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“No kidding. You have this gorgeous condo that they pay for. I can’t even imagine not having to throw most of my budget to the rent overlords.” Amy grabbed her arm, twisting it for the best light. “I can’t believe you had a one-night stand with a delicious butch woman, and you’re still this wound up. Maybe you should return to the bar and see if she frequents there.”
Just thinking about Avery had her libido roaring back. “Yeah, I might just do that,” Stella mumbled. She’d gone years between exes before, and wasn’t sure why one night with Avery was so hard to shake.
“Well, if it were me, I would have given the person my number, and we’d still be fucking into Tuesday.”
“Lalalalalala.” Ethan plugged his ears and started singing. “I don’t want to hear about your active sex life. It was bad enough when we shared a wall at home.” He faux-gagged.
Seeing the sibling bickering dissolving further, Stella grabbed a pair of scissors and held them to her mouth like a microphone. In her hazy state, it seemed like a grand idea to hold sharp objects near her head.
“So, Amy Maki, what you brings here? Wait, what? Cut. Let me try that again.” Stella wiggled in her seat, taking a sip of the whiskey, not even feeling the burn down her throat anymore. Clearing her airway, she tried again. “So, Ames. What brought you here to darken my doorstep on this fine Friday evening?” Stella held the scissors out to Amy’s mouth as if she were holding an interview. It was a game they sometimes played after a few rounds.
Amy demurely tucked her silky raven hair behind her ear. “I can’t believe I’m on live TV. Hi Dad, hi Ethan. That’s my brother, not my lover for any potential suitors out there.” Amy waved to the fake camera.
“We’ll cut out Ethan’s snort. Now you were saying?” Stella’s mouth twitched to keep from smiling as she waited for her friend to answer.
This was exactly what she needed to pull her out of the depths of self-pity. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, Amy and Ethan were always ready with rope to drag her out of the pit she fell into. Already, she was feeling lighter, and it wasn’t because of the booze.
“…So, I thought he went in for a kiss, but he was just reaching for a napkin. We ended the date, and I had to see if you were available to help drown my sorrows. I don’t know why Ethan is here though.” Amy slumped on the counter, almost gouging her eye on the scissors Stella still held near her face.
“Hey!” Ethan protested in the background.
Sliding the weapon to the end of the counter, Stella patted Amy’s back. “You’re a catch, Amy. You'll find what you're looking for once you’re willing to try for over a week and open up to them.”
“It’s hopeless then!”
Stella flinched at Amy’s wail. “It’s not! You’re amazing. You just don’t let anyone in.” Stella grabbed Amy’s cheeks, squishing them together. Her own flame of hope that she’d be able to find her big break dimmed every passing year. Her nana would be so disappointed.
“Oi, knock it off.” Ethan threw a towel at his sister. “You both will find what you need. It’s right around the corner. I feel it.” He pushed the palm of his hand into his chest.
“You’re right, Banana. I’ll try and see if there is someone I want to get to know better.” Amy held out her hand to Stella.
When they let go of their handshake, Stella tapped her phone to check the time. Squinting, her heart stuttered when she saw a missed call and message notification on the home screen. With shaky hands, she unlocked the phone and navigated to the voicemail.
“Shhh, everyone, be quiet!” Stella pumped her hands downward.
“We’re not even saying anything,” Amy responded, which received another towel to her face from her brother.
Stella closed her eyes as the message started playing. “Hi Stella, this is Neil from ALLGAD TV. We need you to come down to the studio tomorrow for a meeting at ten. We have a lot to discuss so lunch will be provided. If you have representation, let them know. This is a quick-moving project, and we would love to get all the details hammered out ASAP. Call tomorrow morning if you have any questions.” Stella’s jaw dropped as the message ended with a contact number.
Neil’s nasally recording cut off as the silence pressed into Stella. Slowly, she opened her eyes, which widened as the message washed over her.
Holding out her arm to Amy, she said, “Pinch me. Did I hear that correctly?” She winced at Amy’s enthusiastic squeeze. “Ouch. Holy shit! It’s real.” Stella slid from her chair, pulling Amy up to dance with her before bouncing to the sink to grab a glass of water.
“I’ve got to pee.” Amy disentangled herself and stumbled down the hallway.
Ethan squeezed her shoulders before stepping back to slide into Amy’s seat.
“How are you doing, Ethan?” Stella tried to keep her mind off of watching the time go by. Her dreams were a heartbeat away, yet also stretched over the ocean.
“I’m okay. Things are better now that I switched jobs. I’m so happy for you. I knew this was going to happen.” He ran his hands through his hair. “How are you? How come you’re still thinking of what’s-her-name? Avery, was it?”
Stella’s mouth curved in a smile around the lip of the glass of water. “Yeah, Avery.” Her finger slid across the bruise on her wrist. “I think it’s because in some ways I regret not giving her my number. It’s hard to let go of something that feels incomplete. But whatever chemistry we had would have probably burned bright, then fizzled.”
“Maybe, but there seems to be something that’s bringing your mind back to her. That’s pretty rare for you. Usually when you move on, you’re always looking forward. Anyway, whoever you end up with, you know we’ll be there, cheering you on and probably forgetting a boundary or seven, Banana.”
“Isn’t a nickname supposed to be shorter than my real name? And banana makes no sense; it has nothing to do with Stella,” she huffed.
“Well, next time, don’t buy three bundles of bananas when you meet someone new,” Amy said as she returned from the bathroom.
