by Claire Adams
“So, what's the plan for the evening?” I asked Chris as I sipped on my beer.
“Melissa and her friends are coming over for some drinks later. I hope you're ready to get your party boots on, bro!”
I groaned. “Aw no, dude. I gotta study tonight, I can't do that.”
Chris folded his arms across his chest.
“You gotta study tonight? Jesus, Emerson, it's Friday night, for Christ's sake! Friday night! No way dude, no way. I'm not letting you sit in your room and read books all night like a nerd. Hell no!”
“Dude, come on. I'm trying to-”
“Trying to what? Nope! No way!”
At that moment, the doorbell rang. He grinned and hurried over to open it.
“There's no way you're gonna get away with studying now!” he said. “These bitches will never let you get away with that.”
“Alright, alright,” I sighed. “But seriously, only like two or three drinks. That's it. I mean it.”
The door burst open and Melissa and her bevy of friends came in, giggling. I shook my head. It really was the last thing I needed. Still, with everyone there and the music going, it was impossible to study and hard to resist. I sighed, sipped on my beer, and mentally prepared myself for the night to come.
***
Four hours later, Nicky Minaj's “Anaconda” was playing in the club, and Melissa was doing her best to get all over me, grinding against me on the dance floor like it was nobody's business. I was pretty drunk, and the lights were starting to blur around me.
Still, I didn't want anything to do with Melissa, as hard as she was trying to have something to do with me.
I simply turned around and stumbled off the dance floor, leaving her to grind it out on her own. I'd had enough, and I’d had way more to drink than intended. It was time to get out of there and get back home. If I drank enough water and ate a big meal before sleeping, there was a chance that I wouldn't feel too terrible when I woke up and I might be able to actually get some stuff done.
I had started toward the exit when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“Hey! Emerson, what are you doing?”
Melissa. Jeez, I just couldn't get away from her.
“I'm going home.”
“Okay, I'll get my bag and tell-”
“No, I mean, I'm going home. By myself. Alone.”
She stared at me with an icy gaze for a few moments; I'd never been so blunt with her before and it was clear she was pretty upset about it. I didn't really care, though; if that's what it took to get her to leave me alone, I was okay with it.
“You know, you can be a real fucking jerk sometimes, Emerson,” she said coldly.
“Sorry,” I mumbled, and shrugged my shoulders. “I’m gonna go now.”
She turned around and stormed off and, although I felt a bit bad, I mostly felt relieved. I grabbed two bottles of water from the bar and headed out of the club to hail a cab.
On the way home, I opened the window and stuck my head out to take in the fresh air. The sky was still clear and starry, and the temperature was still warm. As the cab pulled up outside my building, I decided I’d go sit on the roof for a while before heading off to bed.
I paid the fare and went straight to the back stairwell where I could access the roof of the building. I jogged up the stairs, still feeling the effects of the alcohol, but not as much after drinking the bottles of water in the taxi. I was actually starting to feel a little better.
I headed out onto the roof, staring up at the stars all the while. It was pretty spectacular, despite the light contamination from the city. I'd always loved stars and the night sky, ever since I was a little kid. I walked along the rooftop, heading for the far edge where I could look out over the city. That's when a familiar voice startled me.
“Emerson? What are you doing up here?”
I spun around to find Brooke seated on a fold-up chair. I couldn't help but smile. I hoped that I wouldn't make a fool out of myself, seeing as I was drunk.
“I'm, well, I just like looking at the stars,” I said, feeling self-conscious about my speech having a slight slur. “I just got home, and it was, it was too pretty a night to just stay cooped up inside.”
“You guys were partying again tonight, huh?”
“Um, yeah,” I remarked, feeling a bit guilty. “Sorry, was the noise buggin’ you guys?”
“It was okay. When we turned the TV up, it wasn't too bad.”
“Oh, look, I'm really, really sorry, Brooke. I told Chris to keep it down, and, and, I turned it down myself soooo many times, but he, he'd always, like, turn it right back up, and-”
“Are you drunk?” She locked an almost accusatory stare into my eyes.
“I, uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm a bit drunk.”
Surprisingly, she chuckled, and there didn't seem to be anything judgmental in the way she laughed.
“I can tell,” she snickered. “Where did you guys go?”
“Same place we always go,” I replied sheepishly. “Club 74.”
“How do you guys get in? I mean, you're under twenty-one.”
“Chris' cousin is a bouncer there. He lets us in.”
“And what if the cops were to show up? You guys would be in a world of trouble. Chris's cousin probably would be, too, for letting you in.”
“There's a s-secret back entrance the cops don't know about. He could sneak us outta there if it came to it. Look, I don't really… You know, I don't actually like going out and drinking much anymore,” I slurred, painfully aware of how stupid I likely sounded. “It's just, Chris…he's a, he's a bad influence, ya know? It's so hard to say no to him.”
“Oh, so it's all Chris's fault, huh?” she chided playfully.
I burst into a drunken chuckling fit. “Okay, okay, so it's kinda my own f-fault, too.” I turned my attention back to the sky. “Hey, check it out, there's Orion. See, that's his belt, those three stars, and those other ones, well, that's his b-bow and arrow.”
