On the third day, she was on lunch break with her employee and going over the schedule for the upcoming month when her phone rang. She didn't check the caller ID as she pulled it from her pocket and excused herself.
The store was empty and quiet when she picked up. "Hello?"
"Jessie?" It was Ava, and her voice sounded a bit off? Nervous?
"Ava! Hey!" Jessica allowed her excitement to shine through.
"Yeah. Listen. Would you maybe like to go check out that vegan bakery next to the movie theater with me? Since, you know, you're vegan and—" Ava cut herself off. She still sounded a bit nervous. "And our friends are still miserable idiots, or well, at least Zyan is. I don't know about—about Carter. But, uh, I'm sure he's still moping too so…We still gotta work something out to change that, right? Not—not that it's just about that. I'd like to see you again too," she added hastily. "Um, yeah…What do you say?"
Jessica couldn't stop the amusement from showing in her tone. "I'd love to."
"Yeah?" Ava sounded relieved.
"Of course. I asked you first, remember?"
There was a small silence that was hurriedly broken by Ava. "Uh, I…I was nodding, but you couldn't see that. But yeah, I remember."
Jessica bit her lip, but the chuckle got out, anyway. She leaned back against the cash counter and checked her wrist watch. "I've got twenty minutes left from my break. Wanna tell me about your day?"
"Oh boy, don't remind me."
"Why? What happened?"
"I was talking to my brother Joe earlier because of my grandparents' wedding anniversary next month. They're celebrating their fiftieth, and my mom put me in charge of the table decorations, so I need to know if he's gonna bring someone. But when he picked up, he sounded like he just rolled out of bed and grunted at me. He hung up before I could even finish my question."
"He sounds charming."
"He's not," Ava replied. "He's a douche, but I feel inclined to love him because he's my brother."
Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Is he really that bad?"
"No," Ava grumbled. "He's lovely and handsome and he always gets the number from our waiters when we go out for dinner."
"Jealous?"
"Like you wouldn't believe."
Jessica laughed. "I'm all too familiar with the sibling curse."
"How? You literally got your own store and you're what? Twenty-six? I'd think you'd be the one everyone's jealous of."
Jessica ducked her head and wet her lips. "I'd rather not get into the family drama right now."
"Oh, I-I'm sorry. If that's— I didn't mean to—"
"No, no! It's okay. It's just…not something I wanna share over the phone, you know?"
"Okay, yeah, sure."
Jessica pressed her lips together for a moment as she tried to work out how to turn things back into more comfortable territory. "But, uh, speaking of not sharing over the phone. That vegan bakery you mentioned—would you be cool with going today? You get off at four, right?"
"Yeah. Yeah, that'd be…neat." Ava paused. "Ignore that I just said 'neat', please."
Jessica stifled a laugh. "With pleasure. I'll pick you up later?"
"I'm looking forward to it!"
"Great! And good luck with all the pesky customers."
"Right back at ya."
*~*~*
As promised, Jessica showed up at Ava's workplace toward the end of her shift.
She made her way up the escalator to the second floor, where Ava had told her she'd be. The moment Jessica caught sight of her rushing around the store to gather the stationery for the parents with their lists for their kids' next school year was rather funny. She was covering ground in quick strides, yes, but she didn't seem to know where to find what she was looking for. Every third item or so, she had to walk up to her coworker and ask for directions.
Said coworker seemed to take it with humor and answered with an amused glint in their eye, like they were seeing it as entertainment more than a nuisance. They seemed sympathetic, so Jessica decided to approach them while she waited for the end of Ava's shift.
"Hey," Jessica greeted, and threw a quick glance at their nametag.
"Hello," Carol greeted her. "How can I help you?"
"I'm…friends with Ava," Jessica replied. "And I'm just waiting for her shift to end, so I thought I'd wait over here…" She trailed off before adding as an afterthought: "If you don't mind."
