Elizabeth
Saturday Evening
“Fuck!”
I had seen a parking spot open just down the street from Tara’s place, and I had only needed to get through one stop sign to get it. But sure enough, as soon as one car had taken a right turn and gotten in front of me, it had claimed it.
I drove past the car and further down the street, trying not to take my frustration and hurt from the week out on the gas pedal. Every single fucking parking spot was taken; I’d already checked on the adjacent streets, and it just seemed like there was not a damn thing in sight. My jealousy over Tara living downtown was rapidly turning into begrudging over the idea that I’d have to play this Whack-a-Mole game every time I tried to find parking.
Finally, after going three streets down, probably a six-to-eight-minute walk from my sister’s place, I found a spot. And, of course, because nothing about this week could go perfectly right, the car I’d be parking behind had done a shitty job parallel parking, encroaching on my spot and making it difficult to slide in. I eventually succeeded, but not without also thinking that I’d have to create a few scratches on our respective bumpers.
When I turned off the car, I leaned forward on the steering wheel and sighed. After learning that my sister had lost her job, after Steele had walked out on me on our…“date,” if you could call it that, after learning that I’d have to go into the office on weekends soon to help with the farm production, I really needed something, anything to go right.
I need to not be so reliant on Dad and my job to make me happy.
But then what? Myself? That’s not good enough.
Just be in a good mood today. Go and celebrate Tara’s new place. It’s not about you.
I took a deep breath. When I thought of it like that, it didn’t cure everything, but at least it didn’t make things worse.
I stepped out of my car after I made sure the road was clear and looked around. No one would ever mistake this city for a bustling metropolis like New York City or Los Angeles. But when you were in the right part of town, if you looked up and not beyond, you could believe that you were in the heart of an active city, one with skyscrapers—somewhat—an active night life, and a place full of arts and creative displays.
And as I walked to my sister’s place from a different source than I had from Copper Lounge, I had to admit that even though her complex was just feet away from where we had witnessed an ugly bar fight, she had done well for herself. She had her own place.
Her own place! Her own freedom!
Amazing how, as I walked into the lobby of her complex, I didn’t think about how much money it would cost her or how her job hunt was going. I only focused on her freedom and the right she had to make her place in her image. She didn’t have to acquiesce to Mom and Dad or to a dorm roommate. She was on her own.
The elevator rose to the fourth floor and opened to a hallway that smelled so nice it was better than some hotels I had walked into. I made my way to room 414 and knocked. I could hear two of our other friends, Kathryn and Justine, talking on the other side. Tara opened the door and smiled.
“Hey girl!” she said, pulling me in for an embrace.
“Sorry I’m late,” I said. “Parking was a real pain in the ass.”
“Ah, that’s weekends down here for you,” she said. “If you come and visit on a weekday, it won’t be so bad. But welcome!”
“Thanks!” I said as I stepped inside.
Kathryn, wearing a black top and jean shorts—a look that complimented her tanned, curvy body—and Justine, wearing a long dress that complimented her beautiful mixed complexion and curly hair, sat on a couch at the far end of the living room. I waved to them as Tara shut the door behind me.
“Well, would you all like the official Tara tour?” she said. “Granted, it will probably be the fastest tour you’ve ever done in your life, but I think it will be fun!”
She is in such a good mood.
I so wish I had the courage to do what she’s doing.
“You know it,” Kathryn said. “I need to see all the spots you and Brock will get it on.”
“Kathryn!” Justine said. “Do you really think we all want to know that?”
“Yes?”
We all knew Justine disdained Brock. Tara knew they had hooked up before she and he and gotten together, but it wasn’t exactly something we wanted to push as a conversation topic.
Except, apparently, Kathryn, who wanted to know all the gossip at all times.
Which meant, perhaps, it was imperative that the conversation remain on Brock and Tara and not on Steele and me. God forbid I had to revisit two nights ago.
