My feelings are mixed at the moment. In one way, I am very happy that Brooke and Sereena helped me to realize that my beautiful business partner Leah is the one that I want to be with. On the other hand, I am sad because I know that I am going to break the heart of two of my friends Mark and Ben. I think that it will be harder to face Mark with this change in my life since we have been through so much together. Mark and I have known each other since we started college together and I remained by his side even when he dated that insufferable girl Amy. I am really not very good at this romance stuff since I have not been involved with it for very long. I just hope that I can be the sweetheart that Leah needs.
“I thought that you would wind up with Leah,” Brooke mentioned.
“Really?” I blurted out.
“You seemed to be connecting with her a lot more than you were with Mark or Ben,” Brooke explained.
“I called it too,” Sereena gloated.
“When are you going to tell everyone?” Brooke pried.
“I was thinking about pulling the trigger at the Blackbourne Gala,” I thought out loud. “I will be wearing my best clothes and it will be the perfect atmosphere to start the next phase of my life.”
“That’s a good idea, but I have a better one,” Brooke suggested.
“What?” I wanted to know.
“Do it now,” Brooke ordered. “I know you, Sadie. Whenever you put off doing something important, you worry about it and then you make yourself upset. That isn’t healthy for you.”
“I agree with Brooke,” Sereena prodded.
“You two have a point,” I conceded while running my fingers through my hair. “It is going to be hard dealing with Mark and Ben.”
“They’re big boys,” Sereena consoled. “They will get over it. Besides, they will be happy for you since they are your friends.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I whined.
“She is,” Brooke decided to end the discussion. “Let’s go inside.”
I led my posse back into my apartment while trying to psyche myself up to deal with my problems. As soon as I put my hand on the doorknob, I heard the phone ringing. I hurried inside to find Keo talking into the phone.
“It’s for you, Sadie,” Keo announced. “It’s Ben.”
“Here we go,” I muttered while taking the phone and marching myself into my bedroom for some privacy. “What is it, Ben?”
“I have some tickets for a basketball game tomorrow,” Ben offered to make it clear that he was asking me out on a date. “Since we had so much fun at the baseball game, I thought that we might try a different sport this time.”
“Well…” I whimpered while sitting down on my bed.
“Is there a problem?” Ben probed.
“I don’t think that is a good idea,” I refused.
“Why not?” Ben pressed.
“I just want us to be friends. I’m sorry.”
“As long as you are honest,” Ben responded. “I hope that you and Leah will be happy together.”
“How did you…” I gasped.
“I could see how you two were looking at each other,” Ben clarified. “I didn’t need a fortune teller to know what was going to happen.”
“You okay?” I asked somberly.
“Yeah sure,” Ben sighed. “If you’ll excuse me, I feel the need for some ice cream.”
“That’s what I go for when I’ve got the blues,” I recommended.
“Bye!” we called out together just before hanging up.
I grabbed the phone and walked into the living room so I could put the phone back in its holster. Anybody that saw me at the moment could see that I had a storm cloud hanging over my head because of what I had to do to Ben. I dejectedly sat back down in my recliner with my arms folded across my chest.
“Are you okay?” Sereena prodded while patting my back.
“Love can be hard sometimes,” I complained.
“You look like you could use some ice cream,” Brooke suggested.
“I’ll go get it,” Sereena offered.
Sereena would have went into the kitchen to get the ice cream, but everyone froze when we heard the doorbell. Somehow I just know that this is not going to be good news or maybe I am thinking that way because I am already down in the dumps. Keo got up to look through the peephole and then looked back at me with a grim smile on his face.
“Sadie, you are one popular lady,” Keo commented.
“What makes you say that?” I had to know.
“Mark is on the other side of this door wearing a tuxedo and holding a bouquet of roses. I think that it is safe to assume that he is not here to see Sereena.”
“Here we go again,” I grumbled while getting up to open the door. I went out into the hallway so we could have some privacy. I am almost embarrassed to see my friend wearing a fancy tuxedo when I was wearing a plain brown dress.
“These are for you, Sadie,” Mark greeted while handing me the roses.
“Thanks, what are you doing here?” I asked even though I already knew the answer.
“I know that this is short notice, but my company gave me to tickets to the opera tonight and I was hoping that you would like to go with me,” Mark offered.
“I appreciate the offer, but I can’t go,” I refused.
“Are you busy?” Mark wondered.
“I have made my decision and I am afraid that it isn’t you. I am sorry, but I just want us to be friends.”
“Leah is one lucky lady,” Mark commented morosely while rubbing the back of his head.
“It seems that my friends know me better than I know myself,” I reasoned.
“It was always hard for me to get your attention when she was in the room,” Mark explained.
“You okay?” I wondered.
“Yeah, I’ll just go home and watch Space Jam,” Mark told me.
“See if Cole will watch with you,” I ordered. “I don’t want you to be by yourself.”
