CHAPTER 22: TWO DATES, ONE DAY

Flora stirred her coffee and laughed heartily at the comment Karen made about the couple sitting across the café from them.

“Clearly a case of a match not made in heaven,” Karen smirked referring to the woman who had done nothing but nagged at her partner ever since they had been there.

Flora couldn’t believe she was actually enjoying Karen’s company. The initial jitteriness slowly waned as Karen did her best to make Flora feel comfortable. They had been in the café for the last three hours, just talking – about all things general and frivalous. If one didn’t know them, one would have thought they were old friends.

This wasn’t so bad, after all, Flora thought. She and Karen were having coffee, talking like two civil adults without a single hint of any flirting – which was good. Oh, and Karen wasn't climbing all over her too!

That last thought made Flora chuckle out loud as she remembered her own incident with Hayden not too long ago.

“What?” Karen looked at her curiously.

Flora shook her head and giggled. “Nothing. Just something funny that I remembered.”

“What is it?” Karen asked. “Share the joke, will you?”

“No, it’s really stupid. Trust me, you don’t want to know,” Flora replied sheepishly.

Karen shrugged. “Okay, tell me when you feel like telling me,” she smiled, not wanting to push Flora any further.

Flora smiled back weakly, feeling a little guilty but not exactly knowing why.

“Mmm…maybe I should go over there and save that poor fellow from that witch…” Flora laughed as she gestured towards the earlier couple, hoping to change the subject. “He’s rather cute after all…”

Karen took another discreet glance towards their direction and screwed her face. “I won’t want her though.”

Her last comment caused Flora to choke on her coffee sending her into a coughing fit. She frantically grabbed the napkin on the table and covered her mouth, hoping to muffle the noise. She had totally forgotten that Karen liked women.

Karen cocked an eyebrow at her. “Did what I just say shock you?” she asked, a matter-of-factly.

Flora stared at her dumbfounded, at a total lost for words. Only the ringing of her mobile phone interrupted the silence. Flora hastily removed it from her bag and answered it without bothering to look at the screen to see who was calling.

“Hello,” she said into it, thankful for such a distraction.

“Flora? Hi, it’s Bowie.”

“Uh, err…hi,” Flora stammered as she tried to avoid Karen’s eyes.

“What are you doing? I’m not disturbing you, I hope.”

“Er…er…no, no, not at all.”

“Hey look. Are you free tonight? I thought we could catch a movie and dinner after? What say you?” Bowie asked expectantly.

“Erm…sure. Err…actually, could I call you back to confirm?” Flora hesitated.

“Oh, all right then,” Bowie said, a little disappointed. “Don’t forget to call me, okay?”

“Yea, talk to you later. Bye.”

“Bowie?” Karen asked as soon as Flora hung up.

Not trusting herself to say anything, Flora just nodded at Karen. Karen smiled.

“Well, we should get going then. Don’t want you to miss your date,” she grinned.

“I haven’t agreed to go out with him yet,” Flora blurted out without thinking.

Karen looked at Flora suspiciously. “I thought you liked him?”

Flora hesitated in her reply and instead just shrugged.

“You know,” Karen continued. “Guys have much shorter attention spans than girls and they tend to lose interest in things very fast too. Don’t keep Bowie waiting too long, if you know what I mean,” Karen grinned and winked at Flora.

No, she didn't know what Karen meant but she nodded at her all the same.

“So?” Karen asked.

“Huh?” Flora mumbled, having absolutely no idea what Karen was ‘so-ing’ about.

Karen rolled her eyes. “So, call him and confirm the date.”

“Ohhh…”

But Flora didn’t have to. As soon as she reached for her phone, it rang. It was Bowie again.

“Uh, Flora. Have you thought it over? Are we going out tonight?” he asked anxiously.

“Bowie, yea. I’ll see you tonight,” Flora said, still somewhat uncertain.

“Great!” came the elated reply. “I’ll pick you up about 6.30 then. Bye!”

“Bye.”

Karen smiled and got up. “C’mon, I’ll take you home now.”

Soon they were outside Flora’s apartment building. “Have a good time tonight,” Karen told Flora as she unconsciously combed a strand of Flora’s hair behind her ear.

“Er, yea,” Flora stammered and hurriedly got out of the car. She stood there and wondered when Karen had zoomed off. What had gotten into her? She didn’t even flinch when Karen touched her just now.

“Hey!” a shout and a hard slap interrupted her thoughts. Flora rubbed her sore shoulder and turned around to see who it was that administered that stinging hit.

“You!” she rolled her eyes when she saw Jessica standing there grinning at her. “Oh…and you too…” Flora grinned when she realised who it was that was standing next to her friend.

“Hi Flora,” Louis greeted her with a wave.

Flora shot Jessica a look that said, ‘so, that’s what you’ve been up to.’

Jessica, as though she could read Flora’s mind, grinned and wrapped her arm around Flora’s shoulder. “You’ve got Karen, I’ve got Louis…” she whispered.

Flora shrugged her friend’s arm off and tossed her hair dramatically. “Sorry dah-ling, can’t talk. I have to get ready. I’m seeing Bowie in a while,” she said as she strutted into the apartment building.

Jessica and Louis looked at each other in surprise. “Bowie?!” they exclaimed in unison.

As soon as Flora was out of earshot, Louis asked, “Flora’s meeting Bowie tonight?”

Jessica shrugged. “You heard the woman.”

“But I thought you said she was with Karen?” confusion written all over his face.

“She was,” Jessica shrugged again.

Louis shook his head. “Your friend is two-timing Bowie and Karen!” he exclaimed.

Jess looked at him in amusement. “Oh, I don’t know. Just think of it this way. It’s a bit like food. Do you prefer chicken over beef? Or beef over chicken? You have to try them both first before you can decide which you like better, right?” she reasoned.

Louis just gaped at her in disbelief.

Jessica laughed and threaded her arm in his and led him towards the apartment building. “C’mon, we’d better get in before we catch a cold standing out here.”