Jen blinked twice to clear her eyes. 11:59. Why the steady pounding? She drank quite a bit last night, but something didnât seem quite right. Her head didnât really hurt that much; where was the noise coming from? Slowly coming out of a sleep induced stupor, Jen realized the pounding wasnât coming from inside her after all, and she bolted to the door, hastily tying on her robe.
âMorning, sunshine!!! Still morning, we can still have breakfast. Come on, letâs go!â Sarah beamed across the threshold at her neighbor, then as if just noticing Jenâs state of undress, âHmm. Letâs get you dressed first.â
Sarah pushed her way into the apartment and straight into Jenniferâs room for the second time in as many days. Rummaging through Jenâs clothes, she came up with a pair of jeans and a plain white babydoll t-shirt.
âHurry up, I need some coffee!â Sarah jokingly whined.
Jennifer jumped into the clothes Sarah had set out and quickly brushed her hair, pulling it into a ponytail. Her favorite way to wear her hair, it was low maintenance and hid the fact that she hadnât taken a shower yet that morning. Ignoring Sarahâs pleas for coffee, Jen took three minutes in the bathroom to freshen up before joining the way too chipper Sarah headed out the door.
âWhere are we going, anyways?â Jen asked.
âDotâs, right down the street,â came the reply.
Even as they exited the building, Jen could see the cafĂŠ sign just two doors down. She had noticed the place when she applied for the apartment but hadnât been in yet. The short walk was worth it; walking through the doors, Jennifer and Sarah were bombarded with scents of freshly baked bread and cooking bacon. The two noticed a table full of the women Jen had met the previous evening. They all greeted her warmly and invited Jen and Sarah to sit at their table. Making an order for coffee and breakfast, Jen and Sarah settled into the conversation, learning of plans for a party that night at a girl named Amyâs. Amy, a short, green eyed brunette, loudly lamented the choice of her apartment to anyone within earshot.
âItâs ALWAYS my place, why do I have to be the one to clean?â she whined with a wink to Stacy.
âMaybe itâs because your place is the only one that needs cleaning!â Stacy shot back, laughing.
âIâve seen your apartment, Stacy. Maybe you girls should bug her,â Ben said, walking through the door.
Jen blushed, remembering her actions of last night and praying she could act casual. It wasnât every day she slept with someone she had known less than 48 hours. The thought made her a little nervous, but Ben seemed to think nothing of it. He had seated himself and was laughing and joking with everyone sitting at the table.
âJen?â
âHuh? What? Iâm sorry, I donât think Iâm quite awake yet,â she stammered.
âThatâs okay, we were just wondering if you were coming tonight,â Sarah repeated. âItâs a lot of fun, almost like a block party for the complex. Itâll be the perfect opportunity to meet everyone else that lives here. Come ON, youâll have a lot of fun,â she coaxed, noticing the tiniest look of panic flying across Jenâs face. She had seen that look before and was determined to get Jen into the party spirit.
âOkay, okay, Iâll make an appearance. What should I bring?â Jen groaned loudly, smiling in spite of herself. She really hadnât intended to go, but Sarah had a point - it was a great chance to meet new people.
After breakfast, the group walked back to the apartment, poking fun and joking good naturedly with each other. Jen couldnât help but become part of the fun, and soon found herself having a better time with these people than she could ever remember having had since before high school. Nobody cared about her past here, they all seemed so nonjudgmental. Jen shook her head, amazed again at her good luck. Who would have guessed sheâd find such a great bunch of people and such a great apartment in one place?
After all the tenants dispersed toward their own apartments, Jen asked Sarah where she could find a laundromat where she could wash Sarahâs skirt before returning it.