Carol shrugged. "Suit yourself. I just gotta organize these wallets."
Ava's voice rang out from nearby. "Good luck with that."
Carol snorted.
"I'm Jessica, by the way."
"Carol. Carol Rivera."
"So," Jessica started as she looked around the store until her gaze landed on Ava. She was still darting back and forth between the shelves, closely followed by a couple loaded with two shopping baskets. "How long have you been working with her?"
"About two years," Carol answered.
"You know the mysterious guy that haunts this place?"
Carol huffed a laugh. "She's told you about her theory, huh? I keep telling her he's most likely just responsible for the paperwork, and that's why he doesn't need a nametag or uniform, but she won't listen."
Jessica smiled.
She stuck with Carol while Ava continued to rush through the store like a whirlwind before she eventually disappeared and then reappeared from the Employees Only section behind the cash registers.
She was dressed casually when she walked up to Jessica with a bright smile that Jessica returned. "Ready?"
Ava nodded. "Yeah. I could really use some sugar right now."
They said their goodbyes to Carol and headed toward the exit. The bakery turned out to be right down the street, which left them with a comfortable two-minute walk.
"You seemed a little lost back there." Jessica teased.
Ava scoffed. "Understatement. They rearranged everything when the new shipments came in, and then three people got sick, so they sent one of my colleagues to the first floor, which left me on customer duty instead of working the cash register. Fucking summer flu and incompetent lazy parents."
"Whoa there, got some pent-up rage, huh?"
"You could say that. I just want some cupcakes right now."
Ava got her wish just a minute later. And since the weather was nice, they decided to ditch inside seating for the park they'd walked through the first time they'd met.
Jessica was still eating, while Ava had regained the bounce in her step as she gushed about the concert she'd recently been to. Apparently Zyan had bought her tickets for her birthday.
"Why do you love concerts so much?" Jessica asked, genuinely curious.
"I don't understand why you don't!" Ava replied.
Jessica shrugged. "I just don't listen to music all that much. And the thought of all of those sweaty bodies pressed up against me while my eardrums are bursting doesn't sound all that appealing, either."
Ava looked mildly horrified. "It's like you're not even human."
Jessica laughed and almost choked on her food.
"Seriously," Ava said. "How can you not love music? I can't even go one day without it!" At Jessica's doubtful expression, she went on. "I'm serious. I get massive mood swings and headaches. It's like a coping mechanism for me. It helps me work through my emotions."
"I'm not sure that's healthy."
Ava shrugged. "It's fine."
"It's an addiction."
"But a good one."
"I don't think that's a thing that exists."
"Now it does."
Jessica smiled, even as she rolled her eyes. "Okay. You love music," she said, moving on. "But what is it about concerts specifically? From my experience, you can't even hear much beside the bellowing crowd."
"When you go to a concert," Ava started, with a new spark in her eye, "you know all the people around you came together because they fell in love with the same songs you did. They've found their own meanings in the lyrics and h
ave memories attached to them."
It was like Ava was no longer present, but rather back with the crowd and the band up on stage. "Those hours spent together are some of the few where everyone just forgets about their worries and troubles. They simply live in the moment, experiencing their favorite songs with the creators right there in front of them. It's on a whole other level than just hearing it from a piece of technology. It's like a bonding experience, like everything there is happening outside of space and time."
As Jessica stared at Ava and the carefree expression on her face, she realized she'd just seen a side of Ava she'd never gotten to see before. "You really make me wanna go to a concert."
Ava laughed. "Good! And you should."
"Carter has his own label, you know? I bet he could get me some free tickets."
Ava gaped. "Are you serious?"
Jessica grinned at the look on her face. "Yup. But if you ask nicely, I'm sure he could put in one extra just in case I'd like to bring someone." She teased.
"That'd be incredible! Who's signed with him?"
Jessica shrugged. "I'm not keeping track."
"Well, what's the name of the label?"
