“Thank you, everyone! I think I got what I want.” I yell, placing the cap back on the camera, and taking out the film as carefully as possibly. “Okay, so do you want me to take this home and develop this? Or shall I come back tomorrow?” I ask, reaching for my bag.
“You can just leave it here, then you and Britney can come back tomorrow and approve them, all right?” Whitney asks, and I agree. “Thanks, I owe you one.”
“Well, I’m always happy to work for you. Anytime you need back up, I’m there for you girl.”
She smiles. “I’m definitely going to take you up on that! You know what? It’s been forever since we’ve just hung out. Let’s grab a cup of coffee on our way out, okay?”
I check my watch. “I’d like that, let’s go.”
“Jade! You alive?!” Ali bangs the door shut and comes into the lounge with a huge pizza box.
“Barely.” I turn the TV off and grin at her. “Like my AJ shades?”
“Very classy,” she giggles and sits down, opening the pizza box. “So, feelin’ rough?”
“You know it.”
“I’m feelin’ ok now actually. This guy made me up a sure-fire hangover cure. Tasted like yuck but it worked.” We start eating. “What’d you do today?”
“This form of torture involving AJ, money and weird shops.”
Ali rolls her eyes. “Sounds like fun.”
“Yup. How about you and Britney?”
“Oh ugh,” she shakes her head. “She’s SUCH a bitch. And that ghetto wank was there.”
“Ah, Justin?”
“Yup. Him.”
“Poor you,” I giggle.
“He was SUCH a fuck. He had to be involved in everything and Britney kept putting on all this skimpy crap and simpering all over him…” Ali’s rant is cut short by the phone and she grabs it. “Yeah? … Oh hi Brian … I’m cool. You? … Yeah, I suffered a bit this mornin’ … AJ got Jade some real dark shades like those! … Jade? …” She looks at me and I shake my head. “Err, sorry but she’s just gone out … Yeah, sure I will … Ok Bri … Bye,” she hangs up and looks at me. “He wanted to talk to you.”
“I figured that much.”
“Why wouldn’t you take his call?”
“I’m embarrassed, y’know.”
“That’s not exactly his fault, Jade,” she takes a bite out of her pizza. “And I’m not covering for you again.”
“Ok.”
“And he wants you to call him back.”
I shrug. “Whatever.”
We carry on eating the pizza in silence as MTV plays in the background. The phone starts ringing again and we both look at it.
I stare at the phone as it rings repeatedly right beside Jade.
“You gonna get that?” I ask sarcastically.
She shrugs. “It’s probably no one.”
I roll my eyes and reach over her for the phone. “Hello?”
“Hey, is this Ali?” a familiar voice asks.
“Yup, and this is…?”
“Hey, it’s Nick,” he replies.
“Nick? Oh, hi,” I reply.
“Is Jade there?” he asks.
“Yeah, she’s right here,” I tell him, about to hand the phone to her.
“That’s good. Wait, I mean, well actually…do you want to do something tomorrow?”
“Me?!” I ask, in complete shock.
“Yes, you!” he laughs.
“Well, I have to go get some photos approved, but that shouldn’t take too long.”
“Maybe I can come with you?” he suggests.
“All right. Oh wait, I’m sure you’d rather just stay at home. Justin Timberlake is going to be there.”
“That’s all right, I’ll still come. Then we can do something after.”
“Okay. Well, call me tomorrow for more details okay?”
“Okay, bye.”
“Bye,” I put the phone down, completely confused.
“What was that about?” Jade asks, nonchalantly.
“Nick asked me out! How weird is that?”
She looks at me with a grin. “I thought that’s what you wanted?”
“It is! Believe me it is, but…” my voice fades away.
“What’s wrong?”
“Never mind, anyway…” The phone cuts me off. And this time Jade picks up.
“Hello?” she asks. The voice on the other line speaks up. “Oh, Brian. Hi,” she replies hesitantly and gives me a pleading look. I just smile with a smug look on my face and lean back onto the couch.
I glare at a smug looking Ali as I settle back on the couch, the phone pressed against my ear. Why the hell had I answered it? I guess I figured Brian wouldn’t call back so soon.
“Hi.”
Brian’s voice sounds subdued. “Oh, you’re in.”
“Yeah.”
“Nick said you were but Ali told me you weren’t.”
I throw Ali a deadly look. “Yeah, err… I just got in.”
“Sure.” There’s a long silence. “Whatever, Jade.”
I sigh. The guy is seriously putting the guilt trip on me and I don’t like it. “So, Brian was there a point to this call or were you just tryin’ to catch me out?” I regret that as soon as I say it.
“No, I… Oh, I guess I…” he stutters, making me feel even worse.
“Yeah?”
“I guess I called to ask you out to dinner… Some time.”
“Dinner?” Ali glances up at me, a strange expression on her face. I’d bet my life that I had the same look when Nick had asked her out. What WAS up with us?
“Yeah, dinner. But I guess I already know the answer.”
“Ok.”
“Ok?” he sounds surprised. “Really?”
“Yup. Dinner would be good.”
“Oh, great. I was kinda thinkin’ you were avoiding me or somethin’.”
“Not at all.” That was my first lie.
“And that you wished I was Nick.”
I force a laugh. “No way.” Second lie, may God strike me down…
“Great,” he sounds relieved. “So when?” Before I can respond, I hear another voice in the background and Brian mutters to him for a second before coming back onto the line. “Sorry, Nick was just suggesting a double date but I was thinkin’… no.”
I laugh. “Snap.”
“Ok, so tomorrow night?”
“Sure.”
“Pick up you at 7?”
“Ok. See you then. Bye Brian.”
He says his goodbyes and we hang up. Ali looks at me and I shrug and go back to eating the pizza.
“So…dinner with Brian?” I nod. “I thought you were avoiding him.”
I shrug. “No point.”
“Do you like him?”
“Yeah, I think I do,” I smile at her and carry on eating my pizza slice.
That is true. I DO like Brian. I love the way his smile makes me feel like melted chocolate. I love the way he can make me laugh with his comments and silly impressions. And I definitely love the way he had kissed me. So why do I feel like I want to be with Nick instead?
I stare at Jade eating her pizza and staring at the TV. I feel pretty weird. On the one hand, I’m real glad I have a date with Nick. He actually called and asked ME out. But then Brian asked Jade out and I’m all confused. I like Nick don’t I? He’s just my type – tall, blonde and handsome. But he doesn’t have Brian’s humor or Brian’s eyes… Damn, I need to sort myself out. Maybe a seriously long cold shower will do it?