by S. E. Law
I put my phone down and take my hand out of my pants. Before I get back to editing, I’ve got to go clean myself up. I’m actually due for a break right about now anyway. I check the clock; I’ve been squirreled away in my office for almost five hours. I need to stretch and probably make myself lunch.
I go to the bathroom and take off my sweatpants, tossing them in the hamper. After getting myself cleaned up, I put on fresh clothes and head to my kitchen.
As I sit eating the salad I made, I get a notification on my phone. Checking it, I see it’s a text from Tammy.
Sorry for hanging up like that. Just need to be more careful about doing things like that when I’m home. We might just have to stick to texting when I’m in the house…
I hold my hand over my mouth, suppressing laughter. For who, I don’t know, but Tammy can be quite ridiculous sometimes. In the most delightful way, but ridiculous nonetheless.
Maybe I should do something else to surprise her. Potting Beauties was a stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. I didn’t even know she used to do ceramics. My mind just went to that because I knew flowers needed to be in vases, so I thought it made sense. I was originally going to make her a vase, but it quickly became apparent that I did not have the necessary skills to do that. I barely got the bowl made.
Tammy, though, she was a pro. She was being modest about her skills, but it’s clear she knows her way around a pottery wheel. I should definitely take her there again. And I liked it a lot more than I thought I would.
But our second date should be somewhere different. Maybe I should take her somewhere that shows her something about me. She still seems somewhat apprehensive around me, but I can’t blame her. The way this whole affair kicked off, she has every right to be somewhat wary. I just hope that her nerves dissipate at some point. I don’t want to have a relationship where my partner fears me to some degree.
“Ugh, I’m not used to this…” We just had our first date, and I’m already worrying about the second. I guess this is what it means to like a girl.
My phone rings again, taking me out of my impromptu thought spiral. I wonder if it’s Tammy again. She did just say we should stick to texting, but maybe she got out of the house.
“Hello?”
“Brick! I see our ‘freelancer’ is getting some work done.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I just got an email that there have been some recent edits to the action project.” Right. I forgot that Robert and I get alerts regarding edits. I muted mine for the day because I knew I was the one making the changes.
“Yeah, I thought I’d pitch in and see if we can cut down on that two-week delay. I got a few too many angry emails regarding this project. People are not happy.”
It’s a highly anticipated release. We were able to get some real A-listers and an up-and-coming director. The reason time is so of the essence is because we want to get it finished in time for this year’s award season. We gave ourselves a good leeway, but that doesn’t mean delays aren’t alarming nonetheless.
“Anyone who is giving you a hard time can eat shit. We’ve always delivered, and it’s not like that’s about to change. Especially if you’re throwing your skills in the ring. Yeah, it sucks that we’re running late, but shit happens. Especially in a business like ours, and if they can’t handle that, then maybe they need to work in a different industry.”
Robert is only partially incensed on my behalf. He also is very passionate about people being inflexible when working in the movie business. With a job like ours, oftentimes anything that can go wrong will go wrong. It’s our job to best prepare for any outcome, but we also need to realize that we can’t actually prepare for everything.
“It’s really not that big of a deal. Plus, I’m not that bothered.”
“Really? The Brick I know would never let something like this go so easily.”
“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think,” I grumble.
“It’s that girl, isn’t it? She’s got you in a bunch of good moods and shit. I’ve noticed it in the office as well. You have a pep in your step recently.”
“I’m not peppy.” He’s making me all grumpy, and I was in such a good mood earlier. I’m not really that grumpy normally, more mildly annoyed.
But since he’s here, I might as well ask him a quick question.
“Hey, Robert. Is there somewhere I could take a date that would give her an idea of who I am?”
“You’re coming to me for date ideas? Oh my goodness! I am honored. I’ll have to mark this day down in my calendar so that we can celebrate it every year. It’ll be birthdays, wedding/dating anniversaries, and this.”
