We sure looked good on paper

‘Til we read between the lines

It always hurts when you find

You’re running out of "laters" and "maybe next times"

When you can almost read her mind

~One day after christmas~

Lindsey looked up from reading her book when Jared walked through the front door. The long strings of christmas lights were in order around his neck. The cross had been on the outside wall was in his hand and red ribbons that they had wrapped around the pots on the porch were untied and in the box he was holding.

Jared grinned at her as he took the lights from his neck. A ghost of a smile curved her lips before she looked the opposite direction out the window.

She likes the romance, the slow dance

Staying out all night

She likes the Christmas lights all year round

Why put ‘em up, take ‘em down

She watches baseball, hates the mall

And hangs out with "the guys"

That’s what I know about what she likes

About what she likes

~November 4th 10:30 p.m.~

Jared brought Lindsey closer to his side with his arm around her waist and moved his smiling lips to her ear. "Can we go or would you like to stay longer?"

The glass in Lindsey's hand halted an inch from her lips and she turned to look at Jared's face. The fun in her eyes that had danced there seconds ago misted away. A smile ghosted her lips before she quickly looked away and nodded, setting her champagne glass on the tray a waiter was carting around the party hall. They left a few moments later.

She’s all about the rainbow

But not the one on Sunset Boulevard

I got it wrong, she took it hard

And it really hurts to let go when you’re so close

To making it so far

~Random evening~

Lindsey laughed as she walked out from the kitchen into the living room. Jared was sitting smiling at her as the movie they were watching played on, the slow music filling the room with rhythm. Lindsey smiled, her eyes dancing as she went to the couch and stood infront of Jared. She grasped his hands and pulled. "Dance with me."

Jared's eyes widened and he smiled sheepishly. "No, I can't."

She tugged gently once again. "Come on. Romance me. Dance with me in the living room."

"No," He paused and smiled at her antiks as she continued to urge him from his sitting position. "come on babe, the movie's almost over anyway and I'm a little tired."

Shining eyes glistened, but not with laughter. She kept them open to dry them and not let him see the gather of tears. She smiled a little grin and sat down beside him, kissed his fingers before resting her head on his shoulder. They watched the movie. She tried to think of the last time he acknowledged something about what she liked to do.

I should have known that I

Never could have known that I

Could ever know enough about her to keep her mine

~Lunch break~

Jared heard the phone ringing at his desk but he just had to finish this report before he could do anything else. He continued typing, ignoring the shrilling and then the beginning of the message being saved. Lindsey's voice spoke.

"Hey, it's me. I thought you'd be free for lunch by now but I guess you're busy. I got some tickets to the Giants game tonight. Thought you might want to go with me. I know you're into football more than anything else but it'd be nice to get out. Let me know. Love you."

Jared rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair before glancing at the phone and then sighing as he began typing again.

She went by herself.

She likes the romance, the slow dance

It keeps me up all night

She likes the Christmas lights all year round

And I just took ‘em down

She watches baseball, hates the mall

And now I realize

What the hell do I know about what she likes

~Saturday~

"Babe? I need to go to the mall, pick up a few things. You wanna come with me?" Jared raised his voice so he could be heard in the other part of the apartment, stuffed his wallet in his back pocket and picked up his keys from the tv shelves.

Lindsey glanced up from her reading at the wall across from the chair she was sitting in. Eyes swarmed with mists of tears. She hated the mall. And he'd forgotten their plans for the day, again. "No, go ahead."

Jared frowned at her cracked voice, thought of how sick she had been a few weeks before, shrugged.

~Anyday after that saturday~

He lost her.