“Maybe I’ll check with a guidance counselor tomorrow; there are a few tests I can take that might help me figure it out.”
My coffee was cold, another reminder of how fast time passed. There was nothing she could say that would take my mind off this topic.
It enveloped me, as though I were standing in the middle of a desert with a thousand directions that I could walk, but only one would lead me to a town and salvation. But, I always imagined taking the wrong path and starving in the middle of nowhere wishing I’d gone a different direction.
Brad was normally there to hear out all my crazy thoughts and dreams. He was good to me like that, and I was good to him in every way he wanted; which usually meant doing something a little demeaning in the bedroom.
It helped that he was incredibly smart. He was almost the top of the class and headed towards a fantastic graduate school. I was jealous; he knew what he wanted.
“Oh, don’t look. Here comes Chris!”
I couldn’t help my curiosity, so of course I looked.
He was something to behold. He was tall and strong, with that perfect V-shaped upper body. His tight white shirt clung to his biceps on the verge of tearing. His gorgeous blue eyes scanned the room as he walked up to the counter to order a drink. It was almost annoying how attractive he was.
“Seriously, Tiff. If you’re so attracted to him, why don’t you go say ‘hi’ and let him know you exist.”
She stiffened in her seat, perking out her breasts. I almost smashed my head into the table to protest her rather barbaric display of attraction.
“Are you joking? He probably doesn’t remember half the people he meets on a daily basis,” she said taking a nervous sip of her coffee.
“Fine, I’ll go say hello,” I started before being pulled back down to my seat.
“Seriously, just stay here. Maybe he’ll come this way.”
I leaned back in my seat and stared at the ceiling. A stain caught my attention; it looked something like a giraffe which prompted a light guffaw that exited through my nose.
“What’s so funny,” I heard a man’s voice say.
It was Chris, naturally. He came into view while I still stared at the ceiling. I grasped the table and pulled myself up to a normal sitting position.
“Ha, I doubt you’d really be that interested,” I said.
“You’d be surprised what I’m interested in,” he replied.
I leaned back and pointed up at the ceiling tile, with the stain.
“I thought it was funny that it looked something like a giraffe,” I pointed out.
He looked up and let out a small bit of laughter. I couldn’t tell if he was laughing at my sense of humor, or if he was joining in on the joke.
“You’re quite a character, what’s your name?”
“Lucy,” I replied.
“And who’s your friend,” he asked.
“Tiffany!” she blurted out.
Chris stood up tall, and it almost looked like he was flexing a little more now.
“Mind if I give you a call sometime,” he said.
Tiffany nodded excitedly. He hadn’t really directed his comment at either of us, so it stood to reason that he was asking both of us. Tiffany whipped out her coffee receipt and scrawled her phone number hastily on the back.
“I don’t give my number to strangers,” I said.
“Well, that’s too bad,” he said, “it looks like we’ll have to get to know each other better.”
I wanted to think he was flirting with me, but he was looking at Tiffany the entire time. I sipped at my cold drink, and it was as disgusting as I imagined it would be, but the temporary relief of having to hold up my end of the conversation was welcome.
“Chris,” the barista shouted while placing a drink on the counter.
“Pleasure meeting you two, maybe we’ll talk later.”
He sauntered off to his drink to be joined by a couple other rather fine specimens of manhood.
“I’m freaking out, Lucy,” Tiffany started to say, “He has my number! I hope he calls. I hear he’s amazing in bed.”
“Says who,” I asked.
“Says nearly every girl that’s gone to a football game this season,” Tiffany replied.
“Thank god I didn’t give him my number. I’m perfectly happy with Brad.”
Tiffany tossed her drink in the bin behind her.
“I don’t know how you can drink cold coffee; it’s not right.”
“It’s hard to deny something you already have,” I replied.
“Well, you should start learning that sometimes, it’s better to enjoy new things you might hate. You never know what you’ll find you like.”
“Are you saying I should break up with Brad?”