Page 26 of We're Just Friends
I knew that if Jake didn’t call me, though, I’d be an emotional wreck.
10
Jake
It was the perfect day in River Valley. The sun was shining, as usual, and I was in a great mood. Partially it was because I’d taken some much needed time off from work. But it was also because I’d spent the night with Julianna, and I couldn’t deny it.
I made my way into Richard’s house, hearing him singing in the shower. I laughed and sat down on the couch, thinking about what I should do today. Part of me really wanted to text Julianna. She was in such a rush when she left my house, but I knew it was because she had to get home to her babysitter.
Richard came downstairs, running a towel through his wet hair.
“Dad texted me,” he said, sitting across from me with a towel around his waist. “He wants to have a cookout at his place. You in?”
“Absolutely,” I said as my stomach growled. “Do you know what he’s grilling?”
My dad was a hard worker with solid morals, but he almost set our parent's house on fire a few times.
Richard shrugged. “Hamburgers, hot dogs, the house probably.”
We both started laughing, and I remembered the last time our dad grilled steaks. Mom had told him to ease up on the lighter fluid, but he shrugged it off and told her to let him do the ‘manly’ stuff. The flames shot so high that a neighbor called the fire department, which ended in them arguing so loudly that I was surprised the cops didn’t show up, too.
Richard shook his head. “Mom has since placed a fire extinguisher in just about every room of the house. Anyway, I told him we’d bring some vegetables.”
My lip curled. “Vegetables? Are you going beta male on me, bro?”
Richard rolled his eyes. “When you get to be my age, you have to eat vegetables for your health.”
“So, when I’m old. Gotcha. And by the way, man, would you mind putting on some pants?”
Richard stood up and threw a pillow at me. It hit my back as I doubled over in laughter.
We took one of his vintage cars, a 1969 silver Aston Martin, to the cookout. By the time we got there, our parent's backyard was full of family and friends. I recognized several of his coworkers and a few neighbors from up the road, too.
As Richard and I spent time chatting with everyone in attendance, my mind kept going back to Julianna. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing if she was home and alone or with another guy. Thinking about her with anyone else sent a twinge of jealousy through my chest. It was a weird feeling, something I never felt about the women I dated. I shook it off, though, reminding myself that it was a fling. That she and I would always be good friends, but we had two different lives.
After dad managed to grill without setting the house on fire, we all sat around their pool and made polite conversation. Even though I was happy to catch up on all of the small-town gossip, my mind kept going back to Julianna. It was driving me insane. I couldn't take it any longer.
“Hey, Richard.” He was reaching for another beer when he looked up at me. “Mind if I take your car? I forgot to pick something up for, um, work. Long story.”
“Be my guest, buddy. I’ll probably have to call a cab, anyway.” Richard smiled and handed me the keys.
I drove to the nearest florist and went inside, not really knowing what I was going to buy. I couldn’t even remember the last time I bought flowers for a woman. Based on Julianna’s attire, I figured she liked anything red, so I went with classic roses. Even though it seemed a bit over the top after only one date, their color put a smile on my face. It made me think about that gorgeous red dress.
After purchasing two bouquets, I drove to the street I remembered Julianna mentioning when we talked about her house the night before. She didn’t tell me her house number, though. I sat at the end of the road staring at all of the homes, then I glanced over at the flowers in the passenger seat. I’d have to walk up and down her street looking for her car. The craziest part was, I had no qualms about it. I was not leaving without seeing her.
"Here goes nothing," I muttered as I parked the car at the curb and grabbed the flowers.
It only took me a few minutes to find her home. In fact, it took six houses, two no answers, three random people staring at me as if I were a stalker, and one nice old lady who pointed two doors down after glancing at the flowers. That I was thankful for.
I hurried down the sidewalk and ran my hand down the front of my shirt, staring up at the front door. Then I let out a deep breath, climbed up the stairs, and rang her doorbell. A little girl’s face popped in the window and smiled at me. I heard Julianna’s voice, followed by her footsteps.
“Surprise,” I said when she opened the door.
My heart sank when her face didn't turn into pure excitement.
She glanced behind her, closing the door just a bit. “Oh, Jake. Hi. How did you find my house?”
I suddenly regretted my decision. “Um, well, you mentioned what street you lived on, so I went house to house until your neighbor two doors down pointed me in the right direction.”