“Which ones?” she asked, looking up toward where I was pointing.
“Those three, right there — they're his belt.”
“I still can't see.”
I walked over and squatted down next to her. She smelled amazing. I couldn't deny I was feeling pretty damn aroused being so close to her. I hoped she didn't notice. Or, maybe I hoped she would notice. I pointed up. Being right next to her meant she could follow my line far easier.
“Oh!” she said with a smile. “Now I see it.”
“Yeah! Right? Once you've spotted it properly, it t-totally makes sense.”
“Orion's the hunter, isn't he?”
“Yesss.”
“What's he hunting? I mean, what's his bow aimed at?”
I shrugged. “Must be something up there he wants to shoot!”
Her laughter rang across the rooftop. “And, I thought you were about to give me a talk on astronomy. Come on, Emerson, you're letting me down here!”
“Hey! I didn't say I was an expert. I just know where a f-few constellations are.”
“Show me another one then.”
I moved a little closer to her and pointed again. “Well, there's the Big Dipper. See it?”
She followed my finger and smiled with delight as she caught sight of where I was aiming.
“Yes! Right there. Awesome! What others do you know?” she asked eagerly.
“That one right there is Draco, the Dragon.”
“Ohhhhh, do you think Daenerys is up there riding him?”
“Back to our Game of Thrones references, are we?” I joked.
She smiled, and turned her head toward me to say something at the exact same time I turned toward her to say something. For a few electrically-charged moments our lips were merely inches apart and our eyes met in an intense gaze. Every fiber of my being was screaming out for me to lean in just a little closer, and press my mouth against hers. But before I could, she stood abruptly, breaking the moment.
“I-I need to get back inside,” she stuttered,
her tone flustered. “Thank you very much for the astronomy lesson. It was nice. Enjoy the stars. Have a good night, Emerson.”
With that, she folded her deck chair and turned to walk off. I watched her go, and, despite the missed opportunity, I smiled and looked back up at the starry sky. Friday had been a good day.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Brooke
Friday had been a really strange day. Who would have thought it would have closed looking at the stars with Emerson on the roof? It had been one rollercoaster ride for sure — riding on a motorcycle for the first time, running into Ben at dinner, having Emerson there to serve up some delicious revenge to Andrew, and then chatting with Emerson on the roof under a beautiful, starry sky in a moment that could have ended with…
A kiss.
Heat gushed through my body at the mere thought of how close I had come to Emerson's lips pressed to mine. They’d been inches away, and the look that passed between us had been indescribably intense.
But I couldn't…I just couldn't do it.
I mean, he was drunk for one thing. But even if he'd been sober, I don't think I could have done it.
Or…maybe I could have.
I climbed into bed with nothing but thoughts of Emerson’s warm mouth spilling over mine.
***
With a cup of hot coffee steaming on the desk next to me, I logged into my email to check if there was anything from my parents about the upcoming family barbecue in honor of my dad's fiftieth birthday.
There wasn't, but there was an email from the college’s activities director. It was about the RAG Society — an acronym for Remember And Give. They were a group involved in a number of fundraisers on campus that raised money for local charities. They were looking for new members to sign up. I'd wanted to join last semester, but my class schedule had conflicted with their weekly meetings. However, it looked like I'd be able to make the meetings with my new schedule. I'd been involved with various charity work throughout my life, and last semester it had been something I had sorely missed. I was looking forward to the opportunity to get back into it.
I immediately sent off the email signing up.
I was surprised to get a reply just a few minutes later saying there'd be a get-together that afternoon for new members to get to know the leaders and current members. I responded that I'd be there before I got out my chemistry notes to start a day of studying.
***
I left my first RAG meeting feeling fantastic. The society was operated by very efficient and motivated people, and I got a sense they really were in it to help those who were less fortunate rather than merely being involved for the sake of having something attractive to put on their CV. What was even better, we'd already been given our first project to raise money for a local children's charity. We’d sell potted plants donated by a local garden center so whatever they sold for would be all profit. Several of us had each been given a basket with ten small potted plants to sell. If we could get a couple of dollars for each plant, we'd easily be able to raise a few hundred, or even a thousand dollars for the children's charity.
The first thing I did, of course, was buy one for myself — a beautiful little daisy. I popped ten dollars into the donation box and put the daisy on the balcony with the rest of our plants as soon as I got home. I'd kind of counted on Leslie buying one, as well, but she wasn’t home. I figured I wouldn't actually have to venture very far from my apartment building to sell the plants.
Since Leslie wasn't around, I thought I might see if Emerson was up for buying a plant. I hadn't noticed any green in his apartment the one time I'd been there, so I figured it would be a nice addition to the place.
I headed out and knocked on the door – which was promptly opened by Chris, who leered at me before staring at my chest in my kind of low-cut top. I instantly regretted that choice, and spoke quickly to bring his attention back up to my face.
“Hi, Chris, how's it going?”
“Hey. I'm alright. Pretty hungover, but surviving, yo. What's going on?”
