The next morning Caroline and I have plans to meet at my place. I wake up early and hit the shops right when they open, so I can pick out some new, edgier clothes for her. I’m determined to make nice with her and forget about what happened last night with Blake. I return with Frappuccinos, bagels, and seven bags filled with everything I can think of to build her a new wardrobe. She’s waiting outside my building when I arrive.
Though she says hi, she’s clearly distant at first, and I wonder if she has any clue about what almost happened between me and Blake. Or maybe Blake went home late last night and had that talk with her.
“Everything okay, Caroline?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry. I’m just thinking about the company. Worried about my dad.”
“We don’t have to do this today.”
“No, I need this,” she says.
“Are you sure you don’t want to spend this time with your family or Blake instead?”
“No, he was in the lab developing photos this morning, anyway.”
“Oh.”
Inside my apartment, Caroline quickly begins chomping on a bagel, so I start spreading the clothes out on the floor.
“Oh, I love them,” she says through a mouthful of bagel. “They’re perfect, Hayden.”
Everything I picked out has a trendy, chic edge, but I don’t include anything too bizarre or anything that could be perceived as racy. Just some pretty black lace blouses and cute boots, belts with metal buckles, and finally some leather for her wardrobe. Which I told her to pair with a white t-shirt and cute fedora. She loved that idea. It’s sexy without being trashy.
“See this?” I say, pointing to a pair of black high-waisted skinny jeans and a green velvet shirt with the shoulders cut out. “You can wear that anywhere…literally.”
“Not the office,” she says.
“Well, you have enough office clothes. Time to spend less time there anyway.”
“You sound like Blake.”
“But I thought you said you wanted to work less?” I ask.
“I do and I don’t. I don’t know what I want.”
I turn on some rock music, the kind that Caroline and Blake like. Caroline sucks down her Frappe while I put more clothes together in outfits strewn across the floor. We start dancing around and it feels like we’re really bonding again.
We’re having an absolute blast and then my doorbell rings. I turn the music down and Caroline says, “Who’s that?”
“I have no idea.”
I swing the door open with a smile and find Blake standing there holding out a coffee, my sweater, and a manila envelope. Crap. “Pictures I thought you’d like.” He’s smiling timidly. “And that’s for the hangover.” He hands the coffee to me along with my sweater.
Caroline peeks out from behind me. “Hangover?” Her voice is low.
Blake clears his throat. “Hayden had some drinks last night.”
“Why do you have her sweater, Blake?”
“I…I gave her a ride.”
“Oh, I bet you did. Are you two—”
“No! You don’t understand,” I say. This can’t be happening.
Caroline takes the envelope and pulls the pictures out. They’re all of me being goofy with Blake. They’re a little too intimate, I realize, but I was tipsy. Not that that’s an excuse.
“What the hell, Blake?” Caroline says. “What the hell, Hayden? I’m paying you to update my wardrobe, and instead you’re, what, digging your claws into my boyfriend?” Actually, Diana’s paying me, but that’s really beside the point…
