Plus 1

by Erica Lee

  By the time we were waiting for dessert, my anxiety over Jenny had gotten the best of me so I excused myself to the bathroom so I could check my phone. As soon as I was in a stall, I took it out and looked through the messages she had sent me. She had sent me a few updates with addresses and how things were going.

  The final message had come through about 10 minutes ago and was a picture of her and the guy, whose name I now knew was Ryan from stalking his non profit website, and a caption that read “Look! It’s really him (and he doesn’t have an ax)!”

  Out of a gut reaction, I immediately went into Jenny’s contact information and started a FaceTime call to her. Much to my relief, she picked up after only two rings. Only it wasn’t just her staring at me through the screen. Ryan was standing right there beside her. Both he and Jenny had big smiles on their faces.

  Ryan was the one to start speaking first. “I feel like I should just introduce myself since I hear you are very worried about my intentions with your friend. But first, I gotta say that I’m flattered. It’s been a long time since anyone has worried about my intentions with a girl. I’m Ryan Wright by the way. And before you say anything, I’m not sure why my parents thought that was a good name either. If you want to hear something really embarrassing, my middle name is actually Roy.”

  He rolled his eyes then stuck out his tongue. I had to laugh. I liked this guy and was already feeling a thousand times better about Jenny being with him.

  I noticed Jenny giving me strange look as she tried to take in my surroundings. “Are you in a bathroom stall right now? You totally are. Why are you FaceTiming us from a bathroom stall?”

  I hesitated, then tried my best to put on an innocent grin. “I’m kind of… on a date right now.”

  As soon as the words left my mouth, both Ryan and Jenny started to laugh. Jenny shook her head at me. “My oh my. You certainly are one of a kind. You should probably go though. I know I’m not up on the dating game, but I don’t believe girls like it when you sneak away from your date to FaceTime with a girl that you find to be devastatingly gorgeous.”

  Ryan nodded in agreement and I couldn’t help but think about how much my best friend Todd would like him. I know, it’s super stereotypical and such a heterosexual thing to do to think that every gay person would get along. But something told me that they would.

  I said my goodbyes then slipped out of the bathroom. When I got back to the table, I noticed that our dessert, a cheesecake that we had decided to split, had already arrived.

  Morgan gave me a concerned look. “Are you feeling ok? You were gone awhile.”

  “Yeah, sorry. I had a few text messages I had to answer from a friend. She was meeting someone off of Craigslist tonight, so I was a bit worried and noticed I had some texts from her when I checked my phone quickly. I’m really sorry.” I never understood the point in lying. I saw no reason for it. Plus, the truth was better than the alternative that would have kept me in the bathroom so long.

  Morgan smiled at me as she took a bite of cheesecake. I felt much more relaxed the rest of our time together since I knew everything was alright with Jenny.

  After finding a parking spot at her apartment, I made sure to hurry around to open Morgan’s car door for her then escorted her to the door of her apartment. After I kissed her goodnight, she flashed me a suggestive smile.

  “You can come in if you want,” she suggested.

  Normally, I would jump at this offer, but for whatever reason, I wasn’t in the mood tonight. “I think I’m just going to sleep in my own bed tonight if that’s ok. I’m really tired.”

  Even as the words came out of my mouth, I couldn’t believe I was saying them.

  Morgan looked concerned. “Are you sure you’re ok?”

  I sighed, louder than I had intended to. Morgan was such a nice girl. She was pretty, funny, and super chill. I often wondered what was wrong with me that I didn’t want a lasting relationship when I had a girl like this right in front of me. Well, actually I knew exactly what was wrong with me, but it wasn’t worth thinking about right now.

  Morgan must have noticed the distant look in my eyes because she took my hand and smiled at me. “Is this the point where you tell me that things are done between us? That this little fling has run it’s course? Because you can just say it Rory. I’m a big girl. I knew what the deal was when we started hanging out. You’re a very honest person and I really like that about you.”

