Between Boyfriends (Book 1 in the Between Boyfriends Series)

Chapter 12

With every intention of going back to her apartment to sleep, Jan rushed out of the library before anyone could detain her with more drama. She was a third of the way home when she realized that she had forgotten her bag. As she zoomed back into the library, she checked to see if anyone was still there before returning to the table.

Jan observed that Danny and Nichole were gone, but Becki was crying softly at the table. Jan did not know if seeing Becki cry was more surprising or if Lisa hugging her was the more shocking sight.

All the times she saw me cry and not once did I get even a pat on the back.

A wave of hurt washed over Jan, leaving her feeling repulsive and empty. She didn't understand what it was about her that made people not want to touch her. She couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged her like that, like they really cared.

She began to turn around, feeling ashamed as if she were spying on something intimate. She backed out of the door and headed home. It wasn't until she got to her apartment that she realized she'd forgotten to retrieve her bag a second time from under the table at the library. Then she saw it by the door and remembered that it had been there the whole time.

The sound of a phone ringing coaxed Jan's head from its comfortable position underwater. She sat up in her bath (now filled with Herbal Essences Volumizing Shampoo instead of luxury bath bubbles) and reached over to the toilet seat to pick up her cell.

A picture of Lisa from Halloween appeared on the large screen on the outside of her phone identifying the caller with a picture.

"Hey, Lisa," Jan said after turning on her speakerphone.

"Actually, Jan, it's Becki," a voice blasted out of her speaker. Jan leapt to turn the volume down. Maximum volume was good when her ears were underwater. Topside, not so much.

She couldn't tell if it was distortion from the speaker, but there seemed to be a slight edge to Becki's tone that Jan had never heard before.

"Lisa wanted me to call you about the movie."

Jan didn't remember agreeing to go, but she wanted to know why Becki had been crying, merely for the sake of curiosity, of course.

"Right. What time are we going?"

"Now," chirped Becki. "Lisa said we shouldn't give you time to think of an excuse. We'll be over in five."

Jan didn't like this new game "Lisa Said". It was nothing at all like her favorite game, "Jan Says".

"Okay," she managed before Becki hung up.

Jan laughed in spite of herself and got out of the tub. She had five minutes in which to get ready. This was a feat she'd never attempted before. She cursed when she realized that she didn't have time for blow drying. She was not about to go sit in a freezing cold movie theater with wet hair.

She snatched up her phone and dialed Lisa's number.

"We were just kidding," Lisa began without saying hello. "You've got fifteen minutes, at least. Maybe fifteen and a half even." Then, she hung up.

Just to spite them both, Jan decided that not only would she be ready on time, but she'd look fabulous.

Without examining her plan too closely, Jan wrapped a towel around her head and ushered herself straight to her closet. She reached into her pile of hidden clothes and pulled out her prettiest, priciest, and pinkest skirt. She also grabbed a silver top and shawl, pink high-heeled boots, and a silver necklace she'd bought at Tiffany's during a trip to New York.

Armed with a beautiful outfit, Jan needed only to find a decent handbag to go with it. She quickly found a pink one hiding under a dirty towel to match her shoes and headed back to the bathroom to begin drying her hair.