Brrr

As the week progressed, I couldn’t seem to pull myself from the funk I was in. 

The girls had been wonderful. I decided to give them the full story when I came back from my run. Rather than Chelsea pulling the whole “I told you so” routine, she just listened to what happened. When I was done telling them everything, she stood and hugged me.

“You are better than that bullshit, Alya. Someday soon the right guy will come along and you will realize that you weren’t thrown away – you escaped.” She hugged me again, grabbed her keys and left.

Tara and I looked at each other and shrugged. Maybe Chels was still mad over our incident and wanted to make sure she didn’t throw it in my face, and needed time alone. However, she was back in about half an hour, armed with a pizza, brownies, ice cream and wine. Have I ever mentioned how awesome my friends are?

I had pretty much talked myself out of going on the camping trip, and started giving vague answers to anything pertaining to the trip. When Tara realized I was thinking of staying home, she drew herself up to her full height, and went off in typical Tara fashion.

“Alya, you are coming on this trip. We are all your friends and Brandon will be nowhere near us. Come have fun with everyone. Don’t give him the satisfaction of being miserable. Even if he doesn’t know if you are home or out doesn’t matter. He’s not thinking about you, so you need to stop thinking about him.”

Ouch! But she did have a point. Finally I gave in and said I would go, but I wasn’t promising to have a good time. Everyone at work had basically ignored what had happened – I suspect Chelsea asked Gary and Stephen to spread the word. Aside from a few side hugs and fist bumps, it was like it never happened. Still, I avoided being alone with anyone for any long period of time, and I used the excuse of trying to get everything organized for the trip as a reason to leave as soon as the night ended on nights I closed. 

I did notice Liam looking at me a few times like he wanted to make sure I was ok, but I made sure I was super upbeat around him, and always busy.

By the time Friday morning came I was starting to feel normal and like I could actually enjoy myself this trip. I was so excited everyone was still coming. I hate when people cancel at the last minute. 

Everyone agreed to meet at our place around 8:30am. We wanted to get packed and on the road so we could get there early afternoon and have plenty of time to set everything up before it got dark. 

We were lucky that Ryan, Liam and Gary all drove SUV type vehicles so we were able to pack the tents and everything else we needed. 

James jumped in with Ryan as they are best friends and do everything together. I swear they are more like girls sometimes. Tara decided to jump in to catch up with her cousin and Shelli joined her so she wasn’t the only girl.

Before we could even decide how to split the rest of us up, Melissa yelled claim to driving with Liam, and made Kelsey get in as well. Stephen quickly followed as he has a bit of a crush on Kelsey.

That left Gary, Chelsea and I in the last one. 

We had decided to stay in the tents with the same people we drove with so that it was much easier to unload and find our own stuff at the site. This meant we ended up taking most of the food with us since we had a bit more room. I didn’t mind at all. This meant I could jump in the back seat and not need to make small talk the entire way.

By the time we arrived at our spot I was actually feeling pretty good and happy that I decided to come. We quickly went to work setting everything up – putting up the tents, getting some firewood, securing the food and our belongings. This was a kind of unique site. We were pretty isolated from anyone else, but we had power and it was a short drive to a convenience store/building that had some food, ice, general necessities, showers and laundry facilities. We pretty much had everything we needed but would make sure our ice was topped up to keep the food from going bad. Food poisoning in the middle of the woods would be horrific.

Once everything was set up, we were all sweating like crazy. It was so hot out and we couldn’t wait to take full advantage of the lake. For the most part we had all hung out before and were comfortable so no one was too self-conscious. However, it still was a mixed group so of course we had to wear cute swim suits. However when Melissa stepped out of the tent my jaw hit the ground. She had to be wearing the skimpiest bikini ever. It looked so ridiculous out in the middle of the woods. It must have had the desired effect though as the group of guys who had been yapping at each other and play fighting suddenly went silent. 

Melissa walked up to Liam and handed him her suntan lotion. “Liam, can you please cover my back?” she asked. Well more like she purred. She turned her back to him and pushed her ass out a bit.

Liam turned bright red but took the lotion. He didn’t really have much choice unless he wanted to cause a scene. Melissa started faintly moaning as he massaged the lotion in. 

Gary and Stephen looked at each other and then Stephen said, “Time to cool off I think!” He ran off towards the water, with the rest of the guys close behind. Apparently, they forgot that the summer had only just started and the water wasn’t as warm as they expected. Watching them yell and hop all around as they tried to get their bodies adjusted to the temperature was hilarious.

“You are all a bunch of babies!” Tara cried as she walked towards the water. She stopped short though when the water hit her feet. She turned back towards us girls and grimaced. Pretending like the coldness didn’t bother her she said, “I’d show you how to take it like a man if I didn’t have plans to work on my tan today!” 

“Oh, hell no!” Ryan roared. “James go drag her ass in here. Then we will see who the baby is.”

“Why me?” James asked Ryan, “She’s your cousin!”

“Exactly!!” Ryan replied. “I’m not risking touching her girlie parts when she tries to get away from me!!”

“Oh so you think it’s better if I touch those spots?” James smirked. Ryan stopped in his tracks and glared at James.

“Umm excuse me? No one is touching my parts besides me, thank you very much!” Tara exclaimed and turned to spread her towel out.

“For the love of God!” Gary grumbled. He quickly thundered out of the water and grabbed the tiny Tara under one arm, tossing her towel away from the water. Then with his other arm, he managed to also snag Shelli. Within in seconds, all three of them were submerged in the water. The screams coming from both the girls scared the rest of us, as we edged away from the water. Within seconds though, we were caught.

Soon Chels, Kelsey and I were all thrown in the water by James, Ryan and Stephen. That only left Melissa not in the water. She started freaking out and demanding we don’t get her wet. Something about how her bathing suit wasn’t made for the water….err umm what??

I think she secretly was expecting Liam to come chase her as he was the only guy who had yet to throw someone in. At first some of us started walking in towards shore like we were coming after her but she threw such a tantrum we let her be. 

Once we got adjusted to the temperature the water was quite refreshing in the hot sun. We played like kids, chasing each other, dunking people under and even pairing up with the girls on top of boys shoulders to try and knock the others down.

Every now and then Melissa would call out from where she was laying on her towel and say things like “You better not come after me!” or “Promise me you guys won’t throw me in”, so I pretty much confirmed she just wanted the attention. We pretty much ignored her and continued to act like children. It seemed like our throw back theme was already in action.

