Page 36 of The Play

ME: Oh ya! It was INTENSE! I can’t believe that player scored nineteen points!!!

HIM: You didn’t watch it, did you?

ME: No. Sorry. Told you, I don’t care for hockey.

HIM:I expected more from my therapist. Goodbye.

There’s a long pause.

HUNTER: Fuck, wait, I texted for a reason. We still holding our session at the gym today?

ME: Yep. After I’m done with dinner. So around 8? Oh, and make sure you’re wearing tight spandex pants so I can objectify you.

HIM: Obvs.

I grin at the screen.

“The hockey player again?” Corinne asks.

“Yeah.” Chuckling, I shake my head indulgently. “He’s so full ofhimself. But really hot. I’d set you up with him, but he doesn’t have sex.”

“Wait, what?”

“He’s practicing abstinence for a while.” I hope it’s not a secret, but just in case, I don’t offer any further details. “Hey, what’s your Wi-Fi network? I’m trying to join it.”

“Oh, I haven’t set up the Wi-Fi yet. They’re coming on Friday to do it.”

I’m about to put my phone away when another message comes in.

TJ: Are we still on for dinner?

ME: Oh yeah. Sushi baby!!!!

I punctuate that with three fish emojis. TJ counters with a couple of shrimp, and then we’re sending each other random sea-life emojis that make me giggle.

ME: Did you realize there’s no lobster emoji?? WTH!

TJ doesn’t respond, so I set the phone down and begin folding the pile of T-shirts on Corinne’s mattress. “I feel like these should all go in your dresser,” I suggest. “Hanging T-shirts is a waste of hangers.”

“Agreed. Let’s hang the stuff that might wrinkle, and then dresses, skirts—”

My phone buzzes again. TJ just sent a picture of a cartoon lobster with hearts in his eyes, and a speech bubble above his head that reads: “I WANT TO GET MY CLAWS INTO YOU!”

I burst out laughing. “Sorry,” I tell Corinne. “TJ is sending memes.”

“You have like a gazillion male friends. Meanwhile, I can’t even deal with one.” She shakes her head. “I don’t know how you do it. All those fragile egos… They’re all just little boys in need of attention.”She gasps in delight. “You know who you are? You’re Wendy with all the Lost Boys!”

“Sounds about right,” I say dryly. “But I love my Lost Boys. They’re a constant source of entertainment.” I fold another T-shirt. “TJ and I are grabbing dinner in town tonight. We’re trying out the new Japanese place that opened across from the theater. Wanna come?”

“I can’t. I’m hosting a study group here later. It’s just you and TJ? No Nico?”

“Nico is playing basketball with Darius and then meeting up with some guys from work for drinks. You probably met them when they helped you move.”

“I met two.” She thinks it over. “One was really cute, and one was really bald.”

I snicker. “The bald one is Steve, and I think the cute one…it was probably Roddy? Short for Rodrigo. But I think he has a girlfriend.”

“Bummer.”

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