Popcorn Love

by KL Hughes

  “What’s this?” Allison asked, reaching for the bag.

  “Stopped by the Maccas. Got like fifteen of those burritos you like. I already ate like six of them.”

  Allison chuckled and rubbed at her eyes. Despite having already eaten, her stomach rumbled at the mere thought of breakfast burritos. They were her favorite.

  “Thanks.” She pulled one of the burritos from the bag, unwrapped it, and took a huge bite. “How is it possible that we eat as much as we do and yet neither of us weighs more than 130 pounds?”

  “Haven’t got a bastard clue, but I’m not complaining.”

  “Neither am I.” Allison cracked up. She was quite proud of her figure. She had worked hard for it after all—running and working out as often as possible, and Allison knew she attracted quite a bit of attention because of it. She didn’t care much for the gawking, though, unless of course it was a certain brunette doing the gawking.

  The thought of Elena had Allison choking in her effort to swallow too quickly so she could speak, which caught Macy’s attention.

  “You all right?”

  “Oh my God, Mace. I have so much to tell you.”

  “Ooh.” Macy grinned as she settled more comfortably atop her bed. “That sounds juicy.”

  Before Allison could say another word, though, Macy continued. “Oh wait, lemme guess. You and hot-pants waited ‘til the kid was out like a light and then you did the do on every surface in her enormous fancy house. Am I right?”

  Jaw practically smacking into her chest, Allison gaped at her roommate.

  Macy barreled over with laughter at Allison’s reaction. “Your face, Alli! Your face is killing me!”

  Snapping out of her trance, Allison reached for her pillow and chucked it across the room at her best friend. It smacked into the side of Macy’s head. “You are an ass.”

  “Yeah, but was I right?” Macy asked. “Did you get naughty with the boss lady?”

  “Well…”

  * * *

  “Explain yourself,” Elena stared her best friend down from across her desk.

  Vivian ran a hand through her hair, sighing as she nodded and resigned to spilling her little secret. “It’s really not as bad as you’re acting like it’s going to be. Like I said, anything I did is at least partly responsible for the fuzzy love feelings you’ve got going on with the hot babysitter right now. So, just keep that in mind.”

  “Stalling will win you no points with me.” Elena sat back in her chair, resting her elbows on the armrests, and steepling her fingers just under her chin.

  Vivian rolled her eyes and launched into her story. “Okay, so the first date was completely natural. I didn’t have anything planned. I hadn’t even met Allison at that point.”

  Elena nodded, signaling for her to continue.

  “Admittedly, he was an ass, but that was all his own doing.”

  Both she and Elena smiled despite the fact that one was mad at the other. “Then I met Allison that day at the museum with you and Lucas, and well, it was obvious.”

  “What was obvious?”

  “The chemistry between you two.” Vivian sighed. “It still astounds me that you were completely oblivious to it.”

  “Was it really?” Elena whispered.

  “Uh yeah. I’ve never seen you act with a stranger—or anyone, really, for that matter— the way you did with Allison. The way you spoke to her and about her and even your body language. You two looked like a couple, and, from the way some of the people in the museum looked at you, I’m guessing they thought you were. It was adorable.”

  Elena tried to keep her expression stoic, but she couldn’t help herself. A smile tugged at her lips, slowly growing the longer Vivian went on. Had the connection between her and Allison truly been that obvious from the beginning? How had she missed it?

  “So, anyway, it was obvious that neither of you had clued into what the rest of the free world had already picked up on, and I was afraid that nothing would develop if I didn’t intervene at least a little. So, you see Elena, I was doing it for you, because I’m such a wonderful friend. You can’t really blame me for that, can you?”

  Though Elena’s anger quickly leaked away, she did her best to remain stern as she cut her eyes back to her best friend and pursed her lips. “That would depend on what exactly you mean when you say you ‘intervened’.”

  “Nothing major,” Vivian swore. “I simply coached the next two dates you had, and only a little.”

  “Coached?”

