She Lost Him, but She Found Herself. (Sally Jackson x Poseidon)

CHAPTER 3

I guess Vanessa mentioned something about Caspian to Delilah because she's been bugging me about him our whole shift.

"So when are you going to ask him out on a date?"

"I told you Lilah, I'm not asking him on a date."
I pull the pitcher of hot milk and matcha powder out from under the steaming wand and pour its contents into a cup.

"Well I guess you guys sort of already had your first date," she praddles on.

I put a lid on the to-go cup and hand it off, "matcha for Julia!" I call out.

"Thank you girls!" the middle-aged woman takes her matcha latte and sets a few dollar bills for a tip on the counter before she walks out. Julia is a small author and regular at Belladonna, often found with her laptop writing at the bar and high chairs by the windows.

"No problem! Nice seeing you again!" I call after her, smiling.
I turn back to Delilah, "it wasn't a date," I grab the steaming pitcher and walk to the sink to rinse it out, "I was just showing him around for the day, he's new here and we ended up having fun."

"Sounds like a date to me," I look to Delilah and she's already smiling at me which makes us both laugh.

I love Delilah and Vanessa, they're the closest friends I've made since moving to Montauk but they're very much open books and I'm more private. Delilah especially gets excited easily over things like boys, or any interesting gossip really.

"I'm still adjusting to my new life here, I don't need anything more to disrupt my routine. I'm too busy for a boyfriend anyway, between working, volunteering, having a social life, and time for myself, I don't have room for a relationship."

"Sounds like excuses to me," Delilah raises her eyebrows.

"Okay fine...I don't think I'm ready for a relationship either. I'm still an emotional wreck sometimes and I'm not good at getting close to people or feeling comfortable with them because they always leave. I don't want to get hurt again," just those few words make my eyes tear up already and when Delilah and I make eye contact again I can see she understands the deeper meaning in my words.

Delilah and Vanessa both know about my past and are great advice givers, they're always there to support me when I need it. And I appreciate their loyalty, close female friendships aren't something I'm used to but I think they're healing my inner child, whether they know it or not. I haven't been great at keeping friends or even making them in the first place. With my uncle being abusive then getting really sick, I never invited people to my house which seems like a staple in the transition of school-only friends to actual friends. And there were a couple times I made excuses after a particularly bad fight or because I needed to work in order to pay for his medicine which gave me the reputation of being flaky.

"Sometimes trying so hard to protect your heart can hurt it too. We're so young Sal, live a little," she gives my shoulder a light squeeze and thankfully changes the subject, (almost) "remember when you said you'd like to learn how to surf one day?"

"..yes?" I immediately get suspicious at the big grin spreading across Delilah's face.

"Well I happen to know your little Prince Charming got a job at the surf shop conveniently down the street."
That's become Caspian's new nickname after Vanessa and I recounted our interactions with him to Delilah.

"And you're just telling me this now?" I ask.

"Well I was waiting for you to bring him up first," she shrugs, "but then I realized you're not going to and got impatient."

I smile, "I'm not going there to buy a surfboard just to see him if that's what you're thinking."

"Well that is an option...buut you could also sign up for lessons and have a really attractive teacher as a plus."

"I'll think about it." I won't.

"That's not a no!"