Turning Tables ---Going Under Construction---

Kiss and Tell

At 10 am Sasha and I were at Starbucks before a pointless morning shift at the bar. I was just starting to tell her what happened between Xander and I the night before. "He kissed you!" Sasha yelled in the middle of the coffee shop. She ignored the stares as she was always able to do. "You are winning. You are winning so hard!"

"Sasha, stop. It isn't a contest or a race. I can't win." Especially when it felt like I was losing myself in the process. "It's a stupid challenge we put on me."

Sasha grabbed my arm and turned me towards her. "This isn't stupid. I've told you a million times, this is getting your life back. When was your last date before Xander? A year ago?"

Now that I was thinking about it that seemed about right. I think it was Kent something and he wanted me to spend Christmas with him in Aspen even though we'd only been on 3 dates. I broke up with him shortly after. 

"It has been six years and you haven't gotten over this. Obviously, you need more than to try pushing past it. Forget the blog even, and think about yourself." Sasha moved ahead as we got to the front of the line and ordered both of our coffees as I thought about what I wanted out of whatever I was doing with Xander. "Come on, we need to get to work."

___

It was around noon at the bar and we had a few business guys and people on an ill-advised alcohol break from their day jobs, but all and all the bar was empty. 

"And what can I get for you boys?" I asked a group of guys in the far corner of the bar, using my perkiest and sweetest voice. Each guy gave me a ravenous smile and ordered top shelf drinks. Wit a bat of the eyelashes I ran to Sasha who was working behind the bar. 

"Old fashion, two scotch & sodas, and a gin & tonic."

She started pouring my drinks. "How are the guys treating you."

"They look like big spenders. All top shelf, want to impress the hot cocktail waitress types." This was why I never complained about my job. The people usually sucked, but the tips were killer if you flirted back enough. 

"Hey," Sasha brought her voice to an unnecessary whisper. "Isn't that one of Xander's friends?"

I looked over to the person walking into the bar and it was Emmitt. For the first of the few times I had seen him, he didn't look like he was walking out of a business meeting. "Yeah, I wonder what he's doing here."

"I'll take the drinks, you find out."

Emmitt saw me and waved as I walked over. I put a smile on my face to mask the sheer confusion. "Hey, what are you doing here?" It was one thing to run into him at neutral locations, but my place of work without Xander present was odd. 

"I needed to talk to you about something." He looked nervous and eager at the same time. I motioned to Sasha and told her I'd be back in 5 before leading Emmitt into a back room. 

"Okay, talk."

He pulled something out of his back pocket as he started talking. "I know you and Xander haven't been seeing each other long, but you were together before..."

"Okay?" 

"You know his birthday is next month?" I had kind of forgotten the day, but I knew it was late November. After the Thanksgiving rush and before the Christmas madness. He was the perfect middle ground. His words, not mine. 

"I'm not really following Emmitt." This was the most frazzled I had ever seen the guy. To be fair we had only met twice, but those two times he was a put together and cool dude. This was a near basket case. 

He sighed. "I want to throw him a surprise party and I thought it would mean a lot to him if you threw it with me." 

Emmitt finally handed me what he was holding on to. It was a handwritten mock-up of a party invitation. "Why? Like you said, we just got back together."

"He would hate me if I told you, but... you were the one that got away." 

"I didn't get away, he left." I knew I shouldn't have said that, and my tone as harsher than I wanted Xander's friend to hear, if only so Xander didn't know how mad I was. It was true though. If all these years that was how he described me, he was living in a fantasy world. "But of course I'll help you." It would win me brownie points if nothing else. The sooner I could get this whole thing over with the better. 

Emmitt's demeanor changed then, softening. "That's amazing. Of course, you won't have to pay for anything, I'll handle that. I would love any input you have though. We can meet later to find a venue." 

"We could just do it here," I told him. "We have private rooms and I can get a discount for us. Plus, at that point, we're already downtown so if we get antsy we can move to a new bar."

"That's perfect. Then all we have to do is decorate and invite people." He started digging through his pockets again. "Here's my phone number. Just text me and I'll give you the day and time of the party."

"Sounds good." He nodded and I lead him back to the main room where he waved goodbye and dashed off. 

"What was that all about," Sasha asked pouring two shots for a couple regulars who took seats at the bar. They were a sweet old couple who came in for shots of whiskey and coke while telling us about the good old days. 

I didn't even know where to start with the odd exchange I'd just had with Emmitt. "He wants me to throw Xander a surprise party."

She slid the drinks over to the couple. "What did you say?"

"I mean, what was I suppose to say? 'No, I'm only playing your good friend. I'd rather not.'"

Sasha chuckled. "It's just a party," she pointed out. "You put up a few streamers, dance, then call it a night. Don't look so worried. Plus, it gets you one step closer to the goal."

The goal... At this exact moment, the goal was to use a mans birthday party to break his heart. It made me feel incredibly classy. 

"Don't look so downtrodden," one of the regulars butted into the conversation. The sweet woman with a gentle smile named Rose. "You are too young an beautiful for frown lines."

"Take a shot with us," her husband, Hank, all but demanded. 

Sasha pulled two more glasses from behind the bar and poured us both whiskey. It was a disgusting drink in my opinion, but the last time I tried to drink tequila in front of these two they called me a wimp and didn't tip. 

"Cheers," Sasha started as we all raised our glasses. 

"Cheers," the couple and I joined. I shook my head at the taste. 

"Now," Rose started. "I want you to woman up." 

"Yeah," Sasha agreed. "Woman up Jade. Throw a stupid party. Make a guy fall in love with you."

"One more round," Hank cried. The men I'd been serving in the back cheered to his words. "On me!" The men cheered louder. 

Sasha and I poured everyone more drinks and I got a moment to think about what I was doing. Sasha was right, it was just a party. Even if it was his birthday, it didn't have to be anything too big. It would be in the back room of my place of work with a few of his friends. I might even sneak out early just to keep some of the control. 

Late that night as I walked home I texted Emmitt. 

It's Jade. Let me know about the party. 

He texted back within seconds. Amazing. It will be November  25th at  7. Can we start planning Monday?

See you then. 

I finally made it home, to my quiet room and my quiet bed and turned my brain off for what felt like the first time since Sasha dragged me out on a stupid Sunday night.