It's been a week since I talked to my mom and I haven't called her again. Dad hasn't been answering my calls either. To add on to my misery, Jade has been testy all week because one-night-stand dude keeps calling.
As I am reading articles on Greek fashion, Jade's phone rings next to me; the screen reads A-hole 101. I know who it is instantly. I decide to answer the phone because I know Jade will not and this conversation is long overdue.
"Hello, Jade?" He asks as though he isn't sure. Seriously, didn't he check before he called?
I refrain from rolling my eyes and answer, "It's not her. I'm her roommate." He is about to say something, but I cut him off, "I want you to leave her alone. You were a major asshole to her, and you don't deserve even a second of her time." I scold him, letting out exactly what I think about him.
There is a pause at the other end of the line, I wish he just fainted. "I deserved that." My wish is proven wrong.
Wait what? To think that he sounded resigned while saying that.
"Big time." I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
"I know, and I want to apologize. I said many stupid thing that day; I panicked," He hesitates for a second too long. "I respect her and I don't want to mix her in the mess that is my life." He says repentantly. My cold countenance warms up at his heartfelt remorse.
"That's some deep stuff. Jade is nice, but I am not." I employ the most intimidating voice in my arsenal. He coughs awkwardly.
"I understand. Can you keep this call a secret?" He asks.
"My lips are sealed but don't betray my service." I wouldn't have accepted if I didn't know that my dear friend Jade has a crush on him, and I definitely am doing her a favor.
"Thanks." Tension ebb from his voice, "One more thing,"
I interrupt him, "Buddy, you ask too much." I say in a cheeky tone.
"You can handle it." He comments amid laughing, I kind of like him now. "I want to treat her to dinner," Seconds ago, he was begging for mercy, now he wants a date? His intentions become questionable to me. "as a way of apologizing" He adds as an afterthought.
"To be honest, you overestimate your chances. But I will do what I can to get her there." I promise him.
"Thanks again, what's your name though?" His tone gains a flirty edge.
"Bye now." I say and hang up
I'm restless all morning waiting for Jade to come back from the grocery store. When she does, I jump out of bed and rush to her.
I let her get snacks before dropping the bomb. "Jade," I start as she is sifting through the channels looking for The Real; she has been binge-watching it for 3 days now. She opens a bag of chips and munches on them.
She looks at me with suspicion. How can she read me this well after a few weeks of living together? "What did you do?" She sits beside me on the sofa.
I gasp, feigning hurt, "What do you mean?" She rolls her eyes and returns to watching the show. I lose all my mouth control and blurt it out at once, "I scored you a date." I am smiling from ear to ear.
Her eyes widen, her mouth agape, "Don't tell me." She says with dread.
I ignore her statement. "So, A-hole 101 called, and I answered. He apologized and asked you out on an 'apology-date'." I add air-quotes and wink at her.
She blushes profoundly. "Did he really say that? "She asks hesitantly.
"Yeah." I pick some chips from her bag. "Sort of." I add on second thought.
"What did he say exactly?" She presses.
"That's beside the point, what matters is what you are wearing when you go." I say decisively.
"I'm not going there." She says and covers her red face with her hands, so as to hide the blush from me; fat chance.
"I wasn't asking. I'm doing you a favor." I say as I get up to go scavenge through her wardrobe for the right attire to wear then. "You're welcome by the way."
"C'mon, how am I supposed to meet with him?" She cries out and follows me into her room. Seconds later her face transforms to one of repressed delight; I dread what she is going to say instantly. "Unless, if you come with me."
I don't like the sound of that. "No, it's your night. I wouldn't want to interrupt." Nor be the third wheel. I add mentally. Nothing in her closet appeals to me as date-appropriate clothing, she needs a wardrobe upgrade badly.
"I won't go either." She declares with finality.
"What will I be doing when you talk?" I complain like an angry five year old.
She seems to have thought everything out though, "I will ask him to bring a friend." An evil glint in her eye makes me regret even considering it. "And I wasn't asking, I'm doing you a favor." She throws my words back at me. Ugh.
"Why does that sound like a death trap?" I ask and she laughs evilly.
"Trust me it's good."
"Fine, but you drive a hard bargain missy." I say in a resigned way.
They settle on meeting at the Tale bar at 7:00pm on Saturday. What a choice! Taking a date to a former Playboy Club isn't so commendable in my books but this is not about me.
Saturday morning when I'm woken up before even God Himself has risen from His kingly slumber. It's Saturday for crying out loud.
I get out of bed and see Jade rummaging through my closet. "What do you want?" I ask her with enough laziness to battle a tortoise's energy levels for first place.
"I have nothing to wear." She says, "I am going to the mall." I shuffle back into bed, muttering good luck to her.
"And you're coming with me," She adds having reappeared from my closet. She tosses some shorts and a t-shirt at me which I hadn't noticed her holding. I refrain from resisting because of the self-righteous glare she is giving me, as though daring me to refuse.
I bathe as slowly as I can in hopes that she'll leave me behind. I exit the bathroom fully dressed. She grabs my arm and leads me to the door without giving me even a chance to put on makeup. She drives so fast I fear she will knock an old lady crossing the street.
