Playing with feelings

8

Daveed pulled into the parking lot as very excited squeals rang behind him. Amber had probably smiled the whole car ride after hearing of their destination. She was too excited to be seeing her friend again so soon and the entire drive she had been begging Daveed to let her come over after dinner.

"We're finally here," he announced, happy himself, both so the nagging would stop but also because he really enjoyed Emmy's company. He didn't spend a lot of time with adults considering his job, so this would be a much needed change of pace for him.

He unbuckled his seat and then went to unbuckle Amber's. Holding Amber's hand, he walked over to the gray suv parked one spot over from him. He could see Emmy in the car. She was talking to someone and he waited patiently for her to finish and spot him.

Her eyes caught him in the extended side windows and she quickly hopped out. "Sorry I was talking to my friend Jasmine," she said as she stepped out of the car. She had turned her back to him to get to Camryn's door.

A wave of familiarity came over Daveed with the name. Considering the population of the city they lived in, he was rejecting the possibility but he had to ask anyways. "Hold on, I know a Jasmine," he started to speak. Emmy had gotten Camryn out of the seat and turned around to him with a confused look.

"Does you Jasmine happen to be a Jasmine Cephas Jones?" Daveed asked.

"Yeah?" Emmy said as the confusion in her head started to grow. There was no way they could know the same Jasmine, there had to be hundreds.

"I know Jas!" he said excitedly, "We- we go way back. How do you know her?"

"She's my best friend. I've known her forever at this point," Emmy responded, smiling in surprise at the connection they had no idea they had.

Daveed was laughing with his eyes wide and his mouth slightly ajar, "Holy shit, small world."

Emmy gave him a pointed look, first to him then to the girls that stood below them. "Sorry," he chuckled. His arm was being pulled down and he looked down to the perpetrator.

"Come on Daddy," Amber whined a little.

"We're going baby girl," he assured her. The four of them started to walk towards the restaurant. Amber and Camryn were between Daveed and Emmy.

"So, how did you and Jasmine meet?" Emmy asked as they walked towards the building.

"I make art on the side. Sometimes with Jasmine. Me, her, and my buddy Rafael Casal been rocking together for a long time," he responded, his cheeks rising into a smile with the mention of his friends.

All the gears in Emmy's head were turning. How had she never met him before? How had Jasmine never mentioned him? Or did she? Had she known him all along and just passed him by? Her head was full to the brim with thoughts. She thought maybe this is why she already felt so comfortable with him. Maybe this is why she so gravitated to his smile. Maybe it was one she'd already known, deep down somewhere.

Her steps had gone on autopilot and somehow she'd made it to the line of the restaurant. She hadn't even realized until Daveed had tapped her shoulder, waking her from her thoughts and informing her that it was her turn to order. She came to just enough to order food for her and Camryn.

They sent the two girls to sit and wait in a corner booth while she and Daveed waited at the counter.

Side by side they waited at the counter, standing close enough that their arms were brushed against the side of one another's. There was plenty of room around them, but he felt warm and so did she, and neither one of them wanted to scoot apart.