Jessica frowned. "You know what? I'm not sure."
Ava laughed. "God, what kinda best friend are you?"
"Clearly not the best one, now that you brought this up."
*~*~*
They found a free bench in the park and settled on the backrest, since the seat itself was covered in a disgusting amount of bird feces. They talked about everything and nothing for a few minutes before Jessica gave a quick vague summary of why she had a strained relationship with her mother. From there, she quickly steered into Carter and Zyan territory and how they were faring.
"He sounds different from what Carter's told me about him," Jessica said.
Ava shrugged. "He's also known him for a lot longer. People already change a lot over a normal lifespan. I probably wouldn't even recognize him back when he and Carter first met."
"You got a point." Jessica looked down at the ants crawling over a dropped French fry. "Do you think they'd even still get along if we got them in the same room?"
"I sure hope so. I've been trying to get Zyan to open up about Carter over the last few weeks, but all I'm getting is bitching about white-washed history, which, you know, I'm always here for, but that's not what I was trying to get at."
Jessica chuckled. "God, I've been so busy with job interviews and shipments and my mom, I barely had time to think about how we're going to do this."
"All I know is that I can't tell Zyan the truth. He'd never agree to meeting Carter willingly, and I doubt it'd be any different the other way around."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Carter's convinced Zyan wouldn't even want to see him, let alone talk to him."
Ava sighed. "We're just gonna have to figure something out."
As time passed, the people passing by decreased in numbers and the sun began to melt into the horizon. As the sky changed colors, their bodies shifted closer together until their knees and shoulders brushed with their every breath.
The air had cooled around them, and since it was a Wednesday, both were aware they'd have to leave soon. The following day demanded they be up bright and early. Despite it all, they were still rooted in place an hour after Jessica would usually get ready for bed.
"God, I can't even remember the last time I sat down and watched the sunset," Jessica said as she watched the pastel clouds shift color.
"Yeah, me neither." Ava sounded like she was far away in her own thoughts.
"But it'd be even nicer if we didn't have all that city background noise," Jessica pointed out, and glanced at Ava, who was looking back with wonderment in her eyes. Usually, Jessica would've cracked up at how slightly cross-eyed they got into proximity, but there was something in Ava's expression that kept her serious. "Are you okay?"
Ava tore her gaze away and blinked repeatedly before she looked back up at the sky for a few seconds and then turned back to face Jessica.
It was hard to tell what Ava was thinking when she occasionally spaced out like that. Jessica didn't know her well enough to be able to read her just yet, and Ava had never brought up that it even happened. Next time, Jessica would ask her about it, but right now, she was too mesmerized by how the light reflected off her eyes and lashes.
Ava's lips parted as they sat there, lost in each other, but it took her a moment before she spoke. "You're so beautiful."
Jessica felt her face heat up as she smiled. "You too."
"No, you don't understand," Ava replied. "I wish I had a camera right now, because your hair looks like fire in this light, and your eyes shine, and I—" She cut herself off and took a deep breath. "It's— I know we don't know each other that well at this point, but…"
"Hey, it's okay. I get it. I know what you're feeling and…I feel the same."
Ava nodded and took the out Jessica had offered her.
What Ava had wanted to say, Jessica wasn't sure, but seeing her struggle hadn't sat right with her. They should enjoy this moment together, and if postponing the conversation was what it took, Jessica was fine with it. "Can you imagine that, one day, we might have enough money to go on vacation and watch the sunrise from a lovely spot near the beach?"
Ava's face was bathed in gold as she looked up at the setting sun. "I'd love that."
Warmth filled Jessica's chest at the prospect. She knew it was still early in their relationship—one they hadn't even put a name to yet—but there was something there…a spark, a feeling. It was indescribable, but it held the promise of something special.
And it was that feeling that helped her make up her mind about something she'd been debating on offering for several days.
