Page 35 of UnLucky Christmas
Looking forward to this weekend. Promise not to laugh when you see me on ice skates.
I smile to myself. It’s been a while since Macy’s party, and I’m excited to finally hang out with him. I appreciate the fact he hasn’t tried to rush it. It’s probably a good thing, even though I’m anxious to move forward, I don’t want to do it for the wrong reasons.
I can’t make any promises. I’m excited.
As soon as the clock strikes eight, Janelle strolls in. She’s right on time as usual. She looks as sophisticated as ever in her black sweater and black pencil skirt. Her short dirty blonde hair is pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck.
“Hi,” I say. “You look nice.”
She sighs and gives me a hug. “Thanks. So do you.”
She hops onto a barstool and hangs her bag on the hook below the bar. The bartender asks what she wants to drink, and she gives her standard answer—a glass of cabernet.
“How’s Brian?” I ask.
She smiles. “Good. His travel schedule is starting to taper off for the holidays.”
Her boyfriend is in medical sales and travels all over which is good for Janelle because she works a lot and appreciates her independence.
“But that’s not important,” she says. “Tell me about Chad.”
I give her an update and tell her how he’s been taking his time. Then I show her his last text.
“I already like him,” she exclaims. “He’s giving you space, but still letting you know he’s interested.”
“That’s true.”
Janelle leans her head to the side and narrows her eyes. “Why do I feel like there’s more to this story?”
I chew on my thumbnail and then shake my head.
“So, Macy has a brother,” I say. “He’s awful. Arrogant, full of himself, and he drives me crazy.”
Her mouth drops open. “You like him.”
I groan loudly. “I don’t—but I had a dream about him.”
She gives me a wicked smile. “What kind of a dream?”
I shake my head. “Nothing happened. We were about to kiss, and then I woke up.”
She taps her chin and smiles. “Is he hot?”
I press my lips together. “He’s attractive.”
“How attractive?”
It’s not like I need to say anything. Janelle can read me like a book.
“I knew it,” she exclaims.
“The thing is—he’s impossible,” I tell her. “He’s uptight and frustrating”
“He can’t be that bad,” she says. “I’ve been told I’m uptight.”
“He is that bad,” I insist, ignoring her comment about being uptight. I’m not taking the bait. “And to complicate things more—he and Chad don’t like each other.”
She plays with her straw. “He’s probably jealous you and Chad are talking.”
