Four
October Third
Whitney
Shianne closed the front door, face red and blotchy from crying. Sitting on the couch next to Whitney, Emma looked up from her phone, immediately alarmed. “Hey,”
She paused, noticing her emotional state, “What’s going on?”
Whitney raised a brow, confused as well. “You okay?”
“I did it. I went to his apartment before he got home from work and waited for him…in his bed.”
She clutched her bag in one hand. “And.”
She frowned. “I gave him diarrhea.”
Whitney snorted. “What?”
“I’m sorry, what?”
Emma blinked.
Shianne sniffled, “Exactly that, I was lying there, naked, trying to be all sexy. He walks in, sees me and immediately bolts for the bathroom. Forty-five minutes later, he yells through the wall, ‘I think it’s best if you leave, I’m going to be here for a while’.”
Whitney couldn’t hold it in. She burst out laughing. “Holy shit. You didn’t.”
Emma sat in disbelief, “You did not. Why…why did you decide to do this?”
Shianne shot an accusing hand at Whitney. “Her.”
Whitney held her palms up. “Hey, I told you to be confident. Men love confidence. And if his stomach was already a mess before he got home, that’s not on you. Luckily.”
“Shianne,”
Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. “Whitney comes from a very specific background and I think it’s best if you don’t try things she tells you to do anymore.”
She could read Whitney’s sarcasm when Shianne could not.
“Did you try texting him?”
Whitney added.
Shianne liked that idea, “And say what?”
Emma held her hand up, “Do not text him, let him text you. The ball is in his court now.”
She didn’t have the nerves to tell Shianne that she also could see that he wasn’t interested. Whitney was trying to shed some light on the situation.
Whitney thought for a moment, “Was he not at the last Community Day?”
“No, like I said, he never goes to those, but I always invite and remind him. He’s always just busy.”
“Maybe you should start thinking of a new crush.”
Whitney’s eyes narrowed trying to ease the blow, “Because I don’t think he likes you, sorry.”
Emma’s eyes darted towards her, “Whitney, I don’t think it’s fair to say that, we obviously don’t know.”
She shrugged, “I’m just calling it like I see it, don’t waste your energy on him anymore. Find someone who will show up for you.”
“I don’t know, I still like him, I just don’t like me right now for doing that.”
Shianne sighed and dropped her shoulders, “Well can you guys promise not to tell anyone, please?”
They both nodded, “Yes.”
October Fifteenth
Whitney entered the break room, and flashed a quick smile at Amy who was having lunch with a man. Half listening to the two chatter. It wasn’t until she heard his name that her ears perked up and finally got to put a face to Shianne’s crush. He was good looking, not her type though. She heard them shuffle around behind her as they were getting ready to leave. “Whitney, hey,”
Amy called out. “This is my nephew, Wolfgang. He works for I.T.”
“Hey,”
He said with a small wave.
“Oh, hello.”
She looked up at him with a smirk, “I have heard all about you.”
His brows pushed together in confusion, “Really?”
Wolfgang glanced at Amy.
“Yes, from my roommate, Shianne.”
Amy let out a loud, ungraceful snort and curled her lips in to hold back a smile. “Oh,”
His brows raised and fell along with his breath. “Shianne.”
Whitney knew what was going on between Wolfgang and Amy and attempted to end the conversation, “It was nice to meet you finally.”
She wiped the side of her mouth with her finger.
“It was nice to meet you too.”
He smiled as he turned away.
Amy gave her a gentle smile. “Bye.”
and followed Wolfgang, letting a cackle out in the hall.
********
Whitney tapped the front door closed with her foot. “Guess who I met today?”
She turned towards Shianne curled up on the couch.
“Who?”
She perked up.
“Your boy, Wolfgang.”
She slid her sunglasses to the top of her head.
Shianne sat up straight. “Really? Where? Did he have a job at your office today?”
“Nope. He was having lunch with Amy in my building.”
Whitney tossed her bag onto the couch as she riffled through it for her fake cigarette, which had been getting harder to find the longer she stayed off nicotine. “I told him that I knew who he was because of you. Don’t worry, I didn’t mention, you know… the thing.”
She fought back a smile. “But he seems to know all about you.”