Finally we were all exhausted and we emerged from the water to lie on the towels we had spread about. As I looked around at my friends, stretched out with no cares, faces slightly red from the sun and hair all messy I couldn’t help but smile. I wish we would have thought to take a picture but I think the moment was captured forever in my mind.

Looking over at Tara, I  caught her eye and said, “I love you!”

“Uh…what do you want?” Tara asked back cautiously.

I laughed and tossed a pebble at her. “Nothing you dork! I’m just in a good place and wanted to tell you I loved you.”

“Aww!” She cooed and then jumped up and came over to my towel, bent down and hugged me.

I turned to my other side. “Chels, I love you too!” Ok I was feeling sappy now. Chelsea, ever so gracefully rolled over so she was now on my towel too and joined our group hug.

“Hey!! What about me?” Ryan hollered. “Save room for me!” 

He ran over and lay across us. Then suddenly everyone was jumping in, not wanting to be left out. I was getting a little squished being in the middle, but hey it was a nice feeling.

Melissa started complaining that we were getting her wet. Gary and Stephen looked at each other, and then they raised an eye in Kelsey’s direction. Kelsey gave a slight nod and lowered her head to hide her smile. 

The guys each grabbed an end of Melissa and within seconds she was flung into the water. I know girl code probably dictates I shouldn’t laugh but whatever. She deserved it, even if we were going to hear her whine for the rest of the night.

Scummy

Note: Sorry it took so long to post. I have trouble getting each post started. Once I get the intro done I'm usually ok. I will try to make the next post more interesting and faster moving )

 

By the time I made it home, I was exhausted. I felt like I had run through every emotion there was to have in the past few hours. I felt bad that I brushed all my friends and co-workers aside but I was trying to process this in my own head.

I spent all of Sunday alone. I never told the girls what happened, although I knew they would hear about it through everyone else. Even though I was tired, I got up early and put on my running gear and grabbed a hoodie and headed out. I don’t even remember where I went or what I saw. The whole time was spent trying to get out of my own head and away from the flashbacks. It didn’t seem to matter how hard I pushed myself, the last few weeks just kept replaying over and over.

I finally found myself in one of our local parks. There was a decent sized pond with a path around it, as well as benches. I collapsed one and prayed everyone would just leave me be, I was not in the mood to make small talk.

After staring at the ducks chasing each other around for an hour, my mind slowly started to work itself out. I wasn’t aware it was possible to feel so many emotions at once. I was hurting. This was the second time I had been dumped in such a short period of time. While the relationships were totally different in every way, I still felt discarded and like I wasn’t enough.

Anger was another emotion high on my list. I was so angry that Brandon ended up being such a dick. I was angry that he let that stupid bimbo and her friend mock me. I was angry that he knew that I wasn’t a slut or a fuck buddy, but yet that was how he treated me. I was angry with myself for letting myself be used by him. I was even angrier that being with Brandon brought out a side of me that was passionate, free, and vocal…and that I hadn’t even known existed.

Being angry about the side of me I didn’t know existed also brought along emotions of fear and sadness. What if no one will ever make me feel that uninhibited or sexy again? Was sex with anyone else going to seem boring and unfulfilling?

So many other points ran through my head. We slept with each other. Why was I promiscuous but he wasn’t? 

There was a little bit of pride. At least I stood up for myself and didn’t just slink away. Although, perhaps I could have been a little bit classier with my words. I cringed.

I was embarrassed…oh man. How was I going to face my co-workers, especially Gary and Liam? Not to mention Chelsea who had been warning me?

Also to add to the embarrassment side was the fact that every now and then I would let my mind wander, and let there be hope. Maybe that chick was some client who he had to keep happy. Perhaps his parents were making him date her? What if this was like a rom-com and he’s going to find some wacky way to show me it’s me he wants? Ok these were pathetic and I knew they weren’t going to happen but it’s hard not to play the “what-if” game.

Finally I decided that my ass was becoming too numb and I needed to head home. I sighed, mentally preparing myself to explain all this to Chelsea and Tara.

I stood up and stretched for a few moments. Just as I turned to return to the trail, I ran right into a body. Looking up, I went to say “Sorry!”

Instead “WTF!!!” came out.

I had run right into the chick Brandon was out with last night. Seriously, does the universe hate me?

“Watch where you are going you idiot!” she snarled. Then she did a double take as she recognized me. “Oh look it’s the slutty Keebler Elf! Is one of these trees your home?”

“Oh fuck off!” I growled. I went to step around her so I could get as far away as I could.

“What’s the matter?” she asked in mock seriousness as she lifted her running shoe onto the bench to retie her laces. “Running is all about using your legs…you already know all there is to know about spreading them. Is the issue that you aren’t laying on your back or in the back seat of a car?” 

I froze, so angry my whole body seized up. I turned towards her. “What did you say?” 

I took a step towards her, my hands clenched at my side.

“Oh don’t worry – I know all about your pathetic trysts with Brandon. You would think I would be mad at him for even going near you, but every man has his weakness. His just happens to be easy targets. He loves when he can take what he wants with no challenge.”

“Go to hell!” I fired back and took a step towards her.

Looking unsure for a split second she took a step back but then she kept going.

“A word of advice – stick to screwing guys on your own level. Knowing how much time you likely spend on your knees, I doubt that levels’ too high so even you should be able to reach it.” She tilted her head to the side and sweetly smiled at me, almost like she was truly trying to be helpful. “Perhaps a makeover and hitting the gym would help too!”

At this point I was seeing red. Perhaps I did jump into bed too fast with Brandon, but I knew damn well I wasn’t out of shape or needing makeover.

“At least I’m not a spiteful, cold hearted bitch! I actually have a personality and a desire to be more than just a trophy wife!” I shot back. I knew I shouldn’t engage in this stupid battle but I took a couple of steps closer to her.

“Hahah!”she laughed. “Saying ‘at least I have a personality’ is like admitting you are ugly! Everyone knows that!”

I came a bit closer to her and as I did she took a step back and stumbled, almost tripping over some baby ducks that had come from the pond.

“Ewww!!” she screamed. “Get away from me. Yuck! Yuck!” She tried kicking at the birds to make them move away from her. Instead, this caught the attention of the mama duck who came over to protect her ducklings. Within a matter on moments the mama was quacking and creating a huge commotion drawing the attention of the other birds nearby.

In an attempt to get away from them she forgot where she was and kept twisting away from the birds and taking steps backwards. The more she moved the faster the birds came at her. Suddenly, she tripped over an uneven spot on the grass and fell directly into the water. 

