HIM
I saw him back in the shop. Something.My phone rings, and Luke's name flashes across the screen. Should I answer it or let it go to voicemail? If I let it go to voicemail, he will know that I'm mad and jealous. Shit.
I answer, awkwardly giddy, "Hello!"
"Hey, you didn't come talk to me before you left," Luke says.
"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt you and Bridget," I reply.
Smooth! Nice one Ali, he doesn't need to know you're a little disturbed by what you saw, and you needed to get the hell out of there before making a scene.
"We were just talking about our weekend plans. She dropped off some stuff for Maureen," he states.
"That's cool," I mutter.
"I'm off soon if you want to get dinner with me," Luke inquires.
"I would love to, but I need to pack for the cabin this weekend, talk to Ris, and get to bed early. I'm covering for Maureen tomorrow since she has the day off," I sigh.
It sucks to say no to him, but what do I do! I still feel weird about seeing him with Bridget and them being so buddy-buddy.
"Yea, I need to pack too. You still want me to pick you and your roommate up after work tomorrow?" Luke questions.
"Yes, she should be here about three or four."
"Okay, I should get back to work. I will miss not waking up to you in the morning, Turtle!"
I giggle.
"See you tomorrow, Luke."
"Bye!" he laughs before hanging up.
I would not mind Luke distracting me again tonight. He has such a kind soul. I wonder if he was this amiable in his past life, the life he had lived in California. Did prison help him change from a bad boy into a good one, or the fact he wanted to start a new life afterward, or has he always been this way? I hope that the more time we spend together, the more I learn about who he is and was. I'm curious to know about his life growing up and what he was like before. I'd love to see pictures of him when he was younger, although I am sure those got burnt in his mother's house during the fire. I want to ask him about his past, but I'm afraid to open old wounds. He seems to have worked hard on himself to get to where he is today.
I think I am starting to fall hard for him. Seeing him today with Bridget, knowing their history, and what she is capable of, really bothered me. I wonder if they have done more than kissing, which is why he keeps stopping us from having sex. Then again, I don't think he was going to prevent it from happening this morning. I may just be overthinking.
I wonder if he called me while Bridget was standing next to him today. What would happen if she found out about him and me? Was she who he was talking to last night at my house when he was in the bathroom? I did overhear him say that he likes me. It could very well have been her on the other end.
I need to call Ris; she can talk me down from my overthinking and irrational thoughts. I grab my phone. I wish I had voice activation in my car like Luke does in his truck, so I can ask it to call Ris for me. It would be so much easier than having to pull over to call her. I'm just feeling lazy today. I scroll through my contacts and click on Ris's number.
"Eeek girl, T-minus twenty-four hours, and I get to see my favorite bitch!!" she screams into the other end of the phone without even saying hello.
I can sense her excitement; I cannot wait to see her either. I need my bestie.
"I know I'm so excited to see you. A week has been way too long to be apart," I shriek back.
"I packed and repacked my shit so many times; it's unreal. I think I'm just going to bring our whole apartment," she laughs.
She has a corny sense of humor, and it always makes me smile. I giggle. I'm sure she will pack our entire apartment. We've gone on a trip for the weekend, and she had four bags to my one. She's the type that needs to change outfits a million times a day.
"Speaking of packing, can you please pack my orange bikini for me? I don't know if I still have suits at my dad's. I'm sure if I do, they are just lame one-pieces," I say.
"Girl, I bought you a new suit, but I will grab the orange one right now and throw it in one of my bags. I know how much you like that one, plus it makes your boobs look, killer!" she cackles.
"Thanks. You're too good to me," I reply.
"I'm pumped to meet your childhood friend. What's his name again?" she asks.
"His name is Jason, and he's excited to meet you too. He asked me if you're hot," I giggle.
"You best have told him, that I'm fucking Filet Mignon and will rock his world this weekend," she laughs.
She would do it too, and that's a fact—my overly promiscuous friend.
Laughing, I reply, "I told him you aren't ugly!"
"Way to make me sound mediocre, bitch," she giggles.
"You need the wow factor when he sees you. If I hyped you up too much, he wouldn't be in suspense," I joke.
Jason needed an excellent sales pitch. You cannot just go straight for the sale; you need to work up to it, plus I am sure Ris will exceed his expectations. She's a knockout in the looks department, and her figure is mind-boggling.
"What time are you planning to leave tomorrow?" I ask.
"I'll leave as soon as I wake up," she replies.
"So, that would be noon?" I burst out laughing.
She tends to sleep the day away and be late for everything.
Laughing, she says, "No! I plan to leave no later than ten."
"Great, you should be here about three