Manhattan Jasmine and The Canyon of Heroes, part 1

by Digitalicat

Ed. note: while jasmine is off studying for the bar, she's rounded up some forces to keep the readers happy while she's gone. enjoy!

and another: digi's post in four parts folks, which means four days of digi-happiness. also, library adonis doesn't have a girlfriend. he made a point of telling me that and then asked me if the sterling silver band i wear on my right hand is a wedding ring. how come guys NEVER know the wedding ring goes on the left hand? i also told him that if i owned a diamond, you better believe i'd be wearing that thing. i think a date is in the bag (though me saying that will probably jinx it all). i won't let him leave tonight before i find out when he heads to jersey (i.e. when i have to get his number by). i can't tell if he's a player or not. he's an enigma, this one. you know i'll keep ya'll posted.

Today
"Ouch! Dammit!" Jasmine curled her left leg to examine her skinned knee. Why did I have to wear heels today? she thought. If only I'd known how I'd be spending my day... She wiped away the grit and the droplets of blood. The troublesome shoe sat a few feet away, mocking her with its broken heel. With more than a little regret, she tore off the broken heel of the left shoe and then the unbroken heel of the right. Aww... these were Jimmy Choo! He better appreciate what I'm going through. She slid her feet into the worthless, but now semi-functional, shoes. Focus, Jazz. Forget about the shoes. Keep your mind on the prize. You've gone through too much to walk away empty handed.

Last night
This is hopeless. I'm burying myself. Jasmine brushed a stray hair out of her eyes and looked around her table. She was surrounded by books, some of them almost too heavy to lift. She'd rapidly grown to hate those books. She'd been in this library nearly every waking moment for the past week. Her eyes glazed over just a bit and she wondered what she was really doing here. Her heart was heavy with the weight of a question she should have answered three years ago. Is this what I really want? Passing the bar won't make these books go away. She sighed. Maybe I just need a break.

Just then her reverie was interrupted by the clicking of approaching heels. She turned in the direction of the sound and brightened immediately. Skinny was exactly the person she needed to lift her spirits.

"Jazz, I've been looking all over for you. How long have you been here?"

Jasmine merely mumbled an answer. She felt that speaking it out loud would only make it more depressing.

"Are you ready to pack it in for the night? I want to go out."

"Skinny, I really need to study. I'm not even close to being ready."

"Come on. It's so boring without you! You've still got plenty of time to study. One night off isn't going to hurt you."

Five minutes ago, Jasmine was desperate for someone to rescue her from this sea of books. Now that Skinny was trying to do that very thing, she was suddenly wondering if more studying might not be the best choice after all.

Jasmine thought for a moment and decided that a little Thursday night screensaver was exactly what she needed. She could cut loose a little and come back tomorrow completely refocused.

"Sure, what the hell?" she said. "What did you have in mind?"

"What else? Drinking, dancing, flirting. Pretty's going with us, too."

Jasmine smiled. "Sounds perfect. Let's go back to my apartment so I can change into something a little more fun."


An hour later Jasmine, Skinny, and Pretty were seated around a small table covered with half-full bottles and glasses. The music was pounding, a driving house beat that shook the air around them. Jasmine was staring at nothing while Pretty talked yet again about the crazy guy who lived outside his building. Skinny was listening only slightly more than Jasmine. Her attention was instead focused on a trio standing near the end of the bar.

"Pretty, do you see those people at the end of the bar?" she finally asked.

"I was trying to say something!" he muttered disappointedly.

"Don't be a prick. Do you see them?"

"I see lots of people. Which are you talking about?"

"Keep looking."

"Oh, my God! Is that Leo? Who's that with him? Is that Giselle?"

"Which one?"

"Giselle Bundchen, what do you mean 'which one?' "

"No, not 'which Giselle,' which person are you looking at?

"Well, I'm certainly not talking about the dork in the Pope hat."

"Pretty, I don't think that's a guy in a Pope hat. I think that's actually the Pope."

"The Pope parties with Leo? Who knew?"

"Should we go say hello?"

"Ugh, Skinny, are you kidding? I wouldn't be caught dead with those B-listers."

No one spoke for a moment. Finally Pretty said, "So, Jazz, are you going to Rockefeller tomorrow morning?"

Jasmine hadn't been paying attention, but perked up when she heard her name. "Huh? What? Sorry, I was in my own little world there."

"Rockefeller. Tomorrow. Are you going?"

"Umm, no? What's in Rockefeller tomorrow?"

"Where have you been, girl? Summer Concert Series. Jason Mraz is playing the Today Show tomorrow."

Pretty kept talking, but Jasmine could no longer hear him. Her mind was filled with the sound of a choir of angels singing Hosannas. After all this time the Golden Mraz would finally be within her grasp. The implications sent her reeling. The angelic voices sang ever louder, drowning out even her thoughts.

She called over her shoulder, "Hey! Do you mind? I'm trying to think over here."

The angels abruptly stopped singing. A few of them stared at Jasmine. "Well, if that's how you want it!" one of them said crossly. "C'mon guys, let's go get some drinks and tease the Pope." The angels shuffled away toward the end of the bar.

Skinny looked puzzled. "Jazz, what's the deal with those guys anyway?"

"They're always following me around. I swear they're just waiting for the wind to blow my skirt up. Perverts."

"So, Jasmine, the question stands. Are. you. go-ing. to. Rock-e-fell-er. to-mor-row?" Pretty asked impatiently.

"Are you kidding? Of course I'll be there. The Golden Mraz will be mine. Oh, yes! He will be mine."