I gasped and then laughed like crazy as she tried to claw her way out of the water, covered in the disgustingness of the pond. She looked like a cartoon, throwing a temper tantrum in the water as the ducks continued to quack telling her she was unwelcome.

I figured karma was finally on my side and got back at her before I had to even lay a finger on her. I decided to get out of there, and ran off to the sounds of her swearing and shouting.

Knowing that this type of person was what Brandon considered a lady, really made me shake my head. I know I am far from perfect but I would never say the disgusting vile things she said to me to someone else. I still felt horrible and hurt but I knew I could move on from this. Sighing, I thought, it’s time to put dating aside for a while.

 

Now I Know

I followed Brandon outside, ready to start yelling the moment we were past the front door. Before I even got the chance he started in on me.

“Jesus fuck, Alya! What the hell was that?” he fumed. 

I stared at him open mouthed. Fury rose up in me and I let it loose.

“What the hell was that? What do you mean, what the hell was that?” I shrieked. “Why would you let her speak to me like that? In fact why did you bring her to my work? Most importantly, I thought we were together. How could you do this to me?” 

By now the tears were streaming down my face. It was one of my biggest flaws. As soon as I got in an argument I cried, even though I tried so hard not to. I looked at Brandon for some answers. I prayed there was some reason why tonight happened.

“Alya, we were never “together”. I’m sorry if that’s the impression that you had, but you came to that conclusion on your own.”

“So if we were never together,” I questioned, “then why did you take me on a date or buy me flowers?”

He shrugged. “I saw the way you acted after the first time we slept together. I knew you needed to feel like you weren’t a whore. If I wanted to get in your pants again, I needed to play your game.”

My head snapped up. “My GAME!” I hollered. “What game? You pretty much just admitted that you knew I didn’t want to just be a fuck buddy, especially if it happened again, which it did…and you manipulated me! You know how messed up I was about Peter calling me a slut and you totally took advantage of me!”

By this time I was pretty much screaming at him. I felt like someone was standing before me that I didn’t even know. It hit me then, that I really didn’t know him. I made him into someone in my mind and assumed my fantasy was his reality.

“Oh come on,” Brandon snorted. “You don’t really think there was something between us do you? You sucked me off in an alley way for starters. You slept with me hours after meeting me. I run my own business Alya – I’m not going to ruin my image by dating with a common slut!”

“You sick son of a bitch!” I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. I don’t care for violence but I would have given anything to be strong enough to inflict some pain.

“It’s one thing to say that I misunderstood what was going on between us, but to call me a slut when you were the other half of our exploits is so messed up. At least I was in it blindly, thinking it meant something. You on the other hand, knew you were using me. You saw me as nothing but someone to use for your own pleasure. You call me a slut but you were the one sticking your cock inside me…so what does that make you?”

I was pushing my finger into his chest with every point I made, and he made a move to grab wrist. Luckily before he was able to grab me, Gary was able to step between us and push Brandon back towards the wall.

“Alya, are you ok?” he asked, looking me over. My hair had come out of the ponytail, the makeup had run all down my face and I was shaking. I have no doubt I looked pretty messed up.

Before I had a chance to reply Brandon spit out, “She’s goddamn psycho! Another chick spreading her legs and then crying about it.”

Gary punched Brandon in the stomach. As he doubled over in pain, Gary went to strike him again.

“No!!” I screamed. “Stop it! Don’t hit him!”

Gary looked at me with a look combined of confusion and disappointment. I can’t blame him really.

“Can I talk to you, for a minute?  Alone!”  I pleaded. Gary focused on Brandon with a look that ordered him to not move. He took me by the elbow and we moved a few steps away.

“Are you on crack?” he hissed at me. 

“No. Please, just listen to me!” I whispered. “I’d love nothing more than for you to kick the crap out of him but I know him enough to know it won’t end will for you. He will press charges and come after your job and the bar. He’s so used to getting his own way! He won’t take embarrassment well.”

“As much as I think he’s a lowlife scum, he’s sort of right.” I continued. “Plus he never did anything to me against my will.” I hung my head down in shame. I knew I did nothing wrong per se, but I did move to fast and more importantly I also ignored my best friends advice. 

Gary looked at me for a moment and then walked back over to Brandon. “I think it’s time for you and your friends to leave. I will get someone to go over and get them. You are not welcome here!”

Brandon tried to push past Gary and go back inside but Gary wouldn’t budge. Brandon started shouting his mouth off, asking if he knew who he was and how he demanded respect. Getting nowhere he threatened Gary’s job and claimed he was going to sue. When he still didn’t get his way, he started making a move towards Gary.

Without saying a word, Gary pointed up towards the roof. Brandon paused, and then looked up and saw a camera pointed down at us. “If you cause a scene, we will release this tape. I’m sure the media will have a field day with a PR guy pushing a girl around and then hitting a bouncer. I suggest you take my advice and leave.”

Opening his mouth to argue, Brandon growled “Fuck you!”

Then miraculously, the fight went out of him and he gave up.  He stormed past me, knocking me off balance his body connected with mine. Gary started to go after him, but I placed my hand on his arm. 

“Just let him go.” I said. “I’m ok, he didn’t hurt me. I need him out of my face.”

Walking back inside, I rushed past the bar. Liam saw how dishevelled and upset I looked and tried to stop me. Instead I kept going until I locked myself into the staff bathroom. I sat on the edge of the toilet and started to sob. 

After a minute I made myself stop and took deep breaths until I was calmed down. Unfortunately, we were already understaffed. There was no way Grant was going to let me go home early. I went and got my purse and fixed my hair and face as best as I could.

I peeked out onto the floor to ensure Brandon’s party had left. When I confirmed that they had, I took one last deep breath and headed out. Ignoring everyone, I fell back into my shift, running on auto pilot. I refused to talk to any of my co-workers, just stating I was fine. I saw when they give me funny looks but I didn’t care. As soon as we the night ended, I closed my till, tidied my area and then clocked out, not even bothering to say good night to anyone.

Welcome To Chester's

Our place was starting to look like an emergency shelter. There were sleeping bags, cases of bottled water, bulk food items, blankets, and so much else. We had decided to start gathering everything we needed for the camping trip ahead of time. I was beginning to think we were going for a month, not just a weekend. 

All three of us had the day off, so we decided to organize what we had and figure out what else we still needed. By the time we were done the house looked just as bad, if not worse, with piles of stuff all over the place.