I had forgotten that he lived here, as well. I had really hoped that it would have been Emerson who would have opened the door.
“Well, I'm volunteering for RAG at college. Have you heard of them?”
“Not interested,” said Chris flatly.
Well, that was pretty downright rude.
“Hang on a second, I haven't even-”
“I've got no spare cash right now, okay? Sorry.”
His tone said it all. There was no way he was gonna buy one of the plants. I sighed and turned away.
“Alright, no worries,” I said in a resigned tone. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“Later,” he said, before closing the door in my face.
What a jerk. I couldn't believe Emerson was friends with that guy. As I turned around to walk down the hall though, I saw a familiar silhouette rounding the corner, coming out of the stairwell.
“Emerson!”
“Hey, Brooke, how's it going? Were you just coming out of my place?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I was trying to see if you guys were interested in buying a plant or two for charity, but your roommate wasn't, uh, wasn't very receptive.”
“Oh, sorry about that. I guess he's feeling pretty hungover from last night.”
“And you? You were looking a few sheets to the wind when I saw you on the roof last night.”
He chuckled self-effacingly. “Yeah, I was a bit, but trust me, I wasn't blasted. I actually feel alright. I stayed out on the roof for a while after you went in and then drank a ton of water and ate something before bed. I got a decent amount of sleep, so I felt okay when I woke up.”
“That's good to know. Anyways, I gotta get going and sell some of these plants.”
“Well, hold up a sec, I'll take a couple of 'em. How much are they?”
“Awesome, thanks! Pretty much however much you wanna donate.”
“So, will you take like, ten cents for one of those bad boys?” he said with a wink.
I fired a fierce mock-glare at him.
“I'd rather eat it than sell it to you for ten cents, Emerson.”
“I'm kidding, I'm kidding,” he said with a chuckle. “What charity is it for, anyway?”
“It's for the Johnson Children's Home. It's a charity downtown.”
“You know, I've actually heard of that. They do a lot of good things for inner city kids. They get 'em motivated and inspired and give them opportunities to better themselves and learn new skills. Yeah, I'm totally down to support an initiative like that. And, good on you for volunteering to do something like this. You never cease to amaze me.”
My cheeks heated as I tried to avoid making direct eye contact. I didn’t want anything else heating up, too. “Aw, thanks, Emerson! I've always had a soft spot for helping others. I've been doing charity work since I was a kid. Started out tagging along with my mom when she went. It's something I think everyone should do at least once in a while.”
“Ya know, you’re right. Not that I've done much myself, but yeah, more people should get involved. It really would make the world a better place.”
“It certainly would.”
“Alright, I've got twenty bucks on me. Is that enough for two of those plants?”
“Yeah, that's perfect. Thanks! Which ones do you want?”
He peered down into the basket. “Um, I don't know much about plants. Which ones will be least likely to die in my place?” he said with a laugh.
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “Jeez, you guys! Alright, well, take the cactus, it should be pretty damn tough. And this one, it's a succulent that doesn't need much water. It'll also be able to survive the um, harsh conditions of your apartment.”
“Awesome,” he said as he took the plants out of my basket. “I'll do my best not to kill them.”
“Yeah, let me know how that goes. Well, I gotta head out now. Otherwise, I’m buying a bunch of plants for myself. Thank you for the donation!”
“No pr
oblem. Good luck getting rid of the rest of them. I hope you get some decent offers on 'em.”
“Thanks, Emerson. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon.”
He smiled, took the plants, and headed into his apartment. I watched him go with a smile on my face. There was definitely more to Emerson than met the eye, I knew that much.
***
I arrived back home around seven o'clock with one plant left — one I'd kept especially for Leslie. It hadn't taken much effort on my part to sell the plants; I'd just walked around the neighborhood and knocked on people's doors who had a lot of flowers and plants adorning their patios or porches. Most were receptive and had donated pretty generously. I had raised over a hundred dollars, which wasn't bad for two hours of charity work.
I walked in and saw Leslie in the kitchen, whipping up dinner.
“Hey, girl!” she called out as I walked in.
“Hey, Les, how was your Saturday?”
“It's been good! I had rehearsals with my amateur troupe most of the day. Remember, I told you we're doing Hamlet in a couple of weeks?”
“Oh, yeah, how's that going?”
“Great! The guy who's playing Hamlet is so talented. I'm learning a lot from him. I feel like I'm gonna improve by leaps and bounds this semester. How has your day been?”
“It's been nice. I joined RAG and went to my first meeting today.”
She giggled a little. “Their name still cracks me up. I remember you wanted to join up last semester, but your schedule was too crazy. So how was it?”
“The people there are great. They're really dedicated and they take it seriously. And, I felt like they were all genuinely compassionate people who really care about making a difference.”
“That's just the sort of people who need to be running something like that.”
“Yeah. And, they gave us our first task to complete.”
“Oh yeah, what was that?”
I held up the basket and took out the last remaining plant, holding it up with a triumphant smile for Leslie.
“Ta-daa! A local garden center donated a ton of these for us to use to raise money for the Johnson Children's Home downtown. I saved this one for you.”