Before I could think about it too much, I heard a knock at the door. Who the hell knows I’m here? For all my neighbors know, I’m dead. It’s not like I’ve been here.
Emma, of course.
“How’d you know I was here?” I questioned as I stepped back to let her in my apartment.
“God, have you cleaned?” she asked accusingly, swiping a finger across my kitchen counter.
“I haven’t been here in a few days. Now how’d you know I was here?” I asked, cocking one hip out and crossing my arms across my chest before leaning on the counter. It was pretty dusty…
“Oh, you know. I asked your neighbor, Paul? Is that his name?” I nodded as if to say, continue. “Yeah. I asked him to call me when you came home. I’m pretty sure he thought he would get a date out of it,” she finished, opening my fridge and helping herself to a can of Coke. She’s unbelievable. I just shook my head, knowing she meant well. I mean, what friend asks your neighbor to stalk you for them? Only Emma.
“Thanks for your concern?” I said it like a question, as I pushed myself off the counter and walked over to the fridge, grabbing a coke for myself.
“So tell me,” Emma started, drawing out every syllable for emphasis. “Where have you been?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at me over her coke. I just couldn’t lie to her, and even if I did, she’d know I was lying. I could feel my face turning red, and averting her gaze, looked down at the floor.
“Sidney’s,” I mumbled, almost inaudibly, but she heard. Oh, she heard me. She took a sharp intake of breath before attacking me with inquiries.
“Sidney’s!?” she screeched at me. The anger I assumed she would have didn’t seem to be there, and instead, she seemed almost excited. “What did you do there? Have you really been there this whole time? How is he in bed?”
“Emma!” I managed, giving her an incredulous stare and a slight smile. Always so subtle when she wants to know something.
“What? I want to know!” she said, sitting down at my bar and crossing her legs before smoothing her pencil skirt out.
“He’s, well, he’s amazing,” I said, pulling at a piece of hair and twirling it around my finger absently, then examining it for split ends. I was doing anything to avoid her eyes; they cut like knives.
“I KNEW IT! He just looks like he would be amazing…” she said, sounding like she was struggling for words to continue. “You know,” she stated, winking at me and gesturing wildly around her head.
I just nodded and smiled, gazing around at my dusty apartment before heading back into the family room where FSN, and Sidney were still on, advertising his game in Raleigh, game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Emma followed me, Coke in hand.
“So is he strong?” she asked, and I knew what she was referring to.
“Em, I’m not going to discuss my sex life with you,” I said defensively, plopping down on the couch. Emma took her usual seat in my recliner and just looked at me. I’m going to tell her eventually. I’m one of those people that tells everyone everything that happens to me. Well, maybe not everyone, just my good friends.
“You’ll tell me when you’re ready,” she stated blankly before turning to look at the TV. We sat in silence for a few minutes before she broke it.
“So why aren’t you at his house now?” she asked, turning back towards me in her chair and leaning over her legs.
“He went to Raleigh.”
“Ah! How could I forget? I’ve been waiting to watch this game forever! I want them to sweep. I think they’ll sweep,” she said, going off into hockey mode Emma, but coming back to nosey mode Emma quicker than I would have liked.
“So why didn’t you go with him?” she prodded, and just for emphasis, actually prodded me.
I didn’t want to talk about it. Not with her, not with anyone. Sidney made me mad when it came to these playoff games. I wanted to punch him in the face at times. I know he meant well, but just the way he did it pissed me off, like he was the almighty hockey player and I was just his interior designer slash girlfriend on the side.
-
“Hey, why don’t I go with you to Raleigh?” I had asked him the previous night, acting on a whim and leaning into him, causing him to stop his packing and kiss me.
“Eh, I’m not too…” he paused to let out a soft content moan. “Sure about that.”
“Why not?” I questioned, taking a step back and looking at him. His hands were still resting on my lower back and they were slowly working their way around my waist to pull me closer to him. I dug my heels into his white burber carpet and resisted any forward movement towards him.
I thought I was making great progress, opening up to him, and now, I wanted to go to Raleigh with him, but he basically shot me down. I wanted to cry and pout and make him let me go with him, but I never won any battles if it involved arguing with him.
“I just don’t think it would go well with my preseason routine…” he stated lamely, shrugging his shoulders and smiling a little.
“Alright, whatever,” I said, backing away and raising my hands. “Whatever you want Sidney.”
“No, Aves, come here,” he said, dropping the oversized suits he had in his hand and covering the space between us with two strides. “Look, I really want you to come.” I shot him a look and he continued. “Really, I do. You’re just going to have to believe me when I say that I would really like you there.”
“Then let me come.”
“I can’t. I’m almost done with the season. Just wait a few more weeks and you’ll have me all to yourself. I promise,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose.
I just stood there, pretending to be enthusiastic about the fact that in a few weeks he would be mine. I wanted him now. I was consumed in him. There was no other way to explain it.
“Okay,” I said, trying to mask the sourness in my voice.
-
“I don’t want to talk about,” I replied, glaring at her.
“Come on,” Emma whined like a four year old, oblivious that I didn’t want to tell her anything. “Tell me.”
“He didn’t want me to go to Raleigh with him,” I said bluntly, getting up from the couch and walking back into the kitchen to get a beer. This is why I never dated before Sidney.
Emma’s mouth was hanging open and I could pretty much see her tonsils, which, call me crazy, I did not want to see.
“Close your mouth,” I snapped at her before taking a swig of my beer and feeling my head rush a little when I turned back to the fridge.
“You don’t seem happy,” she stated, flipping the channels on my TV nonchalantly.
“No shit I’m not happy. My freaking boyfriend didn’t want me to go with him on a road trip. A ROAD TRIP. That pretty much screams hey, let’s just have sex the whole time,” I said with a raised tone. I couldn’t remember the last time I was so mad. And the reason I was so mad?
“I fucking love him Emma, and he acts like this is nothing. Here I am, pouring out my heart and soul to this guy, and getting nothing in return when I offer to go with him on a road trip.”
She was up off the couch and at my side before I could blink. I knew she’d be there for me when I needed her. “Does he know… you, you know, love him?” she asked, sitting at the bar and looking at me with her ever-knowing eyes. I shook my head at her and just lowered my head, feeling sorry for myself.
“Well, you know what this means don’t you?” she asked me with a hint of adventure to her voice. I knew this wouldn’t end well.
“No, Emma, I don’t know what this means, but I’m sure you’ll tell me anyway,” I said with no enthusiasm.
“It sounds like we need to go on a road trip of our own.”
Uh oh... road trips aren't always a good thing. But damn Sidney for being a jerk about road trips.
ReplyDeleteWow, I love this story! I was so excited when I saw that you updated it.
ReplyDeleteThis road trip could mean trouble, But I'm so excited to read what happens next!!!
oh darn...he's not going to be happy. I don't get the idea that Siddie likes surprises
ReplyDelete