We agreed we deserved a treat for working so hard and decided to go out for dinner and drinks. After we got dressed up and did our hair and makeup we headed to one of our favourite restaurants and snagged a table on the patio.

We began teasing Tara about her texting relationship with Anthony. They hadn’t met up since the night they met, still only talking via phone and text.

“I think I’m done.” Tara sighed. “I’ve tried to make plans to hang out but nothing ever comes from it. I think it’s time to move on.”

“Well at least you know he’s not just using you for sex!” Chelsea chimed in.

I wasn’t sure if that was a dig at me or not but I didn’t feel like arguing so I let it go. I hadn’t heard from Brandon again since I ignored his text last night as I wasn’t sure where we stood anyways.

Trying to change the subject I asked the girls if they had come up with any good dares yet for the truth or dare game.

“I’ve been hearing Stephen, Gary and Liam talking about dares at work. I’m praying I don’t choose one of theirs!” I said. “Gary told me his was to smell the feet of everyone in the room and rank them from best to worst.”

“EWWWWWWWWWW,” shrieked Tara. “I’m so not doing that!! Can you just imagine how nasty that will be especially after being outside all day and no shower?”

“You will have to if you are on my team!” I declared. We had decided we were going to split into three teams, and you got a point for every truth or dare you completed. The losing team would we dressed and posed by the winning group, with the pictures being posted to facebook.

“Maybe I can sneak in a few kissing dares!” Tara winked. “Now that I have given up on Anthony, I need someone new to play with. Alya, didn’t you say Liam is coming?”

I glared at her, but really what could I say? He asked me out and I turned him down. I am still hoping things with Brandon are ok so I had no reason why Tara couldn’t hook up with Liam. I sure didn’t like the idea though.

We finished up the last of our food and drinks and headed home after a quick toast by Chelsea. “Here’s to good drinks and great weather. Hopefully there is lots of both next weekend!”

…………………………………………

Saturday I took a little extra time getting ready for work. Even though being behind the bar was hard work, I liked to dress a little sexier. Sometimes the customers can be pigs but I felt safe from their drunken gropes when I was in my own little blocked off area. I did my hair and added a little extra volume, and did my best attempt at a smoky eye. I still needed practice but I was getting better.

I checked my phone again when I was done. Checking my phone was beginning to become my obsession. I hadn’t heard from Brandon so I had sent him a few flirty texts. I didn’t even mention his text about coming over. Sadly there was no reply. I figured I would just go over to his house on Sunday when I was next off.

When I walked into work, it was in utter chaos. The place was packed and everyone seemed to be rushing around. I threw my stuff into a locker and clocked in quickly. Making my way to the bar, I saw my manager Grant and asked what was going on. Apparently, a few people called in sick, plus there was a huge game on and no one scheduled extra staff. It didn’t help that the group who closed last night didn’t restock anything.

I spent the first hour just trying to refill everything and do as much prep work as possible. I hate even others slack on their shift and it screws everyone else up. I always make sure I leave the bar ready to go for the next person. Once everything was looking better and replenished I jumped in to start making orders. It seemed like there was a list a mile long, of drinks needing to be mixed. Nights like this are horrible. Sure they seem to go fast but you spend the whole night trying to play catch up.

Suddenly there was a huge crash and a scream.  I looked over to see what had happened but there was a crowd forming and I saw other co-workers make their way over so I went back to work. I continued to try and catch us up, making drinks as fast as I could.  Stacy came over to drop off another order and told me what happened.

“Apparently some chick spilled her fries all over the floor and didn’t bother to tell anyone or clean it up. Cassandra was making her way past the table with that massive group drink order you just  finished and she slipped on the food and fell on the floor!”

“Oh no!” I cried. “Is she ok?”

“I’m not sure. They carried her into the kitchen so I haven’t had a chance to check.”

Sadly, I admit that even though I hoped Cassandra was ok, I was concentrating more on how that huge order was going to need to be re-made. I sighed and started pulling out some glasses.

Moments later Grant rushed up to me. “I’m sorry Alya, but I am going to need you on the floor. We are sending Cassandra to the hospital for x-rays so we are down another server. Things are quickly getting out of hand. We are calling all staff to see if anyone else can come in but for the moment, I’m going to cover Liam at the door, he will move to the bar and I need you to start getting food to tables.”

Moaning to myself, I changed places with Liam and headed towards the kitchen. It’s not that I hated helping out when needed but now I much preferred the bar.  I remembered the hair I had spent so much time on, and sighed as I pulled it into a quick ponytail. I grabbed a tray, got a rundown of what food needed to go to each table and headed out. Racing as fast as I could, I tried to get the orders out as quickly as possible. It was really hard to do when I wasn’t the one who took the order and had to slow down to figure out who got what. It didn’t help that most tables still didn’t have drinks or condiments. 

I felt like I was in quick sand. The more orders I brought out the more there was. I felt like I was finally getting into a groove when I was able to put in my own orders, but then another huge crowd of people arrived. I wanted to go lie down and have a nap. I was covered in drops of food that fell as I was rushing around. I was sweaty and quite sure my smoky eye was now melting down my face. 

“Alya, I just sat two more tables in your section. I’m sorry kid, just do the best you can,” Grant apologised as he raced by me.

I grabbed some glasses of water from the bar and headed over greet my table and make sure they already had menus. As I walked over I took a sweeping glance of the table which looked to be two couples. 

“Hi! Welcome to Ches…” my voice stopped, caught in my throat as the person I was closest to, turned and looked up at me. My mouth hung open in shock and I just stared. It was Brandon. 

I felt the heat rush to my face as I tried to understand what was going on. I told myself not to panic. Maybe this was family or old friends. I mean, I hung out with lots of guys, right? Perhaps they were clients?  As I quickly looked at the girls though, I could tell by the way they were dressed that this wasn’t some casual gathering. They were a bit older than me and dressed to impress, not a wrinkle in the clothes or a hair out of place.

Struggling to say something,two thoughts raced through my head. One – why would he take someone else to the bar I worked at? Conversations raced through my mind as I tried to recall if I had told him where I worked. Now I wasn’t sure I had.

The second thought that I had was that I knew the other male that made up this foursome. It was Clarke – Brandon’s friend who I meet at the pizza place.

Before anyone could say anything, the girl sitting beside Brandon snapped her fingers at me. “Excuse me…this table is filthy! Get it cleaned right away. And take that water away – I want a bottle of champagne asap.”