  I sighed again. “I don’t know Morgan. I’m going to be traveling a lot over the next two weeks and I don’t want to make any guarantees. I also don’t want to hold you back from anything.”

  Morgan squeezed my hand. “Hey. Don’t worry about it. You have nothing to feel bad about. If I’m being completely honest, I’m not completely over my ex yet. But you’ve been a big help at keeping me distracted over this past month. And, hey, if you get back and want to hang out again, just give me a call. But don’t worry, I won’t sit by the phone waiting for it.”

  I was relieved to hear what Morgan had to say. It wasn’t surprising that she wasn’t over her ex. She had just gotten out of a three year relationship four months ago. The truth was, I liked dating girls who were on the rebound. Most people who dated on the rebound weren’t expecting it to last. I had actually dated a lot of girls who ended up getting back together with their ex after dating me. And I was fine with that. I liked being the girl who helped someone realize they still loved their ex or even that they deserved much better than their ex.

  I gave Morgan one last kiss and squeezed her hand. “You’re a really good person. I hope everything works out for you.” I hesitated, then added, “By the way, feel free to get ahold of me whenever you want. Don’t hesitate to call if you need anything, ever. I’m here for you. I mean it.”

  Morgan smiled. “I know you do and I appreciate that. Goodbye Rory.”

  I said goodbye to Morgan and even though I tried to tell myself it wasn’t definitely the last time I would be seeing her, I had a feeling it was. Once I was in my car, I decided to give Jenny another call. It seemed crazy to be calling her for the third time in one day, but I just wanted to check up on her one last time before I went to bed.

  The phone rang through my bluetooth many times and I figured it was going to go to voicemail, but Jenny picked up on what I assumed had to be the last ring. “Ditching your date to call me again?”

  I smiled at the speakers in my car like an idiot. “Just wanted to check up on you one more time and make sure you’re ok.”

  I heard Ryan shout something in the background and Jenny laughed. “Ryan says you called too early. The murdering isn’t happening for a few hours.”

  “Well, at least I was able to hear your voice one more time before it happens,” I said sarcastically.

  Jenny’s voice became serious. “But honestly, shouldn’t you still be on your date? Until like...I don’t know..tomorrow?”

  “I decided to end things early tonight,” I admitted.

  “So, is the Morgan fling over now? On to the next one?” Jenny questioned.

  “I’m not sure. We kind of left it open ended.” Even as the words left my mouth, I didn’t really believe them.

  “Open ended huh? You’ll have to let me know what happens,” Jenny joked. Then she hesitated for a moment and her voice took on a more serious tone. “Actually, I’ve been thinking. I’m sure you would agree that you and I have a pretty flirtatious friendship. And even though the flirtation obviously doesn’t mean anything to either of us, I feel like it takes some of the fun away when we talk about our dates and hookups. Maybe we could agree to not discuss that part of our lives with each other.”

  I thought about Jenny’s proposition. I liked it and was actually disappointed that I hadn’t been the one to suggest it. For whatever reason, I hated hearing about Jenny’s nights out and her hookups. I’m not sure why. I didn’t mind hearing about any of my other friends’ sexcapades and that’s all Jenny and I were - friends. So what if our friendship had
started out with me hoping she would invite me back to her hotel room? Or that I still found her to be the most beautiful girl in the world? None of that should have mattered. But no matter what the reasoning was, I liked this new arrangement.

  “I’m in,” I said cheerfully. “No more girl talk.”

  “Unless it involves the two pretty girls who are having the conversation,” Jenny added and I could just imagine the flirtatious smile on her face.

  I heard Ryan shout something else in the background. “Mind sharing the comments from the peanut gallery?” I asked.

  Jenny laughed. “He just seems to think the two of us and this friendship of ours is super strange. I disagree obviously. I think it’s great.”

  I scoffed. “Tell him he can keep those opinions to himself when you guys move in together. I happen to like our friendship.”

