Chapter 15: Lucy

 

 

I hung up the phone and stared at it.

Was he serious? What the hell had gotten into him?

Besides my tongue…

Thank god one of us was thinking straight. Chelsea must have screwed him up in the head more than I realized. Or he was finally starting to feel the effects of his repeated concussions. Regardless, he obviously needed me to humor him, and as long as I kept him at a distance so his crazy ideas didn’t go past joking, everything would be back to normal in no time.

Cause as much as he was a great kisser, I wanted my best friend back. Not this horny clown.

And to think I was going to apologize for running out on him like a freak! Just as well I did or he might’ve had to apologize for a whole lot more than getting a bit handsy.

I laid the phone on the counter and shook my head just as the door opened. I looked up in time to see Fiona stumbling in, looking a hot mess with her shoes in her hand.

“Oh god don’t judge me,” she said, dropping her shoes on the floor.

“I’m not.”

“Why are you making that face then?”

“Sorry, it’s not you.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing. How was your date?”

She walked over to the recliner and collapsed. “Which one?”

“Sorry?”

“Please bring me water oh my god.”

“Yeah, sure.” I grabbed a glass and filled it with tap water. “What do you mean which one?”

“Well, first we went to a movie. Then we went to a club. Then we went to a diner at, like, five am. Then we went to the beach for mimosas.”

“I see,” I said, handing her the glass of water. “So which was your favorite?”

She tilted the glass up to her mouth and leaned her head back, making big gulping noises. “I don’t know. It was a pretty beautiful sunrise.”

I slumped on the couch. “Who knew male nurses could party all night?”

“I know, right?!”

“So you’re pretty much done for the day?”

“Sooo done,” she said. “Might even call in sick tomorrow if my bestie can do my color client at eleven.”

I closed one eye and tried to remember what my schedule was like. “That’s probably fine.”

“Thank god,” she said. “I’ve been hoping you’d say that since my waffle feed earlier.”

I smiled. “I’m glad you had a good time.”

“Me, too.” Fiona closed her eyes for a second and sighed. “Oh god, I hope I don’t get a second wind when I’m ready to pass out.”

“Surely you’re way past your second wind.”

She shrugged without opening her eyes. “You’re right. I’ve lost count. So how was your night?”

I figured I’d just tell her cause she probably wouldn’t remember anyway.

“Aiden broke up with Chelsea.”

Her head popped up and she looked at me through bloodshot eyes. “Did you tell him-”

I shook my head. “No, I guess he figured it out himself. I’m not sure how. He was pretty drunk when he called me.”

“So did you go meet up with him?”

I nodded.

“Why are you making that face?”

“He kissed me, Fiona.”

“Fuck off.”

“I did.”

“What?”

“I did fuck off. Right after.”

She leaned forward and hung her head. “Wait what? More water. Then details.”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed her empty glass. She was mouthy when she was drunk, but she always obliged me when I was in a similar state.

“Alright,” she said, reaching for her refill. “Tell me everything.”

“So he called me from Firehouse and told me to-”

“Okay, I was lying. Please skip to the good parts. Time is of the essence here.”

“Right. So we were back at his place and he cut himself making nachos.”

“I’m not even going to ask.”

“I know. Anyway, I put a band aid on him, and a second later he was kissing me.”

She squealed and clapped her hands together. “And I thought my night was exciting!”

“It was exciting all right, perhaps more exciting than I wanted it to be.”

“What are you talking about? Haven’t you been waiting for this moment forever?”

“No.”

She cocked her head.

“I mean, sure, maybe there was a time back in the day when I really wanted something to happen, but I’m over it.”

“Really?”

“And I definitely never meant for it to happen like this.”

“Isn’t the important thing that it happened? That he realized what a babe you are?”

“He didn’t realize shit.” I put my feet up on the coffee table. “He was just drunk and horny.”

She laughed. “You sound like you’re complaining. Drunk-horny Aiden is my favorite.”

I rolled my eyes. “He was only trying to distract himself from the fact that his model girlfriend was cheating on him.”

“I don’t think he’d use you like that.”

I shrugged. “But you also didn’t think someone could cut themselves making nachos.”

Her whole face scrunched around her nose. “True.”

I sighed.

“So have you talked to him since?”

“Yeah, just before you got home.”

“Hence the face.”

I nodded.

“And was it weird?”

“I thought it might be,” I said. “But he just started hitting on me and inviting me into his bed.”

Her eyes grew wide.

“I think he was still drunk.”

“Or you left him wanting more?”

“Yeah, that’s it. After his last few relationships with cover girls, one little kiss from me converted him into liking broke, combat boot wearing hairstylists.”

“Say what you want, but I was confused for weeks after I kissed you that one time.”

I laughed. “That had nothing to do with me and everything to do with your wine diet.”

“So what now?”

“I told him to get Tinder and not contact me until he had a date with someone else.”

“Wow.”

“What?”

“I’m just surprised you aren’t more excited.”

“Why would I be excited?”

“Cause you’ve been crushing on this guy for donkey’s.”

“And every time I think something might happen, I end up feeling like shit when he moves on to the next bright shiny object like a goddamn goldfish.”

“But you’re the brightest, shiniest object around.”

“And you’re as shitfaced as you are full of shit.”

“I do feel pretty great right now.”

“The point is, we got a little carried away cause we were drunk, but I have no reason to think it meant anything, and I’m not about to jeopardize our friendship for something has no chance of lasting any longer than your waffle feed probably did.”

“It was a bit of a blur alright,” Fiona said, letting her head fall back.

My phone plinked on the table and I picked it up. “Speak of the devil.”

“What did he say?”

I opened the text and cleared my throat. “He said, I just liked a girl on Tinder. What do I say when she likes me back?” I read aloud as I typed, “She might not like you back. Just keep swiping and don’t get your hopes up.”

“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” Fiona asked.

“Not at all. He must’ve literally just downloaded it. I’m telling you, he’s excitable right now.”

My phone plinked a second later.

“Him again?” she asked.

“What did I tell you?” I asked, opening the message. “It says, I have a really good feeling about this one. Just tell me what to say when she likes me back.” I groaned.

Fiona smiled. “Why don’t you tell him to say he’s really rich and handsome and horny?”

“I guess he could say that and get away with it,” I said, feeling a weird twist in my gut.

“Or how about…” She squinted at the coffee table. “Just broke up with my cheating ex and wondering if you wanna be my rebound?”

I shook my head. “Absolutely not.”

“What are you going to say then?”

“I don’t know.”

“Tell him that cheesy lines never work,” she said. “He should keep it simple.”

“Like hi or something?”

“How about- hi, I’m good with my hands,” she said.

“We don’t know if that’s true.”

“Whose fault is that?” she asked, looking down her nose at me.

I forced the thought of his big hands out of my mind. “This is so strange,” I said, staring at the phone. “I can always come up with something to say. I don’t get why I’m having such a hard time giving him advice on this.”

Fiona planted her forearms down on the recliner like she was getting ready to stand up. “Maybe that’s because you don’t want him to meet someone else.”

I swallowed.

“Maybe you want to keep him all to yourself.”

“Don’t be stupid. That’s ridiculous.”

She rose to her feet and stared at me. “If you say so.”