I looked up at her. Did she really just snap her fingers at me? As I went to reply she cackled. “What’s the matter princess? Haven’t you ever seen a guy this hot? Well he’s mine, go pounce on someone else.” 

She slid even closer to Brandon, placing her hand possessively on his thigh. Her friend smirked at me, clearly enjoying my awkwardness.

“Hey I remember you!” Clarke blurted as he squinted his eyes at me, trying to place me. Suddenly his eyes lit up “Alicia! No, Alyssa..no…”

“Actually it’s Alya,” I said through clenched teeth. I felt like I was in a dream. This whole time Brandon just sat there, not saying anything or even acknowledging me in any way.

Now it was the bitch beside Brandon saying my name, trying to recall something. As the recognition happened her lips twisted into an evil sneer as if she stepped in shit.

“Ahhh Alya! The baker of the cookies. How pathetic. I saw your little offering to Brandon and the note telling him you were thinking of him. Sorry hun...that may work on high school or blue collar boys but Brandon here is a man. I think what I can offer him, is a little bit more to his standard.” She posed and looked at me with a cockiness that I wanted to slap off her over made up face.

I so badly wanted to punch her but instead directed my attention to the man sat before me. “Brandon?” I called his name, forcing him to look up at me. I expected him to be embarrassed or least slightly worried that he had been caught. Instead he looked at me like I was a piece of trash or someone he didn’t want to be associated with.

“You heard the lady,” he stressed the word lady, pausing to look at me, and then continued. “A bottle of champagne, and clean this table, it’s a disgrace.”

“Excuse me?” I challenged him. I was absolutely livid, maybe perhaps mostly at myself for not listening to Chelsea. However at the moment Brandon was going to be the focus of my anger.  

“Listen little girl,” the bitch started. “You heard him. Bring us back something to drink. While I get this is just a shithole sports bar, find us something expensive.  Not that you would know anything about taste…”

I swear I saw red. “Well Brandon certainly doesn’t seem to have a problem about my “taste”, especially as earlier this week  I was laying spread eagle on his dining room table, with his tongue buried between my legs.”

Clarke spit out the water he had just taken a drink of and I swear both girls looked like they were having strokes. Brandon finally showed some emotion and hissed “Shut up!!” at me.

It was too late for that. “What’s the matter, Brandon?” I taunted. “You never asked me to shut up when you had me screaming your name. In fact, you told me you liked it.” I knew at this point I was probably just making myself look worse but I didn’t care. 

Brandon stood up and grabbed me by the arm. “We need to talk! Outside. Now!” 

I glared back at him, not moving. He may be used to having control and being able to boss people around but not this time. However, I suddenly became aware that we were starting to attract attention. I sure as hell didn’t want to talk to Brandon, but this was my work place and I didn’t need to cause an even bigger scene. Against my better judgement I followed him as he stalked out the door.

I'm Sorry

I was in misery. Neither Chelsea nor Brandon texted me.

I had to work Tuesday night and by the time I came home the house was in darkness. I thought about waking Chelsea up, but I didn't want to make it worse. The night was spent tossing and turning, trying to fall into a deep sleep. By the time the morning came, I was exhausted. By the time I got up, Cheslea had already left.

As I was standing in the kitchen waiting for some toast to pop up, Tara came running through the door.

"Hey, just grabbing my phone," she called over her shouder as she dashed towards her room. "I forgot it this morning when I left, and I don't want Anthony thinking I'm avoiding him!" Ever since that night at the bar, Tara and Anthony had been texting. Between both their schedules they hadn't been able to meet up, but Tara was hoping they would be able to hang out soon.

"Sorry, I have to rush right back out," Tara said. "If I'm late for class they will have my head." She was taking a summer class that would help give her a little edge when it came to looking for jobs once she graduated. Tara wasn't always the best student so she wanted to stay ahead while she could.

I watched her rush back out the door, and wished she had time to talk. I wasn't sure if she had spoken to Chelsea or not. She didn't seem to be mad at me but then again maybe she just didn't want to be in the middle.

Even though I had never made the first move with Brandon, I decided that I should text him. I felt like he over reacted but I did feel bad that he got hurt.

Alya: Hey, I just wanted to check in with you. I hope that you are feeling better. Maybe I can cook for you as a way to make up for it?

I  didn't expect a response for a bit so I put my phone down. Not long after though my phone beeped, signalling a text.

Brandon: I'm fine. Busy at work. Have a good day

I frowned at my phone, not really sure how to take that message. I was happy that he was talking to me and not ignoring me. At the same time though, the message was quite short and not like our normal flirty texts.
 

I decided to make some cookies and deliver them to Brandon with a little note. For a man who had enough money to buy whatever he wanted, there was nothing I could think of that I could afford but that he would also like. Well perhaps aside from sex, and I wanted to see if we could branch out relationship out a bit from that. Besides, I would bake double and leave the rest for Chelsea. It was a cheap ploy but I was desperate.

I whipped up a double batch of my Gooey Chocolate Butter cookies that everyone loved. Seriously these cookies are so good. I found two gift boxes and tissue paper and arranged everything nicely. Then I quickly wrote a note to go with each.

Looking at the clock I noticed I didn’t have a lot of time left. I quickly cleaned my mess, jumped into the shower and got ready for work. I left Chelsea’s cookies on her desk so I know she would be the one who got to eat them, not just someone random who stopped by. For Brandon’s I wanted to drop them off with the doorman at his condo on my way to work. I just hoped he remembered me and didn’t think I was some crackpot trying to poison Brandon!

Work was fairly busy for a Wednesday night and I was happy because that meant I couldn’t spend the night obsessing. Management was happy with the way I progressed so I was officially a full bartender now. A while back I had taken all the relevant courses and such to be prepared and  I was thankful for that. This also meant I could pick up shifts in either position now so that was a great help with trying to work lots of hours. 

When the night ended, we spent an hour or so relaxing before we made our way home. There was some brief conversation about the camping trip which everyone was looking forward to; although some of our friends were disappointed they couldn’t make it. That’s one shitty part of working at a bar – it’s really hard to do stuff outside of work because someone is always working. I think that’s why we liked hanging around when we closed for a few drinks.

As we were leaving, Liam offered to walk me to my car. In all honesty this isn’t a big deal, and I never thought twice about it. Usually we always try to ensure the girls leave in pairs or with one of the guys to ensure safety. A few years ago, one of our waitresses refused to serve someone as they were too drunk. The next night, the guy was waiting for her and assaulted her. Thankfully someone heard her yelling and the police were called before it got too bad. Now the management takes no chances.

