🎼Wrecking Ball
Forrest
: So your relationship didn't survive Vegas?
I smiled at the text message Forrest sent me. He was a relatively new friend I met through my job when I moved back to Texas. I was still getting to know him and his fiancee Rachel, but I appreciated his straightforwardness and his unique way of checking up on me without making me feel pitiful.
Me:
Shut it Forrest! 😂😭💀 Vegas was great, coming home was the problem.
Forrest:
Good to know! We were planning a coed bachelor/bachelorette trip to Vegas, but not if it's a relationship killer. How are you doing?
Me:
I'm doing alright 🤷🏽♀️ Coed party? Super lame. Can't y'all have that apart? You will have the rest of your lives together.
Forrest:
Lol true but we have the same friends from college, so we decided to plan a group trip. Still coming to Darren's game this week?
Me:
Sure will!
Forrest:
Cool. Talk to you then.
"Hey, I'm ready." Jordan called to me from the waiting area.
I put my phone back in my purse and followed her out. While I waited for her to get off work, I responded to Forrest's text. Rachel was one of the ones that texted me right when the breakup happened, but this was my first time talking to Forrest about it. I was glad he didn't push for details. He called Jake's behavior out as problematic a long time ago too. I should have listened.
Jordan and I were going to my apartment to get dressed to meet Derek, Steven, and Q at Twin Peaks. Q's girlfriend worked at the location in Addison and Jordan asked me to join them. It sounded so much more fun than TV and the grilled chicken I set out for dinner, so I agreed. Instead of driving all the way back to her apartment and then to Addison, I offered to loan her an outfit so we could change at my place.
While she rummaged through my clothes, we caught up. Jordan was contemplating moving in with Derek.
"I don't know Lily. I really want to, but I don't know if he wants to." Jordan explained, looking through my dresses.
"Who brought it up?" I asked, wiggling into a pair of denim skinny jeans. I paired it with a white, off-the-shoulder blouse and black booties.
"He did, only after I told him my lease was up next year. I told him the rent was increasing, and I didn't think it was worth it and he was like 'wanna move in?'" Jordan said.
"OK... What did you say?" I asked.
"That I'll think about it."
"I don't know if anyone should take relationship advice from me, but you want to. He offered. Why not just go for it?"
"Because I don't know if he offered because he feels like I was fishing for it and he thinks that he has to. You should have seen his face when his mom asked us if we were getting married." She said, shaking her head.
"Geez, subtle mom."
"There is nothing subtle about her, at all. I just said there was no rush, but you know how guys are."
I gave Jordan a smirk. "I kept a boyfriend for like a month. I really don't."
"Aw, I'm sorry. I'm being a bitch. How are you doing?"
"Better. I'd rather talk about when you and Derek are getting married." I teased.
"Now you're being a bitch." Jordan smiled. "Wow, these are interesting." She said, holding up black harem pants- the ones I wore on the first night Jake and I slept together.
"Wanna wear them?" I said, forcing away the memories of that night.
"I don't think I can pull them off." She put them away and pulled out black shorts and a white button-down.
I went downstairs as she got dressed.
"Sammy!?!" I called. I found her in the kitchen talking on the phone.
"Hey Corey, Lily needs me. I'll give you a call-" Sammy said before I stopped her.
"No, it's cool. We're going out to eat. You and Corey should join us!"
Sammy gave me an annoyed look, but she told Corey she would call him back with details.
"Where and who?" She sighed.
"Work friends, including Jordan, at Twin Peaks."
"Do you know what Twin Peaks is?"
"No..."
"It's a Hooter's knock-off." She informed me.
I grinned. "Sounds fun!"
After Sammy got dressed, we headed out together. Derek, Q, Steven, and Corey were already seated. There was an extra seat for Kendal. I wasn't aware he was joining us.
"I didn't know you lived in Addison." Q said to me as I sat down.
"You never asked." I replied.
"My girlfriend lives here too. We hang out here all the time." Q said.
"Cool. My new favorite bar is down a block. It's called Memphis"
"Never been." He said.
Q's girlfriend, Yolanda, came to take our order. We just ordered beers since we were waiting for Kendal.
I asked Steven about his job at the children's hospital. He was telling me how different it was working with children and their parents. He said it was tougher than he imagined. He had just finished telling me about a 6-year-old with cerebral palsy when Kendal arrived. He took the seat next to Q.
"You drove all the way to Denton?" Q asked him.
"Yeah, I didn't wanna come out in workout gear." Kendal shrugged. He looked nice in gray cargo pants and a fitted v-neck white t-shirt.
We all ordered food and chatted amongst ourselves.
"So what do you think about Sandra?" Derek asked me.
"I think she's ok-" I started when Q snickered. "Different, but no complaints." I finished.
"I heard you're her go-to girl now." Steven smiled at me. I gave Q a dirty look.
"I volunteered to work more to keep my mind off my breakup." I said, matter of factly. "I figured that would be more productive than busting the windows out of his car."
"No, not the Escalade. Don't do that." Q commented while they laughed.
"Sounds like a douche. Any guy that drives a car like that is compensating for something." Kendal added.
Whoa. He was a little too new to the circle to be making comments like that.
"We just broke up. I'm not at the talk shit about him stage yet." I said, coolly.
"Keep drinking. We'll get you there." Sammy encouraged me.
I forced a smile and took a huge gulp of my beer.
