Teri lifted her eyes from the book in front of her, glancing around the room over the top of her glasses, searching for the source of the buzzing sound. My phone? Hearing the buzz a second time, she put the book down and crossed the room to go find it.
-What are you wearing tonight?!
The smile tugging at her lips was nothing new to her. Text messages (or calls, mentions, or, well really anything) from Sherry always seemed to brighten any moment, filling her belly with what most people would refer to as butterflies, but she prefers to dismiss the feeling as temporary breaths of fresh air. Glancing to the top of the screen, her smile quickly faded as she realized what time it was.
3:15PM. Less than an hour before she had to meet Sherri at the studio to head over to Peter's for a cast dinner. Terri caught a glimpse of her messy bun, yesterday's makeup, and her comfy sweats in the mirror. If she wanted to be on time, she had better get ready soon. But first she had to think of something witty to text back…
-Something special just for you ;)
She put the phone down and went upstairs to take a quick shower. After a few minutes, Teri returned downstairs feeling much better, towel wrapped around her body and wet blonde hair dripping down her back. Picking up the phone, she checked her messages.
-So, nothing? ;)
-But seriously, Jeans? Or the red dress with the slit? HELP!
Teri took the phone into her bedroom, stepping into her walk in closet and looking around for her favourite black tank, the one with the wide shoulders and the low cut front. After locating the top, her low hanging jeans, and black strappy sandles, she placed the outfit on the bed and dropped her towel. Before picking up the shirt, she flipped her phone around and took a shot of her bare shoulder and half her sneaky grin – going almost low enough to see something good. She added the caption, "If nothing is what you want…" Just as she was about to press send, another message popped up.
-You are not helping. Where are youuu? Kamar wants me to hurry up so we can leave soon. Black or red?!
Right, Kamar. Teri pressed delete on her phone and decided to text her response instead.
-Jeans. Definitely. See you soon! coco
Sighing, she dropped the phone and quickly got dressed. Light make up, teeth brushed, hair tosseled with some mousse. 20 minutes later and a double take in the mirror, Teri was out the door and headed toward the studio. The bright afternoon sun and the warm air calmed her nerves as she drove down the highway. Tonight's dinner at Peter's with the cast was almost like visiting relatives for dinner – comforting in its familiarity, but still an event that requires exerting effort in both appearance and performance, something she would usually rather avoid on her time off. Knowing that Sherri would be there, and that she tended to stick close by during these events, made the effort bearable. She loved her cast, they were family, but she sometimes felt like she was always expected to be funny and entertaining, filling silences and making sure everyone felt included. Sherri was more reserved, which mean Teri often had to work a little harder to keep her in the conversation, but she didn't mind. It made Teri feel important, kind of like the glue in the picture.
Teri pulled into the studio parking lot, pulling up beside Kamar's car. Looking into the car window, Sherri and Kamar appeared to be arguing and didn't notice that someone had pulled up beside them. Should I interrupt them? I hate it when they fight, Sherri always gets so sad… Teri took a deep breath, honked the horn and smiled over at the other car. Sherri turned to see Teri and smiled back, but her eyes confirmed that they were in fact fighting. After saying something to Kamar, she got out of the car and walked around to Teri's passenger side door. She was wearing a red off-the-shoulder sheer top, black bra, and those tight jeans that made Teri's breath hitch. She looked stunning, as per usual.
Sherri opened the door and slid into the front seat, forcing a smile and saying hello with just a bit too much forced enthusiasm. Teri instantly reached for her hand.
"What's going on? Are you okay?"
The fake smile remained in place.
"Oh yeah, everything's fine. Just discussing where the kids are going for the weekend. Everything is good. How are you? Ready for Peter's infamous pasta?"
Teri knew now wasn't the time to push for information as they both had to be presentable when they arrived at Peter's, and preferably on time. They had become such close friends over the last few years of working together that they could read each other better than anyone else – both a blessing and a curse. In this case, she knew Sherri wasn't alright and this had more to do with Kamar than the kids, but she felt comforted by Sherri's willingness to accept her reaching out. Teri continued to look at Sheri with concern.
"Later, love. We have to go." Sherri squeezed Teri's hand and then dropped it, reaching for her seat belt and turning up the radio. Teri appreciated that she acknowledged her recognition of something going on and decided to just drive, making a mental note to pay extra attention to Sherri's energy tonight. Teri began to chatter away about her two doodlebugs and their school projects, hoping to fill the air with random distractions, biding her time until she can get Sherri back to herself after dinner.