by Jaz Johnson
Maverick hung up the phone and held it up above his face, staring at the lit screen. With a smile, he exhaled and dropped his hand into his lap, along with his phone. He kicked his bare feet up in the air and flailed about on his bed for a moment, before settling back down.
“I can’t believe it,” he said to himself as he combed his fingers through his chestnut locks that were sprawled out against his pillow. His hand stayed there as he heard the familiar voice of his friend come from his doorway.
“This is what you paused the game for? This is just sad, bro,” Jared groaned, shaking his head with folded arms. Maverick sprang up to sit upright on his bed.
“How long were you standing there?”
“Too long. Who’s this Saphora chick?”
“She’s not a chick, she’s a woman,” Maverick corrected. Jared rolled his eyes and uncrossed his arms.
“Oh my god. Please don’t tell me you’re in love,” he groaned, coming into the room. Maverick scoffed, watching as his friend took a seat at his desk.
“I wouldn’t tell you even if I was.”
“So who is she?”
Maverick sighed, hesitating to answer. He knew that he would judge him for speaking to Saphora, because of how she entered the café. But before Maverick could say who Saphora was, Jared started laughing.
“Oh my god. Don’t tell me it really is that chick from Monday.”
Maverick’s brows pinched together.
“What do you mean, really is?”
“Liz told me the other day that you left work to go somewhere with that girl, but I didn’t believe her. But it really is, isn’t it?”
Maverick groaned. He should have figured that Liz would go blabbing about him leaving.
“Hey man, I’m not judging you or anything. But why the hell are you chasin’ after that? I mean, Liz is like,-“
“Throwing herself at everything with a penis? No thank you.”
“I hear she rolls with women, too,” Jared chuckled. Maverick rolled his eyes, shaking his head.
“No.”
“Well you may be eating those words. I heard you owe Liz a favor. That’s dangerous territory, man.” Maverick rolled his eyes again.
“I know that.”
“Geez, you really must be in to this girl if you agreed to owe Liz a favor.” Maverick nodded. “But what if Liz wants you to sleep with her for the favor?”
“What?” Maverick turned his head to look at Jared. “She wouldn’t ask me to do something like that.”
“Do you know who we’re talking about, here?”
Maverick grew silent. But he shook his head, grimacing.
“I wouldn’t do it even if she did.”
“But what about the favor?”
“Fuck the favor. I don’t care if I get fired for leaving. I’m not going to do that.”
Jared smiled.
“Damn,” Jared sighed with a smirk as he moved to rest his hand on his knee. “What the hell did this girl do to you in those few hours? You’re already so defensive,” Jared laughed. Maverick’s cheeks began to burn as he looked away. “So tomorrow, huh?”
“Yeah,” Maverick said, his mood immediately replenishing. Jared chuckled, nodding.
“Where to?”
“Yeah, like I’m going to tell you.”
“Why not?”
“You’re going to stalk us!”
Jared scoffed.
“Okay, my life is not that sad.”
“One could argue …” Maverick mumbled.
“Oh, right. Says the one going out with a crazy wo-“
“She’s not crazy. She was having a bad day.”
“Right. And is she still having bad days?”
Maverick paused, before standing up and groaning.
“You know what? Shut up, and let’s play,” he said walking out of his room. “Before I kick you out of my apartment.” Jared laughed and followed behind him.
“Whatever you say, lover boy.”