by Kylie Rae
Whitney let her rant for the rest of the call. Anything to get her sidetracked from ‘checking in’ on how she was doing. She didn’t like feeling like she was being babied. It didn’t seem like anyone thought she could make it on her own. But she’d show them.
CHARISSA SIGHED AND placed her phone down on the table.
“Well?” Rose said from the doorway.
Charissa jumped. “Jesus, mom, were you standing there the entire time?”
“No.” Rose stopped twisting a dishcloth in her hands and tucked into her apron pocket. “Just the last minute or so. I finished the dishes and wanted to see what you found - what she had to say.”
Charissa raised an eyebrow. “Mom, you know she’s a grownup now, right?”
Rose sighed and looked away. She walked across the room and fluffed the couch pillows and patted non-existent crumbs off the cushions. “I know. She’s an adult. She’s going to be fine.” Rose straightened up. “But what did she say?”
Charissa giggled. “She’s fine. She likes her job, she says it’s different, but in a good way. Robin is only a few floors up from her. She’s not really alone. She just has her own apartment. Think of it like when I lived in the dorms at school. Alone, but not alone.”
“Okay. Okay, sure. That sounds good. She’s fine. Yeah. Okay.” Rose sat on the arm of the couch and took a shaky breath. “Okay.”
“Oh, mom.” Charissa went to her and wrapped her into a tight hug. “She’s going to be great. You shouldn’t worry so much.”
“I’m trying,” Rose said, and wiped a stray tear from her cheek.
BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON, Whitney had really dug herself into a funk. Even with the date night plans, she’d been overwhelmed and anxious about everything for the last two days. Maybe especially because of the date. When was the last time she’d even gone on one?
Back home, she’d rejected all guys from high school and never went anywhere to meet new people. And even if she went places... why would she ever approach a stranger? She hadn’t even thought about finding someone to date in at least two years.
Robin noticed her friend’s discomfort, however, and demanded that they go out for drinks. They needed to relax and wind down after Whitney’s first full week in town. After three shots of cinnamon whiskey and a beer, it seemed to do the trick. But then Whitney dove deeper into her feelings.
“Did I make the right choice?” She asked. The bar was crowded and loud, so Robin had to lean forward to hear the words over the chatter and clanking glasses.
“What do you mean?” Even though she had a pretty good idea what she was talking about, Robin wanted her to say it out loud. She knew Whitney had to face her insecurities head on and beating around the bush wasn’t any way to get her over them.
“Moving here. Did I get in over my head?” Whitney’s mouth twisted and then she took a large gulp from her beer glass to swallow her tears.
“Sounds like you need another shot.” Robin signaled to the bartender.
Whitney managed a laugh and took the shot without argument, but then continued. “It just seems like my family doesn’t support my decision to be here. I feel like they’re waiting for me to fail.”
“You won’t fail,” Robin said without hesitation.
“How do you know?” Whitney drew circles in the condensation on the bar with her finger and avoided Robin’s eyes. The tears had welled up despite her best efforts, and she feared Robin would get more aggressive and draw attention to them if she realized she was about to cry. And the last thing Whitney wanted was even more people looking at her.
“Because I know you. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to. I’ve watched you do it over and over again.”
Whitney smiled and warmth spread through her at Robin’s words. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Besides, I’m here too. We’re superstars when we’re together. We’ll rule the town.” She clinked her bottle against Whitney’s and they drank.
“Okay, I guess you’re right.” She brightened, and Robin imagined she could see the literal weight fall off her friend’s shoulders.
“Of course I’m right. Now let’s talk about your date tomorrow.” She leaned forward with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Are you going to invite him upstairs after?”
“Robin!”
“Right, of course not. Gonna make out on the doorstep?”
Whitney flushed. “Maybe.”
“Ooh! I got a maybe!” Her hands shot up in victory. The people nearest turned to look.
Whitney swatted at her. “Stop.”
“Okay, for serious, though. What are you going to wear?”
“Oh, um... a skirt? Or nice jeans and that flowy shirt you like?”
“Sounds good. What about underneath that?”
Whitney swatted at her again, and Robin ordered two more shots.
Chapter Six
Whitney tossed a pink flower print shirt out of her closet, followed by a high top tennis shoe and a black wool scarf. She emerged wearing a fedora. “This is stupid... I don’t even know what we’re going to talk about.”
“Take off that hat!” Robin yelled. Her face filled the screen on Whitney’s phone propped on the dresser. “First, why do you even own that? Second, I said no hats!”
Whitney tossed it to the pile on the floor and had the decency to look ashamed. “Sorry, I just think my hair is a disaster.” She stared down at her body and mentally criticized her flowy black shirt and her tightest pair of skinny jeans. How had she ever thought this looked good enough for a date?
“Your hair looks great. You look phenomenal. Don’t you dare change your shirt again. He’s going to be there any minute and you don’t want to smudge your makeup.”
Whitney sighed. “Okay.” She picked up her phone and sat on the edge of her bed.
“Now, repeat after me.” She held her phone further away and the image now showed Robin with her hand on her hip. “I am hot stuff.”
She giggled. “I’m hot stuff.”