We reach the mall and hit the shops instantly. We are at it for three hours before Jade gets anything she wants. The summer heat and fatigue makes me so exhausted, I'd fall asleep if I sat down, but of course I can't.
She finally lets me rest in front of Box lunch, near the AMC theater. I lean on a wall to catch my breath. Jade pulls out her phone and smiles like a maniac as she quickly scrolls and types on her phone. I'm left to wonder what the hell I was thinking when I agreed to live with such a crazy person who can look at her phone and smile like she just remembered the place where she left a hundred euros.
"Done." She exclaims as she looks up from her phone. "What?" She laughs when she sees the confused expression on my face. "I just ordered my dress from fashion nova." She says triumphantly.
Wait what?
So, I was woken up, dragged to the mall with no makeup on, walked hours non-stop, to have her pause a moment and just order the dress online? I am appalled, I can't even look at her. "You could have done that all along instead of dragging me to the mall you know." I say and she looks at me sheepishly.
"I didn't think of that but all is well that ends well. Right?" She says to appease me but not so fast.
"You're buying me lunch missy." I enter the Box Lunch, compelling her to follow me inside.
Amid eating a classic BLT, my phone rings. It's my dad. I leave the noise of the main area and answer the phone from the restroom.
"Hi dad." I say with a smile on my face. After a week of not talking, I am so delighted to hear his voice. Besides, my dad doesn't call me often but when he does, he makes my day for sure.
He takes time to answer, a knot forms in my stomach. "Lizzie, did you find another man?" Saying I am confused would be an understatement.
"What?" But then it clicks. "Why do you think that?" My face drops. I start pacing around the bathroom, I dread what he is going to say. My hand fiends the necklace I have worn ever since I was young; it was a gift from my father.
"Then why did you leave Glen?" I wouldn't dare call my father condescending, but at that moment I hate him for assuming knowledge based on Glen's lies.
If he knew, "Are you accusing me of cheating on my husband- ex-husband-, dad?" My tone is venomous. My hand tightens around the small pendant dangling from the necklace.
He is quiet; I take that as a yes. I didn't realize that tears were flowing down my face. I wipe them off. The door opens and Jade enters. She sees me before I can hide that I am crying. "We will talk later, dad." I say and hang up. I don't plan on calling him at all because this is outright betrayal.
I put my phone back in my pocket and storm out of the bathroom. Jade comes out after me demanding an explanation. I brush her off and grab my purse, "I'm leaving." Jade is right behind me as I walk out.
"Hey, what's going on?" She asks.
I open my mouth to tell her, but it hurts to admit that my own father believed a stranger over me. I close it again and walk on.
After two hours of solitude in my room, I deem myself capable of human interaction. I'm not angry anymore and I'm determined to make this night fun for Jade no matter what.
It's four in the afternoon by the clock, which means we have three hours before we have to go. I walk into Jade's room to apologize. I find her curled up on her bed, asleep. I nudge her softly. Her eyes fly open so fast, it scares me. She is hesitant the moment she sees me, I can't blame her though.
"Are you okay?" She asks with concern in her voice.
"Yeah. Listen, I am sorry for back then." I hate to be the one who makes everything awkward between us.
"It's okay. Are sure you're okay?" She emphasizes.
"Yeah, I'm doing great." I answer chirpily. She engulfs me in a hug. My muscles melt into her, I am comforted instantly. "We need to start preparing." I wriggle out of her hold, and enter her closet again. I need to find clothes to wear.
"Why are you excited about the date-thing all of a sudden?"
I shrug, "I want you to have a fun night." I straighten back up with the perfect outfit for me. It is a chocolate leather skirt with a loose-fitting white blouse. I head to the bathroom and do my toilet as well. I apply light makeup with a pink lip gloss and accessorize with a layered bracelet and black block-heel ankle boots.
With my toilet done, I wait for Jade from the living room. I turn on the TV and watch weekend news on BBC One.
Before long the doorbell rings and I receive Jade's dress from a delivery man. I take the package to her room and wait for her to finish. She takes her time; I wonder if it has nothing to do with a certain someone we are meeting tonight.
Twenty minutes later, she gets out of her room. She is fully dressed in a beautiful, tight, grey off-the-shoulder dress, showing a little cleavage. She put on nude makeup which suits her so much. Her blond hair is tied in a ponytail highlighting her high cheekbones and beautiful turquoise-ish eyes. Most of all, I love her red Fila shoes.
We head out and hail a taxi to the Tale bar. We find a line outside the bar which is a bummer. We join the queue and fortunately, in ten minutes we are already at the door being led in. The atmosphere at the Tale is calmer than I expected. It smells of expensive wines and an inkling of beer. As we make our way through the tables, men at some of them follow us with lustful, scavenging gazes.
Jade looks for A-hole or whatever his name is. I suspect his nickname won't be that for long. She spots him instantly and we head to the back of the sitting area where three guys are sitting. Their back profiles exude a model-like masculine aura from the way they are sitting together with a lot of ease as though they own the place. A part of me is anxious to see the front too.
The one on the right side of the table turns our way and my heart stops.