Page 34 of Sidelined Love

I turn my head to look at Jade before I say, “No. I don’t want it getting in the way of anything.”

Jade nods. “Then maybe we can find some earrings that won’t clash too much with what you have on. I’ll grab something from my room.”

I touch my earlobes. “Or I can just wear the earrings I have on.”

“That works too.”

I don’t want to cause a big fuss over this adventure that I hope is short-lived. We sit in silence as I redo my hair, deciding that instead of a messy bun, something a little different would be nice. I put it in a low bun and make sure that my stray hairs lay flat. I add a light coating of makeup, including a more natural colored lip because of the busyness of the shirt.

I watch Jade approach the mirror out of the corner of my eye, and she says, “You look amazing. We’re going to have a great time tonight. To be honest, we’ll probably be laughing at some of the things people are going to do because they are too drunk to think straight.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Are you sure you're not going to be one of those drunk people?”

“Me? Never!” Jade laughs.

We both know she’s full of shit. Jade has had some wild nights, and I've witnessed several of them. One night in particular pops up in my mind because I made her a quick sandwich before tucking her into bed so she could sleep off the alcohol she'd consumed.

“Whatever you’re thinking, we don’t need to bring it up again,” she says before looking down at her own clothes. “Anyway, I need to change. I’ll meet you in the living room?”

“Yeah. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Jade exits the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I glance at myself in the mirror one last time and pull down the shirt. The motion is about giving my hands something to do versus fixing the placement of the shirt. After telling myself for the millionth time that tonight is about stepping out of my comfort zone, I snatch my crossbody bag off my desk and head to the living room.

My stomach growls as I flop down on the couch. Getting something in my system takes priority over drinking. I debate whether it makes sense to fix something quickly I can snack on or convince Jade to stop somewhere to eat before we go to the party. Before I can reach a decision, Jade walks out of the room in a sparkly blue dress that, given what I’m also wearing, fits with her personality and closet.

“So, what's the plan for tonight?” I ask, as I sit up and move my purse from my lap. “Are we going straight to the party or grabbing something to eat first?”

Jade flips her hair over her shoulder to get it off her neck. “I was thinking we could grab something to eat at Marco’s.”

I’m glad we are on the same page. “Sounds good to me.”

Marco’s is a place I’ve been to quite a few times, and I can’t help but picture it in my mind. A burger from there is calling my name, plus, I just got paid so treating myself isn't a crime.

“Ready to head out?” Jade asks.

I walk over to our front door and open it. “After you.”

Once we are outside, the evening air whips across my face, but it isn’t too bad. I look over at Jade because she left our apartment without a coat or jacket and has on a short dress. “Are you cold?”

“Nope.”

I can’t help but wonder if we develop a second skin when it comes to wearing cute outfits when it’s chilly outside. Maybe that’s something that can be someone else’s senior thesis.

We chat quietly as we make our way through the streets of Crestwood until we see the sign indicating that Marco’s is only a couple of buildings away.

Jade holds the door open for me as we enter the space. We are greeted by the sound of people chatting mixed with the aroma of delicious food. At Marco’s, you are allowed to seat yourself, so we find a table in the corner and settle in.

“So, what are you getting?” Jade asks, flipping through the menu even though she knows it by heart.

“Their burger. I knew what I wanted as soon as you mentioned coming here,” I answer. For the life of me, I’m unable to resist the thought of the juicy, flavor-packed meal that Marco’s is known for. “What about you?”

“Same,” she says with a grin. “Can’t go wrong with a classic.”

Once we place our orders, we talk about the latest things that have happened to us. I wonder if I should fill Jade in about Levi's text message, but there isn’t much of a point. Plus, the last thing I want is for someone to overhear us talking and suspect that there’s something going on when there isn’t.

The burgers arrive, perfectly cooked, and we waste no time before we dig in. Our conversation ceases to exist because the only thing we can focus on is the delicious food in front of us.

As we finish our meal, the door to Marco's swings open, drawing my attention away from my dinner plate. In walks Wilder, and after running into him at the scavenger hunt a while ago, I’m beginning to wonder if he’s following us.

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