⋆•°.🤍*࿐LOVE IS BLIND!⋆౨ৎ˚⟡🫧🕯️˖ ࣪

ANNIE'S APARTMENT
new york, new york
march 1990, 5:30pm

"annie, come on. we're gonna be late." dugan warned, tapping his foot in annoyance.

annie glanced up from the mirror, where she was still adjusting the emerald necklace around her neck. "just give me a second, dugan." she said, struggling to fasten the clasp.

he let out a low sigh, clearly running out of patience. "we have to be there in twenty minutes."

annie tried to ignore the impatience in his tone, her fingers fumbling with the clasp of the necklace. she could feel the tension radiating off of him in waves.

"i know, i know. i just need a minute, okay?" she replied, her voice strained.

dugan exhaled loudly again, his frustration growing. "can't you just wear something else? we don't have time to be messing around with jewelry."

annie felt a pang of irritation at his comment. it was just a necklace, but the way he was acting made her feel as if she was the one inconveniencing him.

"i've been looking forward to wearing this necklace." she replied, her fingers finally managing to secure the clasp. she turned around, facing dugan. he scanned her up and down, his eyes lingering on the necklace before moving to her dress.

his expression softened slightly. "that dress does look good on you." he conceded.

annie felt a small sense of satisfaction at his compliment, but she was still irked by his earlier display of irritation. "let's just get going." she replied, ignoring his compliment.

THE PIERRE BALLROOM
new york, new york
6:15pm

annie and dugan arrived at the ballroom, the venue already filled with well-dressed guests and the sounds of classical music. the lavish space was decorated with elegant white linens and towering floral arrangements, creating a luxurious atmosphere.

dugan was immediately on high alert, scanning the room for people he knew, likely searching for networking opportunities and validation.

"i'd like to go find summer." annie said, referring to her best friend.

dugan nodded, his attention focused on a group of businessmen in the corner. "go ahead, just don't take too long." he replied, already beginning to move towards the group of men.

annie rolled her eyes at his dismissal, but didn't argue. she knew better than to try and prolong the conversation when dugan was in his "networking" mode.

she made her way through the crowd, searching for her best friend summer.

annie maneuvered through the crowded room, trying to avoid bumping into anyone. but as she turned a corner, she accidentally brushed against a woman with long, flame-colored hair.

"oh, i'm sorry-" she began, before the woman turned around and annie froze.

"you're annie munro!" the woman said with a smile. "i'm-" she started to introduce herself.

"cecily whitney, yes. i've seen some films you're in...you're a phenomenal actress." she complimented.

cecily chuckled at annie's recognition of her acting career. "thank you. i wasn't aware you were a fan of mine."

"i can appreciate talent when i see it." annie replied, her eyes not leaving the woman. she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something familiar about her.

that's when she noticed a man standing a few feet behind cecily, talking to a group of people. at first glance, he appeared to be just another wealthy socialite, but as he turned around, annie froze.

it was john.

annie felt a pang in her chest as she took in the sight of him. he looked good, his tailored suit accentuating his broad shoulders and strong build.

as he turned and made eye contact with annie, a flicker of surprise flitted across his face, before being quickly replaced by a polite smile.

cecily, noticing the eye contact, looked back at annie and then john before a smirk spread across her features.

"oh," she said, her lips curving into a wry smile. "i'm getting the feeling that you two know each other?" she asked, though the way she spoke told that she already knew the answer.

john nodded, "yes. you know that annie and i have history...annie, it's great to see you again."

"yeah, it's...good to see you too." she replied, her voice suddenly feeling tight her throat. "anyway, i'm looking for summer."

"ah, summer." john said, a brief look of recognition flashing across his face. "i saw her earlier by the bar."

"thanks." annie managed to say, her voice strained.

she gave a tight smile before walking briskly away, her hands clenched into fists. she could feel john's eyes on her back as she retreated away from them.

she needed to find summer. and quickly.

annie searched the room, pushing past groups of people and making her way through the endless sea of bodies. finally, she spotted her best friend over by the bar.

"summer!" she called out, making a beeline for the blonde.

summer turned at the sound of her name, a drink already in her hand. her eyes lit up when she saw annie.

"there you are!" she exclaimed, pulling her into a quick embrace.

"i've been looking for you." annie said, letting out a sigh.

summer noticed the troubled look on her face and quickly grew concerned. "what's wrong?"

