Page 8 of Shot to the Hart

“Kodiiiiii,” Sin drawls leaning into the counter. “Wanna take our afternoon coffee for a walk?”

“Uh, sure. I’ve got about fifteen minutes left, your coffee will be up soon.” I wink at her and shoo them away so that I can help the next person. Once my shift is over and I’ve got my coffee, I meet my friends and we head towards the river. I check myphone as we stroll to see if I’ve got any leads, but all I see is one text. I huff a breath in frustration; when will he get the picture that I am done?

Andy

Baby, please. I just want to know that you’re okay.

“So, any news on the jobs?” Harley asks as we approach a picnic table looking over the water.

“No, I’ve reached out again and applied for a few more since. I hope someone will get back to me soon,” I sigh.

Darcy reaches across the table for my hand, “Ko, it’s no rush really. You’re welcome to stay with me as long as you need.”

“D, I know and appreciate that. I’m ready to be off your couch and for you to have your space back though,” I squeeze her hand as I speak. “So, what’s new with y'all?”

Harley is the most reserved of us, so it surprises me when she speaks up first. “I have to tell you guys something, and you all have to promise me you’re not going to be upset with me.” All three pairs of our eyebrows shoot up, but we keep our attention on Harley. We all nod our heads, urging her to continue. “I saw Benji last night. He called, and I was already feeling sensitive after that horrible date the other night. So, when he asked me to come over… I went,” she ends with a sheepish grin. Benji is Harley's occasional hook up who felt like she was too “boring” to enter into a relationship with and has been using her for sex for months. We’ve all made it clear how we feel about him.

“Holy shit. That’s why you came in so late last night!” Sin practically yells, and Harley shrugs.

“So you’re too boring to take on a real date but not too boring to continue having sex with, and you can’t even stay withhim?” I chime in. Harley has started fiddling with her coffee cup, avoiding eye contact with any of us.

“Listen, I know I need to let him go. I…I just can’t for some reason,” she whines.

It’s Darcy’s turn to jump in. “Harls, we are here for you. We just don’t want him to hurt you again.”

“Agreed,” Sin and I say at almost the same time.

“Where is everyone headed after this?” I ask as we all appear to be nearing the bottom of our coffee cups.

“I am going to shower and sleep. Last night was… tiring,” Harley blushes.

“I have a date,” Darcy says.

“With who? The same guy from last week? Leighton was it?” I ask.

“His name was Leighton, and yes, he asked me out again. We are going to truly test this new situationship by doing an escape room.” Darcy is at a stage where she is enjoying going to the deli aisle and sampling all of the meats, not strictly sticking to one type or another for very long. Probably why she’s calling it a situationship.

“Wow, I am incredibly jealous of all three of you bitches,” Sin says,”I have my first twelve-hour day of three in a row this week. Sleep? Don’t know her. Sex? Nonexistent. Coffee? My best friend, no offense to you three.” Sinclair works in the children's ward of our local hospital, typically three days on and four off.

“And I am headed back to take a quick shower before I meet my mom for dinner. Love you!” We all stand, disposing of our cups before heading in different directions.

I walk into the diner Mom chose for dinner and see her sitting in the corner, nose deep in her phone. Probably reading about current events or trying to figure out how Facebook works. The diner is giving fifties vibes with its vinyl checkerboard floor, red booths with cracking plastic, and wobbly tables. Elvis plays in the background, and I feel like I’ve just walked onto the set of Grease.

“Hiya Mom.” She jumps, bumping her knee on the table then cringing.

“Kodi James, you scared the living heck outta me!”

“Sorry, I literally wasn’t even quiet, you were just nose deep in your phone.” I shrug and she stands enveloping me in a hug.

“How have you been? I feel like I haven’t seen you in months.” She’s right, she saw me a few days after my breakup with Andy, and I’ve been antisocial up until the girls dragged me out.

“I’m good, Mom, just like I’ve told you almost every day.”

“Lord help me, I care about my only child.” I roll my eyes at her, knowing she’s not actually upset but just being a typical helicopter mom. She doesn’t have anyone else to direct her energy towards, being that my Dad is gone and I don’t have any siblings. She dated here and there, but no one ever stuck. A rotating door of nice-enough men, but when it came to the meat of things, my mom didn’t want me to get attached to a man that could leave, so she never brought them around. Then, she’d come home crying to my Aunt Nancy, that’s how I knew she was no longer seeing someone. I should be grateful, Iamgrateful, but I also am sick of people asking me how I’m doing.

“You know that’s not what I meant Mom. I love you and appreciate you for checking in. But I really am good. I’ve applied for some new jobs, and I went out with the girls and had a blast.”

“I’m happy to hear that. . .you know Andy has texted a few times. Says you aren’t answering him.” He would text my Mombecause I won’t respond. It’s not like he ever reached out to her before, so the fact that he is now is just desperate.

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