Page 27 of Sparks
Wuts up babe. Bring that sweet ass over. We’re at Frank’s Pub.
“Fuck yes!” Beth jumped up.
“Now?” I said. “I’m in my pajamas!”
“Yes. Right now. Let’s get dressed. Come on.” There was no hesitation in her voice—no room for argument. I stood and waved my arms.
“Beth, seriously, I only have about fifteen dollars in my account.”
“Pssh. He’ll be buying you drinks. And if not, I have some money. You can get me next time.”
I was about to start groaning but she grasped my wrist and tugged me back down the hall. For a sprite she was strong. I opened the bedroom at the end of the hall and peeked in at Holly and Cheryl. They were chatting on their opposite beds and smiled at me.
“Beth is making me go to Hoboken. Will you guys come?”
“I’m not making her!” Beth yelled from within the closet area. “She’s got her first Sparks date!”
Both of them gasped and I made a face. They sat up excitedly.
“You have a date?” Holly asked.
I nodded. Oh, God, I was shaking now.
“I would go,” said Cheryl. “But I have to get up at 3:30.”
“Same,” said Holly, sounding genuinely sad. “My alarm is set for 4.” Both Beth and I were off tomorrow, and all the other roomies were out of town tonight. It looked like it was just the two of us.
“Harlow!” Beth yelled from the hall. “Come on!” I cringed at the other girls.
“Be safe,” Holly said. “And I want to hear every single detail tomorrow!”
I let out a weird squealy sound and hurried back out to the closet to get dressed. This was no big deal, I told myself. Just meeting a guy. A drink and a chat. Nothing crazy. It was a Sunday night, after all, so we wouldn’t stay out late. I could do this!
Date number one, here I come.
Ilet Beth talk me into taking a taxi instead of me driving.
“No way,” she said as she pulled up the app and scheduled our ride. “If you drive, you’ll only have one drink, and you’ll be super awkward all night.”
“No, I won’t!” That was a lie, and we both knew it.
“Trust me,” she said. “You’ll be way more relaxed if you don’t have to drive.”
I was a huge, bouncy ball of nerves as we left the apartment and headed down the stairs.
“I’m serious, though, Beth. I don’t want to stay long.”
“Unless you’re having so much fun you beg to stay longer,” she grinned. “Or sexy Rick wants to take you home.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I’m not going home with him.”
“You never know,” she sang, smiling like a devilish beauty.
For every ounce of Beth’s recklessness, I had a contrasting ounce of cautiousness. But I wasn’t going to argue. Minutes later we were climbing into the back of a small car that smelled of cigars. Immediately, a sickening wave of warning washed over me so strongly I almost asked the cab to turn around. I breathed through it, applying lipstick with a trembling hand. I was being ridiculous. There was no reason for my intuition to be spiking so strongly. I was in control of myself.
When we pulled up at Frank’s Pub my gut was twisted like an over-proofed pretzel. We stepped past the piles of snow and I stopped, trying to breathe through another wave of worry. Beth giggled at my face.
“You are freaking out so hard.”
