Why Romeo Hates Juliet (23 page)

“Do you remember anything?”

Juliet, Sara and Tommy were all standing in Romeo’s living room watching him as Romeo wandered around the space, examining everything.

“Is anything coming back to you, anything at all?” Juliet anxiously pressed him again. She’d been hoping and praying that his beach house would bring back his memories and she could then go back to living her own life far away from him - and far away from all of the temptations he presented to her.

“Nope. This is all new to me,” he declared, as he opened up the drinks cabinet and whistled at all of the liquor bottles stored there. “But I guess I like having a good time,” he quipped before turning back to Juliet and throwing her a saucy smile, “Unless they’re yours?” Juliet frowned and he continued, “Guess not.”

Romeo closed the cabinet and walked around the room, stopping before the plasma TV that Juliet had pushed him into once upon a time. It still had the cracked screen, and because so many things had happened to the movie star since that day, he’d never had the time to replace it. He stared at it now.

“What happened to the TV?” he innocuously asked his ‘wife’.

“Umm - I threw something at it by mistake,” she fudged.

He raised an inquiring eyebrow at her. “Another accident like my shooting?”

“I guess I’m all thumbs sometimes,” she evaded, before letting out a frustrated breath. “Why don’t you take a good look around the whole house and see if anything seems familiar. Maybe something will trigger your memory.”

“Okay,” Romeo nodded and as he moved towards the kitchen, he caught a glimpse of Tommy who was standing behind the girls and trying desperately to keep from laughing. It was obvious he was enjoying this as much as Romeo was.

Tommy caught Romeo’s eye and regained his composure. “Why don’t I come with you, bro,” he offered, and the two moved through the kitchen and up the stairs to the second floor.

The girls watched them leave and as soon as they’d disappeared from sight, Sara turned to her sister. “Juliet, last night Nana came to me in a dream and she asked me to give you something.”

“Really? What?”

“This.” Suddenly, Sara gave Juliet a hard slap across the back of her head.

“Owwww,” Juliet shrieked, as her fingers instinctively began to massage the sore spot. “What was that for?”

“’That’ was for kissing Romeo Boyd in the backseat when you’d promised me that you’d stay away from him! What the hell were you thinking?” Sara hissed.

“He kissed me first, okay?” Juliet pouted, sounding like a five year old who was blaming the other kid for the broken vase.

“He kissed you outside the truck for the paparazzi’s sake, but you were the one who kissed him inside in the backseat. I was there, remember?

I heard it all and saw everything, so don’t play word games with me, missy!” Sara was furious at her sister because she was really scared that Juliet was heading for a fall and probably a broken heart too.

Defeated, Juliet plopped down on the couch. “Okay, fine. I admit it.” She turned desperate eyes up to her sister. “I’m weak, Sara - when it comes to him, I’m so weak. Anytime he’s near me, all I want is to be with him and consequences be damned. He’s got this hold over me, this physical attraction, and I don’t understand it.” Frustrated, Juliet sprang up and began pacing the living room. “He’s not even my type!” she declared, throwing her hands up in the air.

“Romeo Boyd is every woman’s type, don’t kid yourself.”

“Not mine. Look at him…” Juliet jammed her finger in the direction of the stairs where they’d seen the two men disappear a few moments ago.

“He’s a womanizing, boozing, partying degenerate with copious amounts of facial hair; and seriously - I doubt he’s ever run a comb through that wild mop on his head. He looks like a hobo!” The exasperated words burst out of her mouth.

Sara’s lips twitched with humor as she watched her sister’s temper tantrum unfolding. “And yet, you want to screw his hobo brains out, don’t you?”

Juliet let out a long sigh of defeat as she plunked back down on the couch. “Yeah, I guess.”

“I know I’ve said this before and I’m going to say it again, but more plainly this time. Movie star Romeo Boyd hates next door neighbor Juliet Soma, and when he eventually remembers you, he’s going to dump your ass so fast and go back to his Carrie Ann, fake-boobies, Holl ywood lifestyle.”

“I know that, but every time he’s near me, my brain stops working. And Sara - you can’t be attached to my side 24/7 to interrupt - things. What am I going to do?” she whined softly, keeping her voice low so that the guys wouldn’t hear from upstairs.

“I think I’ve got the answer,” Sara said, as she reached for her purse on one of the end tables. Fishing inside, she pulled out an elastic band and handed it to Juliet. “Here is the solution to all of your problems.”

Perplexed, her sister held the elastic up. “How’s this going to help me?”

“Don’t you remember? Nana gave me that when I went on my very first date when I was 13. It was with Barry Monahan. She told me to wear the band around my wrist and if I felt any inclinations to kiss him, I was supposed to snap it on my skin and the sting would bring me back to my senses.

And if Barry Monahan would try to get fresh with me, then I was to take it and aim for his eye. Remember?” Juliet burst out laughing and nodded. “She gave me the same speech, but a different elastic when I went out with Reggie Cane.”

