Page 22 of In For a Penny
Everything’s set for game night. I bought a brand-new board game online since I hadn’t thought to bring myRiskset from New York. We were lucky enough that it got to my house just in time this morning.
I completely spaced on asking someone to be the sixth member, but I’m not worried about it. It means less people at my house until the wee hours of the morning. Plus, I know Josh is bringing a fifth, so we’re good.
Since things can get rowdy during these games, I had warned Allie about my plan to invite my friends over for a battle royale. Needless to say, she quickly made arrangements to stay the night somewhere else. Allie is currently seeing this guy she met on Tinder who she has wrapped around her little finger, and she tricked him into taking her away on a weekend getaway to fucking Paris.
What a glamorous life I lead. My roommate goes away for the weekend to France, while I host a boardgame night at my house on a Saturday night.
I’m in the middle of setting up the board, claiming the yellow troops for myself in a pile, when I hear the obnoxious buzzer.
“It’s me!” I hear Josh say on the other end. I buzz him up and unlock the door so he can let himself in while I finish setting things up.
“Hey,” I hear him behind me. “I see you got things organized. I’m so freaking excited, you have no idea.” Helooksexcited.
“I’m glad to hear that! Let’s set up the drinks on my TV stand. I’ll go get the glasses.”
I go to the kitchen and start pulling plates and glasses from the cupboards and the cutlery from the drawers. “How can I help?” he asks in the doorway.
“Here, help me take all this stuff into the living room.”
“Alright,” he says, taking the items from my hands with a broad smile. His fingers accidentally graze against mine, and I shiver, pulling my hands away as quickly as possible, trying not to drop anything.
Weird.
“Um, I’m just gonna…” Frowning slightly, he walks back into the living room with a stack of plates in one hand and two glasses in another. I carry the rest into the room and set it next to the drinks, offering him one.
“No, I’m okay, thanks. I think I’ll wait for the beers.”
“Oh, that’s fine, then. I’m just gonna have a Coke while we wait for everyone else and order Domino’s. Sit with me and help me pick?”
We sit on the couch side by side, and I catch another whiff of his signature scent. I’ve known Josh for less than a month, but already it feels familiar, comforting,safe.
“Have you had Domino’s since being in London?” he asks.
I almost want to burst out laughing. After shoes, pizza is my absolute favorite thing in the whole wide world. “Have I had Domino’s since being in London?” I scoff. “Um, are you kidding me? I have absolutely had it. And it’ssomuch better than American Domino’s. They have these amazing—”
“The chocolate chip cookies?” he asks excitedly. “They’re incredible. Literally the best cookies I’ve had in my life. They come all gooey and warm.”
“Yes!” I smile broadly at him.
I know it seems sad that we’re this excited over pizza, but honestly, whenever I can talk about food like this, I consider it a win. I used to torture myself with diets and purges and hated my body, so moments like these are proof that I’ve come a long way in life with my body image issues. Have there been moments where I want to relapse?Abso-fucking-lutely.Especially in the past twelve months. But being able to enjoy food is a relatively new thing for me, and I love that I am no longer one of those people who just eat to survive.
“Can we get some of those too?” he asks enthusiastically.
“Duh!” I say excitedly, adding two orders to the cart. “This should be enough for five people. It’s five people, right?” I ask. “I know you said you were bringing someone, but I forgot to confirm with you, and I completely forgot to ask someone else.”
“Oh, yeah.” He smiles. “I asked Eloise. She was so cool when we met her that other night, don’t you think?”
Eloise? Cool? Really? Huh.
“Uh, sure. Yeah, I don’t really know her too well, but if you think she’s cool, then okay.”
He smiles, nodding.
I feel like I’ve been gut-punched. I don’t like that he invited her to my apartment. I didn’t particularly think she was a riot the other day at the Student Union. She has absolutely no sense of humor and was just so…intense and forward.
“She told us she was going through a breakup, too, so I wanted to be nice and invite her, you know?” he says, kneeling in front of the coffee table by the board, claiming the gray troops.
“I mean, it’s not like she doesn’t have any other friends in London, Josh,” I say, trying to keep my voice level. I finish adding the pizzas to my order, enter my payment info, and click submit, all while trying to remain calm. “She said it herself. But if you think she’s cool, then great. Can’t wait to get to know her.” But I can hear the tone in my voice, and it is less than enthused.
