Chapter Three
I'd just gotten into my pajamas and settled in on the couch. The TV was on in the background and I had my laptop sitting across my lap. Because I'd promised him, I had my browser open to one of the more popular dating sites. I perused some of the online profiles, wanting to at least get the lay of the land before I took the plunge – if I took the plunge. I was still a little undecided. If nothing else, I figured I could just tell Pete that I hadn't had any bites if he asked – which he probably would.
There were thousands of people out there looking for love. Millions, maybe. But I didn't really think I'd have anything in common with any of them. I'd always felt different from other people. Like an outsider. I'd never felt like I belonged anywhere. It had been that way since I was a kid.
So yeah, how was I supposed to suddenly make it in the dating scene feeling like that?
Feeling self-conscious, I closed my laptop and giggled to myself as I set my laptop on the coffee table. I'd deal with it later. Right then, all I wanted was to dig into my sub and indulge in some mindless television. I pulled up Netflix, called up the show I was currently binging on and set it to play.
The aroma of the sub was saturating the air around me and made me realize how hungry I was. I threw a blanket over my feet, set my plate in my lap, popped a cheese puff into my mouth and crunched away happily as my show started.
Then my phone rang.
I looked at the phone, resisting the urge to throw it across the room – or you know, just turn it off for the night. Nonetheless when I looked at the caller ID, I saw that it was Piper, my best friend. I loved Piper, but the last thing I wanted in that moment was some long drawn out conversation about her love life – she and her boyfriend had been on-again/off-again for a couple of years now. It seemed like every other week, Brad had done some terrible thing – which, to be fair, he usually had.
Why Piper didn't just dump him and move on to somebody who would treat her right was beyond me. Though, she certainly wasn't in a place where she could hear advice like that. No, she loved him – or the sex was really just that mind-blowingly good like she said – so she let him hang around, mistreating and generally, being a sexist ass to her.
I hated the guy. Thought he was all wrong for her in every conceivable way. But, I had to remind myself that it wasn't my life, my relationship, and Piper was my friend. All I could do was be there for her.
Even if that meant putting off that mind-blowingly good sub I'd been so looking forward to.
With a sigh, I set my plate down and picked up my phone, connecting the call and holding it to my ear.
“Hey, Piper,” I said.
“Did you make sure to wipe the Cheeto dust off your hand before answering your phone?”
I giggled. “Shut up.”
I looked at my hand and saw that in fact, I had not. Greasy cheese stuff was smeared all over the phone. I just shook my head. I'd clean it up later.
“Oh please,” she teased. “Tell me you're not sitting there watching Game of Thrones, eating Pete's meatball sub and cheese puffs. Tell me. I dare ya.”
“What if I told you that wasn't true?” I asked. “Maybe I have a guy over.”
“Right, honey, I know you,” Piper said. “It's Friday night and I know the only meat you've got in your mouth is in that sandwich Pete made.”
I giggled in spite of myself. Piper could be crude at times, but she was the funniest person I knew. The trouble with having friends was that they knew you too well sometimes. They knew your habits, your quirks, and yeah, your usual routines.
“So, did you call just to harass me?” I asked.
“Actually, no. That's just a nifty benefit,” she said. “I called to tell you to put down the sub and get dressed – we're going out.”
“Piper, hon,” I said. “I just got home, it's been a long day –”
“Yeah, and you're looking forward to getting yourself off watching Jon Snow,” she said. “I get it. But you can do that tomorrow. Tonight, we're celebrating.”
“Oh yeah? And what are we celebrating?”
“We are celebrating the rumor I heard that I am going to make junior partner in my firm,” she almost squealed. “Can you believe it?”
“Wow, Piper – congratulations,” I said. “That's really amazing and awesome. I'm so proud of you.”
“Thanks, hon,” she said. “So, let's go out, get tanked, and find us some men to help us commemorate this night the right way.”
“Uh oh, you and Brad having trouble again?” I asked.
She sighed. “Let's not talk about him tonight,” she said. “Tonight's all about fun and indulging our hedonistic tendencies.”
“Yeah, I'm not really sure I have any of those.”
She giggled. “Oh, they're in there,” she said. “We just need to find a way to let 'em out.”
“I don't know, Pip,” I said, using my nickname for her. “I just –”
“Oh, come on, Astrid,” she said, a pouting tone in her voice. “I rarely bug you to come out with me. I know you prefer being a hermit. But this is an important day for me. And there is nobody I'd rather celebrate it with than my very best friend in the whole, wide world.”
Oh, she knew how to shoot straight for the heart. As a lawyer, Piper was tasked with playing on the emotions of the jury members to achieve the best result for her client. And she was very, very good at her job.
I sighed. “Okay. I just don't want to be out all night.”
“You're such a shut in,” she said. “I worry about you, hon. We're going to have fun tonight. I'll be by in an hour to dress you.”
“Dress me?”
“Oh yeah,” she said. “You're so not wearing jeans and a frumpy old sweater tonight.”
“Hey, my sweaters aren't frumpy.”
“Don't eat that sub. We're going to a place for dinner. See you soon,” she said and disconnected the call before I could say anything else.
I sighed and looked at my sub longingly. All I wanted was to curl up on my couch, stuff my face with that amazing delicacy, and spend the rest of the night watching – well – Jon Snow. Yeah, she'd been right about that. She knew me too well.
Well, if she wasn't going to be there for an hour, I had a little time yet. So, I made a compromise with myself. I would eat half the sub – and all the cheese puffs, of course – and watched my forty-five-minute program. That would still leave me enough time to grab a quick shower before Piper even got there – especially since she was usually running ten to fifteen minutes late anyway.
I wasn't looking forward to the evening, but I had to support my friend. So, I figured I'd suck it up and deal with going out for just one night.