“Exactly!” Sara placed the magical band around her sister’s wrist. “When I’m not around to slap you to your senses, the elastic band will do it for me. Promise me you’ll use it and not take it off until the hobo regains his memory -
please
?” Giggling, Juliet crossed her heart with her fingers and held them up in the air. “I give you my solemn vow,” she affirmed.

“Good!” Sara, suddenly, pulled the small piece of rubber and let it snap back against her big sister’s wrist.

“Owww! What did you do that for?”

“To remind you to keep your promise.”

Juliet burst out laughing again, and Sara plopped down on the couch beside her and joined in.

~ ~ ~

Within the hour, the girls had begun cooking dinner. They had heard Tommy leave and were just wondering where the ‘hobo’ was when they heard him moving around in the living room opening the drinks cabinet. That was followed by the clinking of glass bottles.

Juliet knowingly turned to Sara, who was at the stove tending to the pot of chicken soup they’d just made. It was obvious to them that their patient was making himself a drink.

“I’d better go take care of this,” Juliet affirmed, as she grabbed two pill bottles from the kitchen counter and a glass of water.

Walking into the living room, she spotted Romeo half hidden inside the cabinet pouring himself a shot of whiskey. As he brought the glass of amber liquid up to his lips, Juliet cleared her throat and he, halting the tumbler midway, turned in her direction.

“I don’t think so, mister,” she declared and snatched the alcohol out of his hands, replacing it with the glass of water.

Romeo frowned. “What’s this?”

“’That’ is the only drink you’re allowed from now on until you get off these painkil ers.” She jingled the two bottles of pills she was holding in her other hand.

“Oh, come on, Juliet, just a small one for the road.”

“No. And you’re not allowed to go in there again…,” she pointed to the drinks cabinet, “…until you’re 100% better, got that?” She plopped a pill out from each of the bottles and held them in her palm towards him.

He gave her a sly smirk, before taking the pills and swallowing them. “So you wanna play doctor, huh? I think I can go for that. So what’s next?

You wanna take my pulse or my temperature?”

“What’s next is a nap.”

In a flash, he was standing in front of her, pressing up against her body and smiling down at her. “Now you’re talking. Let’s go, doc.” He grabbed her wrist and started walking with her towards the stairs.

Juliet let herself be lead up the stairs and towards his bedroom. For someone who’d just gotten out of the hospital and was supposed to still be weak, he certainly had a lot of strength coursing through that hard body of his, she thought. She could feel his steely power as he pulled her into his room and plopped both himself and her onto the edge of his bed.

Smiling, he quickly brought his face inches away from hers. “I’m ready for my full body exam, Doctor Juliet. Where do you wanna start?”

“This is not what I meant by a nap.”

“Oh, come on, you know that love is the best medicine,” he teased.

Juliet let out a laugh. He really was incorrigible, she thought, as his easy charm chipped away at her resolve to stay away from him. Suddenly, as she stared into his sparkling, impish eyes, she felt a surge of heat enveloping her body, overpowering her senses. It would feel so good to give into him right now and make love to him, which is what he obviously wanted from her. But what would come after that - when he regained his memory? Oh, why did she have to feel this intense physical attraction for him every time she was in his orbit?

Silent and undecided, she continued staring at him and Romeo inched his lips closer to hers. “How about a little mouth-to-mouth to resuscitate me?” he whispered, before allowing his pleading lips to swoop down on her undecided ones.

The instant that his insistent lips softly touched hers, Juliet instinctively brought her arms up around his neck and began to respond to him. After all, it was what she really wanted to do too. She heard a pleased moan escape out of him as she felt his good arm wrap itself around her back.

Oh no, Juliet thought to herself as she kept kissing him, she was doing it again. She was giving in to her passions and she was breaking her promise to Sara and to herself. But - this just felt so good - to be here in his arms like this - and giving in to every primal instinct firing throughout her body. What was she going to do? Her brain was one microsecond away from disconnecting from all rational logic when she suddenly spotted the elastic band on her wrist behind Romeo’s back where her hands were caressing his wild hair.

Awkwardly grabbing the band with her left hand, she pulled it and let it snap hard against the soft skin of the inside of her wrist. The sting against her flesh brought tears to her eyes and she winced against Romeo’s lips. By mistake, her teeth came into contact with his lower lip and she bit down hard into his flesh as the sharp pain shot from her wrist to her brain.

All of a sudden, Romeo pushed her away from him and his hand came up to his swol en lip. “Shit, Juliet!” he exclaimed. “What the hell did you do that for?” He took his hand off of his injured lip and saw that there was some blood on his fingers. “Do you like it rough, is that it?” he shouted.

Juliet jumped off the bed and moved away from him. “No more!” she shouted back at him. “We’re not doing - that - again.” Her arm was still stinging, but yes… the pain from the elastic snap had indeed brought her to her senses. ‘Thank you, Nana and Sara,’ she silently prayed. The band had definitely worked its magic.

Romeo looked confused, as he continued to nurse his cut lip. “I don’t get it. Why can’t I kiss you? We’re married, aren’t we? That’s the only thing I do remember about my life.”

