“Go listen to them, try not to get frustrated. I know your brain runs a thousand miles an hour. Try to sit with them and figure out what’s wrong.”
“I hate troubleshooting. I’d give Brian ten thousand dollars to go listen to them just so I didn’t have to. Sitting still isn’t my scene if you haven’t noticed.”
“You can pace if you have to, but don’t interrupt,” she said affectionately.
“Fine. I’ll try it. But if it fails, you have to sing me some Timberlake.”
“I know all the words, don’t worry.”
“I’ll try not to,” he said.
When they hung up, she felt lighter, happier after talking to him. She still knew she needed to proceed with caution, not be quite to eager to throw herself at him heart and soul, but he made her smile. She cursed herself for being dramatic, indecisive and generally...being herself. But she poured a glass of wine and looked at a magazine, more relaxed than she’d been in weeks.
Days followed of messaging, of short phone calls and Snapchats. Britt kept carefully out of suggestive territory, unwilling to fall back into phone sex with her long distance—whatever Jack was to her. He wasn’t her lover because he wasn’t in town for a hook up. He wasn’t her boyfriend because they had only been on one legitimate date. He wasn’t just her friend because she didn’t have sex with her friends. She sighed, there was no defining this thing between them and she was a woman who liked clear boundaries.
Chapter 4
Britt and Marj met for coffee, as they always did on Thursdays after work. Today, though, Marj had a surprise in store for her friend. They had just settled down with their lattes and a huge carrot muffin to share when Marj suggested they go out.
“We are out,” Britt protested.
“I mean tonight. Out-out. Where people go after it gets dark. Listen, you were down for a while but I think maybe Mr. Margarita from your hookup did a little sexual healing and you’re back to your old self. No more moping. You’re ready to move on from Dull Kevin. So we’re going out. To have a drink and some fun and maybe pick up a guy.”
Britt shifted in her chair uncomfortably. She didn’t want to tell her best friend that she was seeing Phillip Fitzsimmons, COO’s son, Jack. She also didn’t want to go out and pick up guys with her clueless bestie. Sighing, she decided to plead infirmity.
“I would but I have cramps. I just want to go home and lay on the heating pad and watch Supernatural.”
“Babe, you had your period last week. Do you have hormone problems or what? If you really have cramps you need to make a gyno appointment. If you don’t then you need to quit lying to your best friend who only wants you to be happy!”
“I just had PMS last week. This is the real deal.” She insisted desperately. “In fact, I need a cookie. I’m going up there to buy a cookie. I can’t resist these carb cravings I get when I’m on my period!” she added.
“Really? Bring me one. Oatmeal raisin, not that white chocolate macadamia crap.”
“Okay, I will.” Britt stood in line and waited to pay for her cookies. She tried self-consciously to stand in such a way as to appear uncomfortable or like she had the cramps. She pressed a hand to her lower back ostentatiously and groaned. Marj looked like she was trying to suppress a giggle.
“Here’s your cookie,” Britt said, affecting a pained expression as she sat back down at their table.
“You’re going tonight. Put on the blue dress. You pulled a hot one the last time you wore it, so it’s good luck.”
“I was wearing that when Kevin dumped me!”
“He’s the past,” Marj said. “So dress up and try to have a good time. The worst thing that happens is you drink a couple of cocktails that some boring guy paid for and then
you go home alone. You can’t argue with my logic, girl.”
“Yeah, I can. I don’t want a guy right now. I need to....have closure.” She attempted to look solemn as well as crampy.
“Eat your cookie. Go shave your legs and dress up. I’m picking you up in two hours. That’s time to get pretty, not time to eat ramen and watch HGTV in your yoga pants.”
“I don’t do yoga.”
“I know that. And so do your stretchy pants.”
“You suck.”
“No, I’m awesome. I’m taking you out tonight and you’re going to get your mojo back.”
“I never had mojo. That or yoga.”