One of the Guys

by Jessica Strassner

  “Good,” she replied, placing the ice cream and spoons on the coffee table. She stood on one foot to pull off a boot. Then she switched to the other foot and tugged off the other boot before picking them both up and tossing them into her bedroom. “Can I get you anything?”

  “Just come and cuddle,” he said, taking the lid off the ice cream. He licked the ice cream off the lid and dug his spoon in.

  Kate disappeared into her bedroom and quickly shimmied out of her jeans, looking forward to cozying up on the couch. She pulled a pair of sweatpants off the top of the laundry basket and stepped into them. She took off her sweater and bra, flinging them onto the floor, and pulled on an oversized sweatshirt. Since she wasn’t worried about seducing Max, she didn’t care what she looked like.

  When she curled up next to Max and dug her spoon into the ice cream, he was busy flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch on television. He settled for a show on the Food Network, something where a guy was being challenged to eat a four-pound omelet. “I’m surprised you asked me to come over,” he said, waiting for her to take another spoonful of ice cream.

  “Oh yeah? How come?” she asked, licking her spoon clean.

  “Because I figured you were seeing someone,” he said, taking another spoonful.

  “What makes you think I’m seeing someone?” she asked. She had an odd feeling in her stomach. She hoped Chris hadn’t said anything. And why would he? What kind of relationship did they have, anyway? It didn’t seem like it was really all that serious. What would he say about it?

  “Well, you and I were seeing each other pretty regularly,” Max said slowly. “And I thought our arrangement was working out okay. And then, all of a sudden, you kind of stopped wanting to hang out.”

  Kate stuck her spoon back into the Cherry Garcia and forced a chunk of chocolate out. “How long did you think we were going to keep doing that?” she asked.

  Max shrugged. “Until it wasn’t working anymore,” he said. “Is that it? It wasn’t working?”

  “I don’t know,” Kate replied. “It was fine, I guess. I just don’t know how long two people can keep that up. Just having sex. Nothing else.” She scooped up another spoonful of ice cream and let it melt in her mouth slowly.

  Max groaned. “I’ve told you before, it doesn’t just have to be sex, you know,” Max said. “I’ve always thought we’d make a good couple. Don’t you think?”

  Kate smiled at him. He was adorable, sitting cross-legged on the couch in his pajamas, happy to share his ice cream with her. His dark hair stuck up all over the place and he looked pretty sleepy. This wasn’t the first time he’d proposed that they give dating a try, but for some reason, Kate just couldn’t wrap her head around the idea. “I don’t know… We’re friends,” she said. She stabbed her spoon into the ice cream and leaned back, resting her head against the arm of the couch. She stretched out her legs and placed her feet in Max’s lap. She was friends with Chris, too. But that didn’t stop her from attempting to have a relationship with him. She rubbed her eyes.

  “We could be more than friends,” Max said, continuing to dig into the ice cream. “No?”

  “I don’t know, Max. I’d hate to… ruin things.”

  “You don’t know that it would ruin things.”

  “I don’t know that it wouldn’t, either. Can’t we just leave well enough alone? Please?”

  A look of disappointment crossed Max’s face. He leaned forward, picked up the lid from the ice cream container, and abruptly got to his feet. Kate sat up and watched as he went into the kitchen. She could hear him put the ice cream in the freezer and put the spoons in the dishwasher. When he came back, she was relieved to see that he was at least smiling.

  “Well?”

  “What?” she asked.

  “Are we going to cuddle or what?” he asked.

  Kate got to her feet and turned off the lamps as Max made his way into her bedroom. She checked to make sure the door was locked. She went into her room and closed the door softly behind her. Max was already in bed with the blanket pulled up to his chin. He pulled the covers aside so that she could climb in next to him.

  She rested her head on his shoulder, tucked just under his cheek. Hearing her sigh contentedly, Max smiled. “I can’t believe you don’t think we’d make a good couple.”

  “Good night, Max.”

  Kate leaned up on one elbow and peered down at him, her hair falling over his face and tickling his nose and lips. He brushed the curtain of her hair away with the back of his hand, waiting for her to say or do something.

