Chapter 9

 

I trudged the far-too-many blocks to Jamie's apartment building and knocked on the door. A few moments later it opened and Jamie stood in the doorway. She glanced down at my getup and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. I couldn't blame her. I'd put my shoes back on, and they were wet and muddy from my long walk. My dress was askew and had a splattering of the tomato soup I'd spilled over Alex's head.

"Nice dress," Jamie teased.

"Thanks, if things get any worse make sure I'm buried in it," I replied as I spread myself out on her couch.

"Bad news from the doctor, or did you just kill somebody and the police are after you?" she wondered.

"Just bad news from the doctor. He says I have a stupid heart that falls in love with the worst people," I quipped.

"Sounds serious," she mused with a smile.

"Only if there's no operation that can permanently remove my heart," I sighed.

"That's kind of a necessary organ," Jamie pointed out.

"Damn."

Jamie stepped aside and gestured to the apartment. "Want to come inside and tell me why we just went through so many medical jokes?" she asked me.

I stepped inside and plopped myself down on her couch. "It's a long story," I warned her.

Jamie followed me to the couch, but remained standing. "Neither of us goes to work until seven," she pointed out. "But before we start, do you need a drink?"

I nodded. "Yeah, the stiffest you have."

She cringed and wandered over to the kitchen. "Must be bad."

"I had a date with Alex tonight." I shrank down on my cushion when she let out a squeal.

She hurried over to me and slid onto the arm of the couch closest to me. "Seriously? Where'd he take you? Was it romantic? How far did you get?"

"His family was there."

Jamie winced. "Ouch, so that broke the mood?"

"It ruined mine when they started talking about the merger."

Jamie rubbed her chin in one hand. "I'm starting to get a terrible picture of you seated around some snobs who maniacally laugh over their wine glasses and caviar."

"No caviar, but there were wine glasses and laughing. They thought it was a good business deal, so I told them off."

My friend gasped. "You didn't!"

"I did, and I'm not sure whether I'm proud of it or not. The only good thing about it was we were in a separate room so nobody else saw anything, but I think they heard me. After that I stomped out and came here." I sat up and sighed. "You think I did the right thing telling them they were evil for wanting to fire people?"

"Not exactly," Jamie slowly replied. "But if you put it that way to them then I think you could have done it with a little more tact."

I groaned and covered my face in my hand. "I'm doomed. Alex and his family probably hate me now."

Jamie lifted an eyebrow and a grin crept across her lips. "Why should you care about him?" she teased me.

"Now's not the time for teasing. This is serious," I countered.

"So am I." She slipped off the arm and bounced across the cushions over to me. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

I glanced up and jerked back when she stuck her eager face into mine. "I like him, but I don't think I love him," I corrected her. I waved her away so I could have some breathing space. "Besides, none of that matters now. Maybe it never mattered. We're too different. He thinks firing people is business, I think it's terrible."

"Well, I think you might have him all wrong there," Jamie piped up.

I raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"If he didn't care about us why'd he go to the bar to see what we looked like?"

I opened my mouth, thought about it, then shut my mouth shut with a clatter of my teeth. "You know, I never did ask him why he was there."

"Maybe you should call him and ask."

I shook my head. "No, not after tonight. I made such an ass of myself in front of his family that the first thing they're going to do when they get the store is fire me. I practically invited them to pink-slip me."

Jamie leaned away from me and sighed. "Then you have a big problem."

I cupped my chin in my hands and leaned forward on my arms. "Yeah, I have to try to find a job without a recommendation."

"Not that. You have to find a way to win back his affection," she insisted.

I glanced at her like she was insane, or at least a little senile at her old age of twenty-five. "Why in the world would that be more important than feeding Mr. Smith and myself?"

"Man cannot survive on food alone?" she sheepishly replied.

"I'm willing to try it," I quipped.

"But it won't make you happy."

"Have you ever tried a triple-chocolate sundae?"

"No."

"Then I can see why you'd say it can't make people happy."

Jamie shook her head and clucked her tongue. "You have a great deal to learn about love, my apprentice."