"nothing, i met cecily." she said a she took a seat next to her friend at the bar.

"you mean your twin?" summer teased.

"ha ha, very funny." annie replied, rolling her eyes. "but she's here with john."

summer nodded. "they came together as a couple usually would do. oh yeah...where's your own personal john clone?" she said referring to dugan.

"i told you, he's nothing like john. dugan's more of an ass." annie countered.

"and you're still with him?" summer asked.

"i know, i know." annie said, rubbing her temple. "i just...i don't know, comfort i guess?"

summer shook her head. "since when is being with someone like dugan comfortable?"

"he's...predictable, and we have a routine." annie tried to explain, but the words sounded weak even to her own ears.

"so he's basically like a pet more than a boyfriend, is that what you're saying?" summer quipped.

"oh god, is that what i've turned into?" annie muttered, taking a swig of a drink from the bar.

summer patted her shoulder. "don't be overdramatic. all it means is you've fallen into a comfort zone." she reasoned.

"that's basically the same thing!" annie said, the alcohol already making her feel a bit more loose-lipped. "either way, it's boring and i'm unhappy."

"sure, but you don't need the entire world to hear it." summer said as she took the drink away. "now hush."

annie grumbled but obeyed her friend. "i don't know, i'm just...tired." she said, slumping in her seat.

"the charity is starting...we should find our seats. and your boyfriend." summer advised.

"what is this charity for again? and how does it work?" annie asked.

summer quickly launched into an explanation. "its for young children in poverty. basically they'll be auctioning off items, people will donate large amounts of money, yada yada."

"that's all well and good, but who's doing the auctioning?" annie inquired.

summer shrugged, "some random host. why?"

"just curious." annie said quickly, a frown on her face.

"come on, annie. dugan's probably looking for you and i don't want him giving me a death glare." summer said, already rising from her seat.

annie and dugan sat together in the audience, annie zoning out and only partially paying attention to the auction items being listed.

soon enough, a large, wooden armchair was brought out on stage.

dugan sat up a little straighter, clearly interested. he leaned over to annie and muttered, "that's a beautiful chair."

"yeah look at the mahogany wood work." she said in a bored tone.

dugan scoffed quietly, "that is utile which is an african hardwood. i'd expect you to have known that."

"oh, how dare i not know the type of wood that a chair is made out of." annie retorted, rolling her eyes. she'd always found dugan's obsession with home decor and antique furniture to be annoying.

dugan let out an annoyed sigh, clearly irritated by annie's lack of interest.

the bidding for the chair began, and as always, dugan was immediately on high alert. he raised his paddle board, determined to get the chair.

annie watched him with mild amusement, knowing that he would do anything to add another piece to his collection of "antiques".

as the bidding continued, another man in the audience raised his paddle, signaling his own interest in the chair. annie watched as dugan's jaw visibly clenched, the competitive fire in his eyes lit up.

dugan quickly raised his paddle higher, clearly trying to outbid the other contender.

the bidding continued to increase, both dugan and the unnamed man determined to win the chair.

dugan muttered under his breath, "i'm going to get that chair come hell or high water."

"don't lose all your money on it." annie whispered.

dugan shot a glare at her, clearly annoyed by her comment. "this chair is worth it," he replied through gritted teeth.

the bidding continued, dugan and the other man going back and forth, each trying to outdo the other. annie watched the display, silently rolling her eyes.

the bidding finally stopped, with the other man having raised his paddle higher. dugan let out a growl of frustration and slumped back in his seat.

"i can't believe i lost that chair." he grumbled. annie chuckled quietly to herself, silently glad that he didn't win. "who even was that guy?" he said as he stood up in his chair to get a good look, though he played it off like he was smoothing out his pants.

"who knows." annie replied, following dugan's gaze as he tried to get a glimpse of the other bidder.

annie's eyes widened in realization, the description clicking into place.

"i think that's-" she started to say just as someone else spoke up.

"sold to john fitzgerald kennedy junior." the auctioneer said.

dugan's eyes widened as his mouth fell open. annie watched with a smirk as he processed the fact that his beloved chair had been secured by none other than john.

dugan dropped back into his seat, clearly deflated. "damn it." he muttered under his breath.

annie leaned over to him, a teasing tone in her voice. "i guess your chair collection will have to remain unfinished."

dugan shot her a dirty look, obviously not amused by her comment. he let out another low grumble, clearly still seething over the loss.

