"You guys have no idea how badly I needed this night to come!" Becca let out such an exasperated sigh before placing her purse beside her on the floor, "My week sucked and my boss sucks even more."
"Same here." Laura chimed in raising her glass in an unofficial toast and we all laughed.
Friday night was obviously something that we all looked forward to and while I didn't always have the same stress or workplace issues the girls had, I found it enjoyable to hear their stories and kick off the weekend amongst such great company. They were some of my very best friends.
"Well, if you think your boss sucks... you haven't met mine." Mel raised her wine glass to her lips allowing herself to take a large gulp before placing it back on the table, "Mine expects me to plan all of these secret rendezvous for him and his mistress. It makes me sick."
"What a pig. Have you said anything to him?" Becca inquired leaning forward to rest her right elbow on the table.
"No!" Mel scoffed looking at Becca as if she had just grown a forth head, "What am I supposed to say? Mr. Peterson you're a two timing pig and oh, by the way can I have a raise?"
We all erupted with laughter as we had all realized how dumb Becca's question sounded when Mel put it into a different perspective for us. I could always count on these girls to make me laugh until my cheeks hurt.
"What about you Av? You haven't said too much. How was your week?" Laura asked, everyone's eyes suddenly falling on me as if I had been keeping some sort of big and exciting secret from all of them.
"Well, you know... my week usually isn't all that exciting but my day on the other hand..." I shook my head as I recalled a very tall Rob Gronkowski standing in my classroom to pick up a little girl I never knew he had.
"What happened?"
"Don't even tell me some kid pooping their pants was the most exciting part of your day." Becca teased followed by a few small laughs from the girls.
"Very funny." I playfully rolled my eyes at her and her attempts to poke fun of my dramaless job. I knew she was only teasing and it wasn't something I took personally, "Well, I have a little girl named Mia in my class, I'm sure you guys have heard me talk about her, and her dad came to pick her up at school today for the very first time. But, you'll never guess who it is."
"Oh my God..." Mel's eyes grew wide, "was it Sean?"
"What?" Now it was my turn to look at her as if she had sprouted four heads. Sean was a guy I had dated semi recently, a very childless guy might I add.
"Hey, you never know!" Laura spoke up in her defense and I suppose she was right; stranger things have happened.
"So... who was it?" Mel tended to be the eager beaver of the bunch, she liked to get straight to the point. Especially if it had the potential to be something exciting.
"Rob Gronkowski." I knew the expression on my face must've been one of confusion and perhaps even disapproval. Was it wrong to dislike someone simply for their job? Even if it was playing for an NFL team I despised?
The girls all gasped and with two of them being New Englanders, I knew they were about to go all fan girl on me. Not that they necessarily were fans of football as much as they were fans of the players. And when speaking of Gronkowski, player takes on dual meanings.
"Shut. Up." Becca slammed her hands down on the table, her eyes practically bulging out of their sockets with excitement as if what I had just told her was some how life altering for her.
"He has a kid?" Mel seemed to have the same exact confused look on her face that I imagine I had on mine when he picked her up.
"She called him daddy." I shrugged, I thought back to our encounter this afternoon and how positively adorable it was to see him walk down the hall with her.
"Oh my God..." Mel looked from the girls then back to me, "Gronk is a dilf."
"Oh Lord." I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief of their infatuation with someone I would otherwise call a man child.
"He is so hott." Becca placed her hand on her chest, "Is he as hott in person?"
"I am not the person to ask that question to..." I shook my head before bringing my beer bottle to my lips.
"Whatever!" Laura let out the loudest laugh before staring me down, "I don't know anything about football, I won't lie, but the only reason you refuse to admit you find him attractive is because you hate the damn team he's on and you know it, I see it on your face."
"Ehhh..." My face scrunched up and I shrugged my shoulders, maybe she was right. Partially right, "I don't think he's as wonderful as these two do but he's not bad looking either. He just looks so damn immature to me."
Laura nodded, "I think I can agree with you on that."
"I'm going to run to the ladies room. You guys finish those drinks. " I looked around the table trying to survery everyone's glasses before sliding off the bar stool, "The next round is on me.
I set out in search of the bathroom, the problem with bars is always that they tend to be so dimly lit and finding your way from point A to point B can pose quite a challenge. As if that's not enough, you have to factor in the maze of sorts created by the combination of randomly gathered crowds and bar tables.
"Who bought this round? I said I would buy guys." I had returned from my trip to the ladies room to find our beverages had all been replenished and while I was grateful I was confused as to why they didn't just wait for me.
"The bartender brought them over just after you left and he handed me this." Mel extended her arm and handed me a folded up napkin.
"What? Quit messing around." A smirk crept onto my face as I looked around the table at the girls to find them fighting back smiles. I felt like I was dealing with my students.
"We're not messin around. Honest." Becca made an X over her heart with her right index finger.
My name was written on the outside of the napkin in a handwriting I did not recognize, judging by its some what sloppy nature I knew it didn't belong to the girls. I peered at them through squinted eyes before slowly and cautiously unfolding the napkin. Once again I was greeted by the same penmanship.
It was nice to meet the Miss Snow I hear so much about. Sorry for being late. This round is on me.
R
I looked up from the napkin to meet three sets of eyes burning holes right through me. I knew they were anxious to hear what the napkin note said. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't touched by it, I was. It seemed like a sweet gesture on his part and I certainly appreciated his apology.
"Where's the bartender that brought you this?" I was curious to find out if Rob was still in the building, the establishment was quickly filling up making it harder and harder to spot anyone.
"He's the really dark haired one with the beard." Mel pointed towards the end of the bar.
I walked towards the bar, the note in my hand. I was hoping he could tell me if Rob was still in the building, as much as I hated the idea of conversing with the enemy, I believed it was only right to thank him.
"Excuse me?!" I called out to the stocky man over the loud music, he looked up at me over the cups he was washing and I waved the napkin note for him to see, "Do you know where he went?"
"I see you got the note." The man smiled at me and I could see his sense of accomplishment for completing the task Rob had given him, "He left but I was under strict orders to make sure the beautiful blond gets the note."
"Thank you." I gave him a small smile before walking back to the girls.
Beautiful blond?
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't flattered by those words. I was sure I'd see him again eventually to thank him for the drinks, after all his daughter is in my class.
