JENNIFER POV
I was at the local grocery store trying to pick out wine for my evening in with Alexia; last night had been the total opposite of how I expected it to go.
First the whole plane scenario - Daniel sends her a text on the plan and her whole face lights up; she tries to hide it from me, and then states that they're just friends after trying to hook me up with him.
It kind of hurt when he rejected me, not that I was too invested or anything, but Lex make it seem like I actually stood a chance when, in fact, she was the one occupying all of his attention. I don't blame her for what happened that night or him for being worried, it just would have been nice not to have to compete with that, you know?
Then while she was away Mike and I started chatting at work and via text at night. He was being flirtatious with me and we had made an agreement to make plans soon. I'm not stupid, I know that he is a player, but he was being really sweet with me and after a couple of weeks of talking I thought we might stand a chance.
When we were on the plane I was aware that Lex and mike normally sit together that was fine with me as I had work to do anyway, but the way they were flirting was driving me crazy. I put it down to me being jealous and reading too much into the situation, but then last night happened.
It wasn't her fault, I guess I didn't actually tell her about what was going on with me and Mike, but I didn't expect her to ditch me for a guy this early after her breakup. It was completely out of character, and then to leave with him too? That's crazy, what the hell was she thinking?
I really don't want to think about what happened when they left the club, but I was sort of thankful that the situation turned out that way. Daniel, Nico and I had a really great time. Dan was completely devastated by her actions and so was I, more so at Mike though - he knew that I liked him and that she was in a vulnerable place and still decided to through with his plans right IN FRONT of me!
I haven't spoken to him since and don't intend to either. The night's events allowed Daniel and I to get to know each other a bit better; my hopes were heightened slightly when Nico left him and I alone in his hotel room, but our time together didn't last long as he excused himself to get to bed.
Suddenly, I had a thought and pulled my phone out of my bag to call Alexia
"Hello, Alexia speaking"
"Hey, so about tonight-"
"Oh don't tell me you're ditching me!" She cut me off, pfft me ditch her?
"Oh, like you did last night?" I snapped back at her before I could stop myself. Kind of interested in her reaction though...
"Wow, so that's how this is going to be? I told you I'm sorry about what happen Jen." She said with a hint of attitude.
"Yeah, yeah. Actually, no, I'm not ditching. I was just thinking since we were planning on drinking wine anyway, why don't we go to that beautiful cafe down the road for supper instead? That way tonight doesn't have to be a late one either" I suggested.
There was silence for a moment, "Ah.. yeah. Sure. That sounds great, looks like it's going to be a beautiful night in any case. What time should we meet in the lobby?"
"Great! How does six-thirty work for you?"
"Perfect, I'll see you then!"
"Okay, Lex see you then!"
I can't help but feel like something has changed between her and I. Ever since her breakup with Ryan, she's been distant and telling strangers more details about her private life than her own best friend. It looks like I've got quite a few things that need to be addressed with her, she's just not the same person anymore.
ALEXIA POV
I'm on my way to the hotel lobby to meet Jen, I'm so nervous I could vomit, instead, I'll have an extra glass of wine. I don't know why I feel so guilty. Is it more because of Mike or the fact that I might have let her down by letting my guard down?
I really don't ever do that - the last time I had a one night stand I was still in university and also extremely intoxicated among other things.. I see her seated in the far corner by the restaurant, she gets up and makes her way to me and we continue to the door with a quiet 'Hello' and reluctant hug.
"Wow, it really is a gorgeous evening", I say in hopes of getting back to some sort of normal.
"Yeah, it is. The cafe is just down this street", she motions to an older cobble walk road.
I follow her lead down the road, at the end on the opposite side is what you could only define as a typical beach cafe. Big white umbrellas shade the white-painted wrought iron chairs and table on the sidewalk. Bright yellow polka dot pillows on the seats and fresh yellow daisies in the centre of the tables. A young lady greets and seats us at a table overlooking the sea. It's beautiful. Jen orders a bottle of red wine and two menus before the lady leaves to seat another table.
"I hate this Jen," I say exhausted from the stress. Between her and Daniel I have enough to send me to an ER.
