Silver Lining

by E. J. Shortall

  I’ve never been a flirter. I wouldn’t even know how to, but I need to counter him with something to really give him something to picture. I swallow my pride and go for it. I can play along. I hope. “You really want to know what I’m doing?” I ask in my most sultry voice, although it sounds more like Yoda than sex kitten.

  “Yes.”

  “Okay then. Right now, I’m sitting at my desk having lunch. I’m unwrapping my sandwich and bringing it to my lips… mmm, that tastes good. I’m taking another bite, and… swallowing.” I smile as I hear Craig’s breath hitch down the phone. With my confidence bolstered, and with the knowledge that I am affecting Craig as much as he affects me, I lick my lips and continue. “Oh no, damn. There is mayonnaise around my lips. I’d better lick it off… slowly.” I have to press my lips together to repress my giggles when I hear a chair squeak and something bang rather loudly, presumably on his desk.

  “Jesus, Amber. What are you doing?” He growls.

  “You asked me what I’m doing, so I’m telling you. Why? Is there a problem?” I can’t hold it in anymore and start giggling.

  “You know damn well there is now a problem, a big problem. I asked for a mundane image, not something from Debbie does the Deli. Fuck. I’m going to be stuck in a meeting now, uncomfortable, all afternoon.” He sounds really frustrated. Did I go too far? I only wanted to flirt with him a bit.

  “Amber?”

  “Yes?”

  “Can I come and lick the mayo off for you?” I gasp and my tummy muscles clench at the thought of his lips on mine again. God, I hope no one walks in the office right now. I’m sitting here imagining Craig’s lips on mine, his hands roaming over my body, his hips pushing against… I hear a low chuckle down the phone.

  “Amber?” Shit, caught daydreaming.

  I clear my throat. “Yeah?”

  “I’d love to sit here all afternoon and talk about your sandwich eating techniques, but I really do have to head off to a meeting now. I’ll call you tonight, okay? Enjoy the rest of your day. Bye, Pingu.” And with that he hangs up, leaving a deafening silence.

  Wow, that was unexpected and has left me rather hot and bothered. And I still have three hours till I can get out of here. I look at my sandwich and push it aside. I’m not hungry anymore… well, not for food anyway.

  ***

  I walk into my flat, looking forward to a quiet night of TV watching and reading. That new romance I downloaded on my e-reader last week is calling me. I’m hoping concentrating on someone else’s romantic ups and downs will take my mind off my own for a while.

  Walking into the kitchen, I try to decide what to cook for dinner. I’ve just opened the fridge to inspect the few things I’ve put in there since moving in when my Intercom buzzes. “Hello?” I speak into the receiver.

  “Oh, thank God you’re in.”

  “Becki, is that you?”

  “Yep, you gonna let me up or what?”

  “Sure, come on up.” I press the button to let her through and open my front door slightly so she can come straight in. What is bringing Becki to my door at five o’clock on a Tuesday evening? I wonder as I stroll back into the kitchen. As I return my attention back to raiding the fridge, I hear Becki hollering my name from the hallway.

  “I’m in the kitchen, Bec. Come on in.”

  Giving up on the food so I can greet my friend, I turn around and immediately do a double take when I see Becki standing in front of me. My usually immaculate, bubbly, happy go lucky best friend looks dishevelled and tired, and the sparkle that typically shines in the depth of her deep blue eyes is most noticeably missing. Her customary, straightened to within an inch of its life, blonde hair is pulled back into a messy pony tail. She’s wearing no make-up, has huge dark circles under her eyes, and is wearing baggy jeans and an old sweatshirt. I didn’t even realise she owned a sweatshirt. She has the best fashion sense of anyone I know.

  Quickly taking the few steps over to her, I drag her into a tight embrace. “Oh my God, Bec, you look awful. What’s happened?”

  “Well jeez. Thanks, it’s nice to see you too,” she spits and then immediately bursts into tears.

