What They Deserve

SEVEN

Saturday night came along with April's intense focus on making sure she looked as desirable as possible. Willow wondered if there was more to her usual plans of teasing or if this Jeff guy was just so hot, she felt the need to overcompensate.

April started getting ready sooner than she needed to, causing her make-up to need touching up several times before Willow pointed out that she should have just done it last minute.

April responded with an eye roll and turned back to the mirror as the eyebrow pencil in her hand worked its magic to give her fuller looking eyebrows.

“Why are you so nervous?” A chuckle, somewhere between surprise and judgment, came from Willow.

“I'm not nervous.” April's tone suggested she was lying.

“Yes you are.”

“No I’m not.”

“Then what are you? Cuz you sure as hell ain't calm.” Her tone suggested that any comeback April had, better be the truth.

“I guess excited.” April hesitated as she came out of the bathroom to sit on the couch. She even wore an expression to match her statement.

“Really?” Willow raised an eyebrow in surprise. “You? Excited? And over a guy?”

April tried to hide her discomfort at being interrogated with a wry smile, but the blush that crept up her neck gave her away. She was sitting straight with her hands clasped on her lap. Willow thought her prim and proper actions clashed with her hot vixen look. But she decided not to mess with the woman. She had never been excited about a date before, after all.

Maybe this will get her to listen to me about finding someone.

“So...do you know where you're going?”

April shook her head as she glanced at her phone. She had another thirty minutes before Jeff showed up. Her leg started to shake as she suppressed the urge to tap her foot.

“I don't know. But now I'm worried I overdressed.” April stood and then motioned up and down, seeking some kind of assurance.

Willow choked back the laugh that started to come up, allowing her eyes to scan April’s body.

She thought her best friend looked even better in the outfit tonight than she had two nights ago. It was the same navy blue ensemble she had showcased the night of their sleepover. Maybe it was that she had her make-up and hair done up, but Willow thought the woman before her looked amazing. While there hadn't been any worry about overdressing then, it was clear to her that April was freaking out now. But she didn't see where “overdressed” came into play.

"You look amazing. Stop worrying." Willow waved a hand in dismissal, savoring the nervousness the woman before her was exuding.

"Thanks." April stood and motioned for Willow to follow.

"You're kicking me out now?" A faux look of shock graced Willow's face as she raised a hand to her chest.

An aggravated sigh was all she got for an answer.

"You'll be okay?" This time, she was nothing but serious.

"Yeah. Yeah. Just...I guess I am nervous. I don't get it." April let out a weak giggle. She motioned to Willow again and opened the door, waiting for her to leave.

“So your way of coping with that is to kick your best friend out?” Willow raised an eyebrow, curious about April’s actions.

“I don’t know.” April shrugged, an embarrassed look crossing her face. “I guess I just don’t want you to see me lacking courage.”

Willow’s look softened. She’d never heard April be so honest when it came to talking about feelings, not that they did that often.

April shed the embarrassment and motioned once again.

“Okay okay. I can take a hint.” Willow pushed herself off of the couch and made her way to the coat rack to retrieve her purse. She leaned toward April to give her a quick peck on the cheek and a one armed hug before stepping outside. The door behind her closed and she felt alone again.

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Not sure what she wanted to do with her night, Willow went to the cafe to get an affogato. She sat at one of the small tables near the front where she could see all the passers-by even though she didn't pay them any attention. Her focus was on her phone held in one hand and the dessert she spooned into her mouth with the other.

She alternated between reading a murder mystery on her Kindle app and playing a game. The ice cream was almost melted, prompting her to drink what was left. The strong espresso blended just right.

She sat there for a few more minutes, absorbed in the story. The scraping of chairs moving to and fro as people took a seat or left was just ambient music to her. But the crash of a tray full of dishes shook her, bringing her back to reality. Heart racing, she held a hand against her chest, feeling the frenzied thumping and let out a breathy, "Jeez."

When she got to a good stopping point she cleaned up her stuff and left.

She debated again what to do with her night as she walked to her apartment. Maybe calling up one of the guys from the movie theater wasn't a bad idea. But then again, it was probable they already had dates. It was Saturday night after all.

In the end, she decided to go home and have another night of cheesy chick flicks with the second bottle of wine. The idea of going through all the effort of getting ready for a night out just wasn’t that appealing. On top of that, she would still have to try and find a date.

Once Willow was home she tossed her purse down, kicked off her shoes, and went straight to the refrigerator to grab her wine. She grabbed a stemless wine glass from the cabinet and poured a generous amount of the sweet red, eying the chocolate fudge brownie wrapped in cellophane that she had tossed on the counter.

She moaned in pleasure as she took a lengthy sip. After a few seconds, she forced herself to rip her eyes away from the dessert.

Ignoring the call of the brownie, she made her way into the living room. The leather couch made a soft squishing sound as she sat down, making her feel like she’d made the right decision to skip the night out. It took her about five seconds to choose a Hallmark romantic comedy and then she got comfortable.

With the remote in one hand, her wine in the other, and her feet propped up on the coffee table, Willow was set to have a fantastic night, determined to feel uplifted from the movie.