  “I told them how to act,” Vivian said, biting her lip. “Admittedly, Garrett went overboard; though in my defense, I didn’t tell him to wear a toupee. He actually has hair, so I’m not even sure how he managed to get the thing to stick in place. He apparently thought it was a hilarious addition, though. He even sent me a selfie with an all-caps ‘LOL’ when he was on his way to your house.”

  “Vivian!” Elena couldn’t even believe what she was hearing.

  Vivian laughed. “I know! I know. I’m sorry. Listen, I only told him to be clingy and crass. Again, in my defense, I never said he should bring up anything even remotely related to his bowels. I said crass. He chose how to fulfill those requirements.”

  “Vivian!” Elena reached for the box of tissues on her desk and chucked it at the blonde. “I can’t believe you! Do you have any idea how embarrassing that entire ordeal was for me?”

  “Well yeah,” Vivian mumbled. “I can imagine. Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was going to take it that far.”

  “What was the purpose of even doing such a thing? How would that have any bearing on my relationship with Allison?”

  “Allison mentioned at the museum that you complained to her about the first date. I thought that if the dates were bad enough, it would not only show you the stark contrast between those horrible dates and the good-looking, funny babysitter waiting for you at home, but that it would also give you a chance to bond with her over ranting about each date.”

  “But Alexis was—”

  “I know,” Vivian interjected. “I originally planned to set you up on a string of bad dates, but then, the day of the show, you joked that you thought I was setting you up on bad dates on purpose, and well, I panicked. So, I decided to set you up on a good date instead, and I coached Alexis on the topics of conversation.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning I told her to ask you what you were looking for in a partner,” Vivian explained. “I hoped it would help you realize on your own that you had already found someone who fit the bill, but, even if it didn’t, I was at least ninety-seven percent sure that the mere sight of Alexis on your doorstep would make Allison jealous. I wasn’t positive she had figured out her feelings for you yet, but then I thought she might not have even known that you are into women, so then I—”

  Elena waved a hand for Vivian to stop. She heard all she needed to hear.

  She could not believe that Vivian had concocted this elaborate, and actually rather genius, plan for no other purpose than to bring her and Allison closer together, to give her a real shot with her. As angry as Elena wanted to be, she had to admit that she found her friend’s actions endearing. In fact, it was undoubtedly the sweetest scheme Elena had ever heard of and, furthermore, the plan had actually worked. She and Allison had found their way to one another, and Vivian’s actions certainly aided in the journey; that much was undeniable.

  “Please don’t be angry with me, Elena. I know I shouldn’t have gone behind your back, but I know how you are. If I outright mentioned the possibility of you and Allison, you would have dismissed it, and then you would have overanalyzed everything to the point of panic. I didn’t want you to give up on the idea before you ever even gave it a chance. I just wanted you to be happy. That’s what I still want.”

  Elena sighed as she shook her head and looked up to meet Vivian’s eyes. They stared at one another for a long time, Vivian’s eyes cautiously mirthful despite her worry that Elena was actually upset with her. Elena h
eld her serious expression a bit longer just to toy with her before she finally dropped the act and let a smile spread across her lips.

  Vivian mimicked the expression as Elena said, “You are a complete pain in my ass, Vivian.”

  “But you love me.” She jumped up from her chair and rounded Elena’s desk, wrapping her arms around Elena from the side. “Right?”

  Elena tilted her head to rest it against Vivian’s. “Right.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “That’s it?” Macy boomed. “You’re seriously this excited over a bit of pashing?”

  Allison rolled her eyes. “You weren’t there, okay? It was hot. It wasn’t just a kiss, okay? It was the kiss.”

  “No way it was that good,” Macy laughed, shaking her head.

  “It was though!” Allison threw a wadded up burrito wrapper at her roommate, falling back into her pillows, her cheeks red. She rolled her eyes again as she threw an arm over her flushed face. “God, I sound like a friggin’ tween with a crush.”