  Her wailing eventually eases into gentle sobs, but I continue to hold her tight until the risk of her collapsing eases off. All manner of situations are running through my mind, and I’m contemplating calling the police or an ambulance or something when she pulls away from me, sniffling and wiping her tears away with the back of her sleeve.

  “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to become a hysterical banshee,” she manages through hiccups.

  “Becki, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me.” I pull her into the living room and gesture for her so take a seat on the sofa.

  “Are you still looking for a roommate?” she asks after a brief contemplative silence.

  “You know I am. Why?” I reply with a mixture of confusion and fear.

  “Do you fancy sharing with yours truly?”

  “Becki, what’s going on? Seriously, you’re really scaring me.”

  She looks away and starts playing with the hem on her sweatshirt, pulling on a loose thread. Through a sardonic laugh she murmurs, “Well… you see, here’s a funny story. Apparently, my neighbours take offence to my music choices and the few times I may have played it slightly too loud. My landlord says he’s had too many complaints about that and other things, so he’s kicking me out. My tenancy is nearly up anyway, so he said he won’t be extending it and is letting me out early without penalty. As of this weekend, I’ll be homeless, Ambs. He’s not even giving me much notice,” she finishes and bursts into tears again.

  “When did this happen? You didn’t say anything at the weekend when I saw you.” I ask, hugging her tightly again.

  “The bastard phoned me yesterday morning. I had to throw a sickie today to try and sort something out, but without my security deposit back, I’m stuck. You’re my only hope at the moment, Ambs. I can’t go back to mum and dads.”

  Becki doesn’t have the greatest of relationships with her parents, so I totally get why that is a no go for her. “Of course you can move in here with me. In fact, it will be a big help and the perfect solution. It will save me from having to advertise and vet potential people. I won’t have to worry about potentially sharing with a psychopath. When do you want to move in?”

  She exhales loudly and slumps back on the sofa, looking as though the weight of the world has just been lifted from her shoulders. “I’ve got to sort all my shit out first, so will the weekend be okay? I’ll see if Scott can borrow a van from work and give me hand.”

  We spend the next couple of hours talking and laughing and going all girly about the fun we’ll have as roommates.

  At some point, while we are watching a rerun of Friends, I need to use the bathroom, so leave Becki laughing at something Joey done. When I get back to the living room, Becki is holding my mobile and is staring at me, her expression intense but unreadable.

  “Do you have something you need to tell me?” She eventually asks.

  “No why?” I reply in confusion.

  “Oh really? You have nothing to tell me about a certain tall, dark and extremely handsome dude that I warned you to stay away from?” She pauses a moment before continuing. “Craig phoned while you were in the bathroom.” She hands me my phone and looks pointedly at me, waiting for my response.

  Wondering what I can get away with telling her, I opt for the short and sweet version. I tell her about our meeting at school and the meal out, but omit the details of the kisses and phone conversation at lunchtime. I don’t feel ready to share those details yet. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have let me escape an inquisition, so I hope this will pacify her, for now.

  "So why's he phoning you then, if there's nothing going on?" She asks sceptically.

  "I don't know.” I snap back. “Why don't you ask him?"

  "I did. He just told me to get you to call him." She shrugs.

  "You answered it? It’s bad enough that you’ve gon
e through my things to even see who’s calling, but to answer as well…” I can't believe she is so blasé about this. I know she’s my best friend and soon to be roommate, but surely that crosses some sort of privacy line? I slump down onto the sofa and just look at her, at a loss for words.

  “What’s the big deal? I heard it ringing, and it was at the top of your open bag so I grabbed it and answered. Okay, I admit when I saw the name on the screen, I got curious so answered it. I thought I was doing you a favour. I’ll know not to bother next time.” She huffs as she grabs her bag and heads for the door.

  “Wait, Bec.” I hurry to my feet and follow her to the front door. “I’m sorry, but I’ve just got away from David and his privacy breaking, controlling, paranoid ways. I can’t go there again. I need to feel trusted and be left to do what I want, when I want. Can you understand that?”