  She wanted to explain to him how she felt, but she couldn’t put it into words. Things didn’t make sense. She didn’t have a problem with just having sex with Max before. That was all she had wanted from him, and she had never considered having an actual relationship with him. They’d agreed in the beginning that it would only complicate things, although from time to time, Max would try to convince her to get more serious about their relationship.

  Kate bent her head and her lips managed to find Max’s mouth in the darkness. She kissed him sweetly, waiting to feel some stir of excitement, but there was nothing. “Good night,” she said.

  “Is everything okay?” Max asked softly, as she snuggled down against him again.

  She nodded, draping her arm over his chest and giving him a squeeze. “Just hold me, please,” she murmured. He pulled the covers up over both of them and wrapped his arms around her.

  It felt so good to be held… but Kate just wasn’t sure who was supposed to be holding her.

  *

  Kate couldn’t help giggling at Lucy.

  She was sitting stiffly in the passenger seat, so she wouldn’t smudge her freshly polished fingers and toes, clutching a bottle of wine between her knees and holding a delicate potted orchid on her lap.

  “What is that?” Kate had asked. “What are you doing?”

  “I can’t go to a housewarming party and not take a gift!” Lucy had squealed. “I might not know the girl, but I figured if she doesn’t mind me tagging along, I should give her a little something. Aren’t you taking a housewarming gift?”

  “I hadn’t thought of it,” Kate said.

  “We can tell your friend it’s from both of us,” Lucy offered.

  “I’m not that worried about it.”

  What had been worrying her was whether or not she could pull off this whole charade. She wasn’t the best at keeping secrets and she would be glad when the whole thing was over with. She was relieved when the lighthouse popped into view in the distance.

  “These houses are huge!” Lucy gasped, leaning against Kate’s shoulder to peer out of her side of the car. “Could you imagine living in one of these things? What does your friend do, anyway?”

  Kate hesitated, not sure how to answer the question. She was saved by the ringing of her phone. She grabbed it out of the center console and pressed to her ear. “Hello?”

  “Everyone’s here. Are you close?” Jackson asked.

  “Hey! I’m almost there. And I’m bringing a friend with me, if that’s all right.” She smiled at Lucy.

  “Okay. Everybody’s here,” Jackson repeated. “When you guys walk in, it’s going to look like the house is empty. Everyone’s going to be upstairs in the loft.”

  “Okay! See you in a minute!” she said cheerfully, hanging up the phone. She smiled at Lucy. “I guess people are already there,” she said. As they continued down the road, she hoped that Lucy wouldn’t recognize any of her friends’ or family members’ cars.

  At last, they slowed down and pulled up in front of the house’s mailbox. Lucy got out of the car and stood staring at the house in admiration. “I can’t believe you know someone who lives here.”

  “It’s gorgeous,” Kate said admiringly. “Can’t wait to see the inside."

  As they walked up the driveway together, Lucy held up the bottle of wine and the plant. “Which one do you want?”

  Kate tried not to roll her ey
es and grabbed the orchid. She walked up to the door and pushed the doorbell. She let out a shaky breath as the chimes echoed majestically inside the house. Like she and Jackson had discussed, she waited a second, and then rang the doorbell a second time. Then she tried the doorknob and pushed the door open. She walked in and stepped aside, closing the door behind Lucy, who was looking around in bewilderment at the bare, seemingly empty house.

  Kate cautiously chanced a glance upwards and saw everyone standing in the loft, silently looking down over the railing. Lucy’s and Jackson’s parents were up there, along with Maggie and Mark. There were some other family members that Kate recognized. The guys were up there, too. Chris tilted his head away from his camera to smile down at her. Next to him, Max stood with his arms folded across his chest, grinning with excitement. Behind him, Kevin raised his hand in a silent, but obviously excited, greeting. She smiled up at them. And slowly, quietly, Jackson approached them from the kitchen.

