The Mistake. (Later that night.)
Okay, so the double date had been a mistake.
"I didn't even want to go! I just went to be a supportive girlfriend because you insisted! And then you were so weird the whole time! Rambling, nervous, snapping at Amy, you didn't even remember how long we'd been together?! And what was that whole thing about 'Congratulations Alex'?! Do you have a problem with him dating her?! It's because you wish you were the one dating her, right?! I can't believe this, I'm such an idiot!"
Yeeeah, ...the double date had been a really big mistake.
Clearly those... feelings… Jonah had, that he hoped would go away, didn't go away. Kelly yelled at him the whole drive back to her apartment, then continued to yell at him at her apartment while Jonah helped himself to several more drinks while he tried to get a grasp on his feelings. Finally Kelly kicked him out and Jonah had called an uber. He knew what to do. He had an idea. The double date had been a mistake, but THIS… This would definitely not be.
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"So, you sure, there's nothing more between you and Jonah? Cause I don't want to get in the way,.. We've only been on a few dates.." Alex nervously stumbled over his words as he drove the two of them back.
Amy sighed, "Jonah is dating Kelly. There's nothing going on between Jonah and me."
"Alright, but does HE know that?" Alex raised his eyebrows, "Cause I was getting some major jealousy vibes from him back there…"
"You think?" Amy looked at him and then shook her head, "No. I mean, Jonah is just an odd guy. He has a terrible sense of humor, don't take him seriously."
"Okay, if you say so." Alex grinned at her. "You know what I DO take seriously?" He then asked her coyly.
Amy couldn't help but blush at his tone, "What's.. What's that?"
"You. And how beautiful you are."
"Oh, no, that's not… oh, you think? oookay. Thank you…" Amy got all flustered and smiled. It was nice to be dating someone again. It was nice to be looked at like that and complimented.
He pulled up in front of Amy's house. On a whim, before she could stop herself, Amy blurted out, "You want to come in?"
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Jonah braced himself in the back of the uber. He knew he was drunk at this point. He'd had too much to drink at dinner, too much at Kelly's apartment. But he still felt pretty much totally sure that THIS was a great idea. BEST idea. Totally not a mistake. The double date had been a mistake. But not this.
The uber pulled up in front of Amy's house, and Jonah stumbled out. He made his way to her front door, congratulated himself on being a man of action, and then rang her doorbell.
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Things had just started getting steamy on the couch with Alex, when Amy's doorbell rang. She looked up from their makeout session, alarmed.
"Who- what? At this hour?"
"Maybe it's just kids,..playing pranks?" Alex looked confused as well.
"Do kids even play doorbell pranks anymore?" Amy asked as she stood up, "Aren't they all too busy looking at their phones?"
Alex laughed as Amy walked to the door, straightening her top. Alex whistled at her from the couch, "Oh stop!" She giggled a him before opening the door.
"Jonah!"
"Yes, Oh yes, Hello Amy. It is.. I. Greetings" In drunken Jonah's attempt to sound casual and sober, he just sounded overly formal instead.
"Um, greetings." Amy initially stifled a laugh, but then grew concerned. "What are you doing here? And, are you alright? It's… late."
"Late, it is! But, is it… too late?" Jonah countered.
"Uh, yeah,... some could argue that it is, in fact, too late." Amy responded sarcastically and checking her watch, "It's nearly midnight Jonah."
"Never too late!" Jonah suddenly loudly declared, causing Amy to wince slightly. "Timing may be everything. BUT…"Jonah leaned forward and tapped on his forehead, "I've realized, we MAKE our own timing. YEAH. I'm blowing your mind, aren't I?"
Amy shook her head, she looked over at Alex who was watching this wide eyed from the couch. Amy looked bewildered, but Alex mouthed "I told you!" at her.
"Who.. who you.. Looking at?" Jonah stumbled forward into Amy's house and peeked around the door to see Alex on the couch. "Alex! Alex, my man, Alex.. The beverage guy. The greatest guy. Alex. And yet, it's not too late Alex. NOT. TOO. LATE. I'm making my timing and I'm making it work.. I don't care.. Alex.. I don't care that you are here…" Jonah stumbled forward a bit more, but Amy grabbed on to him to stop him.
"Jonah.. Um, I think you need to go home and sleep. A lot. Like, right now." Amy looked over at Alex, "Can you call a cab or an uber.. Or something…?" Alex reached for his phone and started tapping around.
"No, no sleep. I came here to make my timing. I'm making my timing, Amy! Because! Because you are the moon to the stars.. Remember the stars Amy? I always remember… because that was the day. You shine like the moon,.. To my stars…All of my stars..." Jonah paused, "Kelly yelled at me. Like, a lot."