  She rolled on her side to face Macy again. “One of my last homes before I left, I had a foster sister that was almost twelve, and she totally freaked out about this boy at school. She talked about the kid nonstop—his spiky hair and eyebrow ring. I thought it was so lame, you know? I used to tease her a lot when she’d fill up whole pages of her notebook with ‘Mrs. Marcus Walsh’. But weirdly enough, that’s how I feel right now, every time I think about it.”

  “Well, fuck me dead! You’re starting to sound like you’re in love with her, Alli.”

  Allison jolted up in shock. “No!” she protested. “What? No, of course not! I hardly even know her yet. I mean I know her. I just don’t really know her know her. But no, not in love. Hell, I don’t think I’d know what that whole ‘in love’ thing was even if it bit me on the ass. I just like her. I like her a lot. She’s awesome. I mean, she’s stunning, really, and nothing like what you would expect, you know?”

  If Macy was honest, watching Allison speak about this other woman was enough to make her feel giddy, and that was rare. She had been privy to a few of Allison’s childhood stories, how they had weathered her, and she knew that her friend rarely, if ever, got her hopes up about anything. She seemed hopeful in this moment, though. She seemed happy, almost like she had found something she had been searching for, for quite some time.

  But rather than say any of that, Macy mocked gagging, sticking her middle finger in her mouth.

  Allison smiled as she said, “Shut up.”

  “No, go ahead, mate. Keep on with the gross gushing. I love it.”

  Allison collapsed back on her pillow. “I mean, she can be totally awkward and stiff when you throw her out of her comfort zone, but who’s not like that, right? But when she gets comfortable, she’s so funny and smart and always so fucking pretty. Seriously, I think she might be an alien in a person suit, because who the hell is that pretty all the time?!”

  “You,” Macy said. She then grinned goofily at her friend and added, “And me, of course.”

  “She’s in a completely different league.” Allison laughed when Macy gasped, pretending to be offended. “Seriously, you should see her.”

  “Well, good on ya if she’s that fine, but I’ll reserve judgment ‘til I see her myself.”

  “Oh yeah? And when exactly were you planning on seeing her?”

  “Whenever you bring her home to meet the family, of course.” Macy grinned and shrugged behind the pillow still wrapped in her arms.

  “The family?” Allison cackled. “Are you talking about yourself, or have you forgotten that I don’t have any family?”

  Macy scoffed. “Of course I’m talking about me. I’m your family, and so you’re obligated to bring this Elena chick by to meet me.”

  Allison sighed. “We’ll see.”

  * * *

  “That’s it?”

  “What do you mean?” Elena asked, frowning. “It was quite heated.”

  “Still,” Vivian said, “you had her in your bed, and you were making out, and you were both apparently groping each other, and then you just stopped?”

  “There is such a thing as taking it slow, Viv. Some people prefer to move quickly. Some don’t.”

  “Yes, but—” Elena waved her off.

  “I know you wanted me to ‘let loose’.” Elena clucked her tongue as she leveled her best friend with a playful glare. “But I think we both know that that simply isn’t me. I’m not saying it won’t happen or even that it won’t happen soon, but we only just realized our feelings for one another. I’m actually glad we stopped, because I—”

  “You what?” Vivian had an inkling she knew where this was headed.

  Elena swallowed and sighed. “I care for her, more than I expected I would.”

  “Oh Elena, I know you do.” Melting, Vivian grinned and resisted the urge to clap her hands. She felt like a cupid, a badass and entirely successful cupid. “And I know she cares about you, too.”

  “Oh?” Elena asked. “And how is that?”

  “Because she got up and walked away in the middle of a make-out session that easily could’ve led to hot sex.” Vivian made a show of waving her finger over Elena’s face and upper body. “I’ve seen you, okay? I’m looking at you right now, babe, and you’re way too gorgeous to walk away from.”

  Elena blushed, her head dipping slightly. “Yet she went.”

  “Yeah, she did.” Vivian nodded. “Maybe she’s more like you than you realize. Maybe she’s just a take-it-slow kind of girl. If it’s me interpreting her actions, I would say it’s a clear sign that Allison is invested in at least seeing what could possibly develop between you two.”

