Page 71 of The Import Slot
“Is it Liam?” he asks, but my silence speaks volumes. “Ah, Jenna.”
“Yeah, though Liam is doing his fair share of pissing me off too.”
I don’t mention that Vicky was avoiding me this morning.
“What’s going on? Are you fooling around or what? You’re spending a lot of time with her.”
“It’s complicated.”
“I have time,” Johnny says, taking another kick.
“Well, we’re sort of fooling around. As soon as I met her, Johnny, I—” I pause, I don’t know what to say, and we’re hardly guys who spend time talking about our feelings and shit. “Well, you know how I feel, but I explained that I’m only here for the season, so I can’t promise her anything. She seemed cool with that. Then today, she was off with me at the junior session. I’m clueless.”
I jumped at Johnny’s offer to kick about and suggested here hoping to catch Jen on her way home.
“And now you’re catching feelings and want to promise her the world, I bet.” Johnny hits the nail on the head.
“I told her it’s all in her control. If she wants to be friends, we’ll be friends. If she wants to fool around, then whatever.” As I say it out loud, I realise how pathetic it sounds.
“Would she move back home with you?” he asks.
“I haven’t asked her,” I say. I haven’t, but I doubt she would. Her life is here. She’s just moved, she’s got a new job, her friends are here. “There they are,” I say like an excited child, hoping to meet a superhero.
I sail the ball back to Johnny and jog over to Jen and Vicky as they continue down the sidewalk.
Jen and I both say hi at the same time, but Vicky completely blanks me.
“How’s it going?” I ask Jen.
“Yeah, okay. Becca is upset. Probably a similar state to Danny, by the sounds of it.”
As much as I want to hear about Becca and Danny, I couldn’t give a shit right now. I reach out for her, but Jen stands like a statue.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“Can you give us a minute, Vicky?” she says.
“Don’t make me talk to Johnny,” Vicky says, but Jen gives her a pleading look and Vicky walks away.
“So, I know we’re just friends, but—”
“I think we’re past the ‘just friends’ point, Jen.” I chuckle, but her face hardens. “What?”
“I wasn’t eavesdropping, but I heard you on the phone this morning.” She doesn’t have to say more: it clicks, and in typical Liam style, he chooses this moment to call me.
“Answer it!” she says, and I do because he’s a fucking nightmare to get a hold of.
“Liam.”
“Hey, man. I’ve got some news.”
“Stop,” I say. “What’s going on with you and Vicky? Anything you want to share?” Jen eyes me nervously.
“Nothing. Why?”
“I was at her place, and I saw—”
“Are you fucking Vicky?” his voice sounds venomous, a side of him I’ve never heard before.
