Mike: J. I need a favor.
The three ellipses popped up on his screen almost immediately, which meant Jason was either with someone he’d rather not be, or he was at or on the way to dinner.
Jason: Two times in one week. To what do I owe this honor?
For the first time in a long while, Mike was relieved Jason was available.
Mike: Have you eaten yet?
More ellipses.
Jason: About to pull up to my favorite grill as we speak. What’s up?
Mike mouthed a soft “thank you” heaven-ward and sagged against the wall.
Mike: I don’t have time to explain, and I’ll owe you, but I need you to be my eyes while you’re at dinner. Everett’s younger sister Zora will be at the grill tonight with some dude and I don’t trust him.
Okay, so it was lie, but whether he knew the guy or not wasn’t relevant. How Zora acted around him was all Mike wanted to know.
Jason stressed his intentions to cash in on this favor soon, which was a little terrifying given the wide realms of his imagination. The way Mike’s heart was racing, though, the risk would be well worth it.
Forty-two minutes later, Jason texted that he’d spotted Zora with Mr. Unoriginal, and some fifteen minutes after that, Mike got tired of the third degree via text. Jason seemed doggedly determined to get to the bottom of Mike’s obsession with Everett’s little sister. Mike decided to skip the paragraph-long messages and call Jason from his car.
“So, you’re seriously not hitting that?” Ever tactful, Jason’s voice filtered through the car Bluetooth.
Mike let the motor run for a few minutes as he reclined his seat and listened to the spray of raindrops on the windshield.
“No,” he said too quickly. His annoyance flared. “I’m just…looking out for her. How many times do I have to tell you? Everett and his fiancée are expecting, and the stress put the baby at risk, so they took off for a month. I’m looking out for the house, the business, and the family. Zora is his family.”
Muffled laughter rumbled through the line.
“Okay, okay. Touchy. I’m just asking. Nothing is really happening. They’re just eating.” Jason paused for a second, but the laughter was still in his tone when he spoke again. “Do you want to know how juicy her lips look around the fork?”
“Fuck you, man.”
Mike bit back a laugh. He didn’t know exactly what he was looking for or what he wanted his friend to watch for, but he still wanted to know everything, even the small stuff.
“Does she look like she’s enjoying herself? Does she seem to like this guy?”
Do I really want to know?
It was nearing nine-thirty by then, and Mike was driving aimlessly toward the Burnside Bridge. He didn't want to go home and see Zora’s bags there without her, so he kept driving heading southeast on Grand.
“Not a bit. That I can say with certainty. I mean, the guy isn’t ugly, he’s actually a good-looking dude—“
“Thank you. I don’t need to know about him. Just…what makes you think she’s not into him?”
Jason cleared his throat as if he was settling in to school Mike on the female psyche. “I’m sort of an expert when it comes to women and reading their body language.”
“Okay, sure.” Condescension laced Mike’s tone. “I’m listening.”
“For one, she’s been on her phone the whole time, so no eye contact or laughing or any of the telltale signs that she might think there’s a spark. Also, she hasn’t touched herself once—”
“Fuck—”
“Not in the way you’re thinking. I mean, she hasn’t played with her hair like women do when they’re flirting. She looks kinda sleepy, actually.”
At this one, Mike laughed loudly. He was still driving along watching the reflection of the clouds on the river as Grand Ave blended into McLoughlin in a bit of a traffic standstill. “Where do you get this stuff, man?”
“I’m serious. She’s slouched in the seat, and her eyes look heavy. I’m not shitting you, she might have nodded off. If that’s not disinterest, I don’t know what is.”
Jason might be a rich asshole and a male chauvinist most of the time, but it was hard to argue with him. Despite his personal life, he was a good lawyer. He paid attention to detail.
Now Mike was paying attention. He couldn't ignore how he’d been feeling since the Friday night at the club and game night. The kiss they’d shared earlier today sure as hell wasn’t one-sided. It was obvious Zora wasn’t feeling this new guy, and Mike needed to do something soon.
He chewed the inside of his cheek as he sat in traffic. Up ahead, it looked like the rain had gotten the better of someone. He hoped the accident wasn’t fatal. “J. Hold on a sec.” He swiped his screen then tapped out a message.
Mike:
1. If I was at the table with you, I’d make you put away your phone.
2. I swallowed mouthwash just because the bottle told me not to.
3. I’ve been to Disneyland alone.
After he pressed send, Mike asked Jason. “What’s she doing now?”
In the background he heard the buzz of conversation and the sound of silverware scraping as Jason mumbled through a mouthful. “She’s…smiling, but still looking at her phone. You’re good. Nothing to worry about there.”
A message ping echoed in the car.
Zora: Hey, there. First of all, how do you know I’m not having the time of my life?
Mike:You’re talking to me instead of Mr. Unoriginal. Stop stalling and answer the question. You looked really pretty, by the way.
“Is she still smiling?” His breath bottled up in his chest and he smiled into his fist.
Jason, who sounded like he was gnawing on a dinosaur leg, swallowed loudly. “Oh, yeah. She finally looked up. Are you texting her? I’m like a proud father over here, helping you make this love connection.”
“All right, man. On that note, I’m going to let you go. I appreciate you, and I’ll get back to you.”
Jason laughed and reminded Mike he was in his debt, then disconnected. Meanwhile, Mike moved ahead a few inches closer to the fender-bender, and the traffic stalled again, so he checked Zora’s reply.
Zora:Who are you and what have you done with my friend who supposedly shares important stuff with me? BTW, you’re a rule-follower, so I know the lie is #2. This is not the end of this discussion. I’m going to pick your brain about your truths.
Without Jason on the phone to narrate, Mike imagined her still smiling at the phone biting on the pad of her finger while she thought about him and not the sorry ass dude across from her.
Zora:
1. If you were at the table with me, I’d be thinking about that kiss earlier.
2. Your smile gives me butterflies.
3. I’ve been to Disneyland twice.
Right off the bat, Mike knew the lie.
Zora made a bucket list two Christmases ago, and going to The Happiest Place on Earth was at the very top. So, right now, she was with another man reliving their kiss and thinking about his smile whilst butterflies fluttered in her stomach.