went swimming. Gabriella wanted to go
out deeply, she wanted the chance to see Mr. Mysterious again.
After all, she was young, vivacious, hot and dangerous. She felt a
girl like her should be out partying as if it were here right in life.

All the girls met at Gabriella’s, piled into Sara’s car, and
drove over to Mackenzie’s. They were all in a good mood, singing
loudly to a new hit on the radio. Gabriella was off in her thoughts
again. She was wondering if she would see her Mr. Mysterious out
at the bar.
“Wow this place is packed.” Sara said, pulling into Mackenzie’s.
“Yay!” Josephine said. All the girls loved a big crowd.
“I thought Cascades would have the larger crowd tonight.” Jemma
said, in a suspicious tone. “Maybe we should head over there.”
“No I love crowds.” Gabriella said. She then heard the chatter of
the other girls agreeing.

Gabriella hadn’t yet noticed, but Jemma had spotted Joey
and Tie standing outside of the bar. Tie was many inches shorter
then Joey at Five foot seven. He had dark curly, red hair, and
brown eyes. He wasn't on par with Joey's looks and was an
awkwardly, cute looking man.
“I hate Mackenzie’s when it’s packed, it’s so hard to buy a drink.”
Jemma complained.
“Oh it’s not that bad,” Josephine spoke up for the girls. Jemma
was known to catch a bitchy attitude when things weren’t going
her way. “All you have to do is flirt your way to the front of the
bar, then mingle and wiggle your ass in front of someone seated at
the bar, and order your drink. The way Gabriella does.”

The girls got out of the car. Gabriella was laughing when
she said,
“hey I do not do that.”
“Uh yeah you do.” Jemma said.
“Oh maybe I do. At least it gets me a drink and sometimes it even
gets drinks bought for me.” Gabriella said, making Sara and
Josephine roll with laughter over her words.
“Let’s just go inside and have some fun.” Sara said.
“We do always have fun. I love my ladies.” Josephine said, when
the girls reached the door.

Once inside, the girls made their way through the crowd to
order their drinks from the bar. They then found an empty round
table with four bar stools.

Jemma was unable to spot Joey inside the bar. The dance
floor was packed, the pool table crowded, and she couldn't see
through the mist of people standing around mingling. She had
tried to arrange the seating so Gabriella wouldn’t have the best
view in the bar, unable to being Gabriella rushed to the table.
Gabriella liked to be able to watch the entire bar so she could see
who was there. She also wanted to watch the door, just in case
Joey happened to walk in.

Joey was sitting at a bar stool by the pool table. He was
watching the entrance, and had his eye on Gabriella since she first
walked in. He hadn’t pointed her out to Tie though. Joey hadn’t
even mention to him he had seen a girl out last night he was
interested in. Joey wasn’t keen on letting people in on his feelings.
Yet, he couldn’t help stare at her through the bar. ‘She looked
gorgeous,’ he thought to himself as she first walked in with her
ladies. He had to control his mind not to let his mouth droll as he
saw her legs for the first time. When he got a good look at the
front of her legs, he was willed minded at the sight. Joey wasn’t
too picky about figures and bust sizes. His ego was shot down a
bit when he realized that she had a voluptuous rack, and a sexy,
curvy figure. When he saw her from behind, he felt himself get
hard. She had a bubbly round butt, it was big and fat just the way
he liked them. The backs of her legs were just as sexy as what he
had saw from the front. Joey had given her a complete run down
and was impressed with what he saw.

What he wanted was for her to see him, to give him the
same rundown. He wanted her to notice him and stare back at him.
He would then leave her, leaving him on her mind and keep her
coming out to the Mandala bars for hopes of another look.
He
could have easily walked up to Jemma, though he wasn’t sure if
her response would be polite or not, considering they hadn’t spoke
since the night of the party when he shot her down.

Jemma was overly drunk that night and Joey had the good
sense not to use a girl when she was in that state of mind. Besides,
this was after Gavin and Jemma’s relationship ended. Joey would
never think to do anything with a girl that had once been with such
a close friend, as Gavin was to him. That short blonde, blue eyed,
sex crazed women had taken a piece Gavin’s pride with him, after
he realized she was a cheater. Gavin was hooked on her, and
thought that she was much more serious about him, as serious as
he was, than she turned out to be. Joey found great pleasure in
turning her down for the joy of his friends payback.

Joey figured he could walk up to Jemma, and then
introduce himself to her lady friends, but that didn’t feel right to
him. He had his company to think about, his goals and dreams.
Although Gabriella fit into his equation, it just wasn’t the right
time for Joey to devote himself to someone. He had already
decided, in the time he would be perusing Gabriella, he wouldn’t
sleep with any other girl, after all his own feelings on sex were
similar to hers. Although he had slept with a good amount of girls
throughout his years, he wasn’t what you could call a male whore.
‘Playboys’ is what Gabriella called a man like that.

When Joey was in past relationships, he was always faithful
and loyal to his girlfriends. When he wasn’t in a relationship, he
wasn’t bringing a lady home every night, and even not weekly.
Expect for his binge of sexual intercourse when he was twentyone, with the older Mandala girls at the bar, he wasn’t into sleeping
around anymore. He had grown up. Taking home a woman from
time to time from the bars, both north and south of Candlewood for
his pleasure, practice, and well because he was a guy and he had
his needs.