"i can't believe he has the chair." he said, his voice laced with irritation. "maybe he'll let me buy it from him."

"why would he let you buy it from him? plus he'd charge you double, and did you hear how much he bought it for?" annie countered.

"i can afford it." dugan responded matter-of-factly, his eye twitching. "i'll talk to him about it."

annie rolled her eyes, "oh, of course you can afford it. you can probably afford to buy this entire room and everything in it."

after the auction, the room gradually began to fill with chatter as people stood and began socializing.

dugan, who was still thinking about the chair stood up. "c'mon, let's go find john."

"why do i have to go? it's your chair." annie said.

dugan sighed, "because it's your ex. maybe he'll feel like because you're there he should give it up."

annie grumbled but rose from her seat nonetheless, following behind dugan as they navigated through the room.

soon they caught sight of john, standing at the bar, drink in hand as he spoke to some other guests.

"john kennedy junior, we meet again." dugan said, interrupting john's conversation.

john turned at the sound of his name being called, a hint of surprise in his expression. he smiled politely at dugan, "can i help you?"

dugan nodded, "yes actually, it's about the armchair you just received."

"ah, yes. and it's true utile." john said, taking a sip of his drink. he glanced over dugan's head and spotted annie behind him. "i'm happy with the purchase and with where my money will be going."

dugan scoffed, clearly annoyed by john's response. "yes i'm sure you are, but my problem is that you outbid me."

john chuckled, "well, that's how an auction works, my friend."

dugan clenched his jaw, not appreciating john's casual tone. "yes, i know how an auction works. but i was determined to buy that chair."

"sounds like it wasn't meant to be." john replied, his gaze flickering over to annie.

dugan let out an impatient huff. "let's cut the bullshit. how much do you want for it?"

"how much are you willing to pay?" john countered, a sly smile on his face.

dugan grumbled under his breath before replying, "name your price, no limits."

john allowed his gaze to linger on annie before he turned to dugan yet again. "i just remembered that the armchair is unfortunately not on sale."

dugan's eyes widened in disbelief. "what do you mean it's not for sale? i just said i'd pay whatever you wanted."

john shrugged, "and i'm not selling. like i said, i'm quite happy with the purchase."

dugan let out an irritated scoff. "oh come on, you're going to make me beg?"

"no, i'm not going to make you beg. i'm going to tell you that the chair isn't for sale and i won't sell it even for double the price." john responded firmly.

"dugan." annie breathed out, warning him to let it go.

dugan let out another huff, clearly frustrated by john's stubbornness. "but-"

"no, dugan." annie said again, a firmer edge now in her voice. she shot a pointed look at dugan, silently telling him to drop the subject.

dugan let out another grumble, but he reluctantly backed down. he shot a glare at john before he stalked away, leaving annie and john alone.

"i have a strong feeling that you got that armchair out of spite." annie told john. "when have you been an antique collector?"

"oh, i have a few pieces here and there." john said casually, a hint of a smirk on his face.

annie rolled her eyes, knowing him all too well to fall for his innocent facade. "yes, i'm sure. and i'm sure the fact that dugan was interested in it has absolutely nothing to do with you buying it."

"of course not." john replied in a tone that was the polar opposite of convincing. annie huffed and shook her head, knowing that he was playing games. he chuckled, taking a step closer to her. "you always could see right through me, couldn't you?"

annie tried to suppress the flutter of her heart at the proximity of his voice, but failed miserably. "yes, i always have. you could never get anything past me." she said, her tone betraying her true feelings.

"my date left." he said as he swirled his scotch. "not just for the night, she left me."

annie's eyes widened in surprise. "she did? why?" she asked, taking a small step closer.

john shrugged, a hint of a sad smile on his face. "she said i was emotionally unavailable. no matter what she said, all i saw was you."

"you must be drunk." she told the man.

"just enough to be honest," he replied. "for the first time in over a year, i'm finally telling you the truth."

"so what, john. what are you telling me?" she asked the kennedy.

"that you're always the first thing i think about in the morning, and the last thing i think of at night." he answered softly. "that no matter how hard i tried, i could never move on."

annie felt her heart skip a beat at his words, but she tried to suppress her emotions. "and what do you expect me to do with that information?"

"i'm not trying to manipulate you." john told her, taking another step closer, the familiar scent of his woodsy cologne filled her nostrils. "i'm simply stating facts." he continued. "i'm still in love with you."