“Can you just answer the question before I decide I no longer want to be your friend?”
“Okay, okay. I don’t know. Maybe a film set? Or rent out a theater and have it play one of those films you like. Impress her with your wide breadth of knowledge regarding cinema. Buy her all of the big snacks.”
Robert is being a bit silly, but he does have a point. I could show Tammy my favorite films, maybe do a marathon or something.
“Thanks for the ideas. I’m going to hang up now because I don’t need this conversation to go on longer than necessary.” Robert protests, but I end the call anyway. That man can ramble. It’s how we connected. I was his taxi driver one day, and he just kept talking and talking until we landed on the topic of movies, and I managed to impress him enough that he wanted to get into business with me. Slightly unconventional, but look where we are today. Robert’s quirks have gotten him far in life.
And today, he helped me think of a second date idea for Tammy. I’m going to need to make a few calls to see if I can get this all squared away for next weekend. It’s going to be a bit of a big production, but I have to make sure not to talk to anyone who would leak this stuff back to George.
That shouldn’t be too hard, though. The downside is that I’m going to have to take her far away again. Potting Beauties was fun, but driving an hour each way for the date was a bit annoying. It did give Tammy and me the chance to talk and get to know one another, but we could have done that at a much closer ceramics studio.
But that’s not a problem I can easily rectify right now, so I’ll just focus on planning our second date. After that, maybe the two of us can talk about how to go forward on a local level. But I’d drive hours to see her, so it’s definitely something I can deal with for now.
But this date is going to be epic. I’m going to woo the pants off of her once again.
15
Tammy
Brick called and asked me to go on another date with him. Once again, he’s keeping it well under wraps. The one thing he did tell me was that it was going to be an overnight, so I should pack accordingly. I decided that it would be easier to just go to Mamie’s this time. I’m going to tell my parents that I am spending the weekend with her, but I’ll just be there on Friday night, which is tonight, and then Brick and I will do whatever it is he wants to do on Saturday night and Sunday.
I walk into the living room to say goodbye to my mom, holding my overnight bag. Dad’s still at work, so Mom will let him know I’ve left.
“Mom, I’m heading over to Mamie’s now.” My mom gets up from the couch to hug me goodbye.
“Oh, have a good time, sweetie,” my mom says, patting my back. “Tell Mamie we say hi.”
“I will, Mom. I promise.”
“Oh! I don’t want to forget. Wait right here.” She leaves me standing and goes off to the kitchen. She comes back with a plastic-wrapped plate of cookies. “I made these for you two to share on your sleepover. You girls need to have a good time. You’re always working so hard.”
I take the plate, getting a whiff of chocolatey goodness. My mother, not to exaggerate or even sound biased, is one of the best bakers in the world. Whenever she bakes something in that oven, I know that it is going to be absolutely delicious.
“Thanks so much. Mamie is going to love these. We are
going to eat every last crumb off this plate. I have to get going, or I’m going to be late. Mamie is expecting me soon.”
“Okay, okay. Get going and have a fun time. Bye, honey.”
I leave the house and climb into my car. Once I’m inside, I dial my best friend immediately, putting her on my car’s speaker.
“Tammy! Are you here?”
“Not yet, but I’m on my way! I can’t wait to spend tonight with you!”
“Yes! We’re going to eat ice cream, watch rom coms, and talk about boys. It’ll be epic!” That sounds like the perfect night. I’m so happy Mamie agreed to let me stay over. An entire weekend would be nice as well, but one day with my best friend and the other with the guy I’m seeing is just right for me.
“My mom also baked us some cookies, so I hope you have all of the milk we’ll need for dunking.”
“Oh, you bet your sweet ass I do. I also got your favorite flavor of ice cream and my favorite, so we’ll both have our own cartons to eat out of. I’ve done a bit of planning, if I do say so myself.”
“Perfect!” I giggle. “I should be there in half an hour. Get ready for an epic best friend sleepover.”
