The Night We Met

VI

Roslyn

"Premier Medical, this is Roslyn. How can I help you?" I say into the phone that's propped between my cheek and shoulder. I pause my typing on the computer in front of me so I can listen to the person on the other line.

"Thank God you finally answered," I hear the voice of my best friend say.

"Grace, why are you calling me at work?" I frantically whisper. I grab the phone in my hand and look around, making sure my boss, Rachel, isn't near. She hates me with a burning passion and the last thing I need right now is to be caught making a personal call while at work.

"You weren't answering your cell phone," Grace flatly responds.

"Because I'm at work..."

Grace laughs.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," she says.

I sigh and silently wonder if our phones are monitored. I cannot remember for the life of me what I was told during my office training. Perhaps I should have paid more attention

"What can I do for you?" I ask. I twirl the phone cord around my pointer finger.

"What are you doing tonight?" Grace questions.

I stare blankly ahead of me and pause my twirling.

"Did you call me at work just to make plans for tonight?" I ask.

"I did. I needed an immediate answer so I had to call you at work," she tells me. "There's this dance thing tonight at The Rooftop and I wanted to know if you'd want to go with. Kelsey invited me and told me to invite you."

I scrunch up my nose. It's a Friday so I don't have work tomorrow, meaning technically I am free to go out tonight. I just don't know if I want to.

"I dunno, Grace..." I start, causing her to groan.

"No, no, don't do this again," she complains. My face reddens. "You always have fun whenever we go out, remember? It's the lead-up that makes you anxious. Not actually being there."

I sigh and pick a piece of lint off of my blue scrub top.

"I just don't know about today, Grace. I don't feel like doing much, you know that," I slowly and quietly explain. I glance over my shoulder again to make sure no one is lingering by.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry, Roz. I forgot," she apologizes after a moment of silence.

I shake my head even though she can't see me.

"It's okay. Not a big deal," I say.

"Do you want to do something more low-key later instead? We could go to the diner on Highland. Or we could go to the bookstore. I know you like going there."

My heart warms at Grace's suggestion. I'm not sure I could do this whole life thing without her. She's been a great friend to me for years. Sometimes I think she understands me more than I understand me.

"Thanks, Grace, but don't worry about me. I think I'm just going to go to my mom's after work to spend some time with her and Ethan," I tell her. "I'm not really up for much."

"Understandable. Let me know if you change your mind, though. You can bring Ethan if it means anything. Just text me, okay?"

"Okay." I bite the inside of my cheek. "I'm sorry for backing out ag-"

"Don't you dare finish that. Don't be sorry," Grace reassures me, but I still find myself feeling slightly guilty. I hate the feeling of letting people down or shutting them out but I suppose I can make an exception for today.