"You cold?" June asks. "I'm sweating." She raises her armpit to her nose to take a whiff. "I've been running around here like crazy today."
"No, I'm good."
She reaches across the table and latches onto my hands, tugging me a bit toward her. "Speaking of catching up. Hear me out."
I raise an eyebrow at her. "Oh, God, what's this brilliant idea you have?"
"Hey, don't knock it until I've told you." June grins which only tells me how invested she really is. "So..." She leans in closer and lowers her voice. "Saturday, do you have plans?"
My mind goes wild with the possibility that I could have disappeared by then...there's no real way of knowing what the next few days have in store when I know nothing about what I've signed myself up for.
"I don't think so," I say anyway. "Why? What do you have planned?"
"I've been wanting to take Simon to a baseball game ever since he told me how special those used to be to him as a kid, and I ended up doing some research and this team he likes, the Dodgers or whatever, they're playing Saturday. I got us tickets." Her eyes light up like a kid’s on Christmas morning, and it's so strange and magical to see her this excited when she's usually less than thrilled about life in general. I guess love will do that to a person. It'll turn the darkest skies bright.
"Okay..." I can't help but wonder what the fuck her getting tickets has to do with me.
"Four tickets, silly. Me and Simon, you and a date. What do you think?"
I accidentally let out a laugh. "What date?"
She tilts her head and narrows her gaze. "Give me your phone right now."
"What? No. Why?"
June places her hand up between us, palm facing the ceiling. "Give. Now."
I exhale dramatically, yank the thing out of my back pocket, and place it in her hand. "Why do I not have a good feeling about this?"
"Thank you very much for your cooperation." June pokes in my passcode and swipes a few times, holding the phone toward her chest so I can't exactly see what she's doing.
"You're killing me, just tell me what you're doing. You're not calling anyone, are you? Oh God, J..."
"Hush," she says. "I'm getting you a date." June pokes a few more things then turns the screen around for me to see.
Facing me is a photo of a guy I matched with on a dating app a few weeks ago that I had been messaging back and forth with on and off. We'd never met up, even though he'd asked once if I wanted to grab a coffee with him. I had told him I was busy, because I was, but then he never bothered to ask again, and I didn't push the issue.
My phone vibrates and a notification scrolls across the top but I can't read it before she takes a look for herself.
"Perfect. He said he'd love to go to the game with you, and he'll text you to coordinate the details. I already gave him your number." She thumbs my screen and then swipes away, clicking the button on the side to shut it off and hands it to me. "You're welcome."
I roll my eyes and chuckle. "You're seriously the worst."
"And you love me anyway."
My heart pounds but I don't quite know if it's from the idea that I have adateor that I don't have a clue what the future holds for me.
Either way, June has a point...I need to put myself out there. And if I only have a limited amount of time before this creepy man comes for me, why shouldn't I be enjoying it instead of worrying twenty-four seven?
June may have just changed my entire outlook on this situation entirely without me having to say a single word to her about what was going on. Instead of dreading what's to come, I have something to look forward to. In the meantime, if Ricardo comes for me, maybe I can ask him for a few extra days so I can live a little prior to selling my soul to him. Although, if I could change the deal, I'd rather give him my soul than my body.
"Yeah, yeah," I finally say. "I do love you, you crazy bitch."
June smiles and I find myself smiling, too. We're not the most likely of friends but damn am I glad I have her. There's no telling what life would be like without her. Dull, boring, and probably a bit too mundane. June makes things fun and exciting and her guys add a layer of danger that's exhilarating...if only they'd let me in on their giant secret.
"So, are you in?" June asks me.
"Do I have a choice?"