“See you soon, babe!” Mamie hangs up, and I turn on the radio for my drive.
It has been a while since Mamie and I have hung out. I got so wrapped up in getting my audition tape done that I didn’t hang out with anyone really. And then Brick came along. I can’t wait to have gal talk and just be around her.
I start singing along to the song that’s playing; I’m in such a joyful mood. I’m so excited for this weekend!
I pull into the parking lot to Mamie’s apartment complex and find the closest parking spot to her building that I can. Then I grab my bag before heading inside. She buzzes me up, and when I get to her floor, Mamie is waiting for me, standing in the doorway.
“Tammy, baby! You made it!” she yells so loudly, I’m sure her neighbors are a bit annoyed. But I don’t care because I’m about to spend an amazing night with my best friend.
She rushes out and draws me into a huge hug, almost squeezing the life out of me.
“Mamie, you’re going to choke me out,” I strain. That doesn’t stop her; instead, she hugs me even tighter.
“If I kill you with my hug, then that would be a great way to go, babe,” she comments. She doesn’t let go of me, keeping us in the hallway for a while. I start to wonder if this is her entire plan for the night.
“Don’t you want to go inside?” I ask. Mamie nods, her cheek rubbing against mine. Instead of letting me go, she starts moving backward toward her door, taking me with her. I shake my head, sighing, but just go along with it. We do a weird little waddle into her apartment, and I close the door behind me with my foot.
Once we’re inside, Mamie lets go of me, reaching for the cookie plate.
“Are these your mom’s famous chocolate chip cookies?” she asks while inhaling deeply.
“They are,” I tell her.
“Ugh, your mother is a true godsend. Sometimes I wonder how such a generous woman could exist in a world as cold as ours.” Mamie rips open the plastic wrap, snatching the cookie on top. She bites into it, moaning as the cookie touches her taste buds. “I wish I could eat these every day. I would give away my first-born child if I could eat these every day.”
“Speaking of your first-born child, did the whole plan B thing go okay?”
“Yes, it did,” Mamie snorts.
She places the cookie plate down on the floor and then takes my overnight bag. She walks it over to her bedroom before sitting on the couch and motioning for me to join her.
“It was super easy to get – OTC like you said. The pharmacist gave me this whole speech about how it works and what to do. I already knew most of what he was saying, but I listened because I was in a crisis, and there really wasn’t any reason to be sassy. He was just trying to be a nice person. But yeah, I got the pills, took them as instructed, and I am very much not pregnant. Super happy about that. I did not want to be having that man’s baby.” I remember Mamie was distressed about having his baby. Looking back, I can see the humor in it, but in the moment, there was just stress.
“So I’m guessing things with Coby didn’t work out.”
“God, no. Like I said, I tried with him. I really did. He’s a sweet guy. Such a sweet guy. But we just weren’t clicking. And he can be so dumb sometimes. Well-meaning, but dumb. We’re going to try to be friends, which means no more sex. He was fun to sleep with, though. So I think I’m going to miss that.”
“That’s too bad, but I’m happy you’re happy.”
“I know you are, but forget about me, girl. I need to hear all about this secret boyfriend of yours. I want to know everything. His hair color, his eye color, the type of car he drives, his salary. Is he rich? It sounds like he might be rich. Really rich, filthy rich.”
I start giggling at Mamie’s ridiculous facial expression. She looks ready to hear everything I have to say.
“I promise I’m going to tell you about him, but I really need to go to the bathroom first. I drank a little too much water on my way here.”
“Fine, go pee, but don’t dilly-dally. Know that I am waiting here in great anticipation, and if you take too long, this whole plate of cookies will be gone, and I will not be sorry.” With that, she leans back on the couch, the cookie plate resting in her lap.
I know what she’s saying isn’t an empty threat, and I would very much like to get at least one cookie, so I make quick work of going to the bathroom.
