Her Best Friend's Brother(19)
“An air steward? Like a flight attendant?”
“Yeah except the old man is kind of old fashioned --- he prefers air steward, and since that term makes John turn red as an apple I have to say I like it too.” They shared a good laugh, and Libby was satisfied that her friend hadn’t been spending next year’s tuition on plane tickets.
She was leaving. With Parker. Tony stood slack jawed in the halway. He had come to find her, and to beg her for another chance. He was such an idiot. She had offered him everything he had wanted for what seemed like forever and he had thrown it al back in her face. Al because he was a little uncomfortable with her age. They could have worked it out--maybe started slowly he could have taken her on dates. Isn’t that what Mel had said he should do? He could have taken her to Broadway, and the empire state building. But never in a milion years had he expected to find her wrapped around Parker and headed out the door. It was probably his fault. He had driven her into someone else’s arms, but that didn’t take away the sting.
Chapter Six
They promoted me this year. Instead of coffee bitch, now I actually get to write something! Just the obits, but my name will be in next week’s issue. And I get to send the interns out for coffee.
I am so sorry about everything.
-t-
How’s Florida? It is already getting cold here, and I am thinking of you warm, and tanned basking in sunshine.
I hope you are enjoying school. Mel tells me you like going to class—naturally she is appalled. I think she is planning on majoring in parties at NC State.
-T-
Mel says you made the cross country track team.
That’s great Lib. I know that must make you happy.
I know how busy you are, but maybe you could just let me know how you’re doing?
-T-
One of my short stories was run in a local literary magazine. I wanted to send you a copy, but Mel won’t give me your address. She says she thinks you’re mad at me. I know she’s right.
PS: Maybe you could give me an idea of how to make you less mad?
-t-
This year for Halloween I am thinking of renting an apple costume and riding the subway all day. You see, I used to get such a kick out of the characters I would meet on the train that I think it is only fair I give back to the community.
PS: I miss you like crazy Lib.
-t-
I heard a joke today and thought of you… Where do cookies sleep?.... Do you give up? Okay I will tell you… A cookie sleeps under the cookie sheets.
-t-
For the first time in almost five months Tony had made Libby smile. She was tired of ignoring him, and tired of feeling humiliated. It was hardly his fault. Besides, as it turns out she was realy happy at Florida State. So… she clicked reply.
That was so lame! You know why the cookie went to the doctor right? Because he was a little bit nuts.
I do love school. I am making lots of friends, and I miss you too
-L-
What did the big bucket say to the little bucket? -----
----------------- You look a little pail!
Sorry my baked goods humor is limited.
Thank you
-t-
Happy as she was, Libby struggled to feel wholy comfortable in Florida. She knew of course that colege would be different than high school, but knowing and experiencing were two very different things. Libby and her roommate, Suzy, threw themselves into campus activities. There were parties, and trips to St. George Island, and Libby had quite falen in love with cross country running. She missed Mel, and her other friends, but there was a freedom in not being surrounded by people she had known since she was six years old.
At thanksgiving Mel flew down to Talahassee, and Libby went home for Christmas and spring break. John and Parker had visited at Christmas too. Seeing Parker again was more pleasant than Libby had imagined.
Perhaps, she thought, she was coming to terms with that awful party. Maybe this is what closure felt like. Closure was good, because Libby was quite certain that she could not go on waiting for Tony to love her back. As Tony and Libby eased back into their friendship, both avoiding al mention of Mel’s graduation party, they were careful to keep things light and friendly. Libby was determined not to miss his flirty teasing, because of course she knew, now, that those moments weren’t leading anywhere she wanted to go.
They stil wrote and texted and they had the occasionaly telephone cal. Once he even convinced her to try and talk him through baking cookies again.
Unfortunately they got very involved in debating the latest John Grisham novel, and Libby’s sincere belief that Mr.
Grisham was the exception to the rule of the book being better than the movie. Some things just translate better on the big screen. Nicholas Sparks was that way too, but Tony declined to comment on Mr. Sparks; stating that no respectable man had ever sat through The Notebook let alone read the book. But he said it in a way that made Libby suspected he had indeed seen the movie, and perhaps even read the book. They weren’t able to agree on a conclusion regarding John Grisham however because the forgotten cookies had burnt up, smoking Tony right out of the apartment. Libby seriously considered sending him a replacement batch of cookies, but she was unwiling to risk faling back into old and unhealthy habits with him again.