A Different Slice

5 - Fast (Naomi)

When the doorbell rang Friday evening, Naomi scurried to the door and answered it with a sports beverage in hand to give to Greg since he'd cycled at least thirty minutes to get here. He laughed as he tried to refuse.

She shook her head back and forth. "I've already had one. Blue is your favourite, and your Fridays are too busy for you to drink enough."

He accepted the bottle and screwed open the orange cap. "It surprises me the little things you remember."

"We've been friends for over a decade. It teaches you a lot about a person."

"Only if you're paying attention to the details." He took a sip and smiled.

"You know me, master of the irrelevant and a sieve of the important parts."

"I recall that in high school."

It had led to her nearly failing her math and most science classes, but Greg had tutored her and taught her tricks, so enough information had sunk in for her to pass. Biology and languages were the only subjects that came more naturally to her.

"I wouldn't have graduated if it wasn't for you."

"Nah, you're brighter than you think, Nomi."

They stepped inside, and Greg left his shoes on the orange carpet doormat with floral designs worked in. He chuckled to himself. "I'm in awe of your and Shivanna's commitment to stick to the retro theme with this house."

"Luckily MCM is all the rage at IKEA and on Marketplace. Did I show you the record player console we found a few weeks ago? It cost only 50 bucks, and it works. Now we need a better record collection."

Greg followed her into the living room with a wood panel accent wall. Cleo's paws clicked on the hardwood floor as she stood and stretched. She trotted toward him with a wagging tail and sat at his feet, waiting to be petted. He obliged with a grin, and she groaned in contentment, leaning into Greg's touch. Lucky Cleo.

"You have the most chill dog."

"She burned off a lot of energy running around the yard this morning, and we jogged together not too long ago. Right, Clo?" 

With the sidewalks finally free of snow and ice and the temperatures decent, runs were safer and more enjoyable.

"She's fortunate to have you."

"I'd say the opposite. I'm the lucky one. So this is it." She gestured to a rectangular wooden console with black speakers on each end. The top section that opened to expose the record player doubled as a table for Shivanna's plants.

"Looks great. I'm envious of how cozy it is here." He kept stroking Cleo's back, who soaked up every drop of his affection like she sensed how much Naomi wanted it.

"Your place could be cozy if you parted with a little money," she teased.

Greg chuckled until his face fell. "You're sounding like Tara."

Naomi held her hands up in jest. "Sorry. I respect the 'retire by 35' plan, even if it sounds boring."

He was the most frugal person she'd ever met. He had a limited budget for going out, so he seldom attended post-game drink nights, ate at restaurants, or frequented bars. Last weekend was a rare exception, spurred on by his buddies and heartbreak. He biked and bussed almost everywhere, and he worked overtime, rarely taking a day off even at the expense of his health.

He stopped petting Cleo and stood. "Don't worry, you'll still be welcome to visit my mansion and ride in my sports car. If you play your cards right, I might whisk you away on a tropical holiday."