The Good Life

*Jack*

My meeting ended around 10:30 that morning. It was mostly about our sales and expanding the company further. I couldn’t really focus, my mind kept drifting back to Alex the entire time. His cute smile, his beautiful brown eyes, his perfectly styled hair. Jeez seven years later and I’m still drooling over the guy.

I left my office around noon (because I’m the boss and make my own hours) to take my phone to the Apple Store in the mall so they could repair my screen. It only took fifteen minutes which was great because I was prepared to stay a whole hour. As soon as they returned my phone to me I looked and saw I had one new message from Alex. He was asking if I wanted to hang out on Saturday. I quickly typed up a message agreeing to meet up with him, but deleted it before I pressed send. I forgot I told myself I wouldn’t get to close to Alex not even as friends because I would just let my feelings get in the way and end up hurt. So I swiftly texted him saying I was too busy to hang out this weekend. I felt bad he was being so nice to me and I go and lie to him, I’m a horrible person.

I called my friend, Matt Flyzik, to see if he wanted to meet up with me at Olive Garden for his lunch break and he agreed of course. Matt worked as a music producer for Hopeless Records. We had a few classes together in college and became really good friends. I also thought he was good looking, but unfortunately he was straight.

I was already seated at the table when Matt showed up.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, lunch hour traffic is a bitch,” he sat down.

“No worries man you gave me extra time to look at the menu,’’ I replied.

“Oh whatever you’re going to get the same thing you always get when we come to this restaurant, Seafood Alfredo.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t look!!” I couldn’t help that Olive Garden was my way of life. Our waiter came and took out orders and we made small talk while we waited.

“So Matt how’s your love life,” I began “Any lucky ladies I should know about?”

“Actually no I’m too busy with work to be thinking about a relationship right now, what about you,” he questioned.

The waiter brought out our food before I could answer and I was kind of grateful for that. I didn’t really feel like explaining the whole Alex situation to Matt I knew he would try and get me to talk to Alex. I filled my mouth with food and hoped that Matt forgot what we were talking about.

“Jack?” Shit.

“Hmm” I asked innocently.

“You purposely didn’t answer my question, THERE IS SOMEONE ISN’T THERE,” he shouted.

“Oh my god you are so loud people are staring,” I tried to change the subject again, but he just stared at me and I knew I wouldn’t win this battle so I broke down and told him about Alex. How I liked him in high school, how I saw him again for the first time in seven years, how he invited me to hang out, and how I turned him down because I didn’t just want to be friends with him.

“You idiot why the hell would you turn him down, if your feelings are strong for him then you should want to be around him regardless if it’s just as friends or not.” I knew Matt would try to get me to change my mind.

“But I don’t wanna just be friends I want to be able to call him my boyfriend,” I whined.

“Look, why don’t you just try the ‘just friends’ thing out for a little while and see if you like it or not. If after two weeks you can honestly tell me you don’t like it then I’ll leave you alone about it.”

“Just two weeks?” I asked

“Just two weeks.”

I sighed, “Ok I’ll text him now.” I unlocked my phone and opened up a new message to send to Alex.

To Alex:
Hey turns out I’m free this Saturday so I’d love to hang out if you’ll still have me?

I looked up to see Matt smiling at me and telling me everything was going to be fine. We continued to eat and talk some more. I offered to pay the bill as always because what else am I doing with my money? But of course he refused and we did two separate checks.

We went our separate ways after paying, Matt had to get back to work. I was free to do whatever I wanted with the rest of my day which met going home and watching Gossip Girl on Netflix, it was my guilty pleasure. I pulled up to my five bed room house, going inside sat down and started up Netflix. Five bedrooms is too much space for one person I know, but once again what else was I going to do with all this money. Just as I pressed play my phone vibrated and showed that I had a new message from Alex.

To Jack:
Sorry I’m just now replying, I was teaching a class. I really glad to hear that though. So how does 7pm sound?

To Alex:
That sounds great I’ll see you then Alex :)

To Jack:
Awesome I’ll send you my address later man.

I lightly set my phone on the table (afraid of it breaking again) and squealed to myself. I was going to be spending time with my high school crush in two days I couldn’t contain my joy. I also couldn’t stop imagining him as a teacher. Damn those kids were lucky, they got to look at him all day long. I got up, forgetting about the episode of Gossip Girl I started, and went to my closet to find an outfit to wear for this. I wanted everything to be perfect, and had to remind myself not to let my feelings for Alex show at all. This might be harder than I thought.

Notes