I sigh, and she giggles.
“You know I say this with all the love in my cold, dead heart, but you Margo Marian Baylor, are overthinking things,” she says, scrolling through her messages and tapping out a text.
I take no offense at Viv’s words. As usual, my best friend has a point.
She puts her phone down and holds her hand up in a closed fist, drawing a finger out, one at a time, as she bestows her wisdom upon me. “He’s hot, or so you’ve said. I don’t know anyone named JT, but you have good taste, and that’s enough for me. He thinks you’re hot, and he’s right. The sex is hot. And he doesn’t annoy the ever-loving shit out of you. This is prime friends-with-bens ground, and I really don’t think you should pass it up. That’s all I’m saying.”
“When you put it like that,” I say, laughing, “there is a kind of logic to it.”
“See? So…text him. Maybe he’s down to hang out tonight. The LAX guys are having a party. Tell him we’ll meet him there in an hour.”
I blink. “I thought we were staying in?”
She looks down at her phone and huffs. “We were. Jake said he was tired and didn’t feel like going out tonight, and that was fine by me. But apparently,” she says, brandishing her phone like it contains State’s evidence, “he changed his mind. Judging from the pics of him at the Delta Psi house, he’s found his second wind.”
I cringe as I look at her phone and see a bare-chested Jake being climbed like a tree by three blondes.
“Tell me again why no-strings-attached is the way to go?”
Viv just rolls her eyes at me. “Because, Maggie, I’m not heartbroken. I’m annoyed. But I know the score. Jake and I are not exclusive. He can hook up with other girls,” she says, pointing at her phone. “But it goes both ways. I can hook up with other guys which is why we are going to the LAX house. Text your bathtub guy. See if he’s up for a party.”
Before I can talk myself out of it, I pull up his info and let my fingers fly across my phone screen.
Maggie: Thanks again for your help yesterday.
It’s not the greatest of pickup lines, but I’m not just going to dive into the deep end. I’m going to test the water first.
Almost immediately, my phone buzzes with an incoming text. Apparently, the water’s fine.
JT: Of course. You still feeling okay?
Maggie: Much better, thanks.
JT: That’s what friends are for, right?
As though it suddenly morphed into hot lava, I toss my phone in Viv’s direction. “I need your interpretive skills,” I say.
She glances at the phone, reads our brief exchange, and hands it back to me. “He definitely wants to fuck you.”
I laugh. “Where does it say that?”
“It was the winky face. Add that to the ‘friends’ comment, and he basically said he’ll be naked and waiting for you.”
My phone feels heavy in my hand, but Viv usually knows what she’s talking about in these situations, so I ignore the kernel of dread that’s settled in my stomach and type a reply.
Maggie: Are you having a good weekend?
JT: Yeah, it’s good so far. How about you?
Maggie: I’m with my best friend and we’re thinking of maybe going out later. What are you up to?
JT: Getting my ass kicked at Warlords II by an eight-year-old. I’m at my buddy’s house in Jersey for the weekend.
Womp, womp.
I guess that answers that question.
JT: Where are you heading out to?
