Right Place, Wrong Time

49. Bad Idea

Joey hadn't heard much from Lauren since her visit before Christmas. Which was totally fine, of course. She was busy in New York, and he'd been swept up in celebrations with his family over the holidays, and now he was back at school he occupied himself with movies and video games and hanging out with friends and homework; extra credit wasn't going to be a problem this year. Still, he missed her, and he tried to find ways to strike up a conversation without bothering her too much.

Today, though, she hadn't replied to any of his texts. It wasn't that he expected a response; he just worried about her. That evening, having beaten his own high score on the game he was playing for the second time, he tried phoning her instead. The rings went on and on until he got put through to voicemail. He didn't leave a message, hanging up and waiting another half hour, hoping she would see it and call him back anyway. When he stared at his phone to no avail, he tried calling her again. This time, it only rang once before going through to voicemail. He frowned down at the screen. He tried once more, and went directly to voicemail, as though she'd switched her phone off.

There was a reasonable explanation, he was sure. He could wait for her to get back to him tomorrow. But there was a tiny niggling worry in the back of his mind that something was wrong. So he did the only other thing he could think of, which was to call Julia.

This call got picked up after a few rings. "Hi, Joey."

"Hey, Julia," he said, trying not to sound as worried as he felt.

"Let me guess, you're trying to reach Lauren," she said.

"That obvious?" he asked, managing a laugh.

"She's... out right now. I can remind her to call you when she gets home."

Her pause gave him pause. "Out."

"I don't know if she'd want me to tell you this." Julia sighed as though resigning herself to something. "She's... on a date," she said gently.

"Oh," he said, a crushing in his chest, shocked, somehow. Lauren. On a date. But of course she had a date. It was bound to happen. And she deserved it. "Okay, well, thanks."

"I'm sorry. I did think she would have told you herself."

"No worries," he said. But he was thinking the same himself. Was she worried about upsetting him? Or did he not matter so much to her anymore? He hadn't talked to her about his girlfriend, so he knew it was hypocritical. But they were supposed to be best friends, and he had no idea.

"I don't think she knows what she's doing," Julia said softly, almost to herself.

"Is she okay?"

Julia sighed. "Not really. And I don't think this date is going to help." There was a weighted pause. "Honestly? I can't believe she hasn't asked you out yet."

"What?" Joey said, half laughing with the absurdity of it.

"I was sure she would have by now."

"She doesn't like me," he said, reflexively, even though he knew it was no longer true.

"Oh, Joey." Julia's tone was so sympathetic as to be patronising, and it made him feel even worse.

"If we were going to get together we would have done by now," he said miserably. They'd had plenty of chances where they could have made it work, but the timing had never been right. And he had to accept that it never would be.

Julia sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Joey muttered. "I'm glad she's okay." He hung up the phone feeling even emptier.

He didn't even want to expect a call the next day in case he was disappointed. But sure enough, as he was about to finally get up and shower, his phone rang, Lauren's contact picture lighting up his screen. For a moment, he watched it ring. Normally he would have picked up without hesitation, not caring how eager it made him seem, but now his stomach twisted in knots. What was she going to say to him? Was she going to tell him about her new boyfriend, remind him of all the reasons he'd been crazy to ever think he had a chance with her?

But he needed to hear her voice, so on the last ring, he picked up. "Hi, Lo."

"Joey," she said, sounding relieved. "I really should have picked up your call yesterday."

"Yeah, what was that about?" he said casually, as if Julia hadn't told him.

The silence stretched long enough to make him check that the call hadn't dropped. "I had a date," she finally said quietly.

"How was it?"

"Bad," she said, and he was glad to hear the laughter in her voice.

"Really?" he said, her giggle infectious.

"He was nervous."

"I don't know, that's cute." If not cute, at the very least understandable.

"No, he was drunk-before-the-date-started nervous."

"Ah."

"Yeah," she said.

"So how bad exactly..."

"I paid before we even got our dessert served just to get out of there."

"That should be illegal," he said, and she giggled again. "So I'm guessing there's no second date."

"No second date," she confirmed. "Just seeing him every day at work, unless one of us quits first."

"Yikes. He should definitely quit."

She sighed. "Can I see you again?"

He perked up a little. "When?"

"Now."

"I've got nothing going on," he said. "You can come any time."

"Today?" she said, voice vulnerable.

He sat up straighter. "You really want to come today?"

She made a soft noise of assent.

"Of course you can," he said. He heard the immediate tapping of computer keys. "Are you booking it right now?"

"Yeah," she giggled.

His heart swelled with love for her.

"I can only stay for the weekend," she said. "I have work."

"That's okay. I just want to see you."

He sat on the other end of the phone until she said, "Okay, done."

"It's all booked?" he said.

"Yeah. I'll see you later."

"I can't wait," he replied.

"I guess I should get my stuff together then."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Keep me updated, okay?"

"Will do. Bye, JoJo."

She hung up, and he couldn't stop grinning. He couldn't believe an hour ago he'd been so caught up in the date she'd been on, and now she was flying to see him. It was exactly the motivation he needed to finally get up and shower.