someone yesterday at the movies.”
“Just a random guy sitting beside you?”
“No,” I laughed. “My coworker. The one from The Reel Café. He happened to be there, too, without a date.”
Erica lit up. “Oh , wow. I call that the aligning of stars. Cute stars. No, no. Hot stars, ‘cause that guy is hot.” She paused. “Good kisser?”
“So good,” I sighed.
“Gentleman?”
“He bought all the snacks,” I replied.
Erica nodded her approval. “What happened after the movie?”
“Nothing. We went home. Separately.”
“Good girl,” Erica said. “No one likes a ho.”
I nodded. Erica turned on the compressor and shot a few practice sprays into the tanning tent.
“If you make me look like an Oompa Loompa, I swear to God . . .”
“Oh, shut up and relax,” Erica said. “Now strip and put this hair cap on.”
I peeled off my clothes carefully and folded them neatly in a pile on the sink. I tucked my hair under the cap and stepped into the tent facing my best friend, who immediately looked at my crotch and rolled her eyes.
“What?” I cried indignantly.
“Nothing. Just wish I had time for a wax,” she noted.
I smirked. “Jungle down there?”
“I don’t know how he can find anything in that mess,” she replied.
“I’ll watch your kids,” I offered.
“It’s an imposition.”
“Oh , please. Stop complaining about how you don’t have time to take care of yourself if you’re gonna turn down help.”
Erica thought for a moment. “That makes sense. Fine. I’m making an appointment next Saturday, and you’re on kid duty.”
“Ugh. What about Noah?” I asked.
“Bailey!”
“I’m kidding!” I chuckled.
We continued our conversation about Reece while Erica sprayed tanning solution on me in circular motions.
“We’ll try this way first. You can do strokes or circles. I’m thinking circles is better coverage,” Erica said.
I gulped. “Remind me why I have to be your guinea pig.”
“Because you love me, and you want me to have a successful spray tanning business,” Erica replied. She finished my inner thigh then instructed me to stand in another awkward position. “I am slightly worried, though, about the whole working-in-the-same-office thing.”
“Me too,” I admitted.
“I have all the faith in the world that it’ll work out, but I’m—”
“—thinking of my track record,” I finished.
Erica frowned. “Be nice to my BFF,” she said.
“I know that ’s what you’re thinking,” I replied.
“Arms o ut. Palms facing me,” Erica ordered. “And I’m only thinking that if , and that’s a huge if , it doesn’t work out, it could make things messy at work.”
“We haven’t established anything,” I argued.
“Bailey, you made out with him throughout a two-hour movie. That’s establishing something,” Erica pointed out.
I shrugged.
“Hey! Stand still!”
“ Oh, whoops.”
Erica finished my front, then turned me aro und. “Do you get the sense he wants something more?”
I thought about that for a moment, and then Reece’s face flashed in my mind—particularly his smile as we stood outside saying goodbye a fter the movie. He looked happy, his smile conveying to the world, “Yeah, so today was pretty good.” I liked the casualness of that smile. It helped me relax, calm the raging questions in my head about what’s next. I thought he wanted more—his smile suggested it—but I realized I didn’t have to worry about that just then. All I had to do was smile back. So I did.
“Well?” Erica asked. “You think he wants more?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“How do you know?”
“He smiled.”
Reece gave me his number. It felt sneaky and wrong, especially since we both knew better. “Coworkers” equals “potential problems.” I confess that I fantasized more about the humiliation we’d feel being caught going at it in the copy room than what could happen to my fragile heart if our budding relationship fizzled out. I
“Just a random guy sitting beside you?”
“No,” I laughed. “My coworker. The one from The Reel Café. He happened to be there, too, without a date.”
Erica lit up. “Oh , wow. I call that the aligning of stars. Cute stars. No, no. Hot stars, ‘cause that guy is hot.” She paused. “Good kisser?”
“So good,” I sighed.
“Gentleman?”
“He bought all the snacks,” I replied.
Erica nodded her approval. “What happened after the movie?”
“Nothing. We went home. Separately.”
“Good girl,” Erica said. “No one likes a ho.”
I nodded. Erica turned on the compressor and shot a few practice sprays into the tanning tent.
“If you make me look like an Oompa Loompa, I swear to God . . .”
“Oh, shut up and relax,” Erica said. “Now strip and put this hair cap on.”
I peeled off my clothes carefully and folded them neatly in a pile on the sink. I tucked my hair under the cap and stepped into the tent facing my best friend, who immediately looked at my crotch and rolled her eyes.
“What?” I cried indignantly.
“Nothing. Just wish I had time for a wax,” she noted.
I smirked. “Jungle down there?”
“I don’t know how he can find anything in that mess,” she replied.
“I’ll watch your kids,” I offered.
“It’s an imposition.”
“Oh , please. Stop complaining about how you don’t have time to take care of yourself if you’re gonna turn down help.”
Erica thought for a moment. “That makes sense. Fine. I’m making an appointment next Saturday, and you’re on kid duty.”
“Ugh. What about Noah?” I asked.
“Bailey!”
“I’m kidding!” I chuckled.
We continued our conversation about Reece while Erica sprayed tanning solution on me in circular motions.
“We’ll try this way first. You can do strokes or circles. I’m thinking circles is better coverage,” Erica said.
I gulped. “Remind me why I have to be your guinea pig.”
“Because you love me, and you want me to have a successful spray tanning business,” Erica replied. She finished my inner thigh then instructed me to stand in another awkward position. “I am slightly worried, though, about the whole working-in-the-same-office thing.”
“Me too,” I admitted.
“I have all the faith in the world that it’ll work out, but I’m—”
“—thinking of my track record,” I finished.
Erica frowned. “Be nice to my BFF,” she said.
“I know that ’s what you’re thinking,” I replied.
“Arms o ut. Palms facing me,” Erica ordered. “And I’m only thinking that if , and that’s a huge if , it doesn’t work out, it could make things messy at work.”
“We haven’t established anything,” I argued.
“Bailey, you made out with him throughout a two-hour movie. That’s establishing something,” Erica pointed out.
I shrugged.
“Hey! Stand still!”
“ Oh, whoops.”
Erica finished my front, then turned me aro und. “Do you get the sense he wants something more?”
I thought about that for a moment, and then Reece’s face flashed in my mind—particularly his smile as we stood outside saying goodbye a fter the movie. He looked happy, his smile conveying to the world, “Yeah, so today was pretty good.” I liked the casualness of that smile. It helped me relax, calm the raging questions in my head about what’s next. I thought he wanted more—his smile suggested it—but I realized I didn’t have to worry about that just then. All I had to do was smile back. So I did.
“Well?” Erica asked. “You think he wants more?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“How do you know?”
“He smiled.”
Reece gave me his number. It felt sneaky and wrong, especially since we both knew better. “Coworkers” equals “potential problems.” I confess that I fantasized more about the humiliation we’d feel being caught going at it in the copy room than what could happen to my fragile heart if our budding relationship fizzled out. I
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