Chapter 15
“You can’t just not respond, Daisy!” Gia says on the line, now deciding between a pantsuit and jeans for her “date” at the office.
“Yeah, but I can’t like…say hey back?”
Gia stares at me incredulously. “Why the hell not?”
“That’s a lame response! Wait, he texted me again.”
Unknown number: Sorry it took me a while to reply. I took a nap. What’re you doing?
“He asked what I’m doing. What should I say?”
“He double texted?” Gia asks, nodding in approval. “I’m impressed.”
She sets the phone down to change. Meanwhile, I’ve been pacing back and forth in my living room for ten minutes, biting my nails. A terrible habit, but one I can’t seem to break even after years of promising myself I’d stop. “What the fuck do I say?”
“You tell him that you’re doing nothing and want to hang out!” she cries out from wherever she is in her bedroom.
It’s my turn to look at the screen incredulously as if she can see me. “With my boss? Absolutely not.”
She pops back up on the screen. “Yes, absolutely! Also, how does my outfit look?” She props her phone on the windowsill in her bedroom and takes a few steps back, showcasing a pair of jeans she claims makes her ass look great and a simple v-neck shirt. “Is this too casual?”
“It’s casual,” I say, “but it’s also a Saturday, and you’re not supposed to be working, so fuck it.”
She hums in agreement and grabs the phone before walking out of her bedroom. “You’re right. But what’re you going to say?”
“I don’t know! Uh….” I slide the FaceTime call to the side and open my text thread. “Guess I could say I’m doing nothing?”
“Sound like you’re doing something,” she encourages.
Daisy:Hey, hey, it’s all good. I’m just chilling.
My heart thumps in anticipation, and I can’t stop pacing between talking with Gia and waiting for his message, which comes back quicker than expected.
Tanner:Sounds boring.
Daisy: Not really, just doing the usual Saturday thing.
Tanner:Which entails doing nothing?
Daisy:Yeah. Probably just mess around the house and go to bed early tonight.
Tanner: Okay, grandma.
Daisy: Grandma? Aren’t I younger than you?
Tanner:Age is a construct. You’re talking about going to bed early on a Saturday. I’m concerned for you.
Daisy:I happen to enjoy sleeping at a reasonable time, thank you very much.
Tanner: No judgment here, except that it’s the weekend. You wanna hang or something?
“He asked me to hang out,” I say suddenly.
Gia nearly stumbles over her own feet, running back to the windowsill to bring the phone to her face. “You better fucking say yes! You are doing absolutely nothing tonight.”
“I’m not saying yes to hanging out with him. We can’t hang out. He’s my boss.”
Gia rolls her eyes. “Rules are meant to be broken, Daise. You hang once, and if it’s terrible, then you pretend it never happened. Then I’ll come over and we can binge American Horror Story or something.”
“I’d rather do that instead,” I say, plopping back down on the couch and contemplating. “You really think I should?”
She shrugs. “Why not? I know he’s your boss and all, but he’s hot, and this seems like a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”
“That’s dramatic,” I reply, biting my bottom lip in contemplation.
“I’d hang out with him if I were you,” she says, grabbing her bag and putting various items in it. “It already sounds like a better time than what I’ll be doing most of the day.”
She’s right. Hanging out on a Saturday with my boss doesn’t seem like the worst possible thing in the world, and it’s not like anything will happen. It’ll be harmless. We work together, and there are lines I won’t cross with any coworker or boss, for that matter. I’m apprehensive but also nervous because Tanner and I don’t know each other. Even when I was dating back in the day, I’d always meet in public places and go home after because doing anything else always seemed more stressful than necessary. I go against my internal urge to block him and text back.
Daisy:Depends on what you’re thinking.
His reply is almost instant.
Tanner: Mario Kart.
I snort. “Mario Kart.”
Gia smiles. “You have to go.”
I groan for the fifteenth time. “This is a bad idea, right?”
“Absolutely not,” she says, slipping into a pair of shoes. “Do it, and then call me first thing tomorrow. But send me his address in case I have to kill him for killing you.”
I blink. “That…makes me feel so much better, surprisingly.”
“It should,” she says. “Now go ahead and text this man, and send me the outfit you’re gonna wear.”
I look down at what I’m currently wearing—my sweats and a zip-up hoodie. “I’m going to wear this. It’s just a video game, and nothing else will happen besides me kicking his ass and coming home.”
“Fine,” Gia pouts. “But I want all updates throughout the night. I gotta get going, but please text me!”
We say our goodbyes quickly, and I stare at Tanner’s latest text. Gia’s right; the worst that would happen is he’ll either murder me, or we’ll never talk again, with the exception of work. What’s the worst that could happen?
Daisy: Fine. But don’t get upset when I smoke your ass.
Tanner:Hahaha, okay. It’s a date. Come over whenever. Here’s my address. See you soon.