“Same time Friday?”
“Friday,” Jade and I both say in unison, our simultaneous laugh says it all.
CHAPTER 11
Jade
“Oh my god, that really was the best,” I say, my smile permanently etched on my face from the last hour and a half on the dance floor. So much so, my face is almost hurting. And Jay did absolutely amazing, which truly comes as no surprise as he always gives everything his all.
“It was way more fun than I thought it would be,” Jay agrees as we walk towards his parked car. “I think we did better than most people would for their first time.”
“It’s good for the mind, as well as the body, when you do something new. It’s kinda like stepping out of your comfort zone.” Which I’ve done big time these last few months. And I may still be finding my feet and taking things as they come, but at least I’m doing what I want to do now and having a great time doing it.
The only thing that keeps giving me a little nervous pang is heading home to talk to my folks and retrieving the rest of my belongings I’ve been storing in LA. I just have to grab the boxes or have them shipped to my parents’ place. At least I don’t haveto face my asshole ex again.. He’ll forget about me eventually, that’s how it works. Even if he only just texted me this morning. Blocking him right after that felt really good, too
I’m sure he’ll be onto the next new thing by now.
It still makes me annoyed that anyone would even venture into a committed relationship if they didn’t truly want to be in one. Life is too damned short to mess around and waste other people’s time.
Honesty is definitely number one on my priority list if I were ever to get back into dating. I guess I will at some point. But right now it’s nice having a breather.
“Sure is,” Jay says. “It’s a healthy thing to do from time to time, get out of the same old routine and try something new.”
“Thanks for coming,” I say as we reach the car and Jay unlocks it with a press of the fob.
“Anytime.”
“You might regret saying that on Friday,” I giggle.
He seems unperturbed by that as he walks over to my side of the car. He reaches out to the handle and opens up the door, motioning with his other hand for me to get in. Sweet. “Never say never,” he muses, waiting until I’m safely tucked inside before closing it and walking around to the driver’s side. When he climbs in, the car dips slightly as he bounces down in his seat, long fingers run through his blonde tresses, shaking off the night air and the chill creeping in. “Are you hungry?” he quizzes, starting up the car and rubbing his hands together while waiting for the warmth to kick in from the heater. I don’t take my eyes off his gorgeous face.
“Starving. I think I worked up an appetite.”
He laughs, the quiet hum of his voice is a gentle contrast in comparison to his car engine running. “Me too.” His hand drops to the gears as he moves it out of park and flicks the indicator on,his head turning slightly to check his side mirror. “Do you care what we have?” he asks before he pulls out onto the road.
“Not at all.”
“There’s a new Japanese place right near my apartment? I think they’d have some veggie options you’ll like.”
“Sounds great.”
We chatter lightly on the way back to his neck of the woods, which is not far from where we are, anyway. Traffic isn’t too bad, and we’re pulling up just a few spaces away from the restaurant, Wasabi & Whisper, in no time.
It’s funny how natural it feels just hanging out with him like we’ve been doing this for years, when in reality, we haven’t done it at all in our adult lives.
My thoughts often return to when we were kids, because they are the most memories I have of him, and I know a lot of times they were filled with struggle.
He left for North Dakota before we ever got close to any of the nitty-gritty of what it was like for him saying goodbye to his mom. With some help from my parents, he pretty much shipped himself off to live with his grandpa while he commuted for hockey every day.
Tanner kept me informed on Jay’s progress and we texted each other from time to time, but it makes me sad that we lost touch for so long. I hope we can make up for it now.
Jay is a guy worth knowing, and I feel so different when I’m with him. Maybe that’s the beauty of having known someone for so long, you don’t have to pretend to be something you’re not because he knows the real you. I don’t feel as though I need to meet any expectations.
We settle into a quiet low booth with ambient lighting and a neat, comfy setting. A tone of beige and latte colored cushions surrounds us as we relax from our busy afternoon, which has rolled into early evening.
“It’s so nice here,” I sigh when our dinner is served and I’ve taken my first mouthful. I ordered Vegetable Gyoza; dumplings filled with cabbage, tofu, carrot and shiitake mushrooms, with a side order of yodofu, which Jay can’t stop screwing his nose up at how seaweed and tofu can be a thing. “It’s actually delicious,” I chuckle looking down at his ceramic bowl of Japanese curry with rice and chicken. “How is yours?”
“It’s fantastic,” he says, taking a small sip of his sake. I don’t drink much myself, but I’ve never had sake before, so I decided to try it with him over dinner.
