- Gemma -
I turned my spare key in Jeanie’s front door and fell against it as it opened.
“You’re home early,” she said from the inside of her Wonder Woman Snuggie as her Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, jumped up onto the nearest arm of the couch, her tail wagging so fast I half expected her to take off like a helicopter.
“Very funny,” I said, dropping my purse inside the door. “What’s that glorious smell?” I stepped over and let Tinkerbell’s little pink tongue shower my hand in welcoming kisses.
“I made Pad Thai,” she said, sliding a bookmark in whatever she was reading. “There’s a plate for you in the microwave.”
“You’re the best,” I said, beelining over to start the timer. I stood watching the eerie glow in the dim kitchen for a moment, noticing for the first time all day that my feet were killing me. When the ding came, I slid the dish out carefully and carried it into the sitting room. “You know you’ll never get rid of me if you keep treating me to home-cooked meals.”
“I’m not trying to get rid of you,” she said. “You’re the one that’s in a hurry to move out.”
“That’s nice of you to say.” I stabbed a piece of golden chicken with my fork. “But I’m pretty sure I overstayed my welcome two months ago.”
“I sleep better knowing you’re safe,” she said, tucking her shiny black hair behind her ear.
“This is amazing,” I said, twisting my fork until it was loaded with fragrant noodles. “You have to tell me your secret.”
“It’s easy. All you have to do is indenture yourself to my grandma for an afternoon.”
“I thought she only spoke Thai?”
“Oh right. You should probably learn Thai first. You’ll get more out of the lesson that way.”
I rolled my eyes. “How was your day?”
“Absolutely mental,” she said. “We closed early so we could host a party for a bunch of six-year-olds.”
I smiled at the thought of a bunch of little girls swinging their legs on tall chairs, their tiny fingers fanned out and waiting to be painted. “How’d it go?”
“Great until the part where they were supposed to sit still and not touch anything while their nails dried,” she said, pulling her knees up so I’d have more room on the couch. “None of them were very good at that.”
“Shocker.”
“I’ve never seen so many crocodile tears.”
“Ah, to be young again,” I said, my eyes on my plate as I wished a smudged thumbnail were my biggest worry.
“Speaking of lizard-like predators, any word from Ray today?”
I shook my head. “Nothing except the message he left me this afternoon.”
Her face paled. “You’re kidding me.”
“I wish.”
“What did he say?”
“The usual. I stopped listening after ‘ungrateful slut.’”
“Jesus, Gemma. Did you save the message?”
“Of course. But the cops said unless he threatens to kill me, there’s not much they can do.”
“That’s bullshit,” she said, pulling Tinkerbell into her lap.
The little dog kept her attention on my plate, her eyes following every forkful I lifted to my lips.
“It’s time to change your number.”
“I know. It seems unfair, though, that I should have to change the number I’ve had since I was fourteen because he’s a psycho. As if I haven’t already been inconvenienced enough with this whole homeless phase.”
“You’re not homeless,” she said. “You can stay here as long as you want.”
“I know, but it feels like I’m hiding, ya know? Instead of moving on.”
“You want to look at places? I told you I’d go with you as soon as you’re ready.”
“I’m ready all right,” I said, scooping up some peanuts with my fork. “It’s my schedule that isn’t. Unless you know of any open houses taking place after ten p.m.?”
“One of the girls at the salon is married to a real estate guy. Maybe I could call in a favor?”
“That’s not necessary. You’ve done more than enough.” My mind jumped back to the night I fled, my heart stopping at the memory of how my hands shook as I knocked on Jeanie’s door, the last words Ray said to me as I walked out ringing in my ears. You’ll be back, you fat fuck. “If anything, I’m the one that should be doing you favors.”
“I’m glad you feel that way because I finally figured out how you can get me back.”
I shoved another spoonful of salty, limey deliciousness in my mouth before raising my eyebrows.
“My little sister is holding her first tattoo party on Saturday.”
I swallowed. “Tattoo party?”
The expression on her face was enough to let me know she didn’t think it sounded like fun either. “It’s like a Tupperware party, but people get tattoos instead.”
“You’re not thinking of getting one, are you?”
“God, no. I’m happy with the ones I’ve got, and my sister can’t draw for shit.” She flipped Tinkerbell over and held her against her chest like a baby. “But I feel like I need to be supportive since she’s finally trying to make something of herself.”
“Right.”
“I could use the moral support, though. In fact, I was thinking we could turn it into a drinking game.”
“How would that work?”
“I haven’t gotten that far. Maybe we could take a swig of wine every time someone winces.”
“I’m not sure drinking games and tattoo parties are a good combo for me.” Not only was I a wimp about physical pain, but I wasn’t quite at my goal weight yet, so a tattoo was totally out of the question. “Plus I have plans Saturday.”
“Better plans than the one I just laid out?” she asked, her face full of feigned shock.
“Hard to believe, I know.” I used my fork to make sure I’d found all the chicken in the bowl and then set the last few bites of noodles on the coffee table to stop myself from eating on autopilot. Ray used to make jokes about how I was the queen of the Clean Plate Club, and I didn’t want to be the woman I was with him anymore. Not on the inside and certainly not on the outside.
“What are you doing?”
“Catching up with an old friend.”
Her almond-shaped eyes homed in on me. “What friend?”
“You don’t know him.”
“Impossible. I know all your old friends.”
“You know how I used to go to that camp in Michigan every summer ’cause my dad needed a break from me?”
“I’m sure that’s not why he sent you there.”
“Whatever. I’m not bitter about it. It couldn’t have been easy for him to be a single dad all those years.” I recalled the week he spent learning to French braid my hair using YouTube videos, how he cussed his way through it because he didn’t want me to feel like the girls with moms had anything I didn’t. How could I begrudge him a few weeks of beer and fishing and car shows knowing everything he sacrificed for me?
Her face furrowed. “Did he tell you that was the reason?”
“No, but kid’s intuition, ya know? Anyway, a boy I met there started working at the gym today.”
“Small world.”
“Not that he’s a boy anymore. Obviously.” I thought of the way Alex’s uniform pulled across his chest, the way his dark eyes followed me like I was a person of interest.
“I thought you weren’t going to date for a while?”
“It’s not a date. We’re just friends.” Sure, I might’ve longed to be more all those years ago, but I feared people would’ve made fun of him for dating a girl twice his size. Not that he even liked me like that. Or had he? There were moments when I wasn’t sure, moments when he looked at me and something shifted in the air. Like something big was about to happen.
“So a rebound fuck is out of the question? ’Cause that might be just what you need.”
“A rebound fuck is not what I need. Not from a coworker, anyway.” I sighed and stared down at Tinkerbell’s little pink nose glistening on my thigh where she’d rested her chin.
Of course, the truth was I’d thought about it. Not the rebound part, necessarily, but I’d thought about Alex in that way. I’d wondered what it would be like to brush against his imposing frame, to have his strong hand on my cheek, his warm lips on mine.
Maybe it wasn’t that far-fetched.
It had happened once, after all.
And there’d always been a strange tension between us. A chemistry that couldn’t be denied.
Or at least, I’d thought so.
Even today.
And for the first time in months, I found myself looking forward to tomorrow.