Categories > Original > Romance > Just You and Me
Author's Note: I forgot to update yesterday. Oops.
Chapter 16 Just Friends
It was the morning of the dinner party and Joe was found in his room pacing.
"Dude what are you doing?" Kevin asked as he and Nick walked into the room.
"I'm pacing what does it look like I'm doing?" Joe responded with a little attitude.
"Geez don't bite his head off," Nick said.
"Sorry," Joe sighed. "I just... I had another dream last night. It's driving me crazy!"
"Dream about what?" Nick asked.
"Joe's been having sex dreams about Aina," Kevin explained like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Don't say anything Nicolas," Joe warned. "I was thinking about telling Aina how I feel about her."
Kevin mouthed an "Oh."
"Are you sure about this? I mean what if she doesn't feel the same way? Then you guys have a full semester in London together. I'll be kinda awkward," Nick said causing Joe to have a distressed look on his face.
* * * *
"Aina," Jenna said in a sing song voice as she entered the Andrada residence.
"I'm in the kitchen!" Aina called.
"Hey girl, we gotta get you lookin' good for Jonas son #2," Jenna said.
"Where have you been?" Larissa asked. "Aina's decided not to dip her pen in the company ink remember? And that she and Joe are just friends."
"Fine," Jenna said rolling her eyes
"I get the feeling that he likes party girls anyway," Aina said referring to the day of Cami's party.
"Just be lucky we don't have to see that party girl ever again," Larissa whispered to Aina.
"Well then," Jenna said not hearing Larissa's comment, "maybe there'll be a hot waiter," she continued to say trying to make a joke before leading the girls to Aina's room.
* * * *
That night the four families met at Buca di Beppo for their celebratory dinner. Larissa thankfully reserved the Pope's table for all 15 of them.
"So when are you two kids headed for London?" Gene asked.
"I believe our flights are scheduled for next week,"Joe said.
"Why are you leaving so early? Lydia said that you guys don't start until late in the month," Evelyn asked.
"Yeah the internship doesn't start till September actually. They just want us to get there become accustomed to the time change, get familiar with the city, meet the other 3 people in the internship, stuff like that," Aina explained as Joe nodded his head.
The dinner party was filled with a lot of conversation, mostly the families getting to know each other better. Denise and Lydia secretly asked the waiters to sing "Happy Birthday" to Aina and Joe. Slightly embarrassed the two guests of honor happily blew out their respective candles. When everyone was stuffed to capacity Joe and Aina opened their gifts, which consisted of mostly clothing and a drawing from Frankie.
"Is it okay if we hang out with the girls for a little longer," Joe asked his parents.
"Okay, but don't stay out too long. Come on Frankie lets go home," Paul said.
"Why can't I go with them?" Frankie asked.
"Because you're too young and it's almost your bed time," Denise said.
The girls were staying at Aina's house for the night so the six of them hung out there.
"Okay you guys have fun, we're off to bed," Michael said as he and his wife kissed Aina goodnight.
"Goodnight," everyone chimed.
"A week left together," Larissa said leaning on Aina.
"Oh my gosh I know," Jenna said as she got up and sat on Aina's other side. "And she'll probably be too busy to call or it'll be too late at night or something."
"We're gonna miss you," Larissa and Jenna said together giving Aina a hug.
"I'll miss you guys too," Aina said as she patted their arms while laughing lightly.
"Oh Kevin, I think I'm gonna miss you while I'm away,"Joe said faking a cry.
"Very funny," Jenna said throwing a pillow at him.
"But seriously, London might change you guys since you're gonna be in a different environment. You're probably gonna come back more mature and hate us and our childishness," Larissa said.
"Joe, come back mature? Highly doubt it," Nick said jokingly.
"Hey," Joe picked up the pillow that Jenna threw at him and threw it at Nick.
They all decided to stop all the talk about leaving each other and watched a movie instead. Larissa was deep into the movie, Nick fell asleep, and Jenna and Kevin were in one of their make out sessions.
"Hey, wanna swap gifts now?" Joe asked Aina.
"Yeah sure."
They got their gifts and headed for the back yard.
"Umm... Happy Birthday," Aina said lamely as she handed Joe his gift.
"Yeah, Happy Birthday," Joe handed Aina, hers. She waited for Joe to open his gift first. "Is this the jacket from that one store at the beach?" He asked.
"Yeah, it is. You like it?" She asked. Idiot of course he likes it, it was the jacket he was looking at in the store, she thought.
"Yeah, it's great."
"So, put it on, I wanna see if it fits."
Joe got up and put on the jacket. "So how do I look?" He asked striking a pose.
"Well if you decide your place isn't in a recording studio you could always try a catwalk, Mr. Jonas."
"Nah, I'll stick with the recording studio for now," Joe said laughing. "Your turn."
Aina unwrapped the small box to reveal a blue Tiffany's box. "Joe," Aina said shocked.
"Keep going, there's something in the box you know,"Joe said jokingly.
She opened the box to find a silver necklace with a cross shaped pendant.
"You said you don't like going to church, and I'm not trying to get you to, but I thought, just because you don't go doesn't mean that you can't have faith," Joe explained.
"Joe this must have cost you... I mean the jacket was... so this must have cost you... a lot," Aina finally got out.
Joe just shrugged. "Well... at least there's still something in my bank account. And besides, you're worth it," he said simply looking out toward the yard.
"Doubt it," Aina scoffed.
"Are you kidding? You're great," Joe said a little louder than he intended. "Here, let me help you with that."
Joe took the necklace out of the box as Aina turned to the side. She lifted her hair as Joe put the necklace around her neck.
"It looks great on you," Joe said when Aina turned back around. "You know Aina, I..."
"Joe, you know we're just friends right?" Aina interrupted knowing what Joe was going to say next.
