Part 5 (1/2)
”Well, maybe Walters then.”
Lane smirked.
”You look like you're in good spirits,” I said. ”Did you kiss the female friend when she was leaving?”
”I don't kiss and tell!”
”Not even to your cool big brother?”
”The cool big brother is a myth,” Lane said. ”Besides, anyone who says the words acool big brother' in one sentence gets casted off the island for that atrocity alone.”
”Ouch.”
”So,” Lane began. ”I wanted to ask you something.”
”Go ahead.”
”Can I bring the friend home this Friday?”
”You mean the female friend you may or may not have kissed?”
”Shut up. And yes.”
”Hmmm,” I said. ”Let me think. Are you going back to school?”
Lane got up from the couch.
He looked angry at first and then he was obviously trying to calm himself down. ”You want me to go away that bad then I'll go,” he said.
I put the food plate on the couch and stood. ”Lane, that's not what it is. You know that's not true.”
He crossed his arms and stood there. He looked hurt and angry at the same time. ”I'll go back, okay?” he said. ”You don't have to worry about that. Just let me stay here for a while. Please.”
”You can stay here as long as you want,” I said. ”So long as you tell me you're not going to quit school.”
He started staring at the floor. ”Okay.”
I went up to him and put my arm around him. He didn't give in much but at least he didn't protest. ”Thank you,” I said and kissed his head. He squirmed away at that.
”So can I bring her?” he asked.
I smiled. ”Why the h.e.l.l not,” I said. ”I'm leaving this Friday for another work trip. You and your friend can have the loft to yourself over the weekend.”
Lane's face finally looked like I had made him happy. ”Cool,” he said and coming from Lane that was thank you enough. ”Can I also have some cash?”
”What happened to your allowance?”
”I went a little overboard buying someone a gift.”
”Right,” I said, reaching for my wallet. I took out most of the cash I had and handed it over to him. ”Here you go.”
He took the cash and stuffed it inside the pocket of his jeans. ”Is it okay if I go out for a walk?”
I checked the time on my watch. ”Now?” I said. ”It's late.”
”I'll be quick.”
I could call Stanton and ask him to keep an eye on Lane. ”Sure,” I said. ”Not more than a half hour, okay?”
”Okay,” he said and ran out.
I immersed myself back in the food and the nature doc.u.mentary where a male lion was trying to save its young from the clutches of an angry wild boar.
ELENA.
It was a little over a month since I broke up with Nick but seemed it happened ages ago. Somehow, the further I stayed from him, the less I wanted to go back. I had officially been looking for a job for a while, without much luck, and it was starting to get on my nerves. If I didn't get a job soon enough I was going to be in a lot of trouble. That whole week, I had called pretty much every one I knew that I thought might be able to help but nothing came through. And it seemed to me that by breaking up with Nick, I also broke up with our so-called mutual friends. Most of them were either too busy to attend my calls, or were never there. Others blatantly asked me when I was going to give up the acharade' and go back to Nick. Naturally they were not happy with my responses, which I agree were downright cold, thanks to the fact that I had been dealing with this for long enough. But that's fine. Even if Penny remains my only friend for the rest of my life, I would have no complaints. She was more than enough. She was always there for me and I could count on her to be supportive. She had opinions and wasn't afraid to share them, but she was also respectful of the opinions of others. We didn't always agree, but we held one another in great respect.
In any case, there I was, sitting by the phone that day, waiting for the one special call to come and invite me to a second interview or something along those lines, but there was nothing and the phone didn't ring. Even Nick had stopped texting like he used to. I was in a staring compet.i.tion with my phone this time, and I realized this is just nonsense. How was it people like Nick had it all figured out and I was so clueless? I was on the verge of losing it. When no amount of staring at the phone or at my computer screen produced any results, I decided to step over to the refrigerator and let junk food do its thing.
Half-way through a giant tub of mint-chip, I was about to give myself up to day-time television, when I heard the door unlocking and Penny stepping in. She saw the ice cream and promptly brought herself a spoon to match. That folks is the reason I love Penny so much.
”Are you depressed again?” she asked.
”Can't a person eat ice cream without being judged?”
”So, you're not depressed?”
”Oh, I'm totally depressed. But I still don't think you should judge me.”
”What I'm about to tell you might make you want to rethink your comfort-food choice.”
”I highly doubt that.”
Penny produces a business card for BRENDA SORKIN.
”Who is she?”
”She's hiring writer types for a part-time copywriting gig.”