Her face lit up. “Really? What happened? What did he say?”
“Not much. But he is pretty cute though, I can see why you’re all about him.”
Shianne adjusted her position on the couch, her excitement fading slowly. “You aren’t going to go after him, are you?”
Whitney snorted. “Uh, no.”
She finally fished out her fake cigarette. “Not my type and honestly? I don’t think he could handle me. He’s all yours.”
“Thanks.”
Shianne let out a breath of relief. “I don’t think I could deal with that.”
October Twenty-Third
“I am so excited!”
Shianne squealed, her hands tight around the steering wheel.
“Why?”
Whitney puffed her fake cigarette in the passenger seat. “It’s not even your birthday, we’re celebrating mine.”
“I know,”
Shianne gushed. “But it’s just us girls going out, we never go out and I hope you enjoyed going shopping earlier with us. I know how much you love shopping.”
Whitney side-eyed her. “Mhm. It was an experience. But thank you for buying my top, and Emma,”
She turned to face her in the back seat, “I love my bag.”
She laughed. “Well, you picked it out.”
The car tires bounced through the gutter and pulled into a spot. The girls followed each other one by one into the restaurant.
“Three please.”
Emma smiled at the hostess.
“Wow, it’s busy tonight.”
Shianne scanned the room on the way to the table, most likely in hopes that Wolfgang was there and fate had finally brought them together.
“Can we just get like a whole round of shots to start with?”
Whitney asked the hostess before sliding in after Emma.
The hostess slid the menus across the table with a tight smile. “Um, I’ll let your waiter know.”
She walked off without another word.
Whitney turned her attention towards Shianne. “Can we stop and get a bottle on the way home, for tonight?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes stayed on the menu with a smile.
Whitney had a gift of looking at a menu once and picking something, she knew she was having chicken tenders. It was always a good combo with the alcohol of her choice. She set her menu down and let her eyes drift across the room.
That’s when she saw him, recognizing the tattoos first. The familiar lines against his tan skin. Then the rest of him pieced together. He was sitting with three other guys, some of whom she recognized from her office building. Electricians, maybe. Or something else involving tool belts and cocky attitudes.
She wasn’t sure if it was the weight of her stare or just some sixth sense he had, but his eyes flickered toward her and climbed from her heels up. He slightly smirked and raised his eyebrows before looking back at his friends.
She could feel the heat form in her neck and face. “Damn it.”
Whitney muttered.
Emma leaned over and whispered. “What?”
“That blonde guy with the tattoos.”
Whitney kept her voice low. “I have to deal with him at work and he’s a pain in the ass.”
Emma shot a glance at Fade, then her eyes fell to the table. “Oh, he looks intense. I haven’t seen him before, is he new?”
“Yes, we flew over together.”
The waiter stopped at their table dropping off three waters and three small shot glasses. “How is everyone doing tonight? Do we know what we want to order?”
He was chipper.
“I think so.”
Shianne answered for the table. “We are also celebrating a birthday.”
“Oh! who’s birthday is it?”
He gripped his notepad in excitement.
Shianne pointed to Whitney. “Hers!”
Whitney rolled her eyes. “I’m twenty-seven, not twenty-one. I don’t need a song, dance or cookie, unless it’s a free glass of wine. That I could go for.”
He laughed nervously before taking their order and carrying away their menus. Shianne dove in conversation with Emma about her wedding. Whitney couldn’t stay focused and kept stealing glances at Fade. His red t-shirt was tight across his chest and the sleeves were tugged on by his shoulders. Damn, maybe I do want to hang out. She thought to herself examining how tight his jeans were on his thighs, she noticed his body shift and withdrew back to the conversation. “Are you sure you want to do those colors?”
Shianne questioned Emma.
“I’m not sure, Thomas likes them, so I don’t mind. They are pretty together, don’t you think?”
Whitney’s phone let out an unfamiliar ding. She flipped it face up in her palm and froze.
New contact added:
Name: Fade Zemanek
Contact Number: 623-122
Address: 67 9th street
Slowly she looked up and caught him glancing down at his phone. When his eyes lifted to meet hers, the corner of her red lips curved up. And when she raised a brow, daring him, his smirk returned.