"So, Carter had this idea of me getting out for a weekend to, you know, get away from things for a while. With my mom all over me since my sister got married, it's been a little tense, and I've been stressing out over the smallest things to the point where he's noticed. I've been thinking about it, and the longer I do, the better the idea sounds, and what I've come up with is a road trip. Because, you know, it's a nice and somewhat cheap way of getting outta town for a bit without too much planning.
"But what I'm actually trying to ask is if you'd like to come along…with me…on that road trip. I mean, you don't have to, of course—I don't want you to feel pressured. But going alone would be boring, and Carter is unbearable when he's gotta spent too much time in the car. N-not that I'm only offering because Carter's annoying—"
Jessica cut off when she noticed Ava's faraway look.
After a beat of silence, Ava shook her head and refocused on Jessica. "I'm sorry, what?"
Jessica froze. Had Ava even been listening? "I asked if you'd like to take a road trip with me."
"Would we be going anywhere specific?"
No, she hadn't been listening. It was fine; it meant that she hadn't heard Jessica's mildly embarrassing rambling. "Not really. I just feel like getting outta here for a weekend would give me a new perspective on some things, but if—if you don't want to, that's fine. I could also go alone. I don't want you to feel pressured, especially since we've only known each other for, what? Four weeks? That's not—"
"Slow down, Jessie!" Ava cut her off with a smile. "I'd love to come along. You got a set date already?"
Jessica shook her head. "I was thinking next month? Because of my mom's birthday. I'll definitely need all the emotional strength and inner calmness before I've gotta face that woman."
"Right," Ava said. "The homophobic mother. I almost forgot."
Jessica smiled wryly. "Yup, that's the one."
"Well, that at least gives us some time to plan the best road trip of all time."
Jessica's smile turned more honest. "About four weeks," she confirmed.
"That's more than enough time! But I'll inform you right away that I won't accept any road-trip playlists that weren't created by yours truly, because I am, in fact, the Goddess of music—at
least in this relationship."
Jessica bit her lip at the word. Right. That. They still hadn't made any of this official, and despite Ava sounding like she was on the same page, Jessica wanted to make it clear where they stood before they did anything else. "About that…" Jessica started. "Listen, Ava, I feel like I need to tell you something before we even start planning anything."
Ava seemed to freeze, which Jessica took as a sign that she was listening. She turned to face the park as its shadows darkened right in front of their eyes. She was a little nervous, but her mind was made up.
Before she could even open her mouth, Ava was already starting to speak. "I'm sorry, but before you say anything, I wanna tell you something."
"Okay," Jessica said slowly.
Ava nodded. "We've been talking every day for four weeks."
Jessica didn't answer; she was too nervous.
"And I— I know we haven't talked about what either of us wants and expects of…this," she continued and gestured back and forth between them. "If you still wanna back out and leave this as a—as a friendship, that's fine."
She clearly wasn't as fine with it as she tried to let on. Jessica was too stunned to cut in like she should have.
"I mean, I've never gotten a friend-speech so far into what could be considered the dating process, but I guess there's a first time for everything, so if you're—"
"Ava," Jessica tried to interrupt as her brain finally caught up with what was happening.
"—unsure about this, I'd be okay if you'd want—"
"Ava!" Jessica repeated, a little more forcefully this time.
"Huh?"
Jessica smiled softly and tried to convey what she wanted to say without words. "That's not what I wanted to talk to you about, and if you listen to me for just a minute, I'll actually be able to tell you that."
Ava snapped her mouth shut. "Right. Please continue."
"When we first started talking, I thought we'd just become good friends and bond off our friends' idiocy and stubbornness, but then we started sharing more of ourselves, and those messages turned from plotting and complaining to flirting, and then to webcam-dates, even though we never called them that, and what I'm trying to say is that I…I really like you and—and I think you like me too." Jessica averted her eyes as she tried to gather her thoughts. "So…if you'd like, it'd be nice if—if we could make this official."
The Thing About Forever Page 6