Alicia absently dazed at her coffee, watching the steam rise off of the
dark liquid. It had been a long night, and as it drew to a close, Alicia
and Chase found themselves at a old 24 hour diner, with old overstuffed
booths, and a waitress with her lipstick more on her teeth than her lips.
"So what do you think you'll do?" Alicia asked, finally lifting her glare from the coffee.
"I don't know," Chase shrugged, "I really like Joe, you know? But we weren't that serious yet. I can see how it must be a lot harder for you."
"It really hasn't set in too much yet," Alicia revealed, "I thought we really had something there. I guess it was one-sided."
"Your a great girl, Alicia," Chase said, taking her hand in his, "Don't let this get to you. When it gets out your single, guys will be lining up to get a chance with you."
"Thanks Chase," Alicia smiled, "You know, it was her lose."
~@~
"So the green or the blue?" Joe's boss, Margaret, asked her, referring to what color drink umbrellas she should order. Joe just shrugged, starring distantly into space, "What's the matter with you?"
"Nothing," Joe answered, "Pick the blue."
"I'm not blind, so tell me, what's eating you?" She replied.
"I don't know, I was just thinking about how I'm going to have to get a new job," Joe sighed, slouching on her bar stool.
"Why?" Margaret questioned, putting the order form down.
"Well, you know Chase?" Joe answered, "Yeah well, I sort of cheated on him with his roommate. But it wasn't like I wanted to hurt Chase, his roommate just happened to be the guy I came back to New York to see."
"Wow, you've got yourself in a bind," Margaret nodded, "I'm guessing that's why Chase called in sick today."
"I don't know, I just don't think I can work with him, it's be too awkward," Joe explained.
"If it can't be any other way, I'll let you work here until you find a new job," Margaret promised, "Now get to work before I actually do have to fire you."
~@~
When Ephram got home that night, he found the door unlocked, and Chase already inside.
"'Hey," Ephram greeted cautiously, without really looking straight at him.
"Hi," Chase said coldly.
"I'm sorry, you know, but things between me and Joe go way back, like preschool back," Ephram tried to explain, "I know she was your girlfriend, but I'm in love with her."
"You know how much you hurt Alicia?" Chase asked, still angry.
"I know, and I just wish I could tell her how sorry I am that it didn't work out," Ephram nodded.
"Maybe you should tell her that," Chase informed him , "Well I only came to let you know I have movers coming to get my stuff on Sunday, I figured you might want Joe to move in."
"Thanks," Ephram replied, "So, is everything alright then."
"Yeah, man," Chase answered, "It's all good. As long as I get the toaster."
~@~
"So, what sounds better, cleaning at the Phister, or being a dangerously underpaid courier?" Joe asked,
"Job search not going so well?" Ephram asked, as he snuck up behind Joe and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Yeah, there's no way I'm going to make rent this month," Joe sighed, turning to face him.
"Maybe this will cheer you up," Ephram smiled, handing her a small wrapped box.
"What's this?" Joe asked eagerly, carefully brushing her fingertips across the silky red ribbon.
"Open it," Ephram coaxed. Joe grinned, before cautiously taking off the ribbon. As she opened the lid her eyes lit up with joy and confusion, for inside was a key, "It's a key, to my apartment. What I mean is, do you want to move in with me?"
"Ephram," Joe said breathlessly, before giddily wrapping her arms around his neck and placing a big, long kiss on his lips.
"I take that as a yes," Ephram laughed, hugging her too him.
"Of course, It's a big step, but seeing as we've been dating for like 13 inconsecutive years," Joe joked.
"So what do you think you'll do?" Alicia asked, finally lifting her glare from the coffee.
"I don't know," Chase shrugged, "I really like Joe, you know? But we weren't that serious yet. I can see how it must be a lot harder for you."
"It really hasn't set in too much yet," Alicia revealed, "I thought we really had something there. I guess it was one-sided."
"Your a great girl, Alicia," Chase said, taking her hand in his, "Don't let this get to you. When it gets out your single, guys will be lining up to get a chance with you."
"Thanks Chase," Alicia smiled, "You know, it was her lose."
~@~
"So the green or the blue?" Joe's boss, Margaret, asked her, referring to what color drink umbrellas she should order. Joe just shrugged, starring distantly into space, "What's the matter with you?"
"Nothing," Joe answered, "Pick the blue."
"I'm not blind, so tell me, what's eating you?" She replied.
"I don't know, I was just thinking about how I'm going to have to get a new job," Joe sighed, slouching on her bar stool.
"Why?" Margaret questioned, putting the order form down.
"Well, you know Chase?" Joe answered, "Yeah well, I sort of cheated on him with his roommate. But it wasn't like I wanted to hurt Chase, his roommate just happened to be the guy I came back to New York to see."
"Wow, you've got yourself in a bind," Margaret nodded, "I'm guessing that's why Chase called in sick today."
"I don't know, I just don't think I can work with him, it's be too awkward," Joe explained.
"If it can't be any other way, I'll let you work here until you find a new job," Margaret promised, "Now get to work before I actually do have to fire you."
~@~
When Ephram got home that night, he found the door unlocked, and Chase already inside.
"'Hey," Ephram greeted cautiously, without really looking straight at him.
"Hi," Chase said coldly.
"I'm sorry, you know, but things between me and Joe go way back, like preschool back," Ephram tried to explain, "I know she was your girlfriend, but I'm in love with her."
"You know how much you hurt Alicia?" Chase asked, still angry.
"I know, and I just wish I could tell her how sorry I am that it didn't work out," Ephram nodded.
"Maybe you should tell her that," Chase informed him , "Well I only came to let you know I have movers coming to get my stuff on Sunday, I figured you might want Joe to move in."
"Thanks," Ephram replied, "So, is everything alright then."
"Yeah, man," Chase answered, "It's all good. As long as I get the toaster."
~@~
"So, what sounds better, cleaning at the Phister, or being a dangerously underpaid courier?" Joe asked,
"Job search not going so well?" Ephram asked, as he snuck up behind Joe and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Yeah, there's no way I'm going to make rent this month," Joe sighed, turning to face him.
"Maybe this will cheer you up," Ephram smiled, handing her a small wrapped box.
"What's this?" Joe asked eagerly, carefully brushing her fingertips across the silky red ribbon.
"Open it," Ephram coaxed. Joe grinned, before cautiously taking off the ribbon. As she opened the lid her eyes lit up with joy and confusion, for inside was a key, "It's a key, to my apartment. What I mean is, do you want to move in with me?"
"Ephram," Joe said breathlessly, before giddily wrapping her arms around his neck and placing a big, long kiss on his lips.
"I take that as a yes," Ephram laughed, hugging her too him.
"Of course, It's a big step, but seeing as we've been dating for like 13 inconsecutive years," Joe joked.