finished your float yet.”
Alli slumped back into her seat. He was an insistent little thing, wasn’t he. Well, Alli amended, he’s not exactly little. He was actually quite tall. Alli took in his short auburn hair and friendly brown eyes. Josh had perfect teeth and an easy smile. Why can’t I like you? She thought.
Alli spent the next twenty minutes doing her best to look interested in what Josh was saying, but her mind kept wandering.
Jason should be home by now...
If he was even going home.
The quiet at the table brought Alli back to the present. Josh was looking at her as if he was expecting her to say something. She stared at him blankly.
“Hello? Earth to Alli.” He laughed a little uncomfortably. “Is anybody home?”
God he’s annoying. “Oh, sorry. I’m a little preoccupied.”
“That’s okay...” He shrugged. “I understand. I was just saying how it looks like that new Pixar movie might be pretty good...”
“Yeah. Pixar has a great track record.” Alli slurped up the last of her root beer as loudly as possible and stood up before Josh worked up the nerve to ask her to another movie. “It was good to see you, Josh. Thanks for the chat.”
Alli could tell Josh was flustered by her rapid departure. He managed to smile and nod enthusiastically, but he couldn’t make his tongue cooperate enough to utter an actual sentence. She could feel him watching her leave. He waved to her through the window as she stooped to get into her car. The engine rumbled to life as she turned the key in the ignition. Alli felt mean, as if she had just kicked a puppy.
Sleep did not come easily to Alli that night. She lie awake, staring at her ceiling, unable to stop the thoughts playing on a loop in her mind. What is Jason doing right now? Is he kissing that drunk woman? Is he running his expert hands over her cheaply clad curves? Arrrgh!
Alli would never understand men. How could Jason be attracted to her, and then go and consort with a woman like that ? That woman looked like a walking hepatitis factory.
Alli turned around huffily and punched at her pillow a few times. Swiping angrily at the hot tears running down the side of her face into her hairline, she grabbed her ipod headphones and stuffed them into her ears. Hopefully the Black Eyed Peas could drown out her thoughts. It was going to be a long night.
“Happy birthday Alli!”
Alli smiled brightly and greeted her gathered friends. They had taken over a back room at an obscure asian fusion restaurant. It wasn’t Greg’s first choice of venue, but Alli’s girlfriend Ellen had demanded hosting privileges, and Greg didn’t have the energy to argue with that woman.
Ellen pulled Alli into a hug. Then, before dragging Alli off she chirped to Greg, “Sorry Greg, she’s the birthday girl. You have to share her with the masses.”
Greg nodded cordially and migrated over to the bar to grab a drink. He never could win in a battle of wills with Ellen. For the most part Alli and Greg’s respective sets of friends commingled seamlessly. It was only Ellen, and the equally confounding Jainey that didn’t ever seem to fully accept him. It was as if they found him lacking in some key quality they deemed a prerequisite to being Alli’s beau.
Greg shook his head to clear it. They were harmless enough, Alli’s friends. Greg spotted his usual group of cronies and ambled over after instructing the bartender to keep his glass full. He had overheard someone mention karaoke, and he wasn’t nearly drunk enough for that yet.
“Spill it.” Jainey said before Alli could even sit down. “Why were you crying?”
“Is it really that obvious?” Alli asked.
“I noticed the second you walked in.” Ellen admitted. “So what happened?”
Alli glanced over her shoulder conspiratorially before turning back to the girls and smiling in victory. “I found him.” Was all she said.
Two sets of eyes grew round as saucers in sudden realization. Ellen was
Alli slumped back into her seat. He was an insistent little thing, wasn’t he. Well, Alli amended, he’s not exactly little. He was actually quite tall. Alli took in his short auburn hair and friendly brown eyes. Josh had perfect teeth and an easy smile. Why can’t I like you? She thought.
Alli spent the next twenty minutes doing her best to look interested in what Josh was saying, but her mind kept wandering.
Jason should be home by now...
If he was even going home.
The quiet at the table brought Alli back to the present. Josh was looking at her as if he was expecting her to say something. She stared at him blankly.
“Hello? Earth to Alli.” He laughed a little uncomfortably. “Is anybody home?”
God he’s annoying. “Oh, sorry. I’m a little preoccupied.”
“That’s okay...” He shrugged. “I understand. I was just saying how it looks like that new Pixar movie might be pretty good...”
“Yeah. Pixar has a great track record.” Alli slurped up the last of her root beer as loudly as possible and stood up before Josh worked up the nerve to ask her to another movie. “It was good to see you, Josh. Thanks for the chat.”
Alli could tell Josh was flustered by her rapid departure. He managed to smile and nod enthusiastically, but he couldn’t make his tongue cooperate enough to utter an actual sentence. She could feel him watching her leave. He waved to her through the window as she stooped to get into her car. The engine rumbled to life as she turned the key in the ignition. Alli felt mean, as if she had just kicked a puppy.
Sleep did not come easily to Alli that night. She lie awake, staring at her ceiling, unable to stop the thoughts playing on a loop in her mind. What is Jason doing right now? Is he kissing that drunk woman? Is he running his expert hands over her cheaply clad curves? Arrrgh!
Alli would never understand men. How could Jason be attracted to her, and then go and consort with a woman like that ? That woman looked like a walking hepatitis factory.
Alli turned around huffily and punched at her pillow a few times. Swiping angrily at the hot tears running down the side of her face into her hairline, she grabbed her ipod headphones and stuffed them into her ears. Hopefully the Black Eyed Peas could drown out her thoughts. It was going to be a long night.
“Happy birthday Alli!”
Alli smiled brightly and greeted her gathered friends. They had taken over a back room at an obscure asian fusion restaurant. It wasn’t Greg’s first choice of venue, but Alli’s girlfriend Ellen had demanded hosting privileges, and Greg didn’t have the energy to argue with that woman.
Ellen pulled Alli into a hug. Then, before dragging Alli off she chirped to Greg, “Sorry Greg, she’s the birthday girl. You have to share her with the masses.”
Greg nodded cordially and migrated over to the bar to grab a drink. He never could win in a battle of wills with Ellen. For the most part Alli and Greg’s respective sets of friends commingled seamlessly. It was only Ellen, and the equally confounding Jainey that didn’t ever seem to fully accept him. It was as if they found him lacking in some key quality they deemed a prerequisite to being Alli’s beau.
Greg shook his head to clear it. They were harmless enough, Alli’s friends. Greg spotted his usual group of cronies and ambled over after instructing the bartender to keep his glass full. He had overheard someone mention karaoke, and he wasn’t nearly drunk enough for that yet.
“Spill it.” Jainey said before Alli could even sit down. “Why were you crying?”
“Is it really that obvious?” Alli asked.
“I noticed the second you walked in.” Ellen admitted. “So what happened?”
Alli glanced over her shoulder conspiratorially before turning back to the girls and smiling in victory. “I found him.” Was all she said.
Two sets of eyes grew round as saucers in sudden realization. Ellen was
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