  And I did like my friendship with Jenny. I really really liked it.

  Chapter 3

  I rolled over in my hotel room bed and checked the time on the clock. For a minute I couldn’t even remember what time zone I was in let alone what city. Sometimes I felt like I traveled more than I was home. Most of that was my own choice though. Yes, I had to in order to earn a living, but I also loved it. When I looked out my window and saw the Las Vegas strip, I was reminded where I was and why I had just slept until almost 1pm. It had been a fun night the night before, hanging out with a group of girls that I had met at the club and not rolling into my room until around 4am.

  I turned on my computer to check my email and noticed that I had one with a subject that piqued my interest. “Request for a favor” was the title and normally I would have figured this was just junk, but the email address contained the first and last name (Jeremiah Hall) of a guy I had graduated with. I say a guy I graduated with because I wouldn't exactly call him a friend. Not that there was anything wrong with him. We just didn’t run with the same crowds, to say the least. He was the president of the Future Farmers of America, while I was secretly wishing that our school would somehow decide to form a gay straight alliance.

  I opened the email and began to read.

  Hey Rory. I know it’s been forever since we talked. I actually saw you from afar at your cousin’s wedding, but since you were with your family and girlfriend, I didn’t want to bother you. I have a strange favor to ask you. I just proposed to Samantha last week and we are planning a wedding for the middle of June. I know it’s really soon, but we just wanted to get it done quickly and keep it on the cheaper end. I was wondering if you had any interest in being somewhat of a stand in DJ. My friend is going to provide the speakers and a microphone and we are just going to attach an ipod to the speakers as well. I’m going to add music so it’s just a matter of deciding what is best to play when and announcing things such as the wedding party, dinner, and dances. I know this isn’t what you do, but you really were the reason that John and Valerie’s wedding was so much fun. Unfortunately, I can’t pay you, but I can provide you with a free meal and drinks and you’re welcome to bring your girlfriend along to the wedding with you. My phone number is listed below. Just send me a text and let me know what you think. It’s ok if you don’t want to. I just thought I would ask. But if you could text me and let me know either way, it would be really appreciated. Thanks Rory and congrats on all your success the past few years. I hope life is treating you as well as it seems to be.

  As I finished the email, a few things stuck out to me. First of all, I had to believe that the rumors I had heard were true. Just last week my mom called to tell me that the ladies in her book club were buzzing about how one of the guys I graduated with had gotten his girlfriend pregnant...out of wedlock (gasp) and it was Farmer Ted’s son to boot. My mom wasn’t a fan of the small town gossip, but she always shared it with me because we got a good laugh out of it. I made a mental note to tell her about Jeremiah’s shotgun wedding that pointed to a deep pregnant soon-to-be wife. I was also surprised to see that Jeremiah was still so cool with me since I had come out. Sure, I had been out since high school and no one ever said too much about it (honestly most of the small minded people in my town just tried to pretend it wasn’t true), but Jeremiah didn’t strike me as a guy who would be ok with homosexuality. Then again, that was me being super judgmental. Just because someone was a redneck born and raised didn’t mean they couldn’t be open minded.

  The part of the email that confused me was how Jeremiah kept referring to my girlfriend. I dated a lot of girls, but none from our town and I certainly didn’t have anyone at the wedding with me. I decided just to text him so I could clear up any confusion there might be.

  “Hey Jeremiah,” I wrote. “I would be happy to get the party going at your wedding. Incase you didn’t know, it’s one of my favorite things. But just so you know, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

  Within seconds I had a reply. “Wow. That’s amazing. Thank you so much. We can talk about details later, but if you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to call or text.”

  Before I could reply, another text came through from him. “By the way...I’m sorry I brought up the girlfriend thing. I didn’t realize you two had broken up. I have to admit, I’m a bit disappointed. She was a hoot at your cousin’s wedding. I was hoping to have you both.”