“With feeling!” She stomped one foot, and the image shook.
“I’m hot stuff!”
There was a knock on the door.
“Oh, shit, he’s here.” Whitney jumped up and shoved the mountain of discarded clothes back in her closet. Her palms began to sweat, and she nearly lost her grip on her phone.
“Calm down. You’ve got this. Call me from the bathroom if he’s actually a creep and you need an escape plan.”
“Okay, okay, bye.”
Whitney took a deep breath and went to answer the door. Kevin stood there in fitted blue jeans with a button-down shirt tucked into them. His hair was neatly combed, but one stray hair stood up in the back.
“Hi,” she said, cheeks turning pink.
“Hey. So, I hear you’re hot stuff.” Kevin smiled.
“Oh, no... you didn’t-”
“You kind of yelled it.” Kevin laughed. “But don’t worry, I agree.”
Whitney was at a loss for words. She wanted to crawl back into her closet and die of shame.
“So... shall we?” Kevin offered his arm, and she relaxed a little.
Kevin led her down the stairs and out to where his car waited by the curb. Whitney was impressed by its cleanliness. Most of the guys she’d known had dirty cars with trash piled on the floorboards. It showed her he wasn’t a slob. Unless he’d borrowed his mom’s car.
“What did you say your job was?” Whitney asked.
Kevin grimaced as he held her door open for her. “I work for an accounting firm. Nothing fun or interesting.”
So probably not his mom’s car. Whitney smiled as he went around to the driver’s side and slid into his own seat.
“Dinner first. My favorite Italian restaurant let me save a table for tonight. They rarely do reservations, but I’m a regular,” Kevin said as he pulled away from the curb. If anyone else had said that, it would have sounded cocky. But Kevin’s cheeks tinged pink, and it came across as cute instead.
The second
they’d stepped foot into the small brick building, Whitney knew she would love it. The smell alone made her mouth water and her stomach growl. Every table they passed on the way to Kevin’s ‘favorite spot’ let her know it wasn’t going to be easy to pick her meal. Each dish held something amazing, and the people eating them were clearly enjoying themselves. A general tone of happiness filled each quiet conversation, and Whitney had never felt so eager to eat in front of a boy.
She poured over the glossy menu and had to keep herself from drooling over the photos and descriptions. Kevin picked what he wanted and gave her pointers on some of his other favorite dishes, and in the end she picked something with the word “zesty” in curly letters underneath it and hoped for the best.
To say the food tasted delicious would be an understatement. It was probably the best pasta Whitney had ever had. They enjoyed pleasant conversation with only a moment or two of awkward silence. Whitney talked about her new job and her family. Not much about her family, though, since they’d been getting on her nerves with the babying. Kevin talked about his friend, Ben, who was determined to get a date with Robin. He also told her about the guy at work that always ate the last donut in the break room. When Whitney broke the news to him that Robin was, in fact, a lesbian and Ben would never get a date with her, he laughed so hard people at the table next to them looked over in concern.
“So, I would have won the bet either way!” He slapped the table.
“Bet?” Whitney raised an eyebrow.
Kevin blushed. “Well, that first day I ran into you... I mentioned to Ben that his ‘hot girl’ had a friend and he bet me he’d get a phone number before I would.”
It was Whitney’s turn to laugh. “He might have eventually gotten a number from her, it just wouldn’t have been hers.”
After dinner, Kevin took her to a museum. They wandered through the exhibits, sneaking looks at each other more than they looked at the art. Halfway through, Kevin took her hand and kissed her knuckles. Heat rushed all the way down to her toes.
Back at her apartment, Kevin stood with her on the steps, still holding her hand.
“That was really fun,” Whitney said. “We should do that again soon.”
“I agree,” Kevin said. He tugged her hand to bring her closer.
Whitney’s breath caught in her throat as she stared into his eyes, knowing what was coming next. He slipped his free hand into her hair and brought her in for a goodnight kiss.
WHITNEY SLEPT LATE the next day and woke in a mood she could only describe as glorious. Robin had texted her an hour earlier to join her for laundry day in the basement. She dressed in her comfy clothes and lugged her basket down the stairs. The apartment building’s laundry room was empty, and they took up all the machines and then sat on the scratched and graffitied table.
“Get home late?” Robin wiggled her eyebrows. “I never got a phone call. Not even a text. I was almost concerned.”
Whitney smiled and looked away. “Not too late. But we sat on the steps and talked for over an hour.” She pushed on the folding chair with her feet and it squeaked against the floor. “He’s something else.”
“Mhm. Sure. ‘Talked.’” She made crude hand gestures and her eyebrows danced some more.
“No, really!” Whitney tried to punch Robin’s arm. “He didn’t come upstairs. He didn’t even ask.”
“Alright, alright. So, he’s a prude.” She dodged Whitney’s next swing.
Their giggles drowned out the clanging machines until they pulled themselves together.
“Anyway. Where did he take you on this perfect, magical date?”
“Some hole in the wall Italian place. It was amazing. And then to a museum. I had a great time.”
“Which museum?”
“Oh, no. You’re not going to decide you hate him if he didn’t take me to the right museum.”
