I wait for the message and hop out of bed to head toward the bathroom to freshen up before I leave.
Alec: June told me your date will be meeting you there. Do you want us to pick him up on the way?
That's right. My date. I exhale and swipe over to the text screen with the random dude June matched me with. I do a quick scan of the texts and return to Alec.
Me: No, he said he's coming from work, so he'll head straight there.
Alec: Okay, cool...
Alec: Do you like him?
His question catches me by surprise as I'm brushing my teeth with the toothbrush Silver gave me last night. I spit into the sink and stare at those four words.
Me: I've never met him.
The dots appear again, but then disappear, only to show back up, and leave again. I watch them pop up and go away and wonder if Alec is typing and deleting, or just typing a giant message. Or maybe Instagram is being, weird and I'm massively overthinking this.
Finally, a message comes through.
Alec: Do you want me to get a background check? lol
I chuckle but realize he probably only added thelolto make him seem less serious than he really is. Knowing him, knowinganyof the people close to me, I wouldn't be surprised if someone hasn't already checked him out thoroughly.
Me: I could give you his social security number if that helps, lol.
Alec: Perfect, thanks haha.
Me: I'm sure it'll be fine. It's a public place with lots of people around. And I don't know who's scarier, June or Simon...
Alec: Haha, June for sure. I wouldn't fuck with her.
Me: Me either.
Alec: How are things going with your boss?
I nearly drop my phone in the toilet when I read his question. My heart pounds harder, and I consider what the hell I'm going to respond...
It's not like I can tell him the truth. Especially over Instagram. Or the phone at all. But I don't want to blatantly lie to him.
How do I say that my boss came on to me, I stabbed him repeatedly until he died, and then Miller walked in and found me covered in Joshua's blood and called some random dude who came and got rid of the body.
Oh! And then I went home with said random dude, had the best evening, and then he fucked my brains out...and I'm still in his apartment and sort of have feelings for him?
Me: Better.
Alec: That's good. You had me worried.
Me: Nothing to worry about over here. I can handle myself ;)
Alec: I don't doubt that.
Alec: Hey, I gotta go. Duty calls. I'll see you Saturday.
Me: Have fun, see ya then.
I click the button on the side of my phone to shut the screen off and shove it into the large pocket of Silver's sweatpants I'm still wearing. If he thinks he's getting these back, he's sorely mistaken. The second he let me borrow them they became mine.
I gather the rest of my things, which don't amount to much, and head toward the door only to backtrack a moment later into Silver's closet to steal a sweatshirt, too. I'm sure he wouldn't want me to be cold on my journey home.
