Page 43 of Friendshipped
“There was so much tension in the movie, I was eating my popcorn with my head hunched over the bucket popping kernels into my mouth at rapid speed like a squirrel racing to hoard nuts for winter. It was like I was in a popcorn eating contest and I was definitely winning. Fred would start to grab a fistful and I almost batted his hand away twice.”
I chuckle. Fred deserves it.
“Then there was a jump scene,” Lexi says.
“What did you do?”
“I jumped! In my horror, I threw the bucket. High. It flipped over mid-air and popcorn went flying in a sort of popcorn rainstorm… all over me, Fred, and the people behind us.”
Lexi covers her mouth and her eyes go wide like the memory itself shocks her, but then she bursts out laughing and I join her.
“Needless to say, I opted out of lunch. We parted ways and I drove home promising myself I wouldn’t date on this app anymore. But that wasn’t before he tried to lean in and kiss me like a sea creature in search of his mate!”
“He didn’t!”
My aggravation is palpable. The idea of another guy trying to kiss Lexi makes my blood boil. Maybe I shouldn’t let her debrief dates with me. What if it had been successful? Would she be telling me about the details of her kiss with another man?
“I already called Felicia,” Lexi says. “She’s understanding, but I have a feeling she’s pooling all her methods and resources to try to convince me to stay on the app. She’s probably got voodoo dolls lined up to coax me into relenting. I know she’ll stop at nothing when she has her mind set on something.”
“Man,” I say. “You are a cautionary tale.”
“Right?!” she agrees. “Don’t pursue romance in southwest Ohio, people!”
14
Lexi
We’re driving home from work Thursday. It’s been a good week. I’m sitting in the passenger seat trying to figure out how to overcome my incessant attraction to Trevor. If he didn’t unintentionally flex his arms when he moved, showing off all the ripples in his biceps, or if he weren’t so thoughtful and he didn’t make me laugh like no one else does, it would help me dial things back.
But, for now, I’m dealing with the embers of my interest and hoping like any fire, they will eventually burn out into a waft of smoke if left untended and not intentionally stoked.
I study Trevor—his strong profile silhouetted against the farmland outside the window as he drives us home. He’s relaxed at the wheel of his car, but he seems to have something on his mind.
“What should we do tomorrow night?” I ask. “Want to get pizza and start re-watching the Marvel Movies in order to see how many we can make it through before we fall asleep? Or watch Princess Bride and have a quote competition?”
Trevor looks over at me with something like guilt painted across his face. “Uh, Lex?”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve got plans Friday.”
“How do you have plans?”
He shoots me a look as the realization that I just insulted him fully washes over me.
“I have a life,” Trevor says.
“I know. I didn’t mean that. I meant you don’t usually have Friday plans unless it’s with me or our group of friends, so I’m surprised. Is it a family thing?”
“Sort of,” he says, shifting, glancing over at me, and then returning his eyes to the road.
“Sort of?” I ask.
“Well, my mom arranged it.”
“Arranged what?”
“For me to take Meg out to dinner and a movie.”