"Ah." Amy said nodding. She looked at Alex who held up his phone and gave a thumbs up, Amy gave a small smile. An uber was on the way to pick Jonah up.
"Amy, I messed it all up. All the timing, it's all messed up." Jonah suddenly looked sad, and she then felt something break inside of her.
"Everything is fine, Jonah. Nothing is messed up."
"Is it? Really?" He whispered and looked intently at her. Amy just shook her head, she didn't know. There was something about the way he was looking at her that caused the breath to be knocked out of her.
Then suddenly Jonah leaned forward and kissed Amy. He wrapped his arms around her and he smelled like alcohol, but also… laundry detergent. Amy froze in shock and felt his lips pressed to hers and his body against hers. And for just a fraction of a moment she lost herself in the sensation, she moved her lips against his, but then stepped back suddenly and pushed him off of her, feeling flustered.
"Uh, what was that?" Alex asked, still standing by the couch holding his phone.
"Nothing!" Amy announced defensively.
"Um-" Jonah stumbled, then suddenly took off towards the bathroom.
Amy and Alex just looked at each other as they heard the sounds of Jonah throwing up.
"I should go." Alex seemed mad now as he grabbed his things.
"Oh no.. um.." Amy searched for words
"You kissed him back, I'm leaving." Alex said more pointedly and then left.
When Jonah returned from the bathroom, Amy was just standing alone and looking lost in her own living room.
"Amy, your house is like a regular tilt-a-whirl, did you know that? Let me tell you, it is and you should get someone to fix it…" Jonah stumbled to the couch and threw himself down on it, "I'm just gonna,.. Lay here till it stops.. Just for a second…" And he immediately passed out.
Amy heard a honking outside, it was the uber they'd called for Jonah, who was clearly not going anywhere. She opened the door and waved the car away. After she shut the door again, she leaned on it and sighed. The double date had been a mistake.
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The Mess. (The next day.)
When Jonah awoke early in the morning on Amy's couch, everything slowly and painfully came back to him. "Oh,.. great." He whispered sarcastically to himself. "Great, great, great..." The sun was just rising and the house was dead silent, Amy must be asleep. He quietly gathered himself together and snuck out. Outside in the fresh air he decided he would just walk for a bit before calling himself an uber. He needed to breath and think.
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Amy awoke later to an empty house, but she was relieved. She didn't want to deal with hungover Jonah, she didn't want to deal with angry Alex. She just wanted to breath,... and think.
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Heading back into work, Amy convinced herself that everything was going to be fine. Okay. Totally normal. So, maybe things wouldn't work out with Alex, that's okay. And maybe things would be awkward with Jonah, that's okay too. Everything was fine, okay and normal.
"So.. should we talk?" Jonah suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, like a ninja of awkward feelings. Amy sighed, so much for fine, okay and normal.
"Uh, no,.. I don't think so, that's not necessary…" Amy quickly stumbled through words while trying to restock some shelves. Jonah just paused and stared at her while she continued to work. "Seriously Jonah, don't worry about it." She waved her hand at him, like a he was an annoying fly she wanted to leave.
"No." Jonah responded, still just staring at her and not leaving, "No, is this just how it's going to be?!" Jonah was keeping his voice down, thankfully, but he was also getting worked up. "Everytime we kiss, you are just going to WAVE it away?!" He obnoxiously mimicked Amy's hand wave she'd just done causing her to look at him sharply.
"I'd hardly call it a kiss, Jonah," Amy spoke intensely while also keeping her voice down, she looked around them to make sure no one was listening but thankfully they were at the back of the store where there wasn't a lot of foot traffic. "You were drunk."
"So?!" Jonah responded, "And what? Last time didn't count because you were scared?! We can't keep kissing just to have YOU decide it 'barely' counts..., and 'hardly' happened…"
"We just… we don't need to talk about it!" Amy responded feeling flustered at how direct Jonah was being.
"This!" Jonah pointed at her like a detective who'd solved a crime, "This is what I mean! You NEVER want to talk about it! You had a crush on me and I never knew! And how was I ever to know?!" Jonah did an exaggerated shrug, "You never talk about your feelings! I'm walking around thinking you can just barely put up with me, but you secretly have a crush on me?"
"Well!" Amy felt herself getting defensive, "Well, I- it's not like you ever told me how YOU felt!"
Jonah looked flabbergasted, "WHAT do you think last night was?!" He paused and stared at her before continuing, "I may have been drunk, yeah,.. But THAT is what I was trying to do, I was trying to tell you how I feel!"
"So, what?! You decided that you like me again, now?! Now that I'm dating someone?" Amy threw her hands up in frustration.
"No!" Jonah raised his voice, "No, not NOW, Amy... Always! I've always liked you!"
"Oh… get a room already…" An elderly woman pushing a cart suddenly interrupted them.
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