“Are you ok, Alya?” Liam questioned, looking at me as we walked outside. “You seemed awfully quiet tonight? Or perhaps it’s just me you aren’t talking to?”

I smiled at him to show I wasn’t mad or uncomfortable. I have a feeling he would be a great guy to talk to but it felt too weird to bring up Brandon. “I just feel bad because I was a bitch to a friend this morning. She hasn’t texted me since and that makes me sad. I hate fighting. I even baked her cookies as a peace offering.”

“Aww, I’m sure she will forgive you, it can’t be that bad.”

I grimaced in response, thinking of just how bad I treated Chelsea.

Trying to make me feel better, Liam joked “Well, I can offer to let you get mad at me if you promise to bring me cookies as well! Just no oatmeal raisin! Yuck!!”

Looking at him in mock horror, I gasped “You shut your mouth! Oatmeal raisin doesn’t get the love it deserves!”

We continued to banter until we got to my car. He waited until I unlocked my door, and then pulled me in for a hug. “I’m sure it will all work out. Don’t stress!”

He let go, waved goodbye and headed across the parking lot. I kind of wished he would have hugged me longer. He smelt so good – seriously how is that even possible after working all night? I was glad things weren’t uncomfortable between us.

When I got home, I was as quiet as possible. Sometimes I can be loud and clumsy coming in late and I didn’t want to give anyone a reason (another reason?) to be upset with me. Stepping inside however I noticed Chelsea lying on the sofa with her laptop, sleeping. I guess she fell asleep watching something. I was debating on if I should wake her up so she could go to bed, when her eyes opened and she looked at me.

I waited to see how she was going to react. She stretched, turned off her laptop and asked me what time it was.

Hmmm…well at least she’s talking to me. I told her the time and then went and sat beside her. My eyes started to well up as I began to apologize.

“Chels, I’m so, so sorry!” I started. “I really didn’t mean what I said. I was having a bad morning and I took it out on you.”

She looked at me for a moment and then said, “You really hurt me you know? All I ever want is for you to be happy, so of course I get concerned when I fear someone is using you.”

I started to interrupt with how Brandon’s not using me when she interrupted me.

“No Alya, just listen to me for once” she said getting exasperated. Then she calmed down and spoke quieter. “Watching you hurt over Peter sucked. Long before you even broke up, we could see how down you were when he treated you poorly. You are like a sister to me so when you are hurting; I just want to protect you.”

I hung my head as she continued. “For you to say that I was jealous really was like a slap in the face. I have been considered a “boyfriend stealer” or snobbish before, simply because other people think I’m pretty or conceited. I know sometimes I get attention but I don’t ask for it. In fact I wish people would actually take the time to get to know me rather than to judging me. You know all of this. So for you to tell me I was upset Brandon “choose” you over me, you have to know how angry that made me.”

“I know,” I replied ashamed. Everything she said was true. Chelsea is one of the nicest people you will ever meet, yet she is constantly put down by others. Everyone assumes she’s out to steal their man or that she thinks she’s better than everyone. In fact though, she’s one of the most down to earth people I know, and didn’t have a mean bone in her body.

I looked her in the eyes, and softly. “I really have no excuse. I was horrible to you and I’m sorry. I know you aren’t jealous. Even if you were, you would never show it. You have always been there for me and I don’t want that to change.”

Reaching out, I hugged her, thankful she decided to talk to me and allow me to apologize. She hugged me back, and then pulled away.

“Act like that again, and I will kick your ass!”

We both decided it was time for bed. After I took my make up off and changed, I checked my phone one last time to see if there was a text from Brandon. I was shocked to see he had sent a message about ten minutes ago.

Brandon: Feel like coming over?

I was so pissed off. No “sorry about this morning” or a thanks for the cookies. Just him, wanting me to come over. Obviously part of me wanted to go, to make sure we were ok and that he wasn’t mad at me, but I wanted more than just sex. Plus I had just made up with Chelsea, and while she had no say in what I did, I thought it may be rocking the boat too much if I went.

Finally I decided to just ignore the text. Perhaps it was just the cowards way out but I figured it was best. Hopefully if I didn’t come running he would put some thought into why, and apologize. Being the amazing person that I am, I would gracefully accept and then we could move forward. We would show everyone this was real and that he wasn’t using. Assuming everything was sorted out, I was content, and drifted off to sleep.

Times Two

I woke up on Tuesday morning and realised I was alone. I smiled remembering last night. I ended up arriving just as the pizza did. Brandon had already paid for it, so I just tripped the guy and knocked on his door. He swung the door open and raised his eyebrow as he took in my trench coat and stilettos. 

Taking my hand he led me to the table without saying a word. He opened the pizza box and handed me a slice. He lifted me onto the table, and then placed an arm on either side of me. I took a bite of the pizza, unsure as to what else to do. His intense stare was unnerving. He grabbed my wrist gently, and guided the pizza into his mouth, taking a bite and then threw the slice back into the box. Running his hands down my jacket, he undid the knot and opened the panels. His gaze deepened as he took in my naked body. My pulse quickened and I swallowed. So far neither one of us had said a word, and that was making this so much more erotic. 

He reached up and slipped the material off of me, laying it out like a blanket behind me. He pushed my legs apart and sank to his knees.

“Lay back,” he ordered. I didn’t hesitate to do as I was told. I grasped at the sides of the table as he worked his way up my legs, inside my thighs and then into my centre. I couldn’t help it. I pushed myself up onto my elbows so I could look at him. At first all I could see was his dark hair falling into his eyes as he explored every inch of me. I started to buck with the pleasure but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. He raised his eyes up to match my stare. Lowering his head he picked up the pace and buried his tongue inside me.My breath caught in my throat as my body started thrashing under him. I fell back onto the table and let the waves take over me.

I jumped up out of bed. The flashes from last night made me ready for another go. I wanted to surprise Brandon in the shower. I stood up and made my way to the bathroom. I quietly opened the door, and tiptoed to the shower. I silently pulled back the curtain and took in the site of his toned body, covered in soap with water cascading down.

Reaching in, my hand made contact with his back. He yelled and jumped, the jerk reaction caused him to slip on the wet floor. While he never actually fell, thank God, he did go over on his ankle, twisting it pretty badly.

