“And don’t forget to hit that subscribe button below so you never miss a new recipe. Thanks for hanging out—I’m Curt Kempton.”
A director yells, “Cut!” immediately after Curt stops speaking. When he announces we have what we need now, I watch the crew’s energy shift as they sense freedom at the end of the tunnel. It’s getting late, and none of them want to be here, filming YouTube promotional videos. I’m probably the only one who doesn’t mind.
I begin to pack up my computer and notepad. I wasn’t actually using them much, but I didn’t want to be the obvious fangirl, staring at my boyfriend with drool dripping down my chin. I’m almost packed up when I realize we’re the last two in the studio.
“You killed it,” I say.
“You think? I feel like I could have mentioned Phat Food more?”
“No, it’s perfect. They’ll add the logo to the video in post-production,” I assure him.
“God, I love you,” he says, pulling me in for a kiss before I have a chance to respond or to process what he’s just said. I let my body tell him I feel the same way. Finally, I pull back and smile.
“You love me?” I ask.
“Duh! I’ve been wanting to tell you.”
“I love you too!” I shout, quickly scanning the room to make sure we’re still the only ones here.
“Can I walk you home?” he asks.
“Duh!” I say with a smile before slowly pulling him in for one more kiss.
We make our way through the empty halls, waving to Ernesto, the newest security officer, on the way out.
“Hasta mañana!” Curt says.
Ernesto nods, and I don’t have the heart to tell him that Ernesto is Brazilian. I just smile sympathetically.
We stroll along our normal route, walking, talking, and kissing. But when we’re only a few blocks from my building, Curt’s energy starts to change. He even drops my hand.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, I’m just stressed. You’re lucky you have your own place.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Tim and Steve, my roommates … well, last night they told me they were in love.”
“Both of them? With who?” I ask, not entirely sure why this is such a disaster.
“With each other!” he says. “I mean, great for them, but they want me to move out.”
“Oh!” I say, still unsure how to react. “Why?”
“They want to have a spare room for guests and turn my room into a gym. So I’m homeless starting August first.”
“Oh, wow, that’s soon!” I finally react with a genuine appropriate response. Then a stray thought escapes me. “A gym?”
“Yeah, turns out Tim’s ex was loaded, and he just gave him a ton of money to keep quiet, if you know what I mean, so they’re going for it.”
“Wow. I’m so sorry.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
His eyes are searching mine for a response. I hear the words leave my mouth before I can control them. “You can stay with me,” I blurt, then panic. He can’t stay with me. Beth is there.
But he’s already taking me in his arms and kissing me. “Really? That would be amazing! I love you,” he whispers in my ear.
“I love you too,” I tell him, and then he pulls away enough for us to start walking again. As we approach my stoop, I reach for my keys but then find myself staring at the lock. He loves me. If he loves me, he’ll love Beth. Or at least he’ll be able to get along with her, I rationalize.
“Want to celebrate by watching a movie?” he asks.
“Sure.” I hesitate. “But are you sure you’re ready to meet Beth?”
“Sure! Is she home?”
I hadn’t thought about that. I suppose she could be out. She’s been harder for me to read lately and even more spontaneous with her plans. “I think so.”
Every step through the lobby is one step closer to what may be the biggest meeting of my life. But when we reach the third-floor landing, I get a feeling she isn’t home. I unlock the insane number of bolts that adorn all New Yorkers’ doors, and Curt follows me inside. The lights are out and the apartment is silent.
There’s no sign of Beth in the living room. The sheet set and blanket have been folded haphazardly on the floor.
“She must be out,” I tell him.
Curt flops down onto the sofa as if it’s already his, and I set my bag on the counter before joining him. I hand him the remote, and he navigates through Netflix with ease.
“Comedy!” I shout, a little desperate after our last movie foray.
I watch him flip through what feels like thousands of movies, willing him to pick one rather than let the trailers blare for thirty seconds and then move on.
“Wedding Crashers?” he asks.
I love that movie, but I’ve seen it so many times.
“Perfect.”
“I’m going to use the pisser first.” He leaps up and walks to the bathroom. As I hear the door shut and lock, I see Beth standing in the mouth of the hallway. She’s wearing my clothes again. And it looks like she’s been sleeping. I guess that is happening in my bed now, when I’m not here.
“Hey,” she says, her eyes on the shoes Curt’s kicked off by the couch.
“Hey, so Curt’s here,” I tell her.
“Oh. Shit.” She looks around as if he might be lying in wait, ready to spring out and attack her.
“He’s in the bathroom. Sit,” I direct her, and she does, on the lone chair next to the end of the sofa. I hear the toilet flush, then the door creak. He didn’t wash his hands? I think to myself. I thought everyone knew the importance of hand washing—and all hygiene—after going through the hell that was 2020. But the thought is cut short when Curt reappears. He flops back onto the sofa and puts his arm around me, eyes on the TV, as if he hasn’t noticed the other person now in the room.
This is not off to a good start.
“Curt, this is Beth,” I tell him gently.
His eyes dart to me, and then when I nod my head to the chair, his gaze follows. After taking his arm away from my shoulders, he straightens up and smiles.
“Hey! I’m so excited to meet you,” he says with genuine enthusiasm.
“Yeah, it’s good to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you,” she replies.
He shoots me a deer-in-headlights look, as if waiting for me to fill in the blank on what he should say next. When I don’t, he sighs.
“So, were you, uh, out?” he asks.
Please be nice, please be nice, please don’t mess this up, I will her in my mind.
“Yep. Just out and about. What are you kids up to?”
“We were just about to watch a movie,” I say. “Wanna join?”
“Nah, you kids have fun. Lex, mind if I chill in your room?” she asks.
“Of course not. Go ahead,” I tell her. I watch as she gets up and walks into the bedroom, then I look back at Curt, who’s scratching his head and then patting his hair back in place.
“She, uh, seems cool.”
I breathe a sigh of relief and lie back into the sofa. Curt hits play and then wraps his arm back around me. He laughs at the opening scene, and I smile too, but my smile has nothing to do with Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. I’m smiling because Curt just met Beth and it went okay. No, it went great.
It was uneventful. And that’s all I’ve ever wanted from my sister—for her to blend in.