Saturday, 8:30 pm

"I cannot believe you just did that, you nasty thing!"

Alice and Sebastian are eyeballing each other. Before I left the room, I would've said I didn't know who was winning this particular battle, but that dilemma has just been solved. Sebastian is… and quite comfortably by the sound of Alice's exclamation.

"What did he do?" I ask, even though I know exactly what he did. I've just brought fresh margaritas into the room and missed the showdown.

"He bit me!"

I laugh, loudly. "Yep, he does that."

"I know." She's still scowling at the cat—a very self-assured cat too, by the look of him.

"Yes, of course you know. He bites you all the time, but still you continue to mess with him." She looks at me now, her eyes narrow and she just stares. "Don't look at me like that, missy. Stop irritating the cat and he'll stop biting you."

"But I just wanted to give him a cuddle and pet him."

I sigh, exasperated. We have this same conversation every time she visits. "Ali, he'll come to you if he wants you to pet him."

"But he never comes—"

I interrupt. "That's because you annoy him, Ali. Leave him alone and he will come to you… Maybe?" The last bit is muttered under my breath.

I hand her a drink and sit down beside her, nudging Sebastian out of the way with my hip as I do.

He growls, this time at me. Alice laughs—loud.

"He's a nasty cat, Jazz," she leans down and stares at him again, "nasty."

"No he's not, Ali, he's just a cat, a very pissed off cat." And he is, his tail is flicking, an accompaniment to his scowl.

Sebastian seems to have had his say, because he settles down next to me, crossing his front paws and closing his eyes. It's typical of him; he likes to be close, but he doesn't like to be mauled. I know his ways and accept them; we work well together—most of the time.

Three very strong margaritas later and Ali and I are in fine form. We're laughing and gossiping about everyone and everything. Her 'man' is at a buck's party, and it has given us the perfect opportunity to catch up. Something we haven't had a chance to do for weeks. It's different when we get together at my house or hers than at work, because we're free to say whatever we want, and we do. Our cocktail of choice is a wonderful loosener of inhibitions.

"Soooo… you still haven't talked with him, Jazzy…" Oh, shit, she's calling me Jazzy; here we go.

"Who?" I can't help myself.

"Don't be coy with me, you gorgeous man." She winks at me and I crack up, causing her to follow suit and we end up huddled together, nearly spilling our drinks, as we laugh.

"Oh, sweetie, you're nothing if not good for my ego."

"I love you, Jazzy, and I just hate what this is doing to you." She pouts the most pathetic sad face at me, but all it does is start my laughter rolling again. Which in turn sets her off again, and this ridiculous cycles goes on for what seems forever in my intoxicated mind. It's only when I go to lift my glass and find it's empty—I'm sure it was full only a moment ago—that I realize how long we must have been laughing for. I'm actually panting and have tears running down my cheeks, but I feel great. This is what she does to me. She is my best medicine.

The laughing stops as abruptly as it started and we sit there quietly for a while as our breathing and giggles subside. I feel Sebastian next to me shift positions and look to find him in some twisted stretched out back thing. He is such a funny creature. I rub his snow-white tummy and stand.

"More…" I hold out my glass, "or coffee?" I blink a few times; she's not quite in focus.

She stands up next to me. "C'mon, I'll walk with you to the kitchen and decide on the way. Maybe twenty glasses of water first would be a good idea."

"Maybe?" I take her hand and off we go.

Three glasses of water each later, I'm tamping coffee into the portafilter of the espresso machine and Alice is sitting on the island behind me.

"Why don't you ask him out?"

Her words surprise the hell out of me. That is certainly a different course of action than a 'work talk'.

"You mean like as in a date?" The coffee forgotten, I've turned and am facing her now.

"Sure do."

"He'd laugh in my face."

"He might surprise you."

"Why would you even think that? He loathes me, Ali."

She is shaking her head slowly. "I've told you before that I don't believe he does."

"And I disagree. Besides you're not on the receiving end of his stares. I am and they are intense." And they are, a bit scary really at times.

"Maybe he's staring 'cause he thinks you're hawt?"

And the giggles start again.

"I'm sure his boyfriend, partner, whatever the fuck his is, would disagree too." I give a little preening shake of my shoulders. "Anyway, I'm better than hawt, I'm smokin' hawt. He'd be mad not to want me and damned lucky to have me."

"Yes. He. Would!" I lean over and kiss her on the lips. She's my personal cheer team. "But I'm gonna say it again, Jazz. You don't know who or what 'Jacob' is. Don't assume he's anything until you know for sure."

I think I roll my eyes.

"You know what assuming does. It makes an ASS of U and ME."

"Well I wouldn't mind him making my ass."

"Jasper! Eww…" She's shaking her head and doing some closed-eye weird cringey thing. "TMI… TMI…"

"Yeah right!" I definitely roll my eyes.

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Thanks for reading.