  My confusion was at an all time high as he sent another text. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said all of that. It was really insensitive of me. I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for you…”

  I broke into laughter as it finally hit me who he was talking about and I typed a text back to him. “HA! Jeremiah, you don’t happen to be talking about the brown haired, shimmery eyed bombshell in the green dress, do you?”

  “Yes…” was the only response I received.

  I laughed more as I typed out my reply. “Dude. Nothing to feel bad about. That was John’s cousin, not my girlfriend. I hadn’t even met her before that night at the wedding. She’s from California.”

  Jeremiah sent back an emoji that had an embarrassed look and red cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I just assumed she was your girlfriend since I saw you guys together most of the night. I shouldn’t have made that assumption though. My bad. If I haven’t stuck my foot in my mouth too much and you’re still willing to do this, you are welcome to bring anyone you’d like with you. Obviously, I wouldn’t complain about that bombshell (as you so nicely put it) from Cali flying in, but since you probably haven’t talked to her since that night, feel free to invite whoever.”

  I sent him one more text telling him that I was definitely still willing to play DJ Rory for the night and I would let him know who I decided to bring. I immediately called Jenny, hoping I could catch her on her lunch break since we were actually in the same time zone for once.

  “Hey there pretty girl,” she said after a few rings. “I only have about 15 minutes of my lunch break left, but I’m totally willing to spend those last precious minutes chatting with my favorite gal.”

  I tried to ignore how warm my body felt when she said things like that. It was ridiculous for me to have that sort of reaction.

  “No worries,” I said once I found my voice. “I just have a funny story to tell you.”

  I told her all about my email from Jeremiah and how he had requested for her to come along with me. I left out the part about him mistakenly calling her my girlfriend because, for some reason, it felt strange to bring up to her.

  By the time I finished the story, we were both laughing. “Wow. We left quite the impression, didn’t we? I’m just not sure why he emailed you instead of me. I was clearly the better time that night. It must have to do with proximity and your history.”

  “Oh yes. That must be it. It couldn’t have anything to do with the fact that I AM the party,” I said sarcastically.

  “It’s too bad though,” Jenny remarked. “If I didn’t live so far away and you actually invited me, I would totally go with you.”

  “Well, consider this my official invitation. If you are willing to travel to Pennsylvania, I would
love for you to come play DJ with me.” I held my breath, wondering what her answer would be.

  “I would actually love to do that,” Jenny said, but her disappointed tone told me there was a but coming. “But you know I can’t afford to fly across the country just to spend the weekend at a wedding. Between my low paying job and the cost of living in LA, that’s just not in my budget right now.”

  “I could…” I paused for a moment wondering if I should continue my thought. “Get your ticket for you. I have enough frequent flyer miles because of traveling for work.”

  “But don’t you actually use those frequent flyer miles for your work trips?” Jenny asked. “You would end up paying for it in the future.”

  I sighed. “Listen. I’ve never been totally transparent with you about my job and financial situation, but money isn’t really an issue for me and I would really like it if you would come. Anything I have to pay would be worth it for the good time we would have.”

  Jenny was silent for what felt like forever. “Send me the details and I’ll think about it. I can’t talk now, but I’ll call you after work if it’s not too late for you.”

  “I’m in Vegas so it definitely won’t be too late.” When Jenny didn’t respond, I added, “I’m in Vegas for work related purposes. Just so you know. This isn’t in our ‘cannot speak about’ clause”

  Jenny laughed and it sounded like some tension was washing away. But why should she feel tense about me being in Las Vegas for personal reasons? It was probably just my imagination. We said goodbye and she promised to call me on her way home from work.

  A few hours and a few meetings later, just as promised, my phone rang.

  “Hello there,” I answered cheerfully.

  “Ok spill,” Jenny said in her best fake stern voice. “What is this big, fancy, high paying job you decided to keep a secret from me for some reason? And who is your boss? Want to give him my resume?”

  “Funny you should say that,” I remarked. “You’re actually talking to my boss right now. I kind of run my own thing.”