“I would never!” Robin’s hand went to her chest in feigned offense.
“Oh, sure. I totally believe you.”
Robin smiled innocently. “You gonna see him again?”
“I sure hope so. I don’t think it was one-sided enjoyment. I’m not delusional.”
“Are you sure?”
Whitney’s punch landed this time.
IF YOU ASKED BEN IF he was a social person, he would have said no. But on a regular day in town when he had errands to run, he bumped into people he knew constantly. In the grocery store, someone waved from the produce section and Ben put a hand up. In line at the bank, the person in line behind him wanted to talk about the latest news in the football world. And on the street, he couldn’t get ten feet without seeing someone he recognized.
But he didn’t think this made him social. He was just polite. He didn’t want to turn down a conversation that could lead to a connection. He was a networker. That was all. He liked to know people from all walks of life.
Which is how he met Corey.
Corey was the only person on the beer aisle one Sunday afternoon when Ben had walked up to grab a case. Corey was deep into a text message, but still looked up and gave Ben a head nod. And then they both reached for the same beer.
But today was months after that first meeting, and now Ben waited anxiously for the text message from Corey so he could drop by and pick up some smoke. Because even though he now considered them friends, it was still never okay to just show up at Corey’s house. You never knew what you’d find there.
So he killed time. He did some shopping, stopped for lunch, and considered going to see a movie. But at long last, his phone buzzed in his pocket and he whipped it out to read the message.
Corey: Gotchu homie
Ben: Sweet. Be there in 10
He turned and walked in the opposite direction and texted Kevin.
Ben: Hey man. Stopping by Corey’s. I’ll be home later if you wanna swing by after work.
Kevin: Green?
Ben: Duh
Kevin: K. See you in a bit
KEVIN FLOPPED DOWN onto Ben’s couch, smiling at nothing in particular.
“What’s up with you, man?” Ben popped open a beer and took a drink.
“Huh? Oh, well, a couple things.” Kevin opened his phone to his contacts. “First, I won our bet. Here’s Whitney’s phone number.”
“Bull shit!” Ben snatched at the phone, but Kevin pulled it away.
“And we went out last night.”
“Oh, I see. That’s what’s different about you.” He sat in his chair and took another swig of beer. “The post coital grin.”
“Psh, nah, it’s not like that. It was just a really good date. I had a good time with her and we seemed to have a lot to talk about.”
“So she’s a prude.”
Kevin shook his head. “No, you don’t get it. Dating isn’t all about getting it in.”
Ben opened his mouth with a comeback, but his phone lit up and distracted him. He read the screen and smiled. “Sweet.” But then he groaned. “Man, why couldn’t he tell me this when I was there earlier.” He shrugged. “Oh, well. Worth the trip,” and laughed at his own joke.
Kevin smirked at Ben’s conversation with himself. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You want some acid?” Ben shook his phone in Kevin’s face and the image of tabs blurred.
“What? Hell no.”
“C’mon. Corey has a bunch he needs to get rid of. Low, low prices.”
“No, man. I don’t do all that crazy shit.”
“Lame ass.”
“Whatever.” Kevin got to his feet. “If that’s what you’re doing tonight, I’m gonna head out.”
“Aw, come on. I can save them-”
“No, you won’t. You’ll go take them in the bathroom and pretend like everything’s normal, but I can always tell when you’re trippin’. I don’t want to play video games with someone who’s gonna stare at the wall instead of the TV screen.”
Ben laughed. “That never happened.”
“Yeah, it did. Twice.” Kevin moved towards t
he door. “I’ll kick your ass another day. Call me tomorrow or something.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“And don’t forget, I won the bet.”
Ben threw his empty beer at Kevin, but he slipped out the door and it hit the wood instead. Ben heard Kevin laughing all the way down the hall.
Chapter Seven
When Whitney stepped into work Monday morning, she was ready to take on the day, the week, and possibly even the month. She was on a cloud, and none of the normal day-to-day negativity could touch her. And her mood was infectious. Anyone she spoke to walked away with a smile and a hopeful feeling in their chest. Even Chris couldn’t find anything to complain about when he went through the morning checklist with her.
“Good work,” he said, the inflection on the end making it more of a question than a statement. He wandered off with a frown and scratched his head. Behind him, Whitney beamed.
Julie caught up with her at lunch. She slid into the chair across from her and stared expectantly.
Whitney looked up from her phone. “What?” She asked.
“Spill. What happened? What’s with the radiating happiness thing you’ve got going on?” She swirled her hands in the air around Whitney’s head.
“Oh.” Whitney’s cheeks turned pink. She couldn’t even try to play dumb. “I had a date this weekend.”
“And it was so good you’re floating all the way into Monday?” Julie’s eyebrows raised in disbelief.
“Yeah, I guess so.” She giggled. “I like him a lot. And he’s cute.”
“Cute is always good.” Julie dug into her food, satisfied now that she was included.
“Plus, it’s been awhile since I’ve dated. It was nice to get back out there in such a good way.”
“Why’s it been awhile?”
“Oh, uh,” Whitney dimmed a little. “Well, I was engaged three years ago, but I called it off when I caught him cheating.”