  She nods her head and moves forward to wrap an arm around my shoulder. “Of course I understand, and I’m sorry I answered your phone. I won’t do it again… Are you okay though? I mean, Craig isn’t pestering you or anything is he? I could get Scott to have a word and get him to back off, if you want.”

  “No, it’s fine, honestly. We exchanged numbers last night after dinner. He probably just wants to know something about the school for the work experience programme he’s proposing,” I lie. “I’ll call him back tomorrow.”

  I give her another hug and tell her to call me if she needs me to help sort her stuff out, and then she’s gone, leaving me shattered and ready for bed. Rather than phone Craig back, I take the coward’s way out and send him a quick text.

  Amber: Sorry abt Bec. Hope she didn’t say anything inappropriate. Gonna have bath & call it a night. Call u 2morrow?

  Almost immediately, a reply comes through.

  Craig: She was shocked I think. Will think of you in the bath ;) Night, Night Pingu x

  There he goes with the Pingu thing again. I must ask him what that’s all about. I hate nicknames.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  The rest of the week flies by in a bit of a blur. Craig and I text each other frequently and we’ve even had a few flirty phone conversations, but I haven’t seen him since Monday night. I find myself really missing him, and I’m becoming increasingly frustrated that I don’t know when I’ll get to see him again. During our brief conversations, he’s hinted about going out again, but hasn’t suggested anything definite, so I’m taking my lead from him and waiting until he asks… if he asks.

  So here I am, Saturday lunchtime, sitting alone in my living room. Becki sent me a text a short while ago to say all her stuff is on the van so she’ll be over soon. The spare bedroom is all ready for her, and I’ve made space in the bathroom for all her products. I swear Becki could rival any Chemist’s when it comes to make-up, lotions and ointments. God only knows what else she has for her day to day beauty regime.

  It’s going to be strange sharing my space with another female. I didn’t have a sister, and lived alone at university. Although mum and I were close, we were never the type to really sit down and chat about anything and everything. Having Becki here is going to be an experience, but one I’m really excited about. She’s always up for a laugh and a joke and never takes life too seriously. I’m hoping her carefree ways will encourage me to open up and find the new me.

  As the Intercom buzzes, my phone starts ringing at the same time. I grab it from the table in the hallway and, without checking the display, answer it as I press the entrance button to let Becki in.

  “Amber? What’s the matter? You sound strange?” Shit, it’s David. Why did I not check the display properly before answering? I’ve been trying to ignore his calls all week.

  “I’m fine, David, just a little distracted. Becki’s moving in today, and they’ve just arrived with her stuff. What do you want?” I don’t try and mask my irritation and impatience with him.

  “Becki’s moving in with you? I thought she had her own place?” He asks confused.

  “She did and now she doesn’t, so she needed somewhere. I needed a roommate, so this works out perfectly. Why are you calling?” I ask again.

  “I’ve been trying to phone you all week. Why didn’t you return any of my calls or texts?” Because I have absolutely nothing to say to you, I think to myself.

  “I’ve been busy,” I lie. “David, I haven’t got time for this right now. Get to the point please.”

  “Well, in case you care at all, I’m all settled in my new place.” Crap, I totally forgot he was moving too. I guess I had other things, or rather other people, occupying my thoughts this week. “The house sale all went through smoothly, so you should get your share once the solicitors have done what they need to do.” This I already know from my solicitor, so why’s he bothering me with this shit? “When sorting out the last of the stuff, I found some of your bits that you left behind. I was hoping I could bring them round for you?”

  “David, look. Now is really not a good time. Perhaps we can meet up during the week-,” I trail off as I turn round and lock gazes with the very person that has been occupying all my thoughts this last week. A huge smile breaks out across my face, showing just how happy and surprised I am to see him here. Craig, on the other hand, is standing there, eyes blazing, his lips curled and arms crossed over his chest.

  “David, I’ve got to go. Becki has just arrived. I’ll call you back.” I end the call before David can reply. Why is Craig looking so angry? What’s happened?

