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Gracie: I really can’t believe that you remembered exactly how I like my coffee…
Georgia: I remember everything about you and about that week.
I got nervous when a few minutes went by before her next reply. Afraid I had scared her away already. Just as I pick up my phone to type some sort of apology, I hear the alert I’d been waiting for.
Gracie: You still a simple Americano guy?
She fucking remembers too. It’s not just me! Now how do I play this? What the hell, I might as well go for it.
Georgia: Yep and I still love chocolate ice cream…
Right now I am picturing that magnificent blush of hers slowly crossing her features as the memories of our week floods back to her. I hope I haven’t crossed a line but it’s killing me to know if she’s pushing me into the friend zone or if I’m ever going to have a chance at something more with her. When five minutes have passed I realize I might have crossed that invisible line. I tell myself to wait another five minutes and if she doesn’t reply I will.
With just a minute to spare she puts me out of my misery. I see the tiny bubbles start moving on my phone’s screen that tells me she is in the process of writing me back. What I read next is not at all what I was expecting…
Gracie: I’m ready to tell you what I couldn’t in the past. I don’t want to move forward with our friendship in any way without you knowing. I’m not the same person I was when we met, Jonathan and I want you to decide for yourself if you want to continue a friendship or anything else between the two of us. Do you think we can try to get some time to talk when you’re here tomorrow night?
Georgia: Of course.
Gracie: Ok, good. See you tomorrow. Goodnight.
Georgia: See you tomorrow.
I typed and re-typed my reply to her message and finally just decided to keep it simple. I want her to know how much it means to me that she trusts me enough to tell me whatever her big secret is. At the same time, it stirs up emotions that anger me and make me want to scream, why couldn’t you have told me then?! Until I know what’s going on I think simple is best.
Now, here I am driving like a maniac to get to her. The adrenaline that is coursing through my body is practically making me shake. I can’t wait to see her but I’m scared to death to hear what she has to tell me. Our only communication today was when I texted to tell her I had gotten called in and that I would be late getting there. I hate that there were hours that I could have been with her that were wasted.
As I pull on to Mick’s street, I can see that my theory was correct and that everybody and their brother took today off. There are cars lining both sides of the street. I find a spot about a block away and take a couple of breaths before I get out of my truck.
Walking down the sidewalk, I feel so amped that my hands are shaking and I have to put my hands in my shorts pockets to try to contain them. Just knowing that sometime tonight I will finally have the answers I’ve been needing has me going out of my mind. I have no idea what she’s going to tell me or if it will change my mind about her like she said it would when we met, but I still have to know. I’m not sure if she knows how much her inability to trust her secrets with me all those years ago hurt me. I know I can’t dwell on that right now so I shake it off and walk around the side of the house to the backyard where I can hear voices.
I walk through the yard and say my hellos, I grab a beer out of the cooler, open it up and toss the cap in the trash, all while my eyes are flying around the yard in search of her. I don’t see her, but I do see Devon and Gabby.
I start to head towards them, but Mick stops me first with a handshake that turns into a bro hug. Bro, brah, brofus, dude…these are all words that sum up Mick. You would think he lived in a fraternity but nope, that’s just Mick. He’s a dude’s dude and a player through and through. That’s why seeing Emily with him at Kells filled me with instant rage. I was never so relieved to hear him say the word sister. Except that does mean that Mick is her brother, and I want more than friendship from Emily. Things could get ugly if not handled correctly.
“Bro! So glad you could make it! Sucks balls that you got called in on your day off, man. Glad you came by anyway.”
“Of course, couldn’t miss your first big shindig at the new place.”
“Well, thanks for helping me move in, dude. Help yourself to whatever you want. What’s mine is yours.”
I don’t think he’s referring to his sister, but I thank him anyway.
Mick takes off to say goodbye to somebody, and I take another look around but still don’t see Emily. I find Devon and Gabby again and head that way. They’re talking as I approach them and with a nod of her head Gabby signals to D that I’m behind him and they instantly stop talking. As soon as Devon turns around, something seems off with him.
“Hey man, what’s up?”
“Not much, J. Sucks you had to pull a shift today.”
I can tell there’s something that he’s hiding from me and Gabby looks at me almost like she feels bad for me for some reason. What the Hell is going on here?
“Yeah, it does. So what’s up?”
“Not much, just the usual crew here tonight.”
“Not what I mean, D.”
“What do you mean?”