While washing my hands, I think about how just a couple of weeks ago, I was in such a different place in my life. Yeah, everything that has happened was unexpected, but all of it has been super welcome.
This has been the best time of my life.
I walk back to the living room and find Mamie in the same spot on the couch, this time with the TV on. She’s turned on some reality TV show, and about one-third of the cookies are gone. She turns in my direction as I come out of the bathroom.
“Tammy! Come sit down! I know you don’t like these shows, but I thought it could just be on in the background.”
I take the seat next to her, and she snuggles against me. I take a cookie from the plate, biting into its softness. It basically melts in my mouth.
“So tell me about your man,” Mamie pouts, placing her face on my shoulder.
“What do you want to know first?”
“His name would be nice.”
I’ve been keeping it from her all this time because Brick and I have been keeping our whole relationship a secret. But she’s probably going to see him tomorrow, so it’s all going to be out in the open regardless. It’s just a matter of when I want to divulge the secret.
Now is as good a time as any at this point.
“His name is Brick.”
“Brick?” Mamie lifts her head, her face scrunching up a bit. “That name sounds so familiar. Where have I heard it before?” She takes a moment to think, and then realization comes across her face. “Like that guy your dad works for? His name is Brick, right?”
“It is.”
“So weird that the guy you’re dating has the same name as your dad’s boss, given it’s not a common name,” Mamie observes. She hasn’t put two and two together yet.
“Yeah,” I nod. I’m going to let it stew and see if she connects the dots. I can feel my face heating up, which Mamie will see in a second. It shouldn’t take her long to figure it out then. Who knew telling someone would be so daunting? Even if it is my best friend. I don’t feel bad about dating Brick. It’s just odd actually saying all of this out loud.
“Holy shit!” Realization passes over Mamie’s face. She’s got it. “You’re fucking your dad’s boss! Oh my God, that’s amazing. That’s fucking amazing, babe! I am so proud of you.”
“It’s really not a big deal.”
“Oh, come on, Tammy.” It’s clear that Mamie can see right through any act I put on. She’s always able to tell when I�
�m lying. “Why would you guys be sneaking around, keeping all of this a secret, if it wasn’t a big deal? Also, even if the two of you were singing your relationship from the top of the hills, it would still be a big deal because I can tell that you really like this guy.”
I stay quiet for a bit, thinking about what Mamie just said. Everything she’s said is true; I’ve just been too chicken shit to admit it to myself.
“Yeah, I do like him a lot. He makes me feel beautiful, and we have fun together, and he makes my heart race.”
“Ugh! Yes! That’s the kind of stuff I like to hear.” Mamie has moved the plate from her lap since she’s gotten all excited. Thank goodness she did because she is wiggling all over the couch. “Okay, okay. So, tomorrow. Do you have any idea what you guys are going to be doing tomorrow? Is it a big romantic date? Are you going apple picking? Probably not because it’s not the season for that. Maybe skinny dipping? A picnic and skinny dipping to add that romance factor?” Mamie keeps on listing ideas that make no sense.
I let her ramble on because it’s amusing, but I have no idea where Brick is taking me tomorrow. Just like our last date, he’s keeping this one a big secret.
“So, did any of those get anywhere close to your plans for tomorrow?” my friend asks.
“I have no idea. Brick didn’t tell me what we’re doing. Just that I should wear something comfortable.” I made him give me a dress code this time. While getting naked and doing pottery was fun – and I would definitely do it with him again – I don’t want to have another outfit snafu in case a second one isn’t as easily rectified.
“A man of mystery, I see.”
“Yeah, I guess he can be a little mysterious.” I wouldn’t say he does it on purpose, though. I mean, Brick has told me so much about his life, but there’s still this aura around him that feels hidden. Maybe it’s because he keeps his emotions close to his chest. True, I haven’t known him for very long – outside of him being my dad’s boss – but something about the two of us feels close and intimate.