Fade
Recognizing the heels in the booth next to him and his coworkers, he realized how high they were and looked up to find Whitney. Fade couldn’t decide what was tighter, her shirt or jeans. Then he realized his jeans were getting snug too. He turned back to his group to distract him.
He could feel her eyes on him, and confirmed she was looking at him from the reflection of the window above his table. Fade watched her group take their shots together and overheard the blonde friend say that it was her birthday. He found it cute the way she got annoyed and the eye roll followed by a glare.
The waiter stopped by the table asking how their meal was. “Can I actually get the birthday girl a glass of wine on my tab?”
He pointed across the walkway.
“Sure we can do that!”
His coworkers looked at him confused. “I’ve worked with her.”
Fade brushed them off and they dismissed his gesture towards Whitney and went back to talking about anything but work. It was hard to follow along when he looked past them and back into the window noticing her squirm in her seat, staring at him. His phone dinged and he placed it in his hand as it flickered on.
New contact added:
Name: Whitney Blu
Contact Number: 623-121
Address: 24 9th street
When he looked back at her, she was already watching. That smile tugged at the corner of her lips and when she raised a brow, he was officially done for.
October Twenty-Fifth
Whitney
Although she was still mad at him, she was grateful and not afraid to make the first move. She flipped her phone over and placed it in her hand, the screen flickered on. Moving her finger across the screen she pulled up a new message and sent him a note of gratitude.
Whitney: Thank you for the wine.
Nothing. Hours passed. Then days. Then a week. Whatever, She thought and went on about her life.
November Second
Fade
Towards the end of his shift, Fade pulled his phone out of his pocket to see if Wolfgang was going to the gym tonight. He had run into him enough that they exchanged contact information as well and it was nice having a friend at the gym who knew what they were doing.
Before he could send a message, another name caught his eye. Whitney Blu. Shit. How did I miss this? He could have kicked himself seeing that she had reached out and he hadn’t responded in over a week. That wasn’t going to look good, so he attempted to soften the reply.
Fade: You’re welcome. Happy Birthday, twenty-first?
Whitney: Twenty-seventh.
Fade: I thought you were too smart to be only twenty one.
Whitney: Shouldn’t you be working?
He grinned, she was feisty and he liked it.
Fade: I’m almost done for the day. Don’t worry, I am far away from you. Unless you want to hang out tonight.
He couldn’t resist teasing her. Still, there was a part of him that he was actually hoping she would say yes.
Whitney: I’m working late.
Fade: Why?
Whitney: When I get this updated, I’ll have more free time.
Fade: So you’ll come over when you have more free time then.
Fade: I just think we could be friends is all.
Fade: Let me know.
Whitney
Whitney rolled her eyes at the messages coming in and attempted to get back to work. She stopped and thought about how she had missed the male company and attention her old job provided, hell, even getting hit on at the gas station. Not the women though, Shianne had enough personality to combine all her old coworkers. Some male attention from Fade wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Not that she was going to let him know that. Not yet.
November Tenth
Fade
Sitting on his bed, Fade stared at the ceiling, bored out of his mind. His roommate was watching something loud and obnoxious in the living room, and Fade had no desire to hang out with him. There was just something off about the guy. They coexisted, but they’d never be friends.
His mind drifted and of course, it landed right where it always did lately. Whitney.
Those red lips. Those tight jeans. The way she’d looked at him across the diner, sharp and curious and amused. He hoped the seed he’d planted was still there and maybe by now, she’d had time to think about it.
His thumb hovered over his phone. Screw it.
Fade: Do you want to hang out?
Whitney: No, I don’t know anything about you and my mom told me not to engage in conversation with strangers.
He grinned at her response.
Fade: I won’t tell her.
Fade: What do you want to know?
Whitney: At least the basics.
Fade: My name is Fade, I am twenty-nine, I’m an electrician and I like working out.
Fade: Can we not do this over messaging? I’m too old for this, just come over.
Whitney: Tell me what you went to prison for.
Fade: Who says I went?
Whitney: You did.
Fade: Come over to my place and I will tell you.
Whitney
She was feeling tempted but left the conversation up in the air.
She was almost done with dissecting the mechanics and wanted to go in to work tomorrow early as usual. Even if she was starting to get very curious.