"Yeah," Joe sighed, "just friends."
Chapter 16 Just Friends
It was the morning of the dinner party and Joe was found in his room pacing.
"Dude what are you doing?" Kevin asked as he and Nick walked into the room.
"I'm pacing what does it look like I'm doing?" Joe responded with a little attitude.
"Geez don't bite his head off," Nick said.
"Sorry," Joe sighed. "I just... I had another dream last night. It's driving me crazy!"
"Dream about what?" Nick asked.
"Joe's been having sex dreams about Aina," Kevin explained like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Don't say anything Nicolas," Joe warned. "I was thinking about telling Aina how I feel about her."
Kevin mouthed an "Oh."
"Are you sure about this? I mean what if she doesn't feel the same way? Then you guys have a full semester in London together. I'll be kinda awkward," Nick said causing Joe to have a distressed look on his face.
* * * *
"Aina," Jenna said in a sing song voice as she entered the Andrada residence.
"I'm in the kitchen!" Aina called.
"Hey girl, we gotta get you lookin' good for Jonas son #2," Jenna said.
"Where have you been?" Larissa asked. "Aina's decided not to dip her pen in the company ink remember? And that she and Joe are just friends."
"Fine," Jenna said rolling her eyes
"I get the feeling that he likes party girls anyway," Aina said referring to the day of Cami's party.
"Just be lucky we don't have to see that party girl ever again," Larissa whispered to Aina.
"Well then," Jenna said not hearing Larissa's comment, "maybe there'll be a hot waiter," she continued to say trying to make a joke before leading the girls to Aina's room.
* * * *
That night the four families met at Buca di Beppo for their celebratory dinner. Larissa thankfully reserved the Pope's table for all 15 of them.
"So when are you two kids headed for London?" Gene asked.
"I believe our flights are scheduled for next week,"Joe said.
"Why are you leaving so early? Lydia said that you guys don't start until late in the month," Evelyn asked.
"Yeah the internship doesn't start till September actually. They just want us to get there become accustomed to the time change, get familiar with the city, meet the other 3 people in the internship, stuff like that," Aina explained as Joe nodded his head.
The dinner party was filled with a lot of conversation, mostly the families getting to know each other better. Denise and Lydia secretly asked the waiters to sing "Happy Birthday" to Aina and Joe. Slightly embarrassed the two guests of honor happily blew out their respective candles. When everyone was stuffed to capacity Joe and Aina opened their gifts, which consisted of mostly clothing and a drawing from Frankie.
"Is it okay if we hang out with the girls for a little longer," Joe asked his parents.
"Okay, but don't stay out too long. Come on Frankie lets go home," Paul said.
"Why can't I go with them?" Frankie asked.
"Because you're too young and it's almost your bed time," Denise said.
The girls were staying at Aina's house for the night so the six of them hung out there.
"Okay you guys have fun, we're off to bed," Michael said as he and his wife kissed Aina goodnight.
"Goodnight," everyone chimed.
"A week left together," Larissa said leaning on Aina.
"Oh my gosh I know," Jenna said as she got up and sat on Aina's other side. "And she'll probably be too busy to call or it'll be too late at night or something."
"We're gonna miss you," Larissa and Jenna said together giving Aina a hug.
"I'll miss you guys too," Aina said as she patted their arms while laughing lightly.
"Oh Kevin, I think I'm gonna miss you while I'm away,"Joe said faking a cry.
"Very funny," Jenna said throwing a pillow at him.
"But seriously, London might change you guys since you're gonna be in a different environment. You're probably gonna come back more mature and hate us and our childishness," Larissa said.
"Joe, come back mature? Highly doubt it," Nick said jokingly.
"Hey," Joe picked up the pillow that Jenna threw at him and threw it at Nick.
They all decided to stop all the talk about leaving each other and watched a movie instead. Larissa was deep into the movie, Nick fell asleep, and Jenna and Kevin were in one of their make out sessions.
"Hey, wanna swap gifts now?" Joe asked Aina.
"Yeah sure."
They got their gifts and headed for the back yard.
"Umm... Happy Birthday," Aina said lamely as she handed Joe his gift.
"Yeah, Happy Birthday," Joe handed Aina, hers. She waited for Joe to open his gift first. "Is this the jacket from that one store at the beach?" He asked.
"Yeah, it is. You like it?" She asked. Idiot of course he likes it, it was the jacket he was looking at in the store, she thought.
"Yeah, it's great."
"So, put it on, I wanna see if it fits."
Joe got up and put on the jacket. "So how do I look?" He asked striking a pose.
"Well if you decide your place isn't in a recording studio you could always try a catwalk, Mr. Jonas."
"Nah, I'll stick with the recording studio for now," Joe said laughing. "Your turn."
Aina unwrapped the small box to reveal a blue Tiffany's box. "Joe," Aina said shocked.
"Keep going, there's something in the box you know,"Joe said jokingly.
She opened the box to find a silver necklace with a cross shaped pendant.
"You said you don't like going to church, and I'm not trying to get you to, but I thought, just because you don't go doesn't mean that you can't have faith," Joe explained.
"Joe this must have cost you... I mean the jacket was... so this must have cost you... a lot," Aina finally got out.
Joe just shrugged. "Well... at least there's still something in my bank account. And besides, you're worth it," he said simply looking out toward the yard.
"Doubt it," Aina scoffed.
"Are you kidding? You're great," Joe said a little louder than he intended. "Here, let me help you with that."
Joe took the necklace out of the box as Aina turned to the side. She lifted her hair as Joe put the necklace around her neck.
"It looks great on you," Joe said when Aina turned back around. "You know Aina, I..."
"Joe, you know we're just friends right?" Aina interrupted knowing what Joe was going to say next.
"Yeah," Joe sighed, "just friends."
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