“Okay,” Mark agreed.
“I still care about you a lot,” I revealed while touching my friend’s right arm.
“Thanks,” Mark sighed.
“Take care of yourself,” I requested while extending my right hand for a friendly handshake.
“Friends like us don’t shake hands,” Mark refused while squeezing me in a hug.
This is a red letter day for me. I have just broken two hearts in a matter of minutes. I stood in place as I watched Mark wave goodbye and leave. I knew what my friends would offer me when I got back inside and I knew that ice cream wasn’t going to cut it this time since I have now had to dump two friends withing a matter of minutes. I knew that there was only one thing that could cheer me up now. I need Leah’s help for this one. I have one more problem to deal with. I am nervous about confessing my feelings to Leah. What if she doesn’t love me as much as I love her? I don’t think that my heart would be able to handle the rejection.
I went back into my apartment distracted by all of my feelings and just leaned against the wall. I have just enough alertness to realize that Keo shut off the movie that we have been watching a long time ago. None of us has been up to watching movies with all of the distractions running around here. I know that I certainly am not in the mood to watch a movie even if that movie was my favorite Home Alone 3. The only thing that I can do is to blow a breath through my lips which demonstrates my mood to everyone in the room. My outburst was quickly followed by Brooke rubbing my right arm.
“Are you okay?” our resident fitness expert asked.
“I suppose,” I muttered.
“I’ll put the flowers in some water,” Sereena offered while taking Mark’s flowers from me.
“Should I break out the ice cream?” Brooke offered.
“Ice cream works just great when you lose one of your shoes, but you need something a lot stronger when you have to break two of your friends’ hearts on the same day,” I refused.
“Sometimes things like that can’t be helped,” Brooke debated. “I am sure that you did your best to spare their feelings.”
“Do you know what you need?” Sereena asked me with a scheming smile.
“What?” I urged.
“Take this phone and see if Leah is busy tonight,” Sereena ordered while picking up the phone and extending it towards me. “I bet she will be able to pick you off the floor.”
I took the phone in my right hand as the beginnings of a smile started to appear on my face. Sereena really had a good idea. I was about to dial the first number when I remembered that it would be a little harder for me to get Leah alone from now on. Leah is the guardian of her rambunctious little sister Andi which will make things a little more complicated. Since I know that Andi will be in Leah apartment, I just lower the phone and sigh.
“Now what’s the matter?” Sereena grumbled in frustration.
“Andi is with her,” I clarified.
“I will gladly offer my services as a babysitter if it means that you get to spill your guts to your future girlfriend so call her already,” Sereena debated.
“Okay, you win,” I conceded while lifting the receiver back up to my right ear.
“I always win,” Sereena gloated with her arms folded across her chest.
I nervously started dialing the numbers which was difficult since my hand was shaking. I received a little bit of embarrassment when I dialed a wrong number. I resolved to try again but only made the problem worse when I got a second wrong number. That was when my friend wearing the jean jacket grabbed the phone in a peak of aggravation.
“Let me do it or we’ll be here all night,” Sereena growled. “What’s Leah’s number?”
“555-4421,” I answered.
“There is no need to be nervous,” Brooke consoled while patting my right shoulder. “You know that Leah loves you.”
“Brooke, watching your group is so much more exciting than watching reality tv,” Keo laughed.
“It’s ringing!” Sereena announced while quickly handing me the phone.
“Hello,” Leah spoke through the phone.
“It’s me,” I squeamishly spoke.
“It’s always good to hear from you, Sadie,” Leah cooed. Just the sound of her voice makes me feel alive.
“I was wondering if you were busy tonight,” I wondered.
“What did you have in mind?” Leah pressed.
“Sereena is available to babysit so I was wondering if you would like to go someplace with me so we could talk in private,” I offered.
“I’ll tell you what,” Leah bargained. “I don’t feel like leaving the apartment tonight, but if you two can get here by seven, I will let Sereena take Andi to the arcade.”
“We’ll be right there!” I replied with glee while hanging up the phone.
“What’s going on?” Sereena badgered.
“How do you feel about the arcade?” I wondered.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been there, but I will be glad to go tonight if it is in the name of love,” Sereena mused.
“I’ll grab my purse!” I blared while hurrying to my room.
I felt like I was on cloud nine as I fetched my beige purse from on top of my dresser. All of the possibilities that could happen tonight ran through my head. As of now, Leah was just my friend and my business partner. After tonight, she might be so much more. I gave myself a quick once over in front of my full-length mirror to make sure everything was in place and I headed back to the living room.
“I hate to mention this, but I am a little short right now,” Sereena implored.
“Okay, I’ll give you a ten spot,” I conceded while fetching the money from my purse.
“I want all of the deets later!” Brooke insisted.
“I don’t kiss and tell!” I debated while storming out the door with Sereena.