“Fuck!!” he roared. “God damn it, Alya! What in the hell are you doing in here?” He continued to wince as he washed the last of the soap off and then turned the water off. He was angry, and not in a sexy, broody kind of way. More like a beast had awoken.

I moved in closer to help him navigate his way out of the tub. I wasn’t sure how much help I was going to be considering our size difference but I felt so bad for the pain I had caused.

“Move. Now!” he hissed. I stumbled back against the wall as far as I could go and gave him some space. When he stepped out and fully put his weight on the injured ankle, his face contorted and he sucked his breath in. As fast as he could he sat down on the toilet seat and yanked a towel from the rack.

“What in the fuck were you doing?” he snarled. “No one asked you to be in here or to join me!”

Tears started welling up in my eyes. “I’m ss-s-sorry.” I stuttered. “I thought you would enjoy it if I surprised you.”

“You thought wrong.” he stated bluntly. “Never assume you know what I want or when I want it.” He stood up and grimaced. 

“Brandon, I’m so sorry” I started again. I moved in to help him to his bedroom but he put his hand up to stop me.

“Just go.” he said. “I need to get ready for work so it’s time for you to go home. I assume you can see yourself out, seeing as how I can barely walk!”

I stood there stunned. I know he was hurt but it wasn’t like I did it on purpose. He has never spoken so harshly to me. To be honest, I was a little bit scared of the man standing in front of me. He seemed so dark and controlling. I knew it wouldn’t be long until the tears were going to start so I hurriedly got dressed and grabbed my things.

As I paused at his bedroom door, I watched him hobble around trying to find get into his clothes without falling over.

“Are you sure I can’t help you?” I couldn’t help but try once more.

“I think you have done enough.” he replied in a low tone. I ducked my head and turned to leave, but not before I heard him muttering about why this is why you never let them stay the night. I hopped into the elevator and made my way to the lobby, praying I could find a taxi quickly.

………………………………………………………………………

I made it home and let myself in. Just as I was about to walk into my bedroom, Chelsea came out of the bathroom. I guess I scared her because she screamed and fell back against the door frame. Looks like I’m two for two today, with surprising people.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHH,” she cried clutching her chest. After taking a few deep breaths to calm her beating heart, she questioned what the hell I was doing.

“I thought you were in your room sleeping! Are you just getting home? Did you spend the night with Brandon?” she fired the questions at me. Coming closer she went to ask something else then stopped.

“Ayla, are you crying?” she came up to me and hugged me. “What’s going on? Are you ok??” She began looking me over, looking for signs of blood or injury I guess.

“I’m fine Chels,” I lied. I just wanted to go to my bedroom and be alone. 

“No you aren’t,” she accused. “Tell me what’s going on. Please!  You have me worried.”

I hesitated but knew I had better fill her in. Otherwise she was going to think I was being abused or worse. If she confided in Tara, Tara was likely to jump to some conclusion and either phone the police, a lynch mob or worse, my parents.

I sat down on the sofa and curled my legs under me. I told Chelsea about Brandon texting me last night and the events that led me to leaving his place in tears.  By the time I was done, she just stared at me. Then she began asking questions like how many times I had seen him recently, if we went on actual dates and how he treated me. When I got to the part about how he would not text me for days, Chelsea shook her head.

“Alya, what the hell are you doing with this jerk?” she demanded. “Don’t you see that you are nothing better than a booty call to him? Since when did you let yourself be treated this way? I know Peter acted like an ass more than once, but you always called him on his bullshit.”

I started to get defensive. “I’m not a booty call, thank you!” I said, outraged. “Brandon’s just busy. He has a real job you know!”

“Seriously, Alya? You are going to defend him and his behaviour? You are putting yourself right back into the same situation as you were with Peter, only this time you aren’t standing up for yourself!” 

She crossed her arms and glared at me.

“Whatever Chels. You don’t get it. I love how he makes me feel and how exciting it is. I’ve never felt like this before!” I tried to get her to understand where I was coming from.

“So what? You think you are in love with this dick?”

“Maybe I am,” I retorted. “Why do you care? Shouldn’t you be happy for me?”

“Alya, I think you are just in love with the idea of being in love. Just because Brandon is different from Peter doesn’t mean he’s the one for you.”

I couldn’t believe Chelsea was trying to tear my relationship with Brandon apart. She should be excited I found someone. Who cares if we fought or had bad days? Didn’t everyone?

“Maybe you’re just jealous!” I threw at her. “Finally someone is paying attention to me and not you. Everyone always talks about how beautiful you are and how wonderful. Maybe you hate that he choose me over you!” I was being a bitch and I knew it but I was so emotionally drawn out, having had confrontations with two different people, less than an hour after I woke up.

Chelsea’s jaw dropped and she just looked at me. With tears in her eyes, she pushed past me and grabbed her purse. I felt horrible, and turned around to tell her that I didn’t mean it but it was too late. She rushed out the door and slammed it as hard as she could. 

I wanted to go after her but I just didn’t have the energy. I quickly sent her a text telling her how sorry I was and that I valued our friendship. That I behaved like a child and lashed out at her because I was upset with someone else. I promised that if she forgave me I would never act like that again.

I hit send and waited. After fifteen minutes when I still hadn’t heard back from her, I sent one last text saying “I’m sorry. I love you”. I headed to my bed. I needed to get some sleep before I had to go to work that night.

Hopefully by the time I would wake up there would be texts from both Chelsea and Brandon and everything would be ok.

 

A Camping We Will Go

I never heard from Brandon all weekend. I waited desperately all weekend, always keeping my phone by my side. I even convinced everyone I wasn’t feeling well on Saturday just so I could stay home in case he called. How pathetic is that. 

Sunday I picked up an extra shift at work as we were still down people. Sadly, it was a beautiful day and evening so it wasn’t very busy. Liam wasn’t even in to distract me. Thankfully because my job mostly has me interacting with the public I had to remain friendly. In reality all I wanted to do was be moody and eat everything in sight.

I even broke down and texted him again, sneaking my phone out as we weren’t technically allowed them on the floor. Again, I tried to keep it light and just asked what he was up to. When 11 pm came and still no response I was pissed. Then a minute later I was sad. This kept up for the rest of the night. When I finally got home and saw there was still no texts, I turned the phone off and chucked it on a pile of clothes. Within minutes I got up and grabbed it and turn it back on.  I resorted to trying to sleep but all I did was toss and turn all night. 

On Monday, it ended up that Tara, Chelsea and I were all off. After spending the day laying outside tanning, we hit the grocery store. We decided we wanted to do some planning for the camping trip and then have a Mexican night, complete with tacos and margaritas. 