"What's that?" She says hesitantly
"You know what, there's something happening between us and I don't know how to fix it. Can we just talk and get it over with?" There's silence as another girl returns with our wine and two wine glasses. She pours for both of us and says that she will return for our orders when we are ready. Jen takes a sip of her wine and then looks over at me before she begins to reply.
"You're right, something is going on Lex, but I don't know if it's anything that you can fix. Things have been changing slowly for a while now and maybe we're just not the same two people as we were a couple of months ago. Not that we aren't friends, but maybe our friendship as we know it is changing and we're trying to fight it?"
I don't reply, instead, I take another two sips of my wine to let what she's just said sink in. Could we be changing? Is it really just that simple as 'we're growing apart?' Does she want us to?
"Well, I have picked up that you've been acting kind of different towards me lately. Like that comment you made when we got here about 'having a good time on the plane'... If I had known about Mike - Jen, I would have never even considered sitting next to the guy! I'm so so so sorry! Nico told me that you guys were talking while I was off..."
"I've been acting weird? I feel like you've been the one distancing yourself from me. You told Daniel, whos a complete stranger, things you didn't even tell your best friend! I didn't tell you because I knew you had your own thing going on with the whole breakup and I didn't want to offload my shit onto you as well." She looked away and I took her hand over the table to comfort her. I can only imagine what it must've been like to walk into a hotel room and find someone so close to you so fucked up.
"Babe, I didn't tell you about what happened after the dinner with - Him, because you were already worried. I didn't just offer the information up to Daniel either. He kind of walked in on me changing and saw the marks."
"But, you shouldn't have lied to me. I asked you point-blank at lunch that one day what happened, you told me about some made-up story about doing washing!"
"Fuck! I know Jen. I was wrong. You just have no idea what it's like having to tell your best friend that you were too weak to leave your wife-beating boyfriend time and time again. I wasn't in my right mind" I looked away, feeling the tears starting to form.
"Listen I know things have been tough for you lately, last night just shocked me. Plus I did really like Mike, but he's a dick for taking advantage of you not to mention that he did it in front of me."
"I'm sorry Jen."
"I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have been so hard on you, I am still mad that you ditched me without saying anything. What happened..when you left?"
"Do you really want to know? It's not pretty."
"Despite everything, we're still best friends. That won't change, unless you go for another guy I like"
"I promise" We laugh and she refills our glasses. I told her every mortifying detail of last night's event at the hotel with Mike and with Nico, and then with Daniel this morning.
"I just don't understand why I feel like this, why I'm so affected by everything that Daniel does. I know we're close friends and I hate confrontation, but this is different. It's as if I can't go a minute without thinking about him and why we aren't talking. Why he's on one second and then off with me the next. It's so frustrating and it's killing me not knowing if he heard about what happened with Mike." My words were coming out so fast that I barely had time to think about what I was saying and I came to the same conclusion she did the only difference is that she's the one who said it out loud.
"It's quite simple. You like him, Lex." She shook her head with a small smile on her face and then continued, "I know you say you're not ready for someone new, which I agree with, but you don't see your face when you say his name or when he's around you. You were never like that with Ryan."
It was the second time someone had said Ryan's name in almost a month, I thought it would have hurt me, but it ran off me like water on a leaf. I was more affected by this new revelation we uncovered.
"I can't like him, Jen! We work together, he's practically my boss! I know Nico says he likes me, but what if it ends badly? What if he loses interest after the dramatics are over - when he doesn't have to work so hard anymore? What if he hurts me?"
"As much as this pains me to say because I did sort of like him too. His feelings for you are real. He was really upset last night, that's the whole reason why we all left together. He's one of the good ones, babe. He won't hurt you."
"What if I hurt him?"
"Why would you say that?"
"Because I don't know if I'm going to be able to feel like that about anyone ever again. If I'm even capable of love."
"I'm not saying now, it will take time, but you are capable of more than you know. You are one of the strongest people I know and you deserve the world. Never doubt that!"
" I love you, Jen."
"I love you too, you crazy kid."
Another bottle later we were singing down the streets laughing at everything in our path and taking selfies. I went to bed lighter that night knowing that at least one of my fuck-ups were repaired.