  Lucy saw him before Kate did and gasped. Kate’s eyes snapped away from Kevin’s and she focused her attention on Lucy and Jackson. He’d already lowered himself down onto one knee and was reaching for her hand. Kate glanced up again, this time at Chris, shooting away with his camera. Suddenly, she realized that she was going to be frozen forever in Lucy and Jackson’s engagement photos if she didn’t hurry up and get out of the way.

  Kate stepped forward to take the bottle of wine from Lucy. Lucy thrust the bottle into Kate’s outstretched hand without even casting a backwards glance. Kate retreated meekly, only half-hearing Jackson’s proposal as tears of happiness filled her eyes. She made her way up the stairs, hugging the bottle of wine and the orchid to her chest. Kevin and Max made room for her at the railing, so she could look down and watch as Jackson completed his proposal.

  Jackson slipped the ring on Lucy’s finger, they kissed, and everyone in the loft showered them with confetti and streamers. Max and Kevin each brandished two cans of silly string. They squirted the newly engaged couple as the guests poured down the stairs to congratulate them.

  The huge sliding glass doors were opened, people started pulling platters of food out of the fridge, and someone turned on a stereo that was sitting on the floor in the living room.

  Wiping her eyes, she turned to smile at Chris, one of the last guests still standing in the loft with her. He was so busy with his camera that he didn’t even realize that he’d brushed right past her as he headed downstairs. He paused to lean over the railing, study the shots on his camera, and then continue shooting. He was so intent on his job, that he didn’t look back or look around for her. Now she was standing alone in the loft with Lucy’s orchid and the bottle of wine.

  Downstairs, Kate placed the flower pot in the middle of the kitchen counter, running her hands along the smooth, cold marble. She placed the bottle of wine in the refrigerator and then looked around. Lucy and Jackson were still surrounded by people. Chris was wandering around with his camera glued to his face. She decided to head out onto the back deck.

  Several coolers were lined up against the railing, filled with beers and sodas. She helped herself to a beer, popped the top, and looked around as she took her first sip. She was surprised to see Max talking to some tall, leggy blonde that she didn’t recognize. The girl was beautiful to begin with, but she was wearing an impossibly tight pair of jeans and knee-high boots with huge heels that made her almost taller than Max. The Amazon woman was wearing a cropped red sweater that showed off her ample (and probably fake, Kate guessed) bust and enviously flat stomach. Her bright red lips parted as she laughed at something Max said and Kate felt a tinge of jealousy. They were flirting. And she was watching. She felt herself getting angry.

  A heavy hand landed on her shoulder. “Hey,” Kevin said, turning her around and pulling her into a hug. “That was quite the entrance. Congrats on pulling that off.”

  “Thanks,” Kate said, grateful for the diversion. She took a long gulp of beer. Over the top of the can, she could see Kevin’s eyes flicker behind her, in the direction of Max and the supermodel. She glanced over her shoulder. “Who the heck is that?” she asked.

  “That’s some girl Jackson knows through work. We were talking to her earlier. I forget her name. Sounds like a stripper name. I don’t remember.”

  “How do you forget a girl like that?” Kate asked.

  “She’s kind of a dipshit. Crazy rich, though. Her family owns the Davenport Hotels. So I guess, in a way, Jackson kind of works for her.”

  Kate nodded at Kevin’s description. She remembered that Julia had organized the girl’s 21st birthday bash a few years ago. Her elaborate celebration had brought more of a profit to Bride Ideas than some of the bigger weddings Kate and Julia had put together.

  Kevin shrugged. “But Max seems to like her.”

  Kate guzzled more beer and groaned inwardly as Chris sauntered up to Max and the girl. He introduced himself to her, said something funny, and she tossed her hair, laughing. Chris gestured with his camera and she and Max posed for a few photos. Kate scowled as Max slipped his arm around the girl’s waist. She placed one hand on her jutted-out hip, angling herself expertly towards the camera. Kate couldn’t help snickering at the girl’s camera-ready poses.

  Chris shook the girl’s hand again and then turned towards Kate and Kevin. He held up his camera and Kevin’s arm landed squarely around Kate’s shoulders. “I think blondie over there likes Max,” Chris said, snapping a couple pictures of Kate and Kevin. “C’mon, smile.”

