Edge of History (Billie Pierce x Orignal fem character)

Part 11

My morning alarm goes off, and I let out a groan. The wonderful dream I was having about Billie was rudely interrupted. It has been a day since my date with Billie, and I am happy that I get to see her tomorrow when we go to Mexico. I just have to get through today.
I get ready fairly quickly, eager to get today over with. Today, my morning routine is short. I brush my teeth, wash my face, apply light makeup, and get dressed. I go with my usual comfy work clothes. As it's nearing time to go, I fill up my water and microwave and frozen breakfast burrito. I scarf down the food before grabbing my keys and heading out the door.
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Therese and Dylan are out today. Dylan took the day off for a little vacation with his family. Therese called out sick. It's just me, Andrea, and Orson. Without Therese, Orson directs his attention over to us. He can be quite charismatic when he wants to. Though, when it's time to do work, his constant conversation can be annoying. I have always admired Therese for being able to keep up with him and her work at the same time. Also, with the weekend so close, it's hard to want to work. I find myself getting drawn into silly debates and stories. Orson tells us about all of the crazy parties he's been to. He apparently has the reputation of doing anything he's been dared to do. At one point, he has both Andrea and I on the floor laughing. Orson was telling us about a time in high school when he and his friends stole a shopping cart and filled it with donuts. They left it in a random person's driveway. When they drove past the house an hour later, there were three cop cars. "I can't believe you got away with that!" I say, my sides feel like they're splitting apart. "How do you come up with these ideas?" Andrea asks, calming down. "I don't know. One thing led to another, and my friend found a cart in a store's parking lot. I wanted to know if it could fit in my car. Then we went dumpster diving at a donut shop." He explains. "You're a very interesting person, you know that?" I say. "I know." He replies.
I look at my phone, and see that is already 3:00 pm. "Oh! We missed lunch, let's all take an hour." I announce, standing up and stretching. We make our way to the parking lot. Orson splits off into another direction, so Andrea and I are left to walk together. "Do you want to get lunch with me?" She asks. I am a little hesitant. I wanted this time to talk to Billie. Andrea is a nice person, and I don't want to hurt her feelings. "Sure, that would be great!" I unlock my car and clean off the passenger seat for her. "Where do you want to go?" I ask. "Um... I don't know. What kind of food are you in the mood for?" She asks. I know if we keep trying to be nice, we will never find a place to eat in time. I suggest a close Ramen place. I figure there will be something there both of us will like.
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At the restaurant, I order a spicy beef bowl, and she gets a seafood one. "So what are your plans for the weekend?" I ask, not sure what else to talk about. "I think I'm going to try out rock climbing. I've been wanting to for a while, and I think this is the weekend to go for it." I shove a piece of meat and some noodles into my mouth. "That's sounds like a lot of fun! Do you know where you'll go?" Andrea takes a bite of shrimp before answering. "Yeah, there's actually a place just a few blocks from here. A friend recommended it to me." I sip some broth. It's salty and spicy with a hint of onion. "Are you going to climb by yourself or with your friend?" I ask, internally cringing at the boring questions. "With my friend. He said he wanted to be there to help me for my first time. But I have the feeling he's looking forward to being better at something than me." She says with a chuckle. "What about you? Do you have any fun plans?" She asks. I'm not exactly sure how to respond. I don't want to lie, but I also don't want to announce that I have a side gig as a treasure hunter. "Oh, I'm just visiting a friend. She's been doing a lot of work, so I'm going over to offer moral support." Not technically a lie, just a version of the truth. "That sounds fun. What kind of work does your friend do?" Andrea asks. "She's a collector. She finds little treasures and finds them new homes." I say. I am getting pretty good at coming up with lies quickly. Maybe I should be concerned. "Wow, that's really interesting! What's the craziest thing she's found?" She asks. I don't know how to respond. Other than the boxes, I haven't really asked Billie about her previous work. That part of her is a complete mystery. "She found this box that had a compass built into it." I say, hoping that Andrea doesn't ask any follow-up questions. She takes another bite of her food, and I do the same. Before she can ask another question, my phone starts buzzing. I look and see that Billie is calling me. "I'm sorry, I have to take this. I won't be very long, I promise." I say, standing to step outside.
"Hey, my love. Sorry I didn't call. I'm having lunch with Andrea." I say. "It's alright. I just wanted to check in. Are you having a good day?" Billie replies. "Yep, though Orson is making sure no one gets any work done." I say with a laugh. "How's Andrea? She's the nice one, right?" Billie asks. "She's good, but she keeps asking questions about you." "Are you telling people about me?" Billie laughs. "Kind of. She was asking about my plans for the weekend. I told her that I was helping my collector friend." I explain. "Collector friend? Come on, darling, I'm more than that!" Billie teases. I laugh, "Actually, she asked me what the craziest thing you have ever found was. I realized I didn't know the answer to that." There is silence for a beat. "Billie, are you still there?" I ask. "Yes, sorry darling, Kacey was asking me a question. Craziest thing? I have to think about that." I look through the window to see Andrea looking at me. I turn away. "It's okay, you can tell me later. I have to go finish lunch with Andrea." I say. "Okay, goodbye, my love. Have fun talking about me." I smile at her tease. "I will! See you tomorrow." I reply. "See you tomorrow." She says back. I hang up the phone and go back inside. We continue our lunch. She is easier to talk to than I thought. We exchange little stories about school and our families. Andrea hasn't brought up Billie again, so I don't have to think up new lies. Overall, I enjoyed myself. We both pay for our food and head back to work. When I pull into the parking space, I turn to her to say, "We should do this again sometime." She smiles, "That would be great."
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For the last few hours, I actually tried to work and managed to get something done. I let everyone go an hour early since not much else will get done anyway. "Have a great weekend, guys." I say, locking up. I drive home and immediately change into my pajamas. I still have to pack for the trip, but I start a movie instead. Who says I can't procrastinate a little? After the movie, I got a bag of chips and went to my room. The trip should take about three days, including travel time. I have Monday off because the building is getting its biannual inspection. We all agreed to do some virtual work that day. I pack enough clothes for the next few days, including socks and two pairs of shoes. I know we are mostly going to get work done, but I hope we have time to have fun. Just in case we have time, I pack a bikini. I also pack a lingerie set. Next, I get my toiletries and makeup bags together. About two hours later, I'm all packed, and I set my bags by the door. I sent Billie a few taps and got in the shower.
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I awoke around 8:00 am. I chose to wear a matching lavender cropped hoodie and sweat pants. When traveling, I like to be comfortable. For breakfast, I ate another breakfast burrito. While eating, I checked my phone and saw Billie texted me.