"i'm with dugan vanderbilt." she reminded him.

"and is he making you happy?" he asked her, his voice low and serious.

she searched his eyes silently, struggling to come up with a good answer. "i'm comfortable," she said, the words sounding hollow even to her own ears.

john's eyes narrowed in concern. he studied her face intently, seeing the uncertainty in her expression. "only comfortable?" he repeated, his voice soft but tinged with sadness. "being comfortable isn't how you're supposed to feel in a relationship. you can be happy or unhappy in a relationship, not comfortable." he took another step closer, closing the distance between them. "so i'll ask again, are you happy? or are you not?"

annie was struck by his words, and by his intensity. she averted her gaze, not wanting to look into his eyes, knowing that she'd break if she did. "i'm-" she started to answer, but cut herself off. she took a deep breath before finally meeting his gaze, her own eyes glossy. "no." she whispered, her voice breaking on a slight shudder. "i'm not happy."

john's eyes widened slightly at her admission, his own heart clenching in his chest. he reached out and gently took her hand, "you deserve to be happy, annie." he said softly, his voice full of emotion. "you deserve someone who makes you feel alive, not just comfortable."

annie swallowed hard, her throat closing up as she fought the tears that were threatening to fall. she tried to pull her hand away from his, but he stubbornly held on to it. "why does it matter to you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "you had your chance."

"and i want another one." john said seriously.

annie let out an shaky exhale, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. she knew that she should pull away, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. "you know it's not that simple, john." she said weakly, her voice shaking.

he took another step closer, their bodies now only inches apart. he squeezed her hand softly, his fingers intertwining with hers. "why not?" he challenged her, his voice intense. "why can't it be that simple?"

"because ..." she tried to think of a good reason, but her mind was fuzzy. all she could focus on was the way his touch was sending shivers down her spine. "i'm with dugan." she finally breathed out, though the words held no conviction.

"forget vanderbilt for two seconds, will you? because he's more focused on that damn armchair than you." he said as he looked at dugan who was talking with the host about ways to buy it back.

annie's eyes flickered over to dugan, who was still engaged in a heated discussion about the armchair, completely oblivious to what was going on between her and john.

she felt a pang of guilt, knowing that she should pull away from john and join her boyfriend. but something held her back.

"it's not fair to forget about him." she protested, even as she felt her resolve wavering.

"it's not fair to forget about vanderbilt? what about what's not fair to yourself?" he asked her seriously, his tone taking on a harsher edge. "what's not fair is you settling for less than you deserve."

he took another step closer, leaving no space between them. his eyes met hers, intense with emotion.

"you shouldn't be with someone because it's comfortable or convenient, annie. you should be with someone who sets your heart on fire."

"and you think you're that someone?" she questioned softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

john's eyes darkened with intensity, "yes, i do."

his hand moved up to cup her face, his thumb gently stroking her cheek. she felt a shiver run down her spine at his touch, but she didn't pulled away from him.

"i set your heart on fire, annie." he said, his voice low and rough. "i always have and i always will."

"john, i cannot talk about this. not now and definitely not here." she advised the kennedy as she pulled away.

"fine. then when and where?" he questioned.

"when i've figured out things with dugan." she told him.

"so i'm just supposed to wait until you've figured out your feelings for vanderbilt?" he said, his voice laced with impatience.

annie bit her lip, not sure how to respond. she knew that she couldn't give him an answer right now, even if she wanted to. "yes, you're going to have to wait." she said quietly, her eyes flickering over to dugan once again.

"how long, annie?" he asked, his voice low and tense. "how long am i supposed to wait for you to make up your mind?"

"i don't know, john." annie said, her own irritation beginning to show. "i can't just snap my fingers and have all the answers. this isn't some movie where everything is neatly tied up at the end. life is messy and complicated."

john let out an exasperated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "i know it's not a movie, annie. but i also can't just stand by and watch you settle for something comfortable because you're afraid of the unknown." he told her firmly.

"just wait for me, john. that's all i'm asking." annie shot back, her own frustration mounting as she walked away.

housekeeping notes !

probably the most important chapter by far. i wanted to explore the nuances of love and relationships in this chapter, showing the conflict between the comfort of familiarity and the need for true passion. anyway i hope this chapter left you feeling torn between the two characters, torn between what was safe and what was meant to be.