My phone rang. I debated answering, but when I saw Jake’s name on the caller ID, I picked up.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Let’s go get dinner. I want tacos,” my brother replied.
“So, go get some,” I shot back.
There was a guffaw. “No. You want some too.”
“Uh, I don’t think I do, Jake.”
“Come on; we’re going to dinner at Rico’s. I’m buying since you’re poor. We’ll celebrate your return to the real world, job and all,” he joked.
I wanted to automatically say no. I always said no or had some excuse for why I couldn’t go out. Oddly, I had a sudden realization that I actually wanted to go. I wanted to go out, eat some good food, and maybe even have a couple of drinks.
“Fine, what time?” I didn’t want to sound too excited. It was a macho thing.
My brother exaggerated a choking sound. “Seven. I have a late deposition.”
“I’ll meet you there,” I said.
There was silence, indicating Jake had hung up. I put the phone down, letting the decision wash over me.
I leaned my head against the couch, thinking about the progress I had made today. It seemed I had turned over the proverbial new leaf, and I was finally getting back out there. It felt good. It felt right. It was time. There were people like Tessa out there who I wanted to get to know better. She was a little young for me, but there had to be older Tessa’s out there. I wanted one.
Life could be good. It was all about embracing those good times. That’s what carried you through the bad. I needed to even the score a bit. There needed to be more good memories for me to fall back on. You never knew when tragedy would strike.
Chapter Six
Tessa
I was absolutely beat. I knew Tuesdays were going to be long, but I hadn’t been fully prepared for how exhausting it would be. This was only the first week, and I doubted my ability to keep up with the heavy class load. It had looked okay on paper, but after starting, it seemed a totally different story.
Pulling my phone out of my pack, I saw that Maria had texted me three times. My last class had gone long. I had a feeling that was going to be the norm. My Tuesdays were going to be two-a-day coffees. I would have to skip a coffee during the week to afford the extra five bucks. It would be worth it.
I decided to call instead of text so I could juggle everything. Talk to text always ended badly.
“Hi, I’m so sorry,” I said when Maria answered. “Class went long.”
“I thought you were standing me up.”
“No, I’m headed home now. Are you there?” I asked.
I could hear Maria chewing. “No, I’m already at Rico’s.”
I groaned. “You’re eating chips and salsa, aren’t you?”
Maria laughed. “Yep. I was too hungry to wait for you. Hurry up. I have a table on the patio.”
“I’m coming,” I told her, tossing my backpack into the car. “Give me fifteen minutes and don’t eat all the chips!” I scolded.
I made it home in record time, stripping off my school outfit as I walked through the small house. I decided to keep it simple and pulled on a black sundress that had pretty pink flowers all over. It was light and airy and felt good after a long, humid day. I quickly dabbed on fresh lip gloss, a little mascara and called it good. I left my hair loose and down. A scan of the shoe rack in my room led me to pull out a pair of black sandals.
A last glance in the full-length mirror and I called the five-minute transformation good enough for a dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. As I walked back through the living room towards the door, I made a conscious decision to keep my eyes forward. I didn’t want to look over and see Talia’s face staring at me. I needed a night off from the sadness.
I whipped into the parking lot of the restaurant and quickly found Maria at our table on the patio, sipping a lime margarita. I looked at the empty seat with a margarita already waiting and smiled.
“Thank you!” I said, pulling out the chair and sitting down. “You have no idea how much I needed this.”