“Well, he is,” she answers defiantly.
I feel a pang of sadness about the barbecue. “I wish you were coming tomorrow.”
She sighs. “Me too. I can’t get out of it, though. My mom will kill me if I miss my cousin’s wedding. I’m sure you will be fine. Are you going to take Auntie Jessie’s advice?”
I think about it, and I can’t help the smile that creeps up on my face. I am so angry with Jake, and I love the idea of teaching him a lesson. I just hope it will work. “I think I will. Thanks for that. I feel a lot better. I’ll text you either Friday night or Saturday morning and let you know how it went.”
I can hear sudden movement in the background. “Okay. Just as long as it’s not too early Saturday. Anyway, I have to go for now. I have to start packing if I want to get to Williamsburg on time. We’ll talk soon, okay? Keep your chin up, girl.”
I know what’s coming next, so we both say in unison, “And don’t let the bastards get you down.”
We laugh together. “See, that’s better. Now take care of yourself, Ana. You hear me?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, Auntie Jessie. Go have fun and be careful on the roads.”
Traffic can be terrible—especially on I-495, the Capital Beltway.
After we say our goodbyes, I think about Jessie’s plan. I have been saving money for a while now in order to get my own place. I would like to own my own home rather than rent one, so I have been trying like mad to get a decent down-payment together. On the other hand, I haven’t treated myself for a while, and it has been a long time since I got a haircut. It has also been a while since I bought myself some clothes. With that thought, I look across to the floor at my ripped bikini bottoms. I suppose I will need to get a new swimsuit now too. My heart sinks again. Lord knows what will be in store for me next.
I spend most of the day sulking in my room. Around five, I start feeling hungry. I don’t want to go downstairs, but I need to eat.
This is just ridiculous!
I take a step out of my room and carefully inch along the landing. A huge arch window greets me, and I gaze out of it for a few moments, taking in the beautiful day I’ve been missing.
With a shake of my head, I walk down the stairs, quickly pass through the empty living room, and enter the kitchen. By the looks of things, Jake isn’t in the house after all.
I let out a huge sigh of relief and get on with making myself a ham and Philadelphia cream cheese sandwich. I grab a few Lays crisps to snack on afterwards and pour myself an orange juice. I sit down at the breakfast bar and devour my sandwich. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was.
Once I’m finished, I wash up and put everything away. I grab myself an apple and run towards the stairs again. Wherever Jake is, I don’t want to be around when he gets back.
As I reach the first step, the doorbell rings. With a frown, I take tentative steps towards the window and peek through. To my surprise, it’s John, the police officer I hooked up with a few months back. I rush to answer the door. “John, so nice to see you. What are you doing around here?”
John smiles, and it’s then I take my time to leisurely trail my eyes over him. It’s the first time I have seen him in uniform, and boy does it suit him. His dirty blonde hair is hiding beneath his hat, but the five o’clock shadow is easy to spot. His blue eyes sparkle when he smiles, giving him that nice, boyish look which drew me to him in the first place. He is terribly good-looking.
But he’s still not my Jake.
“I had to stop by the local station and drop some paperwork off. I knew you lived close by and thought I would stop by to see if you were in. I hope that’s okay?” He briefly looks down to my legs and back up with another heart-warming smile.
“Of course. Please, come in. I’ll make us both some coffee.”
John nods his thanks, takes his hat off, and crosses the threshold into the house. I quickly shut the door, and John follows me into the kitchen. “Nice place you’ve got here.”
I switch on the coffee maker and grab two mugs. “Thanks. Well, it’s not my house, but thanks anyway.”
John takes a seat at the breakfast island and watches me make the coffee. “Are you planning on staying here a while?”
I grab some milk from the fridge. “Milk and sugar?” John answers yes to both, so I get everything ready. “I am planning on moving once I save up some money. I love McLean, but it’s just too expensive.” I stir his coffee and place it on the breakfast island in front of him.
“Thanks.” I nod with a smile and take a seat next to him. “Living on the outskirts of a major city would make it a more desirable place to live. You’re only fifteen minutes from D.C.”
I nod in agreement and take a sip of my coffee. “The higher cost of living makes it harder for youngsters like us to get on and climb that ladder.”
John smiles. “Yeah, I know what you mean.” He remains silent for a moment while he takes another sip. “You know, I live nearer to Fairfax than here, and I’m currently looking for a roommate. I have two bedrooms, and the other is just sitting there empty. If you want your own space, you can move in with me.” He blushes slightly and looks away like he’s embarrassed.
I, on the hand, feel a little shocked by his words. “Well, it is really nice of you to offer, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. With our history together, it might make things a little awkward.”
“I understand, but I can promise to keep my hands to myself.”
I let out a belly laugh. “Oh, you can, can you? I simply must move in then.” We start laughing together, but I think it best to end it before I give him the wrong impression. “Seriously, though, I really appreciate your offer, and I will think of you when the time does come to move. I’m just not certain about what I’m doing at the moment.” It’s a lie really. I’m ready to move immediately—especially after what happened earlier. I just don’t think moving from one bad place to another would be a wise choice. It would be like opening up yet another can of worms. No matter what John says, we would still have that history there, and it would make it so awkward if we lived under the same roof. As if I need more drama.
“I understand. The offer will be there for a while if you want it, though. I wasn’t planning on advertising until next month anyway, so there’s still time to change your mind.”
I nod. “Thanks. I will certainly let you know if I do.”
We talk briefly about work and how things have changed over the past six months. Once John finishes his coffee, he checks the time. “I must get going in a minute. It was nice talking to you.”
He brandishes that winning smile, and I can’t help return it. “It was nice talking to you too. Thanks for coming over.”
“No sweat. Can I ask you a question?”
“Shoot.”
He shifts nervously in his seat. “I’m off on Sunday, and although I know you said you weren’t ready for a relationship, I wondered if you would consider spending the day with me—just as friends, of course.”
I see how nervous he is, and I feel drawn to that. I know he isn’t a bad person, but I can’t help but think that his intentions are not one hundred percent platonic. “Just as friends, huh?” He nods with a laugh. “Are you sure you can keep your hands to yourself?” I joke, referring to his last statement.