“What’s the matter?” I ask as she makes her way over to me.
“Will you be okay if I go straight to Noa’s after work? He’s going to pick me up since neither of us is working tomorrow.”
How is it almost the end of the week? I feel like the week just started. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
She rests her arms on the chair’s middle brace and looks up at me. “I know I’ve been gone a lot lately, and I hate the thought of you sitting alone every night.”
I reposition myself in my chair because I’m uncomfortable with the topic I’ve been trying to come to terms with. “Lea, you’re a grown woman, and you’re getting married soon. It’s inevitable that you’re not going to be with me every night anymore. It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about me.”
Lea doesn’t look like she believes what I’m saying, but it’s true. I’ll be fine. I don’t mind being alone, and what matters is that she’s happy. “Maybe once I move, you might consider a roommate?”
“I can hardly live with you, never mind some random woman.”
“True,” Lea agrees. “A puppy?”
“I’m not home during the day. It wouldn’t be fair to the dog.”
“True … a boyfriend?”
“Lea.”
“It’s going to happen whether you like it or not. It’s like a train coming at you full speed, and there’s no time to get out of the way.” She slaps her hands together, making a crashing sound.
My forehead crinkles from the confusion running through my head. “Having a boyfriend is like a train running me over?”
“No,” she groans. “Why are you so annoying?”
“Why do you use weird analogies?”
“You should go out with Denver or something, okay?” she continues.
Denver has been coming and going from the pool for the last few days with his flirty winks, smiles, and compliments that make my stomach turn inside out. All I have done is try to maintain a straight face, ignoring the fluttering in my heart, along with the desire to explore the avenue of whatever it is he represents, but I don’t think he’s my type. He’s basically a stripper in a sense, and with my lack of dating experience, I feel like I’d be diving into shallow waters just looking to get hurt. Heartache isn’t on my agenda. I’ve experienced enough of that to last me a lifetime.
“Is Denver supposed to be the train in this situation?”
“Well, obviously.”
“So, if I don’t move out of the way—I mean if I had time, that is, Denver would run over me?”
“You know what? Forget it.” She slaps her palm against her forehead.
“Lolo.”
“Lolo? Don’t call me stupid because you’re saying ridiculous things.”
Lea rolls her eyes and walks off in a huff. I never ask for her wrath, yet it’s always handed to me whether I like it or not.
Speaking of the devil—it’s like they’re in cahoots. She tries to set something up, and he comes walking along casually as if she didn’t try to push the boyfriend subject on me just two minutes ago. Maybe I’m inexperienced, but I’m sure a date of sorts would come before a boyfriend title, so I think Lea’s expectations are a little off. Denver hasn’t even asked me out. In fact, I doubt he is thinking of me in any way, other than as an easy target to embarrass at his Bunville job, which won’t be happening again.
“Aloha, Miss Kai,” Denver says, approaching me alone today, without his adorable sidekick.
“Good morning,” I offer, keeping my focus set on the kids playing in the pool.
“I have a question to ask you,” he says.
“Do you, now? Did Lea tell you to ask me a question?” I ask.
He chuckles, and out the corner of my eye, I see him shaking his head. “No, but since you’re assuming that, I’m going to remember not to tell Noa my plans before I act on them. Those two have the biggest mouths I’ve ever seen in my life.”