  “Hi,” I croak nervously.

  “Who is David?” Craig asks brusquely, and my eyebrows shoot up into my hairline. “Are you already seeing someone, Amber? Because I can tell you right here, right now that I don’t share. If you already have a boyfriend, just tell me, so I don’t waste my time.” I’m totally stunned by his sudden outburst and just stand there staring at him, blinking rapidly.

  The door opens again, and Becki walks in with Scott behind her, both carrying boxes. Becki takes a look at me, then at Craig and back to me again before putting her box on the ground.

  “Is there a problem here?” She asks and looks back at Craig again with narrowed eyes.

  I can’t have Becki jumping to conclusions and making things even more awkward. I’ll have to pacify her and try to find time with Craig to explain about David. I plaster the smile back on my face and skip over to her for a welcome home hug. “Nope, everything’s fine. Welcome to your new home, roomie.” I peer over her shoulder to look at Scott who is also looking between Craig and me with a curious expression on his face. “Hi, Scott. Did you manage to get all her stuff in the van?”

  “Yeah, I guess this is the beauty of furnished places. You don’t have as much shit to ship around. I’m just gonna head back down for another box. Are you coming to help, Bec?” She’s about to say something to him when he looks at her with a ‘you better come or else’ look and tugs on her arm, pulling her through the front door.

  “Okaaay. Well that was awkward,” I mutter under my breath and step over to the box Becki left in the middle of the floor. As I bend forward to pick it up, Craig grabs my wrist and turns me to face him.

  “So... David? Who is he?” He asks in a calmer voice.

  Sighing, I turn to face him fully and place my free hand on his chest. “David is my ex. He was phoning to tell me the sale of our house went through and that he has a few bits of mine that I left behind. He wants to bring them round.”

  Craig closes his eyes and tilts his head back for a moment, taking a deep breath in and releasing it slowly. When he looks forward again, I see relief shining in his eyes.

  “Amber, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to go off at you like that. When I heard you talking to another guy, I just lost it. I jumped to the wrong conclusion, I’m so sorry.” He lets go of my wrist, and puts his hands on my hips, pulling me in close to him. Then with perfect gentleness he presses his lips against my forehead.

  We’re still standing like that when Becki and Scott walk back in.

  “I bloody knew it!” Becki
screams, startling us apart. “Ambs, you told me nothing was going on between you too. Why did you lie? What’s going on?”

  The hurt in her tone makes me feel guilty, and the embarrassment of being caught causes heat floods my cheeks. I drop my head, looking toward the ground, not able to look Becki in the eyes. “I didn’t lie exactly, Bec,” I say feebly. “I just omitted to tell you something.”

  “And that is?”

  “That we kissed.”

  She throws the box she’s holding to the ground, and I really hope that there was nothing fragile in it.

  “That’s all? That’s bloody all? Amber, I asked you about him. I warned you about him,” she shrieks and starts pacing the living room. “He’s no good for you, Amber. He’s a player, he’ll hurt you, and he’s-”

  “Becki!” both Scott and Craig shout at the same time.

  “Whatever the fuck is going on between them is up to them, and you should stay out of it. It has nothing to do with you,” Scott berates her.

  “You have a problem with me, Becki?” Craig asks, looking her square in the eyes.

  With a grateful smile, I look over to Scott and mouth, “Thank you.” He nods with a small smile and a roll of his eyes in Becki’s direction, and then places his box on the floor.

  Becki glares back at Craig. “You bet I have a problem with you, if you think you're going to use and abuse my best mate like all those other tramps you’ve been with,” she says in an eerily calm voice and continues glaring at him.

  “Craig, man, you gonna come and help me bring her stuff up?” I peer over to Scott, again grateful that he’s trying to diffuse the suddenly tense atmosphere. As their footsteps fade away out onto the landing, I hear Scott asking Craig what he’s doing. Why is the two of us being together such an issue? We’re both consenting adults and both single, so why shouldn’t we spend time together if that is what we both want?