  “Is it strange how much that excites me?” Elena asked. “In truth, I barely know her, but I find myself thinking about her all the time.”

  Vivian shook her head as she propped her elbow on her knee and settled her chin into her open palm. She smiled at Elena, her insides positively squirming with her excitement. This was the most hopeful, and the most thrilled, that she had seen Elena in quite a while, though she obviously reined it in better than most would. Elena Vega was nothing if not composed.

  “It’s not strange,” she replied. “It’s good. You will get to know her the more time you spend with her. It’s good, you hear me? I know you like to overanalyze everything, but just this once, try not to, and just let it be good, okay?”

  Elena gnawed softly at the corner of her bottom lip. When she nodded, Vivian practically jumped for joy. “Okay, so we have to plan a date.”

  “Date?” Elena whispered, eyes widening. “I hadn’t even thought of that. Oh God, Vivian, what the hell am I supposed to do with Allison on a date?”

  Vivian watched Elena’s eyes flit steadily back and forth, panic brewing in their depths. “Okay, okay,” she said, snapping her fingers at Elena, “let’s just take a breath, okay? It’s all fine. It’s just a date.”

  “Yes,” Elena snapped, her knee bouncing rapidly under her desk, “a date with someone who has very little in common with me! How are we even interested in one another? Vivian, I haven’t the slightest clue how to plan a date with her. I don’t even know if she would want to go on a date with me.”

  “Now you’re just being modest, Elena,” Vivian said. “It doesn’t suit you. Let’s go back to the I’m-sexy-and-I-know-it Elena. She’s fun, and she knows for a fact that anyone would be lucky to date her, and Allison Sawyer is no different.”

  “Right,” Elena croaked, clearing her throat.

  “Okay, work on your delivery next time. That was the poorest vote of self-confidence I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe this has you so rattled. Nothing rattles you.”

  “Right.” Elena tried it a little more firmly this time.

  “That’s better.” Vivian smiled at her and opened the notepad application on her smartphone. She poised her fingers over the keyboard once she opened a new note. “Now, let’s plan this date.”

  * * *

  “Shit!” Allison hisse
d, swiping a hand down the front of her face. “Shit!”

  Macy snorted with laughter. “You said that already.”

  “This warrants repetition. In fact, I’ll say it again. Shit! Shit! Shit!” Allison ran her fingers through her ratty blonde hair that was in desperate need of a wash.

  “Stone the flamin’ crows, Alli!” Macy groaned, wrapping her pillow around her face and sighing into it. “It’s just a damn date! Take a breath and calm down. You’re driving me crazy.”

  “It’s not just a date,” Allison argued. “It would be like the first date, and that’s the most important or something. I don’t know, really, but it has to be good, right? I don’t even know what to do with Elena. I mean, I don’t have much money, and I wouldn’t want her to pay for everything. You have to help me, okay?”

  “Fine. I’ll help.”

  “Okay,” Allison said. “Do you think she’d want to go somewhere fancy?”

  “I’m guessing she does fancy on the regular,” Macy said. “Take her out your way.”

  Allison’s expression crumpled and Macy pushed herself up and out of her bed and over to Allison’s. Plopping down, she placed a hand on Allison’s knee. “Hey, no worries, okay? We’ll plan the perfect date.”

  “We will?”

  “Definitely. Now, she’s all about that little rascal of hers, right?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Elena smoothed her hands down the front of her shirt as she stepped from her closet. “Okay, munchkin, what do we think?” she asked as she motioned to her outfit.

  Lucas looked up from his place in the center of Elena’s bed, a giant coloring pad in his lap and a green crayon pinched between his fingers. He smiled at his mother and nodded firmly. “Pretty, Momma!”

  When Lucas was a little over two years old, Elena came down with a terrible stomach virus and spent two full days in baggy sweatpants that no one knew she owned and a ratty Harvard T-shirt. He told her she was pretty more than once in those two days; Elena was convinced his opinion was biased by the fact that she gave him life and regular meals.