"ID?" To be honest, she couldn't even hear the bartender, but she assumed that's what he had said based on his hand gesture.
She produced the plastic card that proudly claimed she was twenty-three and got two drinks in return.
Marin had been in her peripheral for the past twenty minutes, and she could spot him talking with two other people right on the rim on the unofficial dance floor.
Once he had left them, he began to traverse the rooftop, headed for the bar. She propelled herself towards him before she lost any more confidence.
Twenty feet.
Ten feet.
Six feet.
Three feet.
One foot!
Crash!
"I am so sorry! I think I have some napkins in my bag—I'm so sorry!" Jemina took out the napkins and dabbed at his shirt. "I'm so sorry."
"It's...okay."
Looking up at him, her breath caught in her throat. Dark abysses pulled her into his eyes like a magnetic field. The napkins and shirt provided only a thin barrier between her fingers and his firm chest. His lips parted.
Her eyes flickered to them and then back up. "Eva Sorrentino."
"Sorrentino? That's sounds familiar," confusion colored his face. "
"Really? Must be a common name around here."
"I'm Marin, but around here? Where are you from?"
"I'm from Virginia, but before that it was Georgia. I'm visiting my aunt and uncle for my gap year between my sophomore and junior year," she took a seat at the bar and he joined her.
"So, you're...21?"
"22. Early birthday."
"I wish I could take a gap year and go somewhere else. My family is a mess."
"I haven't talked to my family in a while."
"Why not?"
"I usually don't talk about family issues at a bar," she joked.
"Yeah, me too. I guess you're so easy to talk to. Especially because you're so far removed from my problems, being out of state and all."
"I have to leave the state to leave your problems? They stretch that big?" She laughed.
"You have no idea," he smiled. "But, you're right, this isn't first date talk."
"Oh, so this is a first date?"
"I'd say so."
"Oh, yes, my favorite first date. Being in the corner of a club."
"I'd be down to leave."
Jemina smiled cheekily. "Where would you take me?"
"It would be a surprise."
Jemina playfully shoved him. "Tell me."
"Some ice cream parlor."
She smiled. "Perfect."
So many bodies crowded the elevator, she couldn't speak to Marin. Once they reached the ground floor, the crowd dispersed. He led her outside.
"Whose car are we taking?" Jemina breathed in the fresh air, free of unpleasant aromas.
"It's not far," he smiled. "We can just walk."
"Well, now I'm going to freeze to death," Jemina laughed.
He threw an arm around her shoulder. "Does this help?"
Her mouth was starting to hurt from all the uncontrollable smiles. "Does it ever."
Buzzes emanated from his phone. He withdrew his arm and answered the call. "Yes."
When he turned back to her, sympathy knitted his eyebrows. "I'm sorry, I have to go."
"Really?"
"Family stuff. Raincheck?"
Her lips twisted. "Sure."
"Bye."
Tension spread throughout his body as Jemina laid her hand on his shoulder and turned him back around.
Without warning, she pressed her lips to his cheek.
Stubble scratched her lips, and she pulled herself back. Her hand patted his cheek. "See you later, Marin."
Never turning back, she continued to walk along the sidewalk. It was a full ten seconds before he heard his footsteps restart again.
-
Using the key Kelly had given her, she eased open the door. No sounds permeated the house.
With her footwear in hand, she scaled the stairs to the guest room. Picturesque pillows laid atop the smoothed comforter. Her duffle bag was stuffed in the corner, out of place, just like she felt in this house.
Down the hall, the bathroom waited for her. The shower tempted her, but out of not wanting to wake the Sorrentinos, she just splashed her face and washed her hands.
Her face. She still didn't recognize her appearance. Staring into the mirror, she pinched her emerald contact and plucked it off her eyeball, before doing the same to the other one.
Without her optics, she had to get close to the mirror to see her true dark brown eyes.
A deep breath released tension she didn't even know she had held.
Her hands stroked her hair, abruptly meeting air. Bangs completed her new look.
Eerie feelings crept through her as she stared at the foreign person in front of her. Uncomfortable enough, she returned to the guest room.
Blue light splashed her face as she opened her phone. It was blank, but she downloaded Instagram. After making a fake account because all social media had had to be deleted, she searched for her sister's name.
Smiling photos dazzled her, but one drew her eyes. It was last Christmas and her family's arms were linked.
Tears blurred her sight, and she took off her glasses to rub her eyes. She bit her lip to control herself.
Guilt and shame swirled in her gut along with anger, jealously, and sadness. The cocktail of emotions overwhelmed Jemina and she put the phone down.
-
In the morning, her pillow was soaked with tears. She turned it over and got ready. There really wasn't a plan in her mind, but she figured that's the first thing her fake family would ask.
As she brushed her teeth, ideas swirled through her mind. Well, she couldn't call Marin because she hadn't gotten his number. Dumb of her, but she blamed it on her nerves.
This led her to think of last night and warmth colored her cheeks. Of course, this was just pride at completing her first task. She did not like him.
Even though his skin was so soft, and his voice was like honey...no, she did not like him.
By the time, her hair was in twin Dutch braids—which had been the hairstyle she had chosen to buy time—she still didn't have a plan.
Well, you know what they say. Fake it till you make it.