  Kevin squeezed her shoulder and she straightened up, tilting her head towards Kevin’s and pasting a smile on her face. Chris snapped a few more pictures and before Kate could even say anything, he slipped away to take more photos of the guests. Kate turned around to see what Max and the blonde were up to, but they’d disappeared. She turned back around and Kevin had started talking with Mark, Lucy’s brother-in-law. Alone and with no one to talk to, Kate headed back over to the coolers. She helped herself to another beer and then hopped up onto the railing to people-watch. She recognized some of Lucy and Jackson’s family members, but she wasn’t in any mood to make small talk with people whose names she didn’t remember.

  So she people-watched and drank beer. After beer. After beer. After beer.

  Occasionally, Lucy and Jackson would appear on the deck and make the rounds, talking to their guests. They were always together, side by side. They were smiling. No, not just smiling; they were beaming. Lucy was glowing with pride and happiness. Why? Kate thought. Like she didn’t know they would end up together eventually? Kate had suspected this would happen when they had first gotten back together. For Lucy to get reacquainted with Jackson behind her boyfriend’s back, and then cheat on him… Lucy wouldn’t just cheat on someone to do it and get away with it. Lucy and Jackson had gotten together because they were really in love. They were meant to be together.

  This thought should have made Kate happy for her friends. Things had all worked out for them, the way they were probably supposed to happen originally. Instead, it soured Kate’s mood. While Lucy was walking around on the arm of her new fiancé, Kate was sitting on a railing by herself, while her only two recent dating prospects were wandering around the party without her. She had seen Max and the blonde girl take off for a walk down the beach. Chris was chatting with Lucy’s aunt Janet. So far, neither one of them had paid much attention to her.

  “You’re still here?” Kevin hopped up on the railing next to her. “Every time I’ve come out here to get a beer or see what’s going on, you’ve been in this same spot. Are you enjoying the party?” he asked.

  “Oh, yeah,” Kate said. “It’s great.”

  Kevin nudged her. “What’s wrong?”

  She sighed. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. She’d been so mixed up lately. “I don’t know. Nothing like your best friend getting married to make you realize you don’t have your priorities in order.”

  Kevin chuckled. “Priorities? What are you talking about?”

&nb
sp; She shook her head, scraping the hair back off of her forehead. “I just mean, she’s getting married. I’m single. They’ve got this big, beautiful house. I still live in my parents’ house. They’re going to be going and doing all that married people stuff, and we won’t have anything in common anymore. Especially if they start having kids.”

  Kevin looked at her sideways, and Kate felt slightly ashamed. She hopped off the railing, grabbed two beers out of the nearest cooler, and hopped back up again. “I’m happy for them,” she said. “Really. I am. It just makes me feel like I’m not where I’m supposed to be in life.” She handed him a can.

  “You think you should be married and settling down?” Kevin asked. He opened his beer and took a thoughtful sip.

  “I guess. I don’t know. I’m in my thirties, right?” She opened her beer and sucked the foam off of the top.

  “So am I,” he replied.

  “Well, yeah, but you’re a guy.”

  “What difference does that make?”

  “It’s different for guys,” she said. When she saw his raised eyebrows, she asked, “Isn’t it?”

  “Not really,” he replied, pushing up his sleeves. “I feel the same way sometimes. Maybe not the way some of you girls do, but every once in awhile, I think it would be nice to not have to mess with dating girls that I don’t really have any hope of having a serious relationship with.”

  “Exactly!” Kate cried.

  “And I think it would be nice to settle down with one girl, but… I don’t know if I’ve met that girl yet. And it’s kind of hard to meet girls when you’re tired of going through the same thing over and over again.”

  “Exactly!” Kate echoed. She sat quietly for a moment, surprised that she and Kevin had never really talked like this before. She hiccupped.

  “I figure there’s nothing I can really do about it for the time being, so I’m just enjoying it,” he said. “Not complaining about it. I don’t have to get married tomorrow.” He nudged Kate’s arm. “Neither do you. Don’t let it get to ya, you know?”