When we came back, we went online and found a campsite that would allow a group and made a booking. We had decided we wanted to do an throwback theme for the weekend – perhaps how much fun we had at the bar the other night when they played the old school mix inspired us.

We created a menu to suit – hotdogs, s’mores, jello shots and a ton of other junk food from back when calories didn’t count. We also downloaded a ton of songs to make a playlist and thought up some games like twister, drunk Simon Says and Frisbee.

“Omg!!” Tara shrieked. “We have to play truth or dare! That’s the ultimate teen game!”

“Yeah but when we play that, people always get put on the spot and can’t think of anything good,” Chelsea said. “The dares are always lame.”

I thought for a moment. “What if we have people think of things in advance and write them down on pieces of paper. We can all secretly put them in separate truth or dare piles and then pick one out when it’s your go.”

“That could work,” Chelsea said thinking it through. “What will make it even better is that you may potentially pick your own so hopefully people won’t make the dares too bad!”

We uploaded our ideas to the facebook group and asked everyone for confirmations on who was coming. We were going in two weeks, so we needed to get this ball rolling. Within an hour or so we had a tentative list. Luckily everyone knew each other from various gatherings and birthday parties through the years.

For the girls: myself, Tara, Chelsea, Shelli – a pretty blond girl who was friends with us from high school and super friendly and Kelsey – another blond that worked with us at Chester’s, who was totally clueless at times but a blast to party with. The last girl sadly was Melissa. I only tolerate Melissa because she’s a friend of Kelsey’s but she’s a massive flirt and is always hanging off the guys. I’m not sure if the rumours about her sleeping around are true, but I wouldn’t doubt it for how boy crazy she is. “She better stay away from Liam!” I thought, and then I realised I had no claim on him. Where are these thoughts coming from?

The guys coming were Ryan (Tara’s cousin), his best friend James, Stephen and Gary – two of the part time bouncers at Chester’s. All very good looking and fit guys who were all easy going and fun. Lastly there were two who were tentative: Liam– he needed to see if he could ask for the weekend off, and Brandon – who I had yet to ask (and I never even told anyone I was hoping to invite).

We posted the truth or dare instructions to the group, and then went to the kitchen to make the tacos and margaritas. The more we discussed the trip the more excited we became. We tried thinking up some truth or dare questions, each one getting more extreme than the last. Easy to say the alcohol was already hitting us. We finished off the pitcher and made our way back to the living room and back on facebook.

We already had a ton of replies about the game idea.

Ryan: What are we, 12? If you ladies want to see me take my shirt off you just need to tell me, we don’t need to play games.

James: If you are stripping I’m not coming. Unless I can cover you in honey and then tie you to a tree for the bears

Kelsey: Do all bears like honey or just Pooh?

Ryan: Whatever @James. You know if I’m naked you will be begging to be in my tent

 

Tara: EWWW! @Ryan you are my cousin. You are not getting naked near me

Melissa: Hey @Ryan…I’ll share with you ;)

Alya: Woahhhh! When did this turn X-rated? This is supposed to be innocent fun like when we were 12 & 13

Gary: Speak for yourself @Alya…some of us were never innocent. Besides if Liam gets the weekend off and wants to get a little freaky I doubt any of you ladies will be complaining.

Liam: How did I get involved in this? BTW…I did get the time off. I’ll bring the beer!

Melissa: I’ll bring my bikini

Chelsea: I’ll bring some bail money. Who thought this was going to be a good idea?

We tried to do a bit more planning but the drinks were hindering any real progress so we settled for some trashy reality tv instead. Finally around 11 we headed to bed. Both of the girls had to work early and didn’t want to be hung over. 

I went on my phone to see if there was any more replies about the camping trip. Seeing none, I scrolled through the feeds for a moment and then got bored. I decided to look to see if Brandon had a profile – how had I not done this before?  I was able to find it quickly but it was private. Damn it! I was just trying to click on his friends list to see if any of those were open when I got a text from the man himself. I near jumped out of my skin. I know he can’t tell that I was trying to spy on him, but I felt like I had been caught red handed. I quickly exited facebook in fear that I may accidentally click “add friend” to someone on his list.

Brandon: Hey sexy. Whatcha wearing? ;)

I waited for a moment to see if he would write more. I hadn’t heard from him since Thursday, he never replied to either of my texts and now he was trying to flirt? When nothing came through, I finally texted back.

Alya: Just hanging out talking to some friends 

He didn’t know that I was mostly hanging out with them virtually!

Brandon: Anyone as cute as me?

Alya: Hmm I don’t know. Maybe. At least they talk to me.

My finger paused when I wrote that, then I figured “Screw it!” and hit send. I wanted to see what his excuse was.

Brandon: Aww don’t be like that. I’ve been busy working all weekend. The only thing I’ve seen is my desk and since you weren’t spread on top of it, it wasn’t overly exciting.

I couldn’t help it. I started to smile and get a little wet, thinking of the scenario he planted in my mind.

Alya: You poor thing. Maybe if you had texted me I could have paid you a visit, wearing nothing but a trench coat 

Brandon: Does that offer stand right now? I’m not at work but I do have a kitchen table

Alya: What? You don’t talk to me all weekend and then want me to come over at 11 pm? Whatever

Brandon: Come on. I said I was busy. I do run a company you know and I’m not off for the summer like some people

Ouch. Really? Why would he say that. It’s not like I was just some party bimbo. I was in school and by this time next year I expected to have a regular job like his. Plus I was working full time all summer, just in shifts. Not my fault I was younger than him.

Alya: Wow low blow dude

Brandon: I’m sorry. I’m just missing you. And now you had to go and use the word blow 

Brandon: Come over so I can make it up to you. Now I have this image of you on my table so I can’t sleep. I promise it won’t be pizza I’m eating

Oh god. Why was he able to get to me turned on so easy. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep either at this point and sexting held no appeal to me. Correcting typos as I typed in a rush annoyed me. Besides my hands had better things they could be doing.

Alya: Well now you went and mentioned pizza! Throw that in and you have a deal.

I waited for his his reply, and for the longest time there was nothing. I wondered if maybe he was just joking or if he fell asleep.

Suddenly the familiar “….” showed up. Then an image came on my phone. It was a picture of the confirmation of a delivery order from Pizza Hut.

I smiled and went in search on my trench coat. Ten minutes later I snuck out the door and made my way to his house.