Just Play Along

Eleven & Twelve

PART ELEVEN

The next day, at quarter to three, I found myself walking into the Starbucks Jess had mentioned. It was quite crowded, but I managed to find a seat in the back corner, spreading my hoody over the spare seat as I waited for Jess to arrive. 

At five minutes before three I got a text.

[If you are there already can you get me two shots of espresso? I don’t have a lot of time.]

I frowned at the text, what did she mean she didn’t have a lot of time? Was she serious when she said she could only book me in for thirty minutes.

I did what she requested though, leaving my hoody on the table and heading up to the counter to order our drinks. Two shots of espresso was kind of a random thing to order. As a girl I was expecting her to be into one of those super sweet frozen drinks. But no, this was kind of hardcore.

Once I got the drinks I went back and sat at the table, taking a sip of my cappuccino and playing with my phone.

“Hi,” said a voice, causing me to look up.

“Jess, hey!” I said, standing up and awkwardly trying to figure out how to greet her. Should I give her a hug? A kiss on the cheek? 

She didn’t seem to notice what I was thinking as she set her bag on the floor. It was a very nice leather shoulder bag that clearly served as a sort of briefcase, and she took care to set it nicely under her seat.

I sat back down as Jess took her seat across from me, placing her blackberry on the table next to her. She was wearing a black work dress and tall heels, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The only word to describe her appearance was immaculate. There wasn’t a strand of hair out of place, her dress clung to all of the right places, and even her nails seemed perfect.

“How are you?” I asked, trying to start a conversation.

“Fine,” she replied shortly, eyeing up her drink. 

“It’s exactly what you asked for,” I said, “I just got it like five minutes ago.”

“Thanks,” she sighed, taking a short sip. "Let me get you some money.”

“No my treat,” I smiled.

She wasn’t really listening though as she grabbed her bag out and pulled out her wallet.

“Seriously, don’t worry about it!”

I watched as Jess let a small sigh, pushing her things back into her bag. “Thanks.”

“Not a problem! Been a busy day?”

“Insane, as always,” Jess said, taking another sip of her drink, “Thanks for coming to meet me, makes things much easier.”

“Again, not a problem.”

We sat awkwardly for a minute as I tried to think up something to say. Jess didn’t really seem like the type to strike up conversation. She sat calmly, staring at me across the table. Like she was studying me or something.

“Why did you ask me here?” she asked after a minute.

“Um… Well I enjoyed watching the football with you the other day.”

“And?”

“Do I need more of an answer than that?” I asked, “You just seemed like the kind of girl I’d like to take out, get to know more, that kind of thing.”

She raised her eyebrow at me over the table, as if she didn’t really believe my answer was fully true. “What about Marnie?”

“What about her?”