I choked on my own spit and she giggled. "So you're a master of love?" I incredulously asked her.

She stood and her face took on a solemn expression, but her eyes were full of mischief. "I shall impart my wisdom on you, my young apprentice."

"I'm older than you."

"And you shall grow and blossom into a beautiful rose of love."

"Are you even listening to yourself?"

"And your lover will eagerly embrace you, and you two shall live happily ever after."

I glanced over my shoulder and noticed the bottle of hard liquor on the counter. "Did you take a shot before you came over here?"

Jamie took on an insulted expression. "No, I did not," she replied. The hiccup came out before she could stop it, and she blushed. "Okay, maybe a little."

"Just a little?" I wondered.

"Just a little," she firmly replied.

"Speaking of little things, might doing me a little favor and pouring some of that stuff in a glass so I can wash down my sorrows?" I asked her.

Jamie frowned. "I'll let you drink in my apartment, but I won't let you drink to wash down sorrows."

"So your apartment just became a dry house?"

Jamie half turned from me, crossed her arms over her chest, and tilted her chin up in stern refusal. "Only until you give me your solemn word that you won't drink alone and to forget your sorrow," she insisted.

"Jamie, this is my life," I pointed out.

"But these are my drinks," she countered.

I sighed and nodded. "Fine, I promise not to be alone when I drink."

"And you'll try to call that guy to apologize?" she continued.

I frowned. "I don't think the alcohols worth that big a price."

"I'm asking you as a friend to try to heal your wounds by giving him a call," she insisted.

"There's a problem with that."

"What?"

"I don't have his phone number." He had mine, but I'd never asked for his.

"Oh. That is a problem," Jamie pondered.

I sighed and slumped back down on the couch. "And I think I'm a problem. I'm just being a pain coming here bumming for a ride and free drinks."

Jamie smiled, settled down beside me, and wrapped one of her arms around my shoulders. She gave me a squeeze that I really needed. "You're not being a pain, and I'm glad you came to me."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because what are friends for?"

I narrowed my eyes. "There's another reason, isn't there?"

Jamie sheepishly grinned. "Well, it's always nice to be on top of the latest romance gossip."

I rolled my eyes and shrugged off her arm. "You're evil, you know that?"

She innocently tapped her chin and glanced upward. "I have been told that by many people. I have no idea why."

"Aren't I the one who's supposed to be the evil one in this relationship?" I countered.

Jamie sighed and shrugged. "Oh, all right, but I'll have my chance."

"Uh-huh, hopefully some time after you drive me home," I quipped.

"No drink?" she asked me.

"No drink."

"Good. That stuff's really expensive."

Jamie drove me home, and I was relieved to stumble inside and collapse face-first onto my couch. Mr. Smith walked over me, and I mean that literally, and kneaded my back. I winced and glanced over my shoulder to glare at him. "Do you mind? I'm trying to mope here."

"Meow," was the indifferent reply, but he at least hopped down. I heard him trot across the floor to the kitchen and get on the counter. Then came the inevitable clatter of half the stuff off the top as he sought retribution for my yelling at him.

I sat up and saw my cellphone and purse were on the floor. "You're really pushing it, hairball." Said hairball was so terrified by my threat that he proceeded to lick himself on the counter. I sighed and shuffled off the couch to clean up after my messy roommate. I picked up the phone and noticed I had a few missed messages. They were all from an unfamiliar number, and I'd received them in the last hour. Whoever it was had left a ton of messages, so I tried the first one.

"George? It's Alex. I wanted to talk to you about what-"

I hurriedly pressed stop and stared at the unfinished message on the screen. My gut told me to trash the messages and get on with the parts of my life I hadn't messed up, but my heart argued against it. My heart wanted me to call him back and apologize, and beg for a second chance. I frowned, and considered the possibility that my heart was a traitorous organ. I wouldn't sink so low as to beg, even if the ship was going straight down to the ocean floor.

I promptly deleted all his messages and got ready for bed. I had work to go to tomorrow, at least while it was still there.