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“Yeah, Alex, but what are you going to do? Give her space. If she wants you, she’ll change her mind.”
We grow silent, and for a moment, I thought the subject had died there. But then, once we reach the field where outdoor receptions are held, a third member joins our party.
“Boys!” It’s Mark. He is the Vice President of a big marketing agency here in San Francisco. “Way to spend a Wednesday afternoon, huh?”
“Please, don’t remind me. I’ll have to reschedule two meetings,” I say with a frown.
Mark is on foot but follows us close, petting Wildfire’s mane as he does.
“So, how was your Saturday night, Alex?” Mark asks me, deadpan, and Patrick starts to laugh.
“We were just talking about it, my friend,” Patrick says, putting his chuckles under control.
“You’re looking way too moody for someone who recently had sex,” Mark adds, leaving me purple with cringe.
“Who said we had sex?” I say, trying to keep the serious facade, but in truth I’m almost laughing out of nervousness.
“Oh, Alex, come on!” Patrick exclaims, sounding offended. “You disappeared with a beautiful girl at lunchtime and only came back the day after!”
“Yeah, you can’t fool us!” Mark says.
Agitated and feeling pressured, I turn inward for a strategy on how to escape them, failing miserably.
“That’s not the point!” I say, the best defense I can come up with. “The point is that she doesn’t take me seriously!”
“And why would you say that?” Mark blinks.
“He wants a girlfriend, and she wants a fling,” Patrick interjects.
I’m beyond frustrated at this point.
“When you talk about Liv like that it makes her look like a hopeless cause,” I tell Patrick with a crooked stare. “I can guarantee she’s not that.”
“Then go ask her out and clean things up with her, you idiot!” Mark says, surprising me with a bit of wisdom.
I let out a deep sigh, and then pat my front pocket to see if my phone is there. Before Nicole starts to call me about the meetings I’m not there to attend, I decide I’m going after Liv, no matter what it takes.
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” I say, phone in one hand and maneuvering Wildfire with the other. “I have a phone call to make.”
I walk away under their cheer and select Liv’s number with nervous spasms running down my spine. I call it and bring my phone to my ear, and every time it rings, my heart races a little faster.
She takes her sweet time to answer but, when she does, it’s with a trembling and awkward voice.
“Hi, Alex!” she says, sweetly, but sounding like she wants to drop the phone and run away. “How are you?”
“Doing great!” I say, mid-sighing, trying to control my nerves too. “Listen, I…”
“Alex, I know I said this already, but I’m sorry: I can’t get into the sort of commitment you need!” she says desperate. I can only imagine her biting down on her lip and looking all sexy and vulnerable…
“No, forget about that!” I say, waving her words away. “I just want to know if you want to go out with me this Saturday.”
“Oh!” She seems surprised. If pleasantly or not, I’m yet to know. “Um… okay. Where are you taking me?”
I sigh once again, but now, it’s a sigh of relief. So, she’s not refuting me completely, now what?
“Remember that Asian fusion place I told you about?” I say.
“Uh-huh!”