Juliet reluctantly nodded. “Yes, we are - married, but we have to wait - until you’re better. Dr. Burrel said so. And - and just so you know, I’m sleeping in the other room for now because I don’t want to re-injure your shoulder in case I accidentally hit it in my sleep. It’s for the best.” She was throwing out whatever was coming into her head. She somehow had to bring this situation under control so that they could focus on getting him to remember who he was. The sexual fire between them was only clouding everything and would make things worse in the long run.

Romeo studied the determination stamped across her face. Okay, maybe he had been pushing things too fast between them when he should have been backing off. It was just that whenever he got within smelling distance of her, all he wanted to do was to wrap her in his arms, hold on tight and never let her go and all of his game play went out the proverbial window. But maybe it was time to play this differently and take a slower path.

Okay, from now on, he’d play it cool and worm his way into her system before he’d make any more moves on her. He certainly didn’t want to scare her away.

And had that asshole Nick actually counseled Juliet to stay away from him physically, like she’d just said, or was she just making that up?

Romeo made a mental note to look into that further. He wouldn’t trust that snake Nick Mathison with a nun.

Romeo began rubbing his injured shoulder. “Maybe Dr. Burrel is right. My shoulder is kind of sore right now anyway,” he pretended.

Breathing a huge, silent sigh of relief, Juliet came forward. “You should rest now and I’ll bring you something to eat in awhile.” She reached for his shirt. “Let me help you with that,” she said as she helped him off with the Hawaiian shirt that he’d worn on the way home from the hospital.

Romeo shrugged out of it and as she came closer to help him, he smelled her perfume - the one she always wore that smelled of musk, sandalwood and sex; and he could feel the fire instantly spreading throughout his body again. But no, he was going to reign in his desire for her and play this smart. He had time and patience on his side.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, before standing up in front of her. Juliet paused with a quizzical look on her face. “My shorts?” Romeo instructed. “I need help with getting those off too.”

“Oh - right,” she mumbled, as she reached for them and slid them off of his hips to the ground. He stepped out of them, revealing his underwear.

Juliet stood there, holding his shorts and staring hard at his perfect, lean, movie star body.

“Juliet?”

“Yes?” She looked up at him then and caught a humorous twinkling in his eyes.

“My underwear? I sleep naked, remember?” he announced.

“Oh - oh right, I forgot,” she blustered, as her cheeks turned red. Of course, if she was really his wife, she would know that, wouldn’t she? But suddenly it dawned on her, how would he know how he slept? Was he remembering things? Was his amnesia finally breaking? “How do you know how you used to sleep?” she asked him, her question infused with hope.

“I may not know who I am, but I do know some things about myself. I know how to drive a car, I know I hate broccoli, I know I love my wife…” his eyes crinkled playfully in her direction again, “…and I know I like to sleep naked. It’s perfectly natural for me to remember these things. Doctor Burrel said so.”

Juliet’s hope deflated. For a second there, she’d thought he was getting over his memory lapse. “I guess,” she sounded defeated. “But you do have one good arm left, so you can take off your own underwear.” No thanks, she was not going to take them off for him and have him be completely naked in front of her. That was one powder keg she didn’t want to get near.

Romeo shrugged his one good shoulder, “Okay,” he stated, before starting to pull them down. All of a sudden, he yelped and his good arm reached over to massage his bandaged shoulder. He closed his eyes in pain and grimaced.

Juliet’s heart started pounding in her chest. “Oh my God, did you hurt yourself?” He nodded. “I think - I twisted something,” he mumbled, as he continued his ministrations to his injury.

Juliet pushed his hand away and gingerly touched his shoulder. “Okay, I’ll help you, don’t move,” she avowed, before folding back the duvet and helping him sit back down on the bed. Gently, she grabbed the edge of his underwear and slid them off of him. She was so worried that she’d just been the cause of more pain for him that she wasn’t thinking about what she was doing or that he was now naked in front of her. She was simply his nurse and her actions were all automatic.

As he swung into the bed, she adjusted the pillows behind him and then brought the covers up over him. Making sure he was comfortable, she instinctively brushed some of his wild hair off of his face. ““I’ll be back in awhile with some food. You sleep now.” He nodded and closed his eyes.

Juliet looked down at him and a wave of guilt washed over her. She needed to remember that he was still recovering from his wounds, which she had inflicted. She’d have to be more careful about what she refused to do for him in the future. She wouldn’t want to be the cause of anymore pain for him. After all, he was really innocent in all of this. With one last look, she turned and quietly padded out, trying not to disturb him.

As Juliet was tiptoeing out of the room, Romeo’s eyelids shot open and watched her leave. A smirk played across his lips. No - he hadn’t hurt himself trying to peel off his shorts. Hell, he had such a high dose of painkil ers surging through his system right now that you could take a sledgehammer to his injured shoulder and he wouldn’t have felt it. Nah - he was just messing with her head when she’d refused to help him. Wow, was this ever turning out to be a lot of fun!

He shut his eyelids again, suddenly surprised at how tired he really was feeling, and he drifted off into a dream-filled sleep of sweet Madonna eyes.

~ ~ ~