Two Years

Jade Chapter 4

"So, that's it?" Amy sat on the floor, stretching as I told her about Lawrence and the love story I'd made up in my mind years ago. It was the first time I'd ever spoken about him to anyone, and judging by her response, I'd made the right choice in keeping him to myself. I'd given up hope of ever seeing him again, like a dream I couldn't catch, and telling anyone of my crazy crush had been out of the question. Until I unexpectedly saw him again, that is.

"Yeah," I said, following the butterfly stretch she did.

"He sounds like a jerk," she said and I couldn't blame her. "I mean, it's weird you ran into him again after two years, but he's never talked to you? I already don't like him!" She laughed that crazy laugh she had when something was too ridiculous to bear, and shook her head. With her long legs stretched out in front of her, she touched her toes with her perfectly manicured hands. I followed suit, but it wasn't as easy for me. I just wasn't that flexible, and the pain showed on my face.

"Don't overdo it, Jade."

"I can do it," I said. It was about time I caught up with Amy and her amazing stretching skills.

"Fine. Just relax into it."

I did as she said, and relaxed both my legs and my face. I took a deep, calming breath, but my quandary was still at the forefront of my mind. "Don't hate him," I said, deepening my stretch. "I don't even know him well enough to judge him or his actions. He might be shy as hell."

"Jade, you're my best friend in the world, and I will always tell you when I don't like someone for you—even if you don't want to hear it. So, I don't care. I already hate him, shy as hell or no." she said with a scowl on her face. She changed to a hip opener she'd learned in yoga class, and if the first was hard, this one was killing me. "You want to meet a nice guy? Let me introduce you to this guy I know. He's perfect for you, Jade. He even loves books, and cooks for his roommates, and smells good, and has a nice smile." She leaned deeper, forehead to knee, and wrapped her hands around her feet. The best I could do was lean halfway down and wrap my hands around my ankles.

"I appreciate your concern for my single life, but I don't like to be set up," I said, thinking that indeed I'd like to date a guy like the one she was describing, but I wouldn't be set up. There was just something creepy about being set up. It had the feel of an arranged marriage to me, and it freaked me out.

"Of course not. I forgot you'd rather be ignored by a cruel, blind-ass boy you met freshman year in that Podunk town."

"Reno is not Podunk," I said, but it sounded lame even to me. I hadn't ever really liked Reno, but I'd lived there, and I'd loved there, and I'd met Lawrence there and even though nothing of note came of that, I still held a special place for Reno in my heart. I hated to admit it, but I knew Amy was right about Lawrence. He was less than perfect—though if he would talk to me he'd be pretty perfect in my eyes—and I didn't think he was really cruel. Reticent and unsociable, yes, but not cruel.

"I'm serious. Paul knows a guy who knows a guy that's totally into books, and he's something in the university presidency. He's not the president, that I'm sure about, but something there. Like vice president, or secretary or something or other. So, I think you'll really like this guy."

"Thanks, Amy, but I can't."

"Can't, or won't?"

"I mean, I just don't want to be set up. I want to meet someone organically, like I met you." We'd met by chance when I moved back to Las Vegas from Reno. Amy was my roommate assigned by the college and though our first year together was a hard adjustment, we'd found our happy medium and loved the arrangement so much we turned out to be great friends, and what was fast becoming forever roommates. She was the crazy I needed, and I was the calm she needed. She was the yin to my yang, and I was the yang to her yin. That she made me work out more than I appreciated was just fine with me